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Bagel Etc
Categories: Food Bagels Restaurants Breakfast & Brunch Bagels, Breakfast & Brunch [Edit]
4320 boul. St-LaurentMontreal, QC H2W 1Z3
(514) 845-9462
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
12 reviews for Bagel Etc
11 reviews in English
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Review from Mish A.
9/4/2011
Great place to get brunch. If you go on weekends they make you a special eggs benedict on top of a bagel with lots of options. Mine had tomato, spinach and goat cheese. You eat the bagels with a fork and bread knife, it's good.
Service was speedy, wait was not too bad. I would highly recommend for a weekend brunch. -
Review from Reid R.
1/28/2012
I have lived in Montreal for 4 years now and this is truly the best place for breakfast in town. That's right. I don't like waiting in lines. I'm a NYer through and through. But weekend mornings this place is worth it. Come early, try and beat the rush, and order one of the weekend specials. My favorite is the Hanover.
As for the service. They are friendly as long as you are. They are also very busy running around so fair enough if they want to be fast. I'm happy as long as my food makes it to me ASAP. Anyway, they are usually gorgeous. :) -
Review from Risa D.
9/28/2011
There was a period this summer when I was at Bagel about 3 times a week for lunch or breakfast. The Cookie's Burger, grilled cheese, BLT and basic breakfast are my favourites, all delicious, fresh, hearty. Being able to tuck into the tiny booths in the back or hang out with the giggly franglais gals and super sweet surly owners at the bar probably saved my life on an emotional level like once a month. I've never had a problem with service here, though this is definitely a place that warms up to people over time and takes good care of it's regulars.
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Review from Kiera S.
Montréal, QC
8/1/2011
My feelings towards this place can be summed up in three points:
1) Best. Hollandaise. Ever.
2) Love the aesthetic.
3) Not a fan of the indifferent/sullen/rude servers (and clearly I am not alone with this one).
Used to go all the time because of the first two points, but lately that third variable has been more and more of a downer. Not sure when I'll be back. -
Review from CT M.
Montréal, QC
7/26/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Okay, here's the thing with Bagels Etc.: the food is okay, and decently priced for what you'll find in the neighbourhood, and the atmosphere is cute and fun, but the service tend to fluctuate quite a bit.
EGG DISHES: all pretty safe bets, whether you go bacon and eggs or eggs benedicts.
PANCAKES: smell amazing, but are *really* dry, unless you *douse* them in syrup, in which case the powdery dryness turns to tiny sugar crystals that explode on your tongue, which a fun experience, but one that still requires *a lot* more syrup than I can handle most mornings.
FRENCH TOAST: made with Challah bread, but otherwise unexceptional.
TOAST: your choice of white, brown, Russian black bread, or an authentic Montreal bagel -- I suggest you try the black bread.
POTATOES: served with every dish, they range from really good to just bland, depending one when the batch was started, but they're never undercooked.
ATMOSPHERE: Montreal/American diner kitch, playing music from the big band to Leonard Cohen, and signs advertising all kinds of good beers they don't serve.
SERVICE: often slow and unorganized, sometimes aloof, and very rarely "good".
Dishes worth Trying:
- Huevos Rancheros
- The Benny Goodman
- The Deluxe (w/ pancake option) -
Review from Antonella Y.
8/11/2011
This place is a throw back to American style diners, with an ecclectic art deco funk style. We were seated promptly and the waitress was friendly. I ordered the french toast with eggs sunny side up and sausage. My choice of beverage was freshly squeezed o.j. and coffee. It took some time to get my order but it was worth the wait. The food was excellent! The meal came with this special black bread toast which is really yummy! The waitress was very accommodating to myself and my dining companions. We went on a early Sunday afternoon and there was no "brunch rush" at that time, which might explain the stellar service. It was my first time eating here, and I definitely plan to go back when in town.
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Review from Ari S.
Ottawa, ON
9/8/2010
Back in its heyday in the 1990s, Bagels Etc was a fantastic place. Cheap, friendly, great food. Throw in the occasional Leonard Cohen sighting and it was my go to breakfast and brunch joint.
So, yeah, this place has been living on its reputation for quite some time. And the prices have gone up, the food has gone downhill, Lenny's out on tour, and the service.... well, the service is something truly special. My only guess is that it's been under new management for a while. The service is truly atrocious and unpleasant. Memories be damned: the last time I went is the last time I will go.
The wait was forever and there were empty tables everywhere. The servers didn't even bother looking up from their conversation to help us. We had to track down the manager to complain. And he didn't care. And - as already observed - the service makes inappropriate and offensive comments. One a previous trip (my second to last), the server made some offhand joke about Parkinson's disease (she was jittery when bringing our coffee) when my friend at the table's father is suffering from that horrible disease. They are rude, inefficient and just plain awful. I guess if you like that kind of "experience", Bagels Etc is the place for you. For everyone else, go elsewhere. -
Review from Stephanie C.
Toronto, ON
1/16/2010
My friend said I would like this place and he was right. The fuchsia-painted exterior and the mix of Art Deco and 1950s memorabilia inside appealed to my kitschy whimsical side.
Mid-way through the brunch hour and the restaurant was humming with conversations that tried to speak over the background music. All of the tables were full so we had the choice to wait for a booth or sit at the counter. We choose the latter where we were met by our server who promptly placed two mugs in front of us and poured coffee inside them as soon as we sat down. Our food arrived shortly afterward - two eggs, bacon, hash brown potatoes and dark brown toast - and we eagerly ate our food as if it were our last meal.
In reference to the two previous reviews about the conversation topics made by the servers, I didn't hear inappropriate. From my observation, their banter was nothing more than what they did the night before, what shows or parties they went to, etc. I do agree with Amber's comment that if you sit at the counter, expect to be included in their conversation. But this isn't necessarily a bad thing: the servers are friendly and want to see how you're doing so they aren't shy to say hello to their customers.
With that being said if you're in the mood to enjoy your eggs and OJ in a quiet surrounding, then I wouldn't suggest you come here. Bagel Etc does attract a certain crowd such as students, young to middle-aged couples, or anyone who like being surrounded in an exciting atmosphere. It's not your typical cookie-cutter breakfast chain restaurant, which is exactly why I found it instantly appealing. By the time we left, we saw a line-up of hungry patrons waiting to be seated. I'd be interested to visit this place out during the other times of the day, such as lunch or during the weekday. Of course this means another trip to Montreal and that's not a bad thing at all!Listed in: Montréal
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Review from Neil W.
Montréal, QC
10/1/2009
Amber's experience was similar to my own, except the service really put me off and I won't go back. While the server was extremely efficient, I found she was too personal (she made some off-hand comments to me that were unnecessary and might have even been slightly offensive had I come from a different background). The restaurant was nearly empty but still there was a din of coarse banter from the staff and some of it was less than appetizing, if you see what I mean. I don't call that "charming" or "casual" I call that a lack of class and a lack of respect for customers.
The food was slightly above average brunch fare. Putting salsa on an egg doesn't constitute a remarkable outpouring of creativity in my books. Kind of dated.
Truly the Courtney Love of breakfast joints. Vulgar, mediocre, and forever trading on success achieved in the 1990s. -
Review from Amber M.
4/5/2009
Service is part of the experience at Bagel etc...
Only cool girls are allowed to work here and they have no problem yelling back and forth about porn stars they met the night before, making out with their boyfriends at the counter or covering for each other to make sure hot food gets delivered fast.
Brunch menu has a great selection for ever palate and price range. Omelets (I'm partial to the Hola with fresh salsa, chilis and queso), French toast, variations of Benedicts - all served on bagels from Fairmount Bagel. Yum-may.
I don't know how they do it but 3 to 4 guys cook in the space of a pantry and they are a well-oiled machine. Consistently great food (perfect eggs!)
Good for singles or groups. The wait is worth it or slide up to the counter for faster service. Warning though - the counter is like sitting front row at a stand-up comedy show. You risk being picked out and asked to give a second opinion on someone's day-glo earrings ('Are zees too 1980'eez?).
Great coffee and espresso, soundtrack varies from Doris Day to Billy Joel and they sell Leonard Cohen CDs behind the counter.
Cash or credit card only - no Interac. -
Review from Jarrett H.
10/12/2010
Fun breakfast place with good food and decently accommodating. The server was nice and the prices were good. The eggs Florentine was good but the hollandaise seemed a bit thin and I'm not a fan of sesame seeds - which the bagel had ample of. The chocolate-hazelnut spread covered french toast, however, tasted delicious. The atmosphere was fun and quirky, a nice, crammed little neighborhood diner. The orange juice was expensive, but fresh
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