Nussbaum & Wu Bagel Bakery Cafe

This place is right around the corner from where I live, so I went one day when I was craving a bagel from the moment I woke up. I loved the feel of this place– the interior décor was charming and elegant, retro, black and white tiled floors and wooden table tops, and the outdoor seating was very nice as well. My friend and I both ordered wheat everything bagels with cream cheese and a coffee. The bagels were way better than expected– they were a generous size and heaped on so much cream cheese that I had to take some off (I do this everywhere I go, though, so that’s just my preference). The counter service was more expeditious than expected. This is a perfect alternative to a Starbucks, if you are looking for somewhere to hang out for a while, study, or get work done– the place is pretty large for a coffee shop, offers abundant seating, and has such a pleasant atmosphere. They have other items like fruit cups, parfaits, and a more extensive than expected menu for a quick hand-​held breakfast sandwich and brunch. They have a coffee bar and a smoothie bar, so there is an option for everyone.

I ordered a large latte. They filled half the large size with a cappuccino. Thanks guys. You tried.

In the morning, you get to see a long line of people waiting for their bagel with cream cheese. Though the line looks long, it moves through and wont’ take much of your time. reasonable price and guaranteed flavor!

One star goes to the lady behind the smoothie bar. The new girl at the Cashier is apparently new and knew nothing about how to take orders or operating the chashier machine/​pos machine. And the guy is apparently too busy coaching her than making coffee for those who already paid. It looks like they are just trying to take all the money than preparing food for those who already paid — took me 15 minutes to get my coffee, another 10 to get my pancakes. The food is awful. Pancake is overcooked, coffee tastes bad. I would rather go to Starbucks and take whatever they have for pastries than waiting here. Would not go again.

The service is getting worse and worse. The guy who prepared my smoothie couldn’t care less the stuff he put in. It turned out to be gross — he used the wrong base, and forgot to put ice into the blender. The cashier was attracted to a blonde girl, chatting with her while others were waiting in the line.

I come here often because I like the meatless panini. There is a lot of seating so there is usually somewhere to sit unless it’s a very busy weekend day. There are only a few spots with power outlets, at the bar in the middle of the room, and another at the end of the room by the smoothie bar. There is also salad bar. Lots of different choices but limited bagels and bakery treats in my humble opinion (for being a Bagel Bakery). I wish they had blueberry bagels!
For the most part, the staff has been fine. I’ve been maybe 20 times and only had 2 experiences that I wasn’t thrilled with. One time I asked for an iced mocha, so they made me a hot mocha, and when I gave it back they just poured it over ice (which melted the ice and made me drink simply luke warm). Obviously they didn’t care to remake it so I walked out just knowing not to order espresso drinks there in the future. I do keep coming back for that panini though.

Pretty sure this place gave me food poisoning or at the very least cramping and nausea. I got the bagel. Tasted bad and stale. I also had to Caesar Salad. Too much cheese. Too much dressing. Stale lettuce. Great place to go if you want to be sick for days afterwards.

Food is decent and there are a lot of options but this place is very unorganized. The only reason I’m giving this place 2 stars is because the décor here.

I love Nussbaum & Wu! It’s the only place I know of that has a variety of tofu cream cheeses (the veggie on an everything bagel is my favorite). Their bagels are excellent. If you’re vegetarian, definitely try the sundried tomato wrap. It’s delicious. The coffee’s decent. Usually a bit crowded because of its proximity to the university, but what are you going to do.

I really wish I could love Nussbaum a bit more, but definitely all my stars go for their bagel. Definitely reminds me of my favorite Brooklyn bagel spot, just the bagels are a bit smaller (it’s Manhattan, so what can I say?). The scallion cream cheese is delish and it is $ 4.25 for any bagel. The iced tea is not the best, it had tons of ice in it and cost almost the same price as the bagel.
Nuss also has juices, smoothies, salads (a really nice salad bar if I’m being honest), paninis, sandwiches, it’s like a fancy deli.
I definitely wouldn’t come here during primetime, which is weekend brunch time and (I’m guessing) weekday mornings. The line will wrap around and there are no places to sit, which can be rough if you’re really tired and just not dealing with it today. Also (I wasn’t one of them, but thank god for untoasted bagels), a lot of people had their order forgotten or lost, or something?!

The smell as you come in is indulgent! You get a nostalgic feeling of what you grew up around. There is a great vibe where you can be intimate or in a group and have a great time. The bagels and spreads are terrific and have such a savory selection! Plus the texture is an important factor.

The Chai Latte was way too sweet. Had to exchange it for a regular. The cashier was nice and way happy to make the change.

Great to-​go place to stop into on the way to work or school. Convenient location on the upper west of Manhattan which is perfect for many Columbia students.
Not a fan of the pricing however, definitely expensive in comparison to other bagel shops, but definitely a quality meal. I got the everything bagel with lox and cream cheese. Their cold brew coffee is also very flavorful, the staff is well versed and gets people in and out the door quickly which is perfect given the nature of the restaurant. Personally one of my favorite on this side of the city if you’re looking for a quick breakfast.

Go to spot on the way into work. The guys up front can make a mean sausage, egg, and cheese bagel. When students are in it can be a bit crowded — so be prepared to wait if you’re getting in any time after 9am.
I’m also a huge fan of the cinnamon coffee — just a little syrup will do you.
On the lunch side you can’t go wrong with the split pea … Amazing. Looking forward to trying the smoothies come the summer.

Reminds me of Noah’s Bagels haha but the egg sausage and cheese sandwich on a toasted sesame bagel was satisfying, just not amazing. It’s definitely a good cheap option for students, though — much cheaper than Absolute Bagels a few blocks down.

The bagels here are on average $ 2.50 more than ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE CITY. And the fact that my sausage egg and cheese sandwich was served to me cold… Is just a TOTAL RIPOFF.
Better sandwiches at Hampton Deli or Absolute bagels on 108^st.

This place is great for anything from bagels and muffins to salads and sandwiches. My regular order is a toasted everything bagel with scallion cream cheese; can’t go wrong with that! Their orange juice is super fresh and black and white cookies are amazing! Everything is a reasonable price too.

I don’t understand the harsh reviews on this place. I’ve been coming here for a while now and really had no complaints or bad experiences. It’s centrally located near Columbia, a great on-​the-​go breakfast place, and a perfect spot to get work done. They have a really cool smoothie bar in the back, a full selection of bagels and sandwiches, and a large salad bar. Maybe it varies on the time of day/​staff, but I really think you shouldn’t knock it before you try it!

Nussbaum & Woo is a solid 3-​star place. It’s a good standby for when you’re heading to class and in need of sustenance but certainly not a destination.
They’ve got everything you’d expect from a deli/​breakfast shop including a salad bar, desserts, and good-​looking fresh squeezed orange juice by the cash register.
All the items I’ve tried could be improved, from the lentil soup to the cheese cake (please fix that crust!). But the staff is nice. And I’m glad it’s around if I’m in a pinch.

This place… sigh. I ordered the everything bagel with the lox spread. It was on the pricey side probably between $ 5 – 6 because it cost almost $ 2 for the bagel and an additional $ 4 for the lox spread. I was going to go all out and add lettuce-​onion-​tomato but was shocked that they it costs $ 0.50 for a slice of tomato. Really?! To preface, I’m from Texas, where everything is pretty cheap and in everything seems pricey in NYC. But who charges for a slice of tomato? Anyway, the lox spread was good and in adequate amount, but the everything bagel is saaaaalltyyy. So salty it was as if someone reached for kosher salt rather than the granulated garlic.
I also grabbed a dozen of the their mini black & white cookies that they are supposedly known for. So incredibly sweet my teeth ached. Are these how black & white cookies supposed to taste?
Extra star for customer service, but overall the food was meh. And a bit pricey for the quality of food.