I ordered the new Brunch Box for Two from Einstein Bros. Bagels in Madison for breakfast at home, and it was a great start to the day. The box came with an All Nighter egg sandwich, an Asiago bagel with shmear, a twice baked hashbrown, and a blueberry muffin. The All Nighter sandwich was the standout, flavorful and filling with just the right amount of spice and richness. The Asiago bagel was fresh, with a nice cheesy crust that paired perfectly with the shmear, though I wish they had included a bit more of it. The twice baked hashbrown was crispy and warm, and tasted like a mini loaded potato bite. The blueberry muffin was soft and not too sweet, which made it a nice way to end the meal! read more

I have been here a handful of times!! The employees are nice and the place is clean. They make my bagel so good every time. I order the turkey bacon and avocado with a jalapeño cheddar bagel toasted and it's sooooooo yummy I'll definitely go back it's a must try!! read more

Before I start this review, I want to make it clear that this is coming from my bad experience today on top of just a few minor incidences. Usually, this place is really fast with their service. The staff is usually pretty nice. The manager (?) is really quick and usually pretty nice. However, today I had a bad experience. There have been a few times where I felt like the manager was little passive aggressive. But I brushed the comments off usually. Today was a little different. I got a free bagel sandwich coupon for my birthday with a purchase. My favorite sandwich is the farmhouse sandwich with the French toast bagel. I always get this order when I'm inside. I usually don't order off the app but today I decided to do it just to save me time. when I was ordering off the app, there was no option for a French toast bagel, so I chose the next best thing which was a cinnamon sugar. I made the order, then the app provided the address and the phone number to the place. I called the place right away to ask if I could get it on a French toast instead of a cinnamon sugar. The phone rang a few times before shooting you back to the main menu. After the third time that it did that I told myself that I was just going to hang up if they didn't answer because I was getting close to the place, eventually a staff member answered. I explained to him that I wanted the French toast bagel for my order and he told me that, it's a gourmet bagel and that's why it was not an option because of the price difference. I was understanding and I told him that I had ordered it for my free birthday bagel and asked if it was still an option for that or not? It sounded like he asked his manager, and then he responded yes. When I came to pick up my order, the manager told me that they had to throw out a sandwich just to make mines. I explained to him that I tried to call right away to explain it to them so they wouldn't have to do that. Then passively aggressively said, "I can't answer the phone if I'm busy". (Well duh). I said "I understand." Apparently the French toast bagel they no longer make and they are trialing a new gourmet bagel call the maple French toast. That is the one that they gave me. Again, I apologized and said that I did try to call right away but he continues to say that he can't answer the phone if they are shortstaffed. I constantly felt like he was trying to make me feel bad while putting a smile on his face. I told him I didn't know he was shortstaffed, and he responded, "we are short staffed just like your industry! The pandemic hit us just like you!" I was wearing my UW Health tshirt so he knew I worked for the hospital. I thought that was extremely rude. Obviously, many places have been shortstaffed since the pandemic but I, again, felt that he was being super passive aggressive despite me apologizing and explaining to him my side. To be honest, I wasn't trying to make it difficult on them. I was ordering a sandwich that I ordered many times. I did not know they were short staffed. I did not know they could not answer the phone. I did not know that the French toast bagel was discontinued. And I politely asked him over the phone if it was still an option to have for our birthday bagel sandwich. If they were going to get upset because they would have to throw out the bagel that they already made, they could have said that they are unable to give me the French toast because they did not have that option at that time. Instead, they gave me gourmet bagel and then made me feel bad for it. I was very disappointed on how they treated me and debating on throwing this sandwich out because I just feel disgusted after that conversation. read more

The service was efficient and professional and food was great. I will definitely be back!

I don't understand the negative reviews for this location. The staff has always been super friendly to me and the food is always on par. I got the lox bagel and thought it was awesome. There's a lot of space to sit and hangout or get some work done too. read more

First time in this Einstein. The service was very good even though they are short staffed. The bagels are very good especially with their shmere but I have to add that the coffee is really good too. I may have really needed a coffee at the time, it it hit the spot. read more

Love this place. Everyone is so friendly and great at what they do. Even when they were short staffed, they were kind and quick! Delicious bagels, every single time. Definitely a place you could grab breakfast and a coffee and sit and chat with a buddy or do homework. We come here almost every weekend! read more

I've had nothing but good experiences here since they opened. This is a gem considering the lackluster service of other chain bagel places around Madison. I love their lattes and I love the people who work there. Shout out to Steve at the register who stepped up to take our order and clearly loves conversing with people. He made our morning! Fast service in the morning when other places take 30 minutes to get you a bagel. Go here for a great morning! read more

Simply awful food. I'm amazed that a bagel bakery provided me with such an inauthentic bagel no better than I would find at a local convenience store. The blueberry muffin was utterly tasteless. The coffee was dishwater. Lousy experience. Will never return. read more

I was confused because the GPS sent me here for Caribou Coffee. It appears to be Caribou products offered inside an Einstein bagels. However the staff was WONDERFUL and made me my favorite Caribou beverage even though it wasnt on the menu. They had multiple signs up saying they were understaffed and I was shocked at how friendly and accommodating they were under the circumstances. FWIW I usually get a Turtle Mocha. read more

Terrible place Bad cold bagels. They were incredibly rude, and got the order wrong. Then made a terrible drink. read more

I just wanted to take a second to rave about this location. I work at university hospital and live within walking distance from this Einstein's bagel shop so I come here on a regular basis. I have consistently had great service and everyone has always been so friendly and helpful. I love coming here! read more

Einstein Bros. Bagels - Avocado toast on a garlic bagel with a cinnamon spice tea. Delicious - Bagels Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Solid spot for a quick bagel and coffee. The rewards program is great with a free bagel + shmear upon joining and other points and deals (of course that's not specific to this location). Setup for social distancing is good, and service is quick. read more

Every Einstein Bagels is the same. They barely put any smear on your bagel. That's the essence of ordering a bagel.

I ordered curbside pickup today from this location on the app and I called to tell them I was there to pick up my order and I could here the lady that answered the phone making fun of me with her coworker while on the phone with me. Then she came out with my order and gave me an attitude about how they don't have curbside pickup anymore even thought they have a reserved parking space for curbside pickup and it says it's available on the app. I'm not mad that they didn't have it but I was already having a bad day and she made me cry:/ read more

This is a fairly new location for Einstein but, I am surprised it wasn't on YELP!, yet. Anyway, being new, the decor is very fresh. The interior design is quite nice, large, open, spacious, tons of seating, and a GREAT location. The strip mall it is located in is pretty cool, with other neat stores. So, it's a great place to grab a bkfst or lunch bagel if visiting Lake Mendota, or shopping in the area. Free wi-fi is always nice, too. I had a breakfast bagel sandwich, on pumpernickel...and it was quite good. I'm not sure how they whip/cook their eggs but, there is something different about them. Odd. Not unpleasant, I do like them, just, the texture is different. Had a latte, and that was well made. Not some generic machine like you see at a lot of other places. hint: if you do Google street view, it shows the old Mexican taco place that used to be there..this is A LOT better! However, Google maps does correctly list the business address and location as Einstein read more

Einstein Bros. Bagels - Bagels Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

See all

Their Cold press coffee is surprisingly strong and good.... I like that they put the cream cheese on your bagel for you, is that weird? I just feel if you get a bagel to-go that you plan to eat on the go ...it is super annoying to have to attempt to spread cream cheese from a tiny plastic container with a tiny plastic knife on to a bagel that is fast approaching cold and inedible. you get it right? :oD such a simple thing makes all the difference. Their Asiago bagels are my jam! read more

Ethan was super helpful made our first experience wonderful directing me straight to the "Farmhouse" it was delicious! -Lote read more

I have never written a Yelp review, but I feel that I must. I have frequented this location often before and after working at the children's hospital. Everyone has always been so kind. This week, I visited the downtown location on State St. Unfortunately, I realized that they had given me the wrong order as I was leaving the parking garage with no homeless individual in sight. I was still hungry for a sandwich, so I stopped at this location (which I should have done all along). I brought in the bagel I was given simply because I did not want to throw it away! I knew they couldn't resell it, but I would have felt horrible to merely toss it. I told the kind man what had happened and asked him if he could take the bagel off my hands. I pulled my money out to pay for a new sandwich, and he told me to put it away. After going back and forth a bit, as it was not my intention to receive anything free - just to not waste food and eat lunch, he gave me the sandwich at no cost. Please promote this man! read more

This bagel was really amazing, I am writing this review so that the employees know to put more capers on!! It's the best part!! With how small they are already, you definitly need way more than 10! I need like 30! 40! 50! For real though definitely need about 3x that many. read more

Einstein Bros. Bagels - lox salmon bagel with onion capers and tomatoes - Bagels Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

I've come here many times for lunch and I have always had a good experience. Their staff is friendly and welcoming and the food is quick and good. I have tried many of their sandwiches and have never been disappointed. **Salmon cream cheese on the spinach Florentine bagel is one of my go to lunches! Their sitting/dinning area is super cozy, I always think I could spend the whole afternoon there reading a book! Also, Caribou Coffee is now being served there and that is super fantastic! I tried their Sparkling Lemon Ginger Pomegranate tea/juice and have been craving it ever since! read more

This Einstein Bros location is convenient to my work place. I usually pick up an Egg Sandwich and a Smoothie every few weeks. The staff is usually pleasant but overworked. There is a lot of steps to getting an order completed. Order at one counter, pay at another counter, food is handed over the counter, coffee and smoothie drinks, picked up at the end of the counter. I remember to be very patient when I come here (translation: I don't come here if I'm running short of time). Today, I arrived and ordered my classic egg and bacon sandwich on a potato bagel and a smoothie. As soon as I ordered, there was a crowd of people ordering. There were two guys behind the counter. One more guy joined in shortly. People who had already ordered were then changing or clarify their order at the pay register. So to say there was a lot going on is to say the least. I got my sandwich rather fast and was waiting a bit for the smoothie but I was okay with that (again, I expected that). I got to my office and got a real surprise. My potato bagel was not there and in it's place was pumpernickel. I am not a fan of pumpernickel but I was already at work and could not go back. After two attempts to get the business on the phone, the gentleman on the phone was very apologetic and offered a remedy without me asking for it. What he offered was exactly what I was hoping for. So the extra star is for the guy eager to fix my problem. I noticed they are doing something new with how they cook their eggs for the sandwich but I didn't taste a difference over the flavor of the pumpernickel. The sandwich was as good as the pumpernickel it was served on. The real reason I go to this establishment is that I love the smoothie. So as long as they don't change the recipe, I will still come every few weeks. They just best hope a Jamba Juice never opens near Hilldale. So rating is really Three Stars and a Bonus Star for good recovery service. read more

The staff was so friendly and welcoming. We had the manager taking our order and at 6am was just the friendly face we needed. I ordered the farmhouse sandwich and it was so delicious. The bread was freshly toasted with cheese on it and the savory spread was super tasty. I'm definitely coming back and ordering the same thing! They also have an area with some comfy chairs in addition to tables/booths to sit at and relax. read more

Won't be back. This place was horrible. Not even kidding. Won't be back at all. The bagel was stale and tastes horrible. When I asked for a new one they just have me excuses and finally gave me a new one and the new one was still horrible. Won't be back. read more

Einstein Bros. Bagels - Bagels Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

See all

Really good. I had the Avocado sandwich, with chips & iced tea. Very pleasant sitting outside.

Very lucky that our Airbnb was within walking distance to Einstein. This place has great coffee and great breakfast sandwiches. The cold press coffee was my favorite as well as the Santa Fe breakfast sandwich. I thought their costumer service was good and the atmosphere was warm and inviting. read more

Usually love and have great experiences at all einstein's including this one but was incredibly disappointed in the customer service when I went in there today. I work in customer service so I understand that sometimes people don't feel super friendly towards customers and I try to let situations like these slide but the attitude the cashier was showing was unacceptable. He also was making enough mistakes to prove that he had no place being so snobby toward customers. Will continue to frequent other locations but not this one anymore. read more

There used to be a wifi network I would pick up at the bus stop outside this Einsteins. The name of that wifi network was, "6 dollars for a bagel sandwich!?". True story. And yes, Einsteins IS a bit overpriced, considering it is only one step up from any other fast food chain restaurant. All my coastie friends hate Einstein's because they don't serve "real" bagels. I have never had an authentic New York bagel, so I don't know what I am missing, I suppose. That said, I love, LOVE my usual order from Einstein's, which consists of a 6-Cheese Bagel with Onion and Chive schmear. Sometimes, I also get a hazelnut-vanilla coffee to go with it. I always get the same things because I love it so much. Plus, it's conveniently located. Can't help it, it's tasty and I love it. read more

It's a chain, but this is a nice one, and while the bagels seem mass produced, they are varied and tasty. They have sweet and savory bagels, and normal flavors for purists. They also have thin bagels, all the flavor with slightly fewer carbs. They're friendly and pretty quick. They have multiple types of cheese bagels. In terms of bevs, pretty basic coffee begs, a few bottles drink options, and what looks like fairly fresh oj, although I didn't see a juicer. My bagel, toasted, with cream cheese was under $3 I think, which seems acceptable. Plenty of parking in the strip mall. read more

Staff was nice. That's the reason for 2 stars. Otherwise 1. Paid over 5 dollars for a not toasted bagel and plain "shmear" and a bottle of coke (they don't have draft). I used to love this place over on mineral point when I was in HS... found out that place closed and so did breuggers which I loved, so I tried this location for the first time today. Bagel was not fresh, and they barely put any shmear on it! What am I paying for then?! Seriously like just a hint of cream cheese. UGH. read more

The bagels are great. I tried the sandwiches; they were tasty but too greasy. Won't order sandwiches anymore. read more

Einstein Bros. Bagels - Fresh fruit salad as a side - Bagels Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Einstein's is a nice place to sit, with a pleasant atmosphere and self-serve coffee and drinks. The food is okay. The real problem is the staff. Some are nice enough, but it seems that the store's manager would realize that an atmosphere of general passive aggressiveness is not so good for business. The employees who loudly shout customer's names, willfully ignore people standing at the counter, and slam stuff around are making it clear they aren't happy working here, for what that's worth. It doesn't make me want to come back. This is a problem at other Einstein's as well, and one has to conclude that the company and management just don't give a shit. Too bad. It always surprises me when companies fail to pay attention to basic customer service issues. read more

Best coffee and bagels ever! Service if friendly and fast. Drinks are hot, sandwiches are great. Place is clean and the new wifi is much faster than before read more

Amazing customer service! I came here to write a paper and enjoy some caribou coffee - when it got close to lunch time I wasn't sure what to do because I packed a lunch for cost effective studying. The employees warmed my lunch up for me and were super kind and understanding! I didn't feel obligated to forego my lunch for their menu board. Great customer service!! read more

Amazing! The staff were so welcoming I was promptly greeted and complemented on my hair which I love cuz I felt pretty grubby this morning. I forgot my glasses so I couldn't read the menu, the cashier was very helpful. I got a medium coffee with a chorizo breakfast sandwich. Very yummy! Thank you university staff you guys rock! I will be back read more

The location's a little more convenient, but Bagels Forever is a much better choice for the three blocks. If I were to come back, it wouldn't be for the namesake bagels, which taste somewhat more stale or rubbery in comparison to their Madison equivalents. As for authenticity, and I'm not sure there are really "styles" of bagel other than big/small, good/bad, these are just neutral: not doughy or exciting, on par with or just above the kind of manufactured bagels you'd buy from a freezer. EBB does run coupons in local circulars, if you do need to grab a dozen or sandwiches from them. Even still, for the price and quality, Bagels Forever, three blocks away, is the way to go. read more

Their bagels are fine. But people working there are not nice

Quick service, great bagel and coffee. Clean place!

Really sloppy place and badly managed. She prepared our three bagels on the counter that had a LOT of crumbs from various different bagels/sandwiches on it. She dropped one bagel with salmon cream cheese upside down on this counter, and it clearly picked up a lot of crumbs - you could see the polka-dots. Then she didn't bother wiping the counter (ICK), and made another strawberry bagel, then a pumpkin bagel on the same crumby counter. Used one knife to cut all the bagels, didn't wipe between. So our bagels had a combo of poppy seed, everything bagel, odd sweet flavor in the salmon bagel, disconcerting savory and pumpkin in the strawberry bagel. Two of us have had diarrhea this afternoon. FIND A DIFFERENT PLACE TO GO!! THIS ONE SUCKS read more

Ive lived in Madison for about a year now and have tried most every coffee place in the area but everything disappoints in comparison. The coffee tastes amazing and is well priced for what you're getting. The service is great and many of the workers there know my name and have my order memorized and seem genuinely happy to see me. I felt moved to leave a review when I remembered a week or two ago on national bagel day (very likely the worst day I could've done this) I spilled my entire large cold press coffee all over the floor while waiting for my bagel to be ready. I should include here that it was far busier than usual as apparently word had gotten around about the free bagels. Within milliseconds of it spilling I hear one of the workers call out asking what drink has been spilled and he immediately starts remaking it as a woman comes out to start cleaning up the spill. No one had the slightest flinch of frustration with me or even just the situation and turned a potentially embarrassing or awkward situation (still slightly embarrassing) into something I only remember with appreciation. Really lovely place, quick service, great crew, sad to see they're cutting back hours for lack of business, more people should know about this little gem read more