Love the coffee along with their efficient and friendly service. Just wish classic coffee shops such as Uncommon Grounds would have more allergy friendly options when it comes to food! read more

Every time that i have gone here they never have the bagel i like even when it is early in the morning they are always out. I had went and ordered a lox of love bagel no capers because i am allergic and they still put them on there. The staff never knows what they are doing and don't really care what you order, they are going to make it the way they want to make it the quickest and easiest way instead of listening to what you really want. The only reason it gets one star is because they're coffee other then that this place is terrible and i will never be returning again. I suggest you go to Bruegger's at least they have good prices and they listen to what you order. read more

My go-to spot for coffee around Albany. The coffee beans are roasted in-house, the bagel sandwiches are good, and the staff have always been nice to me. Great for a coffee to go, or for sitting down with a friend to catch up for hours. Art for sale from regional artists is featured on the walls, which gives you something interesting to look at, and I've always found the music agreeable. read more

Bagel felt and tasted like eating a whole loaf of bland bread. Food that takes almost three exercise workouts (for me) isn't worth it. Great staff. read more

Well if your "cup of tea" is to put in an order, pay market prices and then have the employees act as if they are doing you a favor giving you what you paid for - then this is the place for you! You would think with the amount of attitude cooking at the counter that they must have the best cup of coffee on planet Earth. Well "NOT"!!! It is better than DD's and the Sunoco station next door, but not that much better. I have stopped here many times on my way out of Albany after visiting family and if there is anything consistent about this place it is the employees lack of training and funky attitudes. This was my last time in this place, it is just consistently disappointing. read more

Bagels, salad, sandwiches are all good and fresh. My only complaint about the Albany location is that they don't carry almond milk for drinks. read more

I ordered a toasted plain bagel with cream cheese and a latte. Mediocre is the best way to describe the food. The service was okay but the two different line thing is pretty confusing. read more

I love bagels. Really I love most breads products, but bagels truly hold a special place in my heart. When I come to Uncommon Grounds, it's usually after I've run a whole bunch of miles and am craving an Everything Bagel with peanut butter (don't judge) and a good, hot coffee. And they never disappoint. Delicious, fresh bagels, with the right amount of spread and a whole bunch of great varieties to choose from. It gets really busy on the weekend mornings, since it's so close to the SUNY campus, but it's worth the wait! read more

i went here last night. i ordered a toasted garlic bagel with lettuce, tomato onions, cucumber ,sprouts and hummus. i also got a pickle, some low sodium chips and a cranberry juice. the whole meal came out to about 7.50. it was all so delicious. when i get the chips there i call them the "scammer chips" because the low sodium ones are the same price as the regular ones yet you get an eighth less of chips. ridiculous but i hate saltiness so i buy them anyway. the staff there is sarcastic, funny and awkward. i like et. mostly men ;) the atmosphere is very comfortable. when i went here i was wearing a banana suit and my friend was the pope. they made us feel at home except with lots of coffee around. they are open til 11 on Saturdays i will come here again read more

Lived in the area my whole life. As far as a bagel/coffee shop goes it's the best in the area. Comparable to the bagels you would get downstate that people say you can't get around here because our water is different. Plus free wi-fi. They dig out the inside of the bagels too if it is to much bread for you cause they are huge. (The bagels) read more

Best bagels in Albany (doesn't compare to the best NYC has to offer though). Baristas are friendly and helpful, but sometimes lackadaisical. Great place to meet up with friends to get brunch, but it's a small space so go earlier than later. Great selection of bagels, schmear and teas. read more

This is a great place to work in the mornings, before the lunch hour hits. I cannot comment on the coffee (I go for the tea), but the bagels are fresh (not NYC standards, but better than most in Albany), and the staff is friendly. (Apparently only in the am?) If you arrive between 7 and 11 am, you'll have a great experience. Lunch hours fill up, and signs have now been posted that you cannot linger with your laptop when lunch customers are waiting to eat. Kind of goes against what a coffee shop is, but.... The one thing I love about this place (besides watching the older groups that congregate on a regular basis - social life in your 70s is a morning at the coffee shop with friends!), is that I always walk out smelling like an onion bagel for the day. Weird? read more

Best bagels in the world Ess-a-Bagel in Manhattan. Those disgustingly huge crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside, dont need no cream cheese or toasted and can fill me up before noon bagels.Uncommon grounds is the closest thing your gonna get without driving 2.5 hours. read more

A good cafe with delicious sandwiches. An extra star for the quality of the bagels. I thought the coffee was pretty good, too.

I've been to the Saratoga location and loved it so I had to check this location out too. It's much smaller in terms of space here but the general decor is the same. There's a huge antique like coffee roaster in the back and plenty of seating around. Unlike the Saratoga location, I never have trouble finding a seat here. The bagel preparers do like students and if I were to nit-pick--the way the bagels are made are a bit messier than the Saratoga locale. But the menu is the same and just as delish. I always get the everything or pumpernickel bagel with lite cream cheese and some lox. The last time I went I order an everything bagel with egg, lettuce, tomato and onion. The bagels here never fail me. The selection of coffees and teas is always impressive as well. read more

This is my go to spot when I crave a nice salad at lunch. You build your own and it's made fresh right in front of you. The bagels here are what I would say UG is known for. I've had them and yes they live up to the hype! You def should try one. My standard is sesame seed with veggie cream cheese.. Always hits the spot and leaves you full. Just try not to think of the carbs and you'll enjoy it more. Hot coffee is great. If you want something iced go for their americano. Full of caffeine and the pick me up you could use on a hot summer day. Staff is always friendly even when the place is packed. read more

First time here. Great bagel with lots of cream cheese. Awesome coffee choices and friendly service. Love it, will be back soon!

Just left after having salads for lunch. Hugely disappointing. Tons of lettuce and very little else. Paid an extra $2 for about a tablespoon of bits of grilled chicken. Too many great choices for lunch to waste your money here. read more

Where else can you go and get a bagel the size of a manhole cover for about a buck? Seriously people the bagels here are huge and cheap, and they taste fantastic! Coffee is top notch too. The service here on the other hand is a joke! I have never been in a place where it literally takes about a half hour to get a sandwich, so if you plan on going on your lunch break make sure you at least have a hour to burn. I prefer their Saratoga store, the employees there are much faster and friendlier. read more

Great coffee, great bagels, great staff. Always a solid choice.

Very Bad service , Order Bagels and was told they could be sliced and wrapped , NOt the case, I was miss informed, per The Asst Manager, and the main Manager was Off, Mr Mundy. Will never go back Bad read more

Each time I come here, I tend to expect a different result. It's like I completely forget the dissatisfaction I experienced the last time I was there. Yes, they have big bagels - but bigger isn't always better. In my opinion, they lack flavor (even the more flavored options - everything and sundried tomato). Most recently, I got a bacon, egg and cheese breakfast sandwich and my boyfriend got the chicken chipotle special. Both left much to be desired. The egg on my sandwich was pre-wrapped and had no flavor. My bf couldn't even finish the chipotle chicken because the taste was so off. I honestly don't understand how this place is always crowded. Maybe we've been ordering the wrong things. Maybe I'll stick to the coffee and pastries next time. read more

Excellent spot. Traveling to Albany on business and stumbled upon this jewel. Great cookies great bagels great coffee

Love the bagels here--so delicious. Coffee is great, too, especially the smell of roasting beans late at night. As a grad student, this is the perfect study spot for me in the evenings. Baristas are friendly and take the time to get to know the customers. Busy on the weekends, and some of the new/younger baristas can be a bit pokey, but it's worth it because it's all so good. I bring a lot of out-of-towners here for the NY bagel experience, and they often grab bagels for the trip home because they like it so much. Their cookies, salads, and soups are also delicious--especially the everything cookie and the carrot ginger soup. Almost never disappointed in the food, and love getting lox for lunch with light veggie cream cheese, sprouts, and a whole wheat bagel. Diverse group of customers, which is also cool: undergrad students recovering from the night earlier, med students cramming for the next exam, professors grading prior exams, business meetings, construction guys getting lunch, first dates to creep on, and families with little kids throwing food, giggling, and then running away from mom or dad. A bit of everyone makes for an entertaining atmosphere. Could work on cleaning up the bathrooms a bit more, though. read more

Definitely a fan. Great coffee. I bought a bag of beans for home and have not been disappointed. Staff aren't the greatest. One staff guy was super rude with some other customers last week when I was there. gotta make sure your staff represent the quality of your product. otherwise, good food, atmosphere, and coffee. read more

Love it! The staff needs some better management to speed up service, but you cannot blame the food for that. The pesto is great, the salads are great, the chicken salad is okay. I like their turkey sandwiches and the cheese sandwich bagels. I did send my husband in today for a Caesar salad and he came out with a bowl full of romaine, fresh mozzarella, and tomatoes. Apprearently the woman making the salad did not know what a Caesar salad was... Haha. read more

Prolly one of my favorite places to go to. Seriously, the bagels aren't even over priced such as bureggers

Yummy bagels and salads. They poor the dressing on a lot though and lines can get long!

The best coffee shop in Albany. And as a Starbucks lover this beats it. But the service is horrible they seem to cater to the senior citizen demographic. Only go when you are willing to endure the experience. read more

No menu for the visually impaired :(. Only menu is a blackboard posted quite a distance from where you stand in line to order. I always have to order from memory which makes me wonder how much better my yummy salad could be. A stack of paper menus by the door would cheaply solve this problem & make it more "handicap accessible". read more

I will start off by saying the bagels are very good. But the experience ends there. After standing in a line that never seems to move. And watching the staff talk more between each other than monitor the customer flow, we finally sat down to eat.... and take a look around.....WOW - the place needs a major clean up. 1. The whole flow of the order line needs to be revamped 2. don't look up - the ceiling vents are caked with so much dust it looks like they have fur on them. 3. The deli cases seem to never be cleaned or the crumbs swept up 4. just for kicks we left a piece of napkin on the floor by our table. and just as we thought, was there the next Sunday It's unfortunate that they do not take more pride in their establishment.. can tell by the crowds, they do serve a good product.. but for us, we will only be in & out patrons from now on because we do like the bagels. read more

They lost a star because last time I was in, they gave me the lentil soup instead of the mushroom soup I ordered (and was REALLY craving). I also had less than excellent salmon on my bagel the last 2 times I went in, but it was still really good. I love the Dropkick Murphy coffee, and their bagels are also really good. I also like the salads, they are HUGE. read more

The few times I've eaten here I was disappointed. It's not tidy, the employees seem to do the bare minimum and the bagels are just not good. They don't taste fresh or flavorful. I felt like it was a waste of carbs each time. Also, this place doesn't seem to have a good variety of extras. No turkey sausage or hot sauces of any kind, which don't seem like odd ingredients for bagel sandwiches. I used to live in Saratoga, and love the Uncommon Grounds there! The only thing like the Saratoga location is the name and the art on the walls. I won't be going back to the Albany location again. read more

I would like to pass along a heart-felt "thank you." My fiancée and I live in West Hartford, CT, and were recently in Albany for an appointment. We ate dinner at the Albany store next to the UAlbany campus, and when we got home, we realized we had left Jess' purse there. We called and spoke with Nick, who promptly offered to send it to us on his own time. We told him that would be too much to ask, and he explained it would be no big deal. We told him to take money out of the purse to send it, along with something for himself for his troubles. Not only did he not take any money for sending it back, he sent it via next-day signature-only delivery AND he paid for it himself! On top of this, we had a filling dinner...who could ask for more! read more

The coffee is good, they have variety and it's fresh . The food is good too great for breakfast or a quick lunch. The downside is its slightly pricey. read more

This is a trendy spot near the university, but the pre-made eggs and grey sausage left much to be desired. The coffee was also sub-par compared to other, single origin brews I have had in other coffee shops. We didn't sample the baked goods (cookies, etc.), but they looked good. Honestly, I've had better bagels south of the Mason-Dixon Line. The music playing over the sound system was good. read more

Excellent coffee. Also their bagels seem to be larger than the average one, or maybe it's because they give you the right amount of whatever you ask to be on it. read more

I don't like giving places credit. I'm not usually a nice guy. When I go out on a date with a girl I tell her and her parents: "Hi, I'm Mr. Wrong!" But the truth is, the bagels here are better than Brueggers. They're almost passable by NYC standards. The prices aren't too horrible either. The atmosphere is tolerable. read more

I have been a regular customer for over two years. Love the fresh turkey and the large fresh bagels. The employees, manager and owner have always been friendly and courteous. I was very surprised to see a review on another site about someone who felt they were treated badly . I am at this cafe at least 4or 5 times a week and have never seen anyone being treated badly. What I find annoying is a customer who comes in at lunch time and takes a table for four and setsup their laptop or books when they could take a table for two and buy nothing or maybe a coffee. Some people who need a table for three or four are left standing or taking their lunch back to the office because of this inconsiderate person. All in all a great place to meet a friend for lunch or a coffee. read more

Sometimes stop by here for my morning bagel, and good bagels at a decent price. I love cream cheese so their generous helpings are nothing to complain about. And the staff are very friendly and helpful. :) read more