Willie's Bagel Cafe

Good bagels, we got a BLT and a turkey bagel sandwich, decently priced, very tasty. Unfortunately with the covid they don't do the side salads, they were also out of a couple types of bagels that we wanted, but hey that is hopefully because business is doing well. Over all pretty good quick road trip lunch stop.

Single handedly the best bagel shop in Central New York. Prepare to have a bit of a wait, the place is always busy. Being from down in the city, this is hands down the same flavor and excellent care for their food that you expect in a New York City bagel brought to upstate. The level of customer service and friendliness is unparalleled, and any time I have family or guests come up, we make it a mandatory stop.

In the food service industry, bad customer service offenses are considered especially heinous. In Utica, the dedicated patrons who report these terrible crimes against food are members of an elite squad known as the Yelpers and Google reviewers. This is my story. To give a backstory, yesterday I cried real tears because McDonalds stopped making bacon egg and cheese bagels, and along with it their glorious breakfast sauce (I'm pregnant and emotionally hungry at this time). My hubby has heard nothing but raving reviews about this place, so he wanted to surprise me by making me my sauce homemade and picking up a seemingly "great" bagel from this joint. Upon opening the hurriedly parchment paper and foil-wrapped sandwich, I immediately noticed two things; the parchment paper was a mess, and there was a stack of bacon thrown only on one side of the sandwich-- nothing I couldn't fix myself. Not the best I've ever had (I worked at a bagel shop in Boston that had bagels from heaven!) but still it was hitting that craving spot. Now I'm about half through my bagel and I chewed on something that made me gag and nearly lose the half I had already eaten. There was a DISGUSTING greasy brown piece of parchment paper that was cooked into my egg (NOT A PIECE THAT IT WAS WRAPPED IN)! Now mind you, I didn't know it was parchment paper until further inspection by the hubby, I couldn't look at it without wanting to vomit. Needless to say the rest of the bagel was tossed. Hubby went back looking for some well-deserved rectification, he brought back said spectacle in a zip-lock bag and made a complaint-- to which there was an "oh" of acknowledgement and he was more or less ignored. Not one to let his temper get the best of him (usually), he left the establishment without proper customer service and returned home, completely disappointed in Willie's Bagel Cafe. 2 stars for effort, whoever was behind the counter was coherent enough to have made the sandwich. There was no love in that sandwich, and customer service clearly needs some improving.