Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Bagels Forever

    4.4 (168 reviews)
    InexpensiveBagels
    Closed 6:30 am - 8:00 pm

    Bagels Forever Photos

    Business Info

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - Bagels Forever

    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

    Ham, egg, & cream cheese breakfast sandwich
    Ericka B.

    We love coming here to pick up bagels for an event or grab a cheap, yet filling breakfast or lunch. If you can find a tome that they're not busy, you're doing good, otherwise you may have to wait awhile. This is also pretty dependent on who's running the machines or making sandwiches though. When you arrive, you grab a number and then a clipboard to fill out your order. When it's your turn, the cashier will ring it up and get your bagels. You can't go wrong with any of the bagels, or really sandwiches for that matter. The most unique, and best in our opinion though, is their new everything bagel. All the goodness of an everything, without the mess. The only issue why this isn't a five star for us anymore is the hit-or-miss service. Mainly the last 3 times we've been there part of our order was wrong. This most recent we ended up with a regular everything bagel, instead of the new everything bagel that we asked for and there wasn't any sauce on our sandwiches. The two prior times we were also missing ingredients on our sandwiches. Not sure if this is on the inputting in the system or the person making the sandwiches, but just something we've noticed.

    Anna B.

    Bagels Forever has always been one of my favorite spots in Madison. The quality and prices are unmatched. The bagels are so fresh and delicious! They also freeze really well. Their cream cheese is my absolute favorite. I love their plain whipped cream cheese and their strawberry cream cheese is the best I've ever had. I usually order either a breakfast or lunch bagel sandwich or a toasted plain bagel with strawberry cream cheese. And a bonus if you get a sandwich it comes with a really good pickle on the side. They have a parking lot making it easy to park. When you arrive if the line is long you can grab a number and that's how they flow through the line. Even if there's a long line they move pretty quick. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Note, this is just a grab and go spot. They don't have any seating.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Highly recommend!

    Sausage, egg, and cheese

    Bagel was so good and at an unbeatable price. They were quick to get my order out and [[HIGHLIGHT]]it had a great local feel.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]

    Turkey pastrami bagel
    Sho R.

    I stopped by to have a very quick lunch. Turkey pastrami bagel was my item. The price was less than $4. At that price, food was a bargain. The bagel was good as well. It was good enough for a light lunch.

    lox bagel
    Jenny J.

    Nothing can beat Bagels Forever! For the price you pay, these bagels are seriously so amazing. I've never had a more affordable yet delicious bagel anywhere else. I will always come back! And maybe branch out and try some other options too. They were also pretty fast in making the bagel, as I ordered over the phone and picked up. It's a great stop and go place to get your bagel fix!

    2 Everything Bagels Toasted
    Caleb B.

    This place is the standard of bagels. Size, texture, and flavor all hit the mark. PLUS! Best price you can find. Go ahead and try them all.

    Lox bagel sandwich
    Noah L.

    Bagels forever is an institution. A way of life. Bagels are forever and this place... has them. Best bagels in the city. Inexpensive. A little small. Bakers dozen. Good whipped cream cheese that's cheaper than the store. Good lox sandwiches with just the right amount of every ingredient. I haven't tried the other prepared options. But this place is legit.

    Onion bagel segregated from the others
    PJ C.

    I have been meaning to stop here since we moved back to Madison almost three years ago. Over the last six months I have had a real hankering for good bagels and living on the east side of town there was nowhere to go to satisfy my craving. I knew that BF had a very good reputation so when we had plans to be on the near west side I made sure to stop in to get a few bagels. All of the bagels (egg, poppy, sesame, onion, everything) we tried over the next few days at home were very good and just what the doctor ordered. Fortunately a week later I had to be in the area again and I stocked up on more bagels to freeze. My only request is that they open a location on the east side of town!

    Lox sandwich

    See all

    Review Insights

    Photo of Maka C.
    2
    16
    50

    1 month ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    9 months ago

    [[HIGHLIGHT]]Super casual and quick place.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Really great prices and they had a lot of available flavors.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Zoe C.
    0
    21
    0

    4 months ago

    Great prices!!!! A classic bagel shop that hits every time. Keeps me coming back with these good bagels

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Anna B.
    280
    179
    1232

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    9 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 months ago

    Best bagels for the price. I feel like I should order 3 every time. Make sure to grab a number, you're welcome.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Delicious bagels, quick service, and extremely well priced!! I go here every week for a breakfast bagel!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Great price and good bagels. Cheap soft drinks. Not sure what I can say. Will be back next time I'm in Madison

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    3 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

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 5

    Bagels Forever Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Bagels Forever

    Review Highlights - Bagels Forever

    We purchased a box of bagels, a breakfast bagel with sausage and a cream cheese and lox bagel.

    Mentioned in 8 reviews

    Read more highlights

    Verify this business for free

    People searched for Bagels 493 times last month within 10 miles of this business.

    Verify this business

    Gotham Bagels

    Gotham Bagels

    3.3
    (379 reviews)
    2.9 mi
    $

    Came with a friend on a Tuesday around 10 am. I heard it gets crowded so we ordered ahead on the…read moreToast app, but when we got there the place was fairly empty. They have a pickup counter that's separate from the regular ordering area, so it was very easy to pick up our order without having to wait in the main line. I got a toasted Calabrian chili mozzarella parmesan bagel with honey tart cherry cream cheese. It was the perfectttt combination of sweet and savory. Bagel was soft on the inside, with a good amount of Calabrian chili and cheese. There was a ton of cream cheese, which had a nice whipped texture and tart cherry flavor without tasting artificial. I like a lot of cream cheese on my bagels so this was perfect for me. My friend got the Super Tuscan with a pumpernickel bagel. She liked the toppings but said the bagel was only ok / not as flavorful as other pumpernickel bagels she's had. There was seating inside but the interior of the place is fairly small. We were able to eat comfortably since it wasn't too crowded, but I'd still order ahead next time just in case. Definitely recommend going for the honey tart cherry cream cheese at least, since I haven't seen it elsewhere.

    Bagel: 4.0 Toppings etc: -0.7…read morePrice: -0.8 Wait: -0.8 Founder's story: 0.5 Total Score: 2.2 I've seen alot of hype about this place on social media so randomly decided to give it a try while in Madison. The whole experience reminds me of the 1980s movie "The Experts" (the flick where John Travolta met his late wife). Basically this cold war era movie has a couple of dudes trying to run clubs in NYC get kidnaped by the KGB and sent to Russia where they have a whole town of KGB agents living like Americans - but it wasn't quite right..it was like 30 years earlier in a random town in the Midwest (much like Madison, Wisconsin). That's the best way to describe it. Some of the vibe was there, but there was just something off about it. First thing that was a shock - the price! egg & cheese bagel: $9.00 . For reference, Bagel Boss on Long Island is just over $5.00. I get it - bagels are a scarcity in Madison Wisconsin (as is any decent food, but that's a different conversation) while it's a commodity in NYC metro area. I asked the woman why the sign for the menu shows $8.75 and she said they raised the prices. Well, any self-respecting yankee knows a bagel place should either have: 1) prices in different colors written on a black board, or 2) prices with the numbers and letters that can be changed on a board. Next, I was baffled by how long it took and how long i had to wait for bagels. That doesn't fly on the east coast. Look, I get alot of the university is kids from NYC metro area so you have to cater to them so a bagel shop is important. As for the bagels - looked okay at first, but the egg and cheese was really weird...it was mostly white with like an overcooked almost hard boiled yolk and i think they butter the bagels beforehand. Secondly for a scallion cream cheese bagel it showed the true shortcoming of the bagel where the exterior had a good crunch but the interior wasnt chewy it was too hard so when you try to separate the bagel it kinda of breaks. the taste isn't quite right. Anyway they deserve credit since the founder mentions Hot Bagels in Fairlawn in his story and met with Jaques Pepin who is awesome. I'll probably pass on returning as I kinda really dig Bagels Forever in Madison.

    Photos
    Gotham Bagels
    Gotham Bagels
    Menu from 04/08/2025

    See all

    Menu from 04/08/2025
    Wonderstate Coffee - Madison

    Wonderstate Coffee - Madison

    4.6
    (107 reviews)
    2.9 mi
    $$

    Soooo good! Probably one of the top coffee shops we visited on a mini cross country road trip…read more Friendly service and moved fairly quickly , even with the line out the door at 7:30. Iced maple latte and chocolate sea salt cookie were divine. The sourdough and greens was not my favorite. I wish it was cut in half and i thought the greens would be on the sandwich.

    Came by on a Saturday so it was fairly crowded, but the line moved fast. The interior of the shop…read morewas surprisingly big but pleasant and well lit. They also had a good variety of merch items (apparel, coffee mugs, etc) to browse while waiting in line. They had a blueberry mint flat white on the menu, but since I wanted an iced coffee, the barista was able to ring up an iced latte with blueberry mint syrup for me instead. Super kind of her to recommend! Unfortunately the latte tasted pretty acidic, and I couldn't really taste blueberry or mint at all. My friend got the blueberry mint flat white (which is hot) and had the same complaints, so it might have just been the syrup. So wouldn't recommend the blueberry mint drinks but would be open to trying something else, since the service and ambiance of the shop was nice.

    Photos
    Avocado Toast ($13) - avocado, radishes, poached egg, pea shoots, and chili oil on Madison Sourdough pepitas polenta
    Avocado Toast ($13) - avocado, radishes, poached egg, pea shoots, and chili oil on Madison Sourdough pepitas polenta
    Inside of Cardamom Ginger Cookie ($2.75) - really sweet. Texture is soft
    Inside of Cardamom Ginger Cookie ($2.75) - really sweet. Texture is soft
    Cardamom Ginger Cookie ($2.75, quite sweet) and Blueberry Muffin ($4, just ok)

    See all

    Cardamom Ginger Cookie ($2.75, quite sweet) and Blueberry Muffin ($4, just ok)

    Bagels Forever - bagels - Updated August 2026

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