Irvings Bagels — Restaurant in State College

Irving's is located across from Old Main right in Downtown State College. Food is delicious - bagels are fresh and coffee is tasty. I have now been to this location 3 times and each time, the experience gets worse. I realize they are a popular joint and this past weekend it was peak move in time for the college students; however, it was completely ridiculous that we waited 57 minutes for 2 bagels, a cappuccino, and an iced coffee.

The wait area is extremely uncomfortable with massive crowds hovering over the counters waiting desperately for their food. It felt like we were a bunch of sardines tightly packed in a tin can with barely any space to move. I am pretty sure it was probably against building code and a fire hazard as well, but I am not well versed in PA building code laws so I may be mistaken.

Seating is first come first served so it can be challenging to find a spot to enjoy your meal/drink.

I am not exaggerating when I say we waited 57 minutes. I checked the time on our receipt to when we got the food and it was 57 minutes. All 3 times I have been to this location the wait time has been outrageous, but this weekend was the worst. The previous 2 visits, the wait was around 35 minutes for bagels and coffee, which ok fine, in a busy downtown college town can be expected, but 57 minutes is completely unacceptable.

I typically avoid writing negative reviews; however, Irving's actually can be a great place because the food is absolutely delicious and I want to see them improve so that I am willing to visit again. I overheard several out of towners say they will never visit again due to the wait time and that actually makes me sad because I am PRO small business. They just need a better system to handle the crowds. I have several solutions for them (as a supply chain executive and a six sigma/lean practitioner) so they are welcome to reach out...

Had a work event this morning, catered by Irvings; it was mostly bagels and pastries. Each item was individually wrapped, which is a waste of plastic. My wrapped bagel had green mold on the inside, and after informing the organizer after the event, we found another wrapped bagel with visible mold so who knows how many were eaten, unnoticed DURING the event. Given this, I did not feel comfortable eating the pastries or the cream cheese.

I had visited Irvings 2-3 times Irvings pre-pandemic and never had a bad experience so maybe this was a one-off event, but it has really made me wonder about their overall food freshness so it will be a while before I go back.

Update: I am being told to remove the review because there was "no mold". 4 people at this event SAW the mold. It was green. There was a blueberry bagel with 2 green mold spots on it, my sesame pre-wrapped bagel had mold on the inside. I did not imagine this. The person next to me confirmed it was mold. I should have taken a picture. I would have removed this review had you admitted your mistake, and we could have moved on from this. But I assure you that given your response, I will not. Specifically it may have had something to do with the pre-packaged food. As I mentioned, I have never had an issue eating here prior to this so this was not...

By far the best sandwiches you can get in state college without feeling like a tub of lard afterwards. Most of the time the line is long but they say good things come to those who wait so its 110% worth it. I normally get a Reuben but their bagels make me question my allegiance to the rye. The pricing is fair for what you get, which is a damn good sandwich with bread that made fresh daily. My only wish is that their sandwiches were a big bigger but that's just me. The atmosphere is just right for a college town such as this. The crowds are trendy and the music is always fresh. There is extra seating downstairs which is convenient for when its parked to the brim. Good luck trying to get in on a football weekend though. It just gets swamped. They also have a great selection of coffee and hot drinks if you're into that stuff. Their juices are delicious and are really quick to make. I'm just trying to get this review to 200 words because I'm just really that bored. But honestly these sandwiches are amazing. If you even read reviews you shouldn't be questioning this place. You should be questioning why people want...