The 20 Best Bagels In New York City, Ranked – New York – The Infatuation
The 20 Best Bagels In New York City, Ranked – New York – The Infatuation
by Theinfatuation
41 Comments
9to5dreamer
Absolute BECs are unparalleled
joeO44
Utopia bagels tastes like 10,000 other bagel places in NYC but you get the charm of waiting for an hour
Kamui_Amaterasu
🙏 they keep leaving brooklyn bagel company off these lists, my favorite lox bagel
justthekoufax
This is Kossar’s erasure.
tallyho88
I can’t help but feel like this was a flawed way to rank them. How long did it take to gather all of the bagels from all over the city then meet back at the office? By then they’re all a shell of their former selves and not a true representation of their initial quality.
2chordsarepushingit
Surprised Kossars isn’t on here
tmm224
Blasphemy putting Absolute 14th
setoxxx
There’s nothing near me… Mill Basin Bagel Cafe Is good but expensive but Bagel Bazaar has always been the best for my taste for 30+ years
Glass-Guess4125
The bad news: I spent the whole week here without seeing this list.
The good news: I went to Liberty on Monday and Ess-a-Bagel this morning without even knowing they were the top two.
jetf
scrolling on an infatuation article is so frustrating. Every time i make progress down the page im interrupted by some new ad loading, blocked by a massive interstitial, or sent back to the top for some reason
I’m glad that a blind taste test validated my love for Ess-a-bagel despite the tidal wave of migrant haters who love nothing more than to have a contrarian take on my favorite bagel place.
But this will NOT help the line situation. Damn. I’m almost immediately wishing this article didn’t happen. I already kind of give up on grabbing a bagel sandwich on the weekends, it’s a 20+ minute wait surrounded by people who don’t understand that being loud on line on a weekend morning should be a criminal offense.
shamam
Where the fuck is Murrays
chef_torte
this list is absolute garbage
joe_gdit
This list is stupid because the bagel place I like isn’t on it.
blueeyesredlipstick
I am deeply suspicious of any ‘Best Food in NYC’ list that only includes Manhattan and northern Brooklyn.
JayMoots
Does anyone know if the different Ess-A-Bagels are affiliated? I went to the Herald Square location the other day it it was terrible. They were serving pre-sliced bagels. I’ve never seen that before.
The one at 3rd Ave and 51st is a lot better. And I have no idea about the one on 1st Ave and 19th.
No_Weakness_2135
The infatuation is for morons
Accomplished-Angle85
Pop up bagels is so overrated too
makesupwordsblomp
i’m not sure if i should be mad, or elated, that Olde Brooklyn is not included.
spageddy_lee
Ooh another list of the 20 listiest lists in list city by List Listereon and the Listers.
Can’t wait for the absolute objective bagel truth and meaning of life to be revealed to me by this list.
jester8517
This list is very mixed. Greenberg bagel is trash
poseidondieson
Terrace Bagels only gives one extra on a dozen bagels now. Used to be two a couple months ago. Booooooo. Sigh
linsage
How is Leo’s not on this
ibleedblue
Bagel hole is disgusting. Went once and never again. I’m not talk about the quality of the bagels, I’m talking about everything else.
They use one slicer for meat, vegetables and cheese. All of the vegetables are sad and wilted and the cheese looks old. The bagels are good but not even close to good enough to go back.
theeulessbusta
It’s gotta be Utopia with lox and cream cheese from Simply Nova and maybe some rugalach from Bread’s Bakery.
frenchtoast430
I’m fine that this list blows (specifically Pop Uo Bagel) so my favorite stop stool stays lower on the list and less of a priority.
dwyerlynn
KNICKERBOCKER >>>
BywaterNYC
I may be in the minority, but “airy” and “fluffy” are not qualities I look for in a bagel. I like a dense, chewy interior, and for the crust to have some crackle.
Can anyone recommend a bagel that fits this description?
Tommy-Schlaaang
Bagel Hole is trash.
[deleted]
[deleted]
Jaybrower5656
Infatuation is the worst in so many ways
Jandek4Prez
I have no idea why Bagel Pub keeps making these lists. It is a giant often undercooked bagel that’s nothing compared to Bagel Hole. They are like the bad guys in *Good Burger*, but with bagels.
Peredvizhniki
Not a fan. Liberty is definitely one of the better chains in the city but #2 is too high. Bagel pub as well is serviceable but definitely not top 10. Utopia and Absolute should both be higher. And Bergen Bagels is actually straight up bad. In that area Olde Brooklyn Bagel Shoppe is 10x better and tbh should almost definitely be on the list.
Cooper323
Pop up bagels? Fuck off
NickFotiu
Ess is not at it’s original location.
youngcam928
Russ and Daughters LES
Norby710
Opens page, ess a bagel number 1, closes tab.
Cartadimusica
I saw a rainbow bagel on one of their plates and I immediately knew this list is flawed
Wizardz_gizzardz
A. The current location on 1st Ave is NOT the original Ess-A-Bagel, so this writer/editorial team has credibility issues from the jump.
B. Murray’s Bagels has been serving up beautiful bagels for over a decade and they’re better than at least 1/3 of the places listed here, but are conspicuously absent.
C. Bacon, Egg, and Cheese doesn’t belong on a bagel–it’s too big and too dense, plus BACON. That’s some goyish transplant bullshit. Maybe you like a BEC on a bagel, fine, but if you were comparing steak houses it’s not like you’d mention that a place serves an especially good well-done filet mignon. Maybe that’s what you’re into, but that doesn’t make it a valid basis for comparison and mentioning definitely robs you of credibility.
D. Many of these places are chains. Granted, they’re local chains, but Bagel Pub? **Really??** And in Crown Heights where that place is, in many ways, a demonstration of the neighborhood’s waning Jewish population. Sure the place is fine, but their bagels aren’t the standout. If was a list of the places with the largest number of cream cheeses with goofy shit in them, okay, they win.
E. Kossar’s, Leon’s, Kosher Bagel Hole in Midwood–all of these places have more real bagel bona fides than the dickheads behind Shelsky’s who are mediocre at best and a pale ripoff of Russ & Daughters. But the j-school dorks who wrote this obviously don’t wanna go out of their way to make a survey of unfamiliar bagel places because, y’know, that’d be a lot of work and they’ve got SEO content to pump out.
Look, you love the bagel you love, that’s fine. But fuck The Infatuation for putting out this lazy-ass load of bullshit on the subject of what is, arguably, NYC’s most iconic food.
41 Comments
Absolute BECs are unparalleled
Utopia bagels tastes like 10,000 other bagel places in NYC but you get the charm of waiting for an hour
🙏 they keep leaving brooklyn bagel company off these lists, my favorite lox bagel
This is Kossar’s erasure.
I can’t help but feel like this was a flawed way to rank them. How long did it take to gather all of the bagels from all over the city then meet back at the office? By then they’re all a shell of their former selves and not a true representation of their initial quality.
Surprised Kossars isn’t on here
Blasphemy putting Absolute 14th
There’s nothing near me… Mill Basin Bagel Cafe Is good but expensive but Bagel Bazaar has always been the best for my taste for 30+ years
The bad news: I spent the whole week here without seeing this list.
The good news: I went to Liberty on Monday and Ess-a-Bagel this morning without even knowing they were the top two.
scrolling on an infatuation article is so frustrating. Every time i make progress down the page im interrupted by some new ad loading, blocked by a massive interstitial, or sent back to the top for some reason
I trust this guy’s site: https://everythingiseverything.nyc
He says liberty is top tier
bagel hole clears
I’m glad that a blind taste test validated my love for Ess-a-bagel despite the tidal wave of migrant haters who love nothing more than to have a contrarian take on my favorite bagel place.
But this will NOT help the line situation. Damn. I’m almost immediately wishing this article didn’t happen. I already kind of give up on grabbing a bagel sandwich on the weekends, it’s a 20+ minute wait surrounded by people who don’t understand that being loud on line on a weekend morning should be a criminal offense.
Where the fuck is Murrays
this list is absolute garbage
This list is stupid because the bagel place I like isn’t on it.
I am deeply suspicious of any ‘Best Food in NYC’ list that only includes Manhattan and northern Brooklyn.
Does anyone know if the different Ess-A-Bagels are affiliated? I went to the Herald Square location the other day it it was terrible. They were serving pre-sliced bagels. I’ve never seen that before.
The one at 3rd Ave and 51st is a lot better. And I have no idea about the one on 1st Ave and 19th.
The infatuation is for morons
Pop up bagels is so overrated too
i’m not sure if i should be mad, or elated, that Olde Brooklyn is not included.
Ooh another list of the 20 listiest lists in list city by List Listereon and the Listers.
Can’t wait for the absolute objective bagel truth and meaning of life to be revealed to me by this list.
This list is very mixed. Greenberg bagel is trash
Terrace Bagels only gives one extra on a dozen bagels now. Used to be two a couple months ago. Booooooo. Sigh
How is Leo’s not on this
Bagel hole is disgusting. Went once and never again. I’m not talk about the quality of the bagels, I’m talking about everything else.
They use one slicer for meat, vegetables and cheese. All of the vegetables are sad and wilted and the cheese looks old. The bagels are good but not even close to good enough to go back.
It’s gotta be Utopia with lox and cream cheese from Simply Nova and maybe some rugalach from Bread’s Bakery.
I’m fine that this list blows (specifically Pop Uo Bagel) so my favorite stop stool stays lower on the list and less of a priority.
KNICKERBOCKER >>>
I may be in the minority, but “airy” and “fluffy” are not qualities I look for in a bagel. I like a dense, chewy interior, and for the crust to have some crackle.
Can anyone recommend a bagel that fits this description?
Bagel Hole is trash.
[deleted]
Infatuation is the worst in so many ways
I have no idea why Bagel Pub keeps making these lists. It is a giant often undercooked bagel that’s nothing compared to Bagel Hole. They are like the bad guys in *Good Burger*, but with bagels.
Not a fan. Liberty is definitely one of the better chains in the city but #2 is too high. Bagel pub as well is serviceable but definitely not top 10. Utopia and Absolute should both be higher. And Bergen Bagels is actually straight up bad. In that area Olde Brooklyn Bagel Shoppe is 10x better and tbh should almost definitely be on the list.
Pop up bagels? Fuck off
Ess is not at it’s original location.
Russ and Daughters LES
Opens page, ess a bagel number 1, closes tab.
I saw a rainbow bagel on one of their plates and I immediately knew this list is flawed
A. The current location on 1st Ave is NOT the original Ess-A-Bagel, so this writer/editorial team has credibility issues from the jump.
B. Murray’s Bagels has been serving up beautiful bagels for over a decade and they’re better than at least 1/3 of the places listed here, but are conspicuously absent.
C. Bacon, Egg, and Cheese doesn’t belong on a bagel–it’s too big and too dense, plus BACON. That’s some goyish transplant bullshit. Maybe you like a BEC on a bagel, fine, but if you were comparing steak houses it’s not like you’d mention that a place serves an especially good well-done filet mignon. Maybe that’s what you’re into, but that doesn’t make it a valid basis for comparison and mentioning definitely robs you of credibility.
D. Many of these places are chains. Granted, they’re local chains, but Bagel Pub? **Really??** And in Crown Heights where that place is, in many ways, a demonstration of the neighborhood’s waning Jewish population. Sure the place is fine, but their bagels aren’t the standout. If was a list of the places with the largest number of cream cheeses with goofy shit in them, okay, they win.
E. Kossar’s, Leon’s, Kosher Bagel Hole in Midwood–all of these places have more real bagel bona fides than the dickheads behind Shelsky’s who are mediocre at best and a pale ripoff of Russ & Daughters. But the j-school dorks who wrote this obviously don’t wanna go out of their way to make a survey of unfamiliar bagel places because, y’know, that’d be a lot of work and they’ve got SEO content to pump out.
Look, you love the bagel you love, that’s fine. But fuck The Infatuation for putting out this lazy-ass load of bullshit on the subject of what is, arguably, NYC’s most iconic food.