Rob W.
Yelp
I rarely do updates on reviews because at most places I visit, there are few changes. But after my experience here this weekend, I felt compelled to write one - so here goes...
I've come back to Daly Bagel a few times since my first visit and review. The food remains good and the employees are still nice - so on that end, all is well. But what is unsettling is the way the place is set up. There's not a good "service flow" - there's a somewhat small area in front for guests and when it's busy - which is not uncommon, things get kind of bunched up. In the past couple of months, I've considered going there to pick something up on my way home from work (I work overnight), but have decided not to because the wait can be long; longer than it should be for the number of people in the place.
Things came to a head for me this past Sunday. I came in and was 3rd "in line". As I'm standing there, I decide to get some cream cheese spread, which is to the left, away from the counter. I stepped over there for about a minute - grab my cream cheese spread choice, turn around and now I'll be 5th in line. Ugh, but it is what it is - still better than had I waited until I ordered and stepped over which would have stalled the ordering area.
So I get to the front and make my order. I set the cream cheese on the counter for it to be put with the other items I'm getting. I order a deli sandwich, two bagels and two chocolate chunk cookies. I see one of the deli people getting cookies from the display. I pay my $29+ bill and step to the side. A bag is put down for me. Cream cheese is still by the order area, so I say something. Here comes the sandwich - they put it all in a larger bag - off I go.
I get home, start to eat my sandwich and as I empty the rest of the bag I see there are bagels in the bag they set on the counter, but my two cookies are no where to be found. I could've gone back, but I'm tired and just want to go to bed. Pretty frustrated though.
They need to remove the couple three places they have to sit and eat and flatten out the service area so everything is in a step by step line and one has their whole order in place - maybe with the exception of the sandwich(es) at the end of the counter. And with those, when it's they might consider giving people numbers to put on their cars and running the finished sandwiches out to the cars to reduce the congestion in the restaurant. The cream cheese and beverages refrigerators should be at the start of the line so people can easily pick them up before they place their order. It's just too much of a clusterflume in there - especially if there are first time guests that are unfamiliar with the place and their offerings.
I will return - but not nearly as often as I would given the disorganized ordering circumstances.