Reviewing Bodo's Bagels: A Charlottesville Institution

A weekend in Charlottesville can be spent enjoying a variety of activities. One can find himself or herself hiking the Blue Ridge, touring Monticello, walking UVA's Grounds, or watching a much maligned football team at Scott Stadium, among other things. Aside from these delightful pursuits, one constant stands alone. Whether you wake up with a headache or you emerge from church invigorated, your destination is set: Bodo's Bagels.

Having lived in Charlottesville for over 12 years, I consider myself an insider, familiar with all the menu items, from the deli egg to the Caesar salad. Without fail, I visit Bodo's once a week. It is such pleasant experience, and folks will stand in a line stretching onto the sidewalk just to get their breakfast. Until I stumbled across The Bagel Blog, I hadn't even considered the business reasons for Bodo's tremendous success.

I think Bodo's thrives for a number of different reasons. Firstly, everyone (and I mean everyone) goes there. It's easy to strike up a conversation with someone you know, but it's also a spot regular enough that you can avoid the small talk. Secondly, the product itself always satisfies expectations with regard to taste, service, and cleanliness. Finally, the line moves quickly, and employees are attentive and engaged. (The house music is usually pretty good, too.) In the restaurant business, patrons want exactly what they expect, maybe a little more on occasion. Bodo's delivers this value every time, and this consistently solidifies their brand.

Bagel shops everywhere should take notice. If you're lucky, people will blog about you.

Bagel Survey

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/8LRDX7Y

Please take my bagel survey! It's 7 questions and will take 3 minutes or less!

Thanks.

Went to Bodo's Bagels in Charlottesville. Bodo's is the king of brand. When you mention the name of Bodo's to anyone who has been through Charlottesville, they begin to rave.

It was our second trip to Bodo's on University Ave, just outside the UVA campus. The restaurant was packed with college students and a few families. Casey had her usual Sausage, Egg and Cheese on an everything bagel. I had an everything bagel with lox and cream cheese. The bagels are fresh (marketed as water bagels, because they are boiled) and soft. The lox weren't particular fresh, but the experience was impressive.

It is an impressive operation that serves a huge volume of customers. The staff is incredibly upbeat, focused and coordinated. The experience and the aura of Bodo's make the trip worthwhile.

Turks and Caicos Bagel

Had a Plain Bagel with cream cheese at Beaches in Turks and Caicos. Proof that the Placement of the product is the most important part. The bagel was probably frozen and flown in, but the view and backdrop made it a success.

Condo bagels

Atter a great day on the slopes, who doesn't love a bagel and cream cheese sandwich? Mia reviewed the Thomas bagels as, "great because they are sweet". Uncle Doug said they aren't bagels at all ... just bread. They do go down easy!

Colorado Bagels

First, I must mention that bakers are altitude challenged in Colorado. Here are a few reviews of Michel's Bakery bagels from Avon:

This is Meagan. She rates the bagel as "very good, an 8 because of texture and it needs a tomato". The available 'goes withs' are important.



This is Ashley. She rates it as a 7.5 because, "It's big". Apparently size matters.












This is Rachel. She is enjoying a "virtual bagel".












All of us agreed that Philadelphia cream cheese is the topping of choice.

Mr. J's Bagels, Harrisonburg, VA

My favorite bagel is definitely the blueberry bagel. I enjoy this toasted with butter on my way to TARGET every morning. John prefers the cinnamon raisin bagel with butter. The best bagel place I have been to is Mr. J's in Harrisonburg, VA. When I was at JMU this was a regular saturday morning trip. They have every bagel you could think of and more! Another great place here in Richmond is Crossroads, located right off of Forest Hill Ave, convenient 10 minute walk from my house.

http://www.mrjsbagels.com/