LoxSmith Bagels — Restaurant in Seattle

Updated review:

I would recommend people steer clear of LoxSmith. I’m bummed to say, but this is just a sad operation at this point. It’s clear that the owner doesn’t take this seriously and the employees are clearly not being taken care of.

I came by to order a bagel with plain cream cheese and was given the food pictured. Unfortunately I took a couple bites before I noticed what I was eating. I thought they may have mistook my cream cheese order for heavy butter or something but the employee insisted it was indeed their plain cream cheese. It tasted nothing like cream cheese. The employee said that it looked like “lotion”. I agree…

This is the product that the owner is supplying them with. The employee mentioned the owner was supposed to be at the store “hours ago” and never showed. The employee was more upset than me. They gave me a refund, took off their apron and said I’m outta here.

Clearly they have been dealing with mismanagement for a long time.

Do not go here.

Old review:

I don’t normally write reviews but I feel compelled here because when Loxsmith was a pop-up I felt very strongly that it was the best bagel in the city. Ever since moving to a brick and mortar store I have noticed the quality of the bagel decline. At first I wanted to attribute this to growing pains but I’ve been coming here about twice a month since they opened and it hasn’t changed.

Now I want to be clear that the staff are great. They are friendly and professional. I have had nothing but good experiences interacting with them.

Having said that, I have a sneaking suspicion that they are not selling fresh bagels... Obviously they are making the bagels offsite and bringing them in every morning so, no, we’re not going to get a hot, knock-tested bagel right out of the oven. But I think this goes deeper than that. I think they are often selling bagels that are day-old as fresh and selling even older bagels as day-old. Now I could be wrong and I’m willing to admit that, but I don’t think that’s the case because sometimes I’ll order a bagel and it has that wonderful fresh chew to it when most other times I’ll get a more stale bagel. Would be interested to know if anyone has had the...

Update: this place has gone down hill pretty fast. I walked in around 10am on a Sunday. The place was empty and filthy. I took a picture of one table, but the one next to it was like the one below and the counter was filthy. They also had an open coffee thing in the back, the scale was unclean/oily… The person on register was unfriendly and highly transactional. Adding a tip felt truly obligatory. Another person had headphones on, which I found interesting. I can understand from a stimulation perspective.

Prior to this visit, there was a different person on register. They actively used their gloves on the screen and then proceeded to make my food. While not a huge deal, it felt pretty gross. I didn’t really want to know what else had been touched with those gloves given how casual the behavior was.

I’ll probably go one last time, but they’re quickly falling out of my Sunday morning “ritual”. What a bummer.

Original: Giving 5, would give 4.5 if I could! The price is up there. The complaints over price are slightly out of proportion given our economy. Seattle is expensive, especially when opening a new business.

I got their basic lox. You can tell they don’t cheap out on ingredients and can confirm it was very delicious. The bagel was great. Salmon was yummy. Everything was fresh and made to order.

Inside could use a smidge more personality. Whether that’s music or turning up the TV. Something in the background to help cut the quiet or noise would be great.

Will return back when in the...

I don’t leave bad reviews, I actually never have. But this place has earned it. I’ve given them four chances. First time I thought to myself, It shouldn’t take 20 minute to make two bagel sandwiches. Second time, same long wait. I was the only person there, struggling with my toddler and a stroller to open the door - guy behind the counter just watches me, doesn’t offer to help; isn’t doing anything else. Third time: ordered 3 bagels with cream cheese and lox, I’ve learned from the first two times so I ordered ahead for pick up. Not only are the bagels not made, but he clearly did not read the order because he gave us one small container of lox, and a side of cream cheese. They were also out of everything bagels, so just “pick out something else” he said - no apologies. Also, have I mentioned this place is overpriced?

Final chance today, my husband went with both kids. Two everything bagels with plain cheese - the guy makes one of them with chive cc. Like, what? Then the coffee is self-serve, which he says after. Dirty mugs are available if you stay and they have to go cups, but no lids and no milk or creamer of any kind which he mentioned only after my husband asked. Why? Final straw - he put the fly zapper that was on the counter BY the bagels, on the to go containers.

This isn’t New York energy, this honestly isn’t even Seattle energy. Go get bagels somewhere else, anywhere else. No bagel is worth whatever...