1222 W University Ave
Gainesville, FL 32601
Unrated
Bagels and Noodles. The two words are nearly synonymous. Who hasn't explored the famous Little Jewish Vietnam district of New York City, simultaneously feasting on these two culinary bretheren? I would like to propose a few slogans for the little barn shaped restaurant on the north west corner of University and 12th St.
Bagels and Noodles. What happens when Girl Talk goes into the culinary arts?
Bagels and Noodles. You're guaranteed to be disappointed with at least one of our main offerings.
Bagels and Noodles. It's so insane that we hope you'll come out of sheer curiosity.
I figured I should check this place out. After all, they're selling Vietnamese food RIGHT NEXT DOOR to one of the better Vietnamese Restaurants in town. Upon visiting, I quickly learned that Saigon Legend has moved down the road into the Sushi To Go building. Conundrum #1 seems to have been settled. But what about the weird combo of Bagels AND Noodles?
It turns out the owners bought out Bagels Unlimited, which has been a pretty decent staple of Gainesville breakfast fare for many years. Wanting to continue to bank on an already successful business, they continued the breakfast theme (thus the Bagles), but they were Vietnamese and wanted to showcase their indigenous culinary delights (thus the noodles).
I can think of little else I'd be interested in trying than a Vietnamese take on traditional American breakfast. I naturally opted for the noodles. Having been on a Pho kick lately, I decided to give theirs a try. I almost hate to say it, but it was really good. Pho is one of those meals that doesn't vary much from place to place. Bagels and Noodles somehow managed to put a little extra flavor into theirs, and added more vegetables than most other restaurants I've tried. I really liked this soup.
So, why is the place unrated?
Let's just say that if cleanliness is next to godliness, the folks who run this place have a different definition of god than we do. It was dirty. The bathrooms were abhorrently smelly. The walk in cooler/freezer in the back was visibly out of shape; it wasn't sealed properly and was leaking all over the floor. Yup, that's right. Your dinner next week is sitting in there right now, waiting to be cooked.
Our waitress seemed either insane or strung out, possibly both. She was admittedly overwhelmed by the "lunch rush," which was myself and lunch partner along with two other reasonable sized parties.
I just don't know. My food tasted good, but the experience was unsettling. I'm not trying to pull one of those "ohh, the ambiance was bad" reviews. I'm trying to say that the board of health might want to check this place out.
The Pho was really good, but eat at your own risk!
