Received a message in response to my review from the new GM asking for me to come in and meet him in person to chat about what can be done to improve the place. (Great! This is one of the main reasons I started Yelping to begin with!)
Emailed him....no response. Thanks for the effort, but the lack of follow-through tells me that you really don't care THAT much.
The staff does seem to have improved and the wait time has diminished, but I'm still hesitant to visit this location. At least the experience is a little more bearable than it was in previous visits.
Wow!  What a turn around at this Einsteins location!  I have been coming to this place in and out for about three years now, and since then, there has been a lot of employee turnover, and some great and some not so great experiences. However, after my visit today, a Saturday...one of their busiest days...I will be coming back more often.  When the lady asked me what I would like, she showed me their new bagel selections, and then helped me make a selection.  She was even patient while I got a text for my wife's order.  The wait time was balanced. A little more time in line but my egg sandwich was in my hands faster then I could make my coffee, and dang it was good.  I got the Spinach Mushroom and Swiss on Asiago Bagel, and wish I ordered a second.  Coffee is awesome, I love the Vanilla Hazelnut, and I enjoyed watching customers with Starbucks  cups in hand come in and then get food and try the coffee there!  I asked the cashier if there was anything different they were doing, and she said she had a new manager named Guy.  I asked if I could say hello, but he was busy working, but she interupted him and he stopped what he was doing to introduce himself and  insure he had my best interest at heart in his store.  Now that is service!  Great to see a Southport Icon get an face lift.  Keep up the good work!
Review Source:I don't love the setup of these places. Â It reminds me a lot of a Panera. Â You have to walk through the entire store to order. Â There is a huge overhead menu that leaves a lot of people staring up into space going uh...uhm, I want...wait, what's down at the other end of the menu?
Then you order at one of two ends of the counter, which is trying because the drinks are in the middle of the counter, but you can only pay at one end of the counter.  So you sort of meander around like a lost little boy for a bit until you're sure of what you really want.  They take your name and send you on your way then shout it out so you have to go back into the throng of people ordering to get  your stuff.  It's kind of a big confusing mess.  I really don't like setups like that.
The food here is good, same as you get at other Einstein Bros. Â I'm a big fan of the seasonal treats they've got right now. Â There are other places in the area that are a little more interesting.
Worst Einstein Ever! Â I have been several times and have finally vowed to stop going. Â Every time I go, I joke about what they'll screw up this time. Sometimes they miss key things like cream cheese on your bagel with cream cheese. Â Last time, though, the veggies on my sandwich were rotten. Â Don't go there!
Review Source:Ran in to get a bagel sandwich after a failed breakfast attempt. Only to find that they had all of 4 bagels left. What?!? At a bagel place?!? So I decided it was ok I could still get a Plain bagel. Well after 20 minutes of waiting while their rude staff joked around and walked around behind the counter not even acknowledging me... I was told that they have no more eggs for eggs sandwiches. Desperate I asked for a plain bagel with honey almond cream cheese. Nope. Out of cream cheese... Unless of course you wanted smoked salmon or blueberry. No thanks!!! Total waste of time! Apparently a bagel shop having bagels and cream cheese is just to much to ask for this poorly run chain. Sub-par service with an attitude and no food?!? Never going back.
Review Source:A 20 minute wait for a toasted bagel with cream cheese? Â Come on. Â Service is poor, restaurant location is dingy and wait time is ridiculous. Â Will not be back to this location. Â I'm never going to give Einstein's 5 stars, but hey -- they could earn a 3 star review from me if the employees were pleasant, they cleaned up the joint, and they actually got me my bagel in a timely fashion.
Review Source:I would recommend going anywhere, but here for breakfast. We used to go here probably once every two weeks for bagels and coffee but I will never go back. The customer service is awful. The employees are always in a crappy mood. They often forget your coffee or a bagel you ordered. This morning they skipped right over me in line and could have cared less when I brought this to their attention. I used to go because they offered bagel thins but I would much rather give my money to a restaurant that knows how to treat guests.
Review Source:No air conditioning, dirty floors, idiot employees (before 2 p.m.) - the kind of people you would avoid on the street because they're loud, obnoxious, and rude, and might scratch you if you say "Uh could your 3-person group not block the sidewalk?", but won't stab you, and if you don't know about Einstein's chain it's THREE DOLLARS for A BAGEL so even if it's the best building on Earth you still wouldn't want to buy there. Â The bathroom smells, but not like piss, it's something worse. Â It smells like walls or something. Â And the vanilla coffee smells burnt (that's all Einstein's not this one just burning it).
Review Source:I hope you enjoy your overpriced bagels with a side of disgusting filth, because that's exactly what you'll be receiving here. In all of my years of dining out/cooking/eating at other people's homes, I have never seen such a dirty restaurant. And that includes my time in college when I lived in a ghetto house with twenty other girls. I digress. This particular Einstein's is absolutely awful. Let me count the ways.
1. The store is filthy at all times. 6 a.m. after opening on a Thursday? Dirty. Noon on a Sunday? Even filthier. Do the employees LIKE working in a pig pen? Or are they just too lazy to actually clean up now and then. Look at the space between the outside door and inside door. Nevermind. Don't. You'll be so grossed out that you wont' want anything. It's so easy to shake out/vacuum that mat. Why isn't anyone doing it? If you decide against your better judgment to eat here, you'll find tables and floors covered in half eaten bagels, crumbs, fruit, boogers, Â and other grossness. I honestly wouldn't be surprised to find a day old used condom floating or a dirty diaper in that mess of a store. Why don't the employees wipe down the tables more than once a week? WHY?!
2. The employees are surly, at best. The manager is particularly unfriendly. Look, I get it. Nobody really loves their job. I don't expect my rather large ass to be kissed simply because I'm buying a $2 bagel. I do, however, expect the staff to treat me with kindness. If your life sucks so bad that you're consistently rude to customers, it's time to consider another occupation. Perhaps answering phones at a suicide hotline would suit these folks better.
3. the MUSIC! No, I don't want to hear WGCI blasting at 7 a.m. on a Saturday morning. Really, I don't. I've been known to bust out with the entire lyrics to Rack City on occasion, but hearing it at a decibel louder than any club on a Friday night is just ridic. What makes my ears really bleed is that there is smooth jazz playing entirely too loud in the dining area. So we have a crap combo of old people music and ghetto thug music all at the same time. Not really how I want to start my day. Ever. Even if I was in prison. Besides, it's Southport. I cannot imagine many of the patrons want to hear that craptastic garbage either.
4. Twice in the last few weeks, I've received undercooked bagels. Okay, that sort of thing happens. It shouldn't happen at a place that only serves bagels though. They were completely raw in the middle. The employees sliced them in half both times. I know they knew. When I politely asked for the bagels to be replaced, they practically growled at me. Sorry boys and girls, I'd rather not eat raw dough for breakfast. Not really my thing.
5. *not entirely the fault of the restaurant but.....the KIDS. Â the GD KIDS RUNNING AROUND THIS JOINT DRIVE ME INSANE. Contrary to popular belief, this restaurant is not a racetrack, jungle gym, playground, circus or carnival. I find it rather pathetic that the lazy SAHMs on Southport cannot be bothered to control their little animals. It's neither cute nor acceptable for your child to repeatedly run into me or sit in my booth or pick their nose and wipe it on the walls while I'm eating. My dog is better behaved than most of the kids in this place. I sure hope one of those kids doesn't run into me with a large cup of hot coffee! The child would be burned but more importantly, that would be a waste of perfectly good coffee! The horror!
Though this Einstein's is only a block from my home, I refuse to patronize it until things change. The one on Sheffield is fantastic. The employees are super nice. The manager isn't a lazy grouch. It's clean. It's what a corporate chain should be.
Okay, so they are not CBA. But for a toasted bagel with cream cheese on it. It's fine. I noticed that a number of reviewers don't care for the bagels here. But, the thing is that CBA steams their bagels. Their bagels are just as unpalatable as Einstein's prior to steaming. Trust me, I have tried it. The way you get around this is to request that your bagels are toasted. It doesn't cost extra and they will toast the entire dozen or half dozen if you ask them to. I always do. It makes a huge difference!
They offer numerous flavors of cream cheese. The only ones I don't like are the low fat varieties. The consistency, aka creaminess, of the spread is off with those. Or it could just be that I like fat.
I haven't had any service problems with this location. Not fast, not slow, just Chicago.
I wouldn't ordinarily write a review on a chain bagel shop, but this joint deserves one. Â Perhaps one of the dirtiest restaurants I have seen in Chicago. Consistently filthy. Â I stop in from time to time on Sunday mornings to grab a quick bite...seating area receives little attention from staff, self serve coffee area is sloppy and lacking needed attention, trash bins are usually full, dine-in baskets are dirty, Â floors and tables are always crumb-laden. Â Einstein's (chain-wide) must also have some sort of cream cheese ration program going on...pathetic amount of cream cheese on their very average bagels. Â The surly staff is the appropriate finishing touch to the generally dismal atmosphere.
Review Source:I've never been to a grosser, more ghetto Einstein Bros. Â The only friendly staff member was the guy who took my order but he told me the chipotle wrap was not spicy and it burned my mouth. Â Bathroom smelled like poop. All contents of the wraps I bought and pickles were just tossed into a bag- pickle juice soaked through the bag...
Eh.
Like many other Yelpers have said, I typically enjoy Einstein's but this location is terrible. The staff is HORRIBLE, rude, and inconsiderate. I ordered a dozen bagels and asked one, ONE, to be sliced and buttered so I could eat it right then. Well you might have thought I asked them to redesign the Taj Mahal. The amount of "hemming" and "hawing" was obnoxious. Additionally, the charged my like $1.00 extra and skimped on the butter! Unreal.
The bagels are usually pretty good though and hence why the store receives 2 stars instead of one. However, no matter how much you may enjoy their bagels, this location makes you want to go out and try and different place. Which sucks, because it's literally around the corner from my house.
To sum up, staff and service is terrible in terms of food preparation, quality, and quantity. The prices are pretty high and they don't run that many promotions. Bagels are pretty good.
My life wasn't hurtin' for a bagel shop. I've worked at Belmont and Clark since college. Starbucks. DD. Einstein within walking distance. If you're HAVE TO put one it, it better be stellar. This location seems to have done the exact opposite of that and I'm angry that they're wasting store-front with their mediocre food and service.
As I often rant, I've worked in the food and retail industry since I was in high school. I am more than forgiving when it comes to the trials and tribulations of a service job, of just starting out a location but this is no Mom and Pop new venture. This is a corporation who has done this dozens of times so after the first month, you ought to have your kinks ironed out. Failing that, you should have a nice and accommodating staff.
I gave you seven changes, Einstein. I've been to other locations, and had a mildly to moderately acceptable experience. But you? SEVEN CHANCES. Each and every time, my order was wrong. Each. and. every. time. And it's not like I was ordering off the grid style food. Almost all were straight off the menu, and another was simply sans mayonnaise. This is no exaggeration. My order was incorrect SEVEN TIMES. And a majority of the staff is rude, indifferent or distracted by talking among themselves. The seventh and final time I came in, and asked for my sandwich to be fixed, the girl at the counter rolled her eyes, and told the sandwich creator to just scrape the mayo off.
We had free coupons that lasted through the end of June. It wasn't even worth the headache when it was free. I'll never go back, and hope the location folds. Chicago Bagel Authority just moved in across the street and boy, oh boy, are their bagels delicious. Their staff is friendly, their menu is VAST, their space is huge and their bagels? Delicious and just the way you want them. Go there for a cheaper, better bagel and a friendly, upbeat atmosphere.
YAY! I got a promotion.
Whats a better way to break it to your team that you will be leaving them for another position in the company? BAGELS and cream cheese! I was on a mission to get 20 bagels and i was running late. thanks to my handy dandy Blackberry Poynt application, I found this specific Einstein Bros that is on the way to work. I called them and ordered ahead. The gentleman on the phone was attentive, friendly, and fast...just what i needed in the morning. Â I pulled up and I was surprised I found that there was plentiful parking and easily accessible for in and out service. I went it the bag was waiting for me my the cashier. I told them my name and they rung me up with a smile. i was in and out in less than 5 minutes. When I got to work I realized that they sliced all the bagels and they separated the sweet ones, HOW THOUGHTFUL!
Thank you Einstein Bros on Southport making my promotion breakfast a much more memorable one. Thank you for not making me wait.
A new journey awaits me...I am taking you with me,Einstein Bros
As a rule, I like Einsteins okay. Â This location, however, is a total nightmare. Â I go once or twice a month and have never had a good experience (and have had several bad experiences). Â The food is too expensive for the time it takes - I've waited upwards of 15 minutes for a bagel and cream cheese. Â The staff is actively rude and unhelpful, and the restaurant itself is really dirty.
Today, I went in and ordered. Â I wanted to order two things but the guy who took my ordered turned his back on me as I started my second order. Â It took another customer and I saying "excuse me" multiple times for the guy to finally turn around and take the rest of my order. Â Both of my bagels were burned beyond the point of being edible - and my sandwich came with something on it that I had explicitly asked them to leave off. Â When I got my food home, I realized this, called to complain and was told by the manager that I should just walk back and they'd make me another one. Â She made a point of noting that they wouldn't charge me for it. Â I told her I had no interest in going back go get more food from them and that I wouldn't be returning.
The bagels are good, the coffee stinks.
It took me 20 minutes to get a bagel and coffee this morning. I realize Saturday morning is a busy time, but 20 minutes for a simple order? I could have gone to a sit down restaurant and had an omlette made and delivered in that time. There is a ton of people working yet customers enduring a ridiculously slow line. Whatever process this Einstein's has implemented is not working!
Also, the amount of kids running and screaming around is equivalent to Chuckee Cheese. Parents please control your children!! I had a kid whipping his gloves on me and his sister or friend, probably about 5 years old, apologized to me, yet his mother looked over and laughed like it was cute. No it is not cute! Especially prior to coffee. This behavior is only cute to SOME parents, never to others. While the responsibility of the behavior of children should rest on the parents, Einstein's should not tolerate kids running amuck.
An update as of 6/11/10 - I went back in there to see if any improvements were made. Â After submitting my review and contacting mgmt through their website, they were very attentive and concerned about fixing the problem. Â That's the spirit!!! Â So, I strolled in last weekend to see how it was....
Everything looked straightened up a bit more. Â No more chunks of food lying on the ground or trash left on tables. Â I still had to brush off/wipe down my table because of crumbs, but it has really improved. Â It's nice to know that Einstein's really cares about customer feedback. Â If I were rating this store again today, I'd probably leave 3 stars but because of the wild kids running around, I'll stay at 2. Â
Seriously though - and this isn't really anything the employees can do anything about - but it's ridiculous how parents let their toddlers run around wild in there, like it's a McDonald's Play Place. Â I've never seen this before. Â It's bizarre, annoying, and disturbing. Â I don't understand why this seems to be OK here. Â It's not.
I love Einstein. Yummy bagels and decent coffee for not a huge price. Never tried their sandwich line, but their bagels and coffee are usually solid.
This location is very roomy with tons of room to sit. Sadly, there is no wifi and the employees are a little rude.
One specific bad experience comes to mind. I brought 1 copy of a "reusable" coupon. I said I wanted to use it, and then passed it back to my girlfriend for a separate order. The cashier said no, its only reusable on a different days. No where was this on the coupon, and no where did any sign anywhere in the store say that. I said I had 10 more of them at my house, and offered to go get a different reusable coupon for my girlfriend. The cashier called the manager. The manager said I should have brought a different copy for my girlfriend. I said I would send her home to get one. The manager went on a 2 minute triad and basically made me feel stupid for not understanding that a reusable coupon is only for different days (although NO WHERE did it say that). Then finally the manager says that he will let me order through THIS TIME, but I am very lucky and he didn't have to that.
When I finally feel stupid and get my order, my strawberry cream cheese beagle has butter on it instead of cream cheese. Cream cheese costs at least $1 more than butter, and I am pretty annoyed that the guy who made me feel stupid could not make a bagel right. When I bring it back to him, the manager asks if I want him to make a new bagel or just slop the cream cheese on top of the butter (in a guilty you are a difficult customer voice). I was so annoyed I just had him slop some cream cheese on top, and it tasted about like you would expect.
So overall, Einstein is yummy, but this location is not run by very kind people.
The staff seems a little incompetent here...Every time I go, there's about 5 different confusions and mistakes with my order. And there's really no reason for it...
The panini are good, and I understand that those take a while. But a bagel sandwich? God forbid you order a bagel WITH stuff on it, because it apparently takes them about 10 minutes to make each one. What the hell is so complicated about it?
And the salads are just as difficult for them, if not more. They kind of freak out when I ask for my salad to made without cheese. They clearly just prefer you to take the salads as they are in the display shelf.
Overall, I've just noticed a lot of mistakes with orders and poor communication between the manager and the staff, and the staff members with each other. I like their food well enough, but I must say - the bagel sandwich is NOT good enough to spend $7+ on and wait 10 minutes for.
my boyfriend lives right down the street from this location and the only reason we come here is because of the lack of quick breakfast and cheap(?) options that southport has to offer. we went there this morning and vowed to never return. unlike most sunday or weekend mornings, there werent too many children screaming and running around (must have been the freak snow storm we had today) i'm always sooo underwhelmed by everything i order, the only thing that i've been happy about was a salad i got from the "to-go" section. Â The bf and i both got the lox and bagel....and it was soo disappointing. i've gotten it there before and they usually give you everything in a little tray separately, but someone decided to be extra nice and pile my bagel with excessive cream cheese, dried up onions, a meager piece of pathetic lox, and tomato. we had to go and ask for capers---but at least they had them. i guess it wasn't too bad for it being $6.......?
the coffee isn't even good (call me picky)...so they won't fool me with their "bottomless coffee" you'll be better off at the starbucks down the street.
i guess the good thing about the location would be the space. i'm just saying that to be nice :)
If I didn't work nearby this place, I would never frequent it. There is just something about it that rubs me the wrong way. Is it the crackpot staff, whom are less than enthused to be whippin' up a bagel for you? No, not particularly. The enormous line of stroller wielding southport mommies and yuppies talking on their cell phones and trying to order at the same time? No, i'm used to that by now. Is it the fact that you can't get a bagel with cream cheese and a coffee for under $5 bucks. Fuck yeah!
Come on, it's a bagel not a Lamborghini! Ok the bagel costs .99 cents and the plain cream cheese is $1.50?!! That's highway robbery, considering they whip so much air into their cream cheese, you're paying more for the air than the cheese! Have you ever tried to get a sandwich? Everything is $7 or up! Christ, a bagel wrapped around a hot-dog will run you $5. I just feel like i'm taking it in the bumhole every time I step into this place.
The bagels are just ok. I could recommend about 10 other places to go for a bagel in Chicago before this joint.
This is a great Einstein. Â It's large, plenty of tables & the standard good fare. Â The employees seem as if they care & there is fountain pop, which is nice. Â (Potbelly next door does not have fountain, for shame)
There is no WiFi, which is insane in  these days of teknowlegee. Â
During the middle of the day, the stroller  brigade takes over in here.  Multitudes of  Moms & babysitters, et al, invade with their screaming kiddies & rampantly running toddlers.  There are kids all over, no shoes, coats lying around & general mayhem, best left for the daycare professionals, not for me & my bagel & newspaper.  Plus I hate kids.
I love Einsteins. Yesterday I went in and got lunch with friends and spent hours at one of their large tables playing Settlers of Catan. It was the perfect setting.
1. Bottomless coffee. I discovered this as a college student 6 years, and spent many hours here studying with friends. Their neighborhood blend is beautiful, but if you like flavored stuff the Vanilla Hazelnut will be your thing.
2. A toasted chocolate-chip bagel with peanut butter is the best or worst breakfast you will ever have, depending on if you are counting calories or enjoyment. Mmmmmmm.
3. Their cookies are fantabulous. This is bad because I usually either go in for coffee or a meal, neither of which NEEd a cookie to add to the calories. Too often I am lured in by the pastry window and end up with one anyways.
4. Open-faced bagel pizzas. To be honest, most of the meals they have here are just so-so, and despite the fact that it makes a quick and enjoyable lunch stop, there are better places for great cuisine. However, I was impressed with these new offerings and realllllly liked my mushroom and spinach bagel pizza.
Alas, I have eaten my final asiago cheese bagel with cream cheese at Einstein's. Â Which is maybe not a bad thing, since for the next year, I have to get on the L almost daily across the street at Southport. Â
However, I will miss those damn bagels, which are -- oops, used to be -- like crack.
This is not because of the quality of the bagels or the level of service at this location. Â Both are superb. Â This is because when I went in there last week (not knowing yet it would be my last time), I went to the cashier to pay for my bagel, and he informed me that this little treat would cost me $2.72. Â "What?", I asked him. Â He repeated himself, and I told him that I remember when they went to just over $2 each (which seemed high to me), and I know it wasn't THAT long ago. Â He insisted that it must have been longer than I think. Â
It doesn't matter. Â I won't pay ANYONE $2.72 for a bagel with cream cheese. Â They *are* good, but no bagel is *that* good unless it's made of gold. Â Plus the previous poster(s) who mentioned the hordes of soccer moms and military tank-sized strollers are right...and that part I won't miss either.
I used to live behind this bagel place and would go here basically every morning for my coffee and breakfast. The staff was always really friendly and most of the time knew what i would be ordering. I was usually in and out with in 5 mins, on a busy day it could be a few minutes more. They have good coffee and im pretty addicted to their bagels. In the summer they also have a great patio to sit on. I really like this particular location.
Review Source:Atmosphere - *** -
The place is pretty big inside, but there are a lot of strollers. The ordering section is in backwards order. First, I told the cook my order, then I had to repeat it to the cashier. Huh?
Food - ** -
Bagels - The bagels are above average, nothing spectacular.
Italian Panini - These are very good
Wild Berry Frozen Drink - Very bad.
For a quick place to get something to eat, this place is expensive! $8 for a sandwich and chips. I'd rather go to Winston's.
I'm not usually a fan of chain eateries, but I wanted to post the five stars for this location because of the staff that work there. Whenever I'm there everyone working is incredibly upbeat and positive--and you definitely don't see that very often. Especially in an area where it's common to encounter picky customers. As a business owner I know how important it is to have great people working for you, and this group definitely does a terrific job!
Review Source:Great bagels, and great staff. However, this location is absolutely horrible on any weekend due to the amount of double-wide baby strollers and inconsiderate soccer mom's and dad's that can be found.
Walk over to the Clark Street location if you're in the mood for an Einstein bagel.
Tip: the Green Chile bagel is truly delightful, especially with strawberry spread.
If you like bagels, this is the place to go - bagels come in a variety of flavors, and the spreads are quite tasty too. Â However, I've found that they tend to over-do the spreads, so I always take a knife to scrape off the extra goo that would only end up going straight to my thighs. Â
Always a great place to go for a light breakfast or lunch.
Pretty decent breakfast place- good place to grab a egg sandwich since the other breakfast places get pretty crowded. Â They move you through the line quickly so that's good and they also have good sandwiches- like the Einstein Club or the roast beef sandwich. Â It's a good choice for a quick bite to eat.
Review Source:
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