I walk to the place about 3 times a month for breakfast. They have a damn good bagels. It is fast casual service so don't expect much from that end although the staff is friendly and they do get your orders out quickly. They have a great equipment package and it fun to watch them make bagels right in front of your eyes. Last week there was a little girl who watch them for about 30 minutes. It was cute. I've never been disapointed! It must be good place 'cause I see Larry King in there every Saturday or Sunday, but then he owns the place.
(4)
Mike G.
I would have given 3 1/2 stars if that were possible. I think the bagels are very good, also the lox and cream cheese were really good, and the whitefish salad as well. This is the first time I'd seen "flagels" - flattened bagels. I took some to-go, and they were great, the flattening makes them a bit chewier, it seems. Also, more surface-area for the cream-cheese ! Service was very much a mixed bag. Upon stepping up to the counter, the young lady taking my order was acting very strangely - even though I was fairly concise with my ordering, she was rolling her eyes, looking around, just generally acting like I was really inconveniencing her by being there. I've never had anyone - anyone, let alone a restaurant employee/counter person - act like this before. After I'd paid, she bagged up the to-go part of my order, and she abruptly walked out of the store, without a word. I had no idea quite what was up. I did see her later, so she did come back in, after awhile. The rest of my experience here was fine, the other employees I interacted with - I later went back to the counter to buy some additional items - were much more normal to deal with and seemed to have a good attitude, so maybe the first person was just having a very bad day, or something.
(4)
Lauren S.
Were from NJ and used to New York bagels. This place is fantastic. needed a place on vacation to take kids to get breakfast and this is the spot. Great bagels, fantastic coffee, and price is right! Coffee is amazing too, Tons of choices!
(5)
A R.
The bagels here r pretty tasty. Mine was a little hard to chew....probably because I haven't had a bagel in about 10 years, but it was delicious all the same. The staff is pretty nice too.
(5)
N L.
LOVE their bagels! Love the Coffee!!! Excellent Service! If you want a simple breakfast with bagels shmear and coffee this is the place to go!
(5)
Matt A.
Bagels with Larry King. I'll admit that I'm not a bagel connoisseur. I don't know what makes a good bagel. I've never had a New York bagel in New York, and I'm guessing that even if I did I still wouldn't find it all that impressive. This place touts its "Brooklynizer," which supposedly makes the water as nasty as it is in New York which somehow translates to a more delicious bagel. Can't tell if you if it does or not. But I can tell you that the bagels taste like bagels - so if you're in the neighborhood and you want a bagel, go for it. The one BIG thing I'll give em' credit for is their coffee ice cubes. Want iced coffee, but don't want your water cubes watering it down? No problem - the ice cubes here are made from coffee. Well played, Larry. Well played.
(3)
Gordo G.
Been passing this place for almost two years now since I work really near by and isaid what the heck why not, so far so good great bagel egg, bacon and cheese sandwich and all the coffee you can drink which they have a selection to choose from, its hard to find now days a place that serves high quality food this days and I can say safely this place has it, but some how it needs something maybe more flavor on the eggs but heck it was still good and the coffee is good too
(5)
Jeff M.
Been hearing good things about this place and wanted to come in. After knowing that Larry King is the owner. That's why I've been seeing him around town several time. But they bring there water from New Jersey. When you walk in you see them making the bagels and then you look at a very colorful menu with a lot of different choices. You can get wraps if you don't want a bagel. But I asked the cashier who was friendly which one is good. She told me that the Tuna is really good. She gave me a sample, and it was good (not too dry or too soggy) I got the Tuna on the Everything Bagel, which was interesting. The Everything Bagel was pretty good. I tried one of the iced coffee; they have different blends, the one I tried was OK. I didn't get to try the Coffee Ice cubes (Next Time).
(4)
L H.
I'm skeptical that the water is what's making the difference, but it doesn't matter. These are the best bagels I've had in Los Angeles. There aren't as many options as most of the other places around town, but the flavors they do make are amazing. Especially the asagio! I buy a dozen and freeze them in the handy freezer bags they give out for free. The first time I went, they barely had any left on the shelf so I felt limited in what I ordered. The second time, I found out that they had all the flavors but many of them weren't out. If you see that there aren't any left of what you're looking for, there's a good chance there is more in the back. There is a lot of seating in here if you wanted to stick around, but I always just take it home. I can't help eating one as I drive to my house. They are so good that I always eat one on the way home--untoasted and without cream cheese, which I typically find necessary for all other bagels I've had.
(5)
Katie B.
The greatest non-alcoholic beverage bar known to man. I think Larry King jumped on board for this Brooklyn bagel chain not because he believes in the water-based recipe for the bagels but because he wanted access to unlimited coffee ice cubes! The venue is a bit of sensation overload for your eyes (bright lights and flashing signs), and the bagels aren't anything special, but that beverage bar should be considered the 8th wonder of the world. I was lured in by the coffee ice cubes and then grew even more attached to place because they account for every liquid craving one can have with their bagel. There's a section for hot coffee, ice coffee, soda, and ice tea. There's even a dispensary for coffee add-ins like half and half and flavored creamers. And, it won't even cost you an arm and a leg to park in Bev Hills(ish) to get a glimpse of this 8th wonder, because there's a lot with 2 hour free parking just a block or so down! Get in there and go bonkers, it's unlimited, after all!
(3)
Greg B.
Best bagel outside NY. The bottom is crunchy and the inside is soft and the flavor is great. The consistency of the bagel beats Western Bagel and Noah's hands down. I bought for my whole family and now make a special trip to only buy these. Nice work Larry King!
(5)
Vanessa R.
Came in: Nice service and a friendly staff. The bagels are pretty good quality, great of you like the chewy bagels, but the best part was the full 2oz of cream cheese they piled on! I typically ask for extra cream cheese but no need here. =) Cream chesse was the right consistancy and wholesome full creamy taste. The everything bagel had the right type of everything. Very great experience overall!
(3)
Mitch D.
I gave this review for 3 stars, because of the decore and restaurant. If i had to review the bagels only I would give it 5 Stars. The bagels are second to none in Los Angeles. As a New Yorker out west, it is very hard to get an excellent bagel, so i support this big time. (on the take out side) Brooklyn Water Bagel Restaurant Review: What happens when you walk through the doors? you get herded through a tacky pseudo Brooklyn environment. With all the charm of a franchised New Jersey suburb mixed with the cookie cutter vibes of Florida, this Restaurant misses all the charm of what New York is like. Not only is it tacky, but it feels like it attracts tacky people to eat there, not only is this a disservice to those from NYC, but it hardly represents quality of NY. from the tall glass room dividers, horrible layout, and uninspired decor, it is hard to get in a true NEW YORK STATE OF MIND. Also, wish they had RBST free cream cheese options and even organic non-GMO flour guaranteed bagels that only use natural eggs and ingredients then it would be insanely great. The Water filtering is fantastic though, you can also enjoy it with all the soda, coffee and even chocolate milk. its fantastic in that regard. it is just a crying shame that the decor is so damned Jersey and Florida tacky. it takes the soul out of the concept. That and erratic food quality, when i was there, they didn't have any sliced onion for a bagel nova salmon order. and they also burned the french fries beyond recognition.
(3)
Sara T.
The Bagelwiches are so quality! The staff is very friendly. The prices range for sandwiches are between 6-10 dollars. They have many menu options, and their bagels are very fresh. I get breakfast here about 2 or 3 times a week. They have a selection of muffins that will surely have a new favorite of yours. At first I was reticent to try it because I don't like hyped-up celebrity-established places, but this one is definitely worthy of the reputation, and I am so lucky there is a location right down the street from my work! It's definitely a once-a-week place, and the atmosphere of the place is comfortable; perfect for grabbing a bite with a friend. Be prepared to wait about 10 minutes for your food.
(5)
Kevin D.
Good bagel place in BH. Stopped by for breakfast after a jog. My girlfriend is now obsessed with the Iced Coffee and their many flavors (especially the coffee flavored iced cubes). I have a feeling we will be making detours there when we are in the city.
(4)
Meg L.
It's not terrible, but it certainly isn't a NY bagel. The bagels themselves have decent flavor, but the cream cheeses are not nearly as good as those in New York. Perhaps this is as good as a bagel place will get in LA, but it's still a pale comparison.
(3)
Vanessa C.
I came the week that they opened and I enjoyed it. It was also fun to see Larry King even though I really don't care much about him or what number wife he is on or divorcing. But something has changed. Although, I must say the place is still ALWAYS busy. I have been here about six times since that first time and it's not quite as yummy as my first try. I don't know if my mouth deceived me that first time and they have always been this bad but they are getting harder and less flavorful. I did however like the iced coffee and the coffee cubes (when i was drinking coffee still). The egg sandwiches are terrible. HUUUUUGE and not very good. If you were interested in getting your whole caloric intake for six days I would suggest an egg sandwich. As for the bagels with cream cheese, I would give a suggestion, ask for the CC on the side. It's always too much. I don't know why they feel that they have to use a WHOLE container of cream cheese on one bagel, but I have always had to take a knife and scrape it all off in order to even taste the bagel. Anyway, good to have in the neighborhood as an option but i much rather go to Urth for breakfast or lunch. it's about the same price anyway.
(3)
Cindy C.
LIKE the bagels. LOVEEE the ICED COFFEE with coffee ice cubes. What a BRILLIANT idea. Say bye-bye to watered-down coffee! I seriously stand there making my coffee to perfection for a good five minutes. An ice cold cup of "Surfer's Delight" with a little bit of hazelnut cream and sugar...*sigh* It completes my day. As for the bagels, it's good... but it still isn't an NYC bagel. However, the whole brooklynized water system and bagel-making inside the store is pretty fascinating. I found them to be a bit tough-- not soft and chewy. I love my NYC bagels and usually stuff a dozen of them into my suitcase whenever I return from my visit to the Big Apple. Here's a tip: Avoid the lunch rush and you'll have a good experience with the staff. They have always been super helpful, as long as they're not flustered with the long line of customers.
(3)
Fuller M.
Miguel at the register was very friendly and helpful. Had a nova bagel. Was it Brooklyn? Not quite... but it satisfied. Friendly staff, good bagel. If you are in the area, check it out. Bonus points for meeting Larry King. Hey now.
(5)
Jelena G.
Great bagels, amazing iced coffee & good service! I always get my order quickly and with a smile on their face. The iced coffee is a perfect accompaniment for the bagel. The iced coffee cubes are a huge reason why I go, it makes my coffee last for twice as long & I never have to worry about that diluted flavour that regular ice cubes give it.
(5)
Raymond H.
One big gimmick. Went there with the office staff, and only agreed to go to have a salad. Got there, waited in line for 20 minutes, and then they tell me that they aren't doing salads yet. Thanks for the heads up... I ordered a turkey sandwich instead. The guy asked me what kind of cheese I want, I said mozzerella, but when I get the bill, he charged me 80 cents for a slice of cheese!! The guy didnt even know that it was an extra charge!! For $10 you'd expect a side dish or something, but all you get is a bagel sandwich and a pickle. Do yourself a favor, go across the street to Urth or Jersey Mikes for some good lunch. By the way... they charge $12 for a dozen bagels... $1 a bagel?! Rip off no matter how "brooklynized" the water is.
(1)
Charles K.
Do not come here expecting a REAL NY bagel! If you just like bagels, than go somewhere else. The hype is really overrated, and if there's a crowd, you might be let down. I came here with no expectations, but I was a bit excited. The thought of having an authentic NY bagel, in California, was more than a teenager's wet dream! It was pure bliss to be had, but alas, it was just a dream. I'd say the bagel is 60% there. It's missing a crispy outside layer, and the inside is not anywhere near the same texture. The flavor is there, but it's missing a lot of crucial elements. There's a lot of flare here, and it sure is eye catching. Too bad it didn't catch my palate too. I'll probably be back here, never. Minus 4 stars for a faltering, and dismal attempt.
(1)
Grace C.
Bagel was fine. Service was decent. You order up front and wait till they bring out your food. Price is fair, and portion is large. I tried the egg white omelet, toasted wheat bagel w/ cream cheese and vanilla flavor coffee. Lot of add on choices to make your coffee however you desire including milk, skim milk, soy milk.... etc Pretty busy on a weekend morning which I expected, however Mr. King was not present today. Hahaha. I will go back to try out other bagels, sides and ice coffee next time.
(3)
The Immature A.
Best bagels in L.A., but at a cost. The price? Nope-- the service. Don't get me wrong, the service stinks but the AFTER-service is great. What's After-Service? Think of it as how management will try to make it up to you AFTER botching it the first time. Don't believe me? Visiting yesterday, I was the first customer in the place. The doors opened but the ice coffee machines weren't ready even though they sold me a cup. The After-Service? The manager offered to use his hand to scoop coffee into my cup 'ghetto style' as he called it. Not wanting his hand or the outside of my cup touching my drink, I opted for After-Service option #2-- switched to hot coffee. The manager also told me that for my next visit, my coffee will be free. How's that for After-Service? On a previous visit, I ordered flagels (their delicious flat bagels) and when I got home, they weren't in my bag with the rest of my order. The After-Service? The manager gave me a free dozen on my next visit. On and on it goes. I can't wait for a visit where 'service' trumps 'After-Service', but I'm starting to give up hope. With bagels featuring delicious chewy outsides and fluffy insides, you should definitely try one, but take my advice and practice this mantra: order small, watch everything and check your bag.
(3)
Matthew G.
Great bagels and love the coffee ice cubes. Be prepared to wait in line as this isn't a quick serve shop. Meat lovers will enjoy this place, ordered the cordon bleu and it came with a healthy serving of both chicken and ham. If you have time to relax, this is a good place to grab a coffee and bagel.
(5)
Brittany A.
Meh. This bagel joint's lighting and maze like interior makes this place feel cold and desolute. I had a tuna sandwich on a cheese bagel which was just average. If I am paying $8 I expect a great sandwich. I also expect my sandwich to come with fries or chips or something. I would not come back here. It is not worth my money. 2 thumbs down Larry King.
(2)
Rachel Q.
I came here for a breakfast meeting for work. Although the drive was a pain coming from downtown, we got there, parked at a meter and met our colleague. And to our surprise, guess who we saw sitting and enjoying some bagels and coffee? Mr. Larry King himself! That already made the drive worth it. Apparently, he is the face of Brooklyn Water Bagel as he is from Brooklyn. Nice to know that he actually eats here! It was 10:30 am on a Thursday morning and this place was pretty packed. We stood in line and saw their "brooklyn water machines" and bagel stations set up. Ordered our bagels and iced coffee. I got a whole wheat everything bagel with low fat cream cheese, toasted. Liked that they had a lot of options. We got our number and cups. Really liked the coffee set up - different flavors, decaf, iced, hot, you name it. They had skim milk, half and half and soy options as well. Another really cool thing was the coffee ice cube - ice cubes made of coffee! So I got my vanilla flavored iced coffee with skim milk and stivia sweetener. Coffee was delicious! We waited for our bagels and when they finally came - so delicious! Guess Brooklyn water really does make the difference! I don't eat bagels too often, but would if this was an option. Really great setup, great tasting bagels and coffees. Throw in Larry King, how can you go wrong. Hoping they'll open one in downtown LA.
(4)
Monae W.
Love the bagels. I always get the garlic bagel toasted with cream cheese. Delicious and always fresh. I also get the self serve iced coffee. They have ice that's made with coffee so it doesn't dilute your drink! How cool is that?? And you might even spot local and national tv show host Larry King at this location.
(4)
Paul B.
The last time I'll buy bagels here. Too chewy and tasteless. Calling themselves Brooklyn Water Bagel is an insult to my home city. I've tried this place five times. More than enough visits to give fair and objective assessment. BTW, the black and white cookies are horrible! This place flunks big time folks.
(1)
Gesselle C.
Best Iced Coffee eva... they offer coffee iced cubes. Oh yeah and there bagels are nice. Did I mention, the COFFEE ICE CUBES?
(4)
Nicole G.
I've tried almost every bagel over the last 12-months, and all are great. The service is slow and sometimes they get it wrong, but the bagel and coffee are worth it. Just don't go if you're in a hurry. Sit and enjoy it.
(3)
Andy S.
I went with skepticism and walked away a believer. AWESOME NYC BAGELS. Crispy on the outside, doughy chewy inside. Just what you expect from a REAL WATER BAGEL. Anyone saying they prefer Noah's likes bread not bagels, as if the only difference between a bagel and bread is the hole in the center. They are REALLY expensive. $12 for a bakers dozen. They may be worth it, even though $1 per bagel is a lot of dough. While in line you can watch the workers make fresh bagels. Or you can watch the monitors explaining why the duplicated Brooklyn water is different. "We carefully combine 2 hydrogen molecules with 1 oxygen molecule." Hmmm. SOUNDS LIKE WATER!! does anyone else serve water with 1 1/2 molecules of hydrogen, lol??? But whatever they do that's different, the product results are superior. I'll just have to work a few hours a week more to afford them.
(4)
Chris B.
Love, love, love the iced coffee. The Surfer's Delight with ice cubes made of coffee is perfect!
(4)
Maria A.
I want to give this 3 stars, but really, I just can't. It's really 3.5, but the coffee cubes, who can resist? Seriously, the coffee buffet is amazing. Coffee ice cubes, delicious varieties of hot and iced coffee, tons of different creamers, egg cream, the works. The one kind of sweetener they don't have is simple syrup, and while the hot coffee is good (I'm told by my friend who always goes with me) it is overpriced. The bagels are DELICIOUS. This California girl wouldn't know the difference between NY and other bagels - I just know if it's good. A bit chewy, never dry, good and yeasty (yes, I said yeasty) they've got it covered. Oh and did I mention that their whitefish is the BEST I've ever had?? Cons besides the expense: No good standing area to wait for your to-go order. You're basically standing in the coffee buffet, in everyone's way, and the tables are too far away to sit and wait to hear your number (besides, who wants to be that person who hogs the table without eating? it could be Larry King's table for all you know) It can take a LOOONG time for your order to come, and I've had them mess mine up more than once. Annoying. Make sure to check your bag before you leave.
(4)
Shauna D.
My coworker sent me here. He claims they are just like New York bagels. FAIL. I've tried it twice now. Both times my bagel was rubbery. Iced Coffee was good though. Coffee ice cubes so it doesn't get watered down. Thanks.
(1)
Peter M.
love this place- try one of their bagel sandwiches, and keep your eyes out for Larry King stealing orange juice. SERIOUSLY.
(5)
Jo J.
Items tried: -Stud Muffin -Cranberry Organge -Choclate Chip Muffin -Whole Wheat Everything Bagel The muffins were always good--so I imagine that they are laden with butter and sugar. Each muffin is rather large--about 3 servings worth, so with that in mind, they're a pretty good deal price wise. I've never had a "Brooklyn" bagel, but have had plenty of "Manhattan" bagels and can't say the one I tried was as good as any of those, but it is one of the better bagels found in Los Angeles. However, they're MORE than 2x the price of bagels found 1000ft away and completely skipped trying a smear of an anything, because doing so cost more than the bagel. However, thought it was nice that they had Whole Wheat options of popular flavors (Note: they do not sell fruit versions, such as "Blueberry," or spiced versions such as "Jalapeño.") Now, normally, this would be enough for a 3 or possibly a 4 star review, but the problem is that the customer "service" is atrocious. First visit at 7 in the morning, there was no other customers (at first, I thought the place was closed), upon entering, there is a very confusing sign (that is similar to all the road signs in the Tuscany countryside) and despite the employees seeing me stand at the front door, none of them offer any guidance. I finally went in one direction (still don't know if that was the way they wanted customers to go)... There were two people working the registers and yet, I still had to wait several minutes to order. When I was called to the register, I said it was my first time there and asked what was popular/asked for recommendations. The girl just stared at me like she working off community service that she didn't sign up for--she actually acted angry that I had even asked a question. It was rather shocking that she would be having a bad day or something considering the place had only been open for 30 minutes and it seemed like no customers had been there. When I asked for a bagel to be toasted, she said, "Is that it?" I said, yes. She said, "You're not going to put anything on it?" I said, no, just toasted. She rolled her eyes....this aggressive, snarky attitude continued throughout the transaction to my purchase being tossed on the counter. It's a shame--but this is was typical "service" on each visit and is completely case of, "you first come for the food, but come back because of the service." Or in this case: DO NOT come back because of the surly service.
(2)
Nerf K.
I have a love-hate relationship with this place. On the one hand, the bagels are good, and the selection of coffee is pretty good. And, it's within walking distance of my apartment and opens early. On the other hand, the service is maddeningly inconsistent. Serving a bagel with some cream cheese on it shouldn't be hard. Sometimes they'll get my order right and I won't have to wait long for it, but other times things here can be a real mess. I'd say there's a 1 in 3 chance that they'll either get my order wrong or take 30 minutes to bring it to my table. Oh, and the tables are rarely clean -- watching the high school kids they employ lazily make their way around to wipe down dirty tables can me infuriating.
(3)
Kirsten S.
This is a very cute and well executed idea for a bagel place. It is more spacious and friendly than an authentic New York bagel store, and there are way more drink options, but I just call that the best of both worlds. Bagels and flagels are really, really good. They have the right chewy consistency and are a decent size. The drink bar is super fun, and they brew a nice cup of coffee. The "open" kitchen is a great concept. I love seeing my bagels being boiled! Prices are pretty reasonable too... For the record, a bagel with lox and toppings runs about $9 here, whereas many places in NY you'll be out $11 or $12. I got an everything flagel with lox spread, and sadly there was too much spread and not enough lox. That was enough to bring the place down one star, but besides that I would recommend BK Water to anyone in the area looking for a good bagel.
(4)
M J.
Always run out of everything flagels (flat bagels) before 9 am because the manager says they only make 12 or so and they are harder to make! Can you believe that response? People want to buy but it is too hard to sell/make?! Line is slow, food microwaved, filthy sick people at registers. Most employees are like 12 years old. Service is terrible. Whole thing is a huge disappointment to the community and poor Larry. What an embarrassment. Don't franchise. By the way the bagels are no different or better than most in la and they are an insult to Brooklyn. The coffee ice cubes are a good thing however. The marketing is slick and great. This needs real management and a change of attitude. God help these folks. You can't market your way out of bad service and bad food.
(1)
Ben L.
I grew up in New York City and let me just say, there is nothing "New York" about this Bagel shop that is manufactured and average in every way. Nothing genuine here. No soul. No heart. The waitstaff is perfectly nice and helpful, the seating area is clean and comfortable. And how is this an authentic New York bagel spot? I ordered a toasted everything bagel with Nova, onions, tomatoes, with VERY LITTLE cream cheese and an orange juice. Close to $14 later, and a considerable delay as people who ordered things AFTER me got their food BEFORE me, my bagel arrived un-toasted, and DRENCHED in cream cheese. #Fail Giant photographs of the photo project on digital TV screens just in case a customer on line wasn't sure what chicken salad on a bagel looked like. Come on. It's gross being hungover and staring at a giant photo of tuna fish. The whole selling point here is "the water" and how fresh it is and authentically New york it is. Please. This place is a scam. The food comes off an assembly line. Sure, "coffee ice cubes" are cute, but again, what's "cute" about a REAL New York bagel place? Try and avoid wasting your weekend at BWB...
(1)
Dan G.
Horrible, horrible setup. Can't see the menu from the line. Big columns in the middle of the counter blocking the staff and customers. What a bad setup. The staff was competent and friendly. Most of the tables were dirty and not cleaned during the hour I was there. A little slow to make my order with nobody else waiting. We had two breakfast bagels. The eggs are not good at all, they definitely taste like instant cafeteria eggs. I couldn't care less whether the bagels are authentic. I rarely eat bagels, but these didn't taste much different from the last one I had from costco. Good, but nothing special The muffin I tried had really poor texture and was more like cheap cake, not even like a cupcake. I feel sorry for the investors.
(2)
Christina P.
As a bagel store I've seen better. But as a beverage source, this place is tops - four kinds of iced coffee, coffee ice cubes, caffeine free Coke and huge dispensers of creamer... this place is a drink lover's paradise! I'll definitely think of this place first when an iced coffee craving hits me, but other than that I think I'll be sticking to my neighborhood bagel joint.
(3)
Joe C.
I come here mostly out of convenience, but the food is consistent and the bagels and omelette are good, although everything is served on plastic plates, which is not necessarily a bad thing. I must say that their kitchen is poorly run though. They haven't perfected their pipeline, and for the first few weeks it was excusable, but now it's just negligence. An omelet can take 20-25m!
(4)
brad A.
I've never been to a business where I felt like all the customer and workers were in some sort of secret war that I didn't know about. First time for everything. The customers were rude, old and bitchy. Think really bad jewish TV stereotype. The people behind the counter just looked angry (with good reason I imagine) and were completely incompetent. My order was pretty simple. Lox bagel, with tomato and sprouts. "What is lox?" "Salmon" "We don't have that." "You don't have salmon or salmon spread?" "No." "What do you have?" "Nova." "What is nova?" "It's salmon cream cheese." "So you do have it." "No, we have nova." "Ok, can I have nova with tomatos and sprouts?" "Do you mean capers?" "No, I mean sprouts. They are little stringy things that grow into plants." "We have capers." "Are you fucking with me?" So, I get my bagels back home and they don't have Nova, no tomatos and not even toasted!! Why take an order if you are just gonna do what you want anyways? The actual bagel was pretty good. Kinda chewy which I like but you will never see me in this place again. Mistakes happen, but this place was all sorts of weird and angry. It can pretty much ruin your outlook for the day.
(1)
Monica O.
Okay, listen here, fancy water bagel place: if you're going to set up shop right next to the biggest Jewish community in the country (Pico-Robertson), you should be happy to accommodate those who request their "Hangover Bagel" without the bacon. Seriously--it's just bacon. Either take it off or don't put it on to begin with. Sounds crazy, right? My boyfriend and I were ridiculously excited to try out the new bagel place in our 'hood. We waited in line for about 15 minutes, and when we got to the counter and attempted to order the Hangover Bagel sandwich (Asiago cheese bagel, egg, mozzarella cheese, bacon) WITHOUT the bacon, we were told that it was "not possible." "But I thought all the bagel sandwiches were made fresh to order," said my sharp-witted boyfriend. "They are," said the less than sharp-witted (but kind-faced) boy behind the counter. "Then can you please make mine fresh to order without bacon?" retorted my boyfriend. The boy consulted a manager of sorts. "It's not possible," she said. "It's sort of written in blood," the boy added. Written in blood: thou shalt not remove bacon from bagel sandwich. To make a long story short, these people were baffled that someone would ask to have a bagel sandwich without bacon. With all the vegetarians and kosher-keeping Jews in LA, one would suspect that this would not be an outlandish or bizarre request. But apparently it is at Brooklyn Water Bagel. And apparently they will not accommodate your desire for a bagel sans bacon. The mystery of why it's "not possible" to have this sandwich without bacon continues to go unsolved. Suffice it to say we will not be back to find out why. Okay, maybe I'll go back for the coffee ice cubes--but that's it!
(2)
Alex S.
Bagels are amazing! He does not skimp out on any of the toppings, when you get the everything bagel...both sides are heavily doused in "everything." The coolest concept is that he has ice cubes made out of coffee for your iced coffee drinks...a really cool idea. The sandwhiches are not as good as St. Urban and the fries are disgusting but if you just want some Bagels and your in Beverly Hills I would check this place out!
(4)
Heidi M.
I'm floundering between 2 and 3 stars. Really, I wanted to like these bagels more than I did. Will I go back - yes. But not because it's a taste of my Brooklyn years. But I'll go back cuz it's a decent west coast bagel. Service was nice. Salt bagels - too much. And believe me, I've been eating salt bagels for probably 42 of my 44 years. And 10 of those years were in Brooklyn, so yes, I do know Salt Bagels. I decided on an Egg bagel as soon as I caught sight of the salt. It was too crunchy on the outside. And not doughy enough on the inside - maybe a little too baked... But ok for a west coast bagel.
(3)
Katherine D.
The bagels are great, easily the best in LA. I'm from NJ, and FINALLY LA has a good bagel place! I feel like I can actually live here now. However, I'm knocking a star off what would have been a 4 star review because I went in last Friday at around 11:30 am wanting a bagel, egg, and cheese on a plain bagel for an early lunch. The cashier taking my order rudely informs me that the only bagels they have are poppy seed or onion (yuck!) or the "flagel" which is sort of like a flattened bagel. When I ask if they have any other varieties, she rudely pointed me to the display, and say, "what you see if what we have." I walked out without ordering anything, which also seemed to baffle the cashier. i just do not understand how a BAGEL place runs out of bagels at 11:30 in the morning and then acts like its my fault for wanting something they apparently don't have.
(3)
Joshua A.
A good bagel is like a hippie - a little crunchy on the outside, but soft and warm inside. Also, the best way to treat both is to throw them in boiling water. This place has hippie bagels, which is excellent. However, it takes so long to get food that a hippie could enter their Republican phase while waiting for a nosh.
(3)
Glenn J.
This was my second time having a bagel here. In my opinion the bagels here are far better than Western bagel. The bagels are Soft and chewy, just the way I like them. I came in on a Sunday at 11:00AM. There was a line but it moved pretty fast. I hate lines. They do have two different cash registers but only one was manned. On a Sunday both should be operating at the same time. Once I ordered, my bagel was brought to me in 15 minutes. Pretty good for how crowded it was. I ordered an everything bagel with lox, onions, tomato and capers. Exactly how I like it! It was fresh an delicious! You could taste all the different seasonings on the bagel, poppy, garlic,onion and a little salt. The lox melts in your mouth. The cream cheese was silky smooth, accompanied by perfectly ripe tomato slices and salty capers! Outstanding! $13.00 with a large coffee that I refilled, plenty of different flavored coffees on hand. There is also 2 hours of free parking one block north. Coming here today was a 4 star mitzvah!
(4)
A F.
So delicious and their DIY (iced-)coffee station is fabulous!! I LOVE the coffee ice-cubes!!!
(5)
Kathy R.
I don't really eat bagels (at all) but these were really good! I got an asiago bagel and it was divine!! Perfect snack before work. It was also pretty cool, as my friend and I were walking in so was Larry King! Being new to LA I love seeing celebs! This is a perfect place to go to before work (if you work in Beverly Hills), I was in and out in a flash and had extra time before I had to go to work! Definitely will come here again.
(4)
David W.
Only 2 things to add to what has been beaten down. 1. Don't go to a new over-hyped and advertised by Larry King restaurant and complain about waits, that will obviously end eventually. 2. The comparison to other bagel shops is the only importance, the cool water filtration system might appeal to some NY-transplants but I agree with the fact that it is absolutely useless, and I still judge the bagel. There is better, I wouldn't say they are BAD however, they are as good as an average bagel shop, but I have had better. The price kind of hurts that as well, I get that they are full of shtick but I'd rather get a cheaper bagel that tastes better...
(2)
Stephanie C.
Right when you walk in you can see that the "Brooklyn Water" thing is really hyped up, as it's plastered over every single wall. And Larry King's face is there staring at you too. I had no idea there was any celeb relation to this place, but hey, it's in Bev Hills so what did I expect?! I love NYC and Brooklyn but I still don't really understand what Brooklyn water means... do they import water from Brooklyn? And also... does it really matter? They have giant muffins that look yummy when you walk by, and I like the fact that they have healthy options like egg whites and wraps and salads. I have yet to try their Bagel melts, but everything here is priced a little high. I've gotten their egg white protein wrap, and it was really mediocre. There was hardly any egg or avacado in it at all.. in fact, I'm not really sure what I ate besides random cubes of chicken. Their spinach tortilla is kinda cool though I havent experienced the wait everyone is talking about, mostly because both times I've been it's been almost completely empty, which leads me to believe the hype may have died or maybe my bagel clock is just off from everyone else's. I think I will give their coffee ice cubes a chance next time, its a pretty smart concept if you really hate watery coffee! The atmosphere could be a little more "Brooklyn-ish" even though I'm not really sure what that entails. I've only been to Brooklyn once so I'm no expert... but the whole vibe of the joint and the snooty attitude from the bagel cashier sure didn't make me feel like I was anywhere near Brooklyn!
(3)
Scott B.
Really wished this was authentic but it's just another kitschy restaurant chain gimmick with a celebrity promoter (who likely can no longer eat any of the unhealthy stuff they serve). The workers were standard fast food clueless types. The place was not clean. Nothing special about the bagels - they tasted like any other place in Los Angeles - doughy and tasteless. Had to return what they called Whitefish Salad - a poor (tasted spoiled) imitation of the real thing. Order came wrong, twice - lots of confusion behind the counter.
(2)
D M.
If you are in a rush DO NOT go here!! Staff is slow. Just to get a toasted bagel with no cream chesse takes an eternity. It would be very helpful if perhaps the staff was a bit more faster, specially early in the mornings. Bagels are tasty, its a shame!
(1)
One S.
A lil pseudo New York for me.. Love the new york feel..the bagels not like nyc bagels but sure as hell better than any cali bagel
(4)
Diana L.
I can't say I'm a bagel aficionado b/c I rarely have bagels. I remember reading somewhere (don't remember where) that it was best to order items off the menu, as is, instead of with modifications. With this in mind, I ordered the Sliced Nova & Cream cheese on an Asiago bagel under the "Old Time Brooklyn Favorites section". The service was fast & satisfactory. The guy behind the counter even asked me if I was ok w/ the bagel including everything, meaning, w/ lettuce, tomato, & pickle. The order, with tax, came to almost $10. I didn't have to wait long (thank goodnes, b/c I was hungry!). The bagel itself was an appealing egg-yellow color (presumably from the prominence of egg in the recipe). Upon biting into it, it had the much talked about chewiness. There was something about this simple pleasure that made me enjoy the bagel concoction here more so than at other bagel shops. The nova & tomato were fresh & I was happily satisfied. I'll have to come back for the acclaimed beverage station, try their soups, & baked sweets!
(4)
James D.
I've seen Larry King in here every time I've gone in, which has been a kind of cool experience (he owns the place, so I suppose that's to be expected). Their bagels are good - still not quite like what they are in NYC, but nonetheless they do a good job.
(4)
Daveen T.
Bagels are pretty good; not quite as good as NYC, but pretty close. The Nova cream cheese is a good choice. The coffee is also pretty good; I tried the banana foster coffee, which i've never had before. Good selection and pretty quick service.
(4)
Michael P.
Expensive but well worth it these bagels are authentic New York bagels
(5)
M L.
Look for proprietor Larry King in the front window corner booth!
(4)
Jesse P.
They hyped it up, but got it right. I tried the smoked salmon and roe on a marble bagel, and despite that they forgot the ream cheese (easily remedied when they gave a me a cup of the stuff), it was quite delicious. Though I'm a Brit, I lived in NYC for over a decade, and sampled some of the best bagels in town... and this place brought me back East. The bagel itself was the perfect amount of firm and tender, and the salmon, cream cheese tasty too. I bought a couple bagels to go (asiago and wholewheat sunflower) to sample, was a little disappointed that they'd already discontinued some of the more exotic listed flavors like sunflower avocado (didn't this place just open?), but was more than pleased by the free flagel (aka a flat bagel) that the manager/proprietor gave me when I asked if they carried them. "On the house." Now that's a good way to build repeat business.
(5)
Dj P.
I LOVE THE ICE COFFEE CUBES FOR YOUR ICED COFFEE. Yes, the bagel was good. Yes, it was cool to see how the bagel is made. And yes, the iced coffee is da bomb! Ok, the iced coffee might just be a regular iced coffee (you can get an array of flavors, and it's serve yourself). But the ice coffee cubes that you put into your iced coffee so that your coffee doesn't get diluted is absolutely genius. I came here on a Sunday during the mid-afternoon. I'm glad I missed the crowd....!! With no wait, I had a pleasant experience. I can't wait to go back....!! I really want to try the egg cream next time..it looks super interesting. Not sure how it'll taste, though...
(4)
Tom P.
I want to give it five stars for some really good bagels and the coffee ice cubes, but I can't. I've been there a few times so far and there are some mis-steps. The first time was after one on a weekday, and they had about 375 different kinds of thyroidal looking muffins but only 3 kinds of bagels, of which Rye was the only recognisable sort to this ex-NYC kid. Really? In Beverly Hills? With bagel in the name? I ordered a breakfast platter and a coffee. The coffee area looks sort of like a truck-stop fantasy, where all of your coffee needs can be catered too, hot or cold. Want a Hawaiian hot with vanilla caramel creamer? Step right up. I did find that my dead straight decaf iced coffee with cold milk was there, with ice cubes made from coffee. There should be a nobel prize just for that. Then the platter arrived. I can't fault it for size: the omelet was large and studded with bacon and filled with enough cheese to spackle a bathtub. The eggs were leather however and the bagel, while well toasted didn't come with anything like cream cheese. To their credit, when I asked to buy a side they gave it to me gratis. In the mean time I've been back to pick up bagels to go. They really are good bagels: the pumpernickel is perfection and the plain salt has just the right amount of nuggety kosher clinging to it. The bagels get five stars. The coffee bar gets four. The jury is out on the rest of the experience..
(3)
Eric B.
I work right down the street from this place and have tried it twice. On both visits I have tried to order things that are on the menu that are not carried in the store. EITHER REVISE YOUR MENU OR CARRY THE ITEMS ON IT. This is pretty simple restaurant principle. Both times the food was very mediocre, would not go back. Big celebrity backing, disappointing food quality. I'm sure that Larry will stick to going to Nate & Al for breakfast over his own restaurant.
(1)
Lou E.
Bagel sandwiches, or as they call them, bagelwiches, are on the menu. Bagel pizzas and bagel cheesecakes. Eeehhhhh, hem and haws and uh, some other pishaws. It's nice and the coffee bar is nice but I wasn't in the mood for coffee at lunch. Perhaps next time. As for the Phili bagel I had, it was not something I'd ever order again. Bagel was hard and the meat was tasteless. My friend had the pizza bagel and that too was a mistake. Hard to eat and just messy. Not a popular item. Brooklyn water was, yep, water. It's just water! youtube.com/watch?v=oYZD…
(3)
danny n.
The bagels are decent they were better when they first opened....the place went through like 10 managers, the system they use is flawed. Deff not like NY. Wouldnt recommend it.
(1)
Marion Z.
Managers are supposed to diffuse negative situations not exacerbate them- this would be why I am writing this review. They got my bagel wrong ( always get the same thing- extra lox for an extra $4 or so but that's how I like it- ridiculous price but whatever..) So I call and they say don't worry we will fix this for you; ask for Mustafa when you come in. So I do. Cashiers start smirking. The manager blows his lid. No ones getting me my damn bagel which I thought would be ready when I got back. The manager pretty much asks me to leave before his comanager steps in and says that he'd thought I was trying to be racist. I dont seewhy my second bagel (still not prepared as I had ordered, as I discovered when I got back to my office) took so long to even begin to be prepared after I'd arrived to pick it up. These guys need to get with it. Also if there is a line, just skip it- because if one persons ahead of you you may have to wait 7 minutes for a cashier to ring their order before its your turn, even if they're just getting a coffee. Lame.
(1)
J.M. A.
I've tried Noah's. I've tried Manhattan. I've tried Sam's. I've tried La Brea. I've even gone up to the Valley and tried Western. All of them serve bready, airy bagels with a thick brown crust. That, my children, is not a bagel. It's is a piece of bread. Bagels should be dense and chewy with a thin lightly-baked outer layer - and they should be PLAIN! This is the way it is done in New York and this is the way The Brooklyn Water Bagel Co. does it in good old Beverly Hills...although they do offer other types of bagels for you hair-twirling LA-types.
(5)
Jodie P.
The owners (not Larry King but the others) are very rude and demonstrated poor customer service. The staff in the kitchen was using their bare hands to wipe sweat, rub their nose, and then prepare the bagels. It was gross. When we expressed our concern about this to the table of owner/investors (again, Larry was not part of this group) they were beyond rude and classless. THey were confrontational and said something to to order of not wanting us as customers. Avoid this place and take your business down the road to the Bagel Factory on Robertson. Better bagels, cleaner food handling, and a very nice and kind owner!
(1)
Ken M.
Bagels were the typical LA style 'ring-whitebread' ala Noahs Bagels. In NY customers would ask for a refund
(1)
Siren W.
It took 1 hour and a half for them to give me my order! I'm 7 weeks pregnant and this was my first meal of the day, and if you know anything about pregnant women, we're hungry and weak especially in the first trimester. I live less than 1 block from this place so I thought I'd see what all the fuss was about. Big mistake. I waited in the incredibly long line for maybe 20-30 minutes, during which time I thought I would pass out from hunger, but I was relieved when I finally placed my order. Oh and at one point during my wait in the line, the power went out for 5 minutes (all of the menu signs use lights), what was up with that?! I got my iced decaf coffee (the coffee ice cubes are a neat idea) and that was pretty decent. Probably the highlight of my meal. I went through 2 or 3 of them (tried to pace myself, I'm not supposed to have coffee because of my condition) while waiting! I was seriously waiting for my food for over 45 minutes. I was the last person, the lunch rush started clearing out! Numerous workers came over to me repeatedly and asked for my order number. Finally I had to get a little upset and say, look I'm pregnant and I feel like I'm going to faint for hunger and even then it took them another 10 minutes to complete my order. And they were out of my original bagel. It's 1:45. I arrived at Brooklyn's Bagels at 12:00pm. I am just now eating my $16 order, which is not worth the price or time. I ordered a garlic bagel with vegetable spread. When I finally bit into my bagel, it was not even hot. I also ordered a Veggie Melt on spinach and asiago bagel (they were out and used a plain asiago bagel), haven't had a chance to eat it yet, because I wanted to write this review first. UPDATE: The veggie melt is delicious, much more so than the garlic bagel w/ veggie cream cheese. Too bad they have lost a customer, the veggie melt is good, but it's not worth coming here again. Maybe if I had fainted in the store, I could have sued them or something. Ridiculous. They had about 15 people working in the front. Maybe they should put them in the kitchen so this place could get their act together. Not coming here again. I feel like my food should have been free.
(1)
Neil S.
I looooooooooove this place, this is how a bagel should be baked!! The crust is perfecto. Even though I had to apply for a line of credit to afford breakfast for four, it was still worth it!! Whole Wheat Everything is off the chin chang
(5)
Angelica G.
Came here today for the first time. I really didn't TASTE the difference. I had the nova lox white egg omelette on a pumpernickel bagel. Maybe next time i just need to get a traditional bagel w/ cream cheese to really taste this special water. I also want to try their coffee because people seem to really like it...there is a wide variety of flavors to choose from, including Bananas Foster! On the plus side, this was my first visit, and I saw Larry King getting some iced coffee! My coworker said she always sees him there (well he does own the place), and I didn't think it would happen on my first visit, but I guess I got lucky!
(3)
Gary G.
We visited this bagel shop this AM. The order was for six bagels to share with our friend and optician up the street. This shop was busy and the employees were helpful and the service was excellent. The bagels were excellent, too.
(5)
Jaimie L.
This is kind of like the place you would go to if there weren't better options in the area except the food is also overpriced so is it worth it? Probably not. One of the cool things about this place however are the ice cubes made out of coffee. When they first told me about it I got pretty excited because I absolutely love iced coffee and I hate how it gets super watered down towards the end. An ingenious idea I must say but for an ingenious idea to truly be ingenious, it must be executed ingeniously. I'm not picky about coffee but this coffee was pretty bad. It tasted like some of the worser coffees at gas stations that you'll get just because you need it. And the coffee ice cubes melt fast. Not worth the $3 I'd say. But onto the bagels. They are decent but like the coffee, it's more of a grab-and-go-I-have-nothing-else-to-eat type of thing. I do like their scallion cream cheese though and they have a huge menu so you definitely won't get bored if you ate here. Other than that, if I were ever craving a bagel and had a choice, I'd probably stick to the more familiar local shops.
(2)
Sabrina N.
Coffee ice cubes....AWESOME IDEA!!!! I was in LA a few weeks back and came here and I was blown away by how awesome their coffee and flavors are. The bagel and lox that I had were delish. Next time I am in LA, I will definitely be making a stop here for a meal.
(5)
Yuval S.
My wife and I came in for a bagel at closing time. Even though the place was just about to close, we were treated so graciously by Alan, Mike, and Evelyn. We received the most amazing service by them. The food is amazing and the service is top notch. Try the White Fish Salad... it's tastes like it does in NY. Thank you guys for taking care of us even if you did not have to. We will be back soon. Congrats ;)
(5)
A K.
I had pretty high expectations for Brooklyn Water Bagel Co., as I had a pretty serious bagel craving and read some pretty good reviews about it. Unfortunately, I don't think it met up to my expectations. Service - Sub-par. It wasn't a very friendly environment. I just get a weird vibe going to a place where the employees just don't seem happy. If they don't want to be there, why should I want to be there? Food - The bagel was pretty good and the prices were pretty standard for a gourmet bagel. Coffee - The coffee seriously carries this place. I only want to come back for the coffee. There are so many different types of hot/iced coffee AND they even have coffee ice cubes. I thought that was a pretty unique feat. Conclusion - All in all, a mediocre bagel place. As far as bagels go, Noah's consistently catches my bagel cravings. As far as coffee - Brooklyn Water Bagel would be my first choice.
(2)
Benjamin W.
Okay, let's start with the facts. The coffee is okay. If you really want a great cup of coffee, go next door to Peet's or across the street to Urth. If you want coffee ice cubes in your iced coffee, then this is the place. As for the breakfasts, don't know, haven't had their eggs. I have had their bagels, a few times. To those who are extolling the magnificence of these bagels, I question when and where you had your last NY bagel? These bagels are just so-so. In fact, Bagel Broker makes a better NY style bagel. These are actually too crunchy on the outside, the NY bagel should be more chewy. The bagel itself, when eaten plain, should have a taste all its own. A satisfying, taste that does not require accompaniments such as cream cheese or lox. I can't say these bagels hit that mark Its okay, trendy, kitschy on south Beverly, but I would rather grab some bagels from the Bagel Broker or even Sam's in Larchmont. Sorry Larry King, I think these bagels are as authentic as your story about you and Sandy Koufax.
(2)
lindsay b.
Its not great, but not bad. They were much better when they first opened. They bagel tasted over cooked, cream cheese did not taste fresh.
(3)
Eliza G.
Ate here with another New York native, and agreed that they weren't like real New York bagels. Not dense enough, in texture or flavor... kind of airy on both counts. But they did have an impressive variety of bagel flavors. Giving the place an extra star because I was able to get a perfect and authentic New York egg cream there. You have to mix it yourself, which is a little weird. But they provide Fox's U-Bet syrup (accept no substitutes), and "Brooklynized" seltzer, which seemed to make all the difference. I think that's the first time I've had a proper egg cream in L.A.
(3)
Marlene G.
I wanted to see what all the hype was about. I waited in line for 30 minutes. The bagels were delicious, but seriously? Maybe if I had a leisurely Saturday to spend in line and enjoy the company of a delicious bagel, I would go back. I think i'll wait until the hype is over and return for another bagel. The hot and iced coffee selections were awesome, thats why this place got three stars.
(3)
Lillian L.
I liked Brooklyn Water Bagels so much, I went there two days in a row. I am a bagel addict. Anytime is a good time for a bagel. I am ashamed though to say that I have not had a "real" New York bagel, so I have nothing to compare Brooklyn Water Bagel except the usual suspects in Southern California - Noah's and Western Bagels. BWB is doing something right to keep me coming back. They have a huge variety of bagels. The asiago bagel is my fave, especially because of the bonus disc of melted cheese at the bottom of the bagel hole. hahaha. The menu is huge! Breakfast, sandwiches, salads, soups. Don't bother looking at the menu screens - they rotate too fast to really read all of the offerings. Grab an actual menu to peruse while you wait in line. The big thing that made me a fan - iced coffee. Self serve with a variety of flavors to choose from. And the kicker... coffee ice cubes. Awesome. I throw in a couple pumps of the U-bet chocolate syrup to create an iced mocha.
(4)
Josh B.
I didn't see any of the yelp reviews before I went here. I've had my fair share of NY style bagels and pizza so I was excited at the concept. And with Larry King backing the product, and owning this Franchise I was excited beccause living in NY for so long I assume he has good taste. Bad Assumption. The biggest issue is they have NO bialys. How can you have a Brooklyn inspired Bagel Shop and not have a bialy on the menu. What was Larry thinking? The Bagels are good but nothing worth driving for. They are pretty comparable to any other chain like einsteins. The Best thing here is the iced coffee with the coffee ice cubes, like many other reviewers have said. The options are great and I was feeling adventurous and tried the Fox's egg cream. I had no idea what it would be like but reminded me of what they fill Cadbury Eggs with. Now the Egg cream name makes sense. Check it out for the novelty if you wish but unless you live very close I wouldn't expect anyone to make it a regular spot.
(2)
Elizabeth C.
It seems like most of the bad reviews on here are for the eat-in or food/sandwich parts of the menu. Granted, the one time I tried to eat in here I ordered a bagel with hummus only to be told that they don't have hummus. Lame. But other than that, I usually come here to buy a half dozen bagels to take home and have been happy with those bagels every time. In my opinion, these are easily the best bagels available on the Westside. They are large, incredibly filling, perfectly crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. They last for two or so days after taking them home without getting stale. They freeze easily, and when you buy a half dozen or more they even give you a plastic take-home bag to freeze them in. I agree with the other reviewers that this place feels like a chain and does not have the soul of other local places (the Bagel Factory was always my go-to before this place and that place does have a lot of soul and character) but this place, frankly, has better bagels.
(4)
liz p.
I came back to this place and had a bagel with veggie cream cheese. It was decent. Customer service seemed slightly better this time (compared to my last visit).
(3)
Maggie M.
It's a pretty good place. A bit over priced for what you get but the Tuna Salad sandwich was edible. I have to say I make better Tuna at home for a lot less but I guess you're not really paying for the food but for the location. Not a place I would go twice unless I was meeting someone there and had no other place to go.
(2)
zaldy h.
My mom loves this place! We just beat the lunch rush and snagged a booth (by the time we received our order, the line was almost out the door). There's a nice array of bagels, from cranberry/walnut/date to the classics like onion and poppy. I got the signature three-egg bagel sandwich with cheese and bacon, and it came out hot and fluffy. It's a veritable tower though, so it's a challenge to eat gracefully. Could not finish despite my best efforts. My mom ordered the turkey reuben "scooper melt," which is the bagel of your choice with its insides scooped out and filled turkey, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, then baked 'til it's melty. It's as ridiculous as it sounds and definitely an indulgence. (Get it with the Whole Wheat Omega 3 bagel, which has a great chewy texture.) We dug into the dark chocolate chip muffin while we were waiting for our orders. It was huge, delicious and really fresh (the inside of the muffin was still warm). We got the Cordon Bleu scooper melt to-go for my lil bro, and he vouches it's yummy as well. Service was very friendly from all, and the staff seemed to be hand-picked for their old-school Brooklyn (i.e., not Williamsburg) look, if not the accent. The cashier had to check if we could get dressing on the side for the melts since they're toying with implementing a no substitutions policy, but in LA? When in Rome...
(4)
Evan L.
Great bagels, poorly run. Takes way too long to place an order and takes forever for them to prepare your order. Great bagels, though. Get there early if you don't want to come for breakfast but eat lunch.
(3)
Andy L.
Talk about a disappointment! I heard about this place from a co-worker and decided to try it out for lunch today. I ordered a philly-cheese steak bagel, as recommended by the cashier. With that, I also ordered an iced coffee because of their whole novelty "coffee iced cubes." For a whopping $7.99, I got a bagel sandwich that was DRENCHED in grease. At first, I was willing to look past it, since it is a philly-cheese steak after all. But as I bit into the sandwich, I was waiting for taste to hit me, but it never did. I was very annoyed that I paid freakin' 8 bucks for a crappy tasteless overly greasy sandwich. I had to keep dunking it in mustard just to give it any semblance of taste. As for the iced coffee, I tried their hazelnut flavored coffee, and even with its fortified coffee iced cubes, the whole thing tasted rather diluted. Honestly, the McDonald's iced coffees taste better to me than what I had here. I'm glad to say I've tried it, but I don't think I will go back. For a mediocre bagel sandwich and iced coffee to cost me $12 total? Definitely not worth it!
(2)
Matthew L.
These bagels are anything but good. I would almost prefer eating a Lender's frozen bagel from the supermarket. The bagels reminded me of everything bad about Los Angeles bagels...hard, chewy and tasteless. In addition to terrible bagels, the corned beef was about as good as the "corned beef" at Subway. With that being said, the closest thing to a good bagel is the Bagel Factory on Robertson.
(1)
Cali K.
Too expensive for a bagel. It would be cheaper to Fedex a bagel from NY. Will not come back.
(1)
Taylor A.
I woke up early one Saturday morning, and thought hey being the most amazing girlfriend in the world I will walk down my block and get some bagels for my boyfriend and I for breakfast. The sun was shinning, I had a kick in my step until I walked into the Brooklyn Water Bagel Store, the place was packed I will give them that so the line was long, but I noticed it didn't move very fast, and that's because the employees at the register would switch, they would all of a sudden become food runners, it seemed as though they were very understaffed. Anyways my moment to shine I get up to the front to order my measly 2 bagels toasted with cream cheese, as I'm ordering an old lady walks in front of me with a bagel sandwich complaining that its wrong, demanding a manager, so I was then put off until she was moved aside, paid for my order and stood where I like to call it "The Grumpy People who have been waiting way too long for a Bagel" zone. I waited 30 minutes maybe more for my two bagels, when I asked the guy about it he kind of blew me off, and in my mind I'm thinking I just want to tell him its 2 bagels this cant be happening. Finally the bagels arrive, they didn't say sorry for the wait they just handed them to me and I was on my way. The Bagels themselves are good, and I loved the cream cheese, they even have coffee ice cubes which look interesting and cool although I have never tried, but the whole experience with the late food, the screaming customers, the unfriendly staff all that kind of stuff, that will definitely hinder me from going back anytime soon.
(2)
Anh N.
A friend took me here for a quick bagel. Great bagels and huge selection to order from. Just wished my bagel was a little bit toastier but the lox was amazing. Great place to pick up a quick bite to go! Will definitely be back to check out the pizza bagels!
(4)
Evie D.
Great bagels but otherwise food is mediocre.
(3)
Karen A.
40 minute wait in line - bagels were terrible - service was worse - attitude of staff when they made a mistake on my order was terrible - It took so long I got a $53 parking ticket - $60 (including the ticket) later with six lousy bagels in hand - I WONT RETURN - I'm afraid the NY attitude doesn't cut it in Beverly Hills.
(1)
Bj B.
Still one star in my book. I would have given it a half star, but that is not an option. Aside from their lack of customer service skills and mediocre product, I have started to notice that the oven they use to make the bagels breaks down AT LEAST once a week which renders them a glorified coffee shop on a street where there are 4 other coffee retailers within half a block(with one right next door-Peet's Coffee- whose service is speedy and friendly). It seems like the morning lines are shorter and shorter each week, which is really no surprise. Do all the South Beverly residents a favor and pack it in so we have more parking available on the street.
(1)
Rebecca Z.
I eat a bagel every single day and so does my sister, mom, and especially my dad. I drive all the way from San Diego to get bagels from here because they are the best!! I literally dream about these bagels. My family gets about 6 dozen from here every few months and we freeze them. They are amazingly fresh but they also toast perfectly and taste the same after being frozen for a month!! These are truly amazing bagels. They are very dense and chewy and so much better than the microscopic Einstein's bagel that have lots of holes. I have eaten bagels in New York City and these bagels taste the same! And when you go do not forget to get the ice coffee! When I go during the winter I still get the ice coffee because the ice cubes are amazing! The coffee does not get watery because of these coffee ice cubes. I went on a Saturday morning once and saw Larry King--so cool! This place is in the heart of Beverly Hills, so that is also a plus! The variety of bagels, cream cheese, and coffee is amazing! I absolutely love this place and it is a must to go to for anyone who loves good, hardy bagels!
(5)
Rob N.
I've grown to love the Brooklyn Water Bagel Company----and probably have coffee or breakfast there three times a week. The staff is great---they quickly get to know you. My food is always good---great bagels----a great assortment to choose from. And if you order the omelettes---they're HUGE and beyond filling. There is a LARGE choice of coffees to drink----and yes---with coffee flavored ice cubes----and they have lots of iced coffee. Or....order soda and add a shot of cherry juice in it for Cherry Coke. And yes, you can usually see Larry King in the morning---as he comes in around 8:30am ish most days. But that has nothing why I love going to the Brooklyn Water Bagel company---which is purely due to the food, the staff, and it's a great place to relax with friends and have a great breakfast and you're not pushed to leave. It's so good that I'll be there.....at 6:30AM as soon as they open today.
(4)
James Renny C.
Being shouted at by neon is not how I want to spend my Sunday morning. It is a "Disneyfied" bagel shop; and the service was really slow considering they had about 8 people behind the counter. There are better places to go for bagels in the area.
(2)
Jordan K.
I picked up a few bagels here--a cinnamon raisin and a sesame. The bagels were very good, although given the high prices--about $5 for two bagels--I'm not sure I could tell the difference between here and Noah's.
(4)
Oka W.
Come here often as I live close by... Staff is already friendly and bagels are great... Prepare to wait if they're a little busy
(4)
jackie g.
I'm (natch) a New Yorker, and so nearly passed out when I heard about this place... my one complaint would be that they're a little over-done/cooked. Truly great NY bagels are just slightly underdone, i think...
(3)
Louis B.
It's a solid and affordable place for the neighborhood. Big fan of the iced coffee. You really can taste the difference because of the water quality and coffee-based ice cubes. The hazelnut and french vanilla creamers can't hurt either. Overall, the food is at least as good as the other bagel places around town, but could be improved upon in a few ways. First, cheddar-jalapeno and chocolate chip bagels would be much appreciated. Second, ample supplies of Cholula and/or Tapatio would do wonders for the omelets because they're a bit bland and Tabasco is too disgusting to ever be an acceptable alternative.
(4)
Darnius L.
Crispy, hot, chewy The king of LA bagels Love, an NY Jew
(5)
Sara R.
I think the bagels are decent not the best in the west but then again, I can't find a decent bagel place in LA or the South Bay. However, I love love the ice coffee with the coffee cubes. So to me that is the best thing they have going for them. I hope they open up elsewhere like in the South Bay so I can get my ice coffee fix. They have various flavors and every ice decaf for those that don't want that buzzzzz. However, you will still get some if you had the cubes. Gotta have the cubes!
(4)
Christopher C.
Good bagels, ok soup; to the me drinks are worthless. Good place to get my chicken salad fix.
(3)
Carole C.
Great bagels and the service is the best. Fifteen minutes prior to closing, Carlos was very helpful in filling my order. My fifty guests loved the bagels.
(5)
Peter K.
Best bagel period. I don't know what others are complaining about. I've tried several bagels, and nothing compares to this place. The bagels are bigger than other places as well. The Iced coffee is definitley one of my favorites at this place. Plus the free refills makes you want to come back for me. Just love this place.
(5)
John D.
For this New Yorker, finally a REAL New York bagel! The best I have tasted since I Enjoy Bagels went out of business many years ago. The only reason I gave only 4 stars is 'cause they're a little pricey. A buck twenty-nine each! But, all in all worth the wait for this place.
(4)
Jerry G.
Good Brooklyn Bagel Shop. Excellent Bagels. Decent food.
(4)
Mike H.
The best bagel I have had in LA (and as close to Russ and Daughters). The everything and water bagels are great. Amazing crust and good consistency. Great cream cheese and the white fish salad is solid! Oh and add an iced coffee with coffee iced cubes, yea I said coffee iced cubes - goodbye watered down iced coffee. Simply put, this is the place to have a bagel in LA.
(5)
H F.
As a recent transplant to LA from NY I've tried all the bagel places from West Hollywood to Santa Monica in search of a decent bagel. Since opening, Brooklyn Water Bagel has become my favorite place for bagels and I frequent it at at least 2x a week (if not more!) I'm addicted to the bagels, and would recommend to anyone looking for a REAL NY style bagel. I've even seen Larry King eating breakfast there a few times.
(4)
Pateel T.
There are some things you just can't avoid with a new restaurant. One of them being poor customer service. I walked into Brooklyn Water Bagel one morning to pick up some breakfast for myself and coworkers and didn't leave for about 45 minutes. I could tell you that the chaos was because Larry King was having some type of press event that morning, but it clearly wasn't, because being in the middle of Beverly Hills, customers were hardly fazed at his presence. Unlike many other Yelpers, there was hardly a line when I got there. I ended up having 3 different to-go numbers because I placed 3 different orders (each about 5 minutes apart), but the fact that the numbers were being called completely out of order had all waiting customers, including me, a bit irritated so early in the day. While the cashiers continued speedily taking orders, the kitchen was clearly backed up. There was just one employee delivering plates to the in-house customers, and trying to juggle the different "Can you please check where my #32 is?" and "I've been waiting for half an hour, where's my order?" questions. I couldn't help but feel bad for her because there's only so many numbers one can remember and follow-up on. In the meantime, those who looked like they were bosses or managers seemed to be circling the Larry King interview in the corner, pretty ignorant to the increasingly annoyed group of customers. With the amount of time I waited (and the overpriced $9.50 I paid for just one bagel with lox), I would hope my bagel was being shipped direct from Brooklyn. In the end, my coworkers and I were pretty satisfied with the bagels, but that didn't take away from the fact that I narrowly escaped getting a meter ticket because of my long wait. Even if not for the bagels, I'll definitely be back for the iced coffee with the frozen coffee cubes (genius!). Hopefully, this place can learn from their mistakes and shape up soon enough because they won't last too long among all the impatient Beverly Hills customers.
(3)
Daniel L.
Mediocre bagels. I found a dead spider hanging from my bagel. Workers use their bare hands while making the bagels. Service is awful...had to wait about 25 minutes for 3 toasted bagels with cream cheese. DO NOT RECOMMEND!
(1)
Devin A.
I went here 2 days in a row. It's my new favorite place. Good bagels, but not exactly like Brooklyn (says this former Jersey girl who knows a good bagel). LOVE the iced coffee cubes. Had the BEST corn muffin I have had in YEARS! And, lets face it, people watching in BH is always fun. Oh, and Larry King was there. I swear I see that guy in every restaurant I go to!
(4)
David Y.
The food is great, the bagels are AMAZING. But the service is HORRIBLE. They are so unprofessional I have been here numerous times at literally 1 out of every two times they have some how or another managed to mess up on either mine or a friend whom I was with a order. Today I came in and got an omelette with a bagel on the side with cream cheese. When I want to get my coffee there was PEICES OF PLASTIC in my drink. One piece of plastic literally went into my mouth. When I went to show it to the manager she told me it was a coffee bean which it was definitely not. Then she looked at it again and apologized and handed me another cup. Later when my food arrived they put the cream cheese on the bagel instead of on the side , which is what I asked for. The only reason I continue coming to this place is because the only other bagel place near by (which is amazing) at urbain bagels only accepts cash and sometimes I dont have any on me. The food as I said Is amazing but the unprofessional service might just make me not come back anymore or at least way less
(2)
Christopher S.
I honestly have no idea why I keep going back to this place as I have yet to have a positive customer experience. I order the same thing almost every time: everything bagel toasted with ham and cream cheese. The cashier usually has a hard time with HOW to do that for some reason and ends up asking a manager, and they universally end up charging me for a bagel with schmear plus a side of meat or whatever, $4.50/5. Done. The latest time around she tells me it will be $8.xx for my bagel. Me thinks not. I inquire. The manager had told her to ring it up as a full sandwich. I say this is ridiculous and that I've done this many times before without this result. She agrees, calls over manager. I explain. This guy, Tom was his name, in typical rude BWB fashion responds with the fact that every previous time they've done it incorrectly, and from then on his only response was "it's a sandwich". He just kept repeating it in the most condescending manor possible. My receipt reads literally as follows: HAM AND SWISS $8.xx Cream Cheese No Swiss No Tomato No Lettuce No Onion Long story short: There's nothing special about this place. The one cool thing is they have ice cubes made out of coffee for their iced coffee which I think is fun and the food for a bagel place is exactly what you'd expect it to be. Typical review would give it an A-OK review of three stars, but because everyone here always seems to have a sense of entitlement (especially our friend Tom who is apparently the Alpha and Omega of mediocrity), they get one star.
(1)
Vinele G.
Ice coffee cubes to put in your iced coffee! BEST THING EVER!!! And the bagels and sh*t are good too!!
(5)
Ben T.
They charge $1 for a slice of onion on your bagel. Then another $1 for some capers. The bagels are great, but $1 for a slice of tomato is way too much. So... I called a few actual bagel shops in Brooklyn. I spoke to Best Bagel ($0.35 for a slice of onion) and The Bagel Store ($0.50 for a slice of onion). The helpful Brooklynites at both stores got confused and hung up on me when I asked them if they would pay $1 for a slice of onion. That's how crazy these prices are. This is a big deal for me because I take my family here every Saturday and with this new menu the price of my bagel with vegetables has gone up by $6.
(1)
Shayna D.
I think they put crack in the coffee creamers. The hazelnut creamer is to die for (granted, I grew up on non-fat milk, so maybe I was just missing out on cream my whole life). I don't even want to think about how many calories are in this creamer, I love it too much. I get the chicken/protein (I forget the exact name) omelet on a whole-wheat everything bagel with chive/onion cream cheese instead of regular cream cheese, and it's delicious, albeit sloppy. I'd highly recommend it. My reasons for not giving it five stars are that the wait can be very variable. If there's been a big order placed recently, you will be waiting while they prioritize the whole order, or so it seems. Another reason for the four stars is that the coffee ice cube machine doesn't always seem to be working, and the best flavor of the iced coffee (kahlua something) is sometimes out. I actually don't think the iced coffee is that impressive--I've had better flavored iced coffee before with more flavor at other places--but I don't mind, since I can just add my hazelnut crack creamer.
(4)
Sema M.
I absolutely love this place! Best bagels in LA, great service, just make sure to get in early for the flagel they sell out quick! William is my favorite guy here ! I prefer to sit outside
(5)
Alana R.
Had a great experience. The cold tuna sandwich was recommended and it was delicious! William Thompson was super helpful and polite. Looking forward to my next experience!
(5)
Martin G.
Brooklyn Water Bagel is pretty much the closest you're gonna get to a real bagel in LA. The bagels are great, the coffee ice cubes are great, and the folks that work there are great too: William at the register this morning was super friendly & helpful, even coming with us to our table to clean it off before our food came. Sundays are better with bagels, iced coffee, and rad dudes.
(5)
Ashley C.
If you're looking for a quality bagel in a nostalgic environment, then check out Brooklyn Water Bagel Co. True, there are a fair share of bagel spots in the LA area, but this one is one of my favorites just for these pure facts: the atmosphere is family-oriented and the service is great. It just feels cozy inside and I think that's in part to do with the shop's decor (Brooklyn, NY circa 1960/70). Although I have never been to Brooklyn once and don't know much about the infamous city, I still felt the authenticity and nostalgia for a place I know nearly nothing of - that's impressive. As I was waiting in line to be served, I peered to my right at the open glass that surrounded the kitchen. It was a bit unkept and seemed unattended, which made me feel a bit curious - where were the people making bagels? Where was that delicious smell of toasted bagels coming from? I will never know, but this is the reason I gave the restaurant a 4 star review instead of 5. It would be great to see that kitchen a bit cleaner and more active; it would really add to the restaurant's ambiance. Other than that, the service was great. We were greeted by the friendly face of William Thompson. By the end of our order I felt such a friendly connection with him that I wanted to be acquainted to him on nicknames basis. So to Will - thank you for being the defining moment of my Brooklyn Water Bagel Co experience. Sure your other customers appreciated your smile and helpful spirit as well.
(4)
Ashley T.
Was just here for the first time visiting my girlfriends and it was Great! William Thompson helped us and was so professional and welcoming. Great service and great bagels!
(5)
Sophie F.
Tried to keep my order super simple this time around-- 6 bagels. I didn't ask for any of them to be toasted, scooped, sliced... nothing. I wanted the least amount of effort to minimize risk of mishaps and mistakes. I just wanted to bring 6 plain bagels to work. Get to work and opened my bag. ONLY 5 BAGELS IN THE BAG. ARE YOU SERIOUS? Shame on me for not listening to my own advice of double-checking the bag before leaving. But for reals HOW HARD IS IT TO PUT BAGELS IN A BAG. Such poor service. This place is disastrous.
(1)
Patty ..
Been here a few times and still conflicted 1st time I got the egg & cheese sandwich and wasn't impressed 2nd trip was the sesame med-toasted w/cream cheese wondering where the cream cheese is, don't think I should had been charge the $2.81
(2)
Paul D.
Closest thing you can get to a true New York bagel in Los Angeles. The everything bagels were coming right out of the oven when I got there, so Will (who was great behind the counter) threw two of those in my bag, although one did not make it out of the store. Yum. Refills on egg creams are pretty spectacular, too.
(5)
Hunter J.
I gotta say I've had a hell of a time finding a truly great bagels here in LA. But now I have. Everything about this place is exceptional. The bagels, the atmosphere, but the best part by far is the customer service. Will answered all my questions with a knowledgable smile. He was a true Philly gentlemen who got me hooked on the Philly cheesesteak bagel. Which is amazing by the way. He really went out of his way to make my experience more authentic. I wish more places had enjoyable and personable workers like him. Now the Philly Cheese Steak Bagel is just loaded with goodness. The bagel was toasted to perfection. The steak had crispy tenderness to it like I love. I wish I could eat these everyday. I'll definitely be back.
(5)
Will E.
This is the place to get the best iced coffee and scooped bagel melts in Los Angeles hands down! I've brought literally over 50 people to this place and they all agree. But the only problem is there has been no consistency with upper and general management. I've been coming here since it opened over 3 years ago and i've seen it change almost everything from the menu to the service. It's like the owners don't even care to come in and check up on their own business. Probably why employees and the chef's never stick around long enough to remember how to do anything. Don't get me wrong though, I keep coming back because they have the best product, in quality and taste around! But there is hope, the new manager William really seems to care about the business and his customers. I hope he sticks around because it was refreshing to have someone remember both my order and name, especially since I've been coming here every week for the past 3 years.
(3)
Sarah F.
I'm only giving more than 1 star because their bagels are actually pretty good. Good selection and tasty. I'm an occasional customer - not weekly but maybe once every couple of months. However - I know their service consistently runs slow. It's something I just deal with. This morning on my way to work I set my parking meter for 20 minutes just in case. Thankfully I did because it took about 20 minutes to get my bagel order to-go which was simply an everything bagel toasted with cream cheese on the side. When I ordered there were 2 people waiting on their food, it wasn't as busy as I've seen. I understand they do have call in orders they are filling as well but the fact that it took TWENTY MINUTES to get a toasted bagel is unacceptable. I returned to my parking meter and it had expired. I was late for work. I think that's the last time I'll go back here.
(2)
J C.
Great service as usual from my man William. Fantastic customer experience. Go giants!
(5)
Kristen W.
The best thing about this shop is that it's conveniently located on south Beverly drive. The bagels are fine; nothing special...no unique flavors. If it weren't close by my house, I would not make it a point to come here. The issue I have with the shop is that no matter how slow it is, it takes a minimum of 10 minutes to get a bagel toasted with cream cheese. It really blows my mind how long they take. Today I ordered a bagel sandwich with egg and cheese...big mistake! It took 20 minutes or more to come out. After 15 minutes I went to the counter to check on the status of my order and couldn't get a straight answer from anyone behind the counter. It's a very poorly run operation with all of the staff running around like crazy, accomplishing nothing. I would suggest a change in the way they manage things before all of their customers get fed up and stop coming.
(3)
Jessica S.
This place was okay. $2 breakfast (everything bagel with tomato)- that's good! The inside is all decked out with photos of Brooklyn, with some big contraption that "Brooklyn-izes" the water (?). Bummer that lots of bagel places don't have non-dairy cream cheese. Easy metered parking, and right across the street from Urth Caffe.
(3)
Gregg B.
This place is such a disappointment. The bagels are pretty decent but the entire set up is sub par. I don't like the line up area, Where are the appetizing foods in a deli case? It is like internet buying food in a bagel shop. I don't get it. I like seeing all the spreads lined up in bins. I like seeing other foods in a deli case in bins and on plates. What I do like is the theme of Brooklyn water and the iced coffee cubes. This creates a nice niche marketing idea for them The bagel factory is way better
(3)
Guillermo G.
Good place to have breakfast, I had the egg with spinach and mushroom on wheat and it was not bad... I don't know if the "Brooklynized" water made a difference but not bad. I also had the new PURE juice they offer... I wish I would have asked for the price up front!!! Expensive!!! The place was clean and it seamed they have good patronage. I would come back.
(4)
Dana R.
Bagels are great. But I would skip the eggs and the potatoes. They do not specialize in that area.
(3)
Carin M.
I come here for the amazing bagels but it's always refreshing when you have great customer service as well. William Thompson was so accommodating and kind - he really made our experience at Brooklyn easy and fun. Thanks William. See you again soon.
(5)
Ellen A.
Best flagels ever! Worth the drive from Calabasas. See William. He'll make you smile and take good care of you!
(5)
Linda H.
Their bagels are super tasty with the perfect amount of chewiness and denseness and the best with their flavored cream cheeses in their deli section. But service can kind of be slow sometime. The iced coffee cubes aren't that amazing, I would still go to Peet's next door for my iced coffee. I've tried their breakfast bagels a few times already and I just can't do it anymore. They're too big! You can't even open your mouth wide enough to take a bite because there's a honking 3 eggs plus bacon in your bagel! I think the last time I had one, I took out half of the eggs in order to be able to eat it. Just stick to the good old bagel and cream cheese and you'll be full beyond lunchtime.
(3)
Kat C.
Was my first time eating at BB today. Will was so nice helping me find the perfect breakfast - considering all my intolerances - and recommend a great coffee roast. That's how I like to start a busy day
(5)
Lena K.
love the bagels here. but the customer service was even better. there was a employee named William and he was very friendly!!! loved his enthusiasm !
(5)
Sara L.
Pretty decent bagel place that may well deserve 3-4 stars for everything from its coffee ice cubes for iced coffee, happy to be accommodating staff, and boiled-then-baked bagels. While the bagels didn't blow my mind, the beverage bar had a lot to offer and was pretty cool. Deserving of only one star however is the quality of the things that went on the bagels. Eggs seemed to have been microwaved (a la Dunkin Donuts--there's a time and a place but it's not at a bagel spot), and the pastrami was stringy and gross. Don't necessarily let the two stars deter you. There's a lot this place has going for it. Mostly in the bagel-and-cream-cheese and iced coffee departments. Otherwise though I'd go elsewhere for a sandwich.
(2)
K S.
This is still 4 stars by default. The layout sucks. The seating is okay. But this is the best bagel in the area. Ordering can still be confusing. The combinations include all sort of health concerns. Just don't go during prime hours.
(4)
Simon E. B.
I could eat here all the time. The bagels are great. I'm local and not a NY'er, but to me they are awesome. The prices are good and the everything bagel is the best. I used to go to St. Urbain Bagels all the time, which is up the street, but now I come here. I wish they would really toast the bagels, since they usually just come out warm - Im patient, I can wait - but other than that, I like this place a lot.
(4)
turning off j.
'There are no good bagel outside of New York!' --Who hasn't heard a New York (or Joisey) transplant make this snobbish complaint? I have to admit...I am on of these snobs. So much so, that I made it my mission to take my Valley-boy husband on a bagel tour of Manhattan, on our first trip to NYC. He loves bagels much more than I do, and already has his favorite spots. My dream, is that one day, he'll overcome his aversion to sushi and we'll make this same type of tour of the city; but until then... There are a few decent bagel places in Los Angeles if you're willing to look. A new addition to the mix is Larry King's Brooklyn Water Bagel Company in upscale Beverly Hills.At first, you might assume that this is another bagel place with a New York sounding name that specializes in a certain type of bagel. Well, you (and I) would be mistaken. The word 'Water' in the store's name, refers to Larry King's system to simulate "Brooklynized". Since everyone claims that New York's secret ingredient is their water, why not try to duplicate it with the huge water filtration machine you see upon entering the store. Other than that, it looks like a small diner with booth seating. To create the Brooklyn experience, the walls are adorned with plaques, honoring finest famous Brooklynites, including Jackie Gleason, whose Honeymooner's was playing silently on the wall mounted television. But what about the bagel? It's actually pretty good. Chewy in the middle with a slightly hard exterior. I like my bagel simple--slightly toasted with cream cheese. My American husband does goes one step further by scraping off most of the cream cheese. He says he wants to enjoy the taste of bagel more than the guilt of the cream cheese. Brooklyn Water Bagel Company's menu offers more than just a variety of doughnut shaped bread items including flagels, sandwiches, soups, and muffins. As much as my husband enjoys bread, we found ourselves enjoying the coffee bar most. Along with a soda fountain, there are a quite a few kinds of coffee both hot and iced. Dark roasted, medium roasted, hazel nut, and even something as exotic as a bananas foster flavor! Even the ice for the iced coffee is well thought out. What's the universal complaint? An iced coffee lovers chagrin occurs when the ice cubes melt, leaving their coffee drink limp. Larry King has thoughtfully solved that problem by providing coffee ice cubes. Yes--ice cubes made out of coffee! The most exciting item I found at the coffee bar was the egg cream syrup dispenser. Yes, egg cream! Brooklyn's own Fox's U-bet is nestled between the soy and the whole milk dispensers. When we started dating, my husband took me to Seven Eleven (every girl's dream, right?) because he wanted to teach me about an American childhood experience that I had missed out on: making the 'Suicide' drink. For the uninitiated, a 'suicide' is a soda made from a bit of every flavor of soda mixed together. Never the same drink twice, some experiments are fantastic, while others are hideous. One example was my mixing Mountain Dew, orange soda and coke. Not the best result, unless you like ugly colors with matching tastes. We didn't have soda fountains when I was growing up in Tokyo, so the simple act of pouring my own drink from an actual dispenser AND getting a free refill was actually quite exciting. So, once again, we enjoyed ourselves, making a suicide drink, but this time, a more sophisticated one, made from coffee in the middle of Beverly Hills. The best creation of the day: dark roast iced coffee, vanilla cream, soy milk, 2 pumps of Fox's u-bet. Thanks for fun afternoon, Mr. King.
(4)
ramin s.
I ordered a Tuna Salad and asked whether this was an actual salad, they said yes. My order arrives at my table and it's just a bed of lettuce with a big scoop of tuna in the middle, it also came with a bagel along with about 6 sliced tomatoes and tons of onions, olives. this wasn't a salad that you would get at let's say The Cheesecake Factory which is also on Beverly Drive. i was hungry and I started making myself a Tuna Bagel Sandwich. I then realized that it came with pasta salad which was on the menu. I went up to the counter and asked the manager, he didn't even know whether the pasta salad came with the tuna salad or not. he started asking around then he said that the pasta salad was on my plate. LOOK, I KNOW WHAT PASTA SALAD IS AND IT WASN'T ON MY PLATE. HE DIDN'T EVEN SEE MY PLATE. so he said that he would give me a portion of the pasta salad like he was doing me a favor. I'm giving this place three stars, the menu is somewhat confusing. the food was fine, I might come back again BUT THIS IS NOT REALLY A TUNA SALAD, ELAINE ON "SEINFELD" WOULD HAVE COMPLAINED, SHE LIKES THE BIG SALAD, DID YOU SEE THAT EPISODE? WHY AM I WRITING IN CAPITALS? WHY DID THAT BULLY RICHARD MALNECK BEAT ME UP IN THE THIRD GRADE!!! WHY DID MY GIRLFRIEND LEAVE ME FOR A MILLIONAIRE MIDGET?? WHY AM I SO HANDSOME? feel free to leave a comment.
(3)
Jennifer K.
This place is over-priced, over-hyped. There is a fair selection of bagel flavors and lots of coffee options. The restaurant is big for a bagel place, but too bright and busy inside to be relaxing for a weekend breakfast. Tried the water, sesame and onions bagels and was not impressed at all. Stick with Western or Noah's.
(2)
corey s.
Work right next to this place and it's come a LONG way since training their staff a bit better. First off, there are TONS of options which is a good thing I guess. However, I get the same thing here every day. I get the ham, egg and cheese on a toasted garlic bagel + american cheese. TASTY, but VERY hard to eat without making a mess. The concept is cool but honestly the "Brooklynized Water" tastes no different than other water. I love the fact that they have skim milk on tap by the soda fountain as well. It's definitely just your average spot with a cool idea. Tons of bagel and muffin selections. Great if you're close by... not worth driving and finding parking though.
(3)
Ollie D.
This Florida chain of bagel and sandwich shops recently opened its first West Coast store on South Beverly Drive. The menu contains a broad range of sandwiches and other lunch foods, as well as bagels. At present, the line is out the door at all times, so unless you want to wait half an hour for a bagel, better wait another week or so.
(3)
M M.
Awesome Ice Coffee! Love love love the ice coffee cubes. The bagels were tasty enough, did remind me of back east but by the time they got them to our table our toasted bagels were cold, which is just disappointing.
(3)
Lauren R.
I WAS IN A GOOD MOOD UNTIL SUNDAY OCTOBER 10 AT 12 NOON WHEN I WALKED INTO THIS CHEAP ESTABLISHMENT ON BEVERLY DRIVE!The worst restaurant I have ever been to in LA COUNTY! IF YOU WANT TO BE IGNORED SO THAT YOUR CASHIER CAN FLIRT WITH HER 50 YEAR OLD LADY FRIENDS THIS IS YOUR BAG. The minute I walked in here the cashier was downright rude she demanded to know to eat as soon as i walked in the door and was angered that I asked a simple question: "what kind of bagels come with the bagel sandwich?" She retorted back stating that they have every and all bagels. THEN I ASKED HER" OK, may i have mine on a wheat bagel?" She tells me they're out then I ask for a poppy-seed she says they're out then i ask her for another bagel option they're out of that too. Instead of just answering my initial inquiry.She and a co-worker laughed at us because we asked for a to go top for the cup she rudely handed us. WE DON'T WORK THERE WHY WOULD WE KNOW WHERE YOUR THINGS ARE LOCATED?! From there she wanted to argue about every item on the menu the friend I came with asked her to not be so rude as we are new customers and didn't know what our options were since the menu was haphazard and not written intelligibly I requested the sandwich platter which comes with your choice of eggs or omelette, fries, tomato or fruit. The patrons here were psychotic some witch walked in yelling at an old man for having a dog he had a permit for it was is only companion as he was DISABLED! ARE YOU KIDDING ME !SHE RUSHED US OUT OF THE WAY TO FLIRT WITH A WOMAN IN HER 50'S WHAT IS GOING ON HERE! I ASKED FOR EGG WHITES! and wanted a bagel sandwich not an omelette!!!!! NEITHER OF US WANTED AN OMELLETE WE ASKED FOR SANDWICHES! SHE BROUGHT OUT AN EGG OMELETE SANS TOMATO SANS FLAVOR AND IT WAS NOT EGG WHITES. WHEN I TOLD HER SHE BROUGHT OUT NOT WHAT I ASKED FOR SHE ASKED IF I WANTED A MUFFIN WHY THE HELL WOULD I WANT A MUFFIN ! HORRIBLE FOOD TASTED GROSS I FELT SICK AFTER FOR AN ENTIRE DAY YUCK! CHEAP TACKY SERVICE WITH MILLIONS OF SIGNS ASKING YOU TO BUY INTO SOME FRANCHISE WITH FRANCHISE VIDEOS ALL OVER THE PLACE. EXPENSIVE PRICES BUT YET CHEAP TACKY HORRIBLE DISGUSTING AND DOWNRIGHT RUDE AGEIST SERVICE! DID I MENTION CHEAP CHEAP TACKY AND CHEAP?!!!!!? GROSS! I MEAN WHEN YOU ASK FOR A TO GO PLATE THEY GIVE YOU A TOP THAT DOESNT FIT OVER THE BOX AND THE FOOD FLIES OUT EVERYWHERE I THOUGHT ABOUT GIVING THE FOOD TO A HOMELESS LADY OUTSIDE OF THE PLACE BUT I CHANGED MY MIND AS I WOULDNT WISH THIS FOOD ON MY WORST ENEMY
(1)
Amanda S.
I got a wheat bagel with nova. It wasn't nearly toasted enough, which is too bad given that toasting it would have concealed the slightly stale texture - either the bagel wasn't fresh, or the texture lacks that good spongy doughy feel that fresh bagels are supposed to have. They're remarkably stingy on the cream cheese. There was a little bit was smeared on the bottom half of the bagel, with none on the top. I should have expected this - when I was paying, a man came up and complained that his bagel had only been buttered on one side. I've eaten a lot of bagels and I've never seen anyone only butter or put cream cheese on one half a bagel. All in all, I was not impressed and won't be going back. For almost $9, I can get the same thing but better at any number of bagel shops in this city.
(2)
Andy P.
Forget about the gimmicky name or the "bagel production line" featured so prominently in the restaurant. I know that no one cares how a bagel comes into existence... this isn't Krispy Kreme for goodness sake! Forget about Larry King, the spotty service, the rude patrons, the shi shi Beverly Hills location, the coffee that comes in little ice cubes! Judge this place by its BAGELS and I defy you to find better in Los Angeles. Understand that this is LA... not New York, home to Yankees and the world's finest bagels. I don't doubt that you can get a bagel this good or better on every other street corner in the Big Apple... but where can you get a bagel with this type of bite, this type of doughy, firm and yet forgiving consistency in LA? This is the land of fusion cuisine, ladies in yoga pants walking their tiny dogs down the street, and catastrophically bad bagels. In that context, the bagels at BWB are incredible! Toasted, they are great solo, with spreads or in sandwich format (my preference). Yes, the gimmick is annoying, but seriously... I don't care if it's the water or some magic pixie dust they throw in there... BEST BAGELS in LA = 5 stars. (oh and the muffins rock too)
(5)
Nathan R.
I went to check Brooklyn Water Bagel out shortly after opening because I'd heard a lot about it. Everyone always says that the pizza and bagels in Brooklyn are better because of the water, and I wondered why nobody had tried this concept yet so, naturally, I had to check it out. The staff were all very friendly, I was able to order fairly quickly, but that was it for the speed. It took at least 10 minutes to get my chicken salad bagel, and I was not impressed. I've had better bagels at a lot of places in LA and the chicken salad was good, but not great. This place seems to be gimmick driven (the word "Booklynized" is featured at least 15 times in big letters on the walls, windows, ice makers, etc). The only thing that impressed me were the coffee ice cubes. Now THAT is a good idea!
(2)
Zane W.
Way, way, way too slow. If this place was actually in Brooklyn there would be irate customers screaming bloody murder. Yes, good bagels, but 15 minutes for a take out bagel is ridiculous!
(1)
Gregg S.
Finally A great Ny style bagel, crispy outside, soft yeasty inside. Great bagels
(4)
Benjamin P.
I go through phases of liking certain foods to the point of obsession. A month ago, bagels were my food fad of the moment, and I wanted to check this place out after seeing Larry on Jimmy (Kimmel, not Fallon). I've been to New York once, and had bagels every day I was there. I especially fell in love with flat bagels. I've not seen flat bagels anywhere else on the West Coast, not that I've looked particularly hard. BWB has a larger version of the flat bagel that I had in New York, but it hit the spot perfectly. The other bagel options were great, and they kept well for the week that I had them (7 at a time so one every morning!). The bagel sandwiches were not really that great, and I probably wouldn't order one again. But as far as bagels are concerned, this will be my go-to place from now on. Or rather it will be once I get another craving. Three weeks straight of bagels for breakfast got a little old...
(4)
Elle S.
This place was a let down from the second we walked in the door. First off, there was a line a mile long that was NOT moving. Second, I get it, they are trying to advertise "Brooklyn style bagels," however "Brooklynized water" to me sounds filthy. I've been to Brooklyn. I did not drink the water. Next, the menu is set, you cannot alter anything on there which seems fishy to me. They claimed it was because they were too busy to alter anything, but dude, it take 5 seconds to read "no mushrooms" and 30 seconds for you to explain why I don't have a choice. The menu seemed very fast foody to me. Lot of things smothered in cheese. To boot, when I got my bagel, (I got the veggie lover's scooper), it was cheesey of course, but they wrapped it in paper which stuck to the cheese. I was peeling paper off of my food the whole time. Now, I am 7 months pregnant, and between the 11 minutes we had to spend in line, the 10 minutes it took to get us our food, and the peeling off of the paper from said food, I was fed up. How dare they get in between me and my food!!! WIth that said, we are never going back, and will stick to driving all the way to the Marina to East Coast bagel who never lets us down.
(1)
Christine M.
Finally a half decent bagel in Los Angeles. Not sure why all bagels here are bready yeasty messes but Brooklyn Water Bagel is actually like a real bagel. The iced coffee is delicious and I love the coffee ice cubes.
(4)
Marshall P.
I took my little 6 year old son to the new bagel shop in Beverly Hills. The french fries were greasy and there was a big black hair on my omelette. When I asked for something else, the owner came out and asked us to leave, saying I was upsetting the restaurant staff. It is a shame, but I guess they will be going the way of the Carngie Deli, back to New York. It is way overpriced for what you get. My little boy was shakened by the nastiness of the owner. He had ordered corned beef which turned out to be pre-packaged and then heated in a microwave .It tasted rubbery like the hairy omelette. Salad dressings are not home made and come already made loaded with preservatives. The bagels are okay at best,and the irony is they are not made with water from Brooklyn, but they take water and try to make it like Brooklyn water. I guess you could call it Brooklyn style water.
(1)
Sandy L.
The Original Brooklyn Water Bagel Co. is one of the flashiest bagel factories I've ever ventured into. The restaurant touts itself as adding "Brooklynized" water into all their products (Bagels, soft drinks, etc.) and makes no small attempt to hide this fact. As a matter of fact, I saw the word "Brooklynized water" plastered everywhere! For those who don't know, "Brooklynized water" is made using their machine that takes tap water and transforms it into clean, safe drinking water, which is used in all their restaurants. My bf and I popped in at around noon for a quick lunch and the place looked pretty deserted though the seating and overall feel of the restaurant was very clean. Off to the right of the shop is an area where we could watch the bagels being made & baked, similar to Krispe Kreme's. We each decided to order a toasted bagel with light cream cheese. THe bagels were $1.29 each and adding an additional spread was a little extra. Once we paid, we sat down and waited for the bagels to be brought to our table. The wait was not terribly long but were the bagels outstanding from the bagel factory? No. Could I tell the bagels had been made with "Brooklynized water"? No. Sadly, my whole-wheat bagel tasted like something I could have purchased from Vons or Ralphs. My bf's cinnamon raisin bagel barely had any cinnamon flavor and about 5 raisins sprinkled throughout the WHOLE bagel. Ugh. 3 stars, at most, for the bagels here, which, in all honesty, is rather unacceptable. However, the "Cubsta" iced coffee was the saving grace in our meal. I had never seen ice cubes made out of coffee before and here, you can help yourself to an unlimited amount of the coffee ice cubes, creamers (there was soymilk!) and a variety of ice java flavors. I had a hoot mixing different coffee combinations because the coffee ice cubes are not only innovative but also genius! As the cubes melt, the coffee becomes more concentrated, not diluted! Though we didn't get a soft drink, there was also an option to make your own cherry coke by adding your desired amount of cherry syrup; I thought this was pretty neat too. Bottom line: Parking is rough as there is only street parking available. Would I return for one of their bagels again? Unlikely. Would I come back for another cup of iced Cubsta coffee? Very likely.
(3)
Natasha T.
I come here for two things: Larry King sightings and the chocolate U-Bet syrup. I am by no means a bagel snob - my honest and true favorite bagel still comes from good ol' Noah's. However, they do a decent bagel here, although I'm a little skeeved out by the idea of Brooklyn h20 because...uh...if memory serves correct, aren't their pipes old/rusty/gross?! I am also a West Coast elitist, so maybe I'm just being a prejudiced jerk :/ Regardless, the bagels are spot-on in terms of emulating Brooklyn's famed carbohydrate delivery system. Their Reuben bagel sandwich is good, as is the ham and cheese. That's all I ever eat here! Super not-adventurous when it comes to bagels, but that's okay. Their scooper sandwich things look interesting, but I am sort of traditional with my bagels (i.e. don't toast those suckers!), so my opinion is a little skewed here. Seriously though, that chocolate U-Bet syrup. I make chocolate cokes here and am a happy little camper. Plus Larry. He's actually quite stylish when he's not wearing his signature suspenders! All in all, not a bad little lunch spot to hide away from the fancy-pants denizens of Beverly Hills. I like it here.
(4)
candice v.
The bagels were really good but giving only 3 stars because of the length of time it took to get TWO bagels. Plan was to run in on Sunday morning and grab 2 bagels with cream cheese. Nothing fancy just simple and easy. It took 45 minutes from the time I got in line to the time I got the take out order. Not at all something you would expect when running in to grab 2 bagels. Speed it up!
(3)
Bobby C.
I hope the food is good because the service stinks. Three plus people standing around while one kid struggles on the register. One girl with a scowl on her face took an order then looked t me and decided I could wait. I'm still waiting. She is now playing with the Splenda boxes. And folks are still in line. Slllooooooooowwwww! Order is finally in with Pokey Joe, now we wait on someone to make it and let it sit on the counter. Still waiting. It better be good or they will lose a star.
(2)
Chris K.
Usually fine, this place has turned recently. Had to literally place my order 8 or 9 times (5 times on the phone and then 3 or 4 when I was there) and then they screwed it up!! I thought I was on a prank show. The place is run terribly and none of the employees is doing anything. My order was going to take 15 minutes (bc of course she hadn't put it in yet) then I'm just sitting there and my food is waiting for me but no one called out my name. Then I get my warmish good and they got the order wrong. I just can't with this place. Used to be great but had really gone downhill. Too bad. Hope they can get it together.
(2)
Yosi E.
Best bagels in LA, period. My wife and I live close by and frequent here for breakfast on Sundays. The bagels are almost as good as NY bagels and the coffee is great too (ice coffee with coffee ice cubes- genius). Unfortunately, Mr. King's staff are not the best. It's not uncommon for them to mess up orders or to be a little rude to customers. In our last visit the cashier was rude for no reason and I had to remind him that I was a customer and that he needed to watch his mouth around patrons. Another very annoying detail about this place is that they always run out of certain flavors on weekends- does management not keep track of sales or pay attention to production? If management stepped their game up this place would be a solid 5.
(4)
Micheal W.
A bagel and cream cheese to go shouldn't take 20 minutes. I keep trying this place because of its location, but I keep leaving disappointed. The bagels are okay but nothing special. They're just bagels after all, and not fresh out of the oven as advertised. Other items I've tried - omelet - fried potatoes - sandwich - fries - were all sub par. And the menu is confusing, which slows down the order taking. But as other reviewers have commented, the worst part is the service which is terribly slow every time. This morning just the one guy: taking the orders, giving them to the back, delivering to the tables, and bagging up the to go orders. The girl waiting in front of me got fed up and had to ask for her order again. And then I had to ask for mine again as well! When I walked in and saw the line backing up, I should have just walked back out. I won't be fooled again. Peet's Coffee & Tea is next door. Go there for GOOD coffee and a danish or muffin.
(1)
Jenna K.
The food is decent but they are slower than molasses. 30 minutes to get a bagel because "an omelet is ahead of you."
(1)
neal m.
After always waiting at least 15 minutes for an order. I thought I'd call in a huge order for 50 people I even double checked while on the way Told today. We have no power to make bagels. What a joke. After reading yelp can see why review after review shows one fiasco after another. You just can't buy negativity like this. Can you imagine a power issue at any real franchise? They'd be all over it Sends a signal to the world. "We're amateurs" Larry. ever go into Canters and was told there was no food cause of any issue?? Come now
(1)
Gil D.
I am giving this place 5 stars because it's easily the closest you can get to a New York bagel in LA. I'm originally from New York, so I would know. It's one of the few bagel places where you can get a bagel that doesn't HAVE to be toasted. The sides that they offer are also excellent - tuna, egg salad, whipped butter. All very well made. As an added bonus, try the specially made in-house water they have available in the fountain drink dispenser. Ridiculously refreshing and clean.
(5)
Robert C.
Apparently under new ownership from many months ago, operational procedures back THEN were FAR superior than they are currently. The crew has NO personality, collectively or individually. And BTW...do NOT take that attitude over the counter with ME because you will NOT win that one in open forum. ....We've eaten a TON of breakfast sandwiches here as well as toasted bagels w/ cream cheese. For what they charge, the amount of cream cheese on the bagel is ridiculously pitiful and on more than one occasion.....like TODAY....I went back in...Opened the bagel at the counter and had to ask if anyone back there thought THIS was a product that warranted the price. At that moment Larry King came in, went behind the counter to bag some bagels then proceeded to get a cold drink before he left...at which point I debated whether to say something or not. Decided no, since I'd bet money he has no day-to-day operational input. Anyway...it's a far cry from what it was a year ago. Very disappointing. And start hiring people who have a work ethic!!!!
(1)
Shiva S.
Went here today for the first time, which was New Year's Day. They were open until noon and we it there at 11:35. Waited in line for 15 mins and by the time we got to the front of the line they literally had no bagels left. Got the marble bagel, which was tasteless and pretty cold even though I asked for it to be toasted. Chris the server was the only amazing part of my experience. He was the only employee who acknowledged us and was very attentive.
(2)
Tastemaker B.
Hands-down the best bagel place I've ever been to in my life! Firstly, their variety and freshness are unparalleled. They are made in-house daily with special water solution to ensure the classic "Brooklynized" flavor aficionados crave. Secondly, they have a veritable coffee buffet! A wide variety of different blends of both hot or cold brewed coffee, any kind of milk or creamer you could want, and every kind of sweetener available. They even have coffee ice cubes for your iced coffee to keep it from getting watered down when the ice melts. Oh, and free refills! Lastly, best whitefish in the city. My favorite thing to order is a whitefish bagel-wich (tomato and red onion, hold the lettuce) on an everything bagel, lightly toasted.
(4)
Esther Y.
I normally come here when I'm in the area and when there's available metered parking in the front (usually never). Out of all the bagel places I've tried, this place was my fave. I found their bagels to be nice and chewy and they never skimped on the cream cheese.... Until recently . Will try one more time, but the effort to drive here and find parking isn't worth it. Also didn't think their coffee was anything special, much rather drink my Starbucks :)
(3)
Lindsay F.
Carbs schmarbs. The more the merrier, in my opinion. After all, I knew it was only a matter of days before I would sink my teeth in to a bagel from this joint. Look, I'd be a liar if I said I wasn't skeptical; I mean, could they really get the whole 'Brooklyn water thing' right? Actually, TOBWBC makes a near-perfect, New York-style bagel with just enough chew, crunch, and spot-on crust-to-bread-fluff ratio. The fact that they carry frozen coffee cubes for your iced beverage (instead of boring old ice) says it all. Oh, and Larry King is a daily fixture at the S. Beverly Drive location. You know, if you're a star-struck fame whore like myself. As a New Yorker, I'm thrilled to have them in my 'hood.
(4)
Max G.
Service was quick as opposed to what others said but the line was long. I'm still laughing about the way they are advertising their bagels, and the machine at the entrance that is supposed to be processing the water so their bagels taste good. ROFL... We have ordered multi grain and salt bagel and both of them were not good. I'm giving this place 3 stars because I really liked their medium roast coffee. Go to Einsteins bagel, they don't have a water machine at the entrance but their bagels tastes way way better. They must be shipping their water from Brooklyn.
(3)
Jon-Michael L.
This place is great. I am a REAL New Yorker, and this is the only place that will not put mayo, lettuce, and tomato on a bacon, egg, and cheese (get your act together California). In addition, there breakfast prices are more than reasonable. Two dollars for a bagel with cream cheese is a far superior choice than going across the street to Urth and paying $6+ for the same item. I have not been to this location for lunch but for breakfast or hangover needs the place is great!
(5)
Stella P.
Hands down the best part about this place is their iced coffee. They make the ice cubes out of coffee so you can take your time drinking it and it never gets watered down! You can also order the coffee in a huge cup, so it really lasts all day. The bagels delicious, a little heavy on the cream cheese but you can just ask them to go light. My favorite is the everything bagel with scallion cream cheese. They have windows looking into the kitchen so you can see the bagels being made which is a nice touch. I rarely see them working but I think it is because I don't usually go early in the day. This is Brooklyn Water Bagel's prime location right in Beverly Hills, Larry King is there often, it's nice to see him supporting his own business. Parking is metered and easy to find near the restaurant. I like to get coffee to go and walk around the nearby neighborhoods or up to rodeo drive for window shopping.
(4)
Elizabeth F.
Really, really great bagels. Forget your diet... i you're hungover, their egg sandwiches will make you feel as good as new. Plus their iced coffee is UNREAL. They have ice cubes made out of coffee so it never gets watered down. They have every flavor imaginable, from banana and khalua to classic vanilla. Definitely my favorite coffee place. I wish there were more locations!! And also more street parking.
(5)
Gaia L.
On weekends when you have a need for that bagel- this is the place to go. They say the taste is of the bagel is from the water they use ( Brooklyners claim so as well). The iced coffee cubes to put in your coffee is a delight.
(4)
Tony C.
Parking sucks here. Street parking and some neighborhood parking, as the residential areas have restricted parking. Came in around 12:30pm, and it was not busy at all. The highlight of this place is the iced coffee (~$4). There are many varieties to choose from, and the ice cubes are made of coffee! I opted to the medium-roast, and I was surprised by how good it was. However, I'm not coffee expert so yeah, don't be mad at me if you try it and think it sucks. The cinnamon raisin bagel was bland; there are better bagels elsewhere. I wouldn't venture too far out of your way to go here, but if you happen to be walking by and want some coffee, give their iced coffee a try.
(3)
D. R.
I continue to be let down. I have been going to this restaurant for over a year now. It takes way to long to get the food. Sometimes I will order just a toasted bagel with butter. Wow, you would think that they were cooking the bagel for each and every order. It just should not take that long. They recently changed the menu and increased all of the prices. Yesterday, I had the bacon, breakfast sandwich and the bacon was very stringy. Not what I was looking for at all. I feel like the quality has gone down. The place is usually messy as well. It definitely needs a tune up on their management and proper training for their staff. I think the only thing that keeps this place open is its location. I can't wait for Panera to open across the street.
(2)
Tony T.
If you've ever been to a Jersey Mikes, this place is a lot like one but lose the beach theme and add in Brooklyn. Bagels aren't bad, there has to be better NY bagels in LA. The "franchised" feel takes away from the experience a bit.
(4)
Lisa Z.
I have NEVER heard of any restaurant charging for a pad of butter! Are you kidding me! Such bad business.
(2)
Suzi O.
Their signature Iced Coffee Cubsta, which features ice cubes made completely out of freshly roasted coffee, is my favorite drink to get here. It is absolutely delicious! Their bagels are also pretty good. Overall, it's a great place to grab breakfast if you aren't in a hurry. They open at 6:30 am, and not a minute earlier. Be prepared to wait 10-15 mins for your bagel, though.
(3)
Erin Z.
I don't understand all the complaints - The bagels here surprised me. They are sufficiently dense and chewy, have great flavor, and they don't skimp on the seeds and other toppings. The sesame, poppy, and everything flagels are even better. They could be described as a flattened chewier saucer shaped bagel. I have noticed the coffee is watered down recently. Come for the bagels, not the ambiance.
(4)
Mike S.
I just like the bagels here. Maybe it's the water... I'm from NY and I totally get the water and dough relationship. I also see Larry King here about 30% of the times I go. I like that he eats at his own restaurant, even if he he has things not on the menu. I usually order a toasted onion bagel with vegetable cream cheese. They give you a nice fat "schmear" of whatever cream cheese you when you order a bagel w cc. Almost to much. I dig the vegetable cc most. Their egg bagel sandwiches are good too, but I've yet to try some of their fancier bagel sandwiches. Kind of not my thing. I'm a bagel and cream cheese person, sometimes I like me some lox too, or whitefish salad. I like the variety of the beverage having area; having all the different choices is liberating. The coffee ice cubes are genius and I love that you can make your own egg cream. They are working on their service having just hired a new "manager" and a few fresh & cheery counter folk, but they could still use more hands taking orders and moving the line along. I'd give 5 stars if it were a more efficient setup as I hate ordering at the register and then they go get your bagels from the rack; it allows time for them to run out of what you want. I'm used to talking right to the bagelista as they bag my order: "Yea I'll take 2 of those, and 3 of these, and what's that, salt? yea 1 of those..." I hate them running out of my everything flagel just before I order it because they are too slow punching in my order before someone else snags it - I hate that. Overall, bagels from BWB are pretty darn good. The work-flow could be better. Make it better Larry, we know you care.
(4)
RC S.
Tasty bagels in a large, convenient eat-in setting. They supposedly "Brooklynize" the water, which they say is the key to offering truly authentic Brooklyn-style bagels. Whether that is real or schtick doesn't matter much to me. The bagels are great! It is apparently true that Larry King owns this place. Out of a dozen times I have visited, he has dropped by at least nine or ten of them. The everything bagels are my favorite. Admirably, they place the seeds and such on *both* sides, not just the top. The kitchen can be a little slow, which I don't really understand (how long does it take to toast a bagel?). But the ease of parking and ordering nets out this minor inconvenience.
(4)
Udi Z.
Their bagels taste good, but this place is both stingy and overcharging for what's on it's bagels. For example, I just ordered a very simple whole wheat bagel with avocado. It cost at least a buck more than two other bagel stores down the street but had a meager avocado portion. I think if you charge more than your competitors, at least get lavish with your servings. Scantily flavored, borderline dry bagels won't make the cut! They won't see my business anytime soon, and if they stick to their current approach, I can't see them staying in business too long.
(2)
Sean M.
Great place to have breakfast. Their bagles are perfect and their prices are fair. Portions are big. Their coffee selection is very big. Overall, I highly recommend this place.
(5)
Michael B.
Good Bagels but sandwiches are too skimpy. For example, the nova scotia is not bad, but they give you very little of it. Prices that are fair for one sandwich become expensive when you have to order 2 or leave hungry.
(2)
Caroline S.
The bagels are just awful I have been here twice and both times my husband and I threw our bagels in the garbage the bagels really are that bad. No flavor and chewy just awful. Bagel Broker still L.A.s best bagels
(1)
Valerie M.
Cinnamon raisin bagels disappoint. Very little flavor & scant raisins. Bagel Nosh's so much better!
(2)
Greg G.
If you are looking for a warm out of the oven bagel, this is NOT the place! Despite a sign promising fresh warm bagels,they have not been available 99% of the time i have been there. I was told by the Cashier that for an extra $1.25 the bagel could be toasted. This is not the same as a warm bagel.
These guys deliver a decent bagel though I'm still not sure why the water is a big selling point. The menu is a little too extensive for a bagel shop (not sure why I'd come here to order a wrap)...stick to what you know. One big bagel shop don't is immediately putting cream cheese on a hot toasted bagel which was a soupy mess by the time I got it. On a positive note this place has the biggest self serve coffee and coffee condiment area I've seen. The speciality creams for coffee are big plus. The real winner in this place is getting a surly greeting by Larry King Seated in his private table holding a type of senior VIP court with his buddies. I appreciate the perfect placement of his framed mug on the wall for those unaware of Beverly Hills royalty in their presence while noshing.
(4)
Yasmin G.
Everything here is so fresh and delicious!! My boyfriend and I come here all the time, we love it! Our favorite is the egg white protein omelet. Its low cholesterol, low sodium, high protein deliciousness!!! Its everything breakfast wants to be! The staff is friendly and helpful, and we caught our first sighting of Larry King this afternoon. The orange juice is freshly squeezed and they have more options for coffee than you can shake a stick at. I want to eat here every weekend (and I think I just might)!!
(5)
Jenn C.
I live nearby and come here occasionally for some coffee and a toasted-bagel-with-peanut-butter. From the start, this place won me over with its soy milk dispenser for coffee. It's very rare to find a restaurant that has soy milk so readily available. This restaurant has friendly employees and a laid-back weekday morning atmosphere that typically includes Larry King. I've yet to have a bad experience here. Minus one star for no wifi...
(4)
Dave K.
Thought I'd give it another try since it was a weekday mid-morning and only two other people in line... it took 15 minutes just to get a bagel! There were three people at the counter and four in the kitchen... how long should it take?? Manager made no effort to make things right or go faster.... what a disappointment. The bagels are passable (New York Bagel and Deli in Santa Monica is still the best around) but it's just not worth the frustration of dealing with these jerks. If these guys were REALLY from Brooklyn then they'd know what a "New York minute" was...
(1)
Leila R.
I can't put my finger on it, but this place keeps on drawing me back in. The service is pretty slow* but that's ok because it gives me time to guzzle down eight gallons of their amazing iced coffee. They are always running out of flagels (make less bagels and more flagels, store!!!), but man oh man are they good. Get in before 10 for the best selection. * but friendly.
(4)
Peter C.
Finally a bagel shop with good bagels! Being from back east I am extremely picky when it comes to bagels and pizza. Brooklyn bagels is the only place in LA that even comes close to comparing. The lines are usually short so service is quick and the prices are very reasonable. Highly recommend taking a dozen to go with the various selections of cream cheeses. This is a must if you're looking for an "authentic" back east bagel.
(4)
Jazzy B.
The bagels and sandwiches are amazing I go here all the time because of that, but they usually get my order wrong so make sure you double check before you leave.
(3)
David M.
Worth coming to try their coffee ice cubes but that's about it. The service is slow and generally unhelpful, and the sandwiches/wraps are not worth the cost (average is $8 for a bagel sandwich). Jersey Mike's is just across the road and for roughly the same cost you get way more food and friendlier employees.
(1)
Rhonda M.
Too long a wait for a take out order. I have given this place a try so many times and each time the wait for a bagel and cream cheese take out is 15-20 minutes. They need to focus on bringing New York service to their store and not New York water!
(1)
Maryam A.
So done with this place! They make sure to charge you but never give you all of your order I don't know how many times I've been to this place and when I got home and look inside the bag I realized that I've been ripped off once again! I they are always out of coffee they don't keep the coffee pouring station clean of don't check to see what needs to be brewed so what should only take 5 min to get a bagel and coffee should never take 40 min! Because they have to brew new pots, I made a complaint to the manager and he said well what do you want me to do about it.? Unbelievable! Don't give these people your Business
(1)
Alex B.
The food is great and Tom is tha bomb. The bagels are great, the coffee is great, and the workers are super friendly!
(5)
Tess M.
Water, and wheat, and yeast, oh my! I'm not a bagel connoisseur by any means, in fact, I generally avoid these yum rounds o' carbs unless nearly all their inner goodness is scooped out leaving a mere shell, a vehicle to hold non-starchy calories. Cool to see this establishment serves up signature, Scooper Melts® brooklynwaterbagels.com/… ! So again, what do I know? Well, my out-of-town, guests would need breakfast, an excellent excuse for me to have bagels and cream cheese and perhaps even more contraband calories in the house. Brooklyn Water Bagel was convenient for multi-tasking me and besides I was curious about the hype and all over the board Yelp reviews. How bad can bread be anyway? Long story short, I snagged six to be divided among three from a courteous, young, counter man, who offered to slice said half dozen on the house. I declined as I have a slicer and a bit of expertise. Allowed myself an "Everything Flagel" which I learned is a bagel that's been flattened. Who knew? Now I do. My lunch, it tasted like a bagel nonetheless. Was pleased to find a courtesy, Ziploc® storage bag included with my purchase but concerned to find instructions printed on it to either consume "same day" or freeze due to lack of preservatives. That lack, a good thing, left me wondering should I take a 24-hour, food safety chance? Bottomline, a day later made no difference, however I did refrigerate my purchase just in case. Bagels were a hit, halved, toasted then quartered to bite size, with my DIY toppings of whipped cream cheese, red onion, avocado, chocolate heirloom tomato, and capers.
(3)
Cecile D.
The asiago jalapeño bagel with cream cheese and tomato is a perfect meal. The coffee selection here blows away any other coffee house. I love the flavored coffee options and creamers. The iced cubes are even coffee iced cubes so you get an extra kick and not watered down iced coffee. It's make your own so you can control how much of everything goes into it. I love that I don't have to go to Brooklyn for my bagel and coffee fix because this place makes you feel like you're there and I'm so happy about that!!!
(5)
Cynthia P.
I have been coming to this place since is opened and I have to wonder what is happening. The last two months whenever I have come in to get a muffin, they either don't have them, or the muffins are stale. I now ask when they were last baked because sometimes they are sitting their for two or three days. I came here on a Friday morning and there was a sign on the door that said "sorry we are closed". I really like their muffins but I guess it is time to find a new place to eat.
(2)
Allen L.
Being a native New Yorker, I was very excited to try this place. I was also intrigued by Larry King's apparent ownership. Maybe I would see him there? So I walk in at about 9 am yesterday morning (Saturday) and I immediately like the place. Big, bright, clean, with lots of Brooklyn decorations...the best one being Mr. Larry King himself! I couldn't believe it - there he was sitting in the front corner booth in a baseball hat surrounded by a bunch of old cronies. A guy went over to say hello and pay respects. It kind of looked like a scene out of the Sopranos. Larry King aside, I went onto my prime objective. I waited a few mins on line and ordered a toasted sesame bagel with cream cheese and an iced tea. When the bagel came, I excitedly took a bite and was...disappointed. Yes, the bagel did have some extra flavor because of the "Brooklyn Water". It definitely tasted different than others and was reminiscent of a true NY Bagel. But the "meat" of the bagel just didn't have that fresh chewiness that I was used to back east. The cream cheese was good, but a little too dense. Cream cheese in NY is smooth and fluffy. Personally, I wouldn't visit this place again unless I'm entertaining a guest in town. It's kind of like going to Universal Studios or Disney - expensive and good once in a while.
(3)
Winthrop B.
Terrible service. Before taking my order, the girl at the register called out the name of another customer who's food was ready. She repeated it again and when there was still no answer yelled it angrily. Yelled. Angrily. Then she threw the bag down, turned and welcomed me with a fake smile. I should have left at that point. My order (bagel and cream cheese) took almost 15 minutes. The place was busy but not that busy. There was no line, just people waiting on slow food prep. A man, who I took for the manager because of his slacks and button up, stood the entire time with his back to the waiting customers, seemingly hoping that by staring into the kitchen the food would come more quickly. He never addressed the people who were waiting, no apology, explanation, smile, etc. I had to feed my meter because I'd naively thought 12 minutes was enough time to get a bagel and cream cheese. Not from OBWC! When I finally got my onion bagel with veggie cream cheese back to the office, it tasted sweet. Like the knife used to cut it or spread the cream cheese had not been cleaned properly between orders. And the uncontaminated parts of the bagel were disappointing too.
(1)
Mrs X X.
Every time I go in there something is not working. Either the credit card machine, the coffee dispenser, soda fountain, etc etc etc.... Blah
(2)
Deborah Z.
This place is overrated. I decided to go one day after reading all the reviews. The bagels didn't even taste that good. The seating is weird. It looked like a McDonald's inside. I would rather go to Noah's bagel and be happy.
(2)
Chris P.
I had to finally give up on this place after I pull up and they had a sign on their door that stated their kettles were down and they didn't have bagels. Even before that, it was struggling to keep me as a customer. It seems every time I went they just don't have their act together. One person on the register during a Friday at 9am is not good management. They'd have a poor selection of bagels and cream cheese on busy days or just not have any. I have a bit of experience having worked at a bagel store for 5 years throughout high school and college growing up. It's not hard to anticipate when you will have a rush and when you should be making more of one kind of bagel. You anticipate these rushes and demand and you create charts and track who's ordering what. Routinely they are out of select bagels and when that happens you lose customers. On another note, the lines and wait can be long. The layout of the store needs improvement. People don't know how to get in and order their food. They have a tiny arrow pointing to your right as you walk in. Routinely I would see people questioning where to order. While you wait for the order the staff try to squeeze by as other customers attempt to fill their coffees. I constantly felt I was in the way, and i was, but i had no where to go. I will say they do have a good selection of coffee both hot and cold and even frozen ice coffee cubes. Great idea! That way the melting ice doesn't dilute your ice coffee. The bagels are pretty good, but I'd like to see a wider selection of cream cheese. The staff needs to check their orders more carefully. I ordered two bagels with cream cheese, the girl called my number and gave it to me, I figured it was my complete order, but when I got to my car I realized they didn't put my other bagel in the bag. I went back and they had the 2nd half of my order in a separate bag. There was a time when I ordered a dozen bagels. Half Cinnamon Raisin and half Everything. Bagel 101 is not to put the two in the same bag because the garlic makes everything else taste like garlic. So I asked if she could put them in a separate bag, which she obliged, however she took out the everything and left all the shake in the bottom of the bag along with the Cinnamon Raisin. So all the bagels tasted like garlic anyway. Maybe these are hiccups of starting out a new store and they can overcome them as they grow and develop, but they should consult with someone to address these issues. Especially not having bagels at a bagel store! That would be my biggest concern.
(2)
Sugar B.
3 strikes and you're out Brooklyn Water Bagel! I have been here 4 times in the last 16 months . I generally avoid BWB bc I dont think their bagels are that great and they are always so slow getting your order out. But sometimes it is the most convenient option. More importantly, 3 of the last 4 times I have been there they have screwed up my order. One time, I was eating there so they fixed it. 2 of those times it was a to-go order and I didnt open it up until I got home only to find I had been given the wrong items. I will not be going back. Bit of advice, if you are ordering to go, make sure to inspect your order before you leave the restaurant!
(1)
Bita P.
This is our hangout on Wednesday mornings. The bagels are great and they are generous with their cream cheese. They bring your order to your table which allows u to sip your coffee until the food comes. Speaking of coffee, this place is great for coffee. It is self serve coffee with many choices for hot coffee including many creamer choices that include slim milk, half and half, as well as the vanilla and hazelnut creamers. For ice coffee they have "ice coffee" which is coffee ice cubes as not to dilute your coffee as the ice melts. Genius! I really recommend giving this place a try specially if like to see Larry king having breakfast with his friends.
(4)
Jaramy N.
Stopped in here during a recent visit with family in LA. My relatives who brought me here come frequently but I think only because it is convenient and they are tolerable people. We placed our orders and the food came within a reasonable time however part of the order was wrong. Apparently the servers are not empowered with any type of decision making capabilities as she said she would have to go check with the manager to see how to handle it. While she was away my relative said "70% of the time they get the orders wrong".... wow, if it was that bad I would not continue to go. Our waitress returned and told us that the manager said "we can swap this out"...uhhh, as if that wasn't an option? What, were they going to make him eat the wrong order?? Wife ordered sliced nova and cream cheese...shortly after that she fell incredibly ill. As far as bagels...it's just a bagel, nothing special. Also, on the storefront the post "free wifi" but scanning the wifi networks no open networks to be found nor any that had a naming convention that seemed like it belonged to Brooklyn Bagels. Our next trip to LA I will not return here even if my relatives invite us to join.
(1)
Bianca W.
I take most of what I said back. The managers really try and I'll be setting foot in there soon. I'll just avoid the slackers.
I love the sunflower seed wheat bagel. I like getting that toasted with cream cheese and to make their sandwiches. I LOVE the iced coffee, the coffee ice cubes are a genius idea. My favorite blend is the Hannah banana.
(5)
Tam G.
Everything about this place (except for the niceness of the staff) was a turnoff. Bagel was dense, chewy and gross. I know a good New York (or, Brooklyn) bagel - and this, my friend, is no New York bagel. If this is the restaurant's key selling point, they failed miserably! Ambiance felt like a franchise designed by chunky middle-aged MBAs in polo shirts and khakis (it IS a franchise, as the videos keep reminding you - in case you fall in love with dark, neon-punctuated, airport terminal-style dining and want to open your own). Practically screams "from the talented minds who brought you 'The Tilted Kilt!'" The line to order moved UBER-slow, but at least it was amusing to watch staff making the mediocre bagels in back. AND NO WIFI. Seriously, in 2013? Is it because they think people will linger with their laptops in this depressingly "Disney tries to do Brooklyn" atmosphere with their awful bagels? BTW: I checked their Board of Directors and wasn't far off: brooklynwaterbagels.com/… A hedge fund guy. another guy who made a fortune developing shopping centers, and the founder, a finance and mortgage professional, who boasts that he honed the concept with "some of the best and brightest minds in QSR."
(2)
Levi-Alana G.
long line, fuckin sweet bagels, a lot of persians. -_-, so many screens, however; THEY HAVE ICED COFFEE ICE CUBES. THIS IS GENIUS. // also, you can catch us [little fishes] at the brooklyn bagel on a good day :) #believeinthebrooklynbagelhype
(4)
Sabrina L.
My brother and I get homesick for our food in NY, but we've started coming here to get our Brooklyn-style bagel fill. The water really does make a difference here. I brought a few bagels for my friend, and he definitely noticed the difference in quality (especially in contrast with a store-bought brand). Although the "scooped" concept isn't native to Brooklyn, the sandwiches are still good. Their menu is more extensive than most bagel places, and it's at a reasonable price for lunch. The thing that puts this place over the top is the service. Miguel is extremely friendly and takes care of us well.
(5)
Mashty S.
I am being very nice to give this place two stars. I lived next door and I have been there so many times and I think I have had it. The people who work there are not the brightest people. EVERY SINGLE TIME they get my order wrong. How difficult is it to take a simple order? You are charging an arm and leg for bagels, so the least you can do is to hire people who haves some sort of a brain. This girl with piercing all over her face should pay more attention to the order, how many times you asked us to repeat our order? We repeated our order at least 4 times and she still messed up. They should tell her to wash the bagel machine or something, they shouldn't ask her to work the register. So overall, the food is not that bad, I think it's pretty overpriced, but the service is soooooooooooooo horrible that it makes you think twice about going there. I will stop going to place until they change the management and hire new staff.
(2)
Jacob R.
Best bagels in town if you can get past the celebrity endorsements, neon signs and long wait. Take it to go and it's a 5 star bagel.
(5)
Sean S.
The only good thing they have at this place is their iced coffee everything else is pretty plain no flavor, service is also very slow and takes forever to get your food, they're also always out of some of the bagels so I do not recommend this place.
(2)
Elita E.
I absolutely go to this place 3 to 4 days per week. The CUBSTA ice cubes made out of coffee is such a clever idea that I don't know why more coffee places hadn't thought of this! There an EXCELLENT array of iced (&shot) coffees to fancy the palate! What I do is transfer my cubes & LARGEST CUBSTA coffee into a CONTIGO stainless steel mug that keeps my cubes frozen/UNMELTED for nearly 9 hours so can enjoy my cold coffee slowly at the office as it stays cold! I've spotted THE Larry King (I think he's the owner) on a Saturday! The staff is consistently friendly EVERY DAY! I'll rate them a 5-star IF & WHEN they decide to OPEN earlier than 6:30 a.m. Bagels & flagels (flat bagels) are good, too! PLEASEEEEE OPEN EARLIER! :-D
(4)
Allison A.
My dad loves to talk about how great bagels are in New York because they are boiled, etc etc. This is the first place that we've found out west that garners his stamp of approval. The bagel sandwiches are good, but the real reason I come here is for the iced coffee. They start with iced coffee cubes, so that your coffee doesn't get watery when they eventually melt. Then it's a serve yourself style bar with all different flavors of iced or hot coffee. Combine with the assortment of milks and creamers to make your amazing morning treat.
(4)
Anthony S.
Great Bagels. Slow service. Fix the service and you have 5 stars but it doesn't seem like management reads Yelp reviews.
(3)
Steph C.
Solid bagel place - not particularly amazing, not particularly terrible... just solid. I like the flagel, which is basically a smashed (flat) bagel. Ends up being kind of like a pizza you put (preferably strawberry) cream cheese on. Said a dining companion, "Did you know it takes about 24-48 hours for a bagel to completely pass through your system? That's how dense it is." great... Staff are friendly, menu's expansive, and of course I marveled at the coffee ice cubes.
(3)
Tyler D.
I went to get bagels for my office this morning and the girl who took my order was extremely rude. I actually had to tell her to calm down. She couldn't hear me and it was frustrating to her - as I can understand - but there was no need to be so short with me. The bagels are fantastic but the service was a major turn off. I've worked in a hotel for over 10 years and I understand that things can get irritating from time to time but snapping at a customer is definitely not the best solution.
(2)
Ariella H.
I'd give the food 2 stars, but service gets it down to 1. The bagels are ok. You can get a yummier bagel down the street at the local Coffee Bean. The only good thing about this place is the cool ice cubes. The service was horrible, and I'm not usually one to be a big stickler on service. I don't expect much. But they couldn't care less about you and make the entire experience awful. They just shove a bagel in your face and make you take it. LASTLY, and most importantly, I paid $9.50 for a bagel with onions, tomatoes, lux, and cream cheese. That's insane! Go up the street to St. Urbain's and actually get a fresh bagel for a reasonable price.
(1)
Caveat E.
Decent bagel. Every time I've come, tables are filthy with a staff that walks right past them. Empty coffee urns, staff clueless. Slow service. Bathroom had empty soap and a filthy floor. Garbage cans overflowing. See a pattern POOR MANAGEMENT. Who is training these teens that have no clue. Great potential, really bad execution. This is the few times I've come here and not an isolated instance. It's very slow as I type this and none of the staff in on top of the aforementioned.
(2)
Alex M.
Bagels are decent but not the best by any means. Prices aren't bad. Larry King siting was a plus.
(3)
Kelly Y.
First time here and I am rating this based off of service. First they got my order wrong and then some one either stole my take out order or they lost it. Wasn't that busy since it was 8:30 am on Sunday. The girl said that happened all the time..won't be making a return trip here.
(1)
Michelle A.
Love their asiago bagel and chocolate chip muffins! Try their iced coffee, the ice cubes are coffee cubes! I always find everyone here to be friendly and helpful as well.
(5)
MaryLou V.
Bagel was ok, they forgot the cheese on my ham and cheese -_- i ordered fries which came 10 minutes (honestly) after i got my bagel sandwich. A little dissapointed for the price.
(2)
David J.
Food not all that. But here is the real kicker imagine sitting at a table with 6 other people for breakfast and one a**hole shows up Larry King make everone get up so he can sit alone in the only multiple people booth. Very low class and vey disappointing at the management. If i could give them a zerro star i would.
(1)
Tim B.
Best. Bagels. Ever. Jalapeño Asiago with sausage egg and cheese. Do it. You won't be disappointed.
(5)
T M.
Came in New Year's Day to try this place and saw a crazy line. I get it, it's busy and you have to have patience. Unfortunately when I got up to the register there were a few options left. The girl at the register (African American) was so slow. I asked her if they ran out of hash browns and she had the nerve to say "did something lead you to think we were out of hash browns?" Ummmmm YA you're out of pretty much everything! She was rude and forgot to give me a number. On a brighter note there was a guy named Chris who was so sweet and catering to us. Thank you Chris. You made up for the other girl that messed up our order too. The lox and jalepeno bagel was good. My friends marble bagel with cream cheese was horrible with no flavor. I will admit... They had the best ice coffee with coffee cubes. Not sure if I'll come back to this place.
(3)
Sheila E.
This should really be no stars. Does Larry still frequent Nate n ALS? Food is awful. Service poor. I am actually surprised it has remain opened this long. I love bagels. Great place on Robertson and Cadillac. The bagel factory. And they have great soup. Maybe when Brooklyn bagel goes out, and I hope soon, they can open another Bagel Factory! That is a great idea!
(1)
Julie S.
I am not a bagel connoisseur - no idea if these are like NY bagels. But I can tell you this is a place for solid, quick and easy breakfast food. Eggs on a toasted bagel with cheese - check. I think some people like the coffee - but Peets is two doors down, so I grab grab coffee there and bring it over.
(4)
Phil E.
I grew up in Brooklyn and Queens and these are the closest bagels I've found in LA that taste like home. They aren't perfect, but they definitely satisfy my craving. They are a bit expensive but I don't eat bagels everyday so for me its worth it.
(4)
Chloe M.
The bagel we ordered was REALLY good! I would come back to try other foods from here. The coffee was terrible. Its about at the same level as 7-eleven coffee. I was really looking forward to the iced coffee ice cubes, but it was a huge letdown.
(3)
Amanda P.
Their iced coffee is bomb!! They make coffee ice cubes, which means no more watered down coffee! More places should do this... I usually order a bagel with lox, cream cheese, and cucumbers. It is very tasty, but expensive! It's good for a treat once in a while. They also sell pre-packaged cream cheeses, lox, and chicken salad -1 star because it takes FOREVER for them to bring out your order (even when the place is empty), and the prices are too high
(4)
Lani P.
came here on a Monday morning for a quick bagel and coffee. The place give you that old 50s vibe. What sets them apart from the rest is their marketing on treating their own water. Bagels were ok. We ordered the breakfast special - egg and cheese plain bagel added bacon to it, and the asiago parmesan bagel.
(3)
D. Ardi R.
I wasnt impressed at all with this place. The bagels were bland and dry. And everything was overpriced! Like ridiculously over priced. The decor is alright I guess. But it feels very gimmicky and corporate. There are much better places to go for bagels.
(3)
r k.
Nothing special, I guess if you were from NYC and you were missing milk based soda drinks and bagel sandwiches with processed cheese in a sterile corporate environment you'd enjoy coming here
(3)
Justin P.
I have been going to bagel places in LA for almost 10 years now.. Brooklyn is by far the best one I have ever been too.
(5)
Chelsea H.
I used to love coming to this spot because it's so close to my job and its an easy quick breakfast, except this place went from being not so quick to downright snail pace slow when it comes to bringing out a BAGEL. this place does get busy but to have to wait 25 min for a bagel. A Bagel. Is ridiculous. And the excuses I got from the employees and manager I believe. I never got an apology they didn't offer anything to make up for the fact that I had to wait 25 min for a piece of bread and cream cheese. Will never go there again.
(1)
Taylor F.
Just as my boyfriend still loves me despite my driving abilities, I still love Brooklyn Water Bagel despite its tendency to get orders completely wrong. If you order pumpernickel, you might get onion, and if you order onion, you might get everything. It's a flaw, yes, but one I consciously accept. While I like to think that I make up for my driving with my general cuteness, Brooklyn makes up for its service with the caliber of its bagels and coffee. Iced coffee, to be specific. Rather than using ice cubes that threaten dilution as time coaxes them into their water form (OH NO!), Brooklyn uses coffee cubes that preserve the rich flavors of its brew. As for the bagels, I'm really not the best person to ask. While I readily admit to being cavalier in certain ways, bagel snobbery simply is not one of them. My boyfriend, however, capitalizes on that form of elitism and will happily tell you that Brookyln Water Bagel is to Noah's as Meryl Streep is to Kristen Stewart. I myself don't have a firm opinion on the showdown between Brooklyn vs. Noah's in the battle of boiled bread. (Bagels are boiled, don'tcha know?) Left to my own devices, I'd give this place three and a half stars, then round down to three. But, given that my boyfriend loves it so much. I'll round up and give it a solid four stars.
(4)
Randy P.
The restaurant has a nice setup with the machine that they use to Brooklynize the water visible to customers. However I feel that the whole idea is very gimmicky. The bagels are average and like every other la bagel place. The staff tend to be friendly and attentive. The restaurant was a little dirty especially by the drinks machines.
(3)
Omid N.
Your new management sucks. BRING BACK LARRY KING! Train your rookie ass 1-star employees and stop hiring morons to take customers orders. Its a disgusting look for you Brooklyn. Nasty.
(1)
Sarah L.
Best bagels outside of NYC. And I LOVE the iced coffee. We come about twice a month (have been since the opening- perks of living nearby) and the new manager- I believe her name is Christina?- is sooooooo much friendlier and competent. Beforehand, it was guaranteed that something would be wrong with our order. Now- we never have to worry. Perfect, quick breakfast on a Sunday morning.
(5)
Jeffrey N.
Today I came to BB to get some food after not being there in a long time due to a different work schedule. It wasn't packed and I was able to order quickly. Chris and Will were behind the register and did a great job in assisting me. The food was taking a bit of time so Will even came around the corner and talked to the customers. Time flew by and my food was ready (tasted great). It's the little things like that, that makes employees shine. Thanks for the great customer service guys! -Jeff
(5)
Scott S.
I laughed when I saw this place. Ever since Drama told Turtle the Jews import water from borough park to make better bagels, I was curious why we have such good bagels in the NYC area (although many places are rubbish, there are a few good spots!). I love how they have the open viewing area to watch the fancy water pumps and the guy make the bagels - I didn't want to make him feel uncomfortable by staring, after all, I'd get weirded out if someone watched me play with my excel spreadsheets. anyway, i thought the service was friendly and the bagel was pretty good. big (+) for adding a Staten Island named bagel sandwich big (-) for silly prices, and also, for a state that has been in a serious drought...people in beverly hills import water, and out of all the things to use fresh water for....f'n bagels...I mean, cmon...
(3)
Adam V.
The people at the register sometimes can be...Let's put it this way, the lights on put no one is home. Always check how many bagels you have in your bag as sometimes they will not put that exact amount in your bag. As I said, the lights on but no one is home. The bagels are amazing, and their chocolate chip muffin is so ridiculously good. Restaurant is always clean, line moves fast. If you go early usually you can just walk right up to the counter. I recommend this place if you are local, but I wouldn't go out of my way to come here.
(5)
Caitlin H.
I'm no bagel connoisseur, but my Jew boyfriend is. Noah A. approves this place so I guess I'll take his word for it. I've only ordered their egg bagel sandwiches and they are always very generous with their fillings. The coffee ice cubes are genius, a must! Oh yeah, and if you show up later in the day, around 3pm, their bagels are half off, happy hour special.
(4)
Celestine A.
The Brooklyn signature sandwich is a whopping $6.99 for fresh eggs, bacon, sausage, ham, and american cheese on a plain toasted bagel. Add on a cup of their Brooklyn iced coffee cubsta with ice cubes made of coffee, and it's $2.99. Which means you spend about $10 for a breakfast that's mediocre in New York and fantastic in Los Angeles only because there are no "real" bagels here apparently. Even in Los Angeles, we can do better with our bagels. We deserve better.
(2)
Melanie D.
I'm still a fan of their bagels, as they are the closest thing to a NYC bagel that I've experienced in LA. However, they are no longer selling multi-grain bagels. And, their prices are up - from $11.99 for baker's dozen to $13.99. Staff is still quite friendly, and my order has always been correct. I'm not sure that I will continue to drive the distance to get these bagels. Maybe if I'm in the area. Otherwise, the cost is prohibitive.
(3)
Gabby F.
I'm only writing a review because of how sweet and helpful this man is. His name is Will and he was went out of his way to help me and my friend. We usually only come for the coffee but he opened our eyes to how amazing the bagels are too. As we were getting our usual iced coffee, my friend spilled on herself and all over the floor and he ran from the cash register to help and bring napkins. We had an amazing experience thank to Will!!! Thank you again in case you read this!
(5)
Ashby A.
The customer service here was amazing! We all have different tastes- and the food is very old school for my tastes. But, I was a picky customer and they did their best to accommodate me. William Thompson was a great help and very polite. Thanks again for reminding me customer service still exist in LA!
(5)
Shaph.n.Sus R.
5 stars all the way!! The staff was very friendly and helpful. I had actually ordered food from a spot down the street, but staffer William T suggested we try the Philly cheese steak on a jalapeño bagel and wow!! I'm so glad he did cuz it's straight up goodness, for real!! If you like bagels and cream cheese, this is the place to go. If you like Philly cheese steak sandwiches, this is the place to go. If you're looking for a friendly face and good service...then this is also the place to go.
(5)
Nicolai S.
First time here and I have to say, the service, in particular from a man named William was off the hook! He was so pumped to be working (even though I came in the early afternoon and he was there since 6am) and alive like the energizer bunny. This man understands hospitality and people. Even though I'm proud to be a native of LA, I have to say I could tell this dude is not from around here. My figurative hat goes off to you good sir. I'll be noshin on Brooklyn Bagels for days from now on thanks to this man. Throw it up to Will!
(5)
Alexis A.
Me and my family came here yesterday and we were very pleased. As I read the reviews I saw that there was alot of negative feedback regarding the service but the service was great! I believe William is the manager (not quite sure). He made sure we were pleased with our food and was very helpful.
(5)
Maribeth H.
My first review I was basing off of bagels that had been brought to an office near Brooklyn bagel in an unmarked brown paper bag ordered by someone else who said they were 'NY bagels from the place down the street' After going to the physical location myself and ordering, I'm pretty certain the icky bagels I ate weren't from here - because these really do taste like NY bagels and are good. I also like that they have iced decaf options and ice cubes made from coffee. Even the cream cheese (I got veggie) tastes like NY style stuff. Service was friendly and quick. Very happy - and very sorry they suffered with my one star review for so long based off what was obviously a takeout mistake!
(5)
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Address :262 S Beverly Dr
Beverly Hills, CA, 90212
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 : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : No Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : No Caters : Yes
Ed E.
I walk to the place about 3 times a month for breakfast. They have a damn good bagels. It is fast casual service so don't expect much from that end although the staff is friendly and they do get your orders out quickly. They have a great equipment package and it fun to watch them make bagels right in front of your eyes. Last week there was a little girl who watch them for about 30 minutes. It was cute. I've never been disapointed! It must be good place 'cause I see Larry King in there every Saturday or Sunday, but then he owns the place.
(4)Mike G.
I would have given 3 1/2 stars if that were possible. I think the bagels are very good, also the lox and cream cheese were really good, and the whitefish salad as well. This is the first time I'd seen "flagels" - flattened bagels. I took some to-go, and they were great, the flattening makes them a bit chewier, it seems. Also, more surface-area for the cream-cheese ! Service was very much a mixed bag. Upon stepping up to the counter, the young lady taking my order was acting very strangely - even though I was fairly concise with my ordering, she was rolling her eyes, looking around, just generally acting like I was really inconveniencing her by being there. I've never had anyone - anyone, let alone a restaurant employee/counter person - act like this before. After I'd paid, she bagged up the to-go part of my order, and she abruptly walked out of the store, without a word. I had no idea quite what was up. I did see her later, so she did come back in, after awhile. The rest of my experience here was fine, the other employees I interacted with - I later went back to the counter to buy some additional items - were much more normal to deal with and seemed to have a good attitude, so maybe the first person was just having a very bad day, or something.
(4)Lauren S.
Were from NJ and used to New York bagels. This place is fantastic. needed a place on vacation to take kids to get breakfast and this is the spot. Great bagels, fantastic coffee, and price is right! Coffee is amazing too, Tons of choices!
(5)A R.
The bagels here r pretty tasty. Mine was a little hard to chew....probably because I haven't had a bagel in about 10 years, but it was delicious all the same. The staff is pretty nice too.
(5)N L.
LOVE their bagels! Love the Coffee!!! Excellent Service! If you want a simple breakfast with bagels shmear and coffee this is the place to go!
(5)Matt A.
Bagels with Larry King. I'll admit that I'm not a bagel connoisseur. I don't know what makes a good bagel. I've never had a New York bagel in New York, and I'm guessing that even if I did I still wouldn't find it all that impressive. This place touts its "Brooklynizer," which supposedly makes the water as nasty as it is in New York which somehow translates to a more delicious bagel. Can't tell if you if it does or not. But I can tell you that the bagels taste like bagels - so if you're in the neighborhood and you want a bagel, go for it. The one BIG thing I'll give em' credit for is their coffee ice cubes. Want iced coffee, but don't want your water cubes watering it down? No problem - the ice cubes here are made from coffee. Well played, Larry. Well played.
(3)Gordo G.
Been passing this place for almost two years now since I work really near by and isaid what the heck why not, so far so good great bagel egg, bacon and cheese sandwich and all the coffee you can drink which they have a selection to choose from, its hard to find now days a place that serves high quality food this days and I can say safely this place has it, but some how it needs something maybe more flavor on the eggs but heck it was still good and the coffee is good too
(5)Jeff M.
Been hearing good things about this place and wanted to come in. After knowing that Larry King is the owner. That's why I've been seeing him around town several time. But they bring there water from New Jersey. When you walk in you see them making the bagels and then you look at a very colorful menu with a lot of different choices. You can get wraps if you don't want a bagel. But I asked the cashier who was friendly which one is good. She told me that the Tuna is really good. She gave me a sample, and it was good (not too dry or too soggy) I got the Tuna on the Everything Bagel, which was interesting. The Everything Bagel was pretty good. I tried one of the iced coffee; they have different blends, the one I tried was OK. I didn't get to try the Coffee Ice cubes (Next Time).
(4)L H.
I'm skeptical that the water is what's making the difference, but it doesn't matter. These are the best bagels I've had in Los Angeles. There aren't as many options as most of the other places around town, but the flavors they do make are amazing. Especially the asagio! I buy a dozen and freeze them in the handy freezer bags they give out for free. The first time I went, they barely had any left on the shelf so I felt limited in what I ordered. The second time, I found out that they had all the flavors but many of them weren't out. If you see that there aren't any left of what you're looking for, there's a good chance there is more in the back. There is a lot of seating in here if you wanted to stick around, but I always just take it home. I can't help eating one as I drive to my house. They are so good that I always eat one on the way home--untoasted and without cream cheese, which I typically find necessary for all other bagels I've had.
(5)Katie B.
The greatest non-alcoholic beverage bar known to man. I think Larry King jumped on board for this Brooklyn bagel chain not because he believes in the water-based recipe for the bagels but because he wanted access to unlimited coffee ice cubes! The venue is a bit of sensation overload for your eyes (bright lights and flashing signs), and the bagels aren't anything special, but that beverage bar should be considered the 8th wonder of the world. I was lured in by the coffee ice cubes and then grew even more attached to place because they account for every liquid craving one can have with their bagel. There's a section for hot coffee, ice coffee, soda, and ice tea. There's even a dispensary for coffee add-ins like half and half and flavored creamers. And, it won't even cost you an arm and a leg to park in Bev Hills(ish) to get a glimpse of this 8th wonder, because there's a lot with 2 hour free parking just a block or so down! Get in there and go bonkers, it's unlimited, after all!
(3)Greg B.
Best bagel outside NY. The bottom is crunchy and the inside is soft and the flavor is great. The consistency of the bagel beats Western Bagel and Noah's hands down. I bought for my whole family and now make a special trip to only buy these. Nice work Larry King!
(5)Vanessa R.
Came in: Nice service and a friendly staff. The bagels are pretty good quality, great of you like the chewy bagels, but the best part was the full 2oz of cream cheese they piled on! I typically ask for extra cream cheese but no need here. =) Cream chesse was the right consistancy and wholesome full creamy taste. The everything bagel had the right type of everything. Very great experience overall!
(3)Mitch D.
I gave this review for 3 stars, because of the decore and restaurant. If i had to review the bagels only I would give it 5 Stars. The bagels are second to none in Los Angeles. As a New Yorker out west, it is very hard to get an excellent bagel, so i support this big time. (on the take out side) Brooklyn Water Bagel Restaurant Review: What happens when you walk through the doors? you get herded through a tacky pseudo Brooklyn environment. With all the charm of a franchised New Jersey suburb mixed with the cookie cutter vibes of Florida, this Restaurant misses all the charm of what New York is like. Not only is it tacky, but it feels like it attracts tacky people to eat there, not only is this a disservice to those from NYC, but it hardly represents quality of NY. from the tall glass room dividers, horrible layout, and uninspired decor, it is hard to get in a true NEW YORK STATE OF MIND. Also, wish they had RBST free cream cheese options and even organic non-GMO flour guaranteed bagels that only use natural eggs and ingredients then it would be insanely great. The Water filtering is fantastic though, you can also enjoy it with all the soda, coffee and even chocolate milk. its fantastic in that regard. it is just a crying shame that the decor is so damned Jersey and Florida tacky. it takes the soul out of the concept. That and erratic food quality, when i was there, they didn't have any sliced onion for a bagel nova salmon order. and they also burned the french fries beyond recognition.
(3)Sara T.
The Bagelwiches are so quality! The staff is very friendly. The prices range for sandwiches are between 6-10 dollars. They have many menu options, and their bagels are very fresh. I get breakfast here about 2 or 3 times a week. They have a selection of muffins that will surely have a new favorite of yours. At first I was reticent to try it because I don't like hyped-up celebrity-established places, but this one is definitely worthy of the reputation, and I am so lucky there is a location right down the street from my work! It's definitely a once-a-week place, and the atmosphere of the place is comfortable; perfect for grabbing a bite with a friend. Be prepared to wait about 10 minutes for your food.
(5)Kevin D.
Good bagel place in BH. Stopped by for breakfast after a jog. My girlfriend is now obsessed with the Iced Coffee and their many flavors (especially the coffee flavored iced cubes). I have a feeling we will be making detours there when we are in the city.
(4)Meg L.
It's not terrible, but it certainly isn't a NY bagel. The bagels themselves have decent flavor, but the cream cheeses are not nearly as good as those in New York. Perhaps this is as good as a bagel place will get in LA, but it's still a pale comparison.
(3)Vanessa C.
I came the week that they opened and I enjoyed it. It was also fun to see Larry King even though I really don't care much about him or what number wife he is on or divorcing. But something has changed. Although, I must say the place is still ALWAYS busy. I have been here about six times since that first time and it's not quite as yummy as my first try. I don't know if my mouth deceived me that first time and they have always been this bad but they are getting harder and less flavorful. I did however like the iced coffee and the coffee cubes (when i was drinking coffee still). The egg sandwiches are terrible. HUUUUUGE and not very good. If you were interested in getting your whole caloric intake for six days I would suggest an egg sandwich. As for the bagels with cream cheese, I would give a suggestion, ask for the CC on the side. It's always too much. I don't know why they feel that they have to use a WHOLE container of cream cheese on one bagel, but I have always had to take a knife and scrape it all off in order to even taste the bagel. Anyway, good to have in the neighborhood as an option but i much rather go to Urth for breakfast or lunch. it's about the same price anyway.
(3)Cindy C.
LIKE the bagels. LOVEEE the ICED COFFEE with coffee ice cubes. What a BRILLIANT idea. Say bye-bye to watered-down coffee! I seriously stand there making my coffee to perfection for a good five minutes. An ice cold cup of "Surfer's Delight" with a little bit of hazelnut cream and sugar...*sigh* It completes my day. As for the bagels, it's good... but it still isn't an NYC bagel. However, the whole brooklynized water system and bagel-making inside the store is pretty fascinating. I found them to be a bit tough-- not soft and chewy. I love my NYC bagels and usually stuff a dozen of them into my suitcase whenever I return from my visit to the Big Apple. Here's a tip: Avoid the lunch rush and you'll have a good experience with the staff. They have always been super helpful, as long as they're not flustered with the long line of customers.
(3)Fuller M.
Miguel at the register was very friendly and helpful. Had a nova bagel. Was it Brooklyn? Not quite... but it satisfied. Friendly staff, good bagel. If you are in the area, check it out. Bonus points for meeting Larry King. Hey now.
(5)Jelena G.
Great bagels, amazing iced coffee & good service! I always get my order quickly and with a smile on their face. The iced coffee is a perfect accompaniment for the bagel. The iced coffee cubes are a huge reason why I go, it makes my coffee last for twice as long & I never have to worry about that diluted flavour that regular ice cubes give it.
(5)Raymond H.
One big gimmick. Went there with the office staff, and only agreed to go to have a salad. Got there, waited in line for 20 minutes, and then they tell me that they aren't doing salads yet. Thanks for the heads up... I ordered a turkey sandwich instead. The guy asked me what kind of cheese I want, I said mozzerella, but when I get the bill, he charged me 80 cents for a slice of cheese!! The guy didnt even know that it was an extra charge!! For $10 you'd expect a side dish or something, but all you get is a bagel sandwich and a pickle. Do yourself a favor, go across the street to Urth or Jersey Mikes for some good lunch. By the way... they charge $12 for a dozen bagels... $1 a bagel?! Rip off no matter how "brooklynized" the water is.
(1)Charles K.
Do not come here expecting a REAL NY bagel! If you just like bagels, than go somewhere else. The hype is really overrated, and if there's a crowd, you might be let down. I came here with no expectations, but I was a bit excited. The thought of having an authentic NY bagel, in California, was more than a teenager's wet dream! It was pure bliss to be had, but alas, it was just a dream. I'd say the bagel is 60% there. It's missing a crispy outside layer, and the inside is not anywhere near the same texture. The flavor is there, but it's missing a lot of crucial elements. There's a lot of flare here, and it sure is eye catching. Too bad it didn't catch my palate too. I'll probably be back here, never. Minus 4 stars for a faltering, and dismal attempt.
(1)Grace C.
Bagel was fine. Service was decent. You order up front and wait till they bring out your food. Price is fair, and portion is large. I tried the egg white omelet, toasted wheat bagel w/ cream cheese and vanilla flavor coffee. Lot of add on choices to make your coffee however you desire including milk, skim milk, soy milk.... etc Pretty busy on a weekend morning which I expected, however Mr. King was not present today. Hahaha. I will go back to try out other bagels, sides and ice coffee next time.
(3)The Immature A.
Best bagels in L.A., but at a cost. The price? Nope-- the service. Don't get me wrong, the service stinks but the AFTER-service is great. What's After-Service? Think of it as how management will try to make it up to you AFTER botching it the first time. Don't believe me? Visiting yesterday, I was the first customer in the place. The doors opened but the ice coffee machines weren't ready even though they sold me a cup. The After-Service? The manager offered to use his hand to scoop coffee into my cup 'ghetto style' as he called it. Not wanting his hand or the outside of my cup touching my drink, I opted for After-Service option #2-- switched to hot coffee. The manager also told me that for my next visit, my coffee will be free. How's that for After-Service? On a previous visit, I ordered flagels (their delicious flat bagels) and when I got home, they weren't in my bag with the rest of my order. The After-Service? The manager gave me a free dozen on my next visit. On and on it goes. I can't wait for a visit where 'service' trumps 'After-Service', but I'm starting to give up hope. With bagels featuring delicious chewy outsides and fluffy insides, you should definitely try one, but take my advice and practice this mantra: order small, watch everything and check your bag.
(3)Matthew G.
Great bagels and love the coffee ice cubes. Be prepared to wait in line as this isn't a quick serve shop. Meat lovers will enjoy this place, ordered the cordon bleu and it came with a healthy serving of both chicken and ham. If you have time to relax, this is a good place to grab a coffee and bagel.
(5)Brittany A.
Meh. This bagel joint's lighting and maze like interior makes this place feel cold and desolute. I had a tuna sandwich on a cheese bagel which was just average. If I am paying $8 I expect a great sandwich. I also expect my sandwich to come with fries or chips or something. I would not come back here. It is not worth my money. 2 thumbs down Larry King.
(2)Rachel Q.
I came here for a breakfast meeting for work. Although the drive was a pain coming from downtown, we got there, parked at a meter and met our colleague. And to our surprise, guess who we saw sitting and enjoying some bagels and coffee? Mr. Larry King himself! That already made the drive worth it. Apparently, he is the face of Brooklyn Water Bagel as he is from Brooklyn. Nice to know that he actually eats here! It was 10:30 am on a Thursday morning and this place was pretty packed. We stood in line and saw their "brooklyn water machines" and bagel stations set up. Ordered our bagels and iced coffee. I got a whole wheat everything bagel with low fat cream cheese, toasted. Liked that they had a lot of options. We got our number and cups. Really liked the coffee set up - different flavors, decaf, iced, hot, you name it. They had skim milk, half and half and soy options as well. Another really cool thing was the coffee ice cube - ice cubes made of coffee! So I got my vanilla flavored iced coffee with skim milk and stivia sweetener. Coffee was delicious! We waited for our bagels and when they finally came - so delicious! Guess Brooklyn water really does make the difference! I don't eat bagels too often, but would if this was an option. Really great setup, great tasting bagels and coffees. Throw in Larry King, how can you go wrong. Hoping they'll open one in downtown LA.
(4)Monae W.
Love the bagels. I always get the garlic bagel toasted with cream cheese. Delicious and always fresh. I also get the self serve iced coffee. They have ice that's made with coffee so it doesn't dilute your drink! How cool is that?? And you might even spot local and national tv show host Larry King at this location.
(4)Paul B.
The last time I'll buy bagels here. Too chewy and tasteless. Calling themselves Brooklyn Water Bagel is an insult to my home city. I've tried this place five times. More than enough visits to give fair and objective assessment. BTW, the black and white cookies are horrible! This place flunks big time folks.
(1)Gesselle C.
Best Iced Coffee eva... they offer coffee iced cubes. Oh yeah and there bagels are nice. Did I mention, the COFFEE ICE CUBES?
(4)Nicole G.
I've tried almost every bagel over the last 12-months, and all are great. The service is slow and sometimes they get it wrong, but the bagel and coffee are worth it. Just don't go if you're in a hurry. Sit and enjoy it.
(3)Andy S.
I went with skepticism and walked away a believer. AWESOME NYC BAGELS. Crispy on the outside, doughy chewy inside. Just what you expect from a REAL WATER BAGEL. Anyone saying they prefer Noah's likes bread not bagels, as if the only difference between a bagel and bread is the hole in the center. They are REALLY expensive. $12 for a bakers dozen. They may be worth it, even though $1 per bagel is a lot of dough. While in line you can watch the workers make fresh bagels. Or you can watch the monitors explaining why the duplicated Brooklyn water is different. "We carefully combine 2 hydrogen molecules with 1 oxygen molecule." Hmmm. SOUNDS LIKE WATER!! does anyone else serve water with 1 1/2 molecules of hydrogen, lol??? But whatever they do that's different, the product results are superior. I'll just have to work a few hours a week more to afford them.
(4)Chris B.
Love, love, love the iced coffee. The Surfer's Delight with ice cubes made of coffee is perfect!
(4)Maria A.
I want to give this 3 stars, but really, I just can't. It's really 3.5, but the coffee cubes, who can resist? Seriously, the coffee buffet is amazing. Coffee ice cubes, delicious varieties of hot and iced coffee, tons of different creamers, egg cream, the works. The one kind of sweetener they don't have is simple syrup, and while the hot coffee is good (I'm told by my friend who always goes with me) it is overpriced. The bagels are DELICIOUS. This California girl wouldn't know the difference between NY and other bagels - I just know if it's good. A bit chewy, never dry, good and yeasty (yes, I said yeasty) they've got it covered. Oh and did I mention that their whitefish is the BEST I've ever had?? Cons besides the expense: No good standing area to wait for your to-go order. You're basically standing in the coffee buffet, in everyone's way, and the tables are too far away to sit and wait to hear your number (besides, who wants to be that person who hogs the table without eating? it could be Larry King's table for all you know) It can take a LOOONG time for your order to come, and I've had them mess mine up more than once. Annoying. Make sure to check your bag before you leave.
(4)Shauna D.
My coworker sent me here. He claims they are just like New York bagels. FAIL. I've tried it twice now. Both times my bagel was rubbery. Iced Coffee was good though. Coffee ice cubes so it doesn't get watered down. Thanks.
(1)Peter M.
love this place- try one of their bagel sandwiches, and keep your eyes out for Larry King stealing orange juice. SERIOUSLY.
(5)Jo J.
Items tried: -Stud Muffin -Cranberry Organge -Choclate Chip Muffin -Whole Wheat Everything Bagel The muffins were always good--so I imagine that they are laden with butter and sugar. Each muffin is rather large--about 3 servings worth, so with that in mind, they're a pretty good deal price wise. I've never had a "Brooklyn" bagel, but have had plenty of "Manhattan" bagels and can't say the one I tried was as good as any of those, but it is one of the better bagels found in Los Angeles. However, they're MORE than 2x the price of bagels found 1000ft away and completely skipped trying a smear of an anything, because doing so cost more than the bagel. However, thought it was nice that they had Whole Wheat options of popular flavors (Note: they do not sell fruit versions, such as "Blueberry," or spiced versions such as "Jalapeño.") Now, normally, this would be enough for a 3 or possibly a 4 star review, but the problem is that the customer "service" is atrocious. First visit at 7 in the morning, there was no other customers (at first, I thought the place was closed), upon entering, there is a very confusing sign (that is similar to all the road signs in the Tuscany countryside) and despite the employees seeing me stand at the front door, none of them offer any guidance. I finally went in one direction (still don't know if that was the way they wanted customers to go)... There were two people working the registers and yet, I still had to wait several minutes to order. When I was called to the register, I said it was my first time there and asked what was popular/asked for recommendations. The girl just stared at me like she working off community service that she didn't sign up for--she actually acted angry that I had even asked a question. It was rather shocking that she would be having a bad day or something considering the place had only been open for 30 minutes and it seemed like no customers had been there. When I asked for a bagel to be toasted, she said, "Is that it?" I said, yes. She said, "You're not going to put anything on it?" I said, no, just toasted. She rolled her eyes....this aggressive, snarky attitude continued throughout the transaction to my purchase being tossed on the counter. It's a shame--but this is was typical "service" on each visit and is completely case of, "you first come for the food, but come back because of the service." Or in this case: DO NOT come back because of the surly service.
(2)Nerf K.
I have a love-hate relationship with this place. On the one hand, the bagels are good, and the selection of coffee is pretty good. And, it's within walking distance of my apartment and opens early. On the other hand, the service is maddeningly inconsistent. Serving a bagel with some cream cheese on it shouldn't be hard. Sometimes they'll get my order right and I won't have to wait long for it, but other times things here can be a real mess. I'd say there's a 1 in 3 chance that they'll either get my order wrong or take 30 minutes to bring it to my table. Oh, and the tables are rarely clean -- watching the high school kids they employ lazily make their way around to wipe down dirty tables can me infuriating.
(3)Kirsten S.
This is a very cute and well executed idea for a bagel place. It is more spacious and friendly than an authentic New York bagel store, and there are way more drink options, but I just call that the best of both worlds. Bagels and flagels are really, really good. They have the right chewy consistency and are a decent size. The drink bar is super fun, and they brew a nice cup of coffee. The "open" kitchen is a great concept. I love seeing my bagels being boiled! Prices are pretty reasonable too... For the record, a bagel with lox and toppings runs about $9 here, whereas many places in NY you'll be out $11 or $12. I got an everything flagel with lox spread, and sadly there was too much spread and not enough lox. That was enough to bring the place down one star, but besides that I would recommend BK Water to anyone in the area looking for a good bagel.
(4)M J.
Always run out of everything flagels (flat bagels) before 9 am because the manager says they only make 12 or so and they are harder to make! Can you believe that response? People want to buy but it is too hard to sell/make?! Line is slow, food microwaved, filthy sick people at registers. Most employees are like 12 years old. Service is terrible. Whole thing is a huge disappointment to the community and poor Larry. What an embarrassment. Don't franchise. By the way the bagels are no different or better than most in la and they are an insult to Brooklyn. The coffee ice cubes are a good thing however. The marketing is slick and great. This needs real management and a change of attitude. God help these folks. You can't market your way out of bad service and bad food.
(1)Ben L.
I grew up in New York City and let me just say, there is nothing "New York" about this Bagel shop that is manufactured and average in every way. Nothing genuine here. No soul. No heart. The waitstaff is perfectly nice and helpful, the seating area is clean and comfortable. And how is this an authentic New York bagel spot? I ordered a toasted everything bagel with Nova, onions, tomatoes, with VERY LITTLE cream cheese and an orange juice. Close to $14 later, and a considerable delay as people who ordered things AFTER me got their food BEFORE me, my bagel arrived un-toasted, and DRENCHED in cream cheese. #Fail Giant photographs of the photo project on digital TV screens just in case a customer on line wasn't sure what chicken salad on a bagel looked like. Come on. It's gross being hungover and staring at a giant photo of tuna fish. The whole selling point here is "the water" and how fresh it is and authentically New york it is. Please. This place is a scam. The food comes off an assembly line. Sure, "coffee ice cubes" are cute, but again, what's "cute" about a REAL New York bagel place? Try and avoid wasting your weekend at BWB...
(1)Dan G.
Horrible, horrible setup. Can't see the menu from the line. Big columns in the middle of the counter blocking the staff and customers. What a bad setup. The staff was competent and friendly. Most of the tables were dirty and not cleaned during the hour I was there. A little slow to make my order with nobody else waiting. We had two breakfast bagels. The eggs are not good at all, they definitely taste like instant cafeteria eggs. I couldn't care less whether the bagels are authentic. I rarely eat bagels, but these didn't taste much different from the last one I had from costco. Good, but nothing special The muffin I tried had really poor texture and was more like cheap cake, not even like a cupcake. I feel sorry for the investors.
(2)Christina P.
As a bagel store I've seen better. But as a beverage source, this place is tops - four kinds of iced coffee, coffee ice cubes, caffeine free Coke and huge dispensers of creamer... this place is a drink lover's paradise! I'll definitely think of this place first when an iced coffee craving hits me, but other than that I think I'll be sticking to my neighborhood bagel joint.
(3)Joe C.
I come here mostly out of convenience, but the food is consistent and the bagels and omelette are good, although everything is served on plastic plates, which is not necessarily a bad thing. I must say that their kitchen is poorly run though. They haven't perfected their pipeline, and for the first few weeks it was excusable, but now it's just negligence. An omelet can take 20-25m!
(4)brad A.
I've never been to a business where I felt like all the customer and workers were in some sort of secret war that I didn't know about. First time for everything. The customers were rude, old and bitchy. Think really bad jewish TV stereotype. The people behind the counter just looked angry (with good reason I imagine) and were completely incompetent. My order was pretty simple. Lox bagel, with tomato and sprouts. "What is lox?" "Salmon" "We don't have that." "You don't have salmon or salmon spread?" "No." "What do you have?" "Nova." "What is nova?" "It's salmon cream cheese." "So you do have it." "No, we have nova." "Ok, can I have nova with tomatos and sprouts?" "Do you mean capers?" "No, I mean sprouts. They are little stringy things that grow into plants." "We have capers." "Are you fucking with me?" So, I get my bagels back home and they don't have Nova, no tomatos and not even toasted!! Why take an order if you are just gonna do what you want anyways? The actual bagel was pretty good. Kinda chewy which I like but you will never see me in this place again. Mistakes happen, but this place was all sorts of weird and angry. It can pretty much ruin your outlook for the day.
(1)Monica O.
Okay, listen here, fancy water bagel place: if you're going to set up shop right next to the biggest Jewish community in the country (Pico-Robertson), you should be happy to accommodate those who request their "Hangover Bagel" without the bacon. Seriously--it's just bacon. Either take it off or don't put it on to begin with. Sounds crazy, right? My boyfriend and I were ridiculously excited to try out the new bagel place in our 'hood. We waited in line for about 15 minutes, and when we got to the counter and attempted to order the Hangover Bagel sandwich (Asiago cheese bagel, egg, mozzarella cheese, bacon) WITHOUT the bacon, we were told that it was "not possible." "But I thought all the bagel sandwiches were made fresh to order," said my sharp-witted boyfriend. "They are," said the less than sharp-witted (but kind-faced) boy behind the counter. "Then can you please make mine fresh to order without bacon?" retorted my boyfriend. The boy consulted a manager of sorts. "It's not possible," she said. "It's sort of written in blood," the boy added. Written in blood: thou shalt not remove bacon from bagel sandwich. To make a long story short, these people were baffled that someone would ask to have a bagel sandwich without bacon. With all the vegetarians and kosher-keeping Jews in LA, one would suspect that this would not be an outlandish or bizarre request. But apparently it is at Brooklyn Water Bagel. And apparently they will not accommodate your desire for a bagel sans bacon. The mystery of why it's "not possible" to have this sandwich without bacon continues to go unsolved. Suffice it to say we will not be back to find out why. Okay, maybe I'll go back for the coffee ice cubes--but that's it!
(2)Alex S.
Bagels are amazing! He does not skimp out on any of the toppings, when you get the everything bagel...both sides are heavily doused in "everything." The coolest concept is that he has ice cubes made out of coffee for your iced coffee drinks...a really cool idea. The sandwhiches are not as good as St. Urban and the fries are disgusting but if you just want some Bagels and your in Beverly Hills I would check this place out!
(4)Heidi M.
I'm floundering between 2 and 3 stars. Really, I wanted to like these bagels more than I did. Will I go back - yes. But not because it's a taste of my Brooklyn years. But I'll go back cuz it's a decent west coast bagel. Service was nice. Salt bagels - too much. And believe me, I've been eating salt bagels for probably 42 of my 44 years. And 10 of those years were in Brooklyn, so yes, I do know Salt Bagels. I decided on an Egg bagel as soon as I caught sight of the salt. It was too crunchy on the outside. And not doughy enough on the inside - maybe a little too baked... But ok for a west coast bagel.
(3)Katherine D.
The bagels are great, easily the best in LA. I'm from NJ, and FINALLY LA has a good bagel place! I feel like I can actually live here now. However, I'm knocking a star off what would have been a 4 star review because I went in last Friday at around 11:30 am wanting a bagel, egg, and cheese on a plain bagel for an early lunch. The cashier taking my order rudely informs me that the only bagels they have are poppy seed or onion (yuck!) or the "flagel" which is sort of like a flattened bagel. When I ask if they have any other varieties, she rudely pointed me to the display, and say, "what you see if what we have." I walked out without ordering anything, which also seemed to baffle the cashier. i just do not understand how a BAGEL place runs out of bagels at 11:30 in the morning and then acts like its my fault for wanting something they apparently don't have.
(3)Joshua A.
A good bagel is like a hippie - a little crunchy on the outside, but soft and warm inside. Also, the best way to treat both is to throw them in boiling water. This place has hippie bagels, which is excellent. However, it takes so long to get food that a hippie could enter their Republican phase while waiting for a nosh.
(3)Glenn J.
This was my second time having a bagel here. In my opinion the bagels here are far better than Western bagel. The bagels are Soft and chewy, just the way I like them. I came in on a Sunday at 11:00AM. There was a line but it moved pretty fast. I hate lines. They do have two different cash registers but only one was manned. On a Sunday both should be operating at the same time. Once I ordered, my bagel was brought to me in 15 minutes. Pretty good for how crowded it was. I ordered an everything bagel with lox, onions, tomato and capers. Exactly how I like it! It was fresh an delicious! You could taste all the different seasonings on the bagel, poppy, garlic,onion and a little salt. The lox melts in your mouth. The cream cheese was silky smooth, accompanied by perfectly ripe tomato slices and salty capers! Outstanding! $13.00 with a large coffee that I refilled, plenty of different flavored coffees on hand. There is also 2 hours of free parking one block north. Coming here today was a 4 star mitzvah!
(4)A F.
So delicious and their DIY (iced-)coffee station is fabulous!! I LOVE the coffee ice-cubes!!!
(5)Kathy R.
I don't really eat bagels (at all) but these were really good! I got an asiago bagel and it was divine!! Perfect snack before work. It was also pretty cool, as my friend and I were walking in so was Larry King! Being new to LA I love seeing celebs! This is a perfect place to go to before work (if you work in Beverly Hills), I was in and out in a flash and had extra time before I had to go to work! Definitely will come here again.
(4)David W.
Only 2 things to add to what has been beaten down. 1. Don't go to a new over-hyped and advertised by Larry King restaurant and complain about waits, that will obviously end eventually. 2. The comparison to other bagel shops is the only importance, the cool water filtration system might appeal to some NY-transplants but I agree with the fact that it is absolutely useless, and I still judge the bagel. There is better, I wouldn't say they are BAD however, they are as good as an average bagel shop, but I have had better. The price kind of hurts that as well, I get that they are full of shtick but I'd rather get a cheaper bagel that tastes better...
(2)Stephanie C.
Right when you walk in you can see that the "Brooklyn Water" thing is really hyped up, as it's plastered over every single wall. And Larry King's face is there staring at you too. I had no idea there was any celeb relation to this place, but hey, it's in Bev Hills so what did I expect?! I love NYC and Brooklyn but I still don't really understand what Brooklyn water means... do they import water from Brooklyn? And also... does it really matter? They have giant muffins that look yummy when you walk by, and I like the fact that they have healthy options like egg whites and wraps and salads. I have yet to try their Bagel melts, but everything here is priced a little high. I've gotten their egg white protein wrap, and it was really mediocre. There was hardly any egg or avacado in it at all.. in fact, I'm not really sure what I ate besides random cubes of chicken. Their spinach tortilla is kinda cool though I havent experienced the wait everyone is talking about, mostly because both times I've been it's been almost completely empty, which leads me to believe the hype may have died or maybe my bagel clock is just off from everyone else's. I think I will give their coffee ice cubes a chance next time, its a pretty smart concept if you really hate watery coffee! The atmosphere could be a little more "Brooklyn-ish" even though I'm not really sure what that entails. I've only been to Brooklyn once so I'm no expert... but the whole vibe of the joint and the snooty attitude from the bagel cashier sure didn't make me feel like I was anywhere near Brooklyn!
(3)Scott B.
Really wished this was authentic but it's just another kitschy restaurant chain gimmick with a celebrity promoter (who likely can no longer eat any of the unhealthy stuff they serve). The workers were standard fast food clueless types. The place was not clean. Nothing special about the bagels - they tasted like any other place in Los Angeles - doughy and tasteless. Had to return what they called Whitefish Salad - a poor (tasted spoiled) imitation of the real thing. Order came wrong, twice - lots of confusion behind the counter.
(2)D M.
If you are in a rush DO NOT go here!! Staff is slow. Just to get a toasted bagel with no cream chesse takes an eternity. It would be very helpful if perhaps the staff was a bit more faster, specially early in the mornings. Bagels are tasty, its a shame!
(1)One S.
A lil pseudo New York for me.. Love the new york feel..the bagels not like nyc bagels but sure as hell better than any cali bagel
(4)Diana L.
I can't say I'm a bagel aficionado b/c I rarely have bagels. I remember reading somewhere (don't remember where) that it was best to order items off the menu, as is, instead of with modifications. With this in mind, I ordered the Sliced Nova & Cream cheese on an Asiago bagel under the "Old Time Brooklyn Favorites section". The service was fast & satisfactory. The guy behind the counter even asked me if I was ok w/ the bagel including everything, meaning, w/ lettuce, tomato, & pickle. The order, with tax, came to almost $10. I didn't have to wait long (thank goodnes, b/c I was hungry!). The bagel itself was an appealing egg-yellow color (presumably from the prominence of egg in the recipe). Upon biting into it, it had the much talked about chewiness. There was something about this simple pleasure that made me enjoy the bagel concoction here more so than at other bagel shops. The nova & tomato were fresh & I was happily satisfied. I'll have to come back for the acclaimed beverage station, try their soups, & baked sweets!
(4)James D.
I've seen Larry King in here every time I've gone in, which has been a kind of cool experience (he owns the place, so I suppose that's to be expected). Their bagels are good - still not quite like what they are in NYC, but nonetheless they do a good job.
(4)Daveen T.
Bagels are pretty good; not quite as good as NYC, but pretty close. The Nova cream cheese is a good choice. The coffee is also pretty good; I tried the banana foster coffee, which i've never had before. Good selection and pretty quick service.
(4)Michael P.
Expensive but well worth it these bagels are authentic New York bagels
(5)M L.
Look for proprietor Larry King in the front window corner booth!
(4)Jesse P.
They hyped it up, but got it right. I tried the smoked salmon and roe on a marble bagel, and despite that they forgot the ream cheese (easily remedied when they gave a me a cup of the stuff), it was quite delicious. Though I'm a Brit, I lived in NYC for over a decade, and sampled some of the best bagels in town... and this place brought me back East. The bagel itself was the perfect amount of firm and tender, and the salmon, cream cheese tasty too. I bought a couple bagels to go (asiago and wholewheat sunflower) to sample, was a little disappointed that they'd already discontinued some of the more exotic listed flavors like sunflower avocado (didn't this place just open?), but was more than pleased by the free flagel (aka a flat bagel) that the manager/proprietor gave me when I asked if they carried them. "On the house." Now that's a good way to build repeat business.
(5)Dj P.
I LOVE THE ICE COFFEE CUBES FOR YOUR ICED COFFEE. Yes, the bagel was good. Yes, it was cool to see how the bagel is made. And yes, the iced coffee is da bomb! Ok, the iced coffee might just be a regular iced coffee (you can get an array of flavors, and it's serve yourself). But the ice coffee cubes that you put into your iced coffee so that your coffee doesn't get diluted is absolutely genius. I came here on a Sunday during the mid-afternoon. I'm glad I missed the crowd....!! With no wait, I had a pleasant experience. I can't wait to go back....!! I really want to try the egg cream next time..it looks super interesting. Not sure how it'll taste, though...
(4)Tom P.
I want to give it five stars for some really good bagels and the coffee ice cubes, but I can't. I've been there a few times so far and there are some mis-steps. The first time was after one on a weekday, and they had about 375 different kinds of thyroidal looking muffins but only 3 kinds of bagels, of which Rye was the only recognisable sort to this ex-NYC kid. Really? In Beverly Hills? With bagel in the name? I ordered a breakfast platter and a coffee. The coffee area looks sort of like a truck-stop fantasy, where all of your coffee needs can be catered too, hot or cold. Want a Hawaiian hot with vanilla caramel creamer? Step right up. I did find that my dead straight decaf iced coffee with cold milk was there, with ice cubes made from coffee. There should be a nobel prize just for that. Then the platter arrived. I can't fault it for size: the omelet was large and studded with bacon and filled with enough cheese to spackle a bathtub. The eggs were leather however and the bagel, while well toasted didn't come with anything like cream cheese. To their credit, when I asked to buy a side they gave it to me gratis. In the mean time I've been back to pick up bagels to go. They really are good bagels: the pumpernickel is perfection and the plain salt has just the right amount of nuggety kosher clinging to it. The bagels get five stars. The coffee bar gets four. The jury is out on the rest of the experience..
(3)Eric B.
I work right down the street from this place and have tried it twice. On both visits I have tried to order things that are on the menu that are not carried in the store. EITHER REVISE YOUR MENU OR CARRY THE ITEMS ON IT. This is pretty simple restaurant principle. Both times the food was very mediocre, would not go back. Big celebrity backing, disappointing food quality. I'm sure that Larry will stick to going to Nate & Al for breakfast over his own restaurant.
(1)Lou E.
Bagel sandwiches, or as they call them, bagelwiches, are on the menu. Bagel pizzas and bagel cheesecakes. Eeehhhhh, hem and haws and uh, some other pishaws. It's nice and the coffee bar is nice but I wasn't in the mood for coffee at lunch. Perhaps next time. As for the Phili bagel I had, it was not something I'd ever order again. Bagel was hard and the meat was tasteless. My friend had the pizza bagel and that too was a mistake. Hard to eat and just messy. Not a popular item. Brooklyn water was, yep, water. It's just water! youtube.com/watch?v=oYZD…
(3)danny n.
The bagels are decent they were better when they first opened....the place went through like 10 managers, the system they use is flawed. Deff not like NY. Wouldnt recommend it.
(1)Marion Z.
Managers are supposed to diffuse negative situations not exacerbate them- this would be why I am writing this review. They got my bagel wrong ( always get the same thing- extra lox for an extra $4 or so but that's how I like it- ridiculous price but whatever..) So I call and they say don't worry we will fix this for you; ask for Mustafa when you come in. So I do. Cashiers start smirking. The manager blows his lid. No ones getting me my damn bagel which I thought would be ready when I got back. The manager pretty much asks me to leave before his comanager steps in and says that he'd thought I was trying to be racist. I dont seewhy my second bagel (still not prepared as I had ordered, as I discovered when I got back to my office) took so long to even begin to be prepared after I'd arrived to pick it up. These guys need to get with it. Also if there is a line, just skip it- because if one persons ahead of you you may have to wait 7 minutes for a cashier to ring their order before its your turn, even if they're just getting a coffee. Lame.
(1)J.M. A.
I've tried Noah's. I've tried Manhattan. I've tried Sam's. I've tried La Brea. I've even gone up to the Valley and tried Western. All of them serve bready, airy bagels with a thick brown crust. That, my children, is not a bagel. It's is a piece of bread. Bagels should be dense and chewy with a thin lightly-baked outer layer - and they should be PLAIN! This is the way it is done in New York and this is the way The Brooklyn Water Bagel Co. does it in good old Beverly Hills...although they do offer other types of bagels for you hair-twirling LA-types.
(5)Jodie P.
The owners (not Larry King but the others) are very rude and demonstrated poor customer service. The staff in the kitchen was using their bare hands to wipe sweat, rub their nose, and then prepare the bagels. It was gross. When we expressed our concern about this to the table of owner/investors (again, Larry was not part of this group) they were beyond rude and classless. THey were confrontational and said something to to order of not wanting us as customers. Avoid this place and take your business down the road to the Bagel Factory on Robertson. Better bagels, cleaner food handling, and a very nice and kind owner!
(1)Ken M.
Bagels were the typical LA style 'ring-whitebread' ala Noahs Bagels. In NY customers would ask for a refund
(1)Siren W.
It took 1 hour and a half for them to give me my order! I'm 7 weeks pregnant and this was my first meal of the day, and if you know anything about pregnant women, we're hungry and weak especially in the first trimester. I live less than 1 block from this place so I thought I'd see what all the fuss was about. Big mistake. I waited in the incredibly long line for maybe 20-30 minutes, during which time I thought I would pass out from hunger, but I was relieved when I finally placed my order. Oh and at one point during my wait in the line, the power went out for 5 minutes (all of the menu signs use lights), what was up with that?! I got my iced decaf coffee (the coffee ice cubes are a neat idea) and that was pretty decent. Probably the highlight of my meal. I went through 2 or 3 of them (tried to pace myself, I'm not supposed to have coffee because of my condition) while waiting! I was seriously waiting for my food for over 45 minutes. I was the last person, the lunch rush started clearing out! Numerous workers came over to me repeatedly and asked for my order number. Finally I had to get a little upset and say, look I'm pregnant and I feel like I'm going to faint for hunger and even then it took them another 10 minutes to complete my order. And they were out of my original bagel. It's 1:45. I arrived at Brooklyn's Bagels at 12:00pm. I am just now eating my $16 order, which is not worth the price or time. I ordered a garlic bagel with vegetable spread. When I finally bit into my bagel, it was not even hot. I also ordered a Veggie Melt on spinach and asiago bagel (they were out and used a plain asiago bagel), haven't had a chance to eat it yet, because I wanted to write this review first. UPDATE: The veggie melt is delicious, much more so than the garlic bagel w/ veggie cream cheese. Too bad they have lost a customer, the veggie melt is good, but it's not worth coming here again. Maybe if I had fainted in the store, I could have sued them or something. Ridiculous. They had about 15 people working in the front. Maybe they should put them in the kitchen so this place could get their act together. Not coming here again. I feel like my food should have been free.
(1)Neil S.
I looooooooooove this place, this is how a bagel should be baked!! The crust is perfecto. Even though I had to apply for a line of credit to afford breakfast for four, it was still worth it!! Whole Wheat Everything is off the chin chang
(5)Angelica G.
Came here today for the first time. I really didn't TASTE the difference. I had the nova lox white egg omelette on a pumpernickel bagel. Maybe next time i just need to get a traditional bagel w/ cream cheese to really taste this special water. I also want to try their coffee because people seem to really like it...there is a wide variety of flavors to choose from, including Bananas Foster! On the plus side, this was my first visit, and I saw Larry King getting some iced coffee! My coworker said she always sees him there (well he does own the place), and I didn't think it would happen on my first visit, but I guess I got lucky!
(3)Gary G.
We visited this bagel shop this AM. The order was for six bagels to share with our friend and optician up the street. This shop was busy and the employees were helpful and the service was excellent. The bagels were excellent, too.
(5)Jaimie L.
This is kind of like the place you would go to if there weren't better options in the area except the food is also overpriced so is it worth it? Probably not. One of the cool things about this place however are the ice cubes made out of coffee. When they first told me about it I got pretty excited because I absolutely love iced coffee and I hate how it gets super watered down towards the end. An ingenious idea I must say but for an ingenious idea to truly be ingenious, it must be executed ingeniously. I'm not picky about coffee but this coffee was pretty bad. It tasted like some of the worser coffees at gas stations that you'll get just because you need it. And the coffee ice cubes melt fast. Not worth the $3 I'd say. But onto the bagels. They are decent but like the coffee, it's more of a grab-and-go-I-have-nothing-else-to-eat type of thing. I do like their scallion cream cheese though and they have a huge menu so you definitely won't get bored if you ate here. Other than that, if I were ever craving a bagel and had a choice, I'd probably stick to the more familiar local shops.
(2)Sabrina N.
Coffee ice cubes....AWESOME IDEA!!!! I was in LA a few weeks back and came here and I was blown away by how awesome their coffee and flavors are. The bagel and lox that I had were delish. Next time I am in LA, I will definitely be making a stop here for a meal.
(5)Yuval S.
My wife and I came in for a bagel at closing time. Even though the place was just about to close, we were treated so graciously by Alan, Mike, and Evelyn. We received the most amazing service by them. The food is amazing and the service is top notch. Try the White Fish Salad... it's tastes like it does in NY. Thank you guys for taking care of us even if you did not have to. We will be back soon. Congrats ;)
(5)A K.
I had pretty high expectations for Brooklyn Water Bagel Co., as I had a pretty serious bagel craving and read some pretty good reviews about it. Unfortunately, I don't think it met up to my expectations. Service - Sub-par. It wasn't a very friendly environment. I just get a weird vibe going to a place where the employees just don't seem happy. If they don't want to be there, why should I want to be there? Food - The bagel was pretty good and the prices were pretty standard for a gourmet bagel. Coffee - The coffee seriously carries this place. I only want to come back for the coffee. There are so many different types of hot/iced coffee AND they even have coffee ice cubes. I thought that was a pretty unique feat. Conclusion - All in all, a mediocre bagel place. As far as bagels go, Noah's consistently catches my bagel cravings. As far as coffee - Brooklyn Water Bagel would be my first choice.
(2)Benjamin W.
Okay, let's start with the facts. The coffee is okay. If you really want a great cup of coffee, go next door to Peet's or across the street to Urth. If you want coffee ice cubes in your iced coffee, then this is the place. As for the breakfasts, don't know, haven't had their eggs. I have had their bagels, a few times. To those who are extolling the magnificence of these bagels, I question when and where you had your last NY bagel? These bagels are just so-so. In fact, Bagel Broker makes a better NY style bagel. These are actually too crunchy on the outside, the NY bagel should be more chewy. The bagel itself, when eaten plain, should have a taste all its own. A satisfying, taste that does not require accompaniments such as cream cheese or lox. I can't say these bagels hit that mark Its okay, trendy, kitschy on south Beverly, but I would rather grab some bagels from the Bagel Broker or even Sam's in Larchmont. Sorry Larry King, I think these bagels are as authentic as your story about you and Sandy Koufax.
(2)lindsay b.
Its not great, but not bad. They were much better when they first opened. They bagel tasted over cooked, cream cheese did not taste fresh.
(3)Eliza G.
Ate here with another New York native, and agreed that they weren't like real New York bagels. Not dense enough, in texture or flavor... kind of airy on both counts. But they did have an impressive variety of bagel flavors. Giving the place an extra star because I was able to get a perfect and authentic New York egg cream there. You have to mix it yourself, which is a little weird. But they provide Fox's U-Bet syrup (accept no substitutes), and "Brooklynized" seltzer, which seemed to make all the difference. I think that's the first time I've had a proper egg cream in L.A.
(3)Marlene G.
I wanted to see what all the hype was about. I waited in line for 30 minutes. The bagels were delicious, but seriously? Maybe if I had a leisurely Saturday to spend in line and enjoy the company of a delicious bagel, I would go back. I think i'll wait until the hype is over and return for another bagel. The hot and iced coffee selections were awesome, thats why this place got three stars.
(3)Lillian L.
I liked Brooklyn Water Bagels so much, I went there two days in a row. I am a bagel addict. Anytime is a good time for a bagel. I am ashamed though to say that I have not had a "real" New York bagel, so I have nothing to compare Brooklyn Water Bagel except the usual suspects in Southern California - Noah's and Western Bagels. BWB is doing something right to keep me coming back. They have a huge variety of bagels. The asiago bagel is my fave, especially because of the bonus disc of melted cheese at the bottom of the bagel hole. hahaha. The menu is huge! Breakfast, sandwiches, salads, soups. Don't bother looking at the menu screens - they rotate too fast to really read all of the offerings. Grab an actual menu to peruse while you wait in line. The big thing that made me a fan - iced coffee. Self serve with a variety of flavors to choose from. And the kicker... coffee ice cubes. Awesome. I throw in a couple pumps of the U-bet chocolate syrup to create an iced mocha.
(4)Josh B.
I didn't see any of the yelp reviews before I went here. I've had my fair share of NY style bagels and pizza so I was excited at the concept. And with Larry King backing the product, and owning this Franchise I was excited beccause living in NY for so long I assume he has good taste. Bad Assumption. The biggest issue is they have NO bialys. How can you have a Brooklyn inspired Bagel Shop and not have a bialy on the menu. What was Larry thinking? The Bagels are good but nothing worth driving for. They are pretty comparable to any other chain like einsteins. The Best thing here is the iced coffee with the coffee ice cubes, like many other reviewers have said. The options are great and I was feeling adventurous and tried the Fox's egg cream. I had no idea what it would be like but reminded me of what they fill Cadbury Eggs with. Now the Egg cream name makes sense. Check it out for the novelty if you wish but unless you live very close I wouldn't expect anyone to make it a regular spot.
(2)Elizabeth C.
It seems like most of the bad reviews on here are for the eat-in or food/sandwich parts of the menu. Granted, the one time I tried to eat in here I ordered a bagel with hummus only to be told that they don't have hummus. Lame. But other than that, I usually come here to buy a half dozen bagels to take home and have been happy with those bagels every time. In my opinion, these are easily the best bagels available on the Westside. They are large, incredibly filling, perfectly crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. They last for two or so days after taking them home without getting stale. They freeze easily, and when you buy a half dozen or more they even give you a plastic take-home bag to freeze them in. I agree with the other reviewers that this place feels like a chain and does not have the soul of other local places (the Bagel Factory was always my go-to before this place and that place does have a lot of soul and character) but this place, frankly, has better bagels.
(4)liz p.
I came back to this place and had a bagel with veggie cream cheese. It was decent. Customer service seemed slightly better this time (compared to my last visit).
(3)Maggie M.
It's a pretty good place. A bit over priced for what you get but the Tuna Salad sandwich was edible. I have to say I make better Tuna at home for a lot less but I guess you're not really paying for the food but for the location. Not a place I would go twice unless I was meeting someone there and had no other place to go.
(2)zaldy h.
My mom loves this place! We just beat the lunch rush and snagged a booth (by the time we received our order, the line was almost out the door). There's a nice array of bagels, from cranberry/walnut/date to the classics like onion and poppy. I got the signature three-egg bagel sandwich with cheese and bacon, and it came out hot and fluffy. It's a veritable tower though, so it's a challenge to eat gracefully. Could not finish despite my best efforts. My mom ordered the turkey reuben "scooper melt," which is the bagel of your choice with its insides scooped out and filled turkey, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, then baked 'til it's melty. It's as ridiculous as it sounds and definitely an indulgence. (Get it with the Whole Wheat Omega 3 bagel, which has a great chewy texture.) We dug into the dark chocolate chip muffin while we were waiting for our orders. It was huge, delicious and really fresh (the inside of the muffin was still warm). We got the Cordon Bleu scooper melt to-go for my lil bro, and he vouches it's yummy as well. Service was very friendly from all, and the staff seemed to be hand-picked for their old-school Brooklyn (i.e., not Williamsburg) look, if not the accent. The cashier had to check if we could get dressing on the side for the melts since they're toying with implementing a no substitutions policy, but in LA? When in Rome...
(4)Evan L.
Great bagels, poorly run. Takes way too long to place an order and takes forever for them to prepare your order. Great bagels, though. Get there early if you don't want to come for breakfast but eat lunch.
(3)Andy L.
Talk about a disappointment! I heard about this place from a co-worker and decided to try it out for lunch today. I ordered a philly-cheese steak bagel, as recommended by the cashier. With that, I also ordered an iced coffee because of their whole novelty "coffee iced cubes." For a whopping $7.99, I got a bagel sandwich that was DRENCHED in grease. At first, I was willing to look past it, since it is a philly-cheese steak after all. But as I bit into the sandwich, I was waiting for taste to hit me, but it never did. I was very annoyed that I paid freakin' 8 bucks for a crappy tasteless overly greasy sandwich. I had to keep dunking it in mustard just to give it any semblance of taste. As for the iced coffee, I tried their hazelnut flavored coffee, and even with its fortified coffee iced cubes, the whole thing tasted rather diluted. Honestly, the McDonald's iced coffees taste better to me than what I had here. I'm glad to say I've tried it, but I don't think I will go back. For a mediocre bagel sandwich and iced coffee to cost me $12 total? Definitely not worth it!
(2)Matthew L.
These bagels are anything but good. I would almost prefer eating a Lender's frozen bagel from the supermarket. The bagels reminded me of everything bad about Los Angeles bagels...hard, chewy and tasteless. In addition to terrible bagels, the corned beef was about as good as the "corned beef" at Subway. With that being said, the closest thing to a good bagel is the Bagel Factory on Robertson.
(1)Cali K.
Too expensive for a bagel. It would be cheaper to Fedex a bagel from NY. Will not come back.
(1)Taylor A.
I woke up early one Saturday morning, and thought hey being the most amazing girlfriend in the world I will walk down my block and get some bagels for my boyfriend and I for breakfast. The sun was shinning, I had a kick in my step until I walked into the Brooklyn Water Bagel Store, the place was packed I will give them that so the line was long, but I noticed it didn't move very fast, and that's because the employees at the register would switch, they would all of a sudden become food runners, it seemed as though they were very understaffed. Anyways my moment to shine I get up to the front to order my measly 2 bagels toasted with cream cheese, as I'm ordering an old lady walks in front of me with a bagel sandwich complaining that its wrong, demanding a manager, so I was then put off until she was moved aside, paid for my order and stood where I like to call it "The Grumpy People who have been waiting way too long for a Bagel" zone. I waited 30 minutes maybe more for my two bagels, when I asked the guy about it he kind of blew me off, and in my mind I'm thinking I just want to tell him its 2 bagels this cant be happening. Finally the bagels arrive, they didn't say sorry for the wait they just handed them to me and I was on my way. The Bagels themselves are good, and I loved the cream cheese, they even have coffee ice cubes which look interesting and cool although I have never tried, but the whole experience with the late food, the screaming customers, the unfriendly staff all that kind of stuff, that will definitely hinder me from going back anytime soon.
(2)Anh N.
A friend took me here for a quick bagel. Great bagels and huge selection to order from. Just wished my bagel was a little bit toastier but the lox was amazing. Great place to pick up a quick bite to go! Will definitely be back to check out the pizza bagels!
(4)Evie D.
Great bagels but otherwise food is mediocre.
(3)Karen A.
40 minute wait in line - bagels were terrible - service was worse - attitude of staff when they made a mistake on my order was terrible - It took so long I got a $53 parking ticket - $60 (including the ticket) later with six lousy bagels in hand - I WONT RETURN - I'm afraid the NY attitude doesn't cut it in Beverly Hills.
(1)Bj B.
Still one star in my book. I would have given it a half star, but that is not an option. Aside from their lack of customer service skills and mediocre product, I have started to notice that the oven they use to make the bagels breaks down AT LEAST once a week which renders them a glorified coffee shop on a street where there are 4 other coffee retailers within half a block(with one right next door-Peet's Coffee- whose service is speedy and friendly). It seems like the morning lines are shorter and shorter each week, which is really no surprise. Do all the South Beverly residents a favor and pack it in so we have more parking available on the street.
(1)Rebecca Z.
I eat a bagel every single day and so does my sister, mom, and especially my dad. I drive all the way from San Diego to get bagels from here because they are the best!! I literally dream about these bagels. My family gets about 6 dozen from here every few months and we freeze them. They are amazingly fresh but they also toast perfectly and taste the same after being frozen for a month!! These are truly amazing bagels. They are very dense and chewy and so much better than the microscopic Einstein's bagel that have lots of holes. I have eaten bagels in New York City and these bagels taste the same! And when you go do not forget to get the ice coffee! When I go during the winter I still get the ice coffee because the ice cubes are amazing! The coffee does not get watery because of these coffee ice cubes. I went on a Saturday morning once and saw Larry King--so cool! This place is in the heart of Beverly Hills, so that is also a plus! The variety of bagels, cream cheese, and coffee is amazing! I absolutely love this place and it is a must to go to for anyone who loves good, hardy bagels!
(5)Rob N.
I've grown to love the Brooklyn Water Bagel Company----and probably have coffee or breakfast there three times a week. The staff is great---they quickly get to know you. My food is always good---great bagels----a great assortment to choose from. And if you order the omelettes---they're HUGE and beyond filling. There is a LARGE choice of coffees to drink----and yes---with coffee flavored ice cubes----and they have lots of iced coffee. Or....order soda and add a shot of cherry juice in it for Cherry Coke. And yes, you can usually see Larry King in the morning---as he comes in around 8:30am ish most days. But that has nothing why I love going to the Brooklyn Water Bagel company---which is purely due to the food, the staff, and it's a great place to relax with friends and have a great breakfast and you're not pushed to leave. It's so good that I'll be there.....at 6:30AM as soon as they open today.
(4)James Renny C.
Being shouted at by neon is not how I want to spend my Sunday morning. It is a "Disneyfied" bagel shop; and the service was really slow considering they had about 8 people behind the counter. There are better places to go for bagels in the area.
(2)Jordan K.
I picked up a few bagels here--a cinnamon raisin and a sesame. The bagels were very good, although given the high prices--about $5 for two bagels--I'm not sure I could tell the difference between here and Noah's.
(4)Oka W.
Come here often as I live close by... Staff is already friendly and bagels are great... Prepare to wait if they're a little busy
(4)jackie g.
I'm (natch) a New Yorker, and so nearly passed out when I heard about this place... my one complaint would be that they're a little over-done/cooked. Truly great NY bagels are just slightly underdone, i think...
(3)Louis B.
It's a solid and affordable place for the neighborhood. Big fan of the iced coffee. You really can taste the difference because of the water quality and coffee-based ice cubes. The hazelnut and french vanilla creamers can't hurt either. Overall, the food is at least as good as the other bagel places around town, but could be improved upon in a few ways. First, cheddar-jalapeno and chocolate chip bagels would be much appreciated. Second, ample supplies of Cholula and/or Tapatio would do wonders for the omelets because they're a bit bland and Tabasco is too disgusting to ever be an acceptable alternative.
(4)Darnius L.
Crispy, hot, chewy The king of LA bagels Love, an NY Jew
(5)Sara R.
I think the bagels are decent not the best in the west but then again, I can't find a decent bagel place in LA or the South Bay. However, I love love the ice coffee with the coffee cubes. So to me that is the best thing they have going for them. I hope they open up elsewhere like in the South Bay so I can get my ice coffee fix. They have various flavors and every ice decaf for those that don't want that buzzzzz. However, you will still get some if you had the cubes. Gotta have the cubes!
(4)Christopher C.
Good bagels, ok soup; to the me drinks are worthless. Good place to get my chicken salad fix.
(3)Carole C.
Great bagels and the service is the best. Fifteen minutes prior to closing, Carlos was very helpful in filling my order. My fifty guests loved the bagels.
(5)Peter K.
Best bagel period. I don't know what others are complaining about. I've tried several bagels, and nothing compares to this place. The bagels are bigger than other places as well. The Iced coffee is definitley one of my favorites at this place. Plus the free refills makes you want to come back for me. Just love this place.
(5)John D.
For this New Yorker, finally a REAL New York bagel! The best I have tasted since I Enjoy Bagels went out of business many years ago. The only reason I gave only 4 stars is 'cause they're a little pricey. A buck twenty-nine each! But, all in all worth the wait for this place.
(4)Jerry G.
Good Brooklyn Bagel Shop. Excellent Bagels. Decent food.
(4)Mike H.
The best bagel I have had in LA (and as close to Russ and Daughters). The everything and water bagels are great. Amazing crust and good consistency. Great cream cheese and the white fish salad is solid! Oh and add an iced coffee with coffee iced cubes, yea I said coffee iced cubes - goodbye watered down iced coffee. Simply put, this is the place to have a bagel in LA.
(5)H F.
As a recent transplant to LA from NY I've tried all the bagel places from West Hollywood to Santa Monica in search of a decent bagel. Since opening, Brooklyn Water Bagel has become my favorite place for bagels and I frequent it at at least 2x a week (if not more!) I'm addicted to the bagels, and would recommend to anyone looking for a REAL NY style bagel. I've even seen Larry King eating breakfast there a few times.
(4)Pateel T.
There are some things you just can't avoid with a new restaurant. One of them being poor customer service. I walked into Brooklyn Water Bagel one morning to pick up some breakfast for myself and coworkers and didn't leave for about 45 minutes. I could tell you that the chaos was because Larry King was having some type of press event that morning, but it clearly wasn't, because being in the middle of Beverly Hills, customers were hardly fazed at his presence. Unlike many other Yelpers, there was hardly a line when I got there. I ended up having 3 different to-go numbers because I placed 3 different orders (each about 5 minutes apart), but the fact that the numbers were being called completely out of order had all waiting customers, including me, a bit irritated so early in the day. While the cashiers continued speedily taking orders, the kitchen was clearly backed up. There was just one employee delivering plates to the in-house customers, and trying to juggle the different "Can you please check where my #32 is?" and "I've been waiting for half an hour, where's my order?" questions. I couldn't help but feel bad for her because there's only so many numbers one can remember and follow-up on. In the meantime, those who looked like they were bosses or managers seemed to be circling the Larry King interview in the corner, pretty ignorant to the increasingly annoyed group of customers. With the amount of time I waited (and the overpriced $9.50 I paid for just one bagel with lox), I would hope my bagel was being shipped direct from Brooklyn. In the end, my coworkers and I were pretty satisfied with the bagels, but that didn't take away from the fact that I narrowly escaped getting a meter ticket because of my long wait. Even if not for the bagels, I'll definitely be back for the iced coffee with the frozen coffee cubes (genius!). Hopefully, this place can learn from their mistakes and shape up soon enough because they won't last too long among all the impatient Beverly Hills customers.
(3)Daniel L.
Mediocre bagels. I found a dead spider hanging from my bagel. Workers use their bare hands while making the bagels. Service is awful...had to wait about 25 minutes for 3 toasted bagels with cream cheese. DO NOT RECOMMEND!
(1)Devin A.
I went here 2 days in a row. It's my new favorite place. Good bagels, but not exactly like Brooklyn (says this former Jersey girl who knows a good bagel). LOVE the iced coffee cubes. Had the BEST corn muffin I have had in YEARS! And, lets face it, people watching in BH is always fun. Oh, and Larry King was there. I swear I see that guy in every restaurant I go to!
(4)David Y.
The food is great, the bagels are AMAZING. But the service is HORRIBLE. They are so unprofessional I have been here numerous times at literally 1 out of every two times they have some how or another managed to mess up on either mine or a friend whom I was with a order. Today I came in and got an omelette with a bagel on the side with cream cheese. When I want to get my coffee there was PEICES OF PLASTIC in my drink. One piece of plastic literally went into my mouth. When I went to show it to the manager she told me it was a coffee bean which it was definitely not. Then she looked at it again and apologized and handed me another cup. Later when my food arrived they put the cream cheese on the bagel instead of on the side , which is what I asked for. The only reason I continue coming to this place is because the only other bagel place near by (which is amazing) at urbain bagels only accepts cash and sometimes I dont have any on me. The food as I said Is amazing but the unprofessional service might just make me not come back anymore or at least way less
(2)Christopher S.
I honestly have no idea why I keep going back to this place as I have yet to have a positive customer experience. I order the same thing almost every time: everything bagel toasted with ham and cream cheese. The cashier usually has a hard time with HOW to do that for some reason and ends up asking a manager, and they universally end up charging me for a bagel with schmear plus a side of meat or whatever, $4.50/5. Done. The latest time around she tells me it will be $8.xx for my bagel. Me thinks not. I inquire. The manager had told her to ring it up as a full sandwich. I say this is ridiculous and that I've done this many times before without this result. She agrees, calls over manager. I explain. This guy, Tom was his name, in typical rude BWB fashion responds with the fact that every previous time they've done it incorrectly, and from then on his only response was "it's a sandwich". He just kept repeating it in the most condescending manor possible. My receipt reads literally as follows: HAM AND SWISS $8.xx Cream Cheese No Swiss No Tomato No Lettuce No Onion Long story short: There's nothing special about this place. The one cool thing is they have ice cubes made out of coffee for their iced coffee which I think is fun and the food for a bagel place is exactly what you'd expect it to be. Typical review would give it an A-OK review of three stars, but because everyone here always seems to have a sense of entitlement (especially our friend Tom who is apparently the Alpha and Omega of mediocrity), they get one star.
(1)Vinele G.
Ice coffee cubes to put in your iced coffee! BEST THING EVER!!! And the bagels and sh*t are good too!!
(5)Ben T.
They charge $1 for a slice of onion on your bagel. Then another $1 for some capers. The bagels are great, but $1 for a slice of tomato is way too much. So... I called a few actual bagel shops in Brooklyn. I spoke to Best Bagel ($0.35 for a slice of onion) and The Bagel Store ($0.50 for a slice of onion). The helpful Brooklynites at both stores got confused and hung up on me when I asked them if they would pay $1 for a slice of onion. That's how crazy these prices are. This is a big deal for me because I take my family here every Saturday and with this new menu the price of my bagel with vegetables has gone up by $6.
(1)Shayna D.
I think they put crack in the coffee creamers. The hazelnut creamer is to die for (granted, I grew up on non-fat milk, so maybe I was just missing out on cream my whole life). I don't even want to think about how many calories are in this creamer, I love it too much. I get the chicken/protein (I forget the exact name) omelet on a whole-wheat everything bagel with chive/onion cream cheese instead of regular cream cheese, and it's delicious, albeit sloppy. I'd highly recommend it. My reasons for not giving it five stars are that the wait can be very variable. If there's been a big order placed recently, you will be waiting while they prioritize the whole order, or so it seems. Another reason for the four stars is that the coffee ice cube machine doesn't always seem to be working, and the best flavor of the iced coffee (kahlua something) is sometimes out. I actually don't think the iced coffee is that impressive--I've had better flavored iced coffee before with more flavor at other places--but I don't mind, since I can just add my hazelnut crack creamer.
(4)Sema M.
I absolutely love this place! Best bagels in LA, great service, just make sure to get in early for the flagel they sell out quick! William is my favorite guy here ! I prefer to sit outside
(5)Alana R.
Had a great experience. The cold tuna sandwich was recommended and it was delicious! William Thompson was super helpful and polite. Looking forward to my next experience!
(5)Martin G.
Brooklyn Water Bagel is pretty much the closest you're gonna get to a real bagel in LA. The bagels are great, the coffee ice cubes are great, and the folks that work there are great too: William at the register this morning was super friendly & helpful, even coming with us to our table to clean it off before our food came. Sundays are better with bagels, iced coffee, and rad dudes.
(5)Ashley C.
If you're looking for a quality bagel in a nostalgic environment, then check out Brooklyn Water Bagel Co. True, there are a fair share of bagel spots in the LA area, but this one is one of my favorites just for these pure facts: the atmosphere is family-oriented and the service is great. It just feels cozy inside and I think that's in part to do with the shop's decor (Brooklyn, NY circa 1960/70). Although I have never been to Brooklyn once and don't know much about the infamous city, I still felt the authenticity and nostalgia for a place I know nearly nothing of - that's impressive. As I was waiting in line to be served, I peered to my right at the open glass that surrounded the kitchen. It was a bit unkept and seemed unattended, which made me feel a bit curious - where were the people making bagels? Where was that delicious smell of toasted bagels coming from? I will never know, but this is the reason I gave the restaurant a 4 star review instead of 5. It would be great to see that kitchen a bit cleaner and more active; it would really add to the restaurant's ambiance. Other than that, the service was great. We were greeted by the friendly face of William Thompson. By the end of our order I felt such a friendly connection with him that I wanted to be acquainted to him on nicknames basis. So to Will - thank you for being the defining moment of my Brooklyn Water Bagel Co experience. Sure your other customers appreciated your smile and helpful spirit as well.
(4)Ashley T.
Was just here for the first time visiting my girlfriends and it was Great! William Thompson helped us and was so professional and welcoming. Great service and great bagels!
(5)Sophie F.
Tried to keep my order super simple this time around-- 6 bagels. I didn't ask for any of them to be toasted, scooped, sliced... nothing. I wanted the least amount of effort to minimize risk of mishaps and mistakes. I just wanted to bring 6 plain bagels to work. Get to work and opened my bag. ONLY 5 BAGELS IN THE BAG. ARE YOU SERIOUS? Shame on me for not listening to my own advice of double-checking the bag before leaving. But for reals HOW HARD IS IT TO PUT BAGELS IN A BAG. Such poor service. This place is disastrous.
(1)Patty ..
Been here a few times and still conflicted 1st time I got the egg & cheese sandwich and wasn't impressed 2nd trip was the sesame med-toasted w/cream cheese wondering where the cream cheese is, don't think I should had been charge the $2.81
(2)Paul D.
Closest thing you can get to a true New York bagel in Los Angeles. The everything bagels were coming right out of the oven when I got there, so Will (who was great behind the counter) threw two of those in my bag, although one did not make it out of the store. Yum. Refills on egg creams are pretty spectacular, too.
(5)Hunter J.
I gotta say I've had a hell of a time finding a truly great bagels here in LA. But now I have. Everything about this place is exceptional. The bagels, the atmosphere, but the best part by far is the customer service. Will answered all my questions with a knowledgable smile. He was a true Philly gentlemen who got me hooked on the Philly cheesesteak bagel. Which is amazing by the way. He really went out of his way to make my experience more authentic. I wish more places had enjoyable and personable workers like him. Now the Philly Cheese Steak Bagel is just loaded with goodness. The bagel was toasted to perfection. The steak had crispy tenderness to it like I love. I wish I could eat these everyday. I'll definitely be back.
(5)Will E.
This is the place to get the best iced coffee and scooped bagel melts in Los Angeles hands down! I've brought literally over 50 people to this place and they all agree. But the only problem is there has been no consistency with upper and general management. I've been coming here since it opened over 3 years ago and i've seen it change almost everything from the menu to the service. It's like the owners don't even care to come in and check up on their own business. Probably why employees and the chef's never stick around long enough to remember how to do anything. Don't get me wrong though, I keep coming back because they have the best product, in quality and taste around! But there is hope, the new manager William really seems to care about the business and his customers. I hope he sticks around because it was refreshing to have someone remember both my order and name, especially since I've been coming here every week for the past 3 years.
(3)Sarah F.
I'm only giving more than 1 star because their bagels are actually pretty good. Good selection and tasty. I'm an occasional customer - not weekly but maybe once every couple of months. However - I know their service consistently runs slow. It's something I just deal with. This morning on my way to work I set my parking meter for 20 minutes just in case. Thankfully I did because it took about 20 minutes to get my bagel order to-go which was simply an everything bagel toasted with cream cheese on the side. When I ordered there were 2 people waiting on their food, it wasn't as busy as I've seen. I understand they do have call in orders they are filling as well but the fact that it took TWENTY MINUTES to get a toasted bagel is unacceptable. I returned to my parking meter and it had expired. I was late for work. I think that's the last time I'll go back here.
(2)J C.
Great service as usual from my man William. Fantastic customer experience. Go giants!
(5)Kristen W.
The best thing about this shop is that it's conveniently located on south Beverly drive. The bagels are fine; nothing special...no unique flavors. If it weren't close by my house, I would not make it a point to come here. The issue I have with the shop is that no matter how slow it is, it takes a minimum of 10 minutes to get a bagel toasted with cream cheese. It really blows my mind how long they take. Today I ordered a bagel sandwich with egg and cheese...big mistake! It took 20 minutes or more to come out. After 15 minutes I went to the counter to check on the status of my order and couldn't get a straight answer from anyone behind the counter. It's a very poorly run operation with all of the staff running around like crazy, accomplishing nothing. I would suggest a change in the way they manage things before all of their customers get fed up and stop coming.
(3)Jessica S.
This place was okay. $2 breakfast (everything bagel with tomato)- that's good! The inside is all decked out with photos of Brooklyn, with some big contraption that "Brooklyn-izes" the water (?). Bummer that lots of bagel places don't have non-dairy cream cheese. Easy metered parking, and right across the street from Urth Caffe.
(3)Gregg B.
This place is such a disappointment. The bagels are pretty decent but the entire set up is sub par. I don't like the line up area, Where are the appetizing foods in a deli case? It is like internet buying food in a bagel shop. I don't get it. I like seeing all the spreads lined up in bins. I like seeing other foods in a deli case in bins and on plates. What I do like is the theme of Brooklyn water and the iced coffee cubes. This creates a nice niche marketing idea for them The bagel factory is way better
(3)Guillermo G.
Good place to have breakfast, I had the egg with spinach and mushroom on wheat and it was not bad... I don't know if the "Brooklynized" water made a difference but not bad. I also had the new PURE juice they offer... I wish I would have asked for the price up front!!! Expensive!!! The place was clean and it seamed they have good patronage. I would come back.
(4)Dana R.
Bagels are great. But I would skip the eggs and the potatoes. They do not specialize in that area.
(3)Carin M.
I come here for the amazing bagels but it's always refreshing when you have great customer service as well. William Thompson was so accommodating and kind - he really made our experience at Brooklyn easy and fun. Thanks William. See you again soon.
(5)Ellen A.
Best flagels ever! Worth the drive from Calabasas. See William. He'll make you smile and take good care of you!
(5)Linda H.
Their bagels are super tasty with the perfect amount of chewiness and denseness and the best with their flavored cream cheeses in their deli section. But service can kind of be slow sometime. The iced coffee cubes aren't that amazing, I would still go to Peet's next door for my iced coffee. I've tried their breakfast bagels a few times already and I just can't do it anymore. They're too big! You can't even open your mouth wide enough to take a bite because there's a honking 3 eggs plus bacon in your bagel! I think the last time I had one, I took out half of the eggs in order to be able to eat it. Just stick to the good old bagel and cream cheese and you'll be full beyond lunchtime.
(3)Kat C.
Was my first time eating at BB today. Will was so nice helping me find the perfect breakfast - considering all my intolerances - and recommend a great coffee roast. That's how I like to start a busy day
(5)Lena K.
love the bagels here. but the customer service was even better. there was a employee named William and he was very friendly!!! loved his enthusiasm !
(5)Sara L.
Pretty decent bagel place that may well deserve 3-4 stars for everything from its coffee ice cubes for iced coffee, happy to be accommodating staff, and boiled-then-baked bagels. While the bagels didn't blow my mind, the beverage bar had a lot to offer and was pretty cool. Deserving of only one star however is the quality of the things that went on the bagels. Eggs seemed to have been microwaved (a la Dunkin Donuts--there's a time and a place but it's not at a bagel spot), and the pastrami was stringy and gross. Don't necessarily let the two stars deter you. There's a lot this place has going for it. Mostly in the bagel-and-cream-cheese and iced coffee departments. Otherwise though I'd go elsewhere for a sandwich.
(2)K S.
This is still 4 stars by default. The layout sucks. The seating is okay. But this is the best bagel in the area. Ordering can still be confusing. The combinations include all sort of health concerns. Just don't go during prime hours.
(4)Simon E. B.
I could eat here all the time. The bagels are great. I'm local and not a NY'er, but to me they are awesome. The prices are good and the everything bagel is the best. I used to go to St. Urbain Bagels all the time, which is up the street, but now I come here. I wish they would really toast the bagels, since they usually just come out warm - Im patient, I can wait - but other than that, I like this place a lot.
(4)turning off j.
'There are no good bagel outside of New York!' --Who hasn't heard a New York (or Joisey) transplant make this snobbish complaint? I have to admit...I am on of these snobs. So much so, that I made it my mission to take my Valley-boy husband on a bagel tour of Manhattan, on our first trip to NYC. He loves bagels much more than I do, and already has his favorite spots. My dream, is that one day, he'll overcome his aversion to sushi and we'll make this same type of tour of the city; but until then... There are a few decent bagel places in Los Angeles if you're willing to look. A new addition to the mix is Larry King's Brooklyn Water Bagel Company in upscale Beverly Hills.At first, you might assume that this is another bagel place with a New York sounding name that specializes in a certain type of bagel. Well, you (and I) would be mistaken. The word 'Water' in the store's name, refers to Larry King's system to simulate "Brooklynized". Since everyone claims that New York's secret ingredient is their water, why not try to duplicate it with the huge water filtration machine you see upon entering the store. Other than that, it looks like a small diner with booth seating. To create the Brooklyn experience, the walls are adorned with plaques, honoring finest famous Brooklynites, including Jackie Gleason, whose Honeymooner's was playing silently on the wall mounted television. But what about the bagel? It's actually pretty good. Chewy in the middle with a slightly hard exterior. I like my bagel simple--slightly toasted with cream cheese. My American husband does goes one step further by scraping off most of the cream cheese. He says he wants to enjoy the taste of bagel more than the guilt of the cream cheese. Brooklyn Water Bagel Company's menu offers more than just a variety of doughnut shaped bread items including flagels, sandwiches, soups, and muffins. As much as my husband enjoys bread, we found ourselves enjoying the coffee bar most. Along with a soda fountain, there are a quite a few kinds of coffee both hot and iced. Dark roasted, medium roasted, hazel nut, and even something as exotic as a bananas foster flavor! Even the ice for the iced coffee is well thought out. What's the universal complaint? An iced coffee lovers chagrin occurs when the ice cubes melt, leaving their coffee drink limp. Larry King has thoughtfully solved that problem by providing coffee ice cubes. Yes--ice cubes made out of coffee! The most exciting item I found at the coffee bar was the egg cream syrup dispenser. Yes, egg cream! Brooklyn's own Fox's U-bet is nestled between the soy and the whole milk dispensers. When we started dating, my husband took me to Seven Eleven (every girl's dream, right?) because he wanted to teach me about an American childhood experience that I had missed out on: making the 'Suicide' drink. For the uninitiated, a 'suicide' is a soda made from a bit of every flavor of soda mixed together. Never the same drink twice, some experiments are fantastic, while others are hideous. One example was my mixing Mountain Dew, orange soda and coke. Not the best result, unless you like ugly colors with matching tastes. We didn't have soda fountains when I was growing up in Tokyo, so the simple act of pouring my own drink from an actual dispenser AND getting a free refill was actually quite exciting. So, once again, we enjoyed ourselves, making a suicide drink, but this time, a more sophisticated one, made from coffee in the middle of Beverly Hills. The best creation of the day: dark roast iced coffee, vanilla cream, soy milk, 2 pumps of Fox's u-bet. Thanks for fun afternoon, Mr. King.
(4)ramin s.
I ordered a Tuna Salad and asked whether this was an actual salad, they said yes. My order arrives at my table and it's just a bed of lettuce with a big scoop of tuna in the middle, it also came with a bagel along with about 6 sliced tomatoes and tons of onions, olives. this wasn't a salad that you would get at let's say The Cheesecake Factory which is also on Beverly Drive. i was hungry and I started making myself a Tuna Bagel Sandwich. I then realized that it came with pasta salad which was on the menu. I went up to the counter and asked the manager, he didn't even know whether the pasta salad came with the tuna salad or not. he started asking around then he said that the pasta salad was on my plate. LOOK, I KNOW WHAT PASTA SALAD IS AND IT WASN'T ON MY PLATE. HE DIDN'T EVEN SEE MY PLATE. so he said that he would give me a portion of the pasta salad like he was doing me a favor. I'm giving this place three stars, the menu is somewhat confusing. the food was fine, I might come back again BUT THIS IS NOT REALLY A TUNA SALAD, ELAINE ON "SEINFELD" WOULD HAVE COMPLAINED, SHE LIKES THE BIG SALAD, DID YOU SEE THAT EPISODE? WHY AM I WRITING IN CAPITALS? WHY DID THAT BULLY RICHARD MALNECK BEAT ME UP IN THE THIRD GRADE!!! WHY DID MY GIRLFRIEND LEAVE ME FOR A MILLIONAIRE MIDGET?? WHY AM I SO HANDSOME? feel free to leave a comment.
(3)Jennifer K.
This place is over-priced, over-hyped. There is a fair selection of bagel flavors and lots of coffee options. The restaurant is big for a bagel place, but too bright and busy inside to be relaxing for a weekend breakfast. Tried the water, sesame and onions bagels and was not impressed at all. Stick with Western or Noah's.
(2)corey s.
Work right next to this place and it's come a LONG way since training their staff a bit better. First off, there are TONS of options which is a good thing I guess. However, I get the same thing here every day. I get the ham, egg and cheese on a toasted garlic bagel + american cheese. TASTY, but VERY hard to eat without making a mess. The concept is cool but honestly the "Brooklynized Water" tastes no different than other water. I love the fact that they have skim milk on tap by the soda fountain as well. It's definitely just your average spot with a cool idea. Tons of bagel and muffin selections. Great if you're close by... not worth driving and finding parking though.
(3)Ollie D.
This Florida chain of bagel and sandwich shops recently opened its first West Coast store on South Beverly Drive. The menu contains a broad range of sandwiches and other lunch foods, as well as bagels. At present, the line is out the door at all times, so unless you want to wait half an hour for a bagel, better wait another week or so.
(3)M M.
Awesome Ice Coffee! Love love love the ice coffee cubes. The bagels were tasty enough, did remind me of back east but by the time they got them to our table our toasted bagels were cold, which is just disappointing.
(3)Lauren R.
I WAS IN A GOOD MOOD UNTIL SUNDAY OCTOBER 10 AT 12 NOON WHEN I WALKED INTO THIS CHEAP ESTABLISHMENT ON BEVERLY DRIVE!The worst restaurant I have ever been to in LA COUNTY! IF YOU WANT TO BE IGNORED SO THAT YOUR CASHIER CAN FLIRT WITH HER 50 YEAR OLD LADY FRIENDS THIS IS YOUR BAG. The minute I walked in here the cashier was downright rude she demanded to know to eat as soon as i walked in the door and was angered that I asked a simple question: "what kind of bagels come with the bagel sandwich?" She retorted back stating that they have every and all bagels. THEN I ASKED HER" OK, may i have mine on a wheat bagel?" She tells me they're out then I ask for a poppy-seed she says they're out then i ask her for another bagel option they're out of that too. Instead of just answering my initial inquiry.She and a co-worker laughed at us because we asked for a to go top for the cup she rudely handed us. WE DON'T WORK THERE WHY WOULD WE KNOW WHERE YOUR THINGS ARE LOCATED?! From there she wanted to argue about every item on the menu the friend I came with asked her to not be so rude as we are new customers and didn't know what our options were since the menu was haphazard and not written intelligibly I requested the sandwich platter which comes with your choice of eggs or omelette, fries, tomato or fruit. The patrons here were psychotic some witch walked in yelling at an old man for having a dog he had a permit for it was is only companion as he was DISABLED! ARE YOU KIDDING ME !SHE RUSHED US OUT OF THE WAY TO FLIRT WITH A WOMAN IN HER 50'S WHAT IS GOING ON HERE! I ASKED FOR EGG WHITES! and wanted a bagel sandwich not an omelette!!!!! NEITHER OF US WANTED AN OMELLETE WE ASKED FOR SANDWICHES! SHE BROUGHT OUT AN EGG OMELETE SANS TOMATO SANS FLAVOR AND IT WAS NOT EGG WHITES. WHEN I TOLD HER SHE BROUGHT OUT NOT WHAT I ASKED FOR SHE ASKED IF I WANTED A MUFFIN WHY THE HELL WOULD I WANT A MUFFIN ! HORRIBLE FOOD TASTED GROSS I FELT SICK AFTER FOR AN ENTIRE DAY YUCK! CHEAP TACKY SERVICE WITH MILLIONS OF SIGNS ASKING YOU TO BUY INTO SOME FRANCHISE WITH FRANCHISE VIDEOS ALL OVER THE PLACE. EXPENSIVE PRICES BUT YET CHEAP TACKY HORRIBLE DISGUSTING AND DOWNRIGHT RUDE AGEIST SERVICE! DID I MENTION CHEAP CHEAP TACKY AND CHEAP?!!!!!? GROSS! I MEAN WHEN YOU ASK FOR A TO GO PLATE THEY GIVE YOU A TOP THAT DOESNT FIT OVER THE BOX AND THE FOOD FLIES OUT EVERYWHERE I THOUGHT ABOUT GIVING THE FOOD TO A HOMELESS LADY OUTSIDE OF THE PLACE BUT I CHANGED MY MIND AS I WOULDNT WISH THIS FOOD ON MY WORST ENEMY
(1)Amanda S.
I got a wheat bagel with nova. It wasn't nearly toasted enough, which is too bad given that toasting it would have concealed the slightly stale texture - either the bagel wasn't fresh, or the texture lacks that good spongy doughy feel that fresh bagels are supposed to have. They're remarkably stingy on the cream cheese. There was a little bit was smeared on the bottom half of the bagel, with none on the top. I should have expected this - when I was paying, a man came up and complained that his bagel had only been buttered on one side. I've eaten a lot of bagels and I've never seen anyone only butter or put cream cheese on one half a bagel. All in all, I was not impressed and won't be going back. For almost $9, I can get the same thing but better at any number of bagel shops in this city.
(2)Andy P.
Forget about the gimmicky name or the "bagel production line" featured so prominently in the restaurant. I know that no one cares how a bagel comes into existence... this isn't Krispy Kreme for goodness sake! Forget about Larry King, the spotty service, the rude patrons, the shi shi Beverly Hills location, the coffee that comes in little ice cubes! Judge this place by its BAGELS and I defy you to find better in Los Angeles. Understand that this is LA... not New York, home to Yankees and the world's finest bagels. I don't doubt that you can get a bagel this good or better on every other street corner in the Big Apple... but where can you get a bagel with this type of bite, this type of doughy, firm and yet forgiving consistency in LA? This is the land of fusion cuisine, ladies in yoga pants walking their tiny dogs down the street, and catastrophically bad bagels. In that context, the bagels at BWB are incredible! Toasted, they are great solo, with spreads or in sandwich format (my preference). Yes, the gimmick is annoying, but seriously... I don't care if it's the water or some magic pixie dust they throw in there... BEST BAGELS in LA = 5 stars. (oh and the muffins rock too)
(5)Nathan R.
I went to check Brooklyn Water Bagel out shortly after opening because I'd heard a lot about it. Everyone always says that the pizza and bagels in Brooklyn are better because of the water, and I wondered why nobody had tried this concept yet so, naturally, I had to check it out. The staff were all very friendly, I was able to order fairly quickly, but that was it for the speed. It took at least 10 minutes to get my chicken salad bagel, and I was not impressed. I've had better bagels at a lot of places in LA and the chicken salad was good, but not great. This place seems to be gimmick driven (the word "Booklynized" is featured at least 15 times in big letters on the walls, windows, ice makers, etc). The only thing that impressed me were the coffee ice cubes. Now THAT is a good idea!
(2)Zane W.
Way, way, way too slow. If this place was actually in Brooklyn there would be irate customers screaming bloody murder. Yes, good bagels, but 15 minutes for a take out bagel is ridiculous!
(1)Gregg S.
Finally A great Ny style bagel, crispy outside, soft yeasty inside. Great bagels
(4)Benjamin P.
I go through phases of liking certain foods to the point of obsession. A month ago, bagels were my food fad of the moment, and I wanted to check this place out after seeing Larry on Jimmy (Kimmel, not Fallon). I've been to New York once, and had bagels every day I was there. I especially fell in love with flat bagels. I've not seen flat bagels anywhere else on the West Coast, not that I've looked particularly hard. BWB has a larger version of the flat bagel that I had in New York, but it hit the spot perfectly. The other bagel options were great, and they kept well for the week that I had them (7 at a time so one every morning!). The bagel sandwiches were not really that great, and I probably wouldn't order one again. But as far as bagels are concerned, this will be my go-to place from now on. Or rather it will be once I get another craving. Three weeks straight of bagels for breakfast got a little old...
(4)Elle S.
This place was a let down from the second we walked in the door. First off, there was a line a mile long that was NOT moving. Second, I get it, they are trying to advertise "Brooklyn style bagels," however "Brooklynized water" to me sounds filthy. I've been to Brooklyn. I did not drink the water. Next, the menu is set, you cannot alter anything on there which seems fishy to me. They claimed it was because they were too busy to alter anything, but dude, it take 5 seconds to read "no mushrooms" and 30 seconds for you to explain why I don't have a choice. The menu seemed very fast foody to me. Lot of things smothered in cheese. To boot, when I got my bagel, (I got the veggie lover's scooper), it was cheesey of course, but they wrapped it in paper which stuck to the cheese. I was peeling paper off of my food the whole time. Now, I am 7 months pregnant, and between the 11 minutes we had to spend in line, the 10 minutes it took to get us our food, and the peeling off of the paper from said food, I was fed up. How dare they get in between me and my food!!! WIth that said, we are never going back, and will stick to driving all the way to the Marina to East Coast bagel who never lets us down.
(1)Christine M.
Finally a half decent bagel in Los Angeles. Not sure why all bagels here are bready yeasty messes but Brooklyn Water Bagel is actually like a real bagel. The iced coffee is delicious and I love the coffee ice cubes.
(4)Marshall P.
I took my little 6 year old son to the new bagel shop in Beverly Hills. The french fries were greasy and there was a big black hair on my omelette. When I asked for something else, the owner came out and asked us to leave, saying I was upsetting the restaurant staff. It is a shame, but I guess they will be going the way of the Carngie Deli, back to New York. It is way overpriced for what you get. My little boy was shakened by the nastiness of the owner. He had ordered corned beef which turned out to be pre-packaged and then heated in a microwave .It tasted rubbery like the hairy omelette. Salad dressings are not home made and come already made loaded with preservatives. The bagels are okay at best,and the irony is they are not made with water from Brooklyn, but they take water and try to make it like Brooklyn water. I guess you could call it Brooklyn style water.
(1)Sandy L.
The Original Brooklyn Water Bagel Co. is one of the flashiest bagel factories I've ever ventured into. The restaurant touts itself as adding "Brooklynized" water into all their products (Bagels, soft drinks, etc.) and makes no small attempt to hide this fact. As a matter of fact, I saw the word "Brooklynized water" plastered everywhere! For those who don't know, "Brooklynized water" is made using their machine that takes tap water and transforms it into clean, safe drinking water, which is used in all their restaurants. My bf and I popped in at around noon for a quick lunch and the place looked pretty deserted though the seating and overall feel of the restaurant was very clean. Off to the right of the shop is an area where we could watch the bagels being made & baked, similar to Krispe Kreme's. We each decided to order a toasted bagel with light cream cheese. THe bagels were $1.29 each and adding an additional spread was a little extra. Once we paid, we sat down and waited for the bagels to be brought to our table. The wait was not terribly long but were the bagels outstanding from the bagel factory? No. Could I tell the bagels had been made with "Brooklynized water"? No. Sadly, my whole-wheat bagel tasted like something I could have purchased from Vons or Ralphs. My bf's cinnamon raisin bagel barely had any cinnamon flavor and about 5 raisins sprinkled throughout the WHOLE bagel. Ugh. 3 stars, at most, for the bagels here, which, in all honesty, is rather unacceptable. However, the "Cubsta" iced coffee was the saving grace in our meal. I had never seen ice cubes made out of coffee before and here, you can help yourself to an unlimited amount of the coffee ice cubes, creamers (there was soymilk!) and a variety of ice java flavors. I had a hoot mixing different coffee combinations because the coffee ice cubes are not only innovative but also genius! As the cubes melt, the coffee becomes more concentrated, not diluted! Though we didn't get a soft drink, there was also an option to make your own cherry coke by adding your desired amount of cherry syrup; I thought this was pretty neat too. Bottom line: Parking is rough as there is only street parking available. Would I return for one of their bagels again? Unlikely. Would I come back for another cup of iced Cubsta coffee? Very likely.
(3)Natasha T.
I come here for two things: Larry King sightings and the chocolate U-Bet syrup. I am by no means a bagel snob - my honest and true favorite bagel still comes from good ol' Noah's. However, they do a decent bagel here, although I'm a little skeeved out by the idea of Brooklyn h20 because...uh...if memory serves correct, aren't their pipes old/rusty/gross?! I am also a West Coast elitist, so maybe I'm just being a prejudiced jerk :/ Regardless, the bagels are spot-on in terms of emulating Brooklyn's famed carbohydrate delivery system. Their Reuben bagel sandwich is good, as is the ham and cheese. That's all I ever eat here! Super not-adventurous when it comes to bagels, but that's okay. Their scooper sandwich things look interesting, but I am sort of traditional with my bagels (i.e. don't toast those suckers!), so my opinion is a little skewed here. Seriously though, that chocolate U-Bet syrup. I make chocolate cokes here and am a happy little camper. Plus Larry. He's actually quite stylish when he's not wearing his signature suspenders! All in all, not a bad little lunch spot to hide away from the fancy-pants denizens of Beverly Hills. I like it here.
(4)candice v.
The bagels were really good but giving only 3 stars because of the length of time it took to get TWO bagels. Plan was to run in on Sunday morning and grab 2 bagels with cream cheese. Nothing fancy just simple and easy. It took 45 minutes from the time I got in line to the time I got the take out order. Not at all something you would expect when running in to grab 2 bagels. Speed it up!
(3)Bobby C.
I hope the food is good because the service stinks. Three plus people standing around while one kid struggles on the register. One girl with a scowl on her face took an order then looked t me and decided I could wait. I'm still waiting. She is now playing with the Splenda boxes. And folks are still in line. Slllooooooooowwwww! Order is finally in with Pokey Joe, now we wait on someone to make it and let it sit on the counter. Still waiting. It better be good or they will lose a star.
(2)Chris K.
Usually fine, this place has turned recently. Had to literally place my order 8 or 9 times (5 times on the phone and then 3 or 4 when I was there) and then they screwed it up!! I thought I was on a prank show. The place is run terribly and none of the employees is doing anything. My order was going to take 15 minutes (bc of course she hadn't put it in yet) then I'm just sitting there and my food is waiting for me but no one called out my name. Then I get my warmish good and they got the order wrong. I just can't with this place. Used to be great but had really gone downhill. Too bad. Hope they can get it together.
(2)Yosi E.
Best bagels in LA, period. My wife and I live close by and frequent here for breakfast on Sundays. The bagels are almost as good as NY bagels and the coffee is great too (ice coffee with coffee ice cubes- genius). Unfortunately, Mr. King's staff are not the best. It's not uncommon for them to mess up orders or to be a little rude to customers. In our last visit the cashier was rude for no reason and I had to remind him that I was a customer and that he needed to watch his mouth around patrons. Another very annoying detail about this place is that they always run out of certain flavors on weekends- does management not keep track of sales or pay attention to production? If management stepped their game up this place would be a solid 5.
(4)Micheal W.
A bagel and cream cheese to go shouldn't take 20 minutes. I keep trying this place because of its location, but I keep leaving disappointed. The bagels are okay but nothing special. They're just bagels after all, and not fresh out of the oven as advertised. Other items I've tried - omelet - fried potatoes - sandwich - fries - were all sub par. And the menu is confusing, which slows down the order taking. But as other reviewers have commented, the worst part is the service which is terribly slow every time. This morning just the one guy: taking the orders, giving them to the back, delivering to the tables, and bagging up the to go orders. The girl waiting in front of me got fed up and had to ask for her order again. And then I had to ask for mine again as well! When I walked in and saw the line backing up, I should have just walked back out. I won't be fooled again. Peet's Coffee & Tea is next door. Go there for GOOD coffee and a danish or muffin.
(1)Jenna K.
The food is decent but they are slower than molasses. 30 minutes to get a bagel because "an omelet is ahead of you."
(1)neal m.
After always waiting at least 15 minutes for an order. I thought I'd call in a huge order for 50 people I even double checked while on the way Told today. We have no power to make bagels. What a joke. After reading yelp can see why review after review shows one fiasco after another. You just can't buy negativity like this. Can you imagine a power issue at any real franchise? They'd be all over it Sends a signal to the world. "We're amateurs" Larry. ever go into Canters and was told there was no food cause of any issue?? Come now
(1)Gil D.
I am giving this place 5 stars because it's easily the closest you can get to a New York bagel in LA. I'm originally from New York, so I would know. It's one of the few bagel places where you can get a bagel that doesn't HAVE to be toasted. The sides that they offer are also excellent - tuna, egg salad, whipped butter. All very well made. As an added bonus, try the specially made in-house water they have available in the fountain drink dispenser. Ridiculously refreshing and clean.
(5)Robert C.
Apparently under new ownership from many months ago, operational procedures back THEN were FAR superior than they are currently. The crew has NO personality, collectively or individually. And BTW...do NOT take that attitude over the counter with ME because you will NOT win that one in open forum. ....We've eaten a TON of breakfast sandwiches here as well as toasted bagels w/ cream cheese. For what they charge, the amount of cream cheese on the bagel is ridiculously pitiful and on more than one occasion.....like TODAY....I went back in...Opened the bagel at the counter and had to ask if anyone back there thought THIS was a product that warranted the price. At that moment Larry King came in, went behind the counter to bag some bagels then proceeded to get a cold drink before he left...at which point I debated whether to say something or not. Decided no, since I'd bet money he has no day-to-day operational input. Anyway...it's a far cry from what it was a year ago. Very disappointing. And start hiring people who have a work ethic!!!!
(1)Shiva S.
Went here today for the first time, which was New Year's Day. They were open until noon and we it there at 11:35. Waited in line for 15 mins and by the time we got to the front of the line they literally had no bagels left. Got the marble bagel, which was tasteless and pretty cold even though I asked for it to be toasted. Chris the server was the only amazing part of my experience. He was the only employee who acknowledged us and was very attentive.
(2)Tastemaker B.
Hands-down the best bagel place I've ever been to in my life! Firstly, their variety and freshness are unparalleled. They are made in-house daily with special water solution to ensure the classic "Brooklynized" flavor aficionados crave. Secondly, they have a veritable coffee buffet! A wide variety of different blends of both hot or cold brewed coffee, any kind of milk or creamer you could want, and every kind of sweetener available. They even have coffee ice cubes for your iced coffee to keep it from getting watered down when the ice melts. Oh, and free refills! Lastly, best whitefish in the city. My favorite thing to order is a whitefish bagel-wich (tomato and red onion, hold the lettuce) on an everything bagel, lightly toasted.
(4)Esther Y.
I normally come here when I'm in the area and when there's available metered parking in the front (usually never). Out of all the bagel places I've tried, this place was my fave. I found their bagels to be nice and chewy and they never skimped on the cream cheese.... Until recently . Will try one more time, but the effort to drive here and find parking isn't worth it. Also didn't think their coffee was anything special, much rather drink my Starbucks :)
(3)Lindsay F.
Carbs schmarbs. The more the merrier, in my opinion. After all, I knew it was only a matter of days before I would sink my teeth in to a bagel from this joint. Look, I'd be a liar if I said I wasn't skeptical; I mean, could they really get the whole 'Brooklyn water thing' right? Actually, TOBWBC makes a near-perfect, New York-style bagel with just enough chew, crunch, and spot-on crust-to-bread-fluff ratio. The fact that they carry frozen coffee cubes for your iced beverage (instead of boring old ice) says it all. Oh, and Larry King is a daily fixture at the S. Beverly Drive location. You know, if you're a star-struck fame whore like myself. As a New Yorker, I'm thrilled to have them in my 'hood.
(4)Max G.
Service was quick as opposed to what others said but the line was long. I'm still laughing about the way they are advertising their bagels, and the machine at the entrance that is supposed to be processing the water so their bagels taste good. ROFL... We have ordered multi grain and salt bagel and both of them were not good. I'm giving this place 3 stars because I really liked their medium roast coffee. Go to Einsteins bagel, they don't have a water machine at the entrance but their bagels tastes way way better. They must be shipping their water from Brooklyn.
(3)Jon-Michael L.
This place is great. I am a REAL New Yorker, and this is the only place that will not put mayo, lettuce, and tomato on a bacon, egg, and cheese (get your act together California). In addition, there breakfast prices are more than reasonable. Two dollars for a bagel with cream cheese is a far superior choice than going across the street to Urth and paying $6+ for the same item. I have not been to this location for lunch but for breakfast or hangover needs the place is great!
(5)Stella P.
Hands down the best part about this place is their iced coffee. They make the ice cubes out of coffee so you can take your time drinking it and it never gets watered down! You can also order the coffee in a huge cup, so it really lasts all day. The bagels delicious, a little heavy on the cream cheese but you can just ask them to go light. My favorite is the everything bagel with scallion cream cheese. They have windows looking into the kitchen so you can see the bagels being made which is a nice touch. I rarely see them working but I think it is because I don't usually go early in the day. This is Brooklyn Water Bagel's prime location right in Beverly Hills, Larry King is there often, it's nice to see him supporting his own business. Parking is metered and easy to find near the restaurant. I like to get coffee to go and walk around the nearby neighborhoods or up to rodeo drive for window shopping.
(4)Elizabeth F.
Really, really great bagels. Forget your diet... i you're hungover, their egg sandwiches will make you feel as good as new. Plus their iced coffee is UNREAL. They have ice cubes made out of coffee so it never gets watered down. They have every flavor imaginable, from banana and khalua to classic vanilla. Definitely my favorite coffee place. I wish there were more locations!! And also more street parking.
(5)Gaia L.
On weekends when you have a need for that bagel- this is the place to go. They say the taste is of the bagel is from the water they use ( Brooklyners claim so as well). The iced coffee cubes to put in your coffee is a delight.
(4)Tony C.
Parking sucks here. Street parking and some neighborhood parking, as the residential areas have restricted parking. Came in around 12:30pm, and it was not busy at all. The highlight of this place is the iced coffee (~$4). There are many varieties to choose from, and the ice cubes are made of coffee! I opted to the medium-roast, and I was surprised by how good it was. However, I'm not coffee expert so yeah, don't be mad at me if you try it and think it sucks. The cinnamon raisin bagel was bland; there are better bagels elsewhere. I wouldn't venture too far out of your way to go here, but if you happen to be walking by and want some coffee, give their iced coffee a try.
(3)D. R.
I continue to be let down. I have been going to this restaurant for over a year now. It takes way to long to get the food. Sometimes I will order just a toasted bagel with butter. Wow, you would think that they were cooking the bagel for each and every order. It just should not take that long. They recently changed the menu and increased all of the prices. Yesterday, I had the bacon, breakfast sandwich and the bacon was very stringy. Not what I was looking for at all. I feel like the quality has gone down. The place is usually messy as well. It definitely needs a tune up on their management and proper training for their staff. I think the only thing that keeps this place open is its location. I can't wait for Panera to open across the street.
(2)Tony T.
If you've ever been to a Jersey Mikes, this place is a lot like one but lose the beach theme and add in Brooklyn. Bagels aren't bad, there has to be better NY bagels in LA. The "franchised" feel takes away from the experience a bit.
(4)Lisa Z.
I have NEVER heard of any restaurant charging for a pad of butter! Are you kidding me! Such bad business.
(2)Suzi O.
Their signature Iced Coffee Cubsta, which features ice cubes made completely out of freshly roasted coffee, is my favorite drink to get here. It is absolutely delicious! Their bagels are also pretty good. Overall, it's a great place to grab breakfast if you aren't in a hurry. They open at 6:30 am, and not a minute earlier. Be prepared to wait 10-15 mins for your bagel, though.
(3)Erin Z.
I don't understand all the complaints - The bagels here surprised me. They are sufficiently dense and chewy, have great flavor, and they don't skimp on the seeds and other toppings. The sesame, poppy, and everything flagels are even better. They could be described as a flattened chewier saucer shaped bagel. I have noticed the coffee is watered down recently. Come for the bagels, not the ambiance.
(4)Mike S.
I just like the bagels here. Maybe it's the water... I'm from NY and I totally get the water and dough relationship. I also see Larry King here about 30% of the times I go. I like that he eats at his own restaurant, even if he he has things not on the menu. I usually order a toasted onion bagel with vegetable cream cheese. They give you a nice fat "schmear" of whatever cream cheese you when you order a bagel w cc. Almost to much. I dig the vegetable cc most. Their egg bagel sandwiches are good too, but I've yet to try some of their fancier bagel sandwiches. Kind of not my thing. I'm a bagel and cream cheese person, sometimes I like me some lox too, or whitefish salad. I like the variety of the beverage having area; having all the different choices is liberating. The coffee ice cubes are genius and I love that you can make your own egg cream. They are working on their service having just hired a new "manager" and a few fresh & cheery counter folk, but they could still use more hands taking orders and moving the line along. I'd give 5 stars if it were a more efficient setup as I hate ordering at the register and then they go get your bagels from the rack; it allows time for them to run out of what you want. I'm used to talking right to the bagelista as they bag my order: "Yea I'll take 2 of those, and 3 of these, and what's that, salt? yea 1 of those..." I hate them running out of my everything flagel just before I order it because they are too slow punching in my order before someone else snags it - I hate that. Overall, bagels from BWB are pretty darn good. The work-flow could be better. Make it better Larry, we know you care.
(4)RC S.
Tasty bagels in a large, convenient eat-in setting. They supposedly "Brooklynize" the water, which they say is the key to offering truly authentic Brooklyn-style bagels. Whether that is real or schtick doesn't matter much to me. The bagels are great! It is apparently true that Larry King owns this place. Out of a dozen times I have visited, he has dropped by at least nine or ten of them. The everything bagels are my favorite. Admirably, they place the seeds and such on *both* sides, not just the top. The kitchen can be a little slow, which I don't really understand (how long does it take to toast a bagel?). But the ease of parking and ordering nets out this minor inconvenience.
(4)Udi Z.
Their bagels taste good, but this place is both stingy and overcharging for what's on it's bagels. For example, I just ordered a very simple whole wheat bagel with avocado. It cost at least a buck more than two other bagel stores down the street but had a meager avocado portion. I think if you charge more than your competitors, at least get lavish with your servings. Scantily flavored, borderline dry bagels won't make the cut! They won't see my business anytime soon, and if they stick to their current approach, I can't see them staying in business too long.
(2)Sean M.
Great place to have breakfast. Their bagles are perfect and their prices are fair. Portions are big. Their coffee selection is very big. Overall, I highly recommend this place.
(5)Michael B.
Good Bagels but sandwiches are too skimpy. For example, the nova scotia is not bad, but they give you very little of it. Prices that are fair for one sandwich become expensive when you have to order 2 or leave hungry.
(2)Caroline S.
The bagels are just awful I have been here twice and both times my husband and I threw our bagels in the garbage the bagels really are that bad. No flavor and chewy just awful. Bagel Broker still L.A.s best bagels
(1)Valerie M.
Cinnamon raisin bagels disappoint. Very little flavor & scant raisins. Bagel Nosh's so much better!
(2)Greg G.
If you are looking for a warm out of the oven bagel, this is NOT the place! Despite a sign promising fresh warm bagels,they have not been available 99% of the time i have been there. I was told by the Cashier that for an extra $1.25 the bagel could be toasted. This is not the same as a warm bagel.
(2)Rickey B.
Let me start out with that New York Bagel and Deli (NYBD) in Santa Monica have the best bagels and bialys in town and as far as I'm concerned the best west of the EST .So this place doesn't match that quality but they do some things right. Entering this place, it sort of has the décor of the house Ray Liotta had on Long Island in Goodfellas. Light blue hues and colors right out of the Levitz catalog. Sort of depressing. Strange. Also, they play "The Honeymooners" on the TVs around the room. Strange again, as while a great show, Gleason and Carney were more likely to have a scotch than a bagel. Anyway, this is what the place does right. When you order a bagel and some type of cream cheese they don't just put a little on like it was butter or jam they really give you the type of heavy schmear that they do in the "boroughs." In fact, it is how it should be done and maybe even NYBD can take a little lesson from them. Yet, no bialys sorry to say. Couple of other points, too many strange coffee options and they make a big thing about them having UBet chocolate syrup for an egg cream. I bet not actually. So, if you want a bagel and cream cheese for under $3 that fills you up for the rest of the week this is the place. If you also want a bit of downer from the atmosphere as Ralph Kramden is about to get on a bus, this too is that place.
(4)Ninus O.
These guys deliver a decent bagel though I'm still not sure why the water is a big selling point. The menu is a little too extensive for a bagel shop (not sure why I'd come here to order a wrap)...stick to what you know. One big bagel shop don't is immediately putting cream cheese on a hot toasted bagel which was a soupy mess by the time I got it. On a positive note this place has the biggest self serve coffee and coffee condiment area I've seen. The speciality creams for coffee are big plus. The real winner in this place is getting a surly greeting by Larry King Seated in his private table holding a type of senior VIP court with his buddies. I appreciate the perfect placement of his framed mug on the wall for those unaware of Beverly Hills royalty in their presence while noshing.
(4)Yasmin G.
Everything here is so fresh and delicious!! My boyfriend and I come here all the time, we love it! Our favorite is the egg white protein omelet. Its low cholesterol, low sodium, high protein deliciousness!!! Its everything breakfast wants to be! The staff is friendly and helpful, and we caught our first sighting of Larry King this afternoon. The orange juice is freshly squeezed and they have more options for coffee than you can shake a stick at. I want to eat here every weekend (and I think I just might)!!
(5)Jenn C.
I live nearby and come here occasionally for some coffee and a toasted-bagel-with-peanut-butter. From the start, this place won me over with its soy milk dispenser for coffee. It's very rare to find a restaurant that has soy milk so readily available. This restaurant has friendly employees and a laid-back weekday morning atmosphere that typically includes Larry King. I've yet to have a bad experience here. Minus one star for no wifi...
(4)Dave K.
Thought I'd give it another try since it was a weekday mid-morning and only two other people in line... it took 15 minutes just to get a bagel! There were three people at the counter and four in the kitchen... how long should it take?? Manager made no effort to make things right or go faster.... what a disappointment. The bagels are passable (New York Bagel and Deli in Santa Monica is still the best around) but it's just not worth the frustration of dealing with these jerks. If these guys were REALLY from Brooklyn then they'd know what a "New York minute" was...
(1)Leila R.
I can't put my finger on it, but this place keeps on drawing me back in. The service is pretty slow* but that's ok because it gives me time to guzzle down eight gallons of their amazing iced coffee. They are always running out of flagels (make less bagels and more flagels, store!!!), but man oh man are they good. Get in before 10 for the best selection. * but friendly.
(4)Peter C.
Finally a bagel shop with good bagels! Being from back east I am extremely picky when it comes to bagels and pizza. Brooklyn bagels is the only place in LA that even comes close to comparing. The lines are usually short so service is quick and the prices are very reasonable. Highly recommend taking a dozen to go with the various selections of cream cheeses. This is a must if you're looking for an "authentic" back east bagel.
(4)Jazzy B.
The bagels and sandwiches are amazing I go here all the time because of that, but they usually get my order wrong so make sure you double check before you leave.
(3)David M.
Worth coming to try their coffee ice cubes but that's about it. The service is slow and generally unhelpful, and the sandwiches/wraps are not worth the cost (average is $8 for a bagel sandwich). Jersey Mike's is just across the road and for roughly the same cost you get way more food and friendlier employees.
(1)Rhonda M.
Too long a wait for a take out order. I have given this place a try so many times and each time the wait for a bagel and cream cheese take out is 15-20 minutes. They need to focus on bringing New York service to their store and not New York water!
(1)Maryam A.
So done with this place! They make sure to charge you but never give you all of your order I don't know how many times I've been to this place and when I got home and look inside the bag I realized that I've been ripped off once again! I they are always out of coffee they don't keep the coffee pouring station clean of don't check to see what needs to be brewed so what should only take 5 min to get a bagel and coffee should never take 40 min! Because they have to brew new pots, I made a complaint to the manager and he said well what do you want me to do about it.? Unbelievable! Don't give these people your Business
(1)Alex B.
The food is great and Tom is tha bomb. The bagels are great, the coffee is great, and the workers are super friendly!
(5)Tess M.
Water, and wheat, and yeast, oh my! I'm not a bagel connoisseur by any means, in fact, I generally avoid these yum rounds o' carbs unless nearly all their inner goodness is scooped out leaving a mere shell, a vehicle to hold non-starchy calories. Cool to see this establishment serves up signature, Scooper Melts® brooklynwaterbagels.com/… ! So again, what do I know? Well, my out-of-town, guests would need breakfast, an excellent excuse for me to have bagels and cream cheese and perhaps even more contraband calories in the house. Brooklyn Water Bagel was convenient for multi-tasking me and besides I was curious about the hype and all over the board Yelp reviews. How bad can bread be anyway? Long story short, I snagged six to be divided among three from a courteous, young, counter man, who offered to slice said half dozen on the house. I declined as I have a slicer and a bit of expertise. Allowed myself an "Everything Flagel" which I learned is a bagel that's been flattened. Who knew? Now I do. My lunch, it tasted like a bagel nonetheless. Was pleased to find a courtesy, Ziploc® storage bag included with my purchase but concerned to find instructions printed on it to either consume "same day" or freeze due to lack of preservatives. That lack, a good thing, left me wondering should I take a 24-hour, food safety chance? Bottomline, a day later made no difference, however I did refrigerate my purchase just in case. Bagels were a hit, halved, toasted then quartered to bite size, with my DIY toppings of whipped cream cheese, red onion, avocado, chocolate heirloom tomato, and capers.
(3)Cecile D.
The asiago jalapeño bagel with cream cheese and tomato is a perfect meal. The coffee selection here blows away any other coffee house. I love the flavored coffee options and creamers. The iced cubes are even coffee iced cubes so you get an extra kick and not watered down iced coffee. It's make your own so you can control how much of everything goes into it. I love that I don't have to go to Brooklyn for my bagel and coffee fix because this place makes you feel like you're there and I'm so happy about that!!!
(5)Cynthia P.
I have been coming to this place since is opened and I have to wonder what is happening. The last two months whenever I have come in to get a muffin, they either don't have them, or the muffins are stale. I now ask when they were last baked because sometimes they are sitting their for two or three days. I came here on a Friday morning and there was a sign on the door that said "sorry we are closed". I really like their muffins but I guess it is time to find a new place to eat.
(2)Allen L.
Being a native New Yorker, I was very excited to try this place. I was also intrigued by Larry King's apparent ownership. Maybe I would see him there? So I walk in at about 9 am yesterday morning (Saturday) and I immediately like the place. Big, bright, clean, with lots of Brooklyn decorations...the best one being Mr. Larry King himself! I couldn't believe it - there he was sitting in the front corner booth in a baseball hat surrounded by a bunch of old cronies. A guy went over to say hello and pay respects. It kind of looked like a scene out of the Sopranos. Larry King aside, I went onto my prime objective. I waited a few mins on line and ordered a toasted sesame bagel with cream cheese and an iced tea. When the bagel came, I excitedly took a bite and was...disappointed. Yes, the bagel did have some extra flavor because of the "Brooklyn Water". It definitely tasted different than others and was reminiscent of a true NY Bagel. But the "meat" of the bagel just didn't have that fresh chewiness that I was used to back east. The cream cheese was good, but a little too dense. Cream cheese in NY is smooth and fluffy. Personally, I wouldn't visit this place again unless I'm entertaining a guest in town. It's kind of like going to Universal Studios or Disney - expensive and good once in a while.
(3)Winthrop B.
Terrible service. Before taking my order, the girl at the register called out the name of another customer who's food was ready. She repeated it again and when there was still no answer yelled it angrily. Yelled. Angrily. Then she threw the bag down, turned and welcomed me with a fake smile. I should have left at that point. My order (bagel and cream cheese) took almost 15 minutes. The place was busy but not that busy. There was no line, just people waiting on slow food prep. A man, who I took for the manager because of his slacks and button up, stood the entire time with his back to the waiting customers, seemingly hoping that by staring into the kitchen the food would come more quickly. He never addressed the people who were waiting, no apology, explanation, smile, etc. I had to feed my meter because I'd naively thought 12 minutes was enough time to get a bagel and cream cheese. Not from OBWC! When I finally got my onion bagel with veggie cream cheese back to the office, it tasted sweet. Like the knife used to cut it or spread the cream cheese had not been cleaned properly between orders. And the uncontaminated parts of the bagel were disappointing too.
(1)Mrs X X.
Every time I go in there something is not working. Either the credit card machine, the coffee dispenser, soda fountain, etc etc etc.... Blah
(2)Deborah Z.
This place is overrated. I decided to go one day after reading all the reviews. The bagels didn't even taste that good. The seating is weird. It looked like a McDonald's inside. I would rather go to Noah's bagel and be happy.
(2)Chris P.
I had to finally give up on this place after I pull up and they had a sign on their door that stated their kettles were down and they didn't have bagels. Even before that, it was struggling to keep me as a customer. It seems every time I went they just don't have their act together. One person on the register during a Friday at 9am is not good management. They'd have a poor selection of bagels and cream cheese on busy days or just not have any. I have a bit of experience having worked at a bagel store for 5 years throughout high school and college growing up. It's not hard to anticipate when you will have a rush and when you should be making more of one kind of bagel. You anticipate these rushes and demand and you create charts and track who's ordering what. Routinely they are out of select bagels and when that happens you lose customers. On another note, the lines and wait can be long. The layout of the store needs improvement. People don't know how to get in and order their food. They have a tiny arrow pointing to your right as you walk in. Routinely I would see people questioning where to order. While you wait for the order the staff try to squeeze by as other customers attempt to fill their coffees. I constantly felt I was in the way, and i was, but i had no where to go. I will say they do have a good selection of coffee both hot and cold and even frozen ice coffee cubes. Great idea! That way the melting ice doesn't dilute your ice coffee. The bagels are pretty good, but I'd like to see a wider selection of cream cheese. The staff needs to check their orders more carefully. I ordered two bagels with cream cheese, the girl called my number and gave it to me, I figured it was my complete order, but when I got to my car I realized they didn't put my other bagel in the bag. I went back and they had the 2nd half of my order in a separate bag. There was a time when I ordered a dozen bagels. Half Cinnamon Raisin and half Everything. Bagel 101 is not to put the two in the same bag because the garlic makes everything else taste like garlic. So I asked if she could put them in a separate bag, which she obliged, however she took out the everything and left all the shake in the bottom of the bag along with the Cinnamon Raisin. So all the bagels tasted like garlic anyway. Maybe these are hiccups of starting out a new store and they can overcome them as they grow and develop, but they should consult with someone to address these issues. Especially not having bagels at a bagel store! That would be my biggest concern.
(2)Sugar B.
3 strikes and you're out Brooklyn Water Bagel! I have been here 4 times in the last 16 months . I generally avoid BWB bc I dont think their bagels are that great and they are always so slow getting your order out. But sometimes it is the most convenient option. More importantly, 3 of the last 4 times I have been there they have screwed up my order. One time, I was eating there so they fixed it. 2 of those times it was a to-go order and I didnt open it up until I got home only to find I had been given the wrong items. I will not be going back. Bit of advice, if you are ordering to go, make sure to inspect your order before you leave the restaurant!
(1)Bita P.
This is our hangout on Wednesday mornings. The bagels are great and they are generous with their cream cheese. They bring your order to your table which allows u to sip your coffee until the food comes. Speaking of coffee, this place is great for coffee. It is self serve coffee with many choices for hot coffee including many creamer choices that include slim milk, half and half, as well as the vanilla and hazelnut creamers. For ice coffee they have "ice coffee" which is coffee ice cubes as not to dilute your coffee as the ice melts. Genius! I really recommend giving this place a try specially if like to see Larry king having breakfast with his friends.
(4)Jaramy N.
Stopped in here during a recent visit with family in LA. My relatives who brought me here come frequently but I think only because it is convenient and they are tolerable people. We placed our orders and the food came within a reasonable time however part of the order was wrong. Apparently the servers are not empowered with any type of decision making capabilities as she said she would have to go check with the manager to see how to handle it. While she was away my relative said "70% of the time they get the orders wrong".... wow, if it was that bad I would not continue to go. Our waitress returned and told us that the manager said "we can swap this out"...uhhh, as if that wasn't an option? What, were they going to make him eat the wrong order?? Wife ordered sliced nova and cream cheese...shortly after that she fell incredibly ill. As far as bagels...it's just a bagel, nothing special. Also, on the storefront the post "free wifi" but scanning the wifi networks no open networks to be found nor any that had a naming convention that seemed like it belonged to Brooklyn Bagels. Our next trip to LA I will not return here even if my relatives invite us to join.
(1)Bianca W.
I take most of what I said back. The managers really try and I'll be setting foot in there soon. I'll just avoid the slackers.
(3)Travis S.
Hey you! Ever wonder what a bagel made with "Brooklynized" water tastes like? No? Good, neither has anyone ever. But apparently the marketing guy at this place thought that this gimmick would be a big draw for the Beverly Hills crowd. And what can I say; the bagels tasted exactly how I thought they would, being made with Brooklyn water, gross. Don't be one of those people that says "if you were from Brooklyn, you'd get it." Oh I get it, these bagels taste like crap and are hard as a rock. Their sandwiches are just as bunk. I really can't get over how bad the food is. As far as the décor, the walls are lined with celebrities that are from Brooklyn, which is seriously impressive if I was having a bagel with one of them. Unfortunately I'm stuck with my whiny girlfriend. Larry you're killing me with place! Please allow me to live the long fruit full life you've lived... as long as the fruit isn't from this Brooklyn bagel store. If this place is Brooklyn, then Einstein's Bagels is Manhattan. Just because you got the Nets, you can get more for your money in rent and have decent views - that doesn't mean we respect you. Seriously, your hipster culture is an uninteresting fad. You need to grow up, stop dressing like a tool, and move to Manhattan. Just like you Brooklyn Bagels - grow up... and stop serving tool bagels.
(1)Michelle A.
I love the sunflower seed wheat bagel. I like getting that toasted with cream cheese and to make their sandwiches. I LOVE the iced coffee, the coffee ice cubes are a genius idea. My favorite blend is the Hannah banana.
(5)Tam G.
Everything about this place (except for the niceness of the staff) was a turnoff. Bagel was dense, chewy and gross. I know a good New York (or, Brooklyn) bagel - and this, my friend, is no New York bagel. If this is the restaurant's key selling point, they failed miserably! Ambiance felt like a franchise designed by chunky middle-aged MBAs in polo shirts and khakis (it IS a franchise, as the videos keep reminding you - in case you fall in love with dark, neon-punctuated, airport terminal-style dining and want to open your own). Practically screams "from the talented minds who brought you 'The Tilted Kilt!'" The line to order moved UBER-slow, but at least it was amusing to watch staff making the mediocre bagels in back. AND NO WIFI. Seriously, in 2013? Is it because they think people will linger with their laptops in this depressingly "Disney tries to do Brooklyn" atmosphere with their awful bagels? BTW: I checked their Board of Directors and wasn't far off: brooklynwaterbagels.com/… A hedge fund guy. another guy who made a fortune developing shopping centers, and the founder, a finance and mortgage professional, who boasts that he honed the concept with "some of the best and brightest minds in QSR."
(2)Levi-Alana G.
long line, fuckin sweet bagels, a lot of persians. -_-, so many screens, however; THEY HAVE ICED COFFEE ICE CUBES. THIS IS GENIUS. // also, you can catch us [little fishes] at the brooklyn bagel on a good day :) #believeinthebrooklynbagelhype
(4)Sabrina L.
My brother and I get homesick for our food in NY, but we've started coming here to get our Brooklyn-style bagel fill. The water really does make a difference here. I brought a few bagels for my friend, and he definitely noticed the difference in quality (especially in contrast with a store-bought brand). Although the "scooped" concept isn't native to Brooklyn, the sandwiches are still good. Their menu is more extensive than most bagel places, and it's at a reasonable price for lunch. The thing that puts this place over the top is the service. Miguel is extremely friendly and takes care of us well.
(5)Mashty S.
I am being very nice to give this place two stars. I lived next door and I have been there so many times and I think I have had it. The people who work there are not the brightest people. EVERY SINGLE TIME they get my order wrong. How difficult is it to take a simple order? You are charging an arm and leg for bagels, so the least you can do is to hire people who haves some sort of a brain. This girl with piercing all over her face should pay more attention to the order, how many times you asked us to repeat our order? We repeated our order at least 4 times and she still messed up. They should tell her to wash the bagel machine or something, they shouldn't ask her to work the register. So overall, the food is not that bad, I think it's pretty overpriced, but the service is soooooooooooooo horrible that it makes you think twice about going there. I will stop going to place until they change the management and hire new staff.
(2)Jacob R.
Best bagels in town if you can get past the celebrity endorsements, neon signs and long wait. Take it to go and it's a 5 star bagel.
(5)Sean S.
The only good thing they have at this place is their iced coffee everything else is pretty plain no flavor, service is also very slow and takes forever to get your food, they're also always out of some of the bagels so I do not recommend this place.
(2)Elita E.
I absolutely go to this place 3 to 4 days per week. The CUBSTA ice cubes made out of coffee is such a clever idea that I don't know why more coffee places hadn't thought of this! There an EXCELLENT array of iced (&shot) coffees to fancy the palate! What I do is transfer my cubes & LARGEST CUBSTA coffee into a CONTIGO stainless steel mug that keeps my cubes frozen/UNMELTED for nearly 9 hours so can enjoy my cold coffee slowly at the office as it stays cold! I've spotted THE Larry King (I think he's the owner) on a Saturday! The staff is consistently friendly EVERY DAY! I'll rate them a 5-star IF & WHEN they decide to OPEN earlier than 6:30 a.m. Bagels & flagels (flat bagels) are good, too! PLEASEEEEE OPEN EARLIER! :-D
(4)Allison A.
My dad loves to talk about how great bagels are in New York because they are boiled, etc etc. This is the first place that we've found out west that garners his stamp of approval. The bagel sandwiches are good, but the real reason I come here is for the iced coffee. They start with iced coffee cubes, so that your coffee doesn't get watery when they eventually melt. Then it's a serve yourself style bar with all different flavors of iced or hot coffee. Combine with the assortment of milks and creamers to make your amazing morning treat.
(4)Anthony S.
Great Bagels. Slow service. Fix the service and you have 5 stars but it doesn't seem like management reads Yelp reviews.
(3)Steph C.
Solid bagel place - not particularly amazing, not particularly terrible... just solid. I like the flagel, which is basically a smashed (flat) bagel. Ends up being kind of like a pizza you put (preferably strawberry) cream cheese on. Said a dining companion, "Did you know it takes about 24-48 hours for a bagel to completely pass through your system? That's how dense it is." great... Staff are friendly, menu's expansive, and of course I marveled at the coffee ice cubes.
(3)Tyler D.
I went to get bagels for my office this morning and the girl who took my order was extremely rude. I actually had to tell her to calm down. She couldn't hear me and it was frustrating to her - as I can understand - but there was no need to be so short with me. The bagels are fantastic but the service was a major turn off. I've worked in a hotel for over 10 years and I understand that things can get irritating from time to time but snapping at a customer is definitely not the best solution.
(2)Ariella H.
I'd give the food 2 stars, but service gets it down to 1. The bagels are ok. You can get a yummier bagel down the street at the local Coffee Bean. The only good thing about this place is the cool ice cubes. The service was horrible, and I'm not usually one to be a big stickler on service. I don't expect much. But they couldn't care less about you and make the entire experience awful. They just shove a bagel in your face and make you take it. LASTLY, and most importantly, I paid $9.50 for a bagel with onions, tomatoes, lux, and cream cheese. That's insane! Go up the street to St. Urbain's and actually get a fresh bagel for a reasonable price.
(1)Caveat E.
Decent bagel. Every time I've come, tables are filthy with a staff that walks right past them. Empty coffee urns, staff clueless. Slow service. Bathroom had empty soap and a filthy floor. Garbage cans overflowing. See a pattern POOR MANAGEMENT. Who is training these teens that have no clue. Great potential, really bad execution. This is the few times I've come here and not an isolated instance. It's very slow as I type this and none of the staff in on top of the aforementioned.
(2)Alex M.
Bagels are decent but not the best by any means. Prices aren't bad. Larry King siting was a plus.
(3)Kelly Y.
First time here and I am rating this based off of service. First they got my order wrong and then some one either stole my take out order or they lost it. Wasn't that busy since it was 8:30 am on Sunday. The girl said that happened all the time..won't be making a return trip here.
(1)Michelle A.
Love their asiago bagel and chocolate chip muffins! Try their iced coffee, the ice cubes are coffee cubes! I always find everyone here to be friendly and helpful as well.
(5)MaryLou V.
Bagel was ok, they forgot the cheese on my ham and cheese -_- i ordered fries which came 10 minutes (honestly) after i got my bagel sandwich. A little dissapointed for the price.
(2)David J.
Food not all that. But here is the real kicker imagine sitting at a table with 6 other people for breakfast and one a**hole shows up Larry King make everone get up so he can sit alone in the only multiple people booth. Very low class and vey disappointing at the management. If i could give them a zerro star i would.
(1)Tim B.
Best. Bagels. Ever. Jalapeño Asiago with sausage egg and cheese. Do it. You won't be disappointed.
(5)T M.
Came in New Year's Day to try this place and saw a crazy line. I get it, it's busy and you have to have patience. Unfortunately when I got up to the register there were a few options left. The girl at the register (African American) was so slow. I asked her if they ran out of hash browns and she had the nerve to say "did something lead you to think we were out of hash browns?" Ummmmm YA you're out of pretty much everything! She was rude and forgot to give me a number. On a brighter note there was a guy named Chris who was so sweet and catering to us. Thank you Chris. You made up for the other girl that messed up our order too. The lox and jalepeno bagel was good. My friends marble bagel with cream cheese was horrible with no flavor. I will admit... They had the best ice coffee with coffee cubes. Not sure if I'll come back to this place.
(3)Sheila E.
This should really be no stars. Does Larry still frequent Nate n ALS? Food is awful. Service poor. I am actually surprised it has remain opened this long. I love bagels. Great place on Robertson and Cadillac. The bagel factory. And they have great soup. Maybe when Brooklyn bagel goes out, and I hope soon, they can open another Bagel Factory! That is a great idea!
(1)Julie S.
I am not a bagel connoisseur - no idea if these are like NY bagels. But I can tell you this is a place for solid, quick and easy breakfast food. Eggs on a toasted bagel with cheese - check. I think some people like the coffee - but Peets is two doors down, so I grab grab coffee there and bring it over.
(4)Phil E.
I grew up in Brooklyn and Queens and these are the closest bagels I've found in LA that taste like home. They aren't perfect, but they definitely satisfy my craving. They are a bit expensive but I don't eat bagels everyday so for me its worth it.
(4)Chloe M.
The bagel we ordered was REALLY good! I would come back to try other foods from here. The coffee was terrible. Its about at the same level as 7-eleven coffee. I was really looking forward to the iced coffee ice cubes, but it was a huge letdown.
(3)Amanda P.
Their iced coffee is bomb!! They make coffee ice cubes, which means no more watered down coffee! More places should do this... I usually order a bagel with lox, cream cheese, and cucumbers. It is very tasty, but expensive! It's good for a treat once in a while. They also sell pre-packaged cream cheeses, lox, and chicken salad -1 star because it takes FOREVER for them to bring out your order (even when the place is empty), and the prices are too high
(4)Lani P.
came here on a Monday morning for a quick bagel and coffee. The place give you that old 50s vibe. What sets them apart from the rest is their marketing on treating their own water. Bagels were ok. We ordered the breakfast special - egg and cheese plain bagel added bacon to it, and the asiago parmesan bagel.
(3)D. Ardi R.
I wasnt impressed at all with this place. The bagels were bland and dry. And everything was overpriced! Like ridiculously over priced. The decor is alright I guess. But it feels very gimmicky and corporate. There are much better places to go for bagels.
(3)r k.
Nothing special, I guess if you were from NYC and you were missing milk based soda drinks and bagel sandwiches with processed cheese in a sterile corporate environment you'd enjoy coming here
(3)Justin P.
I have been going to bagel places in LA for almost 10 years now.. Brooklyn is by far the best one I have ever been too.
(5)Chelsea H.
I used to love coming to this spot because it's so close to my job and its an easy quick breakfast, except this place went from being not so quick to downright snail pace slow when it comes to bringing out a BAGEL. this place does get busy but to have to wait 25 min for a bagel. A Bagel. Is ridiculous. And the excuses I got from the employees and manager I believe. I never got an apology they didn't offer anything to make up for the fact that I had to wait 25 min for a piece of bread and cream cheese. Will never go there again.
(1)Taylor F.
Just as my boyfriend still loves me despite my driving abilities, I still love Brooklyn Water Bagel despite its tendency to get orders completely wrong. If you order pumpernickel, you might get onion, and if you order onion, you might get everything. It's a flaw, yes, but one I consciously accept. While I like to think that I make up for my driving with my general cuteness, Brooklyn makes up for its service with the caliber of its bagels and coffee. Iced coffee, to be specific. Rather than using ice cubes that threaten dilution as time coaxes them into their water form (OH NO!), Brooklyn uses coffee cubes that preserve the rich flavors of its brew. As for the bagels, I'm really not the best person to ask. While I readily admit to being cavalier in certain ways, bagel snobbery simply is not one of them. My boyfriend, however, capitalizes on that form of elitism and will happily tell you that Brookyln Water Bagel is to Noah's as Meryl Streep is to Kristen Stewart. I myself don't have a firm opinion on the showdown between Brooklyn vs. Noah's in the battle of boiled bread. (Bagels are boiled, don'tcha know?) Left to my own devices, I'd give this place three and a half stars, then round down to three. But, given that my boyfriend loves it so much. I'll round up and give it a solid four stars.
(4)Randy P.
The restaurant has a nice setup with the machine that they use to Brooklynize the water visible to customers. However I feel that the whole idea is very gimmicky. The bagels are average and like every other la bagel place. The staff tend to be friendly and attentive. The restaurant was a little dirty especially by the drinks machines.
(3)Omid N.
Your new management sucks. BRING BACK LARRY KING! Train your rookie ass 1-star employees and stop hiring morons to take customers orders. Its a disgusting look for you Brooklyn. Nasty.
(1)Sarah L.
Best bagels outside of NYC. And I LOVE the iced coffee. We come about twice a month (have been since the opening- perks of living nearby) and the new manager- I believe her name is Christina?- is sooooooo much friendlier and competent. Beforehand, it was guaranteed that something would be wrong with our order. Now- we never have to worry. Perfect, quick breakfast on a Sunday morning.
(5)Jeffrey N.
Today I came to BB to get some food after not being there in a long time due to a different work schedule. It wasn't packed and I was able to order quickly. Chris and Will were behind the register and did a great job in assisting me. The food was taking a bit of time so Will even came around the corner and talked to the customers. Time flew by and my food was ready (tasted great). It's the little things like that, that makes employees shine. Thanks for the great customer service guys! -Jeff
(5)Scott S.
I laughed when I saw this place. Ever since Drama told Turtle the Jews import water from borough park to make better bagels, I was curious why we have such good bagels in the NYC area (although many places are rubbish, there are a few good spots!). I love how they have the open viewing area to watch the fancy water pumps and the guy make the bagels - I didn't want to make him feel uncomfortable by staring, after all, I'd get weirded out if someone watched me play with my excel spreadsheets. anyway, i thought the service was friendly and the bagel was pretty good. big (+) for adding a Staten Island named bagel sandwich big (-) for silly prices, and also, for a state that has been in a serious drought...people in beverly hills import water, and out of all the things to use fresh water for....f'n bagels...I mean, cmon...
(3)Adam V.
The people at the register sometimes can be...Let's put it this way, the lights on put no one is home. Always check how many bagels you have in your bag as sometimes they will not put that exact amount in your bag. As I said, the lights on but no one is home. The bagels are amazing, and their chocolate chip muffin is so ridiculously good. Restaurant is always clean, line moves fast. If you go early usually you can just walk right up to the counter. I recommend this place if you are local, but I wouldn't go out of my way to come here.
(5)Caitlin H.
I'm no bagel connoisseur, but my Jew boyfriend is. Noah A. approves this place so I guess I'll take his word for it. I've only ordered their egg bagel sandwiches and they are always very generous with their fillings. The coffee ice cubes are genius, a must! Oh yeah, and if you show up later in the day, around 3pm, their bagels are half off, happy hour special.
(4)Celestine A.
The Brooklyn signature sandwich is a whopping $6.99 for fresh eggs, bacon, sausage, ham, and american cheese on a plain toasted bagel. Add on a cup of their Brooklyn iced coffee cubsta with ice cubes made of coffee, and it's $2.99. Which means you spend about $10 for a breakfast that's mediocre in New York and fantastic in Los Angeles only because there are no "real" bagels here apparently. Even in Los Angeles, we can do better with our bagels. We deserve better.
(2)Melanie D.
I'm still a fan of their bagels, as they are the closest thing to a NYC bagel that I've experienced in LA. However, they are no longer selling multi-grain bagels. And, their prices are up - from $11.99 for baker's dozen to $13.99. Staff is still quite friendly, and my order has always been correct. I'm not sure that I will continue to drive the distance to get these bagels. Maybe if I'm in the area. Otherwise, the cost is prohibitive.
(3)Gabby F.
I'm only writing a review because of how sweet and helpful this man is. His name is Will and he was went out of his way to help me and my friend. We usually only come for the coffee but he opened our eyes to how amazing the bagels are too. As we were getting our usual iced coffee, my friend spilled on herself and all over the floor and he ran from the cash register to help and bring napkins. We had an amazing experience thank to Will!!! Thank you again in case you read this!
(5)Ashby A.
The customer service here was amazing! We all have different tastes- and the food is very old school for my tastes. But, I was a picky customer and they did their best to accommodate me. William Thompson was a great help and very polite. Thanks again for reminding me customer service still exist in LA!
(5)Shaph.n.Sus R.
5 stars all the way!! The staff was very friendly and helpful. I had actually ordered food from a spot down the street, but staffer William T suggested we try the Philly cheese steak on a jalapeño bagel and wow!! I'm so glad he did cuz it's straight up goodness, for real!! If you like bagels and cream cheese, this is the place to go. If you like Philly cheese steak sandwiches, this is the place to go. If you're looking for a friendly face and good service...then this is also the place to go.
(5)Nicolai S.
First time here and I have to say, the service, in particular from a man named William was off the hook! He was so pumped to be working (even though I came in the early afternoon and he was there since 6am) and alive like the energizer bunny. This man understands hospitality and people. Even though I'm proud to be a native of LA, I have to say I could tell this dude is not from around here. My figurative hat goes off to you good sir. I'll be noshin on Brooklyn Bagels for days from now on thanks to this man. Throw it up to Will!
(5)Alexis A.
Me and my family came here yesterday and we were very pleased. As I read the reviews I saw that there was alot of negative feedback regarding the service but the service was great! I believe William is the manager (not quite sure). He made sure we were pleased with our food and was very helpful.
(5)Maribeth H.
My first review I was basing off of bagels that had been brought to an office near Brooklyn bagel in an unmarked brown paper bag ordered by someone else who said they were 'NY bagels from the place down the street' After going to the physical location myself and ordering, I'm pretty certain the icky bagels I ate weren't from here - because these really do taste like NY bagels and are good. I also like that they have iced decaf options and ice cubes made from coffee. Even the cream cheese (I got veggie) tastes like NY style stuff. Service was friendly and quick. Very happy - and very sorry they suffered with my one star review for so long based off what was obviously a takeout mistake!
(5)