Bagel Masters — Restaurant in Shrewsbury

This is an unfortunate thing for me to actually feel compelled to write to review about this place but I would give it zero stars if I could. Upon reading the negative reviews I realized my complaint is a common thread that the owner clearly refuses to address. I called ahead for 6 bagels, and when I arrived, I had to wait over 25 minutes just to pay. I could see my bag sitting on the deli counter, and all I had to do was hand a $20 over the deli counter, pay and leave. As I stood in line, I watched many times where the registers were not even being used. This seems like a simple solution for those who have forethought to call ahead. Instead, the owner was egregiously rude to me. Stating the I needed "patience". I simply asked what the point of the call ahead was, if I had to wait in a line forever. I then stated why someone who called ahead for a hot sandwich should be penalized if they are going to have to wait in line to pay. I could see the hot bagel sandwiches just getting cold while people had to wait in line just to pay. Again the same simple solution of paying cash over the deli counter and leaving. I was in a hurry and didn't need to have "patience", as I was on a schedule that day. I called ahead to make my day as efficient as possible, and thus I was never treated so poorly as a paying customer. I have lived in Shrewsbury for three years now, and will never again be a patron to that establishment. As I quickly realized there was no reasoning with someone who is so ignorant to today's fast paced society, I grabbed my changed and quickly left. The owner continued to yell at me like a lunatic while I was walking out the door. As I continue to become more involved in the Shrewsbury community and the school system, I will tell everyone I know how the owner treats the local residents of Shrewsbury. I know he thinks he is invincible because of his "line" out the door. But if he ran he business more efficiently he wouldn't have a line, or the need to scream and yell at paying customers. He blatantly told me to get my bagels else where, and I will do just that. I will gladly drive further to be treated with respect, and not rudeness. I will be curious to see what snarky response he has to his own...

I grew up in Shrewsbury and was honestly proud that my town had the most legit bagel shop in Monmouth County. My brothers and I would ride our bikes there on Saturday mornings, stand in a massive line, and get the best food we’d eat all week. During high school I’d be driving like a bat out of hell knowing I had 5 minutes to be in home room, but I’d stop at Bagel Masters anyway. My trigonometry teacher would always be there and we’d have a laugh and both be late for school. (RBC is “flexible” when you know the right people, and stopping for a bagel is potentially a valid excuse for being late for home room bc they would never want any of us to be hungry.)

Ever since Darren sold the business things have changed. There’s a focus on digital. Online ordering through an app. If you order in store you must give your phone number and they pull up your “bagel account” and then enter your order. I guess there’s a record of all my bagel eating now. But what I couldn’t figure out for a while was what had changed. I finally realized that the bagel recipes were changed. The bagels are smaller, chewier (I call this “undercooked”) and just not worthy of the previous Bagel Master’s iteration which literally had award winning bagels. It’s too bad this happened. I find myself driving a few extra minutes into Red Bank for bagels at bagel shops that have better bagels now. Bagel Station. Hot Bagels. Bagel Oven. And you don’t have to wait in a half hour line at those places so even with the extra driving it takes me less time to...

Bagels are decent but the customer service is literally horrendous. I presume the guy who always runs outside in huff to get orders is the owner and he really needs an attitude adjustment. If you don’t play EXACTLY by his rules, then you’re wrong that’s how it goes - no customer first mentality here at all. God forbid you order your food online and get to the store a whopping 2 minutes before the time the food is expected to be ready (the owner will let you hear about it and how unbelievable it is that you’re parked in a spot in the lot directly in front of his store and will literally tell you to move your car - as if this guy owns the parking spots in the strip mall 😂). The guy needs to just chill out and limit his self importance, it’s a bagel shop we’re not running an engineering firm here. The irony of the place is absurd because if you get out of your car he’ll yell at you but if one of his friends/cronies stops by and tries to come in the store and hops out of their car then it’s all fun and games. Different customers are treated with different levels of respect and the owner is extremely edgy, unpleasant, and clearly unprofessional. Tried to give this place a shot but not worth supporting a business with second-rate and incompetent ownership. Small Business for Dummies - great book, would highly recommend reading to know how to be professional and courteous...