Brezel

I decided to stop by here on my way home from a week of training. Parking isn’t too bad (they are located in the North Market located on Spruce).
The pretzel twists were really good and the staff was nice and helpful.
Next time I go there I will try a whole pretzel and will absolutely get some cheese sauce.

I love Germany and I love fresh pretzels, so was very excited to spot this Bavarian-​style brezeleria (is that a word?) while stopping into North Market this past weekend.
They have a great selection here but I felt that the pretzels were a little tough. I’ve had pretzels in Philadelphia and Munich, Germany (two places well known for pretzels) and by comparison the pretzels at this shop could have been a bit softer.
I like that they offer $ 1 twists, if you want to try different flavors without having to buy a giant $ 4.50−5 pretzel. I tried the dark chocolate chunk with salt and the cinnamon sugar which were pretty good, but preferred the basic salted pretzel.
You can add a dip for $ 1, and I was disappointed by the beer cheese, which was highly recommended. The flavor was great, but it was refrigerated and stiff. I was expecting something warm to dip my pretzel.
When I visited they had a bunch of flavors: «everything» (just the like the bagel), jalapeño cheddar and others.
Just like at Wetzel’s Pretzels, you can watch them rolling and folding the fresh pretzel dough.
I really want to come back but hope that they can make their pretzels softer!

Great concept and location, but the pretzel I purchased was a bit on the stale side. That aside, the «everything» pretzel was indeed tasty.
Check it out, but ask what pretzels are fresh.

I can’t believe I’ve never written a review for Brezel! I’ve been buying its wares for some time; in fact, I remember making a purchase or two when you could only pick these babies up from the owners’ home or at the CVL Farmers’ Market. I’m so excited that this woman-​owned business is doing so well!
These are honestly the best snack for the times you need dense, chewy carby goodness in your life and don’t want a bagel. And the array of flavors. Wowza! However, I echo fellow Unilocaler, Gus W.‘s concern: the storefront only has a few options available at any given time. I just came back from a North Market trip, and Brezel only had five or six different flavors, albeit just after the lunch rush. A little disappointing, but the product is so delicious that I can overlook it. Plus, I really don’t play favorites here because every, single variety is so tasty! I tried a spinach and cheese this time around and it was solid. Crispy exterior, tasty crunchy bits of cheese, and soft, dense center.

I’m a big fan of the different flavors at Brezel that they come up with for their soft pretzels, especially this new red pepper and onion one I had the other day. It was absolutely delicious. Another favorite is the Asiago pretzel as well. If you’re a huge soft pretzel fan and want to try more than just your average salted one (which you can still get here), then you’ll need to stop by the Southeast corner of the North Market to check them out.
The only reason I dropped a star is because they seem to never have enough pretzels made at any one time. The place is good, and I see people there often, but they seem to always have a very limited number of pretzels out and are out of items often. I’m not sure if it’s because of the small space, or if they just want to keep them as fresh as possible, but it’s kind of a bummer if you want to order in high quantity.
Otherwise, this place is great, and the girls working here are very nice and helpful.

Yum! Especially when they are warm. I had a few of their twists which were good. My favorite with the coconut one – a great treat. The jalapeño one was spicy. They are much better warm so try to ask before you buy and if it’s warm, eat it right away.

What everyone else is saying is absolutely true: The pretzels are served cold. I had been waiting to try this place for years– I always skipped Brezel because I could not justify a pretzel as a meal. Well I came in between meals yesterday and ordered an original pretzel with cheese dip: $ 5.50. Not only was it cold (while new pretzels were being put out, they could have easily given me a fresh one) but it was tough to chew. It was no better quality than a stadium pretzel (which is usually warm) and certainly not better than Auntie Anne’s pretzels. So disappointed in the whole thing.

I’ve tried Brezel a few different times, and everytime I’m hopeful that I’ll really like it only to be disappointed. I’ve had the garlic, cinnamon sugar, and jalapeño cheddar pretzels and all were pretty good but none blew me away. My one complaint about Brezel is that their pretzels are usually lukewarm or cold and really lack the hot, fresh pretzel taste that I want. Twists for $ 1 are an okay price as is $ 4.50 for the very large regular pretzels, but the room temperature nature makes the quality seem subpar to me.

Rating: 3.5
Pretzels are $ 4.50 while twists are $ 1.00 each.
The pretzel/​twists are soft, & fluffy. I think they make the pretzels in several large batches– which can be good & bad depending on your timing is right. I, unfortunately, got stuck with the cold & not-​so-​fresh pretzels that were out in the front for who knows how long. I opted for the Jalapeño Cheddar and Roasted Garlic and Cheddar. Jalapeño Cheddar was pretty good and you got a nice kick of spice when you got the Jalapeño in your bite. The Roasted Garlic is great in flavor– but extremely salty. My tongue stung from it.

Had Brezel friday in Cincinnati. Actually ended up going twice in one day! The pretzels are super soft and perfectly flavored. The Jalopeno cheddar was the best and no dipping sauce necessary!

Don’t go near closing time, the pretzels will be cold and tough to chew.
I’d like to give them a second chance during busy hours when they’re churning out fresh pretzels.

Seriously the best soft pretzels ever made by some kick ass nice people. Evevrytime I am at the North Market, I stop by for some twists (single serve stick) or a full pretzel if I am feeling fancy. My favorite is the original. It’s salty, buttery, and slightly sweet. Just perfect! They have a myriad of fun delish flavors, but I usually stick to the tame ones. I like to olive oil rosemary herb one and the pesto. I also like the gouda one. I always go for the savories.
I have made several mail orders with Brezel for the cheddar jalapeño twists to send to family in OKC. They had them during the Short North Columbus Food Adventures Tour and now request them on birthdays. The staff always does a great job getting them out to Oklahoma fresh and yummy. The quality totally justifies the price so I have no qualms paying whatever they ask. They send me a pay pal invoice after they ship and we’re good.
I even buy their frozen 6 twist packs at the Bexley co-​op and it makes it even easier to have them ALL. THE. TIME.
Life is good with Brezel!

Good god I love this place. Why oh why did it take me this long to find it.
I’ve only had their «coconut and almonds» and «everything» pretzel. The coconut pretzel is a perfect dessert item when I’m not in the mood for ice cream. Not to sweet, room temp and soft/​chewy texture.
And if you can’t put down a whole frisbee sized pretzel, they have twists, perfect snack sized pretzel sticks.
Now why only ⁴⁄₅ stars? Salt. Why is pretzel salt so big? It’s like they sprinkle them with hail. This isn’t only a brezel issue, it’s a rant aimed at all salted pretzels across this nation.
Regardless of the salt, I’ll be back to try all their other traditional and non-​traditional flavors!

How am I just trying these things? Oh holy shit…
These pretzels are the real deal: yeasty, soft, chewy, flavorful… amazing! A bunch of us sampled lots of different flavors, and every single one was incredible. My personal fav, though, was the cheesy jalapeño with nacho cheese dipping sauce.
If you’re in the North Market and need a snack (that isn’t Jeni’s), then most definitely give Brezel a try!

Did you know that brezel is the German word for pretzel? True story!
Having had various forms of the Brezel Pretzel in other establishments, generally not fresh out of the oven, my trip to the North Market location provided a pleasant experience.
As mentioned above, when I’ve had the pretzels and rolls in the past, they’ve been pulled from a bag and used as a vehicle for some other item: like a vegan hamburger or a vegan hot dog. Although this is a decent gateway into the Brezel Pretzel world (you can tell that they were once amazing when oven-​fresh) it’s still not ideal. Like Charlie in «Flowers for Algernon,» once you’ve had the pretzels fresh, it’s hard to go back… or something. (There’s an analogy there, trust me!)
Anyway… At the bakery and shop in the North Market, you can see the various pretzels on the baking tray, on the cooling rack, and making their way into your maw. The selection at this stand is great, and I experienced three of my favorite varieties: Jalapeño, Salted and Everything. I also like the fact that there are both full-​sized pretzels and twists — same dough, similar toppings, in an easier-​to-​eat size. Personally, I love pulling the big pretzels apart and sharing them, but you may prefer the snack-​sized convenience of the twists.
As a vegan, I’m a huge fan of places that either disclose their ingredients, or at least certify that certain items are vegan. Not only are all of the obviously vegan pretzels vegan, but they are willing to tell you what goes into the products. Clearly, if you don’t eat cheese, don’t get a side of cheese dip, but they have spicy mustard, so that’s great. They will also talk about how they keep things separate, which means minimized cross-​contamination. If someone understands the vegan lifestyle, and can explain how even one of their products fit it, I’m sold.
I make fresh pretzels at home, so I’m a bit picky, and have to admit that I prefer these over both my own current from-​scratch recipe and Auntie Anne’s. There’s just something about the perfect pretzel taste, married with the light crispiness on the outside and chewiness on the inside. I’m a big fan of the Everything, as it’s a tasty blend, but if you’re into sweet, they also have Cinnamon Sugar. For my first foray into Brezel land, one of each of the savory pretzels they had available was more than enough for sure.
There are other sweet and savory items I did not see, but that I hear that they have; plus they have the bite-​sized «Bites.» Bringing this review full-​circle, they have really good buns and rolls, and even pizza crusts. What an amazing selection!
When visiting the North Market just take the parking thing into consideration and get your parking validated, otherwise you will pay an additional $ 10 surcharge, which is never fun. Also, this Brezel location has a $ 5 minimum on credit/​debit cards, so you may need to buy more than one pretzel (won’t be a problem), buy a dipping sauce, or pay cash; not a big deal.
So if you find yourself in the vicinity of the North Market, or you want to take a little drive downtown, it’s certainly worth the trip.

the toasted coconut almond crunch pretzel we got for dessert was incredible.
Lame $ 5 minimum for credit cards though, it’s like they price the pretzels at $ 4.50 on purpose so anyone paying by card will have to get the dipping butter as an up-​sell.

Yes, I did wake up dreaming of a brezel pretzel this morning — twisted dough bursting with coconut and almond flavor… I NEED YOU. The price is right, the workers are so happy and friendly, and there will never be another pretzel place so good.
Throw out everything you know from mall pretzelstands and let Brezel show you the light!

The only pretzels I’ve had that are better than Brezel’s were in Munich.
I’ve had the apple and the cinnamon sugar, both of which were fantastic. My husband had the everything pretzel to cheer himself up after a icky bowl of phở from Lan Viet today.
These pretzels are certainly big enough to constitute an entire meal for little ol’ me — and I’m a purist, so I’ve never gotten any of the dipping sauces or butters. Can’t vouch for them, but I’m sure they’re good.

They’re back! And now they have a nice little stand at the North Market!
Still the same fantastic pretzels, sticks, and nuggets, though the market stand does NOT have the full range of potential flavors (seems like they’re doing a rotation of three or four different types a day, which makes sense), and they’ve added various dipping sauces and compound butters to go with the pretzels, which is a great addition.
If you want the full variety, still place an order through the website. If you just want an awesome pretzel, walk up and grab one!

If you love soft pretzels, I guarantee you will love Brezel. I’m shocked that no one has written about this hidden jewel before, they are all over the local papers and will open their pretzel shop at the North Market at the beginning of next year. I read about them in Columbus Underground a few weeks ago and their website had my mouth watering.
I absolutely love a soft pretzel and I had to try one. They have some amazing options — apple cinnamon, rosemary garlic, pumpkin spice! I decided it was necessary to seek them out, since they don’t currently have a store location. During the holiday season they are a vendor at the Columbus Winter Farmer’s Market in Clintonville. I went to the market just for them and I was not disappointed. When Brittany, one of the owners, told me about the smores stuffed pretzel I nearly fainted. Smores, those are my favorite! She suggested taking it home and heating it up to get the optimal smores flavor. Sadly I wasn’t going near an oven, so I opted for the rosemary garlic. She mentioned that it tasted similar to focaccia, but I think it was so much better. I tried to moderate myself, that was tough… The entire thing was soft and moist, and ridiculously delicious.
I’ll definitely be making some trips to the North Market just to grab a few, I have to try that smores pretzel!