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Gotham Bagels
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 7 am - 3 pm
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
34 reviews for Gotham Bagels
Review Highlights
"Also, the cream cheese is housemade."
(in 10 reviews)
"And come on - $3.00 for a cup of fresh-squeezed OJ."
(in 3 reviews)
"...great bagels - real, authentic NY/Philly bagels in every..."
(in 5 reviews)
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34 reviews in English
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Review from Liamy M.
Madison, WI
1/4/2012 4 Check-ins Here
Best bagels in town. They recently have taken the way of the economy and shrunk a bit but still the best! Awesome cream cheese too. This was the first place to bring authentic pastrami to town as well. Oh so good.
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Review from Jamison W.
Madison, WI
10/21/2011
Hands down the best bagels in Madison. Nothing else I have had in town should even be called a bagel.
They have great bagel sandwiches too. This is always our first stop when heading to the farmer's market on saturday morning. Park St. location is great as well. -
Review from Stacey L.
Madison, WI
6/4/2011
I haven't been to Gotham in a long time, and now I remember why. A lot of the reason is I just don't care much for the bagels. I prefer a chewy bagel, and every bagel I've ever had from Gotham is dry. I usually order a plain bagel, so maybe their other varieties fare better, but then again if your bagel dough / cooking method can't stand on its own it doesn't instill confidence that I'll enjoy the rest of the selection. I realize, though, that this is a matter of taste; the food has never been bad, but it's never wowed me either.
The immediate go-to argument is that I've never had a NY bagel, but I have. I lived out east for several years, and while I won't pretend to be a bagel expert I have had some darn good bagels. So again, it's fine - a lot of kids I know eat there weekly if not more often, so try it for yourself and see if it's your thing.
What drops the rating from three stars to two is the service. It's always painfully slow. It took somewhere between ten and fifteen minutes for me to get my untoasted bagel with cream cheese. The orders came out in the order they were placed, which is nicely democratic, I suppose, but while people's sandwiches etc were cooking in the back, why not quick slice my bagel and spread some cream cheese on it? It takes literally a minute, maybe two if you've got to grab a clean knife or something. I had the day off and thus the leisure of sitting around, but if I'd just stopped in to grab something quick (like, you know, an untoasted bagel with cream cheese) it'd have been really frustrating. On Farmer's Market Saturdays, I've waited nearly 45 minutes to get my food.
Part of the wait could be remedied by hiring a couple more people to work the counter, or putting the people there to use. There were a couple guys back by the grill, one guy slicing & wrapping (and seeming like it was his first day on the job), and two people at the register. One was a friendly girl who just stood there, and the other was a somewhat salty, no-nonsense guy who is presumably the owner (I'm basing this on his chef's jacket). Maybe her actual job is to temper the owner's curt demeanor?
While the owner wasn't rude, exactly, he also seemed borderline annoyed that I was wasting his time by ordering food. Sorry for wanting to fork over my money to you, sir. Won't make that mistake again! One person pointed out that rudeness is what people might expect from a New York-themed place, but I've never once been treated that badly by anyone in New York.
I will admit that sometimes his sass works in your favor - one of the people I was with wanted ice for the remainder of his coffee, and the seemingly-new guy grabbed a handful and was ready to toss it in when the owner stepped in and said, "What's going on here, what are you doing?" "He wanted ice for his coffee." "Throw that out. Use the scoop. Come on." Point: owner.
The last of my gripes comes with the price. $5 for a plain bagel, plain cream cheese, and medium coffee is kind of ridiculous, especially considering there are no special or expensive ingredients in my order and you get the coffee yourself. I guess I'll just sum things up with my overall feelings toward Gotham: meh. -
Review from Howard G.
Madison, WI
6/5/2011
Here to add to and endorse the reviews of others before me.
I think Gotham has great bagels - real, authentic NY/Philly bagels in every way - always fresh and tasty. Very good sandwiches, chicken salad, and atmosphere as well.
But they lose two big stars for their below standard service. They inexplicably have one slow, indifferent person taking orders, with a handful of other people filling them. What would make more sense and is done at most other delis is that each attendant interact with the customer, take their order, and shepherd it to completion. The wait in line is almost always longer than it needs to be. If the person in front of me has a long, complicated order, it shouldn't matter.
Second, the attendants are often rude and/or indifferent, and it's not just a one-off observation.
The only reason I could see for the owners to tolerate the current situation is that they just do not care about making money. -
Review from Corey C.
Madison, WI
5/23/2011
Hands down the best bagels in Madison. Their bagel breakfast sandwiches are made with real, fresh ingredients, putting Einsteins to shame. You'll really taste the difference.
We liked the food, service, atmosphere, value, bagels, super tasty food, real italian sausage patties, fresh eggs, food served in charming wicker baskets, smooth espresso, quality wood furnishing, seeing bagels being made, the nice clean space and filling food.
We disliked that there were no chairs - only stools, no posted menu, no specific food pickup location, and that the staff was not prepared for unusual requests and obviously were not native English speakers. -
Review from jessie w.
Brooklyn, NY
7/1/2011
I thought this place had major potential when i saw that they served Dr. Browns soda.
I ordered a chicken salad sandwich on a whole wheat bagel. When i received my order it was on bread. I voiced my complaint and I didnt even get an apology. The chicken salad had no flavor....it just tasted like onions and not to mention it didnt even come with lettuce & tomato.
The lady behind the counter seemed like that was the last place she wanted to be.
The customer service was horrible & the food was just average. I dont think Ill be back. -
Review from Hello S.
Madison, WI
5/23/2011
Found a used bandaid in my bagel the other morning.... brought it and the uneaten bagel back in the next day and was treated so rudely by the manager (owner?) of the store that I will never again be able to patronize this business. Too bad, because I've been a loyal customer for over 4 years now. Guess that doesn't count for much with them...
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Review from Stacey O.
Madison, WI
9/14/2011
I am happy to have finally tried Gotham! as a new yorker, bagels and deli's are soemthing i STILL miss. I will say this first- bagels are good.. they are NOT as good as NY bagels but closer than anything else in the Madison area.
There sammiches are GREAT tho- and I swear I never, ever thought I would get a yummy chicken cutlet sammich unless I was in the Northeast,(mst people don't even know what a chicken cutlet is here!!) and Gotham proved me wrong!
Great sammiches, so worth it... I wish we could do half stars.. this is a 3.5 for sure!! -
Review from mary l.
Madison, WI
4/4/2011
I will never be entering this store again based on how I was treated yesterday. Upon asking if my order was almost complete (I had one bagel and side of cream cheese---was waiting 10-15 minutes and had friends outside waiting for me) the person behind the counter ignored me and when I asked again he said "I heard you." But still No answer. So when I asked again---he screamed at me that I was rude. Folks nearby were confused and I was mortified.
Called today to talk to the restaurant higher-ups--turns out the rude guy is the owner!!!!!
The staff was very nice on the phone but I get the feeling this is pretty common place.
So AVOID the EMBARRASSINGLY RUDE owner if you go. -
Review from Rachel B.
Madison, WI
11/18/2010
The best bagels I've ever had in Wisconsin. On par with bagels we've had in NYC and Montreal. They even have salt bagels and bialys, which are both quite hard to find in these parts.
They offer plenty of vegetarian and vegan options. They serve Illy and Alterra (I think) coffee and have great fresh squeezed juices.
My usual order is the everything bagel with tofu scallion cream cheese and a fresh squeezed grapefruit juice.
Yes, the service can be a bit snarky but whatever, chalk it up to an authentic NYC bagel experience. And I feel that it has quite improved in the last year or so.
also, I've never witnessed the fly problem that so many other reviewers have commented on and this is something I always keep my eye out for. -
Review from Kat S.
Madison, WI
10/14/2007
I'm a native New Yorker and can be quite high-maintenance when it comes to a bagel shop, so you may want to take this review with a grain of salt. Or it may give you insight. Either way...
The bagels themselves are awesome. Barring visits back home and care packages my mother sends, I seriously have not had a bagel this good since I moved to Wisconsin 9 years ago. They even have salt bagels, which can be hard to find.
However, let's do a little comparison, shall we?
http://tinyurl.com/ysa7fk (NY Bagel shop menu)
http://tinyurl.com/2bwvra (Gotham menu)
Gotham is WAY overpriced compared to what I'm used to in a normal NYC or Long Island bagel shop. I was absolutely shocked at the prices. To give a few examples:
--The Williamsburg is $9.50 at Gotham vs. $5.69 for the equivalent in NY. And both places use Boar's Head meats, so that's not the issue. The amount of meat is definitely not the issue, either. You get more in NY.
--My favorite, a sesame bagel with scallion cream cheese, is $3.00 at Gotham, vs. $2.16 for the equivalent in NY. And I shouldn't even say "equivalent," because the amount of cream cheese a real NYC or LI bagel shop will put on a bagel puts Gotham to shame - so at Gotham, you pay more for less.
--For a bagel with plain cream cheese and a 12oz. coffee, you'll pay a total of $3.75 vs. the $2.07 breakfast special in NY.
--The flavored cream cheeses (particularly the scallion) are a little runny and also quite overpriced - $6.25 for 8oz vs about $3.60 in NY. Granted, it's made from "premium artisanal" cream cheese, but there's just not enough of a taste difference to justify the price difference. They have the flavor absolutely nailed, but for that price, I'll make my own.
--Any self-respecting bagel shop in NY trying to charge $9.50 a dozen will throw in at least 6 bagels free, sometimes more. The one my mom frequents does buy-a-dozen-get-six for $7.95, and buy-a-dozen-get-a-dozen on Sundays.
--And come on - $3.00 for a cup of fresh-squeezed OJ? $1.50 for a can of soda? Try a $1.39 pint of Tropicana or YooHoo or a 75-cent can of soda.
The day my husband and I went in together, we spent a grand total of $40 for items what would have cost around $25 total at a shop on Long Island. And to top it all off, I ordered another container of cream cheese to go before we left, and the girl behind the counter took the orders of at least 4 more people before she got my container of cream cheese. That would NOT have flown in NY. I've been told that the owner was born on Long Island and raised in Brooklyn. If this is true, he needs to get back to his roots and stop gouging his customers.
Despite the drawbacks, the bagels will bring me back - but only as an occasional treat. If you're a native NYer like I am, you'll fall in love with the bagels, but the prices are just crap. -
Review from Kate S.
Chicago, IL
1/5/2010
Love Gotham Bagels. When I have extra cash, I was stop their before work. I haven't had a New York style bagel, but that's how they market themselves and it's 20 million times better than Einstein's at the same price.
If I want a bagel sandwich, I always get the G on pumpernickel. The G is egg, cheddar cheese and bacon and it's not like the egg on a McDonald's sandwich, but they actually fry the egg. So delicious.
If I'm going to get a bagel, it's usually an everything bagel with plain cream cheese. They have a variety of famous cream cheese, but I'm lame and like to stick with plain stuff.
I've never tried any of their other sandwiches, but they look really good (and a little pricey). All the different sides and various delicious looking things behind glass make my mouth water, but I've been too cheap to try them.
All in all, Gotham is great for breakfast (hungover or not) and lunch. I wish I could eat there everyday. -
Review from daniel c.
Chicago, IL
5/7/2009
Right on their menu it states "15 dollar minimum delivery to capital square, 20 dollar minimum to campus".
That's great, if they were willing to fricking deliver.
I called once at 8:00, he said they were short staffed and couldn't deliver, and that he had someone coming in at 9:30 to make a big delivery, and they would be able to take care of it then. That's fine, I understand, and I tell him I'll call back later.
Fast-forward to 9:15, I call back. After overhearing a 5 minute conversation with his whining complaining driver about not wanting to make the delivery, he comes back to the phone and tells me that his other delivery canceled and he just didn't have the extra staff to make the delivery.
Now trust me, the pregnant lady stuck at work without her wallet who's been excited about bagels for 2 hours is pretty pissed.
Learn how to run a business and please your customers, sir, and if you aren't going to deliver... Take it off your damn menu. -
Review from Scott M.
Chicago, IL
10/28/2010
First business Ive ever had to look up the owner to make sure this wasn't a complete joke. Way overpriced, rude service, I am disappointed I wasted my time.
Joke's on me, you got me - never again though. -
Review from Jeremy K.
Madison, WI
4/9/2007
If your reading this review of a Midwest bagel shop and thinking to yourself "Midwest? Bagels? Pshaw!", stop right now and throw your monitor/MacBook out the nearest window.
With those naysayers gone, let me continue. I've been to Manhattan and I've had the bagels, and yes, they're pretty good. Down on Mifflin street, I've had something that tasted just as good minus the NYC stink of man urine.
Good bagels. Good meat. Good coffee. All for under $5. Naysayers can suck it. -
Review from Scnizzle F.
Tucson, AZ
10/11/2011
I've always had great service and excellent, yummy bagels. I love the super everything with salmon cream cheese...which they also make fresh. Be hungry though as they serve monster portions.
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Review from Mio S.
Madison, WI
Updated - 9/13/2009
Thanks Gotham, for single-handedly destroying the beautiful Sunday morning.
In a past, I did have complained about the slow service, but never mind about that. Because this morning's unexpected rude awakening by the cashier just ranked #1 on my list of bad food service experience.
I don't know what went wrong, but if I'm paying $25/pound for lox and putting few changes in the tip jar, is it really unreasonable to expect a courtesy service, or at least an average one?
To be fair, during the week day mornings, I do receive nice "good morning" and equally pleasant service. Maybe Sunday is a bad day. Maybe the cashier girl wasn't fully awake, or maybe, I shouldn't bother picking up bagels from them altogether.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/3/2008
Updating the previous review .... . While I still think that there are some flaws such as:
-… Read more »
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Review from Ryan A.
Madison, WI
1/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
I've been eating Gotham Bagels for a while now, and while they probably won't win awards for "Most Congenial Staff" I certainly don't think they go out of their way to be rude. Their bagels are pretty darn good, and as a former bagel baker myself, (yes, as in making the dough, forming the bagels, and baking them at 4:30 AM,) I can tell you, there are far worse bagels to be had. These are just dense enough, not bricks, nor angel food consistency, quite a feat. If you want standard, "fast service" and cheap prices, I recommend Einstein Brothers. If you want something that tastes good, made by local folks, and maybe a few quirks, then go to Gotham. I certainly will continue my patronage.
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Review from Kedar D.
6/24/2009
Gotham Bagels offers a good, quick, cheap lunch or snack in downtown Madison. The bagels here are fairly high quality and you can mix and match and make interesting bagel sandwiches with a variety of vegetable spreads and also tofutti-based spreads.
I had a "V" sandwich on a toasted garlic bagel ($4.28 with tax) which consisted of arugula, tofutti-scallion spread, tomatoes, avocado, and roasted poblano peppers. It was pretty tasty and quite filling and cheap; however, the sandwich is totally overloaded and quite messy to handle, which forced me to use at least a few napkins (better to eat these sandwiches sitting down at a table, not on-the-go or in the car).
The location in downtown Madison is good, though the place closes too early (3 p.m.). One other suggestion for improvement: add some mockmeat options, such as fakin' bacon and Tofurkey; Gotham's vegan options are good, but don't go far enough. -
Review from cakemouth c.
Madison, WI
1/18/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Food is good, but it's always shocking how, with less than 5 people in the shop, it can take 20 minutes or more to get your toasted bagel. Come with a book and not an appetite.
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Review from John R.
Los Angeles, CA
Updated - 6/30/2009
This review is for the park street location.
My significant other and I went here and both got sick. We shared an egg salad sandwich on a bagel. A few hours later we both had seriously upset stomachs. No, I don't have any kind of absolute proof or anything, but it was all that we ate for the day at that point, and it seems highly coincidental that we'd both suffer from the exact same symptoms at about the same time. It took us out of commission for the rest of the day. The egg salad did taste a little funky, and we probably shouldn't have eaten it, but we both assumed that the taste had something to do with an herb or spice they added. I guess we were wrong.
I hope Gotham bagels will make sure to use only fresh egg salad from now on. We're not going to mess with it again. Groannn.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/27/2009
These bagels are really good. Not great, but really very good. I just think it's insane that they… Read more »
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Review from John G.
Madison, WI
3/1/2010
My girlfriend and I went down to the square on Saturday morning and were going to try the brunch at Marigold's Kitchen. I'm glad that we stumbled across Gotham Bagels instead because it led to a fantastic breakfast and a good overall experience.
The main reason for stepping into the store was because I needed change for the parking meter, and because we couldn't find Marigold's. The woman behind the counter at Gotham was incredibly pleasant, she had a real down to earth personality and not only did she give me change but she also drew a map on paper of how to get to Marigold's. This was pretty shocking to me as I was essentially leaving their restaurant for the competition.
Well after that gesture, my girlfriend and I looked around and realized that Gotham actually looked fairly good themselves, so we decided to stay and eat. They had a full deli section of potato salads and other items, and a menu of dozens of different bagel sandwiches. The furniture was of a nice rustic wooden decor, and there was a TV with the basketball game on at a very appropriate volume.
While we waited for our food, the nice counter lady brought over a cinnamon roll for us (on the house). It was delicious, and I'm not even a big fan of that type of pastry. 10 minutes later we got our food, two salivating bagel sandwiches with fresh on-the-spot ingredients and uniquely flavored cheeses, sausages, etc (in the sandwich).
Overall we had a great time and will for sure be coming back again. It doesn't look like the place you'd get your daily breakfast from, but it's perfect for a nice Saturday or Sunday leisurely trip. -
Review from B B.
Minneapolis, MN
3/20/2009
I've spent a bunch of time in NYC and tried quite a few bagel shops in Manhattan and Brooklyn. Gotham in Madison definitely holds their own. The texture and chewiness are right on. My mouth is watering right now thinking about my last Gotham sandwich - Spanish Harlem on Super Egg. The contrast and balance of smoky pulled pork, tart pickle, tangy mustard, creamy swiss, and salty capocollo inside the crispy/chewy bagel rocked my world. Best of all, the tender pulled pork has all the crunchy burnt bits and spice rub you find in authentic southern BBQ. Mmmm.... Keep up the good work Gotham!!!
note: this review pertains to the new Park Street store. -
Review from Joseph G.
Madison, WI
12/20/2010
Great coffee and bagels. The eggplant Parmesan is phenomenal!
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Review from Timmy T.
Fountain Valley, CA
9/22/2010
As previous reviews have written--yes there are flies, yes the service is embarrassingly rude and slow. I'd also point out that the sandwiches are expensive for the size of the serving, especially considering that they're in a neighborhood with several places to get great lunchfood. All that said, they have by far the single best bagel and cream cheese in the area. Indeed, they'd probably be well-regarded as a bagel maker in most small and medium sized cities. So do stop by and get a fresh bagel (but not a sandwich) for a reasonable price, though you'll probably have to wait a half hour to get your food while they're watching TV.
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Review from Richard L.
Madison, WI
6/17/2008
I don't really care about the price of bagels in NYC or anyone else, as far as Madison goes Gotham has the absolute best bagels around. Hand rolled, plenty of "toppings." Forget Einstein, support your local bagel company.
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Review from Sarah H.
Urbana, IL
4/29/2010
I raved about this place when it first opened. I came with my parents one blustery April morning and got a toasted super egg everything bagel with cream cheese and boy was I hooked. I kept dragging the boy here, weekend after weekend.. but something's happened! The coffee is terrible, the bagels have become smaller, harder, and less toasted! I don't know if this is a consequence of getting more business (I'm glad to see this place packed, because I love me some carbs in the morning), but please go back to your old ways Gotham!! The cinnamon raisin bagels with sultanas made me a convert to the cinnamon raisin clan! Also, the cream cheese is housemade! So yummy. Please turn up the heat on your toaster so that it gets all melty on my bagel again.
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Review from James Michael S.
Chicago, IL
5/3/2009
This is the premier bagel shop in Madison. The bagels are excellent with great texture and freshness. They have a great variety of cream cheeses that compliment the bagels perfectly. The service is great and they also have an great sandwich selection. I'm definitely a repeat customer and highly recommend Gotham!
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Review from Kristen A.
Madison, WI
3/13/2011
GREAT bagels! GREAT cream cheese! My only complaint was the coffee. It tasted like it had been sitting for hours and hours- somewhat like cardboard. It was pretty much undrinkable, and I am not a coffee snob- I'll drink gas station coffee. Of course, here's hoping this was a one-time occurrence.
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Review from Ryan W.
New York, NY
2/16/2009
Minus the screaming antsy customers, crazy shopkeepers and and cramped spaces this bagel shop is exactly like the bagel shops in NYC in one way. The bagels are f'ing awesome. If you want more than a toasted bagel they offer sandwiches and soups and can work out catering for groups if you call ahead. The only thing that keeps this from being a 5 star is that it is generally pretty chilly inside as it is a pretty big space, and the wireless is hit or miss here(at least for me and my crappy compaq).
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Review from Benjamin W.
Beverly Hills, CA
11/21/2010
Rachel B identified the bagel, she just didn't know it. These are not NY bagels. Sorry to disappoint you Gotham Bagels, but you are not dense enough to classify yourself as New York. You are more of a Montreal or even a Toronto style bagel, although you are slightly larger than a classic Toronto bagel, like Gryfe's. Yes the name says Gotham, and they have the cute menu that mentions all the clever NYC names, but your bagel is not NY. The bagel is not quite chewy enough, it is not dense enough, the flavor is a little bland. New York bagels are boiled. Montreal bagels contain honey and are baked in a wood fired oven. That is a Montreal Bagel, or a Toronto bagel. You might consider changing your name to Fairmount Bagels, or St. Viateur bagels. The true New York bagel is dense, chewy and can be eaten completely as it stands, nothing on it, their is a flavor that pops out from the bagel that is undeniably New York. It can not be duplicated, not in Madison, not in Boston, not anywhere. However, it can be made close. Your bagels are too fluffy, too white bread to be a New York bagel. Bagels Forever is a closer NY bagel. Your bagels are good, but your classification is incorrect. Sorry to disappoint Gotham.
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Review from Seth M.
Madison, WI
9/23/2009 1 Check-in Here
Flies everywhere....Gross... The bagels themselves aren't bad, but not fantastic either and you get enough cream cheese for 2 bagels on the one you order too. While I haven't gotten sick or had terrible service like some of the other people, the whole experience of eating while flies circled my head was enough to make me never return.
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Review from Anna Z.
Madison, WI
Updated - 8/28/2009
Gotham Bagels did finally get back to me, after we wrote a long letter with our complaints. The owner called me back and told me he'd left me a voice-mail (which I never got), that they'd fired the terrible employee, and that he'd give me a gift certificate to try to make up for my bad experience. So. At least they tried to remedy the situation.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/12/2009
Although the bagels we got from Gotham were pretty tasty, our experience with them as a whole was… Read more »
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Review from Peggy W.
Madison, WI
8/31/2007
Very good food, had lunch there and it was very yummy. Kids loved the breakfast bagels egg sandwich.
