Bruegger's Bagels: Delicious Bagels, Average Coffee
Written: Apr 07 '05 (Updated Jun 17 '05)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Good bagels - crusty and chewy
Cons: Chain restaurant feel, service just okay, lunch menu is limited
The Bottom Line: An average bagel and coffee chain.
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| modernmarvel's Full Review: Bruegger's Bagels |
I have been eating at the Bruegger's Bagels in West Roxbury, Massachusetts on and off for a year now and have at least 20 visits under my belt.
FOOD
As you can probably guess by the name, this chain restaurant focuses mainly on bagels although they offer other pre-wrapped bakery treats including brownies, some salads, sandwiches and soups. I have stopped in only for breakfast.
The bagels are very good although they are small compared to the huge ones served up by Finagle a Bagel, another local chain. Brueggers Bagels are crusty on the outside and chewy on the inside. Happily, they taste more like bagels than rolls. The bagels are made fresh each morning and they have a lot of great varieties including the standards plus cheese, chocolate chip and a few other novel kinds. There is also a standard choice of spreads and some other sandwich options that include egg, cheese and breakfast meats. The cool part about the location we visit is that you can watch them make the bagels through a large glass window while you wait in line.
The coffee at Bruegger's is pretty good but not up to the standards of Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks or other specialty coffee chains. The qualityf and taste of the coffee is inconsistent. Sometimes it is adequate but other times it is watery or bitter. They don't add the milk or sugar. There is a station with milk, sugar and fake sugar. They don't have chocolate, cinnamon or nutmeg like the fancy places. I wouldn't stop at this chain just for coffee. They charge about the same as many other places and the coffee taste, quality and service is not quite as good as other places.
SERVICE
This restaurant has counter service only. Sometimes in the mornings, there is a rather slow-moving line which is frustrating if you are in a hurry. The servers look busy so the line must mean they are understaffed on some days.
The counter service is efficient but not particularly friendly. They should try one of those generic corporate chain restaurant greetings. My orders from the menu are generally prepared correctly, however if you try to change anything on the menu, they have a hard time processing it.
I once tried to order a salad at 10am with the idea that I would throw it in the fridge until lunchtime. The counter crew looked very confused when I asked for the salad, consulted with management and ultimately three people came out to tell me they didn't have salads ready. They try hard, but it seems that they can't think outside the box.
AMBIANCE - DECOR
The decor of the restaurant has a generic, chain feel. There are a few tables and chairs and some nice lighting. The tables are formica which always makes me feel a little yucky. It is definitely nicer than McDonalds but not as nice as Starbucks.
The ambiance is, of course, very casual. There are lots of families and later in the morning, people hanging out with coffee and chatting. Unlike some other local chains, there is no kids corner with a small table and chairs and kids toys.
One thing I like is the community bulletin board where there are lots of local advertisements. It makes the place feel more like a local joint than a chain restaurant.
CLEANLINESS
The restaurant is rather clean most of the time. The area where you add milk to your coffee can get messy at times.
OTHER THOUGHTS
They take credit cards.
A coffee and bagel cost around $3.50 which is standard for our area and about the same as other chains. I think Dunkin Donuts has much better coffee but Brueggers has much better bagels.
I noticed high chairs in the location I visited.
The restaurant is entirely handicapped accessible.
There are lots of vegetarian options, there are not lots of options for those on reduced carb diets.
FINAL RECOMMENDATION
I think Brueggers has very good bagels and I stop in once and a while to pick one up. The coffee is just average and a lot of places have better coffee for the same price. The lunch menu of some salads, sandwiches and soups is too spotty for me to try the place for lunch. Overall, I think Brueggers is average and, if it wasn't on my daily route, I don't think I would make an extra effort to stop by.
HUNGRY FOR MORE? TRY THESE BOSTON-AREA RESTAURANTS:
BOSTON: Radius; Caffe Vitoria; Excelsior; Jacob Wirth; Cottonwood Cafe.
BROOKLINE: Mr. Sushi; Fugakyu; Takeshima; Tsunami; Anna's Taqueria; Zaftigs Delicatessen; Bangkok Bistro; Golden Temple.
NEWTON: Appetito; India Paradise; Blue Ribbon Barbeque; Ice Cream Works; Baker's Best; Bill’s Pizzeria; Cafe Nicolas; Union Street; O’Hara’s; Yeradi’s.
CAMBRIDGE: S&S Restaurant; The Japanese Mall; Jasper White’s Summer Shack.
WEST ROXBURY: Cafe Misono.
BRIGHTON: Tasca.
ESSEX: Woodman’s.
SAUGUS: Kowloon.
CHAIN RESTAURANTS: Not Your Average Joe’s; Bertucci’s; Legal Sea Foods; Cheesecake Factory; Rainforest Cafe; Fire & Ice; Bugaboo Creek Steakhouse; Friendly’s.
Recommended:
Yes
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modernmarvel
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