Eltana — Restaurant in Seattle

I ordered online for pickup on a Sunday morning, three bagels with cream cheese for a quick family breakfast before we headed out for the day. When I got there, my order was ready and the staff cheerily handed me my bag. Got home, and there were only two bagels. So two of us split one, no big deal, and we went on with the day.

Having worked in service before, I think I'm pretty sympathetic to the cause, I get that mistakes happen. All I wanted was to let the staff know, and a refund for the goods we didn't receive. So I called the listed number, and got a automated phone tree for 1) Order Now, 2) Order in 24+ hours, and 3) Leave a message. The order now recording just directs you back to the order online options. And so I left a brief message with details: Name, phone, e-mail address. But somehow you can't call Eltana and talk to a person?

The next day, I got a call from a number I didn't recognize, and then a text from Daniel asking if my order had been sorted out from yesterday. He was friendly enough to offer me a gift card but needed my e-mail address (that I had left in the phone message). I replied that I actually preferred a $ refund, as I didn't know the next time I'd be in to Eltana, so he needed the last 4 of my credit card. After I provided the credit card last 4, he couldn't locate the transaction, so he needed my last name (that I had left in the phone message). Then he was 'looking at the wrong part' and needed my first name (that I had left in the phone message).

After all that back and forth, he then couldn't access my order via DoorDash, so I could either take it up with DoorDash or accept the gift card.

What a joke. Eltana, keep the $$. I guess I'll take my business elsewhere (*if you need a suggestion!: Rachel's Bagels and Burritos, Bagel Oasis, Blazing Bagels, Rubinstein's).

2 stars because the cream cheese is actually pretty darn fire, and they really pile it on there. But after the run around, I just don't think I'm coming back. Man, I wanted to love this place so bad, but it's just...

We walked in and there were plenty of people working, yet it was dead silent. It’s the norm, when there are or aren’t other customers to be summarily ignored. It seems like such a small gesture-but it’s become the trend here.

The bagels are small. Dry. Hard in the center. The cream cheese is whipped and it tasted great...on bagels that we purchased at Little Lago. IMO, many are willing to pay the price for a quality product. If the focus is producing quality bagels, it might be easier to overlook everything else. For the price and mediocrity of it all, this isn’t cutting it.

I reached out directly to their team. I wrote an email and gave them honest feedback. There was no reply. At a time when many businesses are working hard to stay open, I wanted to give them a chance. It seems that their offices aren’t interested. Just like their staff, they are uncommunicative. So, perhaps, this is a pattern from top to bottom.

The coffee was bitter. And scalding hot. There was no sleeve or warning too. I have tried to return; the third time was the nail in the coffin. The service leaves much to be desired. After several tries and regularly disappointing service and food, I will not return. It’s not worth it-go elsewhere.

This last visit resulted in this review. This is my first negative review written to date, here and now, because it left a bad taste...

Wow is this place horrible. The bagels are tiny, expensive and HARD (like 2 days old bagels that have been left out). In fact, I've had 5 days old bagels that we're refrigerated that tasted significantly better and weren't as hard and dense. We also ordered the "8" oz lox spread and received less than 7 oz and that's including the container weight! We will not be going back!

Edit: It's been 4 years since I tried Eltana and Old Salt was unfortunately closed, so we gave Eltana another shot due to our toddler begging for bagels. The outside smelled strongly of pee for half of their patio... So that was a great appetizing start while waiting for our bagels to be toasted.

Their bagels this time weren't as hard, however, they tasted very similar to Thomas Bagels or dry old bagels you'd at a complimentary breakfast for a Best Western. Even better, the turkey bacon sandwich strongly resembled a Lunchable. Once my husband said that, I felt like I was eating an expensive adult Lunchable and I couldn't taste anything but that. My toddler who loves her weekly bagels from Old Salt refused to eat it after a small nibble. She ALWAYS devours her bagel from Old Salt regardless of which topping we get her there. Finally, unless you love green olives, I'd skip the olive & herb spread. It was extremely overpowering of a flavor, but maybe that's a good thing for...