Goldberg's Bagels — Restaurant in West Hartford

I don’t usually post reviews but my experience at Goldbergs in West Hartford / Elmwood this morning was nothing but shocking on this Sunday morning 9.15.2024. I usually go to Goldbergs every Sunday and purchase 1 Dozen bagels 6 Sesame and 6 Black Russian. Today I ordered 1 Dozen Sesame. The cashier rudely said no I can only have 4 of one flavor unless I pre-order. I asked to speak to the manager because there was no bagel rule book on the wall stating this. The cashier told be that the manager was not available when in actuality she was standing behind the counter were the bagel baskets were. The female “manager” who was there finally came out and said I am the owner (even worse) that an owner wouldn’t come out to speak to her guests / customers. I told her my dilemma and stated that I am a weekly customer ordering 1 dozen bagels a week and today I decided I wanted 12 of the same; the Owner rudely said we can’t make that happen with no reasoning. In today’s toxic climate customer service is so important in any business. Every week after paying when they flip the register pad to get there tip I always give the max and recommend this establishment as they have the best bagels around. After being treated with less than reasonable customer service from the owner herself I can’t return based on this truly unethical -...

I love the sandwiches here, but this review is 100% customer service-based. I haven't been to Goldbergs in a few months but dropped by this morning while running errands. There was a small line and it seemed many had placed orders online, but I was happy to wait a few min to place my order and forego the service charge to their online ordering vendor.

When I got to the front of the line I was told there would be a 25 min wait for my sandwich request (Lower East Side - essentially lox, cream cheese, bagel..), so I asked for just a plain bagel and a side of cream cheese in a container. Guy ribs his eyes and forehead for a while and then said it would be the same 25 min wait.

Really?

Pull a bagel from the rack and put some cream cheese on the side and that takes 25 min?

So I left... Took my business to Brueggers.

This isn't hard. Every other sandwich place can handle it because they are staffed up. Look at Harvey's as an example.. The place is a sandwich making machine. Didn't give this review a single star because that's rude, but it really deserved one. Also, the manager/owner and staff were yelling at each other when I entered, which should have been the sign...

There are just a few reasons why I didn't give 5 stars.. the place is really small and often gets crowded. They do have a bunch of tables inside and outside but theres just a lot of people for the amount of space. (Testament of their popularity tbh) The water jug (free) is always empty, as far as I've seen, but we all buy drinks so wth. And the avocado could go on a bit more heavily for the $1 it costs. But obviously the food is great because we keep coming back and honestly if I decided to care that much I'll just start bringing it home and adding my own avocado.

I'll say it again. The food is great!! I usually get the Contender (shaved ribye, egg, and cheese) and ask for it on a croissant. My bf gets the Ultimate Burrito (choice of ham, sausage, or bacon) and I always try it because it's perfect.

Edit: I'm adding this after seeing a bunch of posts about phoning in orders. Today the cashier was taking our order when the phone rang. He immediately answered. Honestly I was a bit irked but my good mood was strong anyway. It took him 30 seconds in all and we finished our order. After these other reviews I'm actually glad they're taking better care of...