A terrible experience
I have been here twice and both times the service was slow and the cashier very rude. The bagels were dry, tasteless and substandard. My drink was all ice and precious little liquid. Several of my friends have had the same experience here, and also at the Pasadena store: rude, brusque service and lousy food.    [18 Mar 2001 19:47:12]

Food: -   Service:    Ambiance:    Overall: 
Recommended Dishes: None

     ­Michael Wilanski   wilanski at excel dot net

Pricey, poor food
I went here twice because I had heard good things. Forget it. Not only was the service slow, but when I asked for a glass of water (for my niece), the girl behind the counter refused and was very rude. The bagels themselves tasted no better than a frozen Lendel bagel, which you can pick up for 25 cents in any market.

I would not recommend this place to anyone.    [19 Feb 2002 18:38:42]

Food:    Service: -   Ambiance:    Overall: 

     ­Mitchell Holt   

50 cents for butter
Oh my gosh, 50 cents for butter on my bagel? They don’t even have it on their board that there is a charge for butter or cream cheese. But there is a price of 2 cents to toast your bagel if you order more than 5. I don’t expect to get anything for free, but 50 cents for butter on my bagel and $1.15 for 1 oz of cream cheese ... I can get a pound of butter at the market for $2.50. I will not go there again.    [14 Jun 2003 11:12:35]

Food: -   Service: -   Ambiance: -   Overall: 
Recommended Dishes: Nothing, you will go broke

     ­Anonymous   

Pay Good Money For Lousy Food Served By Rude Incompetents
Until Goldstein's owners learn that hiring angry inept losers off the street is not the way to staff a sandwich shop, they will continue to suffer from their well-deserved reputation as a place to avoid at all costs. These people give "rude" a whole new meaning, and the food isn't much better. Stay away folks!    [15 Jun 2003 18:46:45]

Food:    Service:    Ambiance:    Overall: 
Recommended Dishes: None, I'm afraid of eating anything these ticked-off employees have handled

     ­Truman   nuttynoodles at hotmail dot com

What the H you talkin about???
I drive 50 miles round-trip once a week for these bagels. I've been to dozens of bagel "shops" all over LA, from Arcadia to Westwood and all points in between, and NOBODY comes closer to the true New York bagel than does Goldstein’s, especially the Arcadia shop.

I was born and raised in the Bronx, lived in Queens as a youth, and lived in Brooklyn for 12 years until I came west. I know bagels, and these are they.

Seems to me that most of the reviews one finds on the web for Goldstein’s are quite positive; where one would get the idea that Goldstein’s is "suffering from a well-deserved reputation" is beyond me. As for their bagels tasting anything like a "Lendel" (last time I looked, it was Lender's), maybe that's the problem: some people actually think that a Lender's bagel is what a bagel is supposed to taste like; and if you don't know that you have to pay to have butter or cream cheese on your sandwich, well, you need to get out more often!!!!!

Now relax and ess a bagel!!!!!    [06 Oct 2003 10:30:18]

Food:    Service:    Ambiance:    Overall: 
Recommended Dishes: 'The works' with the cream cheese nice and thick!!!!!

     ­MarConey   

New Employee
Wow! I just happen to click on this web site while not knowing I’d be reading your comments. Seeing that I’m going to be an employee of Goldstein’s, I have quickly formed my own opinion, of course addressed to the group who wrote about awful service. I can't deny what you experienced, yet I can sympathize about bad service in general; it can be annoying. Although I’ve never encountered this at Goldstein’s, I will reassure you that I don’t intend to be rude or angry towards you ... Please ignore recommended dishes and ratings, since I choose not to reveal that, only because I think it blurs the focus on what I’m trying to get across.    [21 Apr 2004 15:07:50]

Food: -   Service: -   Ambiance: -   Overall: 

     ­Anonymous   

The one and only great bagel shop west of Hudson River!
I recently moved from New York, and my bagel experience in L.A. has been terrible.

You see, I grew up on the legendary "Washington Heights Bagel," so I cannot stand those California bagels, which I call "Wonder bagels." You know what I'm talking about, most of what they call "bagel" here is deformed Wonder Bread. It's for the toothless, tasteless people.

But, glory be, I finally found it!

The Goldstein Bagel Bakery!!!

I cried when I first tasted it.

Finally, finally, an authentic boiled bagel! You can actually bite, chew, smell and taste the great New York tradition!!!!!    [09 May 2007 21:54:39]

Food:    Service:    Ambiance:    Overall: 
Recommended Dishes: Bagel

     ­Anonymous, Bagel Lovers of California