Ace Bagel Cafe Inc. - 3.25/5

Store
A longer store with a lived-in feel. Many sheets of plastic strategically hung up as COVID guards, making it hard to see the product. Some thin-baked, giant chocolate chip cookies grab the eye but otherwise there's not much enticing visually. Staff interaction is transactional.
2.75/5

Bagel
A medium-sized bagel, conspicuously uniform in circumference and shell exterior. A slightly grainy dough with a soft chew, it occupies the middle ground between fresh and old. If all these characteristics paint a picture of mediocrity, the topping composition is anything but. Standard toppings, one sided, with a stunning salt ratio. It's the amount I'd desire on a salt bagel after I was done shedding excess crystals. Great salt flavor as a result. This is a 2.5 bagel with a 4.5 salt representation.
3.5/5

Cream Cheese
Served cool. Another puzzler of mundane and exceptional qualities combined. A mountainous amount of cream cheese - too much really - adding an extra inch to the bagel height. Dairy forward with a thicker whip than desired. On the plus side, wonderful ribbons of rich, green scallion enrich the spread both visually and with their texture presence. These extremes meet in the middle.
3.5/5