Wise Sons Jewish Deli

Nice Sandwiches and Bagels. Little disappointed that it's listed as a Jewish Deli, but they didn't have a lot of baked goods for sale or meats on their own. Just a small menu. Don't get me wrong, small menus can be great. And I usually love it because it means that they do a few things, but do them REALLY well. However, though the food was good. It just wasn't a place I felt like coming back to.

I’ve been here many times but it’s been about a year. This morning I went in for a bagel with lox cream cheese. The bagel seemed day old and the person making it barely put enough cream cheese on to cover the over toasted one side of the bagel. I asked her nicely to prepare it properly and she was visibly annoyed. I then saw her wipe the cutting knife with a filthy rag. I also paid extra for butter and she didn’t bother. I was ready to get out of there and didn’t mention it. I thought about asking for my money back but decided it wasn’t worth it to deal with the cashier who also appeared to be annoyed. The bagel went straight in the trash for fear of getting sick. You’ll never get my $8.50 again. I doubt they really care given my experience. Don’t go there. I should have gone to la Boulanger on the corner. Lesson learned.

Always disappointed. I'm sorry to say the bagels are usually overcooked/slightly burned and always tough. I can't tell if that's because they were overcooked or a day old? I go early enough in the morning that they shouldn't be tough to chew. People who work there are nice but def not worth the price. Go to the grocery store and pick up a bag of bagels of equal quality and a lot cheaper.

I just came here for a toasted sesame bagel with cream cheese and avocado, and a simple black coffee. The bagel was $8.50 and the coffee was four dollars, the bagel had about a tablespoon of cream cheese on it, and the avocado Was literally about one slice smashed onto only half of the bagel. I understand coffee can cost four dollars, but for a nine dollar bagel I expect there to be a little bit of weight to it, extremely bad value.

Preface: I love wise sons and get it at the farmers market every Sunday. I’ve tried this location twice now though and both times they’ve gotten my order wrong. Not to mention, they make the bodega incorrectly, instead of cheese, they put some kind of mayo based sauce on it. It’s really odd. I thought it was a mistake the first time, but it happened again. It’s gross and definitely not how the menu describes it or how they do it at the farmers market stall. Also they’re consistently out of everything bagels. The first time we went, they didn’t even say they didn’t have any and just substituted it without asking. Staff are nice, but food is inconsistent. Probably won’t come here anymore. Wish I could get a refund for this fake bodega.

I’ve been going here for a couple of years now and I’ve witnessed in person how the portions and the ingredients have become embarrassingly small over time. My smoked salmon bagel this morning barely had any smoked salmon in it. I really like this establishment so I hope they change something soon. They are really risking losing loyal customers.

A nice friendly deli. Friendly, accommodating staff. Clean and comfortable. Go here!

I'm a NYC bagel snob so take my review in that spirit. I got there at noon on a Thursday and all they had left were bialys. Which I guess is understandable, but still disappointing. I got the classic lox with cream cheese, capers, and red onion. It was fine. One of the better such sandwiches I've had in this city, but if you're used to NYC lox bagels you'll be disappointed. Service was nice and apologetic about their lack of selection. Inside atmosphere is meh, but the parklet out front was clean and pleasant.

The Wise Sons Jewish Deli empire has hit a few bumps in the road this past year, especially with the closure of two of their Bay Area restaurants, but this location in the heart of one of San Francisco's most walkable neighborhoods, they have proven they are not going away anytime soon. Located on Octavia Street in the Hayes Valley neighborhood in San Francisco, this is one of three remaining locations of Wise Sons Jewish Deli that remains in the city. Walking around the Hayes Valley neighborhood on a warm weekend afternoon with street fairs and a number of other activities from neighboring restaurants, I decided to make it my mission to get to this location, as I had been to both of their Oakland locations, one of which has since closed. There is nothing better than a warm bagel sandwich overflowing with cream cheese and plenty of lox and capers and Wise Sons Jewish Deli makes one of the best. This and the fact that the team at Wise Sons Jewish Deli is always fast with the preparation of their meals which makes for easy dining made them an easy choice for a lunchtime meal. This location is one of their smaller locations as they only had a couple of tables around the exterior of their restaurant and a few counters in which people could dine inside. What you won't miss upon visiting their storefront is the stacks upon stacks of bagels that they have ready to order. The menu at Wise Sons Jewish Deli is broken up into sections including Signature Sandwiches, Toasted Bagel Sandwiches, Deli Classics, Sweets & Pastries, Bagels & Schmears, Cold Beverages and Coffee & Tea. Although their bagels are the real star of the show at Wise Sons Jewish Deli, as they are proofed overnight and then boiled in malt syrup to ensure the crust is firm and chewy and then they season and double coat the bagels with various toppings to give them their variety of flavors. Upon my visit, there was something about their OG Reuben that was calling my name. This sandwich is griddled with Russian dressing and served with Swiss cheese & sauerkraut on rye bread. With the options of three meats to choose from, Pastrami, Corned Beef, and Smoked Turkey, I opted to order their Corned Beef which was brined with garlic and a special blend of their signature spices. To pair my meal, I also ordered their potato salad, as I thought that this would provide a nice accompaniment to the savoriness of my sandwich. My bill would be $24.98 before gratuity was added in, which is on the pricier side of a traditional sandwich and side, even by today's standards. It wouldn't take too long for my sandwich and side to be presented to me as my name was called out to pickup. The one thing that I was surprised by most was that my sandwich was so freshly made that the sliced meat, which made up the bulk of my sandwich, was piping, almost scalding to a point where I had to stop eating the sandwich. So, I decided to eat my side of potato salad, which for $4.50 should have been amazing and quite frankly was not, as it was a bit mushy for my taste, despite being seasoned nicely. Once my sandwich cooled off, I had zero regrets ordering their corned beef in place of their signature pastrami as it was both fatty and hearty, which made for a nice overall meal. Of course many more visits to Wise Sons Jewish Deli are in order for me, as I must make it to their three other locations in the city, including the one that started it all in the Mission District, as Wise Sons Jewish Deli has relied so much success in the past, they have merged with local bagel shops just to increase their presence and export the way they mass produce bagels on a daily basis. I can only think that they are still on the way to achieving their goals of bagel domination, as they produce solid chewy bagels which can be turned into hearty sandwiches filled with plenty of locally-sourced ingredients that can make for one satisfying meal anytime you visit.

The coffees are great here. The bagels have a good taste, a tad chewy and not the most cream cheese, I have to pay extra for heavy for it to be what I consider normal. Toasted they were a bit hard to eat but the flavor was there. It's steps from my brothers place so it's super convenient.

We've been wanting to try this place for a minute. Every time we walk by it looked so delicious from the window. Unfortunately, the dream was better than reality and we were so disappointed by the experience. To be very honest, it was the worst bagel I've ever had. Price is affordable for a bagel and cream cheese, but it is just so dang hard to chew. We tried the sesame and the everything bagels with lox cheese. The everything bagel in particular was so salty and extremely chewy; we started taking turns with our bagels just to give the other some rest from chewing this thing. I also noticed they skimp out on the cream cheese. Most places give you cream cheese with a side of bagel, and I was sad to see it isn't the standard here. Service was fantastic though, really kind people. They're the only reason why it's 2 stars rather than 1. Really wish I could say better things, but we likely won't be back.

Wednesday 7:15 am arrival. There will be customers early which is a good sign at any bagel shop. It was mostly empty despite a few in person customers but most early work is for take out and delivery services. I was the only person who dined in. The staff helped me place my order which was nice. The digital ordering tablet seemed to be lacking options and it may need programming updates. A few quick taps by staff helped me secure the order I desired. There is a restroom. There is a nice parklet with outdoor seating. Plenty of seating overall in a narrow suite. The bialy is a little crusty so you have to like a crunchy kinda shell bagel. From someone who likes their bagel softer this was a welcome crunch with a toasted bialy and lox, which was a nice change. Crunchy. Even if untoasted it would be firm. Balanced portion of cheese, just enough fish. They have reached a point of great consistency and it's rich but not too rich. Will more volume bring down the price? It was $19+. For a deli breakfast that seems a touch steep.

I don't know. The bagels here felt flat and dense with no chew. I'm used to a bouncy bagel with some chew and this just not it. With so many bagel places popping up all over SF, Wise Sons need to step up their game.

I've been a loyal customer of Wise Sons in Hayes Valley, and usually, their quality is spot on. I came in like any other day and ordered an everything bagel with cream cheese. I didn't think twice about checking my order because they've always delivered consistently great bagels. Unfortunately, today was different. When I got to work and unwrapped my bagel, I was shocked to see it was burnt--and I mean really burnt, with blackened bits of onion all over it. I figured I'd give it a shot, but after one bite, I immediately regretted it. The bitterness was overwhelming, and I actually gagged. I'm so disappointed that they'd serve something like this to a customer. Quality control clearly slipped today, and it's frustrating because I trusted them. Wise Sons, you've got to do better--this is not the standard I've come to expect.

The toasted bagel was a little too hard for me. $2.50 for each bagel without schmear. (Extra $2 for the gluten-free plain bagel.) Very friendly service. Barstool seating inside and a few two-top tables outside. Complimentary water available. One very clean single-stall bathroom in the back, accessible via security code.

- [ ] everything bagel w smoked salmon shmear was untoasted, hard (barely even chewy, just hard), and cold. the shmear didn't have much salmon flavor, and was also rock hard like it was straight from the fridge

I have tried the smoke salmon bagel sandwich, bodega bagel sandwich, and most often I'd come and seeking out the bagel & shmear. Staff members are always patient in answering questions, and I usually am able to find a comfortable spot to sit and enjoy my bagel.

WHY ARE THE REVIEWS SO LOW?! I love Wise Sons Jewish Deli. I always have to have my bagel sandwich and pastrami sandwich every time I visit SF. How is their pastrami soooo good!!? I usually go to the one located in Mission, but this time around this location was more in walking distance. Definitely a more classy vibe than the one in Mission haha. But I miss the one in Mission, it has more character for sure! Ugh, just writing this makes me wanna jump on a plane and go to Wise Sons!!

This was probably the worst bagel I've ever had. I ordered a classic salmon lox bagel. The bagel was rubbery and dry making it a jaw workout to get through. I was even more disappointed when I saw 3 thin, measly pieces of lox and a sprinkling of capers (no more than 5). For $16, this is a complete rip off. I also ordered an iced chai latte and it was overly sweet with little chai flavor. I couldn't even bring myself to finish 25% of it. Was so excited to finally have a bagel place in Hayes Valley, but very sad to say I will not be returning.

Stopped by this morning for a few dozen bagels for my daughters teachers #TeacherAppreciationWeek. I decided to use the self-order kiosk, but I selected a different menu option, causing the shmears to not be included. Luis kindly helped me and I had no problem purchasing the shmears separately. He was quick, patient, and even walked out from behind the counter to hand me my bag of bagels and shmears. It was very efficient and a great start to the morning. Great staff and great quality food. It's a cute little shop in Hayes valley that also serves coffee and has indoor and outdoor tables to enjoy your food/beverages. Thank you, Luis!

Great little deli to grab some salmon and lox. Perfect spot for breakfast. It gets super packed so just be patient. There are a few tables outside if you want to eat there or you can just take it to go. Great breakfast or brunch spot.

Chilling here at the counter while Alex prepares a last-minute order for me. I didn't realize they were closing; just hungry and needed a large lunch. Good human beings are hard to come by, and Wise Sons has 'em in spades. Oh, and the sandwich was awesome too!

Not even edible! The worst gluten free bagel that I have tried. The sausage is rubbery and the whole thing is a mess! Also ordered a salad that is TINY for the price charged! This place was a BIG mistake

I love this place for breakfast with friends or just a weekend treat. The crunchy spice bagel sandwich is awesome and I add avocado to it. Great vanilla lattes too. Would recommend!

Came here looking for a bagel and heard good things about it. I paid 25 for two bagels, so I expected it to be good considering how expensive it was... but no!!! The bagel was so hard to chew on and did NOT feel fresh whatsoever. The price is outrageous.

I was taking a morning stroll and was planning to get pastries at a bakery nearby but decided to stop in as I have heard about Wise Sons but never tried any of their bagels. I decided to get a Bodega egg & cheese on an everything bagel. It came out to be $9.23 for just the bagel sandwich. VERY PRICEY. It was decent. The exterior of my bagel was a burnt so the sandwich was really bitter.

Mediocre or worse. Bagel wasn't cut all the way through. Quality of bagel and toasting and items on top very sloppy and not fresh. Didn't even put to go bagels in bag. Just on the corner with a receipt. Had to ask for a bag. Overall regret going here. Place is clean but overall devoid of joy.

I've been to a few of the Wise Sons locations in the city, and they're alright. In general, the SF bagel scene is lacking - but Wise Sons is my go-to when I'm craving a fresh bagel. In my experience, their bagels are best enjoyed when they're prepared in front of you and enjoyed on the spot. When I've taken bagels home with me, they don't seem to last more than a day or so before becoming hard. My usual order is their Classic Smoked Salmon on an everything bagel with vegan cream cheese. +1 because Wise Sons use Spero, which is my favorite brand - it's more whipped and creamy than other vegan options.

Wise Sons is great. The staff is really nice, and they either are family or might as well be family. It's awesome to have such a chill atmosphere so close to my place for a quick coffee and bagel to relax. Maya is awesome, very kind, and noticed I was slowly enjoying my food and vibing with the music and was super friendly and welcoming. The manager is great too, bubbly, kind, and exudes positive energy. The food reminds me of the Jewish delis in NYC. The bagels aren't NYC level, but that's not on Wise Sons, I'm just spoiled. They taste great, lots of options of schmear, plenty of sandwich/lunch options, and even bialy! There's a Boulangerie right down this block, and I'll pick Wise Sons every time!!

Not sure why this place has so many bad reviews. It's a fine/solid bagel shop. Not sure it stands up with any real authentic/delicious bagel shop, but they have plenty of good options for bagels and shmear, and we get it because it's closeby and never has much of a wait. My go to is an egg sandwich. I get it on bialy or a cheese bagel. Always consistently pretty good.

Love this place. S/o to Janeka, great service. Love the pastrami, the rugelah, the cinnamon babka. Matzo ball soup that'll warm you up. Only wish it was open longer.

Pretty disappointing Uber eats order - the lox bagel was pricey but stingy on the lox, the Reuben was soggy and bland, and the honey cake coffee was weak. I ordered half and half in the coffee but they didn't add it. I won't be back.

This place was pretty good. I got the L.E.O. Bagel on the bialy bagel and really enjoyed it, but thought it could be bigger and thicker. I also got the latkes which were nice and crispy. This deli is located in a nice area with a bunch of shops and restaurants so it made for some nice walking.

Not a fan of their breakfast sandwiches. I found the egg too dense/dry and the hippie greens I added amounted to a couple measly greens that barely made an impact. Bagel itself I think was fine but the fillings did not do it any favors.

First time coming to this location as I usually frequent 24th St more. I was in the mood for a bagel sandwich, and the L.E.O here (egg, smoked salmon, scallion cream cheese, and I added tomato and cucumbers) really hit the spot. It got a little messy with the cream cheese (also probably b/c I had the other toppings), but I gobbled it down. Absolutely delicious. My husband had the Reuben (classic), which was terrific as always. Yum! Glad to add this to our Hayes Valley repertoire.

The perfect bodega bagel -- egg, cheese and the richest garlic aioli on a salt & pepper bagel!

The best of the best. Hadn't been back in over 10 years. Still amazing delicious and just wonderful. Feel good food. Do yourself a favor and support this wonderful institution.

As a post-graduation celebration, I decided to treat myself to an unholy amount of carbs and Wise Sons was the nearest bagel source. I may not be a New Yorker with bodega expertise, but I have to agree that SF does not even come close to competing in the best bagels of the world. Bagels, in all their carb glory, are hard to screw up, so the LEO sandwich was surprisingly disappointing. The smoked salmon was just ok - definitely not the best I've ever had (that honor is reserved for a delicatessen in Boston). The scallion smear was good. The most unsettling thing was perhaps the egg, which was a spongy round of eggs. I was kinda hoping for soft scrambled fluffy, buttery eggs, but I got a puck very reminiscent of something that might be sold at McDonalds. The chocolate chip cookie was really good though. 10 seconds in the microwave and it was the perfect palate cleanser. I have to agree with the reviews - skip the bagels and get a reuben!

Solid spot to grab a decent and quick lunch. Typically I only get an everything bagel with salmon schmear, lightly toasted. Try to avoid arriving right around noon since many of the local high schoolers go here for lunch and then the line gets pretty long.

I was recently trying to plan out breakfast while in the Hayes Valley/Civic Center vicinity and discovered Wise Sons had vegan cream cheese on-site. This, coupled with the high praise of their bagels, led me to their door. The space is small, and definitely more of a takeaway spot, but the service was good and quick. I ordered an everything bagel with the Spero vegan cream cheese, as well as a breakfast tea with oat milk. Within just a few minutes both were ready. The bagel and spread were a heavenly combination. I'm so thankful that they carry this on-site. I will definitely be back for more when I'm in the area.

The breakfast sandwich and coffee were both pretty good!! The bagel had a lot of seeds which I liked :D

Lowering my review from cos I ordered literally one plain bagel with a simple schmear and it took 20 minutes. I kept asking if it was ready and they never replied me. Until finally I asked someone else and they gave my order which apparently was ready. Walked to work, opened my bagel to see it wasn't even my order. Walked back and asked for my order which they whipped up in literally 5 seconds.

Picked up a late Friday morning lox bagel, and it was alright -- my order was ready very quickly, but the bagel itself wasn't my favorite. Lacking in cream cheese and a little overfilled with capers, plus the bagel was a little too toasted for my taste. The iced latte was good though, and I didn't mind what I ate, but I do think there are better places to go for bagels in the city! The location was very clean and cute.

Excellent! I told the staff I was from Southern California and they were very welcoming and chatty. The salmon bagel was bomb!

Awesome bagels and even better service - Alex really goes out of his way to make every customer feel welcome. We appreciate you!

Unfriendly staff and ambiance! Not sure what the rudeness is about but like other commenters mentioned, this is perhaps the most inhospitable and untrained group of people in the area.

Bodega style bagels. Classic Smoked Salmon Bagel 4/5, potato latkes 2/5 Would go back for the bagel

Don't bother going here Wise & Sons, Hayes Valley. They are open until 3pm but had no bagels to sell at 2pm. Sorry I wasted the time to walk here - but it's definitely crossed off my list for the future.

Definitely a hidden gem and customer service was great, came by on my way shopping and the staff was great and restroom is very clean.

This place is fantastic and the new staff, Janeka and Ashley in particular, are lovely and helpful. The food is always great and the staff makes it special. Will never pass through Hayes Valley without stopping there for something delicious and a boost of good energy!

Yum!! Lots of fresh bagels. Cream cheese choices. My fav is a toasted everything bagel w veggie shmear. My go to

Ordered a "Classic Smoked Salmon Bagel Sandwich" online - picked it up in store after about 10min. TL;DR decent smoked salmon, meh bagel and toppings. Probably won't be back unless I'm in the area and dying for a bagel. Bagel - they didn't actually toast it, and the bagel is dense and chewy (not in a good bagel way). Everything seasoning is good, but good flavor on a meh bagel isn't worth it for me. Salmon - fish was pretty good, though I felt there should have been more. Maybe a tiny bit salty for my taste, but good texture and bite. Other - capers were stuffed in at the top like an afterthought, and it was super light on the cream cheese. Red onions were thinly sliced and properly distributed.

They have the best bagels. I have no idea why they don't have a 5 star review on yelp. I recently found this place because I moved to Hayes Valley. I always order a dozen bagels and freeze half. Pro tip: ask them to give you the bagels that haven't been cut and toast them at home. I ordered a tub of the scallion cream cheese and it's so good. Worth every penny. I also got the chili crunch and it's delish. Highly recommend if you are looking for a delicious meal!

This place used to be great, always got my order correct when ordering in person or online. I don't know what happened in the last 6 months but it's now terrible. Almost every order messed up or missing an item. I thought ordering in person would be better but they apparently didn't send my ticket back and just skipped my order. Had to wait around for an extra 10 minutes. Food is good but their system and service are not.

There's an old saying: "A smart man makes a mistake, learns from it, and never makes that mistake again. But a wise man finds a smart man and learns from him how to avoid the mistake altogether." I made a small mistake today by deciding to eat at "Wise Sons" on Octavia. I guess in my mind I saw the long line and the idea of eating at a Jewish deli as a good idea. I did check in on Yelp and noticed they only had three stars which is a red flag in itself, because really any decent deli should have at least four stars on Yelp. That being said it's around noon so instead of ordering a bagel with smoked salmon, I decided to order a pastrami sandwich. My order took exactly 15 minutes till I received it which is no big deal if it was good but it wasn't. The toasted bread was burnt and as hard as a rock. Pastrami was skimpy in the sandwich. $12.50 for something I wouldn't spend $6 on. I might as well go to Subway that I also hate equally because at least it's $6. So the lesson I give to you is be wise, learn from my mistake, avoid making the mistake all together, avoid Wise Sons.

Somewhat of a let down, overall. I won't say that this is a bad spot. The price is a bit much for what you get in my experience. My experience is based on just a couple of trips getting food each time. Perhaps the more traditional bagel and coffee are the way to go. In my two visits, I had a Reuben and Potato Salad on one occasion and Bagel and Salmon on the other. The food was pretty typical. The Reuben was $12.5 with no side plus another $3 for Potato Salad. For a meal that ended up being almost $20 after tax and tip I didn't leave terribly satisfied. The Reuben was tasty, just quite small and not a stand-out in any particular way. I'd say that for $20, you could go have a sit down meal in any number of spots and expect a bit more. Likewise with the Bagel and Salmon - $13.5 for a open face with again, not much to it out of the ordinary. I don't want to be overly harsh. This place sort of is what it is, which is a chain. It's fairly sterile and I thought the service was about what could be expectedly that environment. One of the trips was about a half hour before closing and you could sense the "I want to get out of here already" vibe. Most likely I'll be back since there are only so many spots in Hayes Valley. But, I wouldn't seek this spot out unless the convenience of the location is a driving factor.

My friend and I were looking for quick bites to eat for breakfast. I'm not from the area, so she introduced me to Wise Sons Bagel & Coffee as it was right around the corner from where we were in the neighborhood. We arrived around 10:30am on a Sunday. Wise Sons was such a tiny cafe/bakery shop. The space was narrow and limited, so it looked really packed in there especially with guests seated inside and guests congregated by the pick-up area. It almost felt claustrophobic. The line to order was out the door too, but it moved pretty quickly. Customer service was OK. The employee working the register was friendly and helpful. On the flipside, one of the employees crafting the bagels and drinks was barking at an impatient customer. To be fair the customer was being straight up rude, so I honestly didn't blame the employee for reacting how he did. Our food came out in a timely manner despite one of the servers telling us it would take 10 minutes for our orders. We definitely got them before then. My friend and I split two specialty bagel sandwiches: the Bodega Egg and Cheese with crispy pastrami on an everything bagel and a 'Strami Salmon on onion bialy. The Bodega Egg and Cheese was pretty basic - nothing really special about it. The 'Strami Salmon was way better. I liked the scallion schmear and the smoked salmon/pastrami blend, and I also found that Wise Sons did the onion bialy right. As enjoyable as Wise Son's food was, I didn't think that they were worth the price at all. It cost $9.50 for the Bodega Egg and Cheese with crispy pastrami and $10.50 for a closed 'Strami Salmon. It absolutely made no sense to me why having an open-faced 'Strami Salmon would cost $3 more! The fillings and toppings better be piled high if you're going to be paying $13 for a bagel-sized sandwich. I could get an equally satisfying egg, bacon, cheese bagel or lox and schmear at my local bagel shop for half the prices.