The Good - These are genuine NY bagels and Boars Head meats. It reminds me of the bagel stores in NY back when I was a kid. The service is friendly, you see the same faces every time you go, and you hear them call regular customers by name. The sandwiches are NY sized as well. A grown man will be full, even if he's able to finish it. They also have real NY deli rolls that remind me of what my mom would bring home from the bakery on Sundays.
The Bad - The place reminds me of bagel stores I used to visit as a kid. Great food, but dirty and nasty and not kept up with. I know they get really busy but that's no excuse for the way the meat slicer looks a lot of the time. The formica used to house their bagel bins is chipped and pealed back and really needs to be redone. The ceiling tiles and vent fan back by the cash register are just plain nasty and look like they've never been cleaned. Considering the place consistently has a line you would think they'd just have a cleaning crew come in once or twice a week to clean the entire place. The drop down ceiling tiles are easy and cheap to change if they can't be cleaned.
The Depending on your Point of View - I have an issue with pickles, I simply detest them. When they make you a sandwich they are nice enough to give you a slice of a NY deli pickle. The problem, they pack it in with your sandwich. If you don't like pickles, half your sandwich is ruined with pickle juice. Hence my headline "Pickles are NOT a garnish!"
The bottom line is if you want good NY bagels there is no where else I've found in Charlotte to go. You'll wait in line and be happy about it. You'll see the dirty tiles as you're paying and won't care. Well that is, until someone else moves down and decides to open a newer, cleaner bagel shop. Don't think it'll happen? Look at the number of pizza places that have opened in the last 3-4 years and think again.