This is your sign to try Balena Bagels Authentic NYC-style bagels, creative flavors, and a menu that sells out FAST Castle Shannon - a few minutes from Mt Lebanon. Also conveniently located near a T station, hop off at the Willow stop & check it out. Weekends = go early!! I visited to try a plain bagel & an everything bagel. I was blown away! Their cream cheeses are so fresh, creamy & light. They also enjoy taking Polaroids of their visitors to place on their wall by the check out area- love supporting small! Enjoy check out my Instagram for more reviews @curatedbybri412 read more

Best bagels in Pittsburgh! This place has plenty of options! I love their selections and they have " specialty" shmears that they rotate out. Everything is made in house and you can even purchase some of the schemers. The line can be long on the weekends! There is street parking but can be hard to find spot. read more

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A cute small shop. Ordered a bacon, egg, cheese sandwich on an Asiago bagel. Everything was fresh, well balanced, and flavorful. Staff was friendly and efficient. Parking is a challenge but the food makes it worth it. read more

~ This is my favorite bagel shop! I have really enjoyed all the bagels I have been getting here. They are legit delish! I recently joined the rewards program, and wished that I had done it sooner. I have had a chance to try the Scallion Cream Cheese too since my last review, and it was delicious (and so was the coffee). Big Cheers! P.S. They often sell out, so get there early! read more

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When this shop first opened last fall, it took me a couple tries to finally catch them when they were not sold out. This shop solved the issue of no bagel shop in the South Hills area that has been an issue forever. The service both times I went was quick, and the employees are friendly and helpful. The shop is very small, so you will have to take your goods to-go. The bagels here are very good, especially when they are fresh. My only wish for the future as they expand is that they carry a sweet bagel every day, as currently it is somewhat random when they are available. I know they are continuing to ramp up and add more, but also consistently having a breakfast sandwich option would be a plus as well. Overall, I have had positive experiences here and look forward to seeing the growth of this business. read more

Balena Bagels - Balena Bagels - Bagels Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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There's a reason people stand in line to get their bagels. Get there early before they sell out of your fav.

Very small bagel shop that also does breakfast sandwiches. My husband ran in and ordered while I circled the block since parking was annoying in this area. But seriously the service was so fast, I only had to make one lap! I got a plain bagel sandwich with smoked salmon. The bagel quality is one of the best around Pittsburgh for sure. I would love to try more flavors. The salmon quality was great. Overall, I'd come back here to try more things on this visit alone. read more

Fantastic bagels! You have to get there early to get your choice of bagel, but all the ones I've tried have been fantastic. Small area for waiting, but cute and quaint. Salt bagel didn't have an overwhelming amount of salt on it. The Asiago was great, too. read more

Balena Bagels - Salt Bagel - Bagels Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

My first visit was on a Sunday morning at 10am. The line was through the door and partially down the sidewalk. Fortunately, it moved quickly and I was in and out with my half dozen in 12 minutes. The staff were friendly and appeared to be working efficiently to get orders in and out. They were constantly replenishing the bagels while I waited. Every flavor looked amazing and the super small space smelled amazing. This is definitely a takeout only place with a max standing room of maybe 8 people, 10 if you squish in the corner. The half dozen price was $12.50 which I think is fair for the quality. Parking was street parking, but there's a public lot just one block down. read more

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Delicious bagels! They have quite the variety of unique savory options. It's a tight squeeze in the space but they are quick to fill your order. They have rotating specialty cream cheese in such unique flavors. I got a plain bagel with honey orange pistachio cream cheese and it was delightful - the bagel has great chew and there were real pieces of orange in the cream cheese! So sophisticated! Comparable to pigeon bagel pricing. read more

Stopped by early, about 7:15 since they are at soft opening with limited production. Line about 40 people long when I got there. When we were about 2/3 thru the line someone came out and announced that only 100 bagels left. Some people behind left but stuck it out. When I got to the door they said only one bagel per person. The guy behind me left, he wants two, one for his wife and himself. Only two flavors left and got a 7 seed bagel. The bagel was good, a little bready. Looking forward to stopping back in the future once they have the process down and they have been operating a bit. read more

Do you think the South Hills is hungry for a good bagel spot? Balena Bagels has been getting ready to open for a while right next to Anthos, another favorite of mine in Castle Shannon, and I have been excited. When I saw on their Instagram that a soft opening was happening the next day, I planned to go early, before starting work, and grab a couple of bagels. Good thing I planned to go early, because any later and they would have been fully sold out. Word-of-mouth spread quickly, as the next couple of days saw them continue to sell out quickly, even as they ramped up production and offered more product. I heard stories of lines wrapping around the block. And they're worth it. The bagels are great. Exactly the crusty outside and chewy center I'm looking for in a bagel. They are a small shop, grab and go, no seating. They offer about 10 varieties and you can get yours prepared with cream cheese or butter or just take them in a bag to go. Although they are still clearly ironing out their operations, the product is fully baked, no pun intended, and everybody working here is super friendly and excited to be part of the community. They also offer La Prima coffee. I am so excited to have them in the neighborhood! read more

Balena Bagels - Sold out of varieties very fast! - Bagels Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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We were excited to visit Balena today for their soft opening! The two bagels we tried, Asiago and everything, were both excellent - Soft with a crunchy exterior when toasted, and the everything bagel had a lot of seasoning. Staff was really friendly, and seemed just as excited to be there as we were. They didn't have cream cheese yet, so we look forward to coming back soon. Drip coffee from La Prima was available, though we didn't try it. read more

Balena Bagels - Everything bagel and Asiago bagel - Bagels Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

There is a public lot close to the shop and some on street parking next to the T line. I was so excited that a new bagel place opened up. This is such a cute nook for a bagel shop and it's really bright. Already the word is out and new people were stopping in. The bagels were so fresh with the slightest perfect chew. They had the typical bagels along with Zatar. In addition to classic cream cheese, they offer plain and herb vegan cream cheese which is so creamy you can't tell the difference. They also serve la prima coffee. I can't wait to go back and try more bagels and when they start serving bagel sandwiches! read more

Best bagels in the South Hills! Excellent service and atmosphere! Very convenient for the trolley riders on all 3 T lines! How to ride the T to Balena Bagels: Blue/Silver Line 1. Take the Blue or Silver Line to Willow 2. Take the access to Castle Shannon Blvd 3. Cross the crosswalk over Blue/Silver line and Willow Avenue 4. Turn right on Willow Avenue 5. Balena Bagels is on the left Red Line 1: Take the Red Line to Overbrook Junction 2. From the inbound platform go down the ramp and then turn left towards Willow Station 3. From the outbound platform cross the crosswalk and then turn right 4. Take the access to Castle Shannon Blvd 5. Cross the crosswalk over the Blue/Silver line and Willow Avenue 6. Turn right on Willow Avenue 7. Balena Bagels is on the left read more

Balena Bagels - Menu - Bagels Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Delicious fresh bagels! Highly recommended the everything bagel of course. Staff is very friendly too. Show up early, they sell out fast. read more

Balena Bagels - Outside - Bagels Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

I grew up in the greater NYC area where excellent bagels are available. The Pittsburgh bagel market has been good, but not as good as Belena Bagels in Castle Shannon. They are making crispy, chewy bagels like you find in NYC. The friendly staff and great variety of bagels makes Belena Bagels worth the trip. read more

I'm picky about my bagels and I've tried a few places in Pittsburgh -- this one is in my top 2 if we're talking chewy, New York style bagels, which are my favorite. They also have a selection of flavors that rotate and can't be found elsewhere. Parking can be tricky but it's worth the hassle. The scallion cream cheese is amazing and we got the everything, Asiago and rosemary varieties and loved them all. read more

Very good and fresh bagels. The Asiago was very crispy when I toasted it at home. The bagels typically can get sold out early on in the day, so make sure you go early enough. But they seem to have started ramping up production to accommodate the demand. I would like more flavors to come in the future, especially when it comes to cream cheese. Would really love to see a vegetable, jalapeño, or chive (or all 3!). Would also love to see breakfast sandwiches to order in the future but excited to have a basic bagel shop thus far. read more

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Everything bagels were too garlicy! Not much to the eggs, bacon either. Not sure what the fuss is aboot

Finally, a New York City style bagel to beat all!!! Wonderfully fresh with chewy inside, substantial but tearable crusts. Love all the story options. read more

Balena Bagels - Assorted seeded bagels - Bagels Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

I finally had an opportunity try out Balena Bagels. Several of the neighbors have been telling me how good the bagels are. They sure were not lying; I'm hooked. Supper friendly service as well. Fantastic bagels! I can't wait to try them again! read more

Great New York style bagels in Pittsburgh! I got a sesame bagel with lox and an everything bagel with bacon, egg, and cheese both were fresh, flavorful, and perfectly made. Chewy, crusty bagels with high-quality toppings. Quick service too! read more

Balena Bagels - Bacon egg and cheese - Bagels Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Just heard about this place from Ana.eats.pgh and so glad that I did. We got a variety of bagels with their regular cream cheese. The bagels were proved and baked perfectly and made it difficult to eat just one. Will definitely be going back. Their early morning hours make it great for those of us with little ones to grab some food for everyone read more

So worth the wait! I checked the windows every time I drove past until they opened. You can't go wrong with any flavor but zatar and seven seed are my personal favorites! So crispy and delicious. This is the best thing to happen to the south hills! read more

Stopped by on a Sunday morning about 8am. It was packed, and many bagels were out, but they mentioned to us a fresh batch would be ready in 10 minutes. I ordered 2 fresh Asiagos (a fave of the customers!) 2 seven seed(they were out of everything this is a good substitute), a plain and a jalapeño cheddar. Was excited to try the last one, but when I got home there were only 5 in the bag. They appear to have a solid order fulfilling system behind the counter, and I'm really bummed about this mishap. Plus, this was my second trip here, the first one being disappointing since they were all out by 930am. Also figured out why it's such a small place. The owner has trouble finding a place with strong enough floors to hold the heavy bagel making machinery and the freezer. I can see it expanding one day bc it is a neighborhood favorite already. I like the bagels( chewy, flavorful, interesting flavors), the employees are friendly, but paying for a half dozen and only getting 5 is very frustrating. read more

Get up early and get to Balena's! The bagels are so fresh and delicious. A small operation, pick up only, friendly smiling service. So glad to have them in the neighborhood! read more

Finally, real bagels in Pittsburgh!!! Not bread in the shape of a bagel!! OK not IN the city but worth a little drive imo. Balena's still relatively new and so working out their inventory-- they seem to run out of some things early on the weekends. There's a bit of a line and not much standing room to wait. No seating so plan on picking up and taking out. But the bagels? Yeah def worth it. read more

Finally Pittsburgh (Mt. Lebanon/Castle Shannon) area has a true bagel maker that are not only delicious BUT like no other bagel made in this area! A truly water bagel that is soft on the inside as your mother's heart. Thank you for great small business! read more

Real New York style bagels in the Burg , amazing ! If you understand the nature of real bagels, you will know why this is so phenomenal. Lucky people in Pittsburgh. read more

Ordered bagels on phone after they took my order I said what time do you close the girl answered 2 pm I said I co said be there at 145 I ran into traffic and was 30 minutes late the person stayed and waited till I got there the bagels were delicious and thank you for waiting read more

My daughter and I stopped in at Balena Bagels, and we bought 6 bagels each. My husband and I get bagels from bagel shops all over the Pittsburgh area, AND HONESTLY, these were the WORST BAGELS I HAVE EVER HAD!! I bought 3 Cheddar Cheese bagels and 3 Garlic Bagels. The outside of the bagels was tough and hard, making it difficult to bite into, and the inside of the bagels was dry. The Cheddar Cheese bagel had burnt chedder baked overtop of the bagel. The Garlic Bagel was even worse! It had oil slathered all over the bagel, with garlic spices on top of the oil. My husband and I made sandwiches, using the garlic bagels. Every time you touch the bagel, your hands become coated in oil and spices. The were extremely messy, way worse than any everything bagel I have ever had. If you are thinking about trying Balena Bagel, please get in your car and go to a real bagel shop. I DO NOT RECOMMEND BALENA BAGELS!! read more

Bagels are fantastic! Owner is super nice as are the employees. We're so happy she's in our neighborhood!!