Bagels (Photo by Vicky Ng on Unsplash)
If you think finding true love is hard, try finding the perfect bagel! From chewy New York classics to wild west coast creations, bagel-hunting across the U.S. is no easy feat. Are you a purist who swoons over a plain, lightly toasted beauty with schmear, or do you crave a creative concoction with all the fixings? Grab your taste buds and your appetite because we’re about to embark on a delicious journey to uncover the best bagels in America. Trust us, these bagels are worth every carb.
StudyFinds sought out to find the best bagel shops in the U.S. For our findings, we visited 10 of the leading expert websites to see which authentic bagel joints were rated the best. Our list is ranked based on the most-recommended bagels across these sites. For many of us, it’s impossible try them all, so if we missed your favorite feel free to give them a shout-out in the comments below!
StudyFinds is a research-driven platform that analyzes and synthesizes expert recommendations from trusted sources. Rather than writing reviews ourselves, we meticulously compile consensus findings from leading industry experts and established publications to save consumers valuable research time. Each article represents hours of analysis across multiple authoritative sources to identify the most consistently recommended choices.
Table of contents
1. Bo’s Bagels, New York City
Baking fresh bagels, bialys, and baguettes daily for crowds of New Yorkers and tourists alike, Bo’s Bagels has made a huge name for itself in just a few years. “The result is a shop with bagels that have a crisp exterior and chewy inside, made the traditional way with a 24-hour fermentation, brief boil, and bake. All the classic spreads are available, as well as aggressively creative bagel sandwiches like the Andrew — featuring egg, sausage, bacon, Vermont maple syrup, and scallion cream cheese,” Eater writes.
Andrew Martinez and Ashley Dikos opened up in 2017 to fix the shortage of great bagels in Harlem. “It’s not just the New York water that makes a good bagel. The owners of BO’s Bagels quickly won over discriminating bagel fans with the recipe they perfected and authentic techniques. Though a relative newcomer to the scene, this shop has made several prominent ‘top bagel’ lists since opening in 2017. Two must-try varieties: Za’atar seasoned and the Black Russian,” Taste of Home writes.
2. Terrace Bagels, New York City
A bagel store, deli, and cafe, Terrace Bagels churns out hand-rolled bagels, made the old fashioned way. “On a charming street on the border between Brooklyn’s Park Slope and Windsor Terrace neighborhoods sits the cozy Terrace Bagels, turning out near-perfect little rings of malty, chewy dough. Chatting with the countermen while waiting for your order makes for a perfect Brooklyn experience, and these bagels — fluffy, not too sweet, and big — make for a very satisfying meal,” USA Today writes.
The bagel shop just recently celebrated its 30-year-anniversary after opening in 1991. “Terrace Bagels in Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn, has that ‘dual-fecta’ of perfect crisp outside and tangy, soft interior with some serious chew. The bagels sell themselves, so [order] only a little cream cheese on a toasted plain or everything bagel,” Epicurious writes.
3. Myer’s Bagels, Burlington, VT
Bringing Montreal-Style Bagels to Vermont since 1996, Myer’s Bagels are some of the best bagels you can find outside the Big Apple. “Myer’s takes Montreal-style bagels, and bring them to New England: thin, chewy, boiled then baked in a wood-fired oven. Alongside classic flavors like sesame and poppy are idiosyncrasies that embrace the shops roots in Montreal and Vermont. In the first case, a Montreal steak-seasoning, and in the latter, a Maple Syrup-flavored,” Thrillist writes.
Owner Lloyd Squires was only 15 when he began making bagels under the tutelage of Myer Lefkowitz. It was 1981 and Mr. Lefkowitz, a survivor of Auschwitz, was an undisputed master of wood-fired Montreal-style bagels, a method he passed on to a young Mr. Squires, according to the shop’s website. “Enter the no-fuss, cavernous shop, mostly dedicated to the busy production line, and while you may not exactly feel transported north of the border, you know you’re definitely close,” Food and Wine writes.
4. The Bagel Broker, Los Angeles
The Bagel’s Broker’s bagels are both a Los Angeles legend and favorite among locals and tourists alike. “Bagel Brokers has stepped in to make sure NY-caliber bagels are available to every kale-juice guzzling aspiring influencer in LA. This family-run business, has been slinging homemade bagels since 1987, with every standard you’d find in a classic New York shop, mixed with West Coast influences,” Thrillist writes.
The shop’s bagels are made with high-gluten unbleached wheat flour, a touch of sugar, a hint of salt, yeast and water. “There are some crazy flavors (jalapeño-Cheddar, etc.) but their plain bagel with lox and schmear is as good as any in New York, and they always seem to be fresh out of the oven. And we hear that they also make a mean bacon, egg, and cheese,” USA Today.
5. Murray’s Bagels, New York City
Serving Greenwich Village since 1996, Murray’s Bagels is a household name in the world of New York bagels. “Owner Adam Pomerantz was a vice president at Merrill Lynch before deciding to become a bagel man, and after apprenticing for a traditional wholesale bagel baker in New Jersey and studying every top bagel in the city he opened this charming little shop, named after his father (who would bring bagels home for the family every Thursday night). The secret? Traditional techniques, and the highest-quality ingredients available,” USA Today writes.
The bagels are hand-rolled and made fresh every day using just a few ingredients. “The result is a space with large but light bagels with a crackly crust and modest interior chew. Beyond standard cream cheeses, cured fish, and egg fillings, Murray’s specialty is substantial meat and poultry sandwiches, made from salami, hot corned beef, chicken cutlets, and just about any deli meat or fish salad one can think of,” Eater writes.
Honorable mentions include:
- Tompkins Square Bagels, New York City
- Call Your Mother Deli, Washington, D.C.
- Bagel Oasis, New York City
- Brooklyn Water Bagels, Florida
Sources used to create this consensus list
Note: This article was not paid for nor sponsored. StudyFinds is not connected to nor partnered with any of the brands mentioned and receives no compensation for its recommendations. This article may contain affiliate links in which we receive a commission if you make a purchase.
None of these compare to BBs Bagels in Georgia!Try it and I assure you this list will change
Did Study Finds consider that bagels are garbage nutritionally and contribute to obesity. There are no good bagel shops.
You left out the BEST bagels which is Katz’s, in Chelsea, MA