I'm extremely thankful to have a friend who introduced me to this bagel spot. Definitely a top 2…read morefavorite of mine. I haven't been to the location but have had these bagels consistently for over 10 years. The texture and flavor of the bagel is everything a NY bagel is and should be. Fluffy on the inside, somewhat crispy on the outside, and oh so thiccccccccck! Their cream cheese?! Ugh! Don't skip on it, seriously everything about this place is perfect. My go to selection is the egg bagel with chive cream cheese. It's chef's kiss and hits the spot. EVERY.SINGLE.TIME!!!!

If you're expecting this to be interchangeable with the franchised bagel places that have spread…read moreacross the country, recalibrate now. This is not that. I've been going to New York Bagel & Bialy for over 50 years, and places like this operate on a different clock, a different standard, and frankly, a different philosophy of what a bagel is supposed to be. Timing matters. If you show up after about 8:00 AM, your odds of getting bagels at their absolute peak--still warm, properly textured, with that slight resistance on the outside and softness inside--go up significantly. Earlier can be hit or miss depending on the batch cycle, but once they're in stride, this place delivers. The essentials are all here and worth your time: poppy seed, sesame, everything, and especially the bialys. The bialys alone are reason enough to make the trip--properly done, with the right chew and depth of flavor that you simply won't find in mass-produced versions. Don't overcomplicate it. Grab a dozen. On your way home, stop and pick up a couple packages of Philadelphia Cream Cheese and some smoked salmon a jar of capers, a Bermuda onion--whether here or even from Walmart--and you've got a meal that outperforms most brunch menus at a fraction of the cost. This isn't trendy. It's not trying to be. It's something better: consistent, old-world, and still doing it the right way. If you're going to call something a bagel, the standard is not branding--it's process. That's why New York Bagel & Bialy on Touhy stands apart. They actually do it right: kettle-boiled first, then baked in rotating ovens. That single decision--boiling--changes the entire structure. It gelatinizes the outer starch layer, locks in density, and produces that thin, glossy crust with real chew. Without it, you don't have a bagel--you have bread with a hole. The rotating ovens matter too. They deliver even heat, which means you get the correct balance: a slight exterior crisp with a dense, elastic interior. No puffiness. No sponge. No collapse under toppings. That's the difference here. Most chains optimize for speed and shelf life, so they steam or shortcut the process. Many local shops land in the middle. This place doesn't compromise. If you care about what a bagel is supposed to be--not just what it's called--this is the benchmark in Chicago.

I love love LOVE Tilly's Bagel's! I will warn, on the weekend it is quite busy so plan accordingly…read moreand maybe order ahead. I often frequent during the week where it is less busy and the wait time is significantly decreased. Everything is amazing here from the fresh bagels, the quality ingredients, and the amazing service. Their handcrafted, fresh bagels will have you addicted (like me). They offer various Chicagostyle bagels ranging from plain bagel, everything, garlic rosemary, cinnamon, and some unique flavors like cacio e pepe or tomato grilled cheese. They also do a bagel of the week which rotates. They also offer a variety of cream cheese like honey vanilla, jalepeno, chive and bacon, and even sun dried tomato.They have a flavor and vibe for everyone. PERSONALLY, I go the sandwich route. My go to order is the 'Bacon Egg and Cheese' on a cinnamon bagel with vanilla and honey cream cheese. The sweet and savory flavor profile really does it for me. You can tell it is freshly made! I love Tiily's its a weekly visit for me! I hope it will be for you as well.

Definitely the best bagel sandwich I've ever ate! I ordered delivery due to the line always being…read moreso long here. I got the bacon egg and cheese bagel on a cacio e pepe bagel with caramelized onion cream cheese. The egg was so fluffy and the flavors of the bagel and cream cheese complimented eachother so well. There were a ton of toppings but i do wish there was more cream cheese. I also got the chicago bagel and iced coffee. The coffee was very average nothing special. The Chicago bagel was not my thing. It had so much seeds and the second you picked it up they went everywhere. When you are chewing all you taste is seed. Not complaining though i wanted to try something new. Overall the breakfast sandwiches here are where its at! There is a reason why this place sells out and has a line out the door. I would suggest ordering online for delivery to avoid that. I did pay $32 for all of this ($7 delivery fee and i live close by). Kind of expensive but still worth it!

Great lunch/breakfast spot with fast service and simple/fresh sandwiches…read more The oven roasted turkey sandwich was great, tasted like something my grandma would make me (in a good way). Will be back.

Was super excited to try this place, and finally came to pick up some bagels. The inside is very…read morecute, old-school vibes, with a few small tables inside. It's located in a busy part of River North with minimal parking options but I do believe they have 1 or 2 parking spots in the parking lot they share with the motel. It gets pretty busy on the weekend so I'd recommend going early or be prepared for a line. Ordered online the night before to take to a friend's for brunch. When I arrived to pick up my order, disappointingly, I was told that part of my order wasn't available because they hadn't been set aside in the morning. They offered to replace it with a different flavor and add a free schmear, but I'll admit I was super annoyed. I ended up getting some everything bagels to make some lox sandwiches with. Unfortunately the bagels were very mediocre (a step or 2 above a store bought bagel). I like my bagels chewy and moist, but these were dry and too fluffy for my taste. And weirdly enough, they were salty yet didn't have a very strong everything bagel flavor. To be fair, Chicago is severely lacking in good bagels, so not sure if I should fault Schneider's for that, or wherever they source their bagels from. Either way, I hope they get their online ordering system straightened out.

Great and fast service, workers super nice Coffees were…read moreamazing and food was so fresh

Stopped by here for a quick breakfast while near the Magnificent Mile and it was solid. The…read morecashier was friendly and made the experience easy from the start. I ordered the traditional tuna fish on an everything bagel, and they were definitely generous with the tuna, the portion was great and the flavor really hit the spot. The bagel itself was good, though I do wish it had a bit more of that everything seasoning to really bring it together. It also came with a spicy pickle spear, which was a delicious bonus. Everything came out quickly, which was perfect since I was on the go. Overall, a tasty and convenient breakfast stop!

If you're looking for steamed bagels, look no further! Bagel Authority is a MUST try! With so many…read moreoptions, there is truly something for everyone. Despite not having much sitting room, the service was great & they even had the patio open!

*False advertising* The menu said the bagel was $11, then I…read morewas charged $14 plus tax I asked why. They said "oh our menus are not updated" and I asked are you going to give me my 3 dollars back? The worker said why would I do that. I just left it, but there is this thing called false advertising sir. Fix your menus and your attitude. Don't go here. Also they were playing edm dance music for no reason.

This diner has a huge, comfortable dining area which isn't immediately apparent from the street…read more The menu has tons of choices and there is a daily special menu also. Our server, Brenda, was hilarious and sassy in the best old style Chicago way possible. Even if the food had been poor we would have left smiling. I had a bagel breakfast sandwich which came with a side of fruit, tomatoes or hash browns. The hash browns were seemingly totally lacking salt but that was easily remedied with table salt. The bagel sandwich was excellent with a generous scrambled egg and nicely toasted bagel. Brenda even brought hot sauce anticipating that I might want it which I did. One thing that has to be noted is the (not good) value factor. The Bagel Restaurant is really pushing limits on pricing. 7.75 for a fruit cup, 4.60 for a cup of juice etc etc.

The Bagel is truly an iconic establishment in Lakeview East neighborhood. Historically it is a…read morepillar to the LGBTQ+ community, offering a space for those to gather that didn't have families to see during the holiday times. Today, it stands strong with an extensive menu and friendly staff providing the same welcoming environment that started it all. Most recently I ordered the Chinese Chicken Salad, which is huge and super tasty. Their fountain soda comes with free refills, which is always a perk to me. I left happy and full at the end of my meal. If you're looking for a classic diner, I couldn't recommend it more. I'll be back soon!

Delicious!!! Located inside of Gino's East pizza, Gotham Bagels is a hidden gem in Printer's Row. A…read morevariety of breakfast and lunch sandwich options. I really enjoyed starting my day with the spicy sausage, egg, and cheddar bagel sandwich. I was able to choose what kind of bagel I wanted, as well as how I wanted the eggs prepared (scrambled, fried, etc...). The sandwich was wrapped beautifully and securely, and comes with a pickle on the side. The iced matcha is one of the best matcha drinks I've had in Chicago! Evelyn provided excellent and friendly service. She was very patient and went over all my choices and options. You can order in person or online. On the weekend, it's online ordering only. The interior is decorated beautifully for the holidays. Check it out!

Solid egg, sausage, cheddar bagel on sesame. It doesn't get…read moreany better. Friendly fast staff, had my food in a couple of minutes, and it's as delicious as it looks. Definitely my new favorite stop in the morning.

A great breakfast/lunch joint next to the train station with lots of options…read more Steamed bagel sandwiches galore and really funny decor Tried the hangover bagel - the day after a friend's wedding. Worked!

The Christmas lighting weekend / food adventour in Chicago continues. Chicago Bagel Authority…read more(CBA) in Lakeview looked and sounded intriguing. This is your crazy uncle's bagel shop. They have turned a normal bagel shop into steamed, stuffed bagel sandwiches on steroids. The sandwiches have crazy names, interesting flavor combinations, over-stuffed and are not shy on ingredients. The menu is divided into numerous different meats, vegan options and breakfast selections. CBA's space is very tight with a robust take-out service. There are a few tables but CBA is more of an order, grab and go. We ordered the Belmont, a steamed bagel with smoked ham, maple sausage, chive cream cheese, jalapeno, egg, Gouda and pepper jack cheese. It was served hot, tasty and "over-stuffed" with ingredients. The orders here take time due to the volume they serve. One could order a different sandwich each day over 2 months and never have the same sandwich. Chicago Bagel Authority is killing the bagel sandwich market in the Lakeview area. Even though the wait is longer, the flavors and taste are well worth it. Smart patrons order on line and pick up their tasty treats. For a fully over-stuffed and tasty bagel sandwich, support a local provider and get to Chicago Bagel Authority.

You'd swear these are the most seeded and topped bagels you've seen. Their poppey bagels are so…read moreseeded they look like a cocoa powder dusted donut, same with the sesame and everythings. I don't know what technique they do it get or keep so much topping on them, but it's a pleasure to have too much rather than not enough. They service beer here which makes it slightly unbreakfasty and their bagel sandwiches used baked eggs rather than griddled/flat topped or from a pan. Keeps them fluffy, but I prefer mine a little runnier. Service is very good, friendly, not rushed or fake hospitality. They cure their lox in house which to me feels more tender than other places, probably just a lower, longer heating or a gentler cure. Excellent schmear, a not heavy handed when scooping (respect the schream cuz). Prices are pretty good considering the care and love they put into the bagels (hand rolled, multiple proofs). They have crunch, chew, density, but air pockets. Chef/owners def put thought into the menu with flavors like zatar, dilly ranch deviled eggs. Dr. Browns sodas. Baclava cappuccinos. White fish on bagel chips, Bagel dog is such a simple combination of not just the everything bagel seasoning, but the dough as well. And the mustard pairs better than had they added schmear (sorry Seattle dogs, i'm not a fan, i only like my cream cheese in philadelphia sushi rolls, lol) . The pizza bagel needs more toppings like pepperoni, sausage becuase then it would eat like a normal size bagel bite. The challah bread on the rachel really is more well rounded than the reuben. It's something I've been recreating back home. Giard cream cheese, cmon ya'll are really hitting the nail on the head for a Chicago bagel shop. I guess that's why there are 3 locations now. The Haystack with apple butter works better than expected, but also works with a chive cream cheese sub, no ketchup needed (if you do go with the harissa ketchup from the yada yada). BEC with a side of salted tomato and harissa ketchup is amazing. If everything was 10% more like toppings wise this would be amazing, but they always seem to skimp on something whether it's the schmear, pickels, salad. I feel like i was haggling for my meal sometimes. Prices area little high for most items, but of great value for others. It's busy in the mornings, but lines move long and only once did I have to wait for a fresh batch of anything despite some large orders ahead of me. It's a 20 minute train ride, but worth it. Prime location near Wrigley.

If you're looking for the best za'atar bagel or lox sandwich in the city, this is the spot. I've…read morebeen going to Steingold's for years and continue coming back here despite all the new bagel stores popping up. Definitely recommend the Za'atar Bagel with Lox, Pickled Cucumbers and Chive Cream Cheese! Also, their Nutella Rugelach is to die for!!! Steingold's has a ton of unique flavors and the staff is extremely nice so they can definitely help out what best to go with when you get there. They have a ton of casual and clean seating inside, as well as outside space during the summer at a first come first serve basis. You can either order at the counter or through a QR code too!

Great breakfast bagel sandwiches and coffee!…read more I got The Bagler Sandwich and a mocha latte with their house made mocha. The bagel sandwich was just the right amount to satisfy my craving and wasn't too heavy or over the top. Their latte was creamy and just what I needed. It has a lot of space and I even saw people working from home from there and I wished I'd brought my laptop to get some work done as well. Service was quick and the staff was friendly.

The Bagelers was bookmarked on my list for a while, and I was ravenous after a cycling class one…read moremorning and felt that a bagel sandwich was calling my name. We came in on a Thursday morning, and there were a few other customers but several open tables which was great. I ordered The Hashy B. I really enjoyed the fillings of the sandwich; the hot honey and chipotle mayo specifically added great flavor, and I also liked the hash brown patty. However, the bagel itself was lackluster. I feel like the Everything Bagel was lacking in taste, and the texture also wasn't great. I don't know if it was worth the price. That being said, I liked the environment. There were a good number of tables, and it seemed like a good place to go with friends to catch up one morning. The service was also super efficient. I would potentially come back in the future if I was ever in the area, but I'm definitely still searching for a good bagel in Chicago.