Einstein Bros Bagels

Worst service ever.
They got my order completely wrong the first try. Naturally, I went to tell an employee that I received something different from what I ordered. Upon doing so, she snatched the order out of my hand and proceeded to tell me that the order was right (I ordered a turkey and cheddar bagel sandwich and instead they gave me a sausage egg and cheese bagel). I told her I ordered a deli turkey and cheddar sandwich. She rudely threw the sandwich into the trash and went to make my correct order. I nonetheless thanked her for remaking my sandwich and she just walked away. Upon opening it, the sandwich was still not what I ordered but I decided to make do and eat it rather than arguing with their rude employees. I received a a thick stack of cold turkey meat, a cold slice of cheddar, chunks of tomato and a bunch of lettuce slapped onto a warm bagel. yum.

The ONLY reason I go to the UH Einstein Bros is that it is 100 steps from my office door. I prefer the Nook or Cougar Grounds since I don’t like standing in longs lines for bad coffee. If it’s a short line… OK…I’ll stop. Any more than 5 – 6 people in line… it’s quicker to walk across campus to Cougar Grounds or the Nook.
The coffee is generally hot and somewhat freshly brewed. I try to avoid the other offerings.
On to the bagels:…How they call those round stale toroid bits of bread «bagels» is beyond me. They are bagels ONLY by virtue of topology and are really just stale donuts with sesame seeds sprinkled on top and smeared with a thin film of cream cheese. OK, I have high standards for my bagels. There are only 2 places in the world that actually sell decent bagels… and both are in Montréal. I can usually choke down non-​Montréal bagels given enough coffee… but you could have played hockey with the one I had today.
Who ever said «My bagel tastes like a bagel» has never actually eaten a real bagel.
On the positive side staff is generally nice and friendly and do a good job. That’s worth a star.

I come here whenever I’m looking for something quick and cheap to bite on. I usually get the Asiago bagel with regular cream cheese. I’ve also tried the chocolate chip bagel but it honestly tastes like a normal plain bagel… The total for one bagel comes up to be around $ 2 something. The workers are kind of rude but what do you expect.

Welcome to Einstein’s, can I help you?
As a loyal Einstein’s customer, especially this on campus location, and loyalty club member, corporate sends me a gift certificate for a bagel and smear on my birthday. So, today being that day, I am ready for my reward. I enter and am greeted with the words above. I present my sweet small bit of appreciation and am promptly told that Aramark, the franchisee owner of this location doesn’t honor any corporate promotions.
Really? Well, how’s that for a FU on your birthday! It’s bad enough that Aramark gouges you at all of the sporting events, but I was unaware that nearly all of the on campus vendors were also owned by this relentless food service machine.
I will no longer be a customer at this location and at none of their other franchises located on campus or anywhere else after reading a little more about the company and its practices. The exact same tack was employed later in the day at the Starbucks on campus that they also own. I may even be agitated enough to follow up with both of these national chain’s public relations division to see how they feel about Aramark’s treatment of customers in their loyalty programs.
The following is a bit of info gleaned from Wikipedia. We all know that some Wiki sources can be dubious, but the references for the information seem to justify the position.
Aramark has also been the subject of a number of scandals regarding labor practices and business ethics. These include firing workers for reporting unsanitary food conditions, paying fringe wages, not paying for all hours worked, not paying backpay, and firing or eliminating the positions of those who file Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) claims.[26][27][28][29][30] Likewise, Aramark has been criticized for skimping portion sizes, food safety issues, and overcharging state governments (Michigan, Kentucky, and Florida) that have used their food in prisons; a Kentucky prison riot is reputed to have been caused by the low quality of food Aramark provided to inmates.[31][32] In 2013, an investigation by Pulitzer Prize-​winning journalist Chris Hedges discovered that the food provided to inmates at Burlington County Jail in New Jersey was substandard and spoiled, and often made prisoners sick with diarrhea and vomiting.[33] Maggots found in the food preparation areas at Parnall Correctional Facility in Jackson, Michigan may have been the source of an outbreak of food-​borne illness.[34][35] Maggots were also found in Aramark food products at Michigan’s Charles Egeler Reception & Guidance Center[36] and two Ohio prisons, the Ohio Reformatory for Women and Trumbull Correctional Institute.[37] Ohio and Michigan fined Aramark $ 270,000 and $ 200,000 respectively.[38]
Aramark has been criticized for the «filthy conditions» in Chicago Public Schools following the privatization of janitorial services and Aramark receiving a $ 260 million contract for their management. Responding to these reports, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said «Aramark’s job is to clean the schools, so our principals and teachers can focus on their fundamental responsibility: education. They will either live up to that contract and clean up the schools or they can clean out their desks and get out.“[39]
Decide for yourself.

Ugh… I did it again & went here for breakfast. I must say that they stepped up their fresheness of their muffins. Props for that, but I was utterly dissappointed when I was half way done with my muffin only to find that I was under cooked!
I like to save the muffin top for last since it’s my favorite part. So I started eating my muffin from the bottom and when I got to the top it was mostly dough! Ugh!
This happened before, but being naïve I just thought, oh wow this muffin is soo moist! Wrong! When it happened again & looked closer, mostly because there was soo much that was undercooked, and was grossed out.
I really hope I do not get sick from this.

I don’t mind the staff. They treat you nicely if you treat them nicely. WOW!
–My lattes are always on point.
–My bagel taste like a bagel.
Five stars. Five Stars.

Took 10 min to get my bagel after I had ordered… Staff was goofing off and standing around talking even though there was a line of 20 people waiting on them… Bagel had the wrong kind of cream cheese

I usually go to Einsteins out of desperation because either everything else is closed or too far to walk. Mostly everything is overpriced. I sometimes get the decaf and I’m not much of a fan of the hazelnut vanilla coffee. Brewed coffee is $ 1.99. I’m not sure about all the negative comments on the hygiene of the staff. I will only pray that they are following appropriate protocols before serving me food. I do know that the staff is not the friendliest and I’ve had several occasions where the cashier has given me an attitude. Also, they aren’t as swift as you may expect at a coffee place. They don’t mind making you wait while they finish chatting up or check their phones. Oh well, maybe it is an UH thing… For now, I think I will just stick to the Starbucks or Cougar Grounds for my coffee fix on campus.

Let’s be honest, Einstein Bros is amazing but here it’s basically a hit or miss. Some mornings the ladies are kind enough to ask you the name on your order, other days they want to shout out your order and viciously hand it to you without taking a second glance.
My usual order is hummus on an Asiago or plain cream cheese on an Asiago and they’ve never gotten my order incorrect but how could an order so simple go wrong? My only issue was one day I got my order with the hummus in a small sauce container. Needlesstosay, I was livid. It wasn’t that big of an issue and I may have just been annoyed but the line consisted of no more than four people and they didn’t have the time to spread hummus on a bagel?! Please.
Even though I love Einstein Bros and their delicious menu, some franchises just don’t live up to their name and this place could definitely use some work.

I end up eating here fairly often simply out of convenience. For under 5 bucks I can get a bagel and large coffee, and I usually get it quickly enough so as to not be late to class. The bagels are edible, though not great (not even good.) I’ve found the most reliable spread to be peanut butter. All the others can be a little weird, texture-​wise. The coffee ranks up (or should I say down) there with truck stop coffee, but I’m so addicted to my coffee that I don’t really care. I’ve had worse.
I can’t really speak to the hygiene issues mentioned by others. I’m pretty oblivious to that sort of stuff (it might be the pre-​coffee haze.) The rudeness is an issue, though.

Long lines, shitty coffee, dirty dirty dirty. But if you’re in the middle of the campus and have a class in one of the buildings next door starting in the next 10 minutes, you don’t really have a choice but to get something from here (or a vending machine). Their yoghurt is actually not too bad, though expensive.

yay i am a fan. now, despite what the other reviews discuss about the hygiene and the staff, ive never experienced that kind of service. and no, im not 30+ or male. lol just an average college student.
the only tidbit i have about this place is that the line can be long sometimes, but generally i never really have trouble getting my stuff unless i go at peak lunch time.
almost every morning, monday wednesday friday around 9−10am, you can find me in line waiting for my usual favorite. like my quick tips point out, i am a big fan favorite of Einstein Bros’ Fruit & Nut Power Bagel.
now obviously the bagel contains nuts, so dont follow my review if youre allergic (im not responsible here peeps!) but otherwise, it is delicious. its a rectangle bagel (as opposed to a circle! lol) and it has raisins, dried cranberries, walnuts (maybe some pine nuts?), sunflower seeds, etc. it’s a thick rectangle bar of a bagel, and its heavenly.
different shmears ive tried and loved on powerbagel:
honey almond
strawberry
blueberry
and if youre a boring, non-​adventurous fart then you can just get the plain regular cream cheese.
other than the bagels, im not much of a fan of it for anything else. the sandwhiches in the fridge cost almost $ 6 a pop, so things here can get pricey. i just like to stick with my bagel and water bottle, thank you very much.
so despite the lines and the randomly overpriced things, the bagels are pretty decent (especially the f&n powerbagel!) and i always stop in for one every morning im on campus.
nom nom nom away!

I have all kinds of issues with this location. I have great experiences at other locations but not this one. The employees forget orders, mess up orders, talk and text to each other about customers in front of them. Unless you’re a older white male, you can’t get the time of day. I’ve seen them make fun of customer’s names, laugh at customers, and they are the rudest service employees on campus.
Last week my boss went in there when they had no customers. He ordered a coffee and a bagel, toasted. After 10 minutes of waiting, he finally asked about his bagel. The employee forgot. With him standing there and no one else around. Really? Terrible. Its embarassing to the UH community.

You have got to be kidding me.
While the location is convenient, it’s not enough to make me go back. The food, if they happen to get it right, is mediocre and overpriced. Worst of all, and the reason I refuse to go back, is the staff. I could possibly overlook their incompetence if they were at least civil.

Ew.
Echoing Natalie D.‘s sentiments below — hygiene and cleanliness is largely elusive to the workers here. They really shouldn’t bother wearing gloves since they touch anything, touch your food, touch themselves, touch your food, touch their phone, then touch your food. And its not even done seductively — its done just because they don’t know better and they absolutely do not care.
And they work so slowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww. I age a few years every time I delude myself into thinking I need a bagel on campus.
Not just no — but HELL no.

Everyone here is always in a bad mood NO. MATTER. WHAT. They’re never nice unless you’re older (30+) or a male. Even better if you’re both. And even then, you’re not even guaranteed genuine friendliness. If you’re neither of these, you’re crap out of luck. All you’ll get is «NEXT!» or «What do you want?», big SIGHS and eyes rolling. Like seriously, what gives? It’s so unpleasant to come here because of the rude staff. What’s worse is, nothing has been/​will be done about it.
The reason I give 2 stars is only because I like the way they toast my bagel compared to the other Einstein’s I frequent (City Centre), which burns my food. Not saying the food here is good. I just like the way they toast it. I’m having an Asiago bagel with plain cream cheese as I’m writing this review, and just as I typed the last sentence, a huge glob of cream cheese is teetering over the edge of my bagel. Cream cheese overload = GROSS. Also, my cheese is coming off. What?! It’s hardened and melted at the same time. That should give you a nice visual of what kind of food this place offers.
Coffee here is sugar, water and maybe syrup.
The salads aren’t very good either. Wouldn’t recommend them. If you want water, bring your own canister. They charge $ 0.25 for a cup (not that it’s THAT much, but if you get a cup everyday, it adds up).
I’m always terrified to get in line here. Scary, mean staff. I only go here because it’s closest to all my classes.
The Einstein Bagels I like closed down a long time ago. It was on Westheimer and I really miss it.

Coffee seems to get more watered down by the day. I’ve also tried their bagel dog (which costs at least twice as much as the ones at Hot Bagel) and they are nothing to write home about. Best bagel shop on campus? Perhaps… and that is quite sad. Best coffee? I’d rather go to the Starbucks… and that is also sad. I suppose I’ll be bringing my own in – or perhaps Cougar Groundz (
) will save me!

This can be either the greatest place or worst place depending on how
you look at it.
Stuck in middle of campus, Einstein is super convenient if you are hungry and strapped for time. The staff is very fast in dishing out food so you can get out quickly. There are a variety of breakfast foods, sandwiches, soups and wraps for any meal. The food might not be the healthiest but it’s better than being hungry during a lecture. There’s nothing worse than sitting through a long lecture only to be thinking about your hunger.
With convenience, comes high prices for their mediocre food. A sandwich will typically run around $ 6.50. I’m not talking about a firehouse sub or sub from jimmy john’s. I’m talking about a typical sack lunch type sandwich. It’s nothing fancy with two slices of bread, deli meat, lettuce and tomato.
Their soups aren’t any better, no different from say a can of Campbells soup.
Recently I had no choice but to eat there due to time constraints. I ordered a wrap and a cup of soup. My total came out to be $ 10, which I found to be quite pricey compared to many other places I could have gotten food from.
Just like I said this Einstein could be the greatest or worst place to eat on campus. I highly encourage you to try other places if possible.

I’ve had the bagels here on many various occasions; I don’t enjoy it; but I don’t know why I keep on coming back. Why? maybe because it’s the closest food place to my classes. I’ve had the cream cheese on honey wheat, which was crazily spread with TOO much cream cheese. 2^nd, the Bagel Thin Turkey Sandwich– omg. SO gross! The turkey was pretty much not fresh & it seemed kind of out dated. The spread they used had a weird texture and a huge stench. Lost my appetite after 2 bites; threw the remaining of the bagel away. Another unappetizing encounter was the Nova Lox Bagel. Not good!
I’ve decided to stop coming here this semester & I don’t plan to go back. Unless I’m stopping by with a friend when the grab something or maybe for when i’m thirsty. But bagel wise, never again. Sorry!

Going to U of H can be hectic and you can easily run out of time having to run around campus all day for each class. Thanks to Einstein company you can now have a good meal at a good price, fast!
All of my classes were all over the place and I only had 10 min to get to each one, so when lunch time came and it was on a day that I did not bring my lunch, I was able to run in here and grab a bite to eat as I walked to class. Usually I had to finish up eating my great meal in class in front of everyone else that is starving and drooling because I am eating in front of their faces.
One time I showed up late to class because I was ordering more then usually did and as I walked in he looked up at me and was about to yell at me for being late, but instead said «a mans got to eat». haha
I love this place and I am now posting it on Unilocal,because it was not here.