The bagels at Einstein's are more on the soft and fluffy side, which some people like, but it's not my preference. If I had to choose, I prefer the bagels at Bruegger's. However, one thing I like at Einstein's is that they have honey butter. It's not overly sweet and goes well with bagels like whole wheat. This place was crazy, understandably so, when we went recently with our free bagel and shmear coupons which we found on both cheapirvine.com and slickdeals.net. They were sold out of almost everything. But free is free, so I went with the pumpernickel. It wasn't half bad. read more

Probably the worst customer service on the planet. Always out of bagels, ALWAYS! Called corporate and they do not seem to care. Need to find a new bagel place. Anyone reading this, please suggest a great bagel place in Irvine area. read more

Shirley's Bagels in Newport Beach beats this place by far, but it's a little out of the way unless I'm at work. They get points for: -Fresh bagels -Lots of variety for bagels, cream cheese, sandwiches, and plenty of beverage options Points off for: - Speed. They seriously need to rework their system because I've had a couple of times where 35 minutes elapsed between the time I parked and the when I actually received the goods. You either have to call ahead or go during non peak. - Salmon cream cheese is weak! Tasted like canned fish. This is where I say get your ass over to Shirley's Bagels if you have a major craving for bits of lox, but don't want to spend the extra bucks buying the lox sandwich. read more

Great bagels! Always fresh and tasty. Never stale and bland. They have a great selection of bagels and cream cheeses. I've tried their bagel sandwiches for lunch and they're also very good. If I could, I'd eat here more often but then all those carbs would go straight to my butt. Unfortunately, I'm not blessed with a fast metabolism so every bite equals a mile at the gym for me. I used to go to Breuggers bagels since it was close to where I used to live but after tasting Einstein's bagels... I don't even know why I ate that crap! I guess I never knew a bagel could taste this good like it does at Einsteins. Well now I know and I can't go anywhere else to get my bagel fix. read more

First off, let me say that their bagels are really good, especially when they are fresh out of the oven. But everything else is horrible. We came in for breakfast around 9am. The store was empty and we were the only ones there at the time. We stood in line for 5 minutes and all the employees simply ignored us. We finally got some service and ordered a turkey sausage & egg bagel and a spinach egg bagel. I watched how they made the sandwich. They were made via microwave!!! Wtf!!! If I wanted microwaved food, I could've stayed at home and made it myself. I couldn't believe I paid almost $11 for microwaved food. Then their dining area was filthy. Crumbs were on every table and the workers didn't seem to care. I had to wipe the table down myself just to eat at a clean table. I would never come back here again. I gave them 2 stars just for their bagels...they actually deserve 1 star. But their cleanliness, customer service, and sandwiches are horrible. Do not waste your money on their breakfast sandwiches. Just buy the frozen microwaveable boxes at a grocery store. It's the same quality. read more

The manger Amanda and employee Haley are the sweetest people on this earth! They were extremely helpful and caring when taking my order and were super efficient! Would definitely recommend this place to anyone wanting great bagels! :) read more

Regarding Einstein Bagels on Harvard in Irvine. The worst bagel store ever! Why do I keep torturing myself by going back? They NEVER have everything bagels and other popular bagels during the morning rush. This is not the first time it happened. It happens a great deal on Sat and Sun mornings mostly which surprises me because today is a week day. I was there at 8:16am today and they did not have everything bagels, asiago, etc. I waited for the 10-15 mins which was really 25 plus minutes. People were complaining on line too and agreeing that they are always out of popular flavors. I just find it so strange that a bagel store does not plan ahead to insure they never run out during rush hour. read more

I like this place! The boy and I came here for a late breakfast today since we wanted something quick and easy before heading over to the movies. At 11:15am on a Sunday, this place was packed with families and young adults; it brought back memories as a kid going to get either donuts or bagels on the weekend with the parents. Anyway, we ordered three toasted bagels with cream cheese and two drinks -- a water and an OJ. The total was $13 and some change; decent enough. The bagels were ready a few minutes after ordering, which was great. My chocolate chip bagel was just right and they put just the right amount of cream cheese on it -- not too much, not too little. I loved it! My OJ was great too, but you can't really go wrong with that. All in all, I really like this place. Since it's so close to my boyfriend's place, I'm going to have to suggest coming here more often on our lazy Sunday morning and afternoons together. Cheers! read more

We ordered a nova sandwich with fruit on onion bagel! No onion bagel so we try the garlic! Bagel was so tough my mom couldn't bite through it! I ordered the tuna salad on whole wheat roll! Filling was ok big piece of lettuce and nice tomato! My roll was really hard! I asked if the bread was baked fresh daily! I was assured it was and all done in house! They forgot one side and pickle on the to go order and didn't include any forks! Don't know if we will ever go back! Only reason they got one star was the only way to post review! read more

5/19/15 Jon Silva learn to ring up people in order please and apologize if you made a mistake and say thank you after customers pay. Proper etiquette and customer service 101. Better organization needed for this location. read more

Well this has taken me along time to do this. But today was the day that broke the camels back. I love their bagels, but if management does not come in here and clean house (literally and figuratively) they will loose tons of business. *Starting with the manager. The older, blonde woman is soooo incredibly rude and unkind. She has a constant RBF. And as a manager you should have a cheery disposition and talk with patrons with respect and admit when your employees screwed up. And as a result, her employees are rude and never admit to their mistakes (only speaking for me and my experience) *A majority of the mornings it is realllyyyy hard to find a bagel you want, because they are almost all gone before 9. It seems there should be better planning in prepping and baking the bagels, where the bins are filled at all times between their heavy hours of business. I know it's possible (ie Brueggers) *Also they charge you almost $3 for bagel and shmear, but this last time there was literally a tiny bit of cream cheese on my bagel. A majority of my bagel was void of anything. I took a picture and will post it. It is ridiculous and unnecessary. That is straight up management. I had a manager hand our bagels to us and never did she acknowledge the absence of shmear. If I'm paying $3 a bagel, you best be shmearing the freak out of my bagel. *Lines out the door due to slowwww workers *Dirty floors and counters in the dining room. This place is ridiculous and I'm praying if more and more people write reviews, maybe, just maybe, regional or corporate will address the bad behavior and business of this location. **update** its 9:27 am and NOTHING is in the bins. Ridiculous!! read more

Einstein Bros. Bagels - Bagel void of shmear. Get your act together Einsteins - Bagels Near Me - Irvine, California

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On that morning they did had a pretty good presentation of bagels on display. I wanted to chose their most simple bagel which was the plain bagel (toasted), and of course I would need a side of cream cheese with that. I was kinda disappointed after finishing the bagel because I didn't taste the quality. Maybe it was made with less salt? or maybe their ingredients weren't that great? It was just OK. On the beverage side, I ordered their Iced Hazelnut Mocha latte its one of their signature choices. Out of all my coffee shop visits, this place is the first I see mix Hazelnut with Mocha. I think we'd wanna scrap that idea, this drink was hella sweet it was like hazelnut syrup infused with a million pumps! Decent bagel joint to dine in, if your looking to hangout here during the day. Its spacious inside and it feels a bit of a restaurant chain setting. But hey those Einstein Bros. wall decors looks cool. read more

Worst experience ever! The attitude of the staff was horrible specially the managers. I had purchased 5 bagels to go. When I arrived home I noticed I was missing one bagel. I called the Store and the employee said I could go and pick up a new one. So I did but when I did that's when the staff became assholes. I was told that they never received a call and that they would simply not make my 2 dollar bagel. I had the receipt and everything. I spoke with the manager (Kathy) and I was told she couldn't help me... And left.. never apologized or anything. After 15 mins one of the employees got the manager again to speak with me. She finally said fine I'll get your bagel. What I witnessed next was just unbelievable. The manager went to an employee and asked him to make a bagel. The employee said I can't make it now I'll make it whenever I want. I was like Wtf first of all you don't talk back to your supervisor like that. Anyways worst experience ever. read more

Note to Einstein Bros: A chai latte is NOT the same thing as sugar and cinnamon and milk heated up in the microwave. Gross. Also, why do you put your Santa Fe egg wrap in the microwave with oozy stuff in it so the oozy stuff makes the burrito all soggy and falling apart? Add the oozy stuff later (whatever it is)! Then maybe you could microwave it long enough for the meat inside to warm up. OR (here's a novel idea) scrap the microwave altogether and use a frying pan. There needs to be some re-adjustment of what microwaves can realistically be used for before I would consider going back. read more

I love bagels and Einstein's is right across from my work so I work it into my usually breakfast routine every week. The bagels are very fresh and tasty and around $2.75 for a toasted bagel with cream cheese. I tried their OJ today and wasn't very impressed. It's around $4 for a large and it's completely made of concentrate. Gross and overpriced. :( I've had lunch here before and can't say that I'd come back. I had the chipotle club and it was pretty bland and didn't even look that fresh. Now if you want a great chipotle club, head down Jamboree for Shirely's Bagels. TLDR: Breakfast bagels yes, Lunch bagels no read more

Great bagels .. HOWEVER I am TIRED of their crap customer service. I have shrugged off numerous offenses but today, I am going to write a review, in hopes that corporate actually cares about what their customers think. I come here almost weekly to pick up bagels for the office. Today, I called in my order at 6:10am to be ready at 6:45am (pretty simple order; 2 bakers dozens, with the bagels sliced). I arrived at 6:55am and nothing was ready, I was told by the "manager" (fellow in black) to wait a few minutes .. No apologies, no explanation. .. So for the sake of bagels for the office, I waited .. And finally walked out at 7:08am with my bagels, frustrated and aggravated. When he rang me up, I asked him if he was the manager and he hesitated before saying yes, and still no apology. IS IT THAT HARD to have a phone order ready on time? Is it unreasonable to say a simple, we're sorry? You guys just lost out on weekly business .. And a business lesson for all here is that even though you have a great product, ultimately IT WILL FAIL due to incompetent employees and lack of common sense and customer service. read more

I have never had a worst experience ever, and it's a bagel place. it took me 1 hour to get 3 bagels, one was a plain bagel. then they handed me an order with my name on it and it was just 3 random bagels. Everyone waiting for their food was just as angry as me and they waited 30 minutes, but I waited an hour. If you want your morning ruined, go here. read more

I usually go to the EInstein in Long Beach but was in Irvine this morning, 85 degrees wasn't open, and to my disappointment, neither was Bon Epi, who usually are early on Sunday mornings. Einstein was conveniently close to the Diamond-Jamboree Plaza. Just an observation, I found the caravan of Irvine police that passed me by earlier parked at Einstein. That's a good sign I suppose, they have a broader palette than donuts, but apparently like the shape of round things with holes. I walked in, and noticed the combo for a bagel, shmear, and medium coffee for $3.99 right away. Not bad! Unfortunately, I had to forgo my favorite dutch apple bagel because the "gourmet" bagels were an additional charge. I settled on the pumpkin bagel with my usual reduced fat honey almond shmear. It was good but not nearly as great as the dutch apple. I chose the Autumn blend coffee that I figured would complement my pumpkin. It was alright. It tasted more like maple, than the chestnut flavor they claimed it tastes like. All in all, it was what I expected. You can't go wrong hence why I always return. I'll most likely end up at my LB location again rather than Irvine. This one took too long and wasn't as clean as what I'm used to. They do have great bagels though and are very reasonable in price. Again, try the Dutch Apple with the honey almond shmear. It will make your morning happy. read more

The service here is TERRIBLE. You're going to have to wait in line for a LONG LONG TIME. You're going to have to repeat your order numerous times. You might have to scream your order it gets pretty loud there in the mornings. But if you can get over all those obstacles, you're going to have quite the warm treat. I've only had the bagels here. Bagels with cream cheese. I usually get the bucket because I have siblings and they love fresh bagels. Over the years, my siblings and I've tried every type of bagel they have here and we have never been disappointed with the taste. But I have to say that I'll never actually come here if I didn't have a coupon of some sort so it's a good thing for me that they send out coupons fairly often. 3/5 read more

I'm giving a 4 for bagel taste, selection, and quality. I don't really like their coffee, but drinkable. I've come here a bunch of times over the past few years and service is great sometimes. I came here a few days ago in the morning and service was great, even with a long line of people, it was fast, efficient, and I was out of there in a few minutes. Other times it has been so-so. What is really great about this location is that they open super early, 5am on weekdays and 6am on weekends. read more

I love this chain. I really do love the food. Can't stand this particular location, totally agree with Lacy C's review. Sure, it's newly remodeled. But it is also totally understaffed, and staffed by kids who do not care. This place is a hot mess. Why do you order at one place and pay at another? The operations make no sense. My to go order is literally always wrong in some way or another, and it's just inexcusable after a while. I once ordered a sandwich no tomato no mayo, and got the complete opposite with cream cheese, tomato AND mayo. Cmon now. I hate to stop coming here, but please get a better staff in place! read more

It's a "tradition" at my work place that has been going on for years that someone brings in bagels every Friday. About half of the time one of my co-workers brings in bagels from Einsteins. They are great when they are still warm and you can just eat it without toasting or adding any cream cheese. My co-worker normally gets the cheese topped verity that no one seems to complain about... even if die hard connoisseur of bagels might scoff at the idea of American cheese topped bagels. Compared to other places the bagels they serve here seem to be more "compact" in size. Although I am creating a circle with my hands right now to represent how big it is I momentarily forgot that you cannot see me sitting here in my PJ's and throwing up gangsta signs. read more

Usually a good experience, but today I received hot, frothy milk instead of a vanilla latte :(

3.5 stars. We were looking for a decent bagel place around the Irvine area and found this place. We walk in and there's nobody at the counter ... red flag? We literally stood there for a good 5 minutes waiting for the guy to come around and take our order, but ANYWAY .. onto the food. We ordered the BLT with avocado and the Deli .. combo thing. (I totally forgot what it was ...). My bagel, even though it was light, was INCREDIBLY tiny as was the other order which was NOT light in calories. Not to mention it took me a good 10 minutes to find a table that was not completely dirty with spills and grease all over. ON the bright side, this place is spacious. Nice bathrooms (always a plus, I must say) and their food was actually pretty good. I'm just a little disappointed at the portions and upkeep of the place. A lot of potential - just super sloppy. But if you don't mind, be my guest. The regular bagels (not the sandwich ones) looked pretty good and MUCH bigger than what we ordered so perhaps go for those. You might have better luck :) read more

What the !@#$... That pretty much sums up my feelings about this location. The tables are sticky, the staff is rude and pretentious. I'm sorry I didn't realize I have to order my bagel at the furthest side of the store and then come up to the other register to pay... This location sucks. I don't usually give out 1 star reviews, but this places is just unbearable. All that being said, I used to be a big fan of Noah's Bagels and I'm a big fan of Einstein Bros (I believe Noah's was bought by them), and I have no complaints about other locations, it's just this specific place that grosses me out. Oh, almost forgot, my friend got sick after eating their breakfast bagel with egg. read more

YYUUUUMMMMMMYYYY. This place is my fave stop after morning classes to refuel. First of all it smells good just walking in there, and they have SO MANY bagels to choose from. The best one hands down is the SPICY NACHO. That thing is smothered in cheddar cheese and has jalapenos on top as well. SO TASTY. I actually like this one not toasted, since toasting the cheese for some reason makes it fall off when you eat it. Go figure. They give you a geneous amount of cream cheese, and it's just so delicious. The people working there are pretty meh. Usually acting like they have so many more important things than serving you, but hey, they're prob students too. CHECK OUT: They usually have great coupons in the mail for free bagels and such. If taking some to go MAKE SURE you get the smoked salmon cream cheese. I swear I was eating it by the spoonful...yes gross...but just goes to show how yum it is. read more

Bagels are delish, coffee too. I'm giving them two stars for the **excessive** wait and the complete lack of organization. In the past you ordered, walked to the register, paid, and were handed your food. The new system is you order and pay immdiately, then you wait, and wait, and wait, and wait, and wait. By the way, did I mention that you get to wait? This morning, I walked into the store at 10:39 am, ordering took a while because the people in front of me were ordering things like "a large latte, half calf with precisely 3 pumps of sugar-free caramel, nonfat and can you make that soy?" And bagel sandwiches like "turkey cheddar on a jalapeño bagel, but can you make it with egg whites only and only put cheese on the very exact center of the bagel." Note to customers: this is a bagel shop not Starbucks and not a specialty restaurant. If you a jalapeño cut into quarters and precisely centered on your bagel - do it yourself, please. To further complicate things, the girl taking the orders has to repeat everything that people order to confirm their orders before everything goes to those making the bagels in the kitchen area. In the past, they've had more than one person taking orders but today there was only one person which resulted in a significant backlog. When I placed my order, I asked her if it would be quicker for me to simply order a bagel with cream cheese on toasted, she was unable to answer the question. Note to management: train your staff that if they do not know the answer to find the answer. Responding to a customer with, "I don't know, I just take orders" is unacceptable. I finally received my order at 11:04 am. Yep! 25 minutes to receive my order from the time I walked in the door. The only reason I'm giving them any stars at all is because the food is good. The bagels are fresh, my sandwich was great. Go here if you have plenty of time to stand around waiting for your breakfast. If you're in a rush, I recommend you find another location. read more

Horrible customer service. No welcome, unenthusiastic, and just overall lack proper etiquette. Ordered one of their new bagel toppers on a jalapeño cheddar bagel, called the herbivore. Garlic cream cheese topped with lettuce, tomato, cucumber & I asked for avocado on top. They are so stingy with the amount of avocado placed on top. They were only two VERY small pieces. I love Einstein bagels, but this place was so disappointing. read more

Went in at Saturday around noon. I was third in line but took 15 minutes to get to my turn. The store was not even busy. Most workers were just standing around watching ONE of them taking orders. I ordered: Lox bagel sandwich w/ Six cheese gourmet bagel (+$0.70) No onions Toasted To-go 10 minutes later, I received Food in dine-in tray No capers Garlic sprinkled bagel (Cheap, no extra charge) Untoasted Then the clerk asked me, "no onions and no capers right?" I said, "capers is fine, just no onions" I stood there for another 5 minutes, she finally came back "Oh, I'm sorry, we ran out of capers, here's your order" I was on the way to a meeting so I did not have time to go back and complain. But just as I was eating it, I realized it wasn't even toasted. My first and last time to this place. read more

I absolutely HATE Einstein Bagels with a PASSION !!!!! I promise myself every time that I will never go back... then one day I have a super craving for cream cheese and a bagel, so I stop. IDIOT !!! I wish I could post the picture I took because I asked for EXTRA cream cheese, and I got BARELY REGULAR cream cheese !!! I was charged for it, too... I actually went back and said I had asked for cream cheese... their response, "Oh, yes... that IS extra cream cheese." $3.54 absolutely WASTED !!! Time, WASTED !!! This is a horrible company and a complete rip off... Boycott them !!! Make them go under, because they deserve it. Period. Negative "1000" Stars !!! read more

I last went to Einstein's 8/29/2014 so this is a long overdue post ..I happened to be looking through old pictures and came across the picture I took of my sandwich the last time I went to this establishment for lunch and it reminded me of how mad I was when I ordered one of their signature sandwiches - the Chicken Salad. A picture speaks 1000 words, so without further a due - attached is the sorriest excuse for a sandwich. If you enjoy large slabs of bread, large unripe tomato slabs, the heart of an onion, and about $0.10 worth of canned chicken sprinkled in - Einstein's is your place. If you are looking for mediocrity - Just go to Bruegger's. read more

Einstein Bros. Bagels - Sorriest Chicken Salad Sandwich - Bagels Near Me - Irvine, California

Great bagels but the service is simply awful Employees slow and rude and you always stand in a ridiculous line! As I write 18 people in line!!! I downgraded to a 1 it took 30 minutes to get 1 bagel My husband got a haircut and was done before me read more

Wow! What ever happened to common courtesy and customer service?! I am appalled at the sour attitude and complete lack of decency and professionalism here. I walked up to the counter with a smile and a "good morning" to pick up my order... Shannon could not even be bothered to look up or respond with a greeting... Punched in numbers on his order screen with a flat and terse, "whatsyourpickupname?" I noted how busy it was, and again, in a huff, he responds that it is always this busy on Friday mornings. OMG. If you KNOW that certain times are a big rush, be professional and anticipate it, know that it is part of your job description to go with the flow, and have some modicum of service with a smile, especially when you have customers who are nice and polite even when you can't be bothered to behave like a decent human. He was foul and gruff with several customers in line... and not just in a "having a bad day" sort of way. So inappropriate and unacceptable. Disgusting. I will never return. read more

I didn't want to eat Mexican food so I stopped at Einstein Bros Bagels originally for a sandwich. When I got there I stared at the menu and decided on a pizza bagel. Mmm! A spinach and mushroom pizza bagel to be exact. I am not the bagel enthusiast but I must say there is something that draws me to eating them. CREAM CHEESE! Mmm! As I bite into my pizza bagel I notice this familiar taste of heaven under the mozzarella. Yes! Cream cheese. Anyways, this totally satisfied my hunger. The price was reasonable and the service was really quick. I dig it. read more

Einstein Bros. Bagels - Mmm! My spinach and mushroom pizza bagel. - Bagels Near Me - Irvine, California

I always have great bagels when I come here. Today, I had a chocolate chip bagel, which has just come out of the oven! My favorite! I got regular cream cheese and it's so soft! Bagels are only a dollar by themselves! Such a great price for bagels and great customer service! read more

Einstein Bros. Bagels - Bagels ...enough said! - Bagels Near Me - Irvine, California

Sadly I have tried to eat there 4 times and only been able to eat there twice. The reason is there is something wrong with the ordering and order fulfillment process. All four time there I went in the morning, 8:00 am. Go figure, bagels in the morning pretty nutty I know but that's the way we roll. Anyway 2 times there have been long lines to order and despite the fact that they have 2 registers only one person working. Customers are standing at the register himming and hawing and constantly leaning out to look at the bagel cabinet look for something to appear (I guess). One customer stood there at least 5 minutes trying to get their order in. Not sure if it is the person at the register or the customer but there is a huge line of people waiting. Either way someone who works there should have tried to help free up the bulging line. Since I am now at 50% success I have decided to stop going there and go the the Corner Bakery in the same center. Hey Einstein, wise up and hire an industrial engineer to fix the badly flawed process. read more

Had just dropped my friend off at SNA and was craving breakfast....at 11:30am on a Saturday. Other than Jack In the Box, I didn't know any quick meals still serving brekkie. However, I did remember Einstein on the way home. They serve breakfast food all day! I ended up with their turkey sausage and cheddar sandwich on a sun dried tomato bagel. As others mentioned, the bread is chewy soft. It made my morning. On the "I have to complain about SOMEthing" department, the last time I stopped by here (looking for a gift card), they didn't have a list of other EBB locations. Was told to look it up online, which bugged me. This time, I realized the entire menu is up on the board. Other than say McDonalds/KFC places, I think all the take-out joints have written copies available. It strains my neck to have to stand there and decide. That is why it is four stars. read more

I am pretty tolerable and usually in the good mood in the morning which is why I am not reacting negatively to my surroundings. I bought 2x 13 bagels with smears. I provided a list of what I needed to this white Caucasian guy with no name tag in his early 20s maybe. I also gave him a heads up that I will be claiming my bday sandwich. He didn't greet me with welcoming tone but just plain straight face the whole time looking like he hates his job or simply being racist towards Asian. I do try my best to put myself in his position that is why I even tipped for $5 as I once was working in this field. When I asked about the free sandwich I just said egg sandwich he just expects me to know the menu when I rarely come to Einstein Bagel. He didn't suggest anything just making me wait but I am glad that Gary was next in the cashier suggested as I have been telling this racist whatever is okay just to be done with the order. Hope you are reading this, a customer who does not know what is on the menu does not make any person stupid this is why there should be willingness for you to help as a basic customer service since you are being paid to work and should even try to sell what is on your menu to the customers or even make them feel welcome . I will definitely not coming back to this location or better off going to a different bagels shop which I will also spread this news to my colleagues, friends and family around Irvine. read more

After a long, long hiatus (probably 4-5 years) from buying bagels on a regular basis, I suddenly had a craving for it last week. It just so happened that we received a coupon for $4 off a bucket of bagels (with two cream cheese; $13.99, 9.00 after discount) from Einstein's. I had forgotten how good pure, refined carb can taste with some sweetened cream cheese. I'd highly recommend the raspberry... hmmm so good. Einstein's bagels are lighter and are soooo much better than the super market made one from Ralphs or TJ's. The store is crowed in the AM so I'd avoid the breakfast rush and get them in the PM. read more

The Bagels are good, but the service is horrible. The guy manager is difficult, and short temper with customers. Anything you ask is EXTRA! read more