Pumpernickel’s Bagelry & Delicatessen

Went in for a sandwich on my lunch break two different days. Ordered the Turkey club. It was very filling. The first time was better than the second. May have been my fault because I personally like a little extra mayo but it was like there was no other taste except mayo. Like it was oozing out of every section. Will venture out and try another one of their sandwiches next time. There are so many to choose from.

They have a great bagels they are delicious but the server with the Long beard ruins the experience for me. I purposefully do not go there because he is such a jerk. He makes me feel like he doesn’t want any customers. I don’t understand how you would run a business but not want anyone to be there. He yells at me when I make an order. He should be fired but I think he’s the owner.

Their bagels may be ok toasted but the staff is so so rude that it is not worth it. Don’t waste your time and don’t support such bad behavior. Lots of other good bagel places.

The combos are amazing! You can split one sandwich for two people cause they are really big! The service is good And The taste too! It’s really cheap and you can find a variety of sandwiches and wraps. The place is nice and clean. Totally recommended.

Horrible. Owner is beyond horrible. Place is disgusting. I would not recommend this to anyone,

I can’t believe they only have 3 stars average. Used to live a block away & they are hands down the best breakfast spot in the neighborhood. The bagels aren’t NY style, but unique & tasty– and some of the best DC has to offer. They close a little early at night for my wishes, but have always been friendly and helpful when visiting. The pizza is great too & they have plenty of vegetarian options.

Pumpernickel’s… where the customer is never right… even when they’re right, and the receipt reflects it.
To quote another post… «I am done with Pumpernickel’s.» The staff is incredibly rude and has (to quote another post) an «us vs them» mentality. Very uncomfortable every time I go in and today was the last straw.
Today was my son’s 4^th birthday and I wanted to order pizza’s for his party. I called first and someone answered: «we don’t take call-​in orders on the weekend, you must come in.» … and they hung up. I did not utter one word.
So I went in and placed my order: Two large cheese, one large pepperoni. I paid, and my receipt was e-​mailed to me. It said two cheese and one pepperoni. I left and came back 1 hour later to pick them up. It was two pepperoni and one cheese. The manager (or owner) with the rubber band twisty-​tie goatee said it’s not what I ordered. I showed them the receipt. He said it’s not what I ordered AND the cashier rung me up wrong. Everyone is wrong but him, even when I have the receipt on hand with the correct order. I asked for another pizza that was already made and he said it was bigger than the one I ordered… blah blah blah.
Bottom line, we argued and I left there with the pizza’s and headed to my son’s 4^th birthday in a terrible mood. A happy day turned sour by Pumpernickel’s Bagelry. He took something from me he can’t give back and I have no desire to go back there. The staff is terrible and it’s sad because it’s a great community. Customer relations should be a business’s cornerstone in an area like this.
Save your frustration and go somewhere else.

How good are the bagels? Lemme tell you — when I recently spent 6 months living up near Baltimore, I would drive down on weekends (and I hate driving) to get the pumpernickel bagels — they are that good. Only in NY have I had anything as good. Yup, it’s a bit grimy, some of the crew (my Deadhead dude) are famously grumpy, but as another reviewer said «don’t care if he’s friendly, I already have friends.»

Pumpernickels is slipping — this is the 2^nd time in one week they were out of bagels. How do you not have bagels when that’s in the name of your shop? They were also out of breakfast potatoes. At any rate, if you want a quick decently priced breakfast sandwich (not on a bagel), you’ve got. No frills.

I’m done with Pumpernickel’s. One too many experiences with rude or indifferent staff. While I’d rather support locally-​owned businesses, the folks at Starbucks next door at least know how to act.

The guy who is always behind the counter is not very friendly but I already have friends. He is fast and the food is good. Great for weekend breakfast.

Pumpernickel has been there for a long time, its run by rob and Brigitte. It serves not only bagels but good sandwiches. Its prices are fair. its business is steady. It has indoor and outdoor seating. Its the creator of the Halloween gathering that happens on the avenue. I’m proud to say I represent the king there 11 seasons so far.

This no frills bagel/​pizza joint has certainly won my heart since moving to the area. As a native New Yorker, I am extremely picky about my bagels. While I don’t expect to find a NY style bagel that will rival those back at home, these bagels sure do come close. The shop offers a wide selection of bagels, though I never stray from a plain or poppy seed. What’s more, a breakfast sandwich, aka a bacon egg and cheese, only costs $ 4! Unheard of in these parts. This is a perfect neighborhood spot to visit with friends on a weekend when DC brunch will break the bank. I definitely recommend it.

I’m super picky about bagels and this place always blows me away. The owner is one of the rough guys with a «doesn’t take crap» attitude, which is super appreciate when the guy behind you cuts the line!
When they come to you KNOW YOUR ORDER. A lot of people go through the shop and it’ll go a lot faster if you’re prepared. They don’t serve paninis and sandwiches until after 11!
Tip: get the pumpernickel bagel with chive cream cheese!

Great bagels. Good pizza. The service was perfectly pleasant.

The food is pretty good but the place is kind of dirty. I can live with that. Maybe «messy» is a more fair description. Yes. Messy.
Ok. So far so good.
What I do not understand is the «us versus them» attitude of the staff. Kind of a siege mentality. Plus the staff comes off as aggressive. They also post little hand lettered signs threatening you if you commit certain transgressions like answering your cell phone, and maybe other things. They seem kind of bitter. The predictably counterculture guy waiting on me last week told me he «had to get something from the basement» in order to make my pizza but wouldnt say what it was. It sounded ominous, or at least disorganized. He seemed slightly menacing despite the flower power getup. Yikes!

This place was so bad that it’s inspired me to write my first Unilocal review. First of all, I love bagel shops so I was extra disappointed. I got an egg and cheese bagel — which was pretty good, although the bagel was thin — and a side of hash browns. They were pretty terrible and I ate them covered in ketchup because I couldn’t stand the taste (didn’t finish them).
The real issue was the coffee, however. I noticed everyone had coffee from Starbucks next door and that should have been a sign, but I ordered coffee anyway. The cashier said he’d have to «do something» first, but didn’t change the thermos for about 10 minutes so I asked about it. Another guy dumped half a pot of coffee that had been sitting on the warmer for a long time into the Thermos. It wasn’t even enough for two cups of coffee. This was the worst coffee I’ve ever had in my life… had to throw it out and go next door after finishing the sandwich. For a bagel shop, this was so disappointing.
The sandwiches are fine but avoid everything else — and get your coffee next door.

I have eaten at Pumpernickels for 20 years. They are fast and efficient. The food is good and fresh. The dining space is small, like in many establishments in the city. The staff does not suffer fools lightly; but they are incredibly kind when incredible kindness is needed.
In 2009 when my husband Fred was dying from kidney cancer (He was also quite a fan of this place) the owners, Rob and Brigid Gillette let me paint a mural of my husband’s medical chart on their wall. It was a very kind and selfless act. That painting was on the wall for 4 years and help create better health policies for us all.
This place has grit. It has grit on floor from the shoes of the hundreds of dedicated local fans and grit of spirit as they do the right thing even if it is hard.

When we went everyone seemed still on holiday mode. I am all for a relaxed atmosphere, but the lack of efficiency made us settle for a bagel instead of something from their extensive menu. The establishment was not the cleanest and service slow and unimpressive.
But if you want a quick pizza, it can work.
Limited seating.

I think some of the negative bagel reviews are based on an unrealistic expectation of what is essentially a neighborhood dive being compared to the New York bagel industry. The bagels are good if not great. Granted, I am not one of the self-​appointed connoisseurs that reference NYC at the drop of a hat for comparison, and they’re probably right that it doesn’t meet Gotham’s offerings.
But what does? They’re better than any of the über chains like Au Bön Pain or Starbucks in terms of bagels for selection and quality. Not saying the best I’ve ever had, but they are a cut above and fresh made. Their breakfast bagels and sandwiches are good and filling for the price and their pizza is way better than any national chain and for certain kind of pizza lover (old school neighborhood style without coal or wood) their pies are better than Comet’s.
Yeah, there’s a crusty owner and some indifferent staff. But I haven’t been party to or seen anything that is raised to the level disgust in other reviews. If you know what you’re ordering it’s usually in and out. IMHO. I like this place for a quick breakkie or a slice. That’s what it’s good for.
PS
Yes, the coffee does suck and the donuts middling. Small gripe.

After reading a lot of other people’s reviews for this place, I felt the need to voice my opinion. On the positive, the food is very good. I have had bagels, sandwiches and pizza bagels and I recommend the pizza bagel on a salt bagel.
Now here is my problem, I am totally agreement in the people who remarked about the rude service of the man with the beard and tie dye. He is extremely unpleasant and no matter how polite I am to him, no matter how much respect I give to him, he is just never nice and always disrespectful. Every time I walk out I say to myself, «What a jerk! This is the last time I’m coming, I don’t want to give nasty person another dime,» But then I remember how close it to my home and that it’s super convenient.

This place is super cute. The service was fast and my breakfast bagel was very yummy. I like that they are less than a block form starbucks. I had everything I need (Chai Tea and breakfast bagel) to start my morning.
If I lived Chevy Chase, I would definitely go again. But since I don’t, I will have to make do with the Panera in my neighborhood.