We tried Calic bagels this weekend.

The signature Calic – California garlic – bagel is absolutly drenched in garlic butter and filled with scallion cream cheese which sounds so amazing, until you take a bite. The thing is really sweet. It’s like a donut but with a shit ton of garlic. WHY? Is it a Korean thing I just don’t get?

To us, and our taste, it was an unusual, disconcerting and unpalatable combo. We also got the potato filled bagel which I guess was supposed to be like a knish, but was a sugar bomb and a few plain bagels which were the same.

[No. Just no. WHY?](https://preview.redd.it/c6bzw6yye9qb1.jpg?width=1559&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d7b7eebb6af005edeefd76cc0c51830d5143df9b)

Literally threw everything out.

The people there are chill and it’s a generic insta-ready spot, but nothing we tried was redeemable. Why are the bagels are all freaky-sweet? Is this what it’s come to?

Has anyone else been? Did we hit them on a bad day?

by RollMurky373

10 Comments

  1. Advanced-North-6860

    Korean garlic bread is a blend of sweet and savory.

  2. idkwowow

    thank god i read this. i’d been planning to go and i barely like regular sweets, i definitely don’t want a scallion garlic bagel situation to be sweet

  3. Just like you, I was beyond excited to try it during the pandemic. And I really hate giving negative reviews to a small business, but I really was shocked by the flavor in a negative way.

    I actually think I got the pull apart bread loaf, but I think they expanded to offering it as a bagel. I now understand the flavor profile is technically authentic, thanks to your post, but I am unfortunately not a fan

  4. I stopped in here a few days ago and yeah, the garlic one is fine but I didn’t care for the sweet aspect

  5. VaguelyArtistic

    How much more must my people endure? 😫

  6. Zealousideal_Ad_7465

    Sheesh thanks for the heads up. That definitely sounds like something I will NOT like.

  7. putain1375

    I’m so confused – you tried another culture’s food, didn’t like it, then wanted to write a bad review that they don’t make food the way you’re used to it?

    I’ve never tried this – it might be very sweet, but I wouldn’t go online and post about how I had different expectations and *threw away* my food because I didn’t like it and then say “I’ve never had garlic bread sweet” – this is the point of trying other cultures’ food, seeing their take on things.

    You’re absolutely allowed to not like it, but I hate people who write reviews that can tank a business’s page and rep bc they didn’t like food cooked a way they weren’t used to

  8. crad4drc

    i understand why you’re disappointed. what i don’t understand is why you’re hung up about it. Koreatown is filled with spots that do “different” types of baked goods – pastry, bagel, or otherwise. What exactly do they owe you? You didn’t like it okay, go someplace you like. and the people who like it will continue going there right?

  9. madsharps

    I went recently and quite enjoyed it. Had the garlic one and a plain with the fig and honey cream cheese. Decadent for sure but memorably good.

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