Yesterday I was at work and a coworker says to me, "you're a hipster and it looks like you enjoy bagels, have you been to big blue?" He followed it up with their clever t-shirts that vaguely hint at smoking pot. You can buy one that proudly states "BAKED IN AUBURN". Wear it to a job interview, whatever. Given that the only other bagel place in the area is Panera Bread, I immediately took the opportunity to visit this local business. I should've yelped it first. Upon walking in, it looks like your standard local bagel joint - booths, some tables, the classic "exposed brick" that brings the edginess to any small business. Loudish acoustics - I went around lunch, so maybe it the morning its not quite was intense? Like other reviewers, I agree that the clear 'test' of a bagel place is their lox bagel, so that's what I ordered. Be warned, it does not automatically come with capers, tomato, red onion, or fennel. You have to request it. Even when I did this, the capers did not arrive - because they didn't have any. There is also no fennel. double fail. So thats fine, I was over it . . .I still love bagels. And frequenting small businesses, I'm a hipster as it were. The bagel was very chewy and for the price, $9 for a lox bagel, I expected it to taste exactly like it came from Brooklyn, as I'm from the east coast and have high expectations. Ah, relieving childhood here I come! Sadly, the bagel was chewy and very reminiscent of Sara Lee bagels that you can buy at Kroger - but why would you? They're usually pretty unsatisfying anyway. Perks: -The energy of the place is very friendly. Upon realizing I was sad about not having capers, the counter girl brought me 3 different potential condiments to replace them - pepperchinos, olives, and feta cheese(?) -The bagels come with a side of your choice - chips OR bagel chips. Get the bagel chips. Very tasty . . I didn't finish mine, but I held on to them for a later snack. Disappointments: -Pricey lox bagels that are not up to par. I'll probably head back to Panera, ::sigh:: -Loud -Chewy bagels that taste like they're packaged (Sara Lee). -Oddly warm and humid inside . . .it appears there's no air conditioning?
(2)
Eric M.
This may sound harsh, but they don't know how to make food. I was really excited when I found the place, ordered lox on an everything bagel and the first thing I noticed when I got it was that it was hot. Lox is served cold, but I gave it a try...the amount of fennel in the everything bagel completely distracted me from the fact it was hot and missing capers, onions, and tomatoes. My fault, I will specify next time...threw the sammich away and left. Round two. Ordered a cold, untoasted onion bagel with capers, onions, tomatoes, and lox. Get my sammich with no capers and almost no cream cheese. I ate half of it this time, but lox without the cream cheese just ain't right. Never going back. It's sad, cause they have everything in the store to make good food but they don't.
(1)
Darrell L.
Very good breakfast fare, and having Grateful Dead playlists was a definite plus.
(5)
Dee O.
I have only had breakfast here but every experience has been pretty good. They have nice soft chewy bagels and you can gt a wide variety of breakfast sandwiches. I usually have gotten something vegetarian. The lines can be long on the weekends but it moves quickly.
(3)
Janet B.
I ate here yesterday with my girlfriend Alice Kay. We both had the chicken salad bagel with bagel chips and honey mustard. Oh my, it was deli. She eats breakfast here on Saturdays with her biking group. My girls (while at Auburn University) loved this place.
(5)
Catherine H.
It's sad. There's only one bagel place in Auburn and this is it. I guess they don't have much reason to improve. Their bagels aren't bad, they're just good, and like other reviewers have said, small. Also, they have no lox spread, which is a must for bagels. Also, again like another reviewer has said, their nova lox sandwich is near $9 and doesn't even come with the usual fixings that their $6 or $7 competitors have. Anyway, thank god there's a bagel place in Auburn, and because it's the only one and they are decent, we'll continue to go there. Decent atmosphere. Nice booths. Good location.
(2)
James W.
Boring and trendy. There's little more to say about this place. They have a night life that fulfills the trendy part even more than their bagels do in the morning. Kids can gather around and talk about poetry or their crazy music that they've been enjoying in the evenings or come by in the morning and eat a boring bagel with toppings that you normally don't find on bagels. It's boring and trendy as I said in the beginning, so if you are boring and trendy, then by all means, check it out, but if you aren't, don't check it out.
(2)
Bryan T.
Try the Chicken Salad Melt its amazing, great place. The other problem are the hours and if you dont get there early enough you might not get anything they tend to run out of bagels.
(5)
Melissa T.
Coming from a New Yorker, this is no New York bagel joint. I know that sounds a bit snobby, huh? Have you ever had one? If so, you'll know what I'm talking about. In the beginning, I was excited about this place, since the only other place I can find bagels around here is Panera (blah). But after eating here, not so much excitement anymore. The bagels are dense and almost under baked doughiness and the skin has no snap. The first time I ordered a breakfast sandwich, the eggs were good but bagel ruined it. Then I decided to give them a second chance and came back for lunch. It was a bad idea to order the pizza bagel. Bagel was once again dense, and doughy, then cheese was so salty and the sauce was clearly from a jar. Thumbs down all around!
(2)
Ashley S.
Breakfast bagels are not great...very doughy and pasty. Every time I've had lunch here though, the bagels are cooked perfectly! My favorite is the California sandwich. Servers aren't the friendliest; they have consistently been snippy when I've gone in. Breakfast ends at 11 and they will make sure you know it. They tend to run out of a lot of things even before lunchtime and then look at you like you're an idiot when you try to order it. Bagels are really small compared to other places, but gosh, their lunch sandwiches are good!
(4)
Rebecca N.
This place ran a sale on gift cards, their machine "broke" shortly after, and they have refused to refund over a hundred dollars to my family. The servers are extremely rude and condescending. My family and I used to enjoy eating here. Two years ago before Christmas, Big Blue had a sale on gift cards; selling $100 dollar gift cards for the price of $80. Because we frequently ate at this restaurant, we purchased three gift cards. A few months after we purchased them, they claimed that their gift card machine was broken. Over a year passed with this claim, while we still had over one hundred dollars left on the cards. Once they "got a new machine," our cards couldn't be read by the new system and the manager refused to refund our money. Every time we have walked into the establishment, the owner runs out the back entrance of the building to avoid confrontation. The servers are very rude on this issue and have stated that since we have no proof that this occurred, they will do nothing about it. I DO NOT recommend supporting this business, as they blatantly stole from our family and still refuse to provide any compensation.
(1)
Peyton O.
These bagels are awesome and fresh!!! The cream cheese variety is great as well, let's you create your own thing! But I have t say the wait time SUCKS! I got two bagels and fruit for my boyfriend and I and it took an hour between the line and waiting on my food. It's ridiculous, they need another register, more staff, and quicker feet. I'd give them a two star but their bagels are really good. But I've walked out multiple times due to the insane wait.
(3)
Daniela C.
The food is always great. I came there for lunch and the food was delicious as always the staff isn't always very friendly. I asked for coffee and all she said was oh we're out of coffee but didn't offer to brew more. I guess you can only get coffee during morning hours.
This is place is really popular. For a musty place with no air conditioning, it still attracts a lot of people. I ordered an egg, cheese, and bacon pumperknickel sandwich for $4.60 alone without a drink. I thought the cost too much but then again I don't think many people order pumperknickel. It doesn't help this is the only bagel place in Auburn besides the on-campus Einstein Bagels. Additionally, there's free Wi-Fi and soft drink refills but honestly, I couldn't convince myself to like the food enough and I just couldn't overlook the humidity of this restaurant. They have a breakfast menu as well as a lunch/dinner menu but you can still order the breakfast items whenever you want.
(3)
Shanny B.
I like The Smoker and the Tiger Melt. They use Boar's Head lunch meat, fresh leafy green lettuce and tomatoes, and spicy mustard! I recommend ordering bagel chips and dipping them in honey mustard. The chicken salad has purple onion & celery in it.
(4)
Ken K.
I had no idea this place existed until a few weeks ago. Walking in, it's hard to know that it's a bagel place. I'm used to seeing baskets full of different bagels behind the counter, but they were nowhere to be found. Instead, there was a whiteboard with the different bagel types hand written. The cashier was nice even though I had a big order. The bagels are a little on the smaller side, but all in all, still got the job done. Prices are reasonable.
(3)
Neal C.
Had the Tiger Melt. Honestly it was pretty good... plenty of meat and cheese along with an above average bagel. The prices they charge do not make it worthwhile; however. The bagel chips weren't as good as I had hoped... but it was a pretty quaint place if you'd like to sit and sip some coffee while reading/studying etc. Just nothing groundbreaking.
Sorry, Store hours have not been updated. If you are the owner of this restaurants. Please update the store hours.
Specialities
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Breakfast Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Hipster Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : No
Amanda Linette M.
Yesterday I was at work and a coworker says to me, "you're a hipster and it looks like you enjoy bagels, have you been to big blue?" He followed it up with their clever t-shirts that vaguely hint at smoking pot. You can buy one that proudly states "BAKED IN AUBURN". Wear it to a job interview, whatever. Given that the only other bagel place in the area is Panera Bread, I immediately took the opportunity to visit this local business. I should've yelped it first. Upon walking in, it looks like your standard local bagel joint - booths, some tables, the classic "exposed brick" that brings the edginess to any small business. Loudish acoustics - I went around lunch, so maybe it the morning its not quite was intense? Like other reviewers, I agree that the clear 'test' of a bagel place is their lox bagel, so that's what I ordered. Be warned, it does not automatically come with capers, tomato, red onion, or fennel. You have to request it. Even when I did this, the capers did not arrive - because they didn't have any. There is also no fennel. double fail. So thats fine, I was over it . . .I still love bagels. And frequenting small businesses, I'm a hipster as it were. The bagel was very chewy and for the price, $9 for a lox bagel, I expected it to taste exactly like it came from Brooklyn, as I'm from the east coast and have high expectations. Ah, relieving childhood here I come! Sadly, the bagel was chewy and very reminiscent of Sara Lee bagels that you can buy at Kroger - but why would you? They're usually pretty unsatisfying anyway. Perks: -The energy of the place is very friendly. Upon realizing I was sad about not having capers, the counter girl brought me 3 different potential condiments to replace them - pepperchinos, olives, and feta cheese(?) -The bagels come with a side of your choice - chips OR bagel chips. Get the bagel chips. Very tasty . . I didn't finish mine, but I held on to them for a later snack. Disappointments: -Pricey lox bagels that are not up to par. I'll probably head back to Panera, ::sigh:: -Loud -Chewy bagels that taste like they're packaged (Sara Lee). -Oddly warm and humid inside . . .it appears there's no air conditioning?
(2)Eric M.
This may sound harsh, but they don't know how to make food. I was really excited when I found the place, ordered lox on an everything bagel and the first thing I noticed when I got it was that it was hot. Lox is served cold, but I gave it a try...the amount of fennel in the everything bagel completely distracted me from the fact it was hot and missing capers, onions, and tomatoes. My fault, I will specify next time...threw the sammich away and left. Round two. Ordered a cold, untoasted onion bagel with capers, onions, tomatoes, and lox. Get my sammich with no capers and almost no cream cheese. I ate half of it this time, but lox without the cream cheese just ain't right. Never going back. It's sad, cause they have everything in the store to make good food but they don't.
(1)Darrell L.
Very good breakfast fare, and having Grateful Dead playlists was a definite plus.
(5)Dee O.
I have only had breakfast here but every experience has been pretty good. They have nice soft chewy bagels and you can gt a wide variety of breakfast sandwiches. I usually have gotten something vegetarian. The lines can be long on the weekends but it moves quickly.
(3)Janet B.
I ate here yesterday with my girlfriend Alice Kay. We both had the chicken salad bagel with bagel chips and honey mustard. Oh my, it was deli. She eats breakfast here on Saturdays with her biking group. My girls (while at Auburn University) loved this place.
(5)Catherine H.
It's sad. There's only one bagel place in Auburn and this is it. I guess they don't have much reason to improve. Their bagels aren't bad, they're just good, and like other reviewers have said, small. Also, they have no lox spread, which is a must for bagels. Also, again like another reviewer has said, their nova lox sandwich is near $9 and doesn't even come with the usual fixings that their $6 or $7 competitors have. Anyway, thank god there's a bagel place in Auburn, and because it's the only one and they are decent, we'll continue to go there. Decent atmosphere. Nice booths. Good location.
(2)James W.
Boring and trendy. There's little more to say about this place. They have a night life that fulfills the trendy part even more than their bagels do in the morning. Kids can gather around and talk about poetry or their crazy music that they've been enjoying in the evenings or come by in the morning and eat a boring bagel with toppings that you normally don't find on bagels. It's boring and trendy as I said in the beginning, so if you are boring and trendy, then by all means, check it out, but if you aren't, don't check it out.
(2)Bryan T.
Try the Chicken Salad Melt its amazing, great place. The other problem are the hours and if you dont get there early enough you might not get anything they tend to run out of bagels.
(5)Melissa T.
Coming from a New Yorker, this is no New York bagel joint. I know that sounds a bit snobby, huh? Have you ever had one? If so, you'll know what I'm talking about. In the beginning, I was excited about this place, since the only other place I can find bagels around here is Panera (blah). But after eating here, not so much excitement anymore. The bagels are dense and almost under baked doughiness and the skin has no snap. The first time I ordered a breakfast sandwich, the eggs were good but bagel ruined it. Then I decided to give them a second chance and came back for lunch. It was a bad idea to order the pizza bagel. Bagel was once again dense, and doughy, then cheese was so salty and the sauce was clearly from a jar. Thumbs down all around!
(2)Ashley S.
Breakfast bagels are not great...very doughy and pasty. Every time I've had lunch here though, the bagels are cooked perfectly! My favorite is the California sandwich. Servers aren't the friendliest; they have consistently been snippy when I've gone in. Breakfast ends at 11 and they will make sure you know it. They tend to run out of a lot of things even before lunchtime and then look at you like you're an idiot when you try to order it. Bagels are really small compared to other places, but gosh, their lunch sandwiches are good!
(4)Rebecca N.
This place ran a sale on gift cards, their machine "broke" shortly after, and they have refused to refund over a hundred dollars to my family. The servers are extremely rude and condescending. My family and I used to enjoy eating here. Two years ago before Christmas, Big Blue had a sale on gift cards; selling $100 dollar gift cards for the price of $80. Because we frequently ate at this restaurant, we purchased three gift cards. A few months after we purchased them, they claimed that their gift card machine was broken. Over a year passed with this claim, while we still had over one hundred dollars left on the cards. Once they "got a new machine," our cards couldn't be read by the new system and the manager refused to refund our money. Every time we have walked into the establishment, the owner runs out the back entrance of the building to avoid confrontation. The servers are very rude on this issue and have stated that since we have no proof that this occurred, they will do nothing about it. I DO NOT recommend supporting this business, as they blatantly stole from our family and still refuse to provide any compensation.
(1)Peyton O.
These bagels are awesome and fresh!!! The cream cheese variety is great as well, let's you create your own thing! But I have t say the wait time SUCKS! I got two bagels and fruit for my boyfriend and I and it took an hour between the line and waiting on my food. It's ridiculous, they need another register, more staff, and quicker feet. I'd give them a two star but their bagels are really good. But I've walked out multiple times due to the insane wait.
(3)Daniela C.
The food is always great. I came there for lunch and the food was delicious as always the staff isn't always very friendly. I asked for coffee and all she said was oh we're out of coffee but didn't offer to brew more. I guess you can only get coffee during morning hours.
(3)Andrew M.
This has become my go-to breakfast and lunch destination in downtown Auburn. The name says it all when it comes to breakfast. Their bagels are off the chart! All fresh and warm, made in-house, with your choice of toppings. Anything from a plain bagel with plain cream cheese to an elaborate breakfast sandwich on your choice of bagel. My favorite is the multigrain bagel with jalapeno cream cheese! Lunch is great as well. From fresh salads to hearty warm sandwiches. Whatever you do, be sure to get the bagel chips as a side- yesterday's bagels, sliced thin and baked to perfection, with some honey mustard for dipping-YUM! True "college apartment" vintage décor on brick walls and throwback tunes played just a bit louder than a normal eatery will surely remind you of that time with that girl at that party back when.
(4)Ee Vonn Y.
This is place is really popular. For a musty place with no air conditioning, it still attracts a lot of people. I ordered an egg, cheese, and bacon pumperknickel sandwich for $4.60 alone without a drink. I thought the cost too much but then again I don't think many people order pumperknickel. It doesn't help this is the only bagel place in Auburn besides the on-campus Einstein Bagels. Additionally, there's free Wi-Fi and soft drink refills but honestly, I couldn't convince myself to like the food enough and I just couldn't overlook the humidity of this restaurant. They have a breakfast menu as well as a lunch/dinner menu but you can still order the breakfast items whenever you want.
(3)Shanny B.
I like The Smoker and the Tiger Melt. They use Boar's Head lunch meat, fresh leafy green lettuce and tomatoes, and spicy mustard! I recommend ordering bagel chips and dipping them in honey mustard. The chicken salad has purple onion & celery in it.
(4)Ken K.
I had no idea this place existed until a few weeks ago. Walking in, it's hard to know that it's a bagel place. I'm used to seeing baskets full of different bagels behind the counter, but they were nowhere to be found. Instead, there was a whiteboard with the different bagel types hand written. The cashier was nice even though I had a big order. The bagels are a little on the smaller side, but all in all, still got the job done. Prices are reasonable.
(3)Neal C.
Had the Tiger Melt. Honestly it was pretty good... plenty of meat and cheese along with an above average bagel. The prices they charge do not make it worthwhile; however. The bagel chips weren't as good as I had hoped... but it was a pretty quaint place if you'd like to sit and sip some coffee while reading/studying etc. Just nothing groundbreaking.
(3)