Kettleman Bagel Company

So, I started work at kettleman’s last month but quit for a better one, I worked there for about 4 days, but I still haven’t gotten paid! It’s been over a month now with countless calls to Noah’s bagles payroll and kettleman’s accounting department and still nothing.
If you want to eat somewhere that doesn’t pay their employees, go ahead and eat there, but I would strongly advise against it.
KETTLEMAN’S BAGELS DON’T PAY THEIR EMPLOYEES!
p. s. they drop their bagels on the ground and put them in bags anyways.

I buy day-​old bagles here pretty much every week, unless they run out before I get there after work. Since I do not eat them all the first day, I figure day old is just as good as anything else I can buy. And I drive in from beaverton, so I can’t say that I dont really like this place.
I haven’t noticed a significant change in the quality in the months since the Einstein purchase.

So much for Portland’s real «Roll with a Hole»
When I first visited Kettleman’s Bagels just after they opened this location, I was ready for another hole-​y disappointment.
But alas, Kettleman’s turned out to be a wonderful find. Having grown up in Detroit, Michigan — and my Dad loving Kosher deli food — I knew how real bagels were supposed to chew, taste and smell from an early age.
I gave up on bagels because for years, all I could find was factory made «rolls with a hole» — until I discovered Western Bagel Baking Company when I moved to Los Angeles. Who says there’s nothing good out in the Valley?
Past the row of display cases, you could look back into the Western Bagel plant, and see workers tending huge vats boiling bagels before they were baked.
That’s right — BOILING is the secret. Not spritzing with water. Not giving them a steam bath.
Now, geez. A sad day for Portland — Kettleman Bagels sold out. Can’t blame the owner, he worked hard, his crew provided a good product and now wants to reap the benefits of his labor.
On the up side, I’m supposed to be eating fewer carbs — maybe a blessing in disguise.

I know Dean R up there. I agree but have to go one less star, and I’m concerned that with the sale of Kettleman to a corporate giant, the bagels will suffer.
It sure would be nice to see somebody from Kettleman tell us the locations will continue to make bagels properly, by boiling, rather than incorporating some automated new fangled steam oven that is supposed to do the same thing (but does not based on my experience with other such alleged bagel makers).

Second trip to Kettleman, and I’m dropping the star rating.
— out of the bagel I wanted (okay, they sell out sometimes so this isn’t why I’m dropping the star)
— ordered coffee, but coffee was empty
— needed a knife, but only spoons and forks were out (isn’t that an alanis morissette song?)
— my friend wanted to buy a shirt, but nobody working had a key to where the shirts are apparently
— the front door doesn’t close on its own so every time someone comes in or leaves it’s wide open so I had to keep getting up and shutting it to keep from freezing. Get a damn spring!
— employees still sourfaced
sorry, all these are minor things in isolation but in rapid succession at a place I was already half stink-​eyed about, I’m over Kettleman and I’m not sad they’ve sold to Noah’s. Hopefully they’ll improve with the ownership change. The bagels are good, just not good enough to make me want to deal with everything else.

DOWNHILL! Terrible service, catty, uneducated cashiers, and a total fall from grace for Kettlemans. What started out as a great outlet for good bagels in Portland has left much to be desired over the last year.
Overall quality of the bagels has suffered, my last everything Bagel had only a couple of sesame and poppy seeds on it and nothing else. The folks taking orders are too busy talking to each other to help customers and learn the menu and if you ask them about something that used to be on the menu but has recently been removed, you simply get a point to the menu and a terse «there’s the menu» from behind the counter.
The other reviews may be true, though I cannot speak to that. I don’t know whose fault this is, but ultimately the onus must be put on the owner. If you are a bad owner and manager then get out of the business. If the employees are no good, it must be coming down from the top. To the Employees: be better with the customers, quality control matters. To the Owner: Something needs to be done, and quickly, to improve quality both for the food and service.
Such a let down.

I should begin by saying I used to be a regular. This place used to rock it. Fast, competent, and friendly service coupled with good food and great coffee at reasonable prices. All that seems to be dissipating.
$ 3 for a bagel with cream cheese is ridiculous. As a result, I typically order the egg bagel with smoked gruyère and tomato. And in fact, the amazing flavors that this combo results in has kept me coming back despite the fact that the last three times I’ve gone to this place, they’ve screwed up my order. No tomato one time, no cheese or tomato another time, and no order at all the third time. Their solution? Take the bagel back and throw in a cold slice of tomato and/​or gruyère. Cold! Completely ruins the experience and makes the $ 4+ I’m spending a total waste! I can’t even finish the damn thing. Honestly, when the cheese ain’t melted, the only solution is really to start over. So unappetizing to have a dry bagel with warm egg and cold cheese. Ugh.
After reading the other reviews here, I realize that these employees are less worried about upsetting customers than they are about keeping food costs down so they don’t upset their owner/​manager. Sad thing, that, since without customers the owner doesn’t have jack. At least I have an explanation that also accounts for the occasional surliness that now comes across the counter.
I’ll probably give this place a few more tries because when they hit it, the food is awesome. Bagels remain good, and that’s the core of the place. Counter service is almost always friendly. It’s got more good than bad, but the way things have been going I’m having trouble being positive. I look forward to the day I can boost this rating back up to the 4 stars (too expensive to land the 5) of which they’re capable.

Kettleman’s has bagel with a schmear of cream cheese. Shmear… It makes me laugh and sounds pretty gross — but shmear me baby, this stuff is good. $ 2.95 for a delicious bagel and cream cheese is a bit steep, but it’s worth it. Can’t wait to buy the day old bagels and shmear the hell out of them. I’ll shmear them all over the damn place. They put so much schmear, I have to use a tissue to wipe some off before I put it in my mouth. At least they come in many tasty flavors, also quite convenient on my way to work. Maybe if I put out, this bagel will shmarry me.

They are not as good as getting shipped H&M from NYC, but they are the closest thing to the real Jew thing of boiled bagels on the left-​coast.
The boy didn’t believe me when we woke up and I said, ‘I’ll get breakfast if you make leaded coffee.” He says «What are my choices?»
I say «How about a bagel sandwich?»
He says «Christ, Deanna I am not into Mc D’s!»
«F-​ck you I say, I am a foodie and know better than that.»
«Yeah I am listening,» he says.
Well, its as close to the real Jew thing as you can get and they have day old bagels for cheap, and if I buy two dozen I can get one for free!”
«Geesh, you sound like my mother in the day old bakery section.»
20 min later, «hmmmmm honey this is how a bagel sandwich should be — ham, egg, Gruyère on a loaded bagel.»
Did I mention the challah, reugela and hammenstaschan. It is the place of my people.

You are going to be hard-​pressed to find better bagels anywhere on the west coast. These are real bagels, not the baked bread some other places pass off as bagels. Lots of toppings/​spreads/​schmeers and other stuff too. For me, this place is a must stop when I am in Portland!

Is it as good as a real New York bagel? Nope. Is it as close as you’re going to get if you aren’t in New York? Yep.

Disclaimer, I’m an east coast native. That being said, the bagels at Kettleman’s did not impress me. To be fair they were the best bagels I’ve had in the month I’ve been on the west coast, but I’d give them a 3.5 out of 5 compared to bagels I can get back home. Free wireless is a bonus, they will tell you the password if you ask.
Poor service is the reason I’m giving Kettleman’s 2 stars instead of 3 or 4. My friend clearly asked for a bagel w/​veggie cream cheese, tomato slices, and cheese melted over both halves open faced. Bagel came cold and she went to the counter to ask ‘hey can you put this in the toaster oven’, the girl at the counter was a bitch to her and still didn’t get the order right. I think they just threw the cheese on a flattop grill by itself and then put it back on the bagel partially melted, as opposed to making a melt and toasting the whole sandwich. Was my friend being particular about her bagel… i guess, but it was a pretty simple request, and not the first time her order’s been messed up here. The counter people in general seemed in a bad mood and put upon because they had to take our orders. Service with a smile was nowhere to be found.

A worthy bagel as assessed froman ex New Yorker who oft misses his favorite Brooklyn and Manhattan favorite bagels.

3.5. Here’s why:
I dig the bagels. They’re good. They’re probably 4 star good.
However…
I appreciate that they offer Tofutti but charging an extra million dollars to substitute it for cream cheese is a bit off-​putting.
Also, with the exception of the pretty girl with the facial piercings, the employees are a gruff and have, on more than one occasion, rolled their eyes at an espresso order.
Listen, if you don’t want to make espresso that’s fine– lose the machine. If you’re offering it. people are going to buy it.

I think I need to preface this review by admitting that I’m not an east coast native. I’ve been plenty of times but never stopped to have a bagel while visiting, but I will say that I love Kettleman’s! Although not yet a regular, I am there at least once a week buying a few bagels and the service has always been at least decent. Sometimes the staff is a little oblivious but when they’ve served me I get a warm greeting and a smile so there isn’t much room for complaint.
On to the important stuff, the food. Their bagels rock! The favor is nice, the texture is perfect (chewy but not enough to make it seem like work). I’ve got my favorites and am reluctant to deviate from them because they’re just SO good. Plus if you like a bagel unaccompanied (yeah, I know, I’m weird) you can’t do better than Kettleman’s for a tasty and inexpensive meal.

I had a good customer service experience despite the hipster-​tough-​guy appearance from the people behind the counter. The girl that took this morning’s order was sweet and smiled a lot; even complimented my sweatshirt!
Being from the East Coast, I naturally don’t ask for my bagels toasted but she asked if I wanted my multi grain toasted and I went for it. It was shmeared with veggie tofutti cream cheese and every bite was scrumptious. I was tempted to order the last cinnamon bun that was calling my name from the window of pastries, but I nixed that idea since I was going on a hike after breakfast.
I sat at a high top table with my friends and the café had people buzzing about happily on their Saturday mornings. For the amount of people ordering in and taking out, we got our food pretty quickly. This seems like a cool, local spot.
Oh, btw, it was 4 $ and change for my bagel with faux cream cheese.

Based on recent reviews, it seems the same crappy service still applies on many days, but I guess I’ve lucked out during my most recent visits because the staff has been friendly. And, because the bagels are so damn good (go for the Spinach and Herb bagel– holy crap!) I’m going to bump ‘em up to 4.
I have to say, though, it seems they’re getting even slower. I’ve been the only person on line the past few times yet my simple toasted bagel with cream cheese (no other toppings!) has taken 6 – 8 minutes… I have no idea how or why that would make any sense, but I swear it’s true.

FAIL.
Why? Well… lets start with the fact that I watched the guy behind the counter treat a customer in front of me like shit because she was trying to make sure that her son’s bagel order was being conveyed to the maker of said bagel correctly. You even rolled your eyes when she tried to make light of the situation you tool.
Or lets talk about this odd affliction you have where the entire staff is unable to get my (simple, non-​annoying, non-​asshole) order RIGHT EVER.
This guy (whom I have not ever seen before) was just as rude as two other staff members I’ve been ‘served’ by before.
My advice to you Mister or Miss Doom and Gloom is to get a job that doesn’t suck the very essence of your soul out and leave you wafting in stank clouds of angst.
I’m not asking for rainbows, clowns, a reach around or toy ponies here but come on… learn how to live a little; chin up, sell the joint and your service through your actions. As an employee you DO have the power to affect a customer’s experience through your behavior — seriously.
I am sorry that you have lost my business for good.

I consider myself a bit of a bagel expert. Coming from NJ a few years back I wondered if I would find a good bagel in this town or if I’d have to get them shipped to me from back east like my brother who lives in Texas does. Once I found out about Kettleman’s and had my first taste, I knew that I wouldn’t have to resort to bagels making the cross country trip to my mouth.
Was over there today to pick up a half dozen and see that they now offer bialys. I neglected to buy any, but I’m intrigued. Next time.

Bagels are delicious and deserve 5 stars on their own, but Kettleman has found a way to make them even MORE better! (I know… Good English, right?) I’ve never had a bagel like the ones they make here. Crispy on the outside, soft and thick on the inside. Boiling the bagels sure do make a difference. I love the bagels with cream cheese. I’ve had an egg and bacon bagel here too. It was good, but it was kinda dry. I’ll just stick to a cheese bagel with cream cheese and extra cream cheese on it.
I’ve been told that Kettleman is like a little piece of the east cost here on the west cost. I believe it too! I’ve never had a bagel like this out here before.