Barrister's Bagels — Restaurant in Upper Providence Township

Let’s get something straight — if you’re comparing this place to a real New York bagel shop, you’ve either never been to one, or you’re just fooling yourself. These are not NY bagels, not even in the same ballpark.

I used to stop in here occasionally when it was under previous ownership. Back then, it was never anything exceptional, but it was at least decent and consistent. Now, it’s a different story entirely:

Prices are outrageous for what you're getting. The food does not justify the cost — not even close.

The bagels are frequently hard, dry, and poorly made. It's like they sit out all morning and get served anyway. Even during peak hours, they’re still rock-solid and lack any proper texture or freshness.

The staff seems lost. Orders are often wrong or incomplete, and there’s no sense of urgency or attention to detail.

The food preparation is sloppy. A simple bagel with cream cheese came out with globs unevenly spread, half falling off the sides. It’s careless and reflects poorly on the kitchen.

Management is nowhere to be found. There’s no visible leadership, no one ensuring standards, and when issues are brought up, it feels like no one cares.

The place isn’t even open half the week. Who closes for three days in the food business? It's confusing and unprofessional.

They're constantly out of core menu items. How are you running a bagel shop and out of bagels? Inventory and planning seem like an afterthought.

Broken equipment and excuses are a running theme. There’s always something not working, and it’s usually used as a reason for poor service or missing items.

Cleanliness is another concern. Take a good look around — tables are often dirty, counters cluttered, and prep areas don’t inspire confidence. It’s the kind of neglect that hints at larger issues behind the scenes.

In short, this place has become a disappointment across the board — poor product, poor service, and poor management.

There are far better breakfast and bagel spots in the area that actually care about quality and customer experience. Sadly, this is no longer one of...

Edit: recently went back in with new ownership and it’s GREAT!

Hopefully the owner reads these comments, as there is a definite common thread of bad service. As the only place around to get a decent bagel, the service is absolutely ridiculous.

The woman behind the counter, while nice, is clueless. Maybe there are more efficient people working at other times, but during lunchtime on weekdays, I’ve always had the same woman, for years. She talks WAY WAY too much, and turns what should be a quick 10-minute visit into a frustrating waste of half an hour. There could be one person ahead of you ordering one sandwich, but because of the constant babbling, you’re gonna be there for 1/2 hour. I don’t go in anymore because it was so frustrating standing there having to watch her waste my and everyone else’s time. It’s a shame because the bagels are decent and they have Boar’s Head.

It also could definitely be cleaner in there.

I’m surprised every time I drive by that you’re actually still open. Someone in another review nailed it by saying it’s The Depressing Bagel Shop. The little cakes are wrapped like they’re for a Boy Scout bake sale, the lights are dim, the place is sparse, like nobody cares. I’ve been to more cheerful hospital cafeterias.

You’re running it like it’s a hobby, not a business. It’s a shame, because with a few small changes this place...

Prepare to get highly frustrated! I have been going there for years, and I think that every time I go there it gets worse. I'm not sure if it's possible that the staff could be any more unorganized. There are customers standing everywhere trying to figure out either what to do next, or wondering where their food is. It's crazy that it takes someone 5 mins to acknowledge the next person in line. Example.. you finally order after 10 mins in line (even if there is only 1 person ahead of you), then the employee walks away. You then go stand somewhere out of the way. 10-15 mins later, your food may be ready, then you get asked "did you pay yet" and have to repeat your ENTIRE ORDER again so they can ring you out. WHY IS THAT EVEN PART OF THE PROCESS? You can look behind the counter while waiting, and see 3 people trying to cut/toast bagels, and 1 person cooking. Here's the issue... why are there 3 people doing the same job, and no one is taking care of people in line? Solution.. have 1 person take the order and ring people out RIGHT AWAY.. one at the cutting/toasting section, 1 cooking, and 1 putting cream cheese on. Don't even get me started about call ahead orders...