Einstein Bros. Bagels - DeKalb

Overall, it’s not a bad place, but I do have two significant concerns. First, their drinks contain an overwhelming amount of sugar. The lemonade, for instance, was so sweet it barely tasted like lemonade at all—just pure sugar. Second, their bagel preparation lacks proper contamination standards. I had a cinnamon bagel last week that was topped with sesame seeds, and today my six-cheese bagel had bits of cinnamon sugar on it. So, to sum it up, it’s not terrible, but they really need to improve if they want to earn a five-star rating from me. Additionally, I found it a bit excessive that a small cup of flavored cream cheese cost $1.60. To put it in perspective, my six-cheese bagel was only $1.79, making the topping just 19 cents less than the bagel itself.

Einstein Bros. Bagels catered an event for us on a Saturday, and we had the pleasure of working with Ninette. She was fantastic—very communicative and professional throughout the process. Her team took the time to label each box lunch with the first name of each participant, and they delivered everything on time to the agreed-upon location. Overall, it was an excellent experience from our first interaction to the final delivery.

I believe they do an excellent job considering their limited space. The lines can be long, which is a testament to their popularity, but they manage to move quickly. They offer a wide selection of bagels and bagel sandwiches, with both savory and sweet options. A helpful tip: you can request a wrap if you're looking to reduce carbs. Additionally, they serve Caribou coffee, although not the entire Caribou menu.

Asked for a large cup of water and got a regular sized cup. Unacceptable. Five stars.

Einstein Bros is probably the best meal exchange option on NIU's campus. They offer a variety of bagel options, from sandwiches to just regular bagels with schmear. All of their options are very tasty, although I have never had their nova lox, as I amallergic to fish, so I cannot speak to the quality of that. All in all, it is definitely a great place to grab breakfast orlunch and study, hang-out, or just relax and enjoy some great food.