Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Back East Bagels

    3.4 (387 reviews)
    Closed 5:30 am - 1:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Back East Bagels Photos

    Business Info

    BACK EAST BAGELS ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for groups
    Dogs allowed

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - Back East Bagels

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Cool sticker design paying homage to the state flag
    Chris B.

    The prospect of treating myself to a traditional cream cheese and lox bagel had me pretty excited, and so I looked this place up and realized it was in a familiar shopping center. It's the NW corner of McClintock & Sothern, which is where I go to shop at Sprouts or get my car wash at Clean Freak. Location aside, I was pretty disappointed with the bagel. One negative was the price. It cost $8 for the straightforward bagel plus cream cheese with a slice of lox, but if you stepped it up to include capers and onions it would run you $16! I opted for the $8 tier, threw in a $1 tip, got it to go, and dressed it up with capers and onions at home. It was barely flavorful. This was the cheddar jalapeño bagel, and I could barely taste it. The texture was wrong too. Not dense, no real chew, and no glossy exterior. Was this a bun with hole in the middle disguised as a bagel? In addition, the cream cheese was as dull as could be and the lox did not taste fresh or even very lox-like. I only ate half the bagel and threw the rest away. I'm adding an extra star for charm and decor, but I mostly judge a place by its food and not necessarily its aesthetic. Maybe I caught them on an off-day because it seemed pretty popular as it was somewhat busy. I just feel like a Jedi mind-trick was played on me because these were not the bagels I was looking for.

    Emily R.

    Bizarre to me these places in AZ advertise to be as good as east coast, yet they serve you an overpriced Einstein bagel. They can't toast them, no cinnamon raisin, bottom half of the everything is essentially a plain bagel. New York would never. Fine if you don't know what an east coast bagel is.

    Norm W.

    Forgot I was here about 6 years ago. Was happy to find a bagel place open at 6:00. Loved the fact this is an independent family owned business. Love the Vibe "Old Tempe." And the music. Had a sesame bagel with a slice of lox $8. You can get the whole 9 yard bagel and lox for $16 which is pretty much on par these days. Bagel was tasty and the coffee was hot. Not much else you want for a quick mellow stop. All good here.

    Inside at counter
    Holly M.

    Enjoyed a toasted garlic bagel with veggie cream cheese. Bagel was soft and airy which was reminiscent of my NYC bagels from the past. However the garlic tasted off to me a bit. Maybe it wasn't what I remember? But it was good still. I of course ate it. Topped it with a coffee to wash all the goodness down. Service was super friendly and happy! That's always a plus in the service industry nowadays. Inside devote was retro funky with old license plates hanging all over the walls and bopping 80's music playing. It was a happy vibe for sure!! Rock on!!

    Ariyana J.

    Literally the best bagels I've ever had, no glaze. Me and my bfs mom stopped in and got the Rueben on garlic and the Turkey Tempe on onion; everything is super fresh and soft. 10/10 definitely recommend! +the store is so cute and the workers are so sweet/funny; def will be back.

    Breakfast Egg Florentine

    It's a chill place. It has indoor and outdoor seating. The food is delicious. Bagels are soft and the cream cheese is so good. The staff is friendly.

    James P.

    Back East Bagels 1628 E Southern Ave #2, Tempe, AZ 85282 Back East Bagels 1628 E Southern Ave #2, Tempe, AZ 85282 I recently visited Back East Bagels, and unfortunately, my experience was disappointing, primarily due to the customer service. While the bagels themselves have a good reputation, my interaction with the staff left much to be desired. I found the service to be slow and unhelpful, which detracted from the overall experience. It's frustrating when you're excited to try a new place, but the service doesn't match the quality of the food. This visit will likely be my first and last at this bagel restaurant, as I value good customer service just as much as I do quality food.

    High gluten
    Tim M.

    I have always been a person who prefers Mom and Pop shops over the big chains. I have been going to Back East Bagels for over 18 years. My number one complaint is that when you order a Toasted Bagel it NEVER has any toast or crispness they are barely warmed. I have asked numerous times for the bagel to be double Toasted even double Toasted is only a slightly warmer bagel. When I order bagels to go and NOT Toasted I can toast them at home and they are very delicious. I should NOT have take home a bagel egg, ham and cheese sandwich and have to re-toast it. Today I ordered two bagel ham and cheese sandwiches and ask for them to be EXTRA Toasted. The cashier said we will double toast it and then acknowledged they need a new toaster oven. My to go order came out and the lady repeated what I ordered Green Chili Cheddar ham and egg and a Jalapeño ham and egg sandwich. I arrived at home only to discover a Green Chili and a Everything Bagle sandwich and neither one was toasted; warm yes but visible or physically toast was not on either bagel. I went back to have the sandwich made with right bagel and again asked please make sure it is toasted towhich she replied snarkily I'll triple toast it. I paid 15 bucks for two sandwiches and tipped 5 bucks I don't think it's too much to ask for it to be made right. Long story short. Great bagels lousy toaster and staff that seems to be mad at me they did not make the order correctly.

    Salt bagel with plain cream cheese
    Sara F.

    Smaller more dense compared to other bagel spots in the valley. Egg and sausage are mixed and microwaved (pre cooked) No flavor on the jalepeno cream cheese Jalepeno bagel is a more of a red pepper flake baked in and topped. Spicy but not flavorful. Out of most of the bagels (No every thing) Cream cheese (plain) is flavorless and the salt bagel (bottom) has a sourdough or egg bagel flavor Salt top is salty (duh) and crunchy. Overall we would not return as there are really great places in the valley and this one just didn't land for us. Also.. they sell out, but according to the cashier they sell out because they are short staffed so they don't make as much.

    Back east bagels
    Katie M.

    Great bagel shop really clean with an excellent menu. They're usually open till 1 pm if they haven't sold out. The menu has a wide variety of options for a bagel shop and service is generally great.

    Local vibes
    Daisy W.

    Good bagels as proven by the line that collects past the front door, but it does move quickly. Awesome price for a bagel and lox. I had a green chili heddar bagel with onion & chive. Loved the local vibe with all the stickers and license plate collection. Keeping this place in mind the next time I'm visiting!

    Menu
    Hannah R.

    Pros: -People working there were really nice -Pretty good menu variety -Bagel tasted fresh -I like the kinda grungy-license plate eclectic decor Cons: -Honestly, the bagel was kinda small and just not the best bagel I've had

    caullie in the wild

    See all

    2 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    16 days ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 3
    Photo of Emily R.
    110
    39
    26

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Norm W.
    122
    767
    3601

    1 year ago

    Helpful 7
    Thanks 0
    Love this 5
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 5
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of James P.
    122
    201
    2849

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    7 months ago

    Great tasty bagels! Lots to choose from! Adequate amount of cream cheese.. Service is quick and friendly.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Bagel was so fresh and so delicious!!! Very friendly staff and super cute atmosphere.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1
    Photo of Chacha
    1
    13
    17

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Amanda L.
    14
    82
    66

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    Theres a lot of mixed reviews but Bagels are great no question!!And really thats all you want from this place.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Oof, they microwave everything, kind of wack, you should actually cook the food, that's not "back east"

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 10

    Ask the Community - Back East Bagels

    You might also consider

    Verify this business for free

    People searched for Bagels 3,238 times last month within 10 miles of this business.

    Verify this business

    Retro’s Subs & Brews

    Retro’s Subs & Brews

    4.5
    (96 reviews)
    5.6 mi

    Owner is super nice and the sandwiches are definitely a hit! Number 1 on the charts!…read more My husband ordered the Take On Me and I ordered The Boss. Soooo good!

    Price and quality did not match…read more I ordered the pastrami sandwich and immediately noticed some cost cutting choices, like butter flavored spray (can we use real butter) US Foods/Chef's Store sourdough bread, (can we use real sourdough bread) and a microwave sitting next to the griddle (which the griddle looks like it has not been cleaned very often). I didn't think much of it at first, but then I watched the owner heat the pastrami in the microwave before assembling the sandwich. I've never had a deli sandwich prepared that way right in front of me, and it was disappointing. She also pulled out a large bag of Taylor Farms shredded lettuce. I asked for no lettuce, and she joked that "people don't want lettuce anymore." Given the recent news surrounding Taylor Farms, that comment didn't exactly inspire confidence. What really surprised me was that the pastrami was placed in a plastic basket and microwaved. Whether or not it's considered safe, seeing food heated that way wasn't very appetizing. Looking around, there also didn't appear to be any real kitchen equipment for preparing hot sandwiches beyond a microwave. A Blackstone griddle or even a quality countertop oven would have inspired much more confidence in the food, especially considering the owner's Yelp responses emphasizing the quality of their sandwiches. From what I experienced, the preparation didn't match those claims. In the end, we ordered just one pastrami sandwich and one beer, and the total came to about $25, with the sandwich alone costing over $17. For that price, I expected much better ingredients and preparation. Unfortunately, the quality didn't match the cost. We tried to be as nice as possible but we left feeling pretty disappointed and couldn't wait to get out of there.

    Photos
    Bar
    Bar
    Yellow Submarine!
    Yellow Submarine!
    They have a few beers on tap, an assortment of alcohols, Truly, Cutwater, the Beast, TopoChico, and a few other individual beverage items.

    See all

    They have a few beers on tap, an assortment of alcohols, Truly, Cutwater, the Beast, TopoChico, and a few other individual beverage items.
    Mr. Pickle's Sandwich Shop

    Mr. Pickle's Sandwich Shop

    3.8
    (147 reviews)
    5.6 mi
    $$

    I checked out Mr. Pickle's Sandwich Shop in Chandler, AZ with a friend and it was my first time…read morethere. I am someone who always gets the French tip when it's on the menu, so that's what I got. The French Dip was next-level good and packed with tender roast beef, melty Swiss, creamy horseradish mayo, garlic sauce, and the au jus for dipping made every bite even better. Their bread deserves its own menu and love too because it was perfectly soft with that fresh, bakery-style texture that makes a sandwich unforgettable. They have a huge lineup of hot and cold sandwiches, wraps, salads, and minis, but the French Dip absolutely stole the show for me. And the FREE chocolate chip cookie with your purchase? Soft, sweet, warm, and honestly the perfect ending to the meal. I also love sweets so this was a nice surprise. I'm would definitely come back for more.

    Love me some Mr pickles!!! I was obsessed with them when i lived in California. There was a…read morelocation that had the local high school make a sandwich so they can get featured at their shop and it was so good!!! I can't get that sandwich again because I don't remember which location it was!!! lol Anywho the Dutch crunch is def the bread you need to get and everything here is good. I ordered on the kiosk but it lagged soooo much I wasn't sure if my order went through. I tried to print a receipt but no worky work. By the time I gathered up the courage to go to the front counter and ask about my order my sandwich was done. 10 out of 10 would visit this location again!!!! I love having Mr pickles in town!

    Photos
    Order station
    Order station
    Della's Deli no cheese and Potato Salad
    Della's Deli no cheese and Potato Salad
    Large Drink

    See all

    Large Drink

    Back East Bagels - bagels - Updated August 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...