Solly's Bagelry

If I could give 0 stars, I would. I went to reddit and found how trash Leah Markovitch was and decided to visit just to see if it was true or not. Not only is this a running a joke of a bagelry, the service took 30 minutes for a simple bagel with cream cheese. Unbelievable! Furthermore, I heard Leah verbally abusing the few employees she had. I was so appalled, I decided I would leave a review complaining about the horrible business here. What a shame!

Maybe if you paid your employees more, you wouldn’t be short staffed. There are multiple factors for sure, but i don't doubt that if you paid a higher wage, there'd be a lot more people willing to do the job. It's not a labour shortage, it's a wage shortage

THANK YOU FOR GETTING ME INTO HARVARD- last year i reviewed the owner's public responses to constructive feedback for my early application paper on public relations and responses.i was initially horrified hearing about the unprofessionalism, but it fits perfectly into my major! I visited this store last week, and i was pleasantly surprised by how the store lived up to expectations! The owner was verbally harassing the employees, which was a wonderful source of entertainment during the 43 minute wait for a $57 bagels (i ordered four). I hope i can expect a scathing response from the owner- i've been wanting to write a follow-up to fulfill my personal curiosity! Again, THANK YOU!

The Eggel De Lox does not disappoint! The most delicious breakfast bagel I've had in recent memory. I will most certainly be back!

First and last time visiting this establishment. Mediocre bagels at best and service was slow. It wasn’t even busy when we visited. Inattentive staff.

Owner is rude and yells at her staff. She won't take criticism and try to improve service, look at any of the responses to one star reviews to see her being condescending and putting the blame on the customer.

I’ve heard from many friends and strangers that this is by far the worst place to grab food. Stories of supposed unbelievable wait times and the staff berating (and sometimes even supposedly trying to fight) customers. I was very excited to finally experience the Intenseness and pure raw animalistic nature Solly’s establishment holds but I regret to inform nothing of the sort happened. I was hoping the woman behind the counter would put me in my place or at least threaten violence upon my family and I. Instead we were treated to reasonably fast service and decency from the staff. There is no consistency with this bagelry. I will be coming again hoping to receive the proper Solly’s treatment.

Terrible service. They will take your order and 'forget. ' Then once things sell out they say sorry nothing we can do. When asking for a refund they played the "we are just getting by, sorry I can't refund" etc sympathy card. Don't waste your time here. Go elsewhere.

Is the occasion old lady always give attitude to customer?
She pointed me with her finger and told me to go to other cashier…

The service is laughably slow. The manager will have a full 15 minute conversation with a customer even though there are half a dozen people on line. And she is the only one taking orders. No respect for their customers time. Personalized service doesnt mean personalized to what the owner wants but to what the customer wants- some people need to get in and get out without having to wait for the owner to have a full 15 minute conversation when there is a long line. There are over a dozen reviews for Solly’s with the words yelling and abuse! How nice is she?

THIS LOCATION IS A DISASTER

The female manager who works there, he’s one of the rudest people I’ve ever met, especially considering she’s asking people for money. The coffee is practically undrinkable and the staff are barely trained. But the worst thing about this location has to be the female manager working there, I rarely come across someone so unpleasant. Even the energy in the Bagelry seems toxic.

Go here if you’d like to have a terrible time, and even worse coffee and food.

Horribly torn on this review. The bagels and food absolutely do not miss - ever. Easily the best bagels and latkes in the city. Unfortunately my review is reflected solely on my actual experiences in the restaurant. I have walked in, and HEARD HER before I've seen her during one of her anger meltdowns TOWARDS her staff, I always immediately turn back out. I have waited over 30 minutes for a bagel and cream cheese because she takes to yelling and micromanaging more than actually doing her job. I read on r/Vancouver that this is the worst place to work in the Vancouver and I believe it.

All the locations are top notch 5 stars. Love the gluten-free and while not strictly kosher, certainly very kosher-style friendly, vegetarian, vegan and pescatarian options. Delicious and nice staff everywhere. Support Jewish food!

Will never come back here again. The staff are rude and don’t care one bit- moves at the pace of a snail and the food is always stale. I don’t understand how it takes 30 mins to make 1 bagel with a microwaved egg when you are the only person in line. This used to be a good spot but it’s gone WAY down hill. Charged me an extra $3.75 to add cream cheese! Don’t waste your money or time at this place.

Reading the owners responses to all of the one star reviews just proves how much this business lacks good customers service and respect, and is unable to accept that serious changes need to be made.response: stop making excuses for absolutely everything that this business does wrong, and realize that when 100s of people have complaints, there’s definitely a serious problem.

Placed an order through UberEats. They accepted an order they could not fulfill as they only had 1 apple strudel and I ordered 4. They waited until the UberDriver arrived for pick-up to call me and ask if they could swap out 3 other items. How they were somehow unaware that they did not have what was ordered before the driver arrived makes no sense, especially considering they accepted it. When I asked them to cancel the order if they can't fulfill it, they told me they could not. The fact is that any restaurant that cannot fulfill an order can cancel from their end. I have had this done before. They were telling me to cancel from my end. I told them if I did that I would be charged. After telling them that the responsibility to cancel is theirs because they cannot fulfill the order, they hung up on me without canceling. I had to reach out to UberEats and wait a long time to get my money back. This transaction feels disingenuous. It almost feels like they did this knowingly. Very disappointed. I'll take my business elsewhere.

Response to owner's reply: Thanks for the offer, but no thanks. I am super grateful to be working for people that show their clients and workers respect. Perhaps, you could find someone to help you with those needs. For starters, a simple acknowledgement and apology for the mishap would have been sufficient.

How is this place still open? I am shocked by the owner's insulting replies. The customer service is horrible. Our order could not be filled even though the Uber driver was there waiting. After reading so.e of the sanitation issues, I will never order from them again.

Walked in on the owner screaming at one of her employees once. I walked out immediately. Based on her previous responses to criticism, She’s probably going to respond to this tell me that this is a personal attack. But guess what, she doesn’t know how to manage a business or be kind to anyone (staff or customers included). Never have seen a boss so delusional and cruel in my life. Do not support this business!

Edit: Also, I love how the owner responded to this review talking about herself in third person

The worst experience… The bagel was burnt and the manager didn’t want to replace it or make a refund… Here’s the manager photo … avoid this place

The food is decent but the service is shockingly bad. Employees always seem frantically busy even when the place is dead. You’ll stand there for at least 5 minutes looking at them before they even acknowledge your existence.

I had a horrible experience working in Solly's. Read the reviews here and replies from the owner before accepting a job. Glass door is good too.
Response to owner: My file said I quit. You glossed over that part:)

Seems to have gone downhill the last few years. I used to recommend their cinnamon buns as tied for best in town, but the last ones were disappointing: dry, with none of that delicious crispy buttery edge that used to define a glorious solly’s bun.

Delicious lox bagel! Friendly staff, adorable deli style, and the cookie art was so cute!
I notice negative reviews on staffing, however the taller gentleman was very helpful.

Pretty decent for a quick bite. Why can’t they just have cream cheese with chives though? Why does it have to be with chives AND garlic? Very frustrating. The bagels are great.

Ordered a smoked salmon and cream cheese bagel and it was soggy. Service was terrible; I could see my food sitting there so asked the staff if I could take it and they said no (it was takeout) so had to wait for a specific staff member to pass it to me which meant I had to wait for awhile. It made no sense. It’s also not very clean with so many dirty dishes around and tables not clean. Will not go back.

I was working a construction site just up the street & a total coincidence that I popped into Sollys today for coffee. Be still my heart - spotted something for my supper tonight - returned when my shift was finished.

OH MY, to die for! You wouldn't have better potatoe lakes unless your Ukranian grandma made them - ah, I think that's the answer - they have someone's grandma cooking stacks of potatoe pancakes till the wee hours of the morning, but it's a trade secret, can't wait to return & try more products.

The owner/kitchen manager of this place is an awful human. I have been here twice in the last year and seen them yelling at the kitchen staff. I used to like coming here for a quick snack but will no longer due to seeing this. Those poor staff. Go somewhere else!

I put through a large order for an office party to celebrate Hanukkah and Solly's were very helpful and accommodating, the food was absolutely delicious. I always love ordering from Solly's.

Visited Solly's for the first time about a month ago. It was nice and cozy and I ordered the cinnamon buns and a bagel. The cinnamon buns were good, but they served them cold so that was a little strange to me. The place seemed cozy, but the staff wasn't very helpful and I wish they told us you could get bagels fresh instead the plastic wrapped ones. All in all, cute little place, but wish the staff was more interactive.

Decided to stop in and get a bagel on a cold, rainy day after hearing some good things about this place. Their food and to-go items looked really great, place had an authentic feel to it, but as many reviews say.the service is terrible. The staff seems like they were aimlessy wandering around while the owner stood behind the counter complaining about an employee. Waited for about 20 min for a toasted bagel and cream cheese only to find they gave me a different bagel than I ordered. Might come back for a loaf of bread as they looked good, but only if I have time to spare.

I got a EGGEL bagel to go, which was egg and cheese bagel. The downside is that it was wayyyyy too super cheesy; but the bagel itself and this cute little joint are solid.
I'd give this place a solid four out of five and have tried many different bagel Bakeries around greater Vancouver.
It'd be awesome if they offered vegan options for bagel toppings if possible.
Support local!

After my first purchase at their 4th Avenue, I came to this location for enjoying my favorite cinnnamon bun- their “world famous” pastry.
Today is suddenly cooler but inside the shop is filled with oily smell, noise and too hot.
So I take outdoor seats and have a chai latte as my late breakfast on Halloween day.
It’s abit sweeter than 4th Avenue though but similarly good texture. Hope the kitchen won’t be too busy next time as their hot food seems quite interesting.
Get two specialty bagels, cinneman raisin and pumpkin, for my afternoon tea snack.

Looked at my receipt after placing my order to see that the employee entered the wrong item. In less than 30 seconds, I went back to the cashier to tell the employee that they entered a completely different item that what I wanted. Employee speaks to whom I'd assume was a supervisor and I was told that they can't change the order now because "it's already been placed". I'd be a little more understanding if they had already made my order, but they hadn't even started making my order yet. Bagel I received didn't take that great either (Hot Pastrami).

I try to be understanding as maybe there's a labour shortage right now due to the pandemic, however I must say that every single time in the last 6 or 7 times I have entered here, the staff have not been friendly, especially the same girl at the cashier on the left. Also I kindly request that you have a more clear system of the order and pick up sections. The signage is way too confusing and I have and other customers have been very confused on where they should be standing. There is repetitive signage and it is definitely not clear. Maybe some better management of the traffic flow by having a staff member out on the floor would help. Also, I really hope that your staff is not overworked. During your trainings, some discussion on sensitivity towards other may help. I really mean this as a helpful tool for you so that you are getting feedback and can possibly learn from it. I gave 2 stars because of the delicious food.

The quality of service was very poor. I called and I was put on hold for ten Min and I was still waiting, so I decided to hang up; I called again and I got hang up on. I called again and they told me to call in 10 min and they hang up on me. I called again 10 min later and finally got to place an order. When I got to Sollys, the cashier told me that even though the kitchen staff received my order they didn't do it and I had to wait another 45 min. Really Not worth the drive from Surrey.

Soup and sandwich were very basic and not tasty, literally meat and bread alone on the sandwich, soup mainly broth, Vancouver has so many better places to eat, if the food was half the price I'd still give it a thumbs down

Awful place due to ownership. I don't want to watch them abuse their employees, what an awkward place. Oh and there's numerous reports of rats.

Cool interior, but the siegels still has far better bagels. Also not sure if I’d support this business after hearing all the horror stories of how the owner treats her employees

Didn’t have the opportunity to try the food. When I arrived, there were no other people in line. I looked at the menu for a few minutes and eventually someone came over to take my order. I asked if there was a list of the types of cream cheeses and they pointed me to the right spot on the menu. There were only 4 to choose from so I quickly made up my mind.

I will also note that I was standing directly below the “Order Here” sign.

The staff member started helping another customer at the other end of the counter, which was fine as I suppose I wasn’t quite fast enough. Meanwhile a line began to build behind me at the proper ordering spot and also behind the other customer at the other end of the counter.

I will further note here that there were 4 other staff members visible who did not appear to be doing anything urgent who ignored the line and did not jump in to help.

The staff member I had interacted with and knew I had been there before everyone else, including the person they helped before me, started serving the people who formed a line not under the “Order Here” sign. Still no other staff members were helping (and it was just after noon - the lunch rush). At that point, my chances of getting served in a timely manner appeared to be rapidly diminishing so I left.

Cozy setting with decent bagels, but the staff were unfriendly and borderline rude. I entered feeling quite chipper on a sunny morning, and every interaction with the staff was unpleasant. Giving three stars instead of less because the food was decent and I wanna give them the benefit of the doubt that the two staff I interacted with were just having a bad day.

The food IS delicious! I'm vegan so I was so happy they had vegan options for me. The atmosphere is super unique and the staff is very friendly!
Definitely will visit again. One of my favorite coffee shops in Vancouver:)

Food is great but the owner is an absolute bag & just an unpleasant person. Berating her staff in front of customers and then lashing out at anyone who tries to defend themselves.

Would happily see her out of business before I support them again,

The customer service at this location is outstanding! The staff is always friendly and the owner treats them respectfully. I cannot agree with the bad reviews on here. Absolutely love the cinnamon buns! I’ll be back soon!

I really enjoyed the bagels, but the service has been so bad lately. It’s super disappointing to see such a good bagel place have such bad service. The boss is constantly yelling at the employees and it makes for an incredibly awkward atmosphere. So bummed about this. The other locations are awesome tho!

Was just there.
There was one another costumer getting served. 10 minutes later and still standing and waiting to be greeted. It seems like 8 staff isn't enough.
There is a weird vibe in the store and for some strange reason, I can feel anxiety.

Decent enough food, slightly over priced for what it is. The reason for my 1 star rating is the fact I've seen ownership treat their staff incredibly poorly on multiple occasions. Its very awkward as a customer to see a older women rip in a young high school girl about something as mundane as pouring ice not fast enough into a bucket, then having the girl nearly in tears serving me right after. I live 2 right beside here and will not support this company any longer.no one should be treat their staff this poorly, especially in Canada. Maybe in a war torn country, but not here

All table tops and tables are sticky and unclean. Overpriced burnt coffee as well.
Baked goods are good though. Just take to-go

The bakery itself is good. The environment is the problem. The manager or owner how I have read in other comments is disrespectful and yells to her employees, I feel bad for them. She is making customers run away and in my case l will never recommend a place where principles and values are lacking. YOUR EMPLOYEES ARE THE ONES THAT ARE MAKING YOU HAVE A SALARY. TREAT THEM HOW THEY DESERVE.

We love Solly's! Awesome sit down breakfast, best bagels, cinnamon buns, Babka, knish, and so many other tasty treats!

Could not make an Misto Americano, and turned us away. Always untrained incompetent staff with a language issue to make your experience even more awkward. I guess they are too cheap to pay the staff enough to stay around. Must be a toxic work environment you probably should not support. If you dont mind a big hole taken out of your bun and it hidden in your soup as unwanted filler, this is the place for you. I mean if the price was offset, you might also be okay with tolerating such poor management in general.

Always terrible service with the owner yelling at either the staff or the customers, tables always messy as customers left to fend for themselves, bus their own tables. Not worth it any more no matter how good the cinnamon rolls.

Omg. Latka letdown. 2 Latkas were served almost Ice cold to me and my partner. Sent them back and they came out again not even warm. Who wants to pay a fortune for soggy.oily potatoes? Isn’t the point that they should be hot and crispy? Shame shame shame. Won’t be back.

I was disappointed after my meal here. The service is poor, the eggle wasn’t good, and the bagels were hard. They use microwaves to make some of their foods. The only enjoyable part of the experience was their cinnamon bun, quite tasty although a bit stale. I wouldn’t recommend this place given the amount of choice in this area.

Visited Solly’s and had their whole grain bagel with chive and onion cream cheese. Bagel is a decent size and you get plenty of cream cheese. I felt the bagel was on the doughier side as far as texture, but the overall flavour with the cream cheese was good.

I didn’t have any issues with the service and the vibe seemed good. There are a lot of really interesting Jewish food baked goods on sale. They have a nice outdoor patio area and underground parking for customers.

My key issue is the cost. The bagels I had in NYC were bigger, superior texture/flavour and cost slightly less.

If you’re close to Solly’s and craving a bagel, go for it. Also, great place to grab Jewish baked goods.

However, based on cost and product, I would recommend Rosemary Rocksalt instead.

Love it here! Delicious soup, challah bread and honey cake. Been here a few times and I’m not too sure why there are such bad reviews, I’ve never had any issues.

I used to go fairly regularly but I've seen the owner abusing new staff members twice. Won't return.

I enjoy their lox and cream cheese bagel a lot. The cinnamon bun is a hit or miss but on the sweeter side because of the sugar that is lathered in top. But it’s delicious when fresh and warm.

I have to admit, I would come here more often but its slightly overpriced for what you get even with the meal combo, which does fill you up.
I understand the rising costs of food, rent etc.but in the end, it’s still just a bagel or sandwich.

As for parking, mostly paid street parking. You might find some free 2 hour parking along Alberta.

As for decor, I like the homey feel and hope it doesn’t change to a cookie cutter, no character place. The cleanliness is fine. I feel like it’s very much walking into your neighbors home or kitchen.
I recommend this bagelry. It’s been around for a long time, so must be doing something right!

The food at Solly's is good. It is warm and comforting. The atmosphere however is hit or miss. There is a constant rotation of young staffers, there are a lot of foreign workers of all nationalities who are always trying to learn the procedures. Attention to detail is not something I would attribute to Solly's. The tables are not usually bussed, the order is sometimes fudged, the floor is dirty and the furniture is rickety on some of them. I've also witnessed on many an occasion when the owner chews out her staff in front of customers. The trickle down effect of management is extremely evident here.

Im so grateful that Solly’s is still around. It feels like a good honest bagel shop that keeps traditions while also accommodating for some progressive changes. I went for bagels yesterday as part of a birthday tradition of eating bagels, and had such an incredible experience. There’s something for everyone. The bagels were great, gluten free for those who are sensitive (not sure if they would be appropriate for celiac given the possibility of cross contamination), and vegan for those who adhere to that. I love that they make an effort to reduce the environmental footprint with their reusable glass water bottles and composting and recycling bins. The staff were really helpful and made some solid recommendations about which bagels to purchase if traveling (the frozen mini bagels can be a bit tricky with the thawing and reheating). I’ve been in and out of Vancouver over the past 13 years and visited different Solly’s locations. I hope they stay around for many more years to come as many new chains and restaurants come and go.

One recommendation: can you offer a half shmear option for a lower cost? The regular shmear serving is quite generous, and I recognize that might be a high food cost, meaning you have to charge more. It would be awesome to get a bagel and half shmear for $3 to keep things affordable for those on a budget and who are content with a modest helping.

Bagels are ok at this popular establishment but the interior of the dining area including countertops, tables, chairs, etc needs a thorough cleaning (this is an easy fix) This review represents my last experience, I will continue and support local businesses.

While i loved the everything bagel with cream cheese and the cinnamon buns, i will no longer be supporting solly's.as the other reviews have mentioned, the owner of this store is absolutely awful.i have been right on the other side of the counter from her and heard her say awful, abusive things to her YOUNG staff.i refuse to support a business run by someone who mistreats their staff and has no shame in it.

Ordered cinnamon bun to go and this is what you get. It seems pretty small for what you pay. The side is torn off. Would not recommend.

Wish I could give this place 0 stars. I’ve been here about a dozen times and it just gets worse with every experience.

Lines are long, service is terrible and the food isn’t anything special. The bagels are sometimes good and a lot of the time it’s like biting into a rock that chews up your mouth.

They don’t have a clear way of ordering or line up, so like my experience today, I sat and waited for someone to take my order, and they took 3 people to the right of me instead.

Save your money.

Came to grab a bagel before work. It was very quiet, no line at all. I explained the French man, who took the order, that I can not have any milk products, no cheese, no butter. He reccomended for me to take a plain bagel with cream cheese. I laughed, (respectfully) and explained again that I can not eat any milk products, but I would like to have a bagel with egg. He recommended hummus spread and an egg. When I received the bagel, surprise, surprise, there was a lots of cheese. The cashier lady really wanted to offer me another bagel, but unfortunately I did not have any more time to wait for it.
Took the bagel, found couple of lactase enzyme pills in my bag, and just tried to scrape the cheese off, so i wouldn't be completely without a breakfast. Indigestion ofcourse happened, shouldn't have tried to eat it.
Definitely will not return.
Since it's Vancouver and lots of people acknowledge their food intolerances, I hoped to have something without dairy, which is usually not very hard to find. But I guess the French speaking man needs to improve a bit more of his English. And there's nothing wrong with learning, English is my second language as well. But try to actually listen what people tell you:)!
#rantover.

Use to frequent quite often but lately the service has been below average. The food isn't that great either.

Overpriced for what you get, food is decent just expect to pay 15-20% more than anywhere else. The staff are nice, but you can tell that they do not enjoy their jobs, probably because they are making minimum wage and the place is so over priced that people tend to not tip as much. So I give it a meh score.

They’ve got a wide range of bagels, soups, and other breakfast items like latkes. Got the lox eggel, was definitely way more egg than lox which kind of drowned out the lox flavour. Still tasty but probably didn’t need to spend extra on the lox. Their cinnamon rolls are bomb though!

Have been to Solly's a few times. Never ceases to amaze me how consistently poor the service is and today was no different. Left without buying anything won't be back anytime soon