Moscow Bagel and Deli was voted the best quick bite in Moscow for its quality ingredients, unique bagels and trendy atmosphere.
Open seven days a week with a massive menu and nearly unlimited ingredients, the popular restaurant on 310 South Main St. has a bagel for everyone.
The bagel shop serves fan favorites like “The Sweaty Teddy” along with numerous vegan, gluten-free and vegetarian options. However, for many locals the true allure of the bagel shop lies in the atmosphere.
Punk rock streams from the speakers while famous artist Bob Ross paints in reruns on the television, resulting in an experience not found anywhere else in Moscow. At its core, Moscow Bagel is a restaurant with college students in mind, run by college students.
William Auld, a University of Idaho student, said he found the staff to be friendly and thought the food was excellent quality for the price.
“It’s a good place to go if you’re on a budget,” Auld said.
Employee Maddie Lords, an English education major at UI, said that Moscow Bagel is a great job for students due to its flexibility and good wages, which increase periodically.
“The boss really cares and you get (15 minute) breaks off (during the shift), which most restaurants don’t do,” Lords said. “I’m happy with my job.”
Unlike some neighboring states, Idaho doesn’t require restaurants to allow their employees work breaks, so the fact that Moscow Bagel allows work breaks illustrates the owner’s care for his employees.
The owner of Moscow Bagel, Jeff Smith or “Smitty,” worked at a bagel shop while he was in college and that led him to start Moscow Bagel with his friends in 2006. While the bagels are considered widely to be good quality, some customers have complained that the wait times are long.
UI student Lexi Anders said there were only two couples in front of them and she felt like it took “forever” to get their food. Another student, Quinn Smith, also commented on the slow waits, saying service was “extremely slow.” According to Lords, the wait is due to the large number of orders.
“On Saturdays, food (for in-person customers) may take 45 minutes with 60 plus orders from DoorDash and catering to online orders,” Lords said.
While the wait is often long, it’s typically because of the sheer number of tickets from other venues like DoorDash coming in front of in-person orders.
Although the bagel shop succeeds in atmosphere, variety and employee work environment, some customers mention issues with the restaurant.
According to Auld, the bagels are soggy and hard to eat, especially with only tin foil wrapping to eat on in the restaurant. Service can be slow and, as Anders and Smith note, there are occasional problems with customer service.
“I asked what a word said on the board and the employee said, ‘The description is underneath it,’” Anders said. “They’re not genuine in their customer service.”
Smith shared similar concerns.
“Service was slow…but the egg sandwich was good and the meat was much better than at Einstein Bro’s (on campus.)”
The consensus among the interviewed customers was that while Moscow Bagel boasted quality food and a good atmosphere, the service wasn’t as “quick” as Best of Moscow made it out to be.
Regardless of minor customer service issues, the shop continues to draw in customers with its retro charm and sandwiches.
Lords says that her favorite bagel sandwiches are the “Katy,” Corned Beef Row and the Greek. The “Katy” is a new, vegan sandwich with falafel and hummus, while the “Corned Beef Row” is a classic with corned beef and cream cheese. The Greek sandwich is a great option for vegetarians with cream cheese and feta.
Ultimately, visitors can’t go wrong with a good bagel sandwich and some punk rock.
Maureen Wardle can be reached at [email protected]