Known for its massive customizable bagels, Tompkins Square Bagels is a fan favorite. Founded in 1976, this iconic bagel shop has a wide selection of savory salads and smoked fish allowing you to put anything you choose on your bagel! They also now have a location in DUMBO. Widely considered to serve one of the best bagels in Midtown, Ess-A-Bagel has a reputation for its long, but quick-moving lines. Absolute also serves a delicious Tofutti spread for anyone who is lactose intolerant. While the storefront may be considered slightly drab and boring, the wide variety of kid-oriented, colorful, and sweet spreads makes up for that. Narrowing down the field from the many shops, Zack settled on 16 contenders with solid reputations and fantastic Yelp reviews.Ībsolute Bagels is one of the most popular bagels in the city with lines stretching around the block on weekends. He was tired of poor service and burnt bagels on his way to work, so he wanted to make sure that the winning bagel shop would not only have the best bagel but also the best customer service. Similarly, a toasted bagel might not be the “true” New York style, but Zack wasn’t just looking for the best bagel. While this might not be the most orthodox order, Zack realized that if he was going to eat over one hundred bagels that summer, he might as well stick with his favorite combo. To make the taste test easy, they always ordered the same bagel at each shop: Sesame Seed Bagel Toasted with Regular Cream Cheese, Lox, Lettuce, and Tomato. What followed was a summer-long saga, taking the two friends across the city, eating dozens of bagels as they went.Įach Saturday and Sunday the two of them worked towards answering the all-important bagel question. To accomplish this task, Zack created a giant map of every supposedly decent bagel shop in the city and started taste testing. The plan was simple: simultaneously order the same bagel at two different shops and then compare the two bagels side by side. So he decided to figure things out himself and devised a game-plan with his friend. He had recently moved to New York and was tired of being told over and over again that he was not eating the best bagel in town. In the midst of all the opinions, debate, and questions about New York’s best bagel, Zack decided to answer the question for himself. But exactly how crisp or how chewy?įor the average Joe, like yourself, the hardest part of the debate is discovering what bagel you like the most.

A true bagel should be crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside. That said, there are some aspects that all new yorkers can agree upon. Everything including what goes on top or between a bagel is fair game as far as new yorkers are concerned. The subjective nature of what makes a great bagel is as much a part of this tradition as the bagel’s history. New Yorkers have been debating this question since bagels were first brought to the city in the 19th century. In truth, creating a perfect bagel is as much an art form as it is a science – one that goes back decades for some of the storied bagel shops found on New York’s streets.įrom the preparation of the dough to the water used for boiling the bagels, each minute detail is of critical importance to the true bagel connoisseur. Order the wrong bagel and risk ridicule and shame from those closest to you! We want you to join our journey of finding the best bagel in NYC, but if you only have time for a New York minute, scroll to the bottom for the ultimate decision as to who has the best bagel in NYC.Īnyone who has spent time in the city knows that finding the best bagel is not that simple.Įvery New Yorker I’ve talked to has deeply held opinions about what the best bagel is, whether or not it should be toasted, and what should go on/in it. So making a good bagel should be easy to do, right? People come to New York City, home of the best bagels in the world, and want to know what the deal is.īut why is this such a difficult question? After all, a bagel is just some boiled dough and schmear. It turns out, this question is important for everyone in the city, from obnoxious tourists to crusty New York natives. The question is a simple one: What’s the best bagel in New York? And no, it’s not which New York baseball team is superior or whether the Knicks will ever win the finals again. There’s only one question that will always start a squabble between two New Yorkers.

Best utopia bagels