Had to visit ess-a-bagel on my NYC trip. So many unique schmears and combos for a bagel. We went with a chicken parm bagel (surprisingly, don't knock it till you try it) and bagel with olive schmear! The chicken parm on a garlic bagel piping hot was so good!! The olive schmear has potential but in our groups opinion, needed more olive flavor. The parts that had good olives were great with the salty and creamy but it wasn't enough. The bagels were a little chewier than I like but that might be preference or the time of day (we came close to close. read more

See all

WOW I had one of the best bagels Ive had here and its mainly to do with the cream cheese. Now i'm usually a classic BEC guy (always on pumpernickel) but I saw they had an Apple Cinnamon cream cheese and a shiver went down my spine. Apple jacks one of my favorite cereal and who doesn't like apple pie. Of course I had to try. Let me tell you this cream cheese was LIFE. CHANGING. Definitely a decadent sweet treat but WOW was that phenomenal. The pumpernickel was a beauty too just look at it. read more

Ess-A-Bagel - Apple Cinnamon Cream Cheese on Pumpernickel - Bagels Near Me - New York, New York

Service: 4.2/5 Food: 3.7/5 Price: under $20 50 years in + they still maintain that mom + pop shop feel. Friendly staff, the guy at the register made a joke when I came in + shook off the snow like a dog. Standard selection of bagels, spreads + toppings. I think it'd be easier to ask someone than trying to read their menu, which is what I did + I got overwhelmed. Pretty efficient bagel service. they also sell themed cards + other baked goods, like black + whites and babkas. What I Ordered: - Eveything Bagel: nice chew, pretty fluffy, forgot to get it toasted - Lox: little too salty, regular portion is enough for a sandwich - Scallion Tofu Spread: exact texture as cream cheese, adequate amount of scallions read more

Ess-A-Bagel - lox + scallion tofu on an everything bagel - Bagels Near Me - New York, New York

Sadly, something is different with the bagel quality at Essa following the recent move. On multiple visits, both on 3rd Ave and at Schavoni's in Sag Harbor who are carrying their bagels out east now, the bagels are hard, tough and seem stale from the onset. Long time resident who doesn't want to find a new bagel shop (Zuckers?) but somethings off following the move. Many other locals feel the same, both on a residential and corporate level. Hope this can be remedied - best wishes to Essa Bagels!!! read more

Bustling location with lots of locals so we knew it was a good spot. There was a long line but it went by pretty quick bc we were deciding which cream cheese to get. Very kind cashier. Some tables inside but it can be loud if there's babies inside lol. We got the salt bagel (SUPER SALTY). Honestly it was wayyy too salty so i couldn't finish the crust. Scallion lox cream cheese was mega good, overheard the couple in front of us order this and good thing I did! Texture of bagel was super on point crunch outside and chewy inside. Want to try their other boiled bagels too!! read more

Ess-A-Bagel - salt bagel with scallion lox cream cheese - Bagels Near Me - New York, New York

I ordered the Novacado on an onion bagel add cream cheese. My bagel was very hard. I thought the salmon taste great along with the cream cheese. I also ordered a mocha latte and it was terrible. The taste was terrible and below gas station lattes. read more

Ess-A-Bagel - Novacado - Bagels Near Me - New York, New York

sausage egg and cheese on everything is always the move - hearty size and the bagel was great! Need to try the lox next time and maybe the black and white cookies! Very friendly staff Cheers! read more

Ess-A-Bagel - sausage egg and cheese - Bagels Near Me - New York, New York

I never take a trip to NY without hitting up Ess-a-bagel for a breakfast sandwich and half a dozen bagels to go. I love the whole wheat everything and the salt bagel. Excellent black and white cookies and hamentashen as well. read more

Life-changing bagel, barely an exaggeration. I got a pumpernickel raisin bagel with raisin walnut tofu spread. It was a huge bagel with a generous spread of tofu. The bagel was tender and fluffy, and it was the strongest pumpernickel bagel I've ever had - it was so dark it was almost black. The tofu spread was also delicious. I'm sure a sweet tofu spread might sound weird to some people, but this didn't have a "beany" taste at all. I got there around 8 am and there was actually no line, so I was in and out with warm bagel in hand very quickly. read more

Ess-A-Bagel - Pumpernickel raisin bagel w/ raisin walnut tofu - Bagels Near Me - New York, New York

Their bagels are really fresh and tasty. The staff is really nice, and there's even an outdoor sitting area. This is a great place to grab breakfast on the go or sit down for a minute. read more

SERVICE - located very close to Stuytown - expect a line, especially during peak hours - indoor and outdoor seating available - bagel sandwiches made fresh to order and quickly - cashier was very friendly MENU - classic bagel store - vegan options available - well priced FOOD - KICK sandwich on sesame bagel (9/10): vegan chickpea based chipotle cream cheese, avocado, onion, olives, and cucumber on a toasted sesame bagel. This vegan cream cheese was probably the best one I have ever tried. The texture was identical to regular cream cheese and had the slight tang from the fermentation. The only thing I would have added is either some lettuce or spinach but otherwise a very tasty sandwich. - veggie tofu spread on everything bagel (8/10): this sandwich was stuffed so full of tofu spread I could not even fit it into my mouth. The tofu spread was not as creamy as the other cream cheese but still had a great texture and flavor. There was a good amount of carrots and scallions distributed throughout the spread. WOULD I GO BACK? Yes! The bagels were very soft and chewy and there was a vast variety of options. read more

Ess-A-Bagel - Kick sandwich on sesame bagel - Bagels Near Me - New York, New York

See all

We usually go to David's Bagels as the line is way too long here. Not today! We ordered two sandwiches. Their "Signature Favorite" which has sliced Nova, scallion cream cheese, lettuce, tomato, red onions and capers and their "Turkey Club" w/ turkey breast, bacon, lettuce, tomato w/ mayo or Russian dressing. I went with Russian dressing on the side. Our plan was to split/ share each sandwich but we loved our sandwiches so much that we chose not to share. I had mine on a toasted garlic bagel and he on a toasted sesame bagel. They were both perfectly toasted! The are generous w/ the turkey breast and the sliced Nova. The bacon and mind you, I did not ask for crispy bacon when I usually do, was perfectly crispy and no skimping here either! These sandwiches were perfect! They also gave a free small coffee today, in observation of Labor Day weekend! WOW! Note: There are tables inside and outside. We scored a table outside. Nothing fancy. Informal and there's a rest room. read more

See all

It's the simple, basic, every day places that just put a smile on your face. For me, it was when the guy put the bagel in the paper bag, and I could see the steam coming off the bagel. When I get into it it was nice and soft in the inside and nice and warm too. Great, efficient service. read more

They have the best bagel in NYC. Their signature sandwich is one of the best lax sandwich out there. Incredible friendly staff. Fast service. read more

Bagel itself was extremely fluffy and I really enjoyed it but thought the sandwich was really expensive ($17) and would probably not go back for it. Would go back to get only the bagels in the future. Service was fast and there were tables inside for seating. read more

Ess-A-Bagel - Lox Lovers Signature Sandwich - Bagels Near Me - New York, New York

Got the signature favorite which has smoked salmon, lettuce, tomato, red onion, capers, and scallion cream cheese. Generous amount of fillings and half was enough to satisfy me for breakfast. Personally thought the red onion was a bit much and the taste stayed in my mouth for hours. Line moves fast so make sure you know your order or be prepared to get yelled at lol read more

Ess-A-Bagel - The Ess-a-Bagel Signature Favorite - Bagels Near Me - New York, New York

ordered a plain bagel toasted w scallion cream cheese and ended up w a plain bagel not toasted w strawberry (?) cream cheese??? I don't understand how someone can mess an order up this bad. on top of that, this bagel is tough and almost inedible. Lastly, service was very slow w only one person making bagels read more

Ess-A-Bagel - Bagels Near Me - New York, New York

In the vicinity of several laundromats, so convenient to stop by here when you're doing a load for the week. Friendly staff - they make bagels in house which you can see through a glass. They also make some traditional ethnic baked goods other than bagels. Very clean with a few seated tables available near a window overlooking the street. Bathroom is available and decently clean for guests. For bagels, they're thick and chewy. You can choose half and half on different kinds of cream cheese - they're displayed in large gelato-like tubs. The cream cheese amount is laughably large. Lox tastes fresh. Ultimately too large a meal for on the regular due to the amount of cream cheese imo. read more

I used to go to middle school near Ess A Bagel so it's not a surprise that I'm a big fan of their bagels. Although they moved locations, their bagel quality is still top notch. They also have a crazy assortment of cream cheeses and I ordered a 1/4 pound of maple bacon cream cheese to go. It wasn't crazy packed when I got there since it was just 8 in the morning but there was still a small line. There were 4-5 people behind the counter taking orders so it didn't take long before it was my turn. So if everything went well and the food is good why only 3 stars? Well honestly it's because I have a hard time justifying paying $10+ for a breakfast sandwich. I understand inflation plays a huge responsibility but inflation effects everybody and the price is damaging on the wallet read more

Ess-A-Bagel - Bagels Near Me - New York, New York

See all

First time at this OG location of the iconic and ever-popular Ess-a-bagel. At noon on a recent Sunday, the line was out the door, but it moved pretty quickly, and the total wait was only around 15 minutes. My typical bagel order anywhere is lox and cream cheese on an everything bagel, but today I ordered an everything with scallion cream cheese, and an ever-so-slight toast. I thought there were a decent amount of cream cheese options, but the variety was pretty standard for a NYC bagel shop. The bagel itself was very good, with a voluminous, fluffy, and chewy interior. The top half of the bagel was adequately covered in everything seasoning, though I thought the bottom half could've used a little more coverage. The cream cheese was good and fresh. read more

Hands down one of the best bagel spots on NYC . Evan tried literally every place you're supposed to go and cool and Russ and daughters , Zabars etc... in my humble opinion this place beats them all . My go to is a toasted everything bagel with scallion cream cheese ( which will set you back as of 2024 $6 and some change.. what seems to be the going rate everywhere/ at other bagel places in New York ) . I love the size and texture of their bagels . It's hard to describe and unlike bagels you get in California where I'm from . But again in my humble opinion it's the perfect bagel . Highly recommend. read more

AWFUL location- terrible customer service. Deliveries, just triple the time they tell you they will arrive and you will get a more accurate reflection. I placed an order, it took triple the amount of time on a Sunday morning and everyone was waiting hungry for breakfast and what was going to be a happy Sunday morning having bagels turned into a bunch of hangry individuals. I do not recommend ordering from here! The person I spoke to on the phone was awful too. He acted like it was the most normal thing and did 0 to try to resolve it he acted as if he was bothered by the call interrupting his morning. I am pretty appalled to say the least. read more

Small place with a line that wrapped around. I was excited to finally try Ess-A-Bagel! There were some unique cream cheese flavors, but I stuck to my classic order of an everything bagel with scallion cream cheese. I was a little disappointed that the seasoning was only on the top of the bagel, I felt that it could've used more seasoning. The texture of the bagel was nice and thick. The cream cheese got everywhere so it was pretty messy, but I would rather there be more cream cheese than not. Overall, a solid bagel choice. read more

Ess-A-Bagel - Everything bagel with scallion cream cheese - Bagels Near Me - New York, New York

Great food & great service. Lots of menu choices @ great prices. I had the Tuna Salad sandwich on an everything bagel. It was so much tuna I could only eat 1/2. Here, your sandwich runneth over. You get your monies worth. Oh, there's seating, so you can dine inside in the A/C. I recommend this place. read more

See all

I have not been to this bagel shop in a long time, it was very good taste like a 60s or 70s bagel but now , it not hard on outside and it's missing a ingredients, like malt or molasses in the bagel.i been eating bagels since i was 5 years old now i am 65 years old, I know how a bagel use to taste. read more

My absolute favorite bagel in NY (Sorry Russ and Daughter). I've gotten this bagel every time I've visited NY, and no lie, one of the reasons I'm actually moving here from across the country. Super expensive, but there's a reason why, and it's totally worth every bite. If you've had it, you'd know. If you haven't, just stomach the $18 price point and order their signature salmon bagel. No need to thank me (other than liking my review, haha). (I do think I might try to just order their bagels plain, but the ingredients separately, and make the entire signature myself though. Likely will be far cheaper.) read more

Ess-A-Bagel - The Ess-a-Bagel Signature Favorite - Bagels Near Me - New York, New York

I spent about $20 on a pastrami sandwich, a knish, and a bottle of water, and unfortunately the only thing I enjoyed was the water. I understand times are tough for businesses right now, but it felt like the food hadn't been kept to a standard that justified the price. The knish was stale, had an off smell, and was slightly burned, so I couldn't eat it. The pastrami sandwich was also very dry. Overall, it was disappointing, especially given the cost. read more

A chaotic bagel ordering experience for delicious NYC style bagels. My sister and I split an everything bagel with scallion cream cheese, and a plain bagel with funfetti cream cheese. The bagels were delicious, light, chewy and everything you want and more. The cream cheese was so flavorful - I truly enjoyed trying to funfetti, but also loved the classic scallion. Also, we were with a vegan friend and I love that they had tofu schmear options for her! They also offered bagel sandwiches and a variety of other pastries to try. read more

GOOD to GREAT QUALITY BAGELS--do not need to be toasted! people who toast them are fools and should not be trusted. with that off my chest... the bagels are no ZEROs at Ess-A-Bagel and DO NOT NEED TO BE TOASTED. these boiled & baked carb rings have a nice crispy shine to the outside and good healthy chew on the inside--perfect for a schmear of your favorite cream cheese or other spread. recently stopped by and got an onion bagel (so underrated!) with scallion cream cheese and onions ($5.25 + tip)...oniony overload is totally delicious plus destroy your enemies with your breath! lol. old school deli/bagelry vibes --bagels made fresh on premises; there's seating if you choose to stay; and a large menu of hot as well as cold bagel sandwich options. pretty clean. staff is a little gruff. welcome to New York read more

See all

So good, I took light tuna lettuce tomato It was delicious! Everyone was really friendly Highly recommend read more

Ess-A-Bagel - Bagels Near Me - New York, New York

Eh... It's definitely a solid bagel and is by no means bad, but for New York i've definitely had better and cheaper. I opted for an everything bagel with plain cream cheese to really taste the flavor of the bagel and I was pretty underwhelmed. While the bagels are huge and cream cheese is not at all shorted on your sandwich, the everything bagel was very short of "everything." Very little seasoning and truly all I was able to taste was the cream cheese. It overall got the job done and I was very full for most of the day but for the price I paid to the taste, it definitely wasn't the best bagel experience. If you're in the area, Ess-a-Bagel is worth a stop, but I wouldn't go out of my way for it. There's better places close by read more

Ess-A-Bagel - Everything Cream Cheese Sandwich - Bagels Near Me - New York, New York

See all

I love the one on the upper east side because they have belly lox. Very few places carry this lox so it is quite a treat to get an everything bagel with cream cheese and lox!! Ambiance is crazy. Very hectic. Can be heard to get a table. read more

New Yorkers tend to be fastidious about their bagels. My preference is for a bagel to be quite dainty and chewy (think Pick A Bagel). At Ess-A-Bagel they are chunky with little flavor. I took home a plain and an Everything bagel which I slice as it's easier to eat. But something is missing in the flavor content... read more

Food 8/10 Solid bagel location, plenty of cream cheese topping flavors. I got the lox cream cheese with a toasted everything bagel. Even though it was a Sunday, it wasn't too full, and the line to order passed by quite quickly. Massive bagel too, was both my breakfast and lunch. The cream cheese wasn't too heavy either, but just the right amount to make me feel fulfilled. Atmosphere 7/10 Typical bagel store vibes. Service 5/10 Not sure why my bagel took so much longer than others, I saw people who came after me leave before me. Maybe they forgot about my order, so I had to pester them. Very unfortunate. read more

There's a reason why Ess-A-Bagel always seems to be #1 both locally & nationally. Their bagels are varied & extraordinary. When buying a dozen, it's a baker's dozen (13 bagels for the price of 12). They sell a plethora of spreads (cream cheeses, hummus, etc.), cakes, coffees & the like, & the employees are clean, pleasant & knowledgeable about the menu. Can't go wrong with Ess-A-Bagel. read more

Quick and fast but line can be long. I started from the door and it took about 10 minutes to get to the front. The bagel is good. They are so generous with the spread. I got salmon lox and love the taste with a little salty on everything. You better order quickly wnd you do have like 10 minutes to make you your mind. I think the price is a little much but it's the city tax right? This place is small but effective on getting you in and out. read more

See all

Really solid bagels here. We wanted to take some back and employee was very nice and showed us how to store and reheat.

Ess-a-Bagel is one of the popular Bagel spots in New York City that you have to try! Solid bagels, multiple locations, and quick service. Give it a try! read more

See all

One of the best bagels of my life, I kid you not so I needed to finally complete this review in honor of National Bagel Day (Jan 15). The lox bagel is so delicious and how Ess-A-Bagel stacks the ingredients helps everything stay into place. Usually massive bagels like these can be a bit of mess to eat but this one was pretty solid. The bagel is layered with cream cheese, capers, tomato slices, salmon, and then the last layer of cream cheese. You can choose two different flavors for cream cheese too and there's such a wide variety to choose from! The bagel ratio was perfect and was soft enough to bite down but an nice crisp on the outside. For the ultimate bagel, must stop here! read more

Ess-A-Bagel - Lox bagel of my dreams - Bagels Near Me - New York, New York

I've been craving a bagel with cream cheese. I've heard great reviews of Ess-A-Bagel and it is along my way to work. When you enter, you can order to the left with any of the guys behind the counter. I got a toasted sesame bagel with scallion bacon cream cheese. You pay at the register to the front left. There was a register in the back right but maybe that is only used when it's really busy. The bagel itself was not bad. They were very generous with the cream cheese. I don't eat bagels with cream cheese often so it was a little too much for me but I can see why people love the options here. read more

Ess-A-Bagel - Bagels Near Me - New York, New York

See all