Holey Bagel — Restaurant in San Francisco

Been a regular customer for many years... before Charles bought out the old Jewish couple, and before it was Noah's or Manhattan or whatever that was for a little while.

All the while I've seen/felt them nickle and diming to death... now I feel like I need to say something.

.95 cents for a bagel .10 cents to toast it

Their hours now are sliced down... only open until 2:30 or so...

I have been ordering the same thing for years... and recently noticed (as the total went from $10 for lunch, to $13, to $16, now to $22.... that the sandwich I order is cheaper if I order it in pieces ... I asked the owner about this (I will list my sandwich below):

Bagel toasted 1 slice cheese 1 tomato 1 lettuce 1 mustard -which BTW is not listed as a condiment they charge for 1 cucumber

This sandwich according to them costs $4.45 (I will explain below) They tell me that it is equivalent to the following sandwich they sell (the veggie sandwich) which is $3.85 + .60 for the cheese

1 bagel (toasted or not) 1 lettuce 1 tomato 1 onion 1 mustard 1 mayo

If I read their menu which lists the bagel at .95 + toasting .10 + slice cheese .60 + 3 veg @.50 that is NOT $4.45 (uh more like $3.15 which is a $1.30 diff)... when I asked about this the owner got very upset and said that it's not meant to be ordered that way and that the extra cost is for the "labor involved in making the sandwich"

Ahem... I understand escalating business costs however... this seems to me to be deceptive, as it is not listed as "alacarte" on the menu, just as "add vegetables to your sandwich".

Needless to say they still...

I have bought, eaten and ENJOYED eating Holey Bagels, located in Noe Valley, for over 25 years! Saturday trips to the Farmers Market on 24th Street mean a bagel with lox, eaten then and there, usually at Martha's coffee. With lox spread, with eggs and cheese. My favorite bagel is sesame - by the time they close there are usually no more left and I have often gotten there too late! I buy a half dozen, take them home, cut them in half and refrigerate or freeze them....they are delicious, toasted, with lox spread or butter...breakfast, lunch, snack. Enough said. Oh! Prices are very fair and comparable, if not much less than the "Best" in...

The bagels are OK, although the last few times I have gone they have been tough, dry, overcooked and the cream cheese has had a chalky flavor. What is making me want to stop going is the tip guilt tripping. The ladies run your card, then flip the tip screen toward you and stare down at it as you choose. Its just a bagel counter and there’s no reason to expect tip and I find it rude the way they...