Sunday, November 30, 2025, at about 11 AM, I visited Sam's Bagel Shop in Catonsville, Maryland and ordered a bagel with turkey bacon. When I returned home and opened the sandwich, the turkey bacon was completely burnt. It was entirely blackened, and it was clear the employee still chose to put it on the sandwich. Because of the condition of the food, I returned to the shop. When I explained that the sandwich should never have been served in that condition and asked how something like that could leave the shop, the employee behind the counter immediately took offense. Instead of listening, she attempted to hush me. When I asked her not to interrupt me, her behavior escalated. She became rude, told me to shut up, and her conduct became openly hostile. As a customer of color, it was clear to me that her tone, body language, and level of disrespect shifted the moment I asserted myself. The employee, who was Caucasian, interacted with me in a way that felt racially charged, which made the situation even more troubling and unacceptable. She offered to make another sandwich, but by that point her behavior had already shown a complete lack of professionalism and respect. I declined and requested a refund. She told me the owner was not present and claimed she could not issue one. I made it clear that a resolution was still required. She then contacted the owner, who instructed her to give a cash refund. After retrieving the refund, she placed the money off to the side and threw my change at me, causing the coins to fall onto the floor. This final action reflected the same hostility and racially charged attitude she had shown throughout the interaction. This experience involved unacceptable food quality, unprofessional and disrespectful conduct, and behavior that, from my perspective as a customer of color, was racially charged. Potential customers should be aware of the service issues and the treatment they may face at this location. read more

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Love Sam's! Friendly bagel shop that gives a small town feel. Ordering is easy and efficient. Food comes out fresh, delicious, and fast. Quiet little shop with plenty of seating. Prices are reasonable. read more

Sam's Bagels - Everything Bagel with bacon, Egg & Cheese - Bagels Near Me - Catonsville, Maryland

Sam's is a no-frills bagel shop that has never once disappointed me. It feels like a cozy deli from yesteryear with a simple coffee bar, fridge of drinks and cream cheeses to go, and a friendly gentleman who takes your orders and sasses the regulars. My usual is lox on a sesame bagel and it's so good that I crave it almost every day. read more

Food was fresh - warmly toasted - cold cream cheese that slightly melts. Added some putting hot vanilla brewed coffee. Quiet atmosphere and plenty of seating. Simple ordering and call out for pick up. read more

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Honest review ** I thoroughly enjoying trying new bagel spots and Sam's was recently recommended to me. I got an everything bagel with cream cheese and a cinnamon sugar bagel. Great amount of cream cheese, bagels are freshly made and best to go in the morning. Owner was pretty cool too, also a nice study spot if you're a college student and all your local coffee shops are crowded. read more

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Check In: The bagels are of NY bagel caliber. Coffee bar needs some love. Review: Sam's Bagels is clearly a staple here in Catonsville. This is my second time in. When I came in I had an egg salad on egg everything bagel in mind. There is no egg salad or egg everything on the menu. I say that to say, the everything toasted with cream cheese didn't disappoint. The bagels are fresh and delicious. You could eat the bagel with nothing on it. There's been groups here every time I've come, which is cool because it gives a hometown community vibe which is what a bagel place should be like on a Saturday morning. Dark humor and sarcasm are required if you're going to sit down and eat as the place vibes along gen X/baby boomer social standards. The gen Z employees are breaking the mold a little bit! The owner is super nice and has a cool rapport with his employees. He's like a dad. I could hear my own parenting in how he reminded each employee of what their duties were once he leaves. Definitely a place I'll return to. Possibly with some homemade egg salad for Mr. Andy. They're also closed on Mondays! Buen provecho. read more

Love this small business. Everything is consistently yummy and the service is fast. The restaurant is decorated very nicely and I enjoy my time there whenever I go. read more

I ordered a Steak Egg and cheese bagel. They let me know to add Butter, Mayo, or anything is an extra up charge . When I actually got the bagel it was steak at all it was some sort of Hamburger or sausage. It was weird tasting to say the least. It's a pretty plain place. All in all I paid about $15 for sandwich that was misrepresented and a Snapple. Would not recommend. read more

Portion sizes are small for the price. Service is slower than it should be. I was expecting more based on previous reviews.

Absolutely wonderful little hole in the wall bagel and deli. Sam's is everything you're looking for in the ways of a filling breakfast or light lunch. Very cheap eats and good food, fun little environment. Got two bagels toasted, one with butter one with cream cheese, both 10/10 and only spent $7. Would recommend to anyone trying to get a bang for their buck! read more

It's a small business so I felt bad giving one star...I got a turkey melt with only one slice of bread the other just laying in the container. The gentleman up front wasn't friendly and the space isn't clean read more

The bagels and cream cheese are quite good and reasonably priced (6 bucks and change for two). Sure, I've had better with a better selection of flavors... just not in the area. So, if you want a quick, cheap breakfast, you'll do well here. Their problem is they also do lunch. I ordered a corned beef - and it just wasn't very good, like at all. The pizza bagels look descent, so I might try that, and I may even go in for an egg sandwich (served all day) but I think I'll avoid their deli-meat sandwiches in the future. Staff is friendly, and patient (I tend to be indecisive). They keep the place clean. Parking is plentiful in the lot too, which is a plus, but the building this is in lacks the charm of downtown Catonsville. read more

Sam's Bagels - Bagels Near Me - Catonsville, Maryland

Sometimes I like to treat myself. You know, carbs are bad...well maybe not for you, but for me....they are the devil. Anywho, on this particular day, I was craving a bagel with lox. Enter Sam's bagels. I pass by it often, but have never stopped on in. Why not give it a try. The inside it larger than what I expected, they have various options from just bagels to other pastries. On this date, I decided to try the bagel and lox sandwich, they happen to have two, one that is an actual sandwich and the other which is open faced. The bagel itself was okay. It was slightly more chewy than what I would like. I kinda felt that they could have given me more lox and fresher pieces of lettuce. The sandwich itself came with a bag of chips and a pickle which I thought was a good deal. All in all I thought the experience was fair to middling. Good to know that there is a bagel shop near by. read more

Sam's Bagels - Everything bagel with lox, cream cheese and the fixins - Bagels Near Me - Catonsville, Maryland

Good quality bagels in Catonsville, excellent friendly service, clean location with plenty of parking. I will be back!

Sams bagels is a classic bagel spot. We love the bagels here- they are fresh!! The cream cheese flavors are amazing and there are so many to choose from. The lady's working are so sweet on weekends- and i will always tip well!! This place may look a little old- but it has charm! read more

Bagels were somewhere in between good and great, and Sam's offers a wide variety of flavors and types of sandwiches. The shop was clean, and the staff was extremely friendly! I ordered an everything bagel with bacon and egg but much preferred just a plain bagel or a bite of my mom's pb&j on a sunflower bagel because the egg was microwaved and flavorless. Overall, would recommend. read more

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Best bagel place around in my opinion but expensive for what it is. Got a bacon, egg, cheese with extra bacon (which by the way felt like a regular order of it) and it was like $9. That's absurd. However I still frequent it regularly when I'm craving a bagel sandwich. Guy running the place seems friendly. read more

Good bagels. I had a garlic bagel toasted with plain cream cheese with tomato and onion. I haven't been there in awhile, Andy, the owner remembered me and he's a character. It's a great place to hang out and shoot the breeze with fellow customers. Occasionally, Andy comes by and puts his 2 cents in during the conversations. read more

Today a white man in a "keep america great" hat came in while we were in line. He was unmasked, and immediately began yelling about the owner CLEANING, because "it doesn't live on surfaces!". He was also yelling at fellow customers for wearing masks. The owner kindly told him he needed a mask to be inside. He quickly got him out of the store. Also, the bagels are delicious! read more

I have loved Sam's bagels ever since I was a kid. I love all of their sweet bagels especially the cranberry bagel. They are made fresh every morning. The only negatives are that when they run out of bagels that's it for the day and some jerks seem to come in all of the time and buy their whole office all of the bagels!!! And they are only open til maybe 2 or 3pm I think so you must get there early! read more

Not bad if you just want to grab a snack to tide you over. A bit overpriced, though, for what you get.

Overpriced, staff is not professional! Two staff members were in bathroom together putting on fake tattoos. Took forever with 4 staff to make three bagels and we were only ones in the store. Bagels were stale. read more

I visited Sams bagel today with my kids and ordered two bagels with cream cheese and one with cream cheese and melted Swiss. It took about 15 minutes to get our food and when mine came the cheese wasn't even melted. I took it back and asked the person at the register if they could melt the cheese. Five minutes past and I asked if it was done and noticed the bagel was still sitting on the counter. The girl asked the person in the back if she could "hurry". A few more minutes passed and the bagel was still on the counter!! My kids finished eating and my food was still sitting there. I asked again and they finally put it in the oven. At least 10 minutes had passed. I tried to talk to "Andy" the manager and he said "sometimes it takes a long time." The girl at the counter was laughing. I didn't find it funny that it took over 30 minutes to get a toasted bagel with cream cheese and melted cheese and no one even attempted to apologize. read more

I go here about once a month... Their bagels aren't the greatest but I like their jalepeno bagel because it's actually spicy, unlike several other places I've tried. The owner recognizes me & is always friendly. They will customize orders.... my ex would get his hangover staple of an egg & cheese bagel with bacon AND ham AND sausage & I think they'd only charge a couple bucks more than one meat. During football season last year they made their plain bagels purple...awesome!! read more

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Love, love, love the bagels. We've gotten all different kinds of bagels there: Cheddar, Asiago, Everything, Blueberry are among the favorites. This is our go-to place on Sunday mornings. Worth the drive even if you live in Ellicott City. read more

Great place for bagels, "Key To The Lox" is my favorite. Naked juice, specialty cream cheeses, and daily specials. Yum! read more

Sam's Bagels - Friendly staff, good prices. - Bagels Near Me - Catonsville, Maryland

Decent breakfast sandwich, although eggs seemed microwaved. Bagels are average sized, chewy, but lack a slight crisp

I go here a lot before my classes to work on school work and grab some breakfast/coffee. This is a great, locally-owned bagel shop. I get the bacon egg and cheese on an everything bagel and I have not yet been disappointed. It is your typical casual bagel shop with counter service so if you're looking for anything fancy or picky (like vegan items) then go somewhere else. Overall, good food, good prices, speedy service. Unless you're hard to please, you'll be pleased. read more

Solid bagel place in Catonsville for a reliable breakfast or lunch. The breakfast sandwiches are big and hot, the lunch/cold sandwiches come with chips and a pickle, and there's a good selection of bagel flavors. The coffee is meh and sometimes it's slow and/or has a long line, but it's generally worth it! read more

Sam's Bagels - BLT on a toasted "crunchy sunflower" bagel! - Bagels Near Me - Catonsville, Maryland

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Food is good, staff friendly, prices reasonable, and it's clean. Food could be hotter.

Great bagels, reasonable prices. Nevertheless, the dudes working the counter have no sense of urgency, even when there is a line. The interior has gotten rather grim as of late, as well. There are two empty coolers, and they absolutely refuse to stock ice coffee. Sam, if you read this, get iced coffee. And good job on the bagels. read more

Bagel and egg was average. 2 people in line and we waited 15 min to place out order. Then another 15 min to receive our food. 2 people returned their food while we were waiting for our food and the forgot to make 2 other customers food. Horrible service, staff needs some sort of direction. read more

Stay away!! Maybe lunch is better but breakfast.....NO!!! DON'T DO IT!! Why have a kitchen if you're just gonna microwave eggs and bacon and not even melt the cheese. Bagel was dry and pedestrian! Pretty sure they're brought in. How can you call yourself a bagel shop. Sad!! Maybe I'm spoiled but this was a disappointment. Bacon egg and chz on everything bagel is the bar to which bagel shops are measured for me. This one failed epically. read more

I've come here for years. I came at least once a week when I worked nearby, and though I'm a bit farther away now, I still come back whenever I can. All of their sandwiches are great, and they'll make any crazy combination you ask for (me: tuna salad and cream cheese on an untoasted Egg bagel). The coffee is great, the desserts are great, it's all good stuff. Once upon a time, Sam's was in a little shop, but it was torn down and out of existence for about 6 months. The old shop was replaced with what's now a bank, and Sam's is now part of the strip mall behind it. The staff and ownership are incredibly friendly (I still theorize it's a sort of front for the Russian mob or something). I believe they close somewhere around 2pm or so, and as it gets close to closing time, they run out of bagels, and turn off the lights to the half of the restaurant that's not in front of the register. read more

We went in Saturday at 12:50; they close at 3. They were out of bagels! Seriously. How do you run out of bagels two hours before closing on a Saturday? I recommend you call ahead of you wander there after noon. read more

Better than expected! Delicious everything bagels with salmon. read more

Sam's Bagels - two sandwiches with meat and lettuce - Bagels Near Me - Catonsville, Maryland

Not a good experience. Walked in needing a quick turn around since I was on the way to a meeting. There was a short line, and the Asian - American man running the register was serving three Hispanic-American women with a demeanor not too distant from the infamous Soup Nazi. I exaggerate a little...he was unsmiling and terse. But I figured he was plain and simple one of those people who work in a manner that doesn't include sunshine and rainbows. The the next customer, a Caucasian-American was ordering - clearly a regular - and active friendly banter ensued. She placed a multiple-sammich order, including some odd stuff-- meat, egg and cheese on a sweet bagel? Really?! I can only presume it was filled properly, and they were admittedly prompt. I made sure to be on my best behavior when it was my time to order, smiling and saying "sir" as appropriate. My order was exceedingly complex: sausage, egg and cheese on toasted egg bagel, toasted rye bagel with butter, large coffee. I was a bit surprised when the price came to around $9. He was businesslike with me, with neither friendliness or rudeness exhibited. As I waited, another Caucasian-American came in, and since he and the register man exchanged some naughty gestures and insults, it was clear he was another regular. I'm not a prim and proper type, and certainly do the same with some coworkers and friends, albeit not in front of strangers or customers. My order came up fairly quickly, and I was prepared to eat it in my car on the way to my meeting. Two bagels in the bag. I open one as I'm driving, and it's a toasted egg bagel with butter. Ugh! Hoping they reversed the bagel order, I looked at the other and it was the rye with butter. Sooooo, no bagel sammich, no time to turn back and have them correct the order, and a bad start to the day for me. I understand mistakes happen, and was debating between 1 and 2 stars for a rating, but after eating a few bites of each really bland and weak bagel, thinking of the uneven service including POSSIBLE bias against Hispanics, and seeing a correct receipt with a price that's clearly too high for such bagels, I gave the place a rare single star review. read more

weekend bagel fan -nothing super fancy - counter service - orders move quickly - pretty quickly on a busy weekend - coffee, fountain soda, bottled soda, snapple, oj in a carton - they can run out of your favorite bagel before 10am so i wont share mine in the fear that this will happen - this isn't new york but the bagels hold a chance for catonsville - mediumish seating area - owner is always there - keeps his staff on check - easy and available parking cons - large groups can pour in and take up a lot of the seating - children and teenagers as well bonus - i always feel like i am racing the person pulling up next to me in the parking lot - lady i will get in line before you! - if they do run out of my bagel i get the marble or the jalapeno as a second option read more

This place is a great find the bagels and sandwiches are fresh and plentiful clean and friendly place with quant seating and a warm friendly bunch of morning regulars before 9am they will honor most special request I normally get a bagel for breakfast and some lunch from them daily the chicken sandwich and the BLT are my personal favorites. Wish they stayed open until 6pm instead of 3pm and unfortunately once they run out of a specific bagel that's it for the day otherwise I have no complaints. read more

Good selection of bagels even late morning. Great bagel breakfast sandwiches. Love coming here before the farmer's market or an easy weekend morning! read more