If I were only rating this establishment on the food, I'd give 5 stars. I'm a New Yorker, and while I'm suspicious of Montreal-style bagels, they do a great job at Nu Bagel. I always enjoy their bagels.
The problem is the service. The people are perfectly nice, but they work soooo slooowly. Every time I come here, I'm truly amazed to see how long it takes them to assemble a bagel. It's remarkable - it's like the place works in slow motion. It's not uncommon on a busy day to wait 30-40 minutes for a bagel to be made. Let me repeat that -- 30-40 minutes for a bagel and cream cheese!
Where I come from, NYC, delis in general and bagel shops in particular are a flurry of activity, and employees work conscientiously to get food made quickly -- presumably because no one wants to wait 30 minutes for a bagel.
On occasion I have tried to call my order in in advance so I wouldn't have to wait. 8 times out of 10 no one answers the phone.
So, in conclusion, if you're not in a rush -- highly recommended. If you were thinking that you could pop in for a quick snack, think again.