Brooklyn Cafe — Restaurant in The Woodlands

We were looking for something close by after a doctor appointment, but most things were closed before 11 o'clock but we were happy to find that the cafe was open. Not only was it open, and the parking lot very full, but it was absolutely packed on a random day of the week. I wondered how busy it gets on the weekends. We came in through the wrong door and the line was actually up to door at the correct entrance. And here I thought the parking lot was full because of the gym next door and people's New Years resolutions were still swinging. Nope-- it's the bagel place.

I was impressed by how fast the line moved because even though it was crazy long (and as soon as it finished another line made its way back up to the door again), they quickly got people's orders with the cashier bouncing from one check out to another.

I didnt see my child's macaroni and cheese, but she also got a brownie and said that it was good-- as long as my kid doesn't complain I have no complaints . I myself got an everything bagel with cream cheese. I saw someone else get a bagel with cream cheese and it was loaded up so I was happy thinking that mine would be too but for some reason it was light cream cheese which kind of annoying but I didn't check until I had got to my car and had to run. The guy next to me did order his cream cheese light, so they might have mixed them up, or the person at the table I saw ordered extra. So now I don't know what's an appropriate amount of cream cheese. Either way, kind of disappointing.

I also got an iced decaf sugar-free hazelnut latte and I'm happy that they were able to accommodate for that I'm always trying to find places to have more sugar-free options in their coffee.

I actually like the ambience of this place, it seemed very old school with the tile and the black & white color. I actually like when cafes and diners look like people actually visit them instead of the cold, stark personality that most have nowadays because it's just deterring for me. I either want something that looks old school or to look like a Grandma's house and this place was great.

I see lots of bad reviews for this place, but obviously it's very busy and even though we didn't actually get a full sit down meal this time, I was happy that we have this option close by. I would like to return and try out some of their...

I've been coming to Brooklyn since I was a kid, I've probably eaten here more than 50 times in the last 15+ years. I'm a very loyal customer and I have always (and will always) love this food. Their in-house cream cheese is spectacular and I've watched them get creative with bagels and recipes over the years. Their age-old staples never disappoint. When I'm in town visiting family, I always stop by. The prices are fair (the wraps are a bit too pricey however). Big fan of the atmosphere inside.

All that being said, Brooklyn Cafe is incredibly inconsistent in their service and efficiency. These are things that should be addressed by the owner and managing staff. Out of the dozens of times I've eaten here over the years, about a third of the time I endure an outrageously long wait, and maybe a quarter of the time my order is wrong. I have seen the staff get quickly overwhelmed during peak hours and mess up people's orders. Hot food will build up behind the counter and I'm guessing that's where the link breaks and things end up in the wrong bags. People ordering in-store will get their food earlier than people who ordered before them - sometimes long before - and customers pick up on this. The staff can get flustered and not communicate with customers so it's not clear what's going on. Things become inefficient too often.

I know the front of store staff is young and there's a decent amount of turnover - and again, the food is consistently delicious. But I need to bring attention to these issues because it's been a problem for years. I never know if I'm getting my food in 5 minutes or an hour. Today I waited 50 minutes and got the wrong order, and was told a certain bagel was out of stock as I was getting the rest of the food (instead of as soon as they realized). Thankfully a woman who appeared to be a manager stepped up, apologized for the mistakes and wrote off the receipt. Too many other times, however, I've just had to deal with it.

4/5 stars for the best bagels in The Woodlands but unreliable service that has had problems...

I stopped in for lunch with my family on the way to our son’s soccer game. We ordered three sandwiches, a bagel with butter, and French toast with bacon. The bagel my daughter ordered was caked with butter and flavorless. No biggie, everyone can’t get it right all the time. I ordered her a chocolate chip cookie and moved on. All of our food arrived at the table with the exception of the BLT sandwich. Since we were pressed for time, I asked if I could get that sandwich to go while my family ate their meal. The manager assured me it was eight minutes out. Perfect, I can eat that on the way to the soccer game and we’ll be set. 10 minutes later a separate employee tells me it’ll be an additional four minutes. OK, we can make that work. I still have enough time to get to the soccer game on time. Five minutes later, my family starts heading to the car. We’re getting pressed for time at this point. I’m hovering over the counter waiting for my meal but we’re out of time at this point. I inform one of the people behind the counter that I have to go. His reply has simply “oh, I’m sorry.” No offer for reimbursement, no manager involvement, no care or effort. There was a half hearted attempt to ask me if I wanted a refund when I had one foot out the door. I just left. We spent $90 on this visit. I’ve been going to Brooklyn Cafe since they had a location on the west side of town off of memorial and Dairy Ashford 20 years ago. This was my go to place to get bagels. I’ve heard great things about Fuhgedaboudit Bagel Company. After 20 years of loyal patronage it’s time for us...