Block’s Hot Bagels Deli & Bakery

After 10+ visits, I can’t take it anymore.
they’re so rude we won’t go back.
Even though I like the food, the poor customer service and general lack of giveacrap by the staff there, make even the tastiest lox and eggs, bagels and salmon dip not worth it.
Blocks, here’s a tip:
1. Hire adults who have some customer service skills
2. make sure they greet customers and don’t act like dicks ignoring the people who want to pay you– that’s how business work, eh?
3. get organized improve the work flow behind the counter. each staff cooking, prepping and ringing each order makes even the simplest bagel and cream cheese take WAY TOO LONG.
Blocks, you’ve made me so sad.
I want your products. I want to give you my money, but I can no longer support this horrible behavior by employees. bye bye jerks :(

Just had the most horrible experience at a place my family and I have gone to for years. I ordered the same item I have for a couple of years– I change the cream cheese from plain to jalapeño. Today the manager said it is a 1.50 charge to change it– I was obviously surprised no one ever has told me there is a charge to change cream cheese and have never actually been charged it. I am fine with paying extra, but found it strange that in all the years of getting the same thing there is a change to change. She said well I’ve worked here for 20 years and I know. No, apology like «I am sorry no one shared that with you or I apologize for the miscommunication». There was nothing– making me feel bad for the mistake– if it was my fault. She said the boss is here you can bring it up with him. She walked away making a face at her co-​worker mumbling something about me. I asked her co-​worker what she said and she walked back over to me and said «if I said something I’d tell you!» While paying the guy ringing me up asked what I had and as I am telling him she yells over to him «charge her $ 1.50 extra» as I am telling him I changed the cream cheese. I left feeling upset about the way I was treated at a place we visit quite often. While I was there I said hello to other co-​workers and even the boss, Steve. I didn’t want to bring it up to him and start a scene. In the business of service you need to fight every single day for your customers. The women who assisted me today should evaluate her approach and adjust from the «customers are dependent on us» to «we are dependent on our customers. Sadly, seeing she has worked there for so long-​I don’t think her approach will change– while loosing many life time customers.

I can not comment on the restaurant aspect, I have only went in to get bagels and bread to go. I stood at the counter for a minute while a woman behind the counter was reading a newspaper. She finally looked up and told someone to help me. The challah bread and bagels ended up being stale and inedible. I don’t find any need to return here ever again. There are other places I can purchase decent bagels in town.

I spin signs for a company called aarrow and it gets cold on the corner in the winter. I was spinning at the same strip as this place and I came in on my break. I didn’t buy anything I just sat but while I was sitting an employee gave me a large hot coco! Every time I’ve been in here since they warm me up with something hot.

Met a friend here for lunch on her suggestion. We both wanted Rubens and she figured a deli would be the best choice. Honestly… I didnt know they were a deli. I always thought they just sold bagels and a few sandwiches.
First impression was that the place was a little outdated. The counter where the the salads and salad extras were kept was kinda rough looking. It was clean, but just had that look like it was about 10 years past needing replaced.
We both ordered a Ruben and a small salad.
The salads we made by the staff but we went along the line and chose which toppings we wanted. And then she hand tossed them in a big bowl. I kinda liked that method. There could have been a few more choices but it was ok. I think she used a bit too much dressing thought. It was almost a ⁵⁰⁄₅₀ ratio of dressing to salad.
The Rubens we kinda small. The corned beef had a good flavor but was lacking in quantity. The rest of the sandwich was on par for average. Nothing to write home about.
The total for 2 sandwiches, 2 small salads, and 2 drinks was $ 30.00. THAT I was not impressed with.

Just moved to the Reynoldsburg area and found that Blocks offers the most delicious ‘everything’ bagels I’ve ever had. In the morning with a liberal shmear of your favorite cream cheese, or at lunch or dinner with whatever sandwich meat youd like — I haven’t had a bagel I didn’t like here.
The matza ball soup is also really good and they managed to get the texture of the actual matza ball just right… not something I’ve found in many restaurants.
The price is just right for the serving size and quality you get. The only improvement I’d have is with the size of their soft drinks.

Seriously I might have to live here. Got some bagels to go and tried a flagel – amazing dipped in the lox cream cheese. I also grabbed a loaf of challah to make French toast and it was spot on. I might just stop making it myself.
Came back today to grab lunch for the fam – grilled cheese for the kids, Reuben for my husband, and I’m trying out an old guilty pleasure: the bagel dog – and while the service is just ok they are trying to move the line fast.

My first trip here was a few weeks ago. I was told this is an amazing place for bagels and sandwiches. I definitely agree with previous Unilocalers that the staff is rude. There was one older lady who was very nice, but the gal making my salad was extremely rude and acted like I was an inconvenience for her. I had never been there before so it would have been nice for someone to kind of coach me along on how the place works. It was kind of like herding cats… I was pretty satisfied with my salad and the bagel was very yummy. They slather a large amount of cream cheese on the bagel which makes me very happy.
I will give this place another shot because I’d like to try a sandwich and some soup.

Having relocated to Columbus, I have been to Block’s on three occasions to purchase bagels and each time the staff was extremely unfriendly. Whoever the manager is I would suggest you train your people to understand how being open and friendly with your customers is so important to the success of a business. The bagels in my opinion are just okay and certainly not worth coming back to this location.

This location treated me so rudely when I called, I can’t imagine going in and spending even a penny there. I was clearly getting in somebody’s way, actually bothering him to ask about placing a large order. He pretty much hung up on me.

Prices go up. What I used to get for 6 bucks 15 years ago is now 9. no big deal. They make HUGE bagel sandwiches. Huge.
Never have I found a place that I could pick anything and would choose egg salad. Sound crazy? Not if you try theirs. They pile mountains of it on both halves of the bagels.
The place is clean. Very deli-​like, with good seating. I never had an issue with the staff, a mix of older women and chatty youngsters. I like the mix. If a place only hires youngsters and avoids the older people of the world I tend to avoid it. Call it a bone I pick with many businesses.
Thumbs up. Try it.

Stopped in to Block’s for lunch today and ordered their sub sandwich and a side of latkes. After checking out a few of the meals ahead of me, I immediately wished I had got a bagel sandwich instead, since they looked so good. Bummer.
Turns out everything was A-​OK, because the sub was very good. I was actually surprised, because it didn’t look like anything special, and there really wasn’t any standout ingredients (although I really liked the bread), but as a whole, I really really enjoyed it.
The latkes had lots of flavor. I wish they were cooked a bit more, because they were very soft, but it didn’t stop me from enjoying them.
I wouldn’t say I’d drive across town to eat here, but since I work close by, I’d check them out again, and I’d go for a sandwich on a bagel next time.

Well we decided to have lunch here today. And 1^st the employes where very slow with our food and they enough ppl working there but they was busy restocking cups, plates, and not paying attention to the customer and once we got our food we sat close to the front door and I GUESS THE OWNER WAS IN A BOOTH and FIGHTING WITH (maybe his wife) not good. Don’t care to go back to this location
I was giving it 3 stars but the more I think about it I want to put 2

I won’t be returning, and judging from the other reviews I see you could probably guess why.
THE FOOD: I ordered only a salad so I can’t say I’ve tried much of the menu. It tasted just «all right». Had a couple funky tasting leaves but still good enough to eat. They packed the Medium salad full so it was a good amount of food for the money, I will say that. If someone else is ordering and picking up, I’d be willing to try other items on the menu. I’ll never step foot in their store again though.
THE SERVICE. Wretched. I’ve never felt so belittled by a staff anywhere. I don’t understand why either. I’m a friendly person and I greet people with a smile. I’ll spare the details of the entire encounter but in short she made me feel like an absolute idiot in front of other customers when I was just ordering a salad. The guy next to me even commented on her rudeness. When I paid she never handed me my card back. I had to reach to her side of the counter near the register to get it, because she handed me the receipt, said «sign this» and walked away. No «thank you», not a word.
I really hate to make one of my first reviews a negative one, but I sat in the parking lot for 5 minutes considering going back in to speak to the manager, but I have a feeling that wouldn’t have accomplished anything. It’s a shame, I tip very generously. No tip for this place, except maybe treat the customers like they’re people and not a burden.

The food was decent, but the employee that served me at the counter was so rude that I will never go back.

FINALLY have found the best bagels in Columbus! I love going here for breakfast and get one of their many options for sandwiches! Its an old feel, been around for awhile.
But again, they have SO many options for bagel sandwiches for breakfast and lunch! They make all their bagels in house and fresh! You can pick and choose your bagels for a to go order.
I’ve been going here for two years and only go when I’m in the area unfortunately! But, I finally got to take my husband here last week and I have made him a fan as well!

Blocks is hard to beat, especially on Christmas Day when there are few others open. Today I had my usual; smoked salmon on a toasted bagel, with cream cheese, onion and tomato. A great sandwich!

I’m not sure what all the complaints are regarding unfriendly staff. .. Everytime we have been in, the staff is super friendly and smiley.
The food is great, it’s inexpensive, and the ambience is amazing! It is like no other place in Columbus. It looks like an old Shoney’s from the 90s or something. If you like the squeaky clean corporate bland dining experience, go to Panera instead. Plenty of those around, though the food isn’t any better.
If you need any evidence that this place rules, hop in and check out their clientele. It seems as though everyone loves this place – a woman in an expensive-​looking mink fur jacket came in, a high school couple, a family, an older man reading newspaper by himself, a huddle of college students, friends of the cook (and the cook, of course wearing a Yankees shirt, came out to visit…) They have a loyal, eclectic following.
We’ve had a great time everytime we’ve been, and will be going back soon no doubt.

Ok so is the staff the friendliest, no. Has the location been updated since the 80s, um that’s a no. But does Blocks have some of the best NYC bagel sandwiches and lox, yes they most definitely do. If you can ignore the rudeness, and slightly elevated prices you are in for a treat! The food is delicious.

I’ve loved Blocks Bagels since I’ve been in Columbus. But their pricing… don’t know if it’s new or old is SCREWED up. I’ve been getting the same thing for a while… everything bagel with two eggs, lox cream cheese and lox. That was always around 7 bucks. Then I switched it up and got their breakfast bagel sandwhich on a everything bagel with egg and lox cream cheese. I had to pay a little extra for the lox cream cheese, no big deal.
Now they’ve switched it so when I get just a bagel with the lox cream cheese (no egg) that you pay 5.95 for the lox cream cheese and 99 cents for the bagel! That’s SEVEN bucks for a bagel and cream cheese. You can also get and ACTUAL TUB of the lox cream cheese for 5.95 instead of just having them spread a little on your bagel for the same price.
Not impressed.