Bagels In The Boro Deli & Grill

Great place for a breakfast treat. I had an everything bagel with veggie cream cheese. It was pretty good!
If that’s the case… why the 1 star rating?
This review reflects my previous experience. I was a bit hesitant to write a bad review because the food quality is pretty good. However, the customer service and attitude I was given was more than I could tolerate.
A while back… I would come in once a week in the morning to grab a quick bagel (or sandwich) for breakfast while I was on my way to work on route 46.
There are two bagel places (literally 200ft) across from each other. The only reason I chose Bagels in the Boro is because I saw a Unilocal deal (a check in offer). You check in and you get a free small coffee (self served) with a purchase of any breakfast item.
So…what’s the problem?
Well, after my 3^rd check in (in a month), the owner/​manager (an Asian gentleman) who rang me up asked me «have you used this check in before?». I replied «yes». «Oh, ok» was his reply.
The following week, I stopped by again and ordered a bacon egg & cheese on a bagel. I hit the checked in button on the Unilocal app and showed him the check in. This time he said «you already used this last time». He then proceeded to look at my phone and tapped «check in now» with his own finger. Ummmm… excuse me. Please don’t touch my phone. If you would like me to confirm the check in, you could ask me to tap the «check in now» button myself. He probably thinks I didn’t fully check in last time and will keep doing it to get a free coffee.
After he touched my phone, he said «you shouldn’t be able to use this coupon more than once. It’s a one time offer».
I replied: From my experience, with most Unilocal check in offers… we are able to get that offer each time we check in.
He said «I don’t know, all I know is that I paid a lot of money and I’m getting nothing in return».
I replied: Well, that’s between you and Unilocal.Maybe you can call your Unilocal sales representative to edit the offer. However, you do know there’s another breakfast/​bagel place directly across the street from you, right??? The only reason I decided to get breakfast from you instead of your competitor across the street is because of this check in offer you elected to give your customers. Besides, how many people check in on a daily basis? Five? Ten? That’s only 10 cups of coffee. How much does that really cost you? These are ten people that you attracted by offering free coffee. These are also ten people who can write a great review or a horrible review about your business on Unilocal.
He begins to get upset because he assumed I just threatened him and said «this is a one time offer. I will not honor this deal over and over again to the same customer. I paid a lot of money for this deal and it wasn’t worth it. And now I have to give away free coffee».
That was the last time I ever step foot in Bagels in the Borough. It made me feel horrible as a person. As if I was there to «cheat» him or to be sneaky and trick him into giving me free coffee. I do not believe I took advantage of him. However, he made me feel bad as I walked out of the store that time. As if I did something wrong and was a tiny bit ashamed of myself of «cheating» him out of a small cup of coffee. I don’t ever want to experience that again.
Aside from that, the food is pretty good. The wait time is pretty long. There seems to be two people working. The Asian man (owner/​manager) and a short Latina. The young lady is always in the front by herself. When it gets really busy the owner/​manager runs out to assist. Way understaffed.

Customer service is great and the bagels are very good. We got a turkey sandwich and a coffee. My girlfriend loves the French toast coffee! Very much recommend this place for lunch or breakfast.

My husband and I come here at least 3 times a week. It is a great alternative to the diner. Great omelets and prices. Friendly atmosphere and the owner is always there very hands on. We highly recommend!

The bagels are awesome and so are the breakfast sandwiches! Owner is super accommodating and friendly. I asked for double Taylor ham on my sandwich and he didn’t even charge me extra! The prep and dinning area are immaculate as well. Looking forward to trying something form their lunch menu in the future!

Love their bagels… My go to is lox with veggie cream cheese on a flagel… They’re always very nice =)

Bagels in the Boro catered breakfast and lunch for my sister’s wedding while we were getting ready. Everything was absolutely delicious, delivered on time, and they were a pleasure to work with! I highly recommend this fabulous deli!

This is close to my workplace, so popping in for a breakfast sandwich during the morning rush is what I do. The food is average, but it’s the wait that is dreadful. Doesn’t matter if I order a meat/​egg/​cheese breakfast sandwich or a simple toasted bagel with butter. I can’t get out of there in under 10 minutes… which is ludicrous for people heading in to work. Nice and personable as the few (often just one) counter staff are, they are usually lost in confusion even with nearly nothing to do. If you’re retired and looking for someplace to read the paper while the working stiffs drive by, this may be perfect for you. But for the commuter looking to grab-​n-​go, don’t even think about stopping here.

My husband and I go here at LEAST once a week. The food is great and there is a nice seating area if you want to eat there. There is also alot more than jsut breakfast foods as well. Min the owner is extremely friendly and personable and takes genuine interest in his customers. I love going here and supporting a local family owned business, I HIGHLY recommend.

I gave this place a shot one day month ago almost 6 visit later. I have to say great burger good omeltes, I was surprised ! But also exactly what I expected and was looking for a place where I can go get food after a workout due to the fact 2 min from my gym. I eat clean and know the difference between fresh food compared to frozen. I forgot the owners name but, when I told him how good and impressed I was with his food this was like 3 day in a row visit too! He was happy and very pleased said makes his day. He gets his meat from butcher which is a plus and makes everything fresh. Like I told him I would rather you tell me you ran out of something for day than go defrost sown thing from the freezer. Good little breakfast spot clean, and good food not mention consistent which I order the omeltes and burgers on separate occasion and still no difference in the taste or quality. Nice little secret in rockaway give this place a chance and u will return. That’s what this owner thrives on and even appreciates his customers which is great business in my book.
Sincerely pleased customer

Love the friendly atmosphere of the this place and the hard working owners!
We order the boro salad a lot for lunch delivery, and have enjoyed their breakfast sandwiches. I have also ordered cold cuts for the week when I am there as well. As a small business owner myself, I am happy to see someone else take pride in what they do and look to be a bigger part of the community.

When I have a weekday off I find myself looking for new places to try even if it means cheating on my old standby favorites. Today I decided I would try TWO bagel places in Rockaway as I had to pass them both on the way to Home Depot.
When I arrived at Bagels in the Boro I was pleasantly surprised that they had a Unilocal check in deal for a free large coffee. I ordered a simple everything bagel toasted with butter and asked if the check in deal was ok. The owner had never even seen the deal, but was happy to accept the offer. He actually mentioned that he was going to cancel his $ 300/​month Unilocal plan as he had seen zero change in his business. That’s a lot per month to not see any increase other than my $ 1.77. I told him I hoped it picked up for him. The guy seemed super nice and the bagel was pretty good and tasty, but a little small. Nice crispy outside without being burnt, and soft on the inside.
Green Mountain coffee is always pretty decent. Place is a bit more expensive than my favorite bagel place-​$ 1.77 here for a buttered bagel vs. $ 1.50 where I usually stop, but the rent here has to be higher as its a much bigger store. 3.5 stars for now.

Very tasty bagels and wraps! Friendly and efficient service – great place to eat-​in or take-​out. Wonderful addition to the area!

Stopped here on my way to work – loved the early opening time, and my bagel and unexpectedly flavorful coffee were the perfect start to my morning! It reaffirmed my long-​held notion that my love, and lifelong loyalty can be purchased for a good toasted bagel with butter.