Admittedly, the grump factor is high in some of my Yelp reviews. In my defense, that's because my priority when reading others' reviews is to take note of the bad places and avoid them and I try to return the favor.
That said, I'm happy to click five stars for this location and would give them a sixth if I could. Unfailingly helpful, polite, friendly and efficient, the crew lineup at this store has been remarkably stable - it makes one confident of getting the same excellent product and service regardless of the day of the week and despite the brutal early morning hours including weekends. They are never shorthanded.
The bagels themselves are unmatched in the local market and in the Bruegger's chain overall. The whole 'thank you baker' routine is a bit contrived but this one deserves the gratitude from staff and customers alike.
I'm not crazy about have to stand in a queue to get a quick bag of bagels and a to-go coffee waiting for others to place intricate eat-in orders but that's generally a problem only on the weekends.
This location has the self-serve coffee bar which also saves time and headaches for all.
I'm roughly equidistant from a few Bruegger's locations. I occasionally visit other locations and am consistently disappointed, especially in the Park Road store (see other review). I'm a slow learner, I suppose, but grateful that one location does it right.