Mikey & Mel's Deli — Restaurant in Washington

came in at 9:00 on a wednesday. wanted to get an assortment of half a dozen bagels and some cream cheese and it took me over 30 mins (i was expecting 5-10). staff was nice all things considered and bagels (and muffins that i ended up getting since there were no sweet bagel options) were decent but here are a few things that need to improve:

1. ordering: there are kiosks for self-ordering sandwiches and a sign above a cash register for “bakery and bagels.” i waited near the sign since i thought i was grabbing and going. person behind the counter was busy toasting and making bagels for customers. there should be a dedicated cashier/bakery person if you’re going to have a separate line. so i had to wait a while for someone to help me.

2. availability: when i finally got to order, i was disappointed that there were only plain and everything bagels (other baskets were empty). i ordered three of each, three muffins, and some cream cheese for the bagels. not toasted, just expected everything to be quickly thrown in a bag and handed to me. this happens at every other bakery/bagel place i’ve ever been to (im from nj and worked in nyc). instead i waited and waited and the everything bagels that i pointed to, ordered, and paid for were “no longer available because first come first serve” and they instead went with sandwich orders. another guy waiting a while in front of me didn’t get an everything bagel either even though his sandwich was ordered from the kiosk. two things here, increase your inventory and keep your bakery items separate from your sandwich making and don’t make people pay for things they won’t even be getting.

3. training: staff was doing their best but they tried to give me a small container of cream cheese (like you would provide to one bagel) for 6 of my bagels. they ended up giving me two after a manager stepped in and corrected in real time. while i was waiting, another manager admonished the staff for holding a to go order that was meant to be eaten in house. i guess the customer didn’t hear the number being called and expected it to be delivered to their table because they are given numbered signs to place at your table when you eat in house. cashier also didn’t know what items were in the case when other customers asked even though they were obvious items like coffee cake.

i know this is a new place and they are getting their bearings but major process changes need to occur. food is made in at least three areas: behind the bakery counter at the toaster, behind the cold cut case, and somewhere behind all of this in the kitchen. orders are taken in multiple ways and availability will change in real time because of supply issues. staff clearly had ambiguous roles and responsibilities. major changes are needed before i spend $30+ again on a few basic breakfast items at this...

UPDATE 1/30:

Revisited this establishment after 3 weeks to see if their service has improved. I have to say that my order (similar to last time, I like tuna salads...) did come out in about 15 minutes, but it was missing an item (the sauce). There were two customers ahead of me returning with missing sauce or cheese with their order. Looking through the opening, the kitchen looked disorganized, and the staff appeared to not know what order goes with what and for which customer. Also, one of the staff kept calling someone else's name for my to-go order. It wasn't until another staff (maybe a manager) took over the to-go bag and called my name for my order. I'm lucky that someone else did not take my order. It may be worthwhile for the staff the utilize the racks they have for to-go orders instead of piling the bags at the front counter and reading off names incorrectly. From my perspective as a customer, this establishment feels like it is run by people very, very new to the restaurant business. Given this is located next to my workplace, I will revisit sometime later in the summer and see if their service has improved. Until then, I lowered my star overall rating to reflect my latest experience.

(I do appreciate the response from the owner for my previous review. I have not reached out to them directly.)

PREVIOUS:

Ordered Tuna Salad Mikey on toasted Rye with Chips -- food was good. But it took 45 minutes to get it. Maybe it is because it is the new year, and it is a new establishment in the 'cursed' former Corner Bakery location, the staff really struggled to get people's orders organized and ready. Lady waiting next to me said she'd been waiting for an hour and her colleague left without his meal (and she waited to pick his up along with hers -- which took her another 10 minutes because the staff either gave away that order to someone else by mistake or never made it due to the chaos). I was waiting in line at the cash register to request a refund when my order finally came through -- I ended up late to my meeting because of the wait (but [I guess] that's on me for assuming that I was going to get my food within 30 minutes of ordering from the kiosk).

I'll give Mikey's another chance with the understanding that they are working on getting their groove with new staff, etc. But I'd recommend people to go there with the expectation that they may not receive their food within 30 minutes. Either order when the place looks empty or order when you don't have a meeting within an hour after ordering.

(Also, I need to get out of the habit of tipping...

UPDATE: Very, very good deli fare (food has generally been good to excellent, with one exception — see below) at a very fair price for downtown DC, but rounding down to a 4 because the ordering experience (ordering at kiosk, waiting for the order, checking on the order) remains somewhat disjointed and unenjoyable. I believe you can order coffee drinks, some bakery items and breakfast sandwiches at the back counter, which probably makes for a more customer-friendly experience. Shout out for KJ at the back counter on my June visit — I noticed that he was proactively answering patrons’ questions and working hard to deliver food accurately. This visit: very good bagel and Nova sandwich. Bagel was a tad too chewy, but mega points for making it dark toasted as requested.

EARLIER REVIEW: Rounding up from a 4+ verdict. This new deli has gotten off to a promising start in downtown DC and is definitely worth a visit if you’re craving Jewish deli downtown. DETAILS:

I visited at the peak of a Monday lunch hour and the restaurant was jammed and noisy. Might be a more relaxing experience if you can visit off peak, but they’re doing good business!

Most of the food was excellent: Chunky whitefish sandwich on nicely toasted challah, pickle bar (superb half sour), tasty regular sized chocolate chip cookie, enjoyable espresso shot. Very good onion rings. Good latke.

1/2 to 3/4 points off for the disappointing pastrami Reuben. The pastrami was well-portioned and had good flavor, but was slightly soggy. The bread was also soggy and fell apart easily. If the Reuben had cheese, I couldn’t tell. The sauerkraut was minimal and barely flavored the sandwich. Upgrade, please!

The restaurant worked efficiently (order and pay on kiosk, find table or wait for carry-out), although there was a brief wait for the kiosk during the lunch hour peak. The staff was obviously working hard to direct patrons through the ordering process and fill orders promptly. I’d say...