This was such a cute spot! The lady at the register was wonderful!…read more I learned about this place simply from the bakery crawl! I'm happy I did. Located in soulard. This bagel place is YUMMY!! It is hard to find a real bagel place in the Midwest. STL is extremely lucky to have this place. I got a bacon egg and cheese sandwich on a onion and garlic bagel Being someone who grew up on New York bagels & New York bakeries. I can happily say that this is very impressive place!! Jalapeño cheddar bagel YESSS!! It's a nice spot to sit and eat inside or outside. The staff are friendly and knowledgeable. You can also sit and read or even work. It's just a nice little spot!

What a cool spot in Soulard. My husband and I live in the area and frequesnt iTap pretty often, so…read morewe always see this spot, but had yet to make it in. A lot of my coworkers highly recommend it so I knew I had to try. We finally had a morning playing at the market, and decided to swing in for breakfast. WOW. It definitely lives up to the hype. Their bagels are SO flavorful, and their sandwich options are delighful. I just got the standard egg and cheese on the onion bagel and it was SO GOOD. My husband got the pruscuitto sandwich and he was a big fan. For what you get, I think the pricing is super fair. Really cool you also get to see the kitchen and everything they're making in back. We will absolutely be back, and will recommend it to all our friends who visit!

Grabbed lunch here the other day, and would recommended it to anyone for a snack, lunch, or an…read moreoffice treat. Recently spent some time in New York and was happy with the bagels - non chewy, not tuff, soft, and consistent throughout. I went with the New York New York option, ample meat was between my bagel halves. Very filling and great taste. I opted for the potato salad as my side, it is mustard based. Potato salad is always Russian Roulette for someone that does not like crunchy onions in their food -- this one passed the test. The flavor was there but no big chunks of raw onion were to be crunched while enjoying my meal. (Please never change that) Great friendly service. Refills on fountain sodas and tea available. Would definitely recommend.

Woke up and started wanting bagels and heard great things about this from our friend…read more We came by and were greeted warmly! This place is more of a breakfast/sandwich spot first, before it is a bagel shop so don't come here expecting a TON of bagel varieties. Nevertheless, it was still good for breakfast. I got a salt bagel for my BEC, and my husband got cinnamon raisin for his sausage, egg, and cheese. I also ordered a buttered plain bagel for my son. We didn't wait too long, and they gave my son a sticker that he played with while we waited. The bagels were nice and chewy, and I loved that they didn't skimp out on any of the ingredients. The buttered bagel though was VERY buttery, so be ready to wipe your hands a lot while eating it. It was still very good!

Bagel Union deserves all the hype. If you're looking for a New York-style bagel, this is the spot…read more I typically order a bagel with lox and scallion cream cheese, which is consistently excellent. I also recently tried the sump cold brew, and it was delicious. The interior is small and bustling, so I would recommend ordering to-go. The staff works quickly but is attentive. One point to note: to-go orders on the weekend do take the full estimated 30 minutes before pick-up.

Great bagels, unfortunate parking…read more Parked around the corner and walked there. Just a couple of people in line ahead of me. Young lady behind the counter was friendly and helpful in picking flavors. Store is clean and bright. Smells wonderful! Was disappointed that not all of the flavors are available all the time, was there almost an hour ahead of one being available to sell, boo... Also wished that they would have asked about slicing the bagels for us, would have been very helpful. Still the best bagels in town!

If you have never heard Winston's Bagels, let me introduce you...Foodie, meet Winston. Winston,…read moremeet foodie. You can now fall in love. Winston's Bagels are LEGENDARY in Carbondale, IL. The genius behind the tasty treat is Winston. He's a hippy 60(?) something man with a food cart who, in my day set up his mobile shop on "The Strip" - Carbondale's main bar scene. I hear he's moved onto Grand now, but wherever he is, YOU NEED TO BE THERE TOO. Here's the scoop... Winston comes out at night, just about the time the college kids are bar hopping. He sets up his small mobile cart, and starts cranking out The. Best. Bagel. Treat. You. Will. Ever. Eat. Winston grills the bagels over charcoal, which gives the bread a traditional char taste and creates this fantastic crunch when you bite into it. He drizzles the bagel with margarine (I think it's Parkay from the yellow and blue squeeze bottle), and generously tops each bagel side with plain cream cheese. Then the magic happens. You choose your toppings. I'm partial to the Everything: apple, cinnamon, sunflower seeds, cucumber, red onion, garlic powder, bacon bits, and raisins. It's the perfect morsel to have when you're out drinking in Carbondale - every college student learns this lesson to perfection at SIUC - or even if you just have a late night craving for a sweet / savory treat. Of course as alumni (Class of '95!), we all crave a Winston Bagel now and then, and when we go back it's a must eat treat! I've tried to make them at home, but it's just not the same. It's missing Winston's je nais se quoi. He generously doles out hugs, stories, jokes, and charm along with his bagels. Plus the man is a total genius. He charges $2.25 for a bagel. That fits any pocket book - and more often than not - you give him three dollars and tell him to keep the change. The man is making some dough. I hear he takes a couple vacations a year just with his tip money. Go fall in love with Winston The Bagel Man. He'll be there in Carbondale grilling his bagels into the wee hours of the morning!

I noticed that Winston's Bagels has 5 stars with 11 reviews, and I am not surprised one bit. This…read moreis the ONE THING every SIU-C graduate talks about and craves after they move away. At last visit, they were $2.25 each and still worth every bite. Winston sets up shop across the street from Pinch Penny Liquors near Saluki Bookstore. Options are the same as I remember: Cream Cheese, Garlic Salt, Butter, Ground Cinnamon, Cucumber, Apple, Raisins, Sunflower Seeds, Bacon Bits, Onions. I used to get sunflower seeds, butter, and cucumber but recently tried all-but-onion and am not quite sure I can go back. Remember cash only, and they don't break $20s. Definitely tip Winston or any of his helpers running the cart! Truly an institution in Carbondale!

Stopped by on my way home from the Tower Grove Farmers Market, it was such a beautiful day outside,…read morelots of people had the same idea. I parked on a side street although there are a few spots in the parking lot with the picnic tables. Waited outside behind another couple as it was busy. After going in you wait in line to place your order. There are lots of things to look at! Line moved quickly, counter service was super friendly and efficient. She was charming and helpful. I ordered the Tzitzelnickel bagel with veggie schmear, a biscuit to try, coffee, and a sesame hoagie. After making my coffee at the counter, I had a seat at one of the outside picnic tables. My food came out right away, so fast! I love that bagel with the veggie schmear! You can order breakfast sandwiches on a bagel or on the biscuit, it was huge and would stand up to a hearty sandwich. Can't wait to eat the sesame hoagie! Plain or use it for a sandwich

TREAT YO SELF kind of morning! On this beautiful sunny morning, I thought to myself, why not TREAT…read moreYO SELF? So I headed over to Bagel Station and grabbed a blueberry bagel with cherry cream cheese--and let me tell you, it literally made my whole day. The bagel was a stunning purple color, bursting with blueberries--you can definitely tell it was made with LOVE. And that cherry cream cheese? Made in-house and absolutely delicious. There's nothing else to say. Just get it. You won't regret it. The shop also has really cute items for sale and charming little picnic tables, perfect for enjoying your new favorite breakfast or lunch spot. Bonus points: they have a dog hitch so walkers can safely tie up their pups while ordering. Another South City gem--don't miss it!

Staff is not that friendly and have zero personality. They seem to move very slow and have no…read morehustle. The food that is good when available. Overall it's an ok location but not our favorite

This place is definitely hit or miss. The food is always great but the staff not so much. I have…read morebeen here about 4 times and half of the time I got a grumpy employee that did not want to accommodate to my food allergies. The other half though they were great!! I still recommend this place for a good coffee and bagel.

I hadn't been to an Einsteins in years! My husband suggested…read moreit because it was on the way to somewhere else we were going. The place was hoppin' on a Saturday morning! There are tables right outside the building and, of course, there were tables inside. There were constantly people going in and out - some to pick up online orders and others placing orders. We made our choices, ordered, and got our lattes and bagel sandwiches really fast. And it was so good! We sat outside and people watched while we ate - the weather was perfect that day. I highly recommend Einsteins!

The five star just missed because of the price and hustle and bustle…read more A Monday breakfast rush was in full swing this visit and caused some staff members to be a little more agitated with orders and questions. I was happy the order took less than 10 minutes and came out correctly and hot. Each bagel sandwich is cut in half but can be uncut. I loved the all nighter and my husband got the Texas brisket which was not too hot in flavor. The blueberry muffin was thick and had a great ratio of muffin top to crumbly base! This space would do numbers if it had a drive thru as the location is off Manchester and close to a gym and park. There is plenty of indoor and patio seating. Bring in your pup or service dog as they have beggin bacon dog treats and dog bagels too! Accessibility parking is in a few places and there are low and high tables for seating. The card reader at the registers are lower too which is a plus.

Dropped in because of the name, not disappointed. I do enjoy a pun. Nice selection of savory…read morebaked goods, got some lunch type stuff to go which warmed up easily in a microwave in my hotel. Liked it so much, returned to get road trip snacks the next day when we left town. Friendly service without the usual annoying "I'll help whose next in line," or "would you like a receipt today?" or worst of all, "Have a nice rest of your day." Instead I got a plain English, "hello," and "thank you." I do so like my baked goods with good, clear, communication, especially before coffee is on board.

My son and I are bakery enthusiasts. We look up a couple bakeries in the towns we travel to and…read morewe pick one and go taste the treats. I don't like to give low ratings to local establishments, but sometimes it's just that bad. We were intrigued by the F*ck cookies and the interesting pastry flavors. $41 + tip was spent on 4 of the most tasteless cookies I have ever eaten in.my.life. Honestly, I'm a "for fun" baker at best and my teens thought my sugar cookies were/are heaps above these. The icing, which I feel may have had too much meringue in them to help set. They freaking cracked when biting into the flavorless cookie. I urge you to seriously rethink this recipe. I got the guava Danish, this was actually good. One son (the other bakery enthusiast) got the ube cheesecake. He will eat ALL THINGS ube. He said it tasted like nothing. And the other son got the black mass cheesecake and he didn't have any complaints, but he's also not a bakery snob like us. Very disappointed to spend that much money on really bad sweets.