As the snow was falling, I went to pick up bagel for my family at iBagel Cafe. I was hoping for a quick bagel stop along with the requested sides. There was only one other customer when I arrived at 8:45. They had a full staff so this calmed my concern that they were not ready for the day. Unfortunately, my experience turned south from there.
Let’s start with the most important element at any bagel shop — the bagels themselves. The baskets of bagel were all full so I had my choice of what I wanted. I went with a plain bagel. To say it was disappointingly is an understatement. It was stale and dry, lacking the chewy interior and crisp exterior that define a proper bagel. I do not know at 8:45 on a Sunday how you cannot have warm fresh bagels. My bagel tasted like one that was leftover for at least a few days. This bagel should be as fresh a bagel as you could get. But it was not.
Putting aside the staleness, the bagel did not have the golden brown color, it did not have a chewy inside. It lacked all the qualities of a good New York bagel. If I were to judge it by Florida or frozen standards, it still would be a horrible bagel. This bagel shop ranks low on the New York standard and low on the Florida standard.
To beat a dead horse, a bagel’s job is simple: fresh, flavorful, and satisfying. Here, it felt like an afterthought. I wanted to see if I was alone with this opinion so I checked a few online review sites and sadly for iBagel, my opinion aligns with other comments. Many people feel that they serve dry bagels and they have a lack of freshness.
I would like to say the service made up for the bagel quality but that would not be true. The waitstaff was indifferent to serving me. The only thing positive about my experience at iBagel was the Baked Salmon Salad. This appetizer was superior to any other that I have had.
My conclusion is it you are looking for a delicious bagel breakfast, there are plenty of places that do it right. In the Albertson area, there must be a half dozen better bagel shops than iBagel. These include, Long Island Bagel Cafe, Bagels and Bialys, Pantano’s Doz Bagels and Bagel Boss. Each of these shops deliver fresher, more flavorful bagels and greater value. These places serve bagels that are chewy, fresh, and actually worth your morning stop. Something iBagel Cafe simply didn’t offer in my visit. Skip iBagel for a better alternative unless you want to be disappointed.