NUSSBAUM & WU Bakery & Cafe

Bagel and coffee were fine, atmosphere is nice, but service leaves something to be desired. This is my second time here and the first time it took forever for someone to even notice me, the second time I was waiting at the counter to pay and when the cashier finally came back he seemed to ignore me and I had to say " excuse me, can I pay for this" and he looked at me and actually shook the bag with my bagel in it and said "what is this?" ...I mean, seriously?

This business has no dedicated cashier. The person at the cash register also makes coffee/tea, etc., and while doing so everyone in line is held up. Some people put money on the counter and walk out. Cashiering and making coffee are 2 separate functions. The business is poorly managed. The manager tells the person who makes smoothies that if there is anything left in the blender to throw it out, rather than give it to the customer. First he says that she can fill the glass to the top. Then he instructs her to fill the top portion of the glass only half way - for some, not all. Then he instructs the smoothie maker to reduce the number of ingredients that the regular customers get, so, for instance, a make-your-own-smoothie can have only 3 ingredients, not 4, even though it's not written anywhere. Only because the place is mobbed for its proximity to Columbia does he not hurt business substantially for his arbitrary and customer unfriendly rules.

Good bagels and a bunch of study space right across the street from Columbia. The service is mediocre (even by NYC standards) but the food doesn't disappoint and even though the free WiFi mostly doesn't work, you can always just use Columbia's public network instead.

Few places in New York have such a winning combination of terrible customer service and over-priced, plainly bad food. The service was the worst I have experienced in the city. The food was just bad - flavorless and $10 for everything. The tomato in my very sad salad still wore its sticker, a mishap covered by slabs of bland mozzarella. The sandwich and soup was just not very good. Even the famed black and white cookie was mediocre. Wish this place was good!

Possibly one of the best bagel place in the Columbia area (I highly recommend the "everything-all vegetable"). Their coffee is very good as well (and this is not to be taken for granted in the US). But the best features of Nussbaum & Wu are probably the calm and modern setting, and the free wifi. Highly recommended.