Soho Bagels and Cafe — Restaurant in Town of Greece

EDIT: So I've been returning just about every morning for the last few months and I am pleased to be able to once again leave a 5 star review. The food has been great along with the service. This morning I forgot my mask so I had to use the drive through and the speaker was crispy clear and ordering was a breeze. Also the employees have made an effort to establish a personal connection with me and memorize my order. Hats off to improvement!

EDIT: A few months ago I was forced to leave a very revealing and hurtful review. I generally do not like doing this because it important to keep small local business thriving in today's society. However the truth is that this place needed a wake up call. I swore an oath to never visit this place again out of principle. However, in light of current events I felt now than ever is a time to forgive and forget. I decided to give it another go. For the past 3 days I've been stopping for breakfast and I must say.....IMPROVEMENT. 3 days of no burnt rings around the bagels (which if you read my previous review is unheard of). This morning I decided to try a sandwich again. The sandwich was fresh. The bagel was toasted right. Overall I can say the food quality is back to normal. I've bumped my review to 4 stars for the simple fact that the food has improved tenfold and that's what it's all about. A few things still need work. Customer service is a little wobbly. Sometimes I walk in and I feel like part of the family. Sometimes I walk in and feel like an inconvenience (usually if its busy). For the most part its good but definitely needs a little fine tuning. I will say the gentleman thats been there for years (younger guy, soft voice) is always consistent and friendly. The owner has also always been very professional even considering some bad encounters. I will continue to return here to monitor improvement because I want this place to thrive. And one more thing.....from all of your customers as a whole...please....get the damn drive through speaker fixed :)

Previous review: 2 stars (below)

This place used to be a gold mine. The quality has plummeted over the past few years. Almost every bagel is burnt because they dont have the right sized toaster and refuse to get a new one. I came in for a breakfast sandwich and had 4 hairs in it. When I called I was told to come right down for a new one and I returned to get a new sandwich only to find another hair in that one as well. I swore the place off after that but still returned a few months later to give it yet one more shot and got burnt bagels everyday for a week. The staff is usually extremely friendly however get very overwhelmed very quickly. It's a shame the food quality is so poor because the staff really are very pleasant and the decor and atmosphere are great. This place has great potential but is squandering it away by...

I don't generally like to give bad reviews for local businesses but I was honestly shocked by my experience (1/11/25).

I'll start off with the positive so this doesn't get lost in my complaints - I appreciated the affordable pricing. The omelet wrap and mochaccino I ordered were fine, no major complaints, nothing overly amazing but at the same time I understand the main dish here are their bagels so I can't say too much.

As for the service and overall experience ordering, wow..

I came in and went to the register to order. After waiting in line, I was told to go to another area which looked like she pointed to another register. I stood there waiting and the employee typing on that register avoided eye contact with me, and let me wait for a few minutes without saying anything at all. I noticed that someone else was ordering at another end of the counter so got into another line. I want to point out that there were at least 10 employees behind the counter, they all saw me waiting for a few minutes, unsure of where to order, and none of them said anything to me.

I now stand in another line at the end of the counter to order. I'm finally ordering, and I go to ask for my drink order and she tells me that I can only order my food here, and the register that I FIRST went to is where I'll pay and then order my drink. Okay, sure.

So I go back to the first register and wait in another line to now pay and put in the second half of my order. The lady at the register cashes out the man in front of me. I step up to the register and then she grabs a bucket, walks past me ignoring me at the counter and starts wiping down tables while I stand there waiting still.

I'm there for another few minutes until my food is ready and someone brings it over. She asks me if I have a drink order (the same woman who took my food order and told me to order my drink over here now), adds my drink to the total and cashes me out.

Now I've got my hot food in hand waiting for my drink to get made, which somehow takes longer than my food took to get prepared.

You have to order food at one counter, receive it at another, pay and order your beverage, then receive that at another side of the counter. Am I crazy for thinking this is so strange?

All in all, I couldn't believe how there were so many people on staff (I counted AT LEAST 10) and still not one of them cared enough to acknowledge me and help me understand their ordering process which makes no sense whatsoever. I'm really disappointed because I love supporting local spots but I couldn't believe how poor the customer service was here, especially out of the entire time on staff, I'm not sure I'd want to give it a second shot.

Edit: changed from 3 stars to 1 due to the...

Dear SOHO Bagels & Cafe Management,

I hope this message finds you well. I wanted to reach out today regarding a recent visit my party and I made to your establishment. First and foremost, I'd like to express my admiration for the shop's overall aesthetic.

Upon arrival, we noticed the bustling drive-through, which typically might deter a party of our size. However, we decided to proceed and queued up at the counter. As we waited for our meals, we observed that the level of activity in the shop only increased. Throughout this busy period, I was thoroughly impressed by the dedication and hard work exhibited by every single member of your staff.

For a continuous hour and a half, I witnessed your remarkable crew efficiently handling numerous orders. What truly stood out was their unwavering attentiveness to each customer's needs. It has been quite some time since I visited a shop and thought, "Wow, this team is truly working diligently!"

I wanted to extend my heartfelt gratitude for providing us with an exceptional breakfast experience, especially considering the challenges posed by our large party on a busy holiday weekend. I believe the outstanding efforts of your team deserve recognition and appreciation.

Once again, thank you for your remarkable service, and please convey my sincere compliments to the dedicated crew who made our visit memorable.

Warm regards, a first time and NOT a last...