Henry Higgins Boiled Bagels — Restaurant in Portland

I live nearby so I end up going here about 1/week for the past year. Today, I felt moved to leave a review hoping that someone in management looks at these and will accept some honest feedback.

Recently they raised their prices across the board - I typically get bagel sandwiches and these have all gone up by $1-2. This would be fine, except that the quality and service have not improved or even stayed consistent.

Sometimes the sandwiches are great, sometimes they are not, and leave me feeling regret for buying it, especially now that it puts me out $10-13 depending on what I order. With the price increase, this place is nearly as expensive as Spielman's bagels up on Broadway, but at least the quality of the sandwiches there are consistently excellent.

Due to construction in the area and the workers wanting bagels, many times recently there has been a big wait when I came by. You can no longer order over the phone, and I'm not going to go through a 3rd party like doordash and get up-charged, so I usually have to wait (in a small store) 20-30 minutes for a sandwich. This is just ridiculous. I'm happy that you guys are getting more business, but in such a circumstance, please try to improve your processes so that customers get their food in a timely manner. Nobody goes to get breakfast at a bagel place expecting this kind of wait.

The staff are usually friendly when I order, but the people preparing food don't seem particularly motivated to get on top of a rush. Just casually chatting and standing around without working, and today even remarking about how long customers were having to wait, and whether it was good to give people a heads up or not (it is), while doing nothing to actually hustle and get the food out. I've worked in a kitchen before, and I would not have gotten...

I've put off writing this review for way too long, but if you enjoy amazingly good and high quality bagels, THIS IS THE SPOT. As a born and raised east coast Jewish gal who loved her NY bagels on the daily, I was Heart. Broken. to find that the bagels in Portland were lacking when I first moved here (nearly 10 years ago). A few shops come close, but Henry Higgins has nailed the boiled NY style bagel, hands down. I have to say I am shocked (appalled even) that there are reviews here that say their bagels are 'stiffer than the grocery store' or how many people compare these to grocery store bagels in general. What these folks are referring to, and what I love about these bagels, are that they have that perfect jaw-working chewiness to them, the kind that only a properly made and boiled bagel can have, the kind that east coasters recognize and make them sing "ahhhhh yes THIS is a good bagel!" Their prices are great, and considering all the amazing and delicious ingredients you can put into a bagel sandwich here, it's almost a steal. The inside is darling with local art work and ample seating. I think the only reason they don't have lines out the door (though there is a constant stream of customers here) is because it's a little off the beaten path surrounded by industrial office spaces. I should also mention their coffee is A+. TIP: If you come on a weekend, be sure to get in early enough or your favorite bagel might be sold out. Super spoiled to have this shop around the corner from my home, and super grateful to have amazingly delicious, chewy, and high quality bagels that rival any shop in NY. No more loading up my carry-on bag with bagels when I come home from...

First off, I hate leaving negative reviews and almost never do. But my experience here this morning was SO off-putting that I can't not.

I ordered a bagel "for here" but it was wrapped up to go. I asked politely if I could have a basket, and the person grabbed the bagel with such contempt and vitriol, then rolled her eyes and gave an almost imperceptible shake of the head. She dumped the basket back on the counter, making no eye contact, nothing. I said "Sorry to inconvenience you," again, no eye contact, no acknowledgement, she just kind of turned her back to me.

I've been coming here weekly with my son for YEARS now. And still feel like I'm creating an inconvenience of catastrophic proportions almost every time I order a bagel. I'm not the only one, there are plenty of 1 star reviews for rudeness.

I don't need a disdainful gen-z "I'm oppressed because I have to work for a living" experience every time I order a bagel. I'm sorry for driving the "capitalist machine" that keeps you employed--yes, I have literally overhead this conversation here. I understand how deeply inconvenient it is to have to work for a living, as I myself have to do it. And I leave them tips every time! Why?!

Seriously, the environment has become downright toxic. I've enjoyed this neighborhood spot for over 10 years, but the management continues to let employees behave like spoiled, entitled, TOXIC brats. Such a shame. (Some staff are great. But negative people have a way of permeating everything.)

Save yourself the negativity, you don't need this. Go...