BCB Company – Hillcrest

The Balt is amazing. Their bagels, sandwiches and crepes are always fresh and high quality. They make their bagels/​sandwiches fresh, crepes to order and have an amazingly patient and fast staff. They are always accurate and it is worth the Saturday morning line to get a good bite and yummy coffee.

Really great food at a great price! Honestly probably the best bagels I’ve ever had in my life. Will definitely come back

Employees are really nice and up beat. It’s always busy but they manage to get things out quickly. I love their 2.5 bags of day old bagels.
The pesto chicken bagel is my favorite, I highly recommend it.

Can’t believe I never got around to writing a review before now. Hands down — best bagels in San Diego. I’m a New Yorker so don’t try to tell me that those chains (you know the ones) serve bagels. Sure they’re round with a hole in the center & the call them bagels but they’re definately not bagels. Let me school you on what makes a real bagel. You Boil them! Prior to baking, bagels should be boiled. It’s what gives them that distinctive chewy yet soft texture. BCB does it right! And their selection can’t be beat. I especially love the Everything, salted, onion & my all time favorite is garlic (Italian New Yorker ‘nuf said). Gotta ck out the veggie cream cheese with real chunks of veggies vs standard «threads» of veg you find elsewhere. They serve breakfast sammies, lunch sammies, crepes & don’t forget to check-​in on Unilocal for discount on smoothie.

I’ve lived in San Diego for 10 years, and I think I’ve been going to BCB about the same amount of time. I’ve learned to deal with the rush hour on Sat/​Sun mornings and I mostly do pickup orders whenever because BCB makes a decent bagel.
Here’s the problem, while I can overlook chaos and inefficiencies of the BCB process, as of this afternoon’s pickup order I can’t accept the customer service. I can only assume the ownership is so flush with cash that customer service and operating efficiency don’t matter anymore. And if that’s the case, I tip my hat to your success and I look forward to watching the BCB evolution towards some sort of Seinfeld-​esque Bagel-​Nazihood.
This of course does beg the question, «How did we mess up customer service on a to-​go order?» Honestly, it’s a difficult task. There’s just not a lot of time to mess up the experience.
So here we go…
Called in an order, first thing I said was I wanted a Co-​Op closed face, then I was asked how I wanted it, some other details and it’ll be ready in 15mins. (Yes, it’s the Co-​Op Guy from 12:45PM.) I always get my Co-​Op closed faced, because I don’t want smoked salmon on a plate sliding around my car as I drive and closed face fits in my center console.
I get to the store it’s almost 1pm, if there was a rush it was long gone. I get the whole 15 minutes to get a bagel ready, because well… it’s BCB. I grab a Snapple from the case and make my way to the register. First thing Rachel says to me at the register is «Is that all?» I mentioned that I was waiting on a pick up order. From the other end, I hear that someone is just finishing it up. Great and with several minutes to spare! It’s presented to me on a plate open faced to-​go. I politely mentioned that I had ordered it closed. The response I got was «You didn’t say that over the phone.» I said I did. She took the bagel, walked back, closed it up, handed it off to me and walked away.
Not the best.
1. Consider welcoming the customer as the first thing you say to them. Especially if you’re not busy. I’m giving you revenue you didn’t have seconds prior. Also, the competition does focus on these things and overtime people notice when they’re not there. Then the oversight works its way into a Unilocal review as part of a bigger issue.
2. Let’s say I didn’t say closed-​face on the phone… You are seriously going to correct the customer on something that small? As the staff, what points are you possibly winning? Do you really want the customers experience to be «The BCB Bagel was fantastic, and I’m a schmuck!» Customers understand mistakes happen and no one is going to chop your head off for getting an order wrong. I certainly wasn’t.
3. Consider closing out with «thanks for the business.» I’m certain you’re aware of the other lunch options in your immediate vicinity. Personally I like Ike’s Sandwiches 20ft away. I can easily go from «Co-​Op Guy» to «KC BBQ Sandwich on Sourdough Guy.»
In closing, you may want to consider investing in some secret shopper monitoring and customer service retraining starting today.

I’ve been meaning to review BCB for some time now — BEST bagels in San Diego! Love their bagel sandwiches and we have catered breakfasts with them for our business meetings and it is a hit. The bagels are New York style — I spoke to one of the owners who explained that means they are boiled, they are incredible!!!

I can see why the line was so long. Ordered an egg, cheese, and sausage sandwich on a jalapeño cheese bagel, it was delicious.
I would definitely recommend grabbing a bite here, but maybe go late morning or afternoon.

The route I take has been changed, and I am daily going by Big City Bagels again. It is always a good thing when I can stop and grab the incredible dark coffee on my way to my day, and on the way home, grab a bag of 6 day-​old bagels.
The faces have changed, and the service has streamlined significantly since my last review. It is all about timing… but the quality of the bagels and coffee are, as always, incredible.
Last week, we had some salmon that came in with family from Alaska. I had to stop for garlic bagels and salt bagels to have appropriate accompaniment. As always, the quality is absolute. My timing gave me the unfortunate 20 minutes to complete a 3 minute transaction between particular and argumentative prior customers.

Took a trip to SD to visit some friends. Stopped by here for breakfast. GLUTEN FREE everything bagels with hummus and avocado. The bagel was delicious!!! Especially being a gluten free bagel.
The line was LOOOOOOONG. We arrived at around 10:30 and the line was out the door. We waited probably 40 minutes In line before we got to order our food. We werent upset about it because we knew the line was long when we pulled up. Can’t complain when you already see that the line is long ;)
Food came out within ten minutes. The waiting line is along the glass which is pretty cool because you can watch them cook everything.
My friends enjoyed their cream cheese bagels. I will be back on my frequent SD trips!

The bagel sandwiches here are a weekend staple for me. They’re delicious and filling. BCB has a great selection of bagels as well. I also had their Acai cup and it was delicious. The service is really good and attentive.
This place can get crowded on the weekends because it’s not hidden secret that this place is awesome!

Not actually that good for working. Wifi was in and out every few minutes for some reason and suuuuper slow. and there’s only one real spot for an outlet which is at the bar-​like setting with bar stools which isn’t personally constructive for me to get stuff done.
But– Good bagels, it’s cool that they have tofu based cream cheese for ppl like me who can’t have dairy so the breakfast bagels are pretty plain and boring without cheese/​cream cheese.

This place is a great breakfast option for any day of the week, especially a weekend!
I woke up craving a bagel and thought why not try something new. I typically go to Einstein Bagels because its down the street from my boyfriends house if I have a bagel craving, but wanting to explore a new area I found this place on Unilocal.I love bagels, eggs, cream cheese but my boyfriend is more of a sweets person in the morning and loves crepes. I saw they had a $ 1 off crêpe offer on Unilocal and they looked amazing so we were set to go!
We found parking really easily. The location is ideal because there is a huge shopping center with street parking, lot parking and a underground garage (associated with the Ralphs). The location of BCB is technically on University Ave, right next to the Ike’s.
I figured that our 10:30am arrival would mean a huge wait and a long line. There was a line but it moved quickly and it helped because we had to look over the menu. The prices are seriously super great – $ 3.95-$ 5.95 for an egg bagel with meat and $ 4.95-$ 5.95 for a sweet crêpe. I ended up order a jalapeño cheddar bagel with an egg and instead of melted cheese, scallion cream cheese. My boyfriend ordered one of the sweet crepes. I also got a medium matcha iced green tea latte (they have soy milk) and he got a lemonade. After the $ 1 discount it came to $ 18. Not too bad, honestly it was super filling. if we didn’t get any drinks it would have been probably around $ 11.
They have a lot of other great options, including pressed juices, smoothies and acai/​pataya bowls, savory crepes and parfaits. Their orange juice is not fresh squeezed (comes from Costco) but hey that juice is really good!
They have ample seating inside and outside. My bagel came out really fast, however, the crepes do take a little longer but worth the wait. It was huge! Super stuffed and had a nice crispy texture to the edges which I like, but light and airy elsewhere.
All in all, I’m glad I found this place and ventured somewhere different.

This is a nice bagel shop in a very trendy outdoor mall area near the highway. There is plenty of outdoor seating both sunny and shady. Wifi works.
I ordered the Co-​Op bagel: lox bagel with everything. It came out fairly quickly and was good. The bagels are of good quality. I didn’t ask if they make them in house.
The drawbacks to this place are the size and layout of the interior. The space is long and narrow with two entrances — one on the street and one on the parking lot side. I think that with a couple changes they could make much better use of the space. For starters the menu board is extensive and long making it difficult to read the entire thing from one side, so you have to try and walk toward one end or the other. Secondly, the fountain drink machine is directly behind the «Order Here» area and takes up half the space between the wall and the counter making it a serious choke point — it’s just enough room for two people to slide past but feels really cramped and if someone is ordering and someone is getting a drink there is no way to slide past. Also, I had on a back pack and everyone was bumping into it as I tried to order.
I handed my travel tumbler to the person who took my order and she set it on the counter behind her. Someone else made my drink and put it in a plastic cup and a different customer received her drink in my travel tumbler. Poor coordination on that one.

Great quality yogurt. Lots of gluten free and vegan options. Friendly staff and very nice layout with comfortable couches and sturdy chairs and tables. They have daily specials and local artwork on the walls.

The hands-​down best bagel shop in San Diego! Bagels are always fresh, coffee is high quality, and plenty of great alternative breakfast items (health shakes, crepes, etc) to choose from. Try their Brooklyn crêpe if you’re new, you won’t regret it.

A very good bagel place but the sandwiches are fantastic! I’ve had the Stadium and the Queens and both were great! Bagels are very good too, just a little blander than Einstein bros. They seem to always have Café Moto coffee which I really love. Didn’t take any pics of sandwiches before but this time have one of the Asiago bagel. They are also a Belly location too, where you earn points with check-​ins for credit!

This place lives up to the hype. Honestly though, if you can’t make sandwiches and bagels taste good, go ahead and pull out your 9 mm now and pull the trigger. One of the most essential dishes to happiness, also happens to be the easiest.
Quality ingredients with excellent topping combos is why this place stands out. I really enjoyed my special custom bagel, which I’m not going to go into detail about because now it’s an old family secret recipe (ahem…egg omelet with onions and green peppers, cheddar cheese, ham, and cream cheese) SIMPLE BUT BOMB… YOU’RE WELCOME YA BISH!

Such yummy bagels nom nom nom
They sell great gluten free bagels, but gotta get them fast, usually when I get here in the afternoon there’s barely any left.

Woke up wanting a bagel breakfast sandwich after not having one in months so I took to Unilocal to guide me here, and I was not let down!
I got the egg and cheese with «the works» (which just means choice of 2 meats which is what I was hoping). I got it on a jalapeño cheddar bagel and it met all expectations. Sadly they messed my order up slightly and forgot to put the sausage on my bacon and sausage bagel, which is the reason it missed 5 stars, but it was an honest mistake and overall the bagel still tasted great.
My girlfriend got the 5^th ave also on a jalapeño cheddar and it was the perfect brunch/​lunch bagel. I will happily get this next time!
We also got an everything bagel with jalapeño cream cheese (can you tell we like spice) to share and really experience the bagel, it too met expectations. We’re thinking about turning this into a Sunday tradition! The coffee sucked though.

I rated this place two stars. It could be four if their service was tolerable. The first time I came to bcb was with my boyfriend before work and we sat at a table that we didn’t know was broken and when we set our coffee on the table and it fell and our hot coffee spilt all over both of us leaving us with minor burns! When we told the lady at the register she knew the table was broken! And today we went back after two months and they messed up our order. Don’t get me wrong their food and coffee is great but their employees don’t seem to care to much about their customers. Not sure if the service is worth the food and coffee

Açai energy drink is truly the best I’ve had yet. Bagels, sandwiches and crepes are also very tasty. I highly recommend this place over any other bagel or smoothie shop. Prepare for a bit of a wait but again, it is well worth it.

Love how customizable the menu is. The egg breakfast sandwich are so good and there’s such a good variety to choose from. The only complaint is that for a first timer there’s not a lot of direction on placing an order

I’m a fan of these delicious bagels for sure. I can’t take credit for finding this shop on my own, this place came highly recommended by Siggy R.
I’ve tried a couple of their cream cheeses and they are so creamy and delectable. The veggie one came recommended and I can see why. It’s full of chopped, fresh vegetables. These were definitely the best tasting cream cheeses I’ve had from any local shop.
The bagels are boiled first, then baked. I’ve gotta say, I like them better than the bagels at DZ Akins. I usually get them there when I’m picking up chopped liver. I think these are much tastier though. They have a huge selection of flavors too. My picky son approved of their sweet flavors. He loves the cinnamon crumb and chocolate chip ones. I’m more of a savory gal. I’ve tried the everything, onion, garlic, salt, and asiago. My favorite is probably the garlic, I’m a true wop haha. One of these days I’m going to try a bagel dog. They also make a large variety of bagel sandwiches as well as sweet and savory crepes.
The service here is excellent. There’s always a line it seems, but they don’t rush you. If you have questions, they’re ready to answer them. When I took my son in they were very nice and patient with him. Prices are good too. A half dozen bagels and half pound of cream cheese is way cheaper than those national chains whose bagels taste gummy. There is plenty of parking here since it’s located in the Uptown Shopping Center. They have indoor and outdoor seating. And they make delicious smoothies which you can get $ 1 off of with your Unilocal check-​in.

As good as it gets for NY-​style bagels anyway! ;) B*****gers (I don’t know if I am supposed to mention other businesses or not) is officially fired — although it wasn’t going to take much to fire them…
I stopped in to check and see for myself if their bagels. I simply ordered two plain bagels to see how they are in taste, texture etc. Not bad, not bad at all. I will go here from now on when the bagel craving hits.
The shop was clean and inviting; one of the staff working was a little, well, I wouldn’t call her rude, but by no means was she friendly. The other lady working was super-​nice and checked on me as I was snooping around and snapping pics.

Had a delicious bagel breakfast sandwich here! I was able to chose my meat and type of cheese, bagel was fresh and delicious. Our breakfast came out quickly and they have outdoor seating which was nice! Definitely will be returning!

First, there is a parking lot! Yes, lol. Parking in this area can be difficult, so easy parking is definitely a plus. The line was long when we walked in, but the employees were working fast and the wait was not too long and definitely worth it.
My husband tried the acai berry smoothie. It had a beautiful flavor. I almost stole it from him. He also had an everything bagel with the jalapeño spread. The jalapeño spread was a great substitute for the normal cream cheese spread. It was creamy and smooth with a little kick. Yumtastic.
I chose the 5^th Avenue on an everything bagel. It was fabulous. Honestly probably the best bagel I had ever sunk my teeth into. Turkey, bacon, tomato, avocado, a garlic spread and melted munster cheese. Served open face. Booooom. So good.
This is just a great little spot, some indoor seating and a good size outside patio to relax and eat on. Staff was friendly and helpful. No complaints here.

I have been looking everywhere in San Diego for a good Bagel Spot. I have finally found it and it’s so close to my house! I ordered the Co-​Op with green onion cream cheese. Salmon, Capers, Red Onions and Tomatoes. Even after toasting my bagel it was still so soft and fresh. They also sell a huge selection of day old bagels for $ 2.50 which I loved! Instead of throwing them away like most businesses.
I lucked out and they accepted the Belly points card. When I signed it my sandwich was free…
Best experience ever!!!

Sylvia made me an excellent 5^th Avenue sammich with lettuce and mayo. It was music in my mouth.
They make them open faced so it’s like getting two sammiches! Very delicious, I’ll be back up in this spot!

BCB is a wonderful little bagel shop in the hustling and bustling Trader Joe’s shopping center in Hillcrest. We popped in around 11am or so on a Sunday for some late morning calories.
BCB sports a diverse variety of bagels. All of them looked wonderful, but, because I love spice and heat I gravitated towards the Jalapeño, toasted, with a healthy schmear of cream cheese. For $ 2 and change, I was served a large bagel that managed to completely quell my stomach’s yearnings. Nice flavor, although I would have preferred more of a jalapeño presence.
My breakfast companion opted for one of their breakfast sandwiches on an «Everything Bagel.» It was nicely prepared, and seemingly inspired no complaints.
I enjoyed the bagel, the vibe, and the efficient service. I’ll be back.

Huge menu w/​great quality. I ordered a soho sandwich on garlic bagel. Around $ 6. Also bought cinnamon bagel & asiago bagel w cream cheese for the boyfriend.
Easy to find parking! The inside seating area is small but there is plenty of places to sit outside (& people watch).

Can’t get enough of this place.
Cuban shot!!! Since I just got back from Miami and had cortadito’s this brought back memories and made me really excited! They put a dash of cinnamon I in this one.
Favorite bagels-​jalapeño cheese, asiago cheese, and everything bagel!
Chicken pesto melt with avocado– one of my favs, so delicious! Open faced. Perfect.
Loft tuna melt– ok. A lil dry and plain for my liking.
DO NOT get the sun dried tomato bagel!!! It taste super doughy, not cooked all the way or the ingredients need to be changed a little, still not quite perfected right.
Big city best smoothie– I really love this one bc most smoothies I get with kale or spinach taste just as they sound, like I’m drinking a bunch of veggies blended together. In this one they add a apple juice. Genius. So good!!!
Make sure to come during odd times or you’ll be waiting in a line… Or they’ll run out of that everything bagel u drove all the way there for.

I love bagels! I like them prepared just about anyway. Toasted, with hummus, with cream cheese, lox or sandwich style. You get the idea and BCB has become my favorite spot in the area.
My recent «favorite» bagel is the «works sandwich on an everything bagel.» The works allows you to make a sandwich with the ingredients of your choice. My last one had eggs, sausage, tomato, spinach, red onions with jack cheese. Soooo good! Not only do they have bagels they have a wide selection of sandwiches, smoothies, acai, fruit bowls, salads, crepes and I can’t forget about all their coffee creations.
BCB has just gone through a recent remodel and feels fresh. The staff for the most part give you good service with smile.
The place can get busy but that is a good sign of things to come. Get in line on the south side (closest to university), take in all the awesome aromas while checking out the menu. Enjoy!