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Kismet Bialys

4.2 (33 reviews)

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Egg and cheese bialy with zhug sauce
Sara B.

Please run down to Kismet Bialys as fast as you can. I was lucky enough to stop by here when the bialys were piping hot out of the oven first thing in the morning which is the best way to enjoy. I got an egg and cheese and just a plain bialy. They are so puffy and have the best texture. The shut sauce was excellent, I wish I had asked for more. I liked the egg and cheese flavor but would prefer the egg to be less like a hard boiled vibe (maybe add it in later as the bialy is already cooking?) but no other complaints. I had the plain bialy cold later in the day and especially liked the onions in the middle. More of those would be great! And definitely easy to heat up yourself if you wanted to and had the means. The man at the counter was super friendly and answered my questions. The line moved very quickly. I'm dying to go back to Philly for another!

Lizzie S.

I've never heard of a bialy before! It's a "flat roll with a depression in the center typically seasoned with an onion and poppy seed mixture." Kismet has so many flavors, I wish I could try them all! I tried the BEC (bacon, egg, and cheese) and the lox/salmon (not on the same day.) Both were delicious, filling, and unique. Love the small business--service felt like family. I hope they keep on flourishing (and I think they are--they started out as a pop-up, and now have multiple physical locations!)

Bacon egg and cheese with zhug. Just ok.
Veronica Y.

Just ok. I got a bacon egg and cheese fresh out of the oven, with zhug sauce and was underwhelmed. The bialy itself is just okay -- lots of seeds on the outside but the inside was lacking in much flavor. The egg dropped in the middle was fully cooked hard and again lacking in salt. The cheese and bacon topping were fine, but there wasn't enough bacon for all the breading. The zhug gave some much needed brightness but it wasn't at all spicy. I don't really know much about zhug beyond the version that I've had from Trader Joe's. The one was trader Joe's is more flavorful. Also, there wasn't enough zhug for the amount of bread and it also made everything very oily.

The Onion
Steve S.

I got turned on to authentic Long Island bialys a couple years ago. Believe me when I tell you there's nothing like them. Kismet doesn't really match an authentic Long Island bialy. Let me say that right off the bat. I tried the basic onion bialy from Kismet, and I will say that it's quite good. The onion in the center is well caramelized. But truthfully, a Long Island bialy doesn't really go that route. It tends to go more for a basic onion flavor and it spreads out well through the bialy. This one puts all the caramelized flavor in the center and it kind of stays there while the rest of the bialy is more of a bagel. I mean it's tasty. It's just not authentic to me. But then they won me over with the pastrami bialy creation they had. I didn't care one bit if it was authentic. It was hearty and flavorful. They kind of do their own thing. If you're a bialy snob, you might find something off. But, if you're just looking for something that is pretty darn good on its own, this will impress you.

Caramelized Onion Bialy (Vegan)
Joel H.

First heard of a bialy, and tried Kismet Bialys, at a Rights to Ricky Sanchez event at Underground Arts. They had a vegan, caramelized onion version. I loved the combo of bagel-like consistency surrounding a center of caramelized onion. I liked it so much that before I left town, I went by their Reading Terminal Market location and grabbed another one. Since that initial experience, I've returned to Philly a few times and made sure I grabbed a vegan bialy on each visit. I've had varying success with waits. My first visit I was in line for less than five minutes. Subsequent visits have ranged from ten to fifteen to twenty-five minutes. Despite the waits, I never leave that line. I know how good things are once that Bialy is in my hand. If you are a bagel or Bialy fan and in the Philly area, give Kismet a try. Their product speaks for itself.

Egg and cheese
Sarah A.

I learned that the longer the line, the more likely the flop at this establishment. The concept of bialys is fun and can be delicious but this place's execution was a tad lacking. The egg and cheese was just...boring. The bagel was fluffy but the egg was hard boiled and the cheese was more of the burnt side. It was more like eating the Sahara Desert of bagels. There was no outstanding flavor so for that I cant give it that good of a review. My dining partner had the classic lox with scallion cream cheese and enjoyed it. He noted that the excessive amount of oil drizzled on top overpowered all the other flavors which how does smoked salmon get overpowered in flavor?! This place explicitly stated that there could be no substitutions so what you saw on the menu is what you got. Unfortunately for me it was not worth the hype or wait. The best part was the lack of utensils or napkins provided - it was more here's your boxed bagel, deuces! Not the most lovely of experiences. You can try for the hype but honestly, go to another spot in Reading Market.

a man standing in front of a store
YangHwa P.

Conveniently located inside the Reading Terminal it is a great place to get either breakfast, quick lunch, or hefty snack. The service is really nice, and the selection of bialys is good also. I got The Egg, and eating one was plenty. I wish it was less salty, but I would like to try other bialys.

What IS a bialy?
Dave L.

I'm thrilled Kismet Bagels opened a bialys shop. I love bagels, and I love bialys even more - try the 'strami ($10, credit accepted). It's got pastrami, mustard, Fishtown pickles, Swiss cheese, and potato chips. What's better than that? It's all in a bagel-y case that's better than a bagel sandwich. Find this shop in the Reading Terminal Market. They're open from 8am to 6pm every day. Don't miss them! p.s. I impulse bought a Kismet Bagels cap here, and have no regrets.

The 'Strami (left) and The Onion (right) Bialys
Austin B.

tl;dr Reading Terminal's new bagel-adjacent stand is pricey but enjoyable for a unique spin on a bagel sandwich Kismet is a pandemic hobby-turned-bagel enterprise. The original popup was met with wide success, and Kismet now boasts several brick-and-mortar bagel shops and, now, a unique bialy-centric Reading Terminal Market stall. For the uninitiated, bialys are chewy, yeast-based rolls closely related to bagels, except that they are baked (instead of boiled) with a "bowl" (instead of a hole). Kismet's varieties are subsequently stuffed with a variety of toppings, sweet and savory. Kismet took up residency in an end booth on the South side of RTM. The stall sports a wrap-around stainless steel counter, soaring pink shelves, and plenty of industrial bialy (and bagel)-making equipment. The daily selection is displayed on trays beside the register, behind a plexiglass pane. My mom and I recently visited RTM for weekday lunch. While most vendors were swamped by the lunch rush, the staff at Kismet were tearing down shop, the last few bialys of the day patiently awaiting a patron. We did a lap around the Market, but were down back to Kismet. We picked out the best-looking ones, and a staff member promptly heated them up in an industrial oven and boxed them into vibrantly retro takeout containers. The card reader crashed while I was paying; while we waited, one staff member effortlessly struck up small talk while generously loading us up ramekins with Fishtown Pickles. The cashier ended up granting us the bialys on the house (no small sum, since the bialys typically run from $6-10 each). We got The Onion and The 'Strami Bialys. While I mildly missed the chewy skin of bagels classic, these crispy crusts understandably held up better against the semi-solid toppings. The former was a poppy seed bialy decked with a dollop of rich caramelized onions. While tasty, we both agreed that this bialy was sorely in need of one more component -- maybe a slice of melty cheese or a fried egg. The latter bialy was coated with crushed potato chips and topped with blistered, baked swiss and thinly sliced, melt-in-you-mouth pastrami. We opted for the pickles and dijon on the side, and we were glad that we did -- in excess, either could risk drowning out the main event. My only critique is that I only wish for more pastrami. I'm not certain that I would go out of my way to get a bialy again, but it was a wholly enjoyable experience and hit the spot. Between stellar service and a solid lineup of bialys, bagels, and schmears, Kismet Bialyis is a welcome addition to RTM.

'Strami Bialy
Alexis B.

I have never had a bialy like this!!! My mom and I were exploring the breakfast options in Reading Terminal Market on a weekday last week, not sure of what we were going to find! My mom is vegan so we were keeping our eyes peeled for vegan breakfast options. And we found Kismet. Bialy virgins: a bialy is not a bagel - I think signs at Kismet refer to it as a cousin to the bagel. There's not a hole in the center - there's a base in the center so that the circle created can be filled (most traditionally with onion, caramelized onion, or poppy seeds). And they're not boiled before they're baked (a bagel is). They're thought to originate from Bialystok in Poland but became very popular in New York City after Jewish immigrants from Poland brought the bialy to their new home with them. I've eaten quite a few bialys in my life. But I've never been to a restaurant or food stand that specialized in and modernized (hipsterized maybe?) the bialy!! Kismet Bialys is doing something I've never seen anywhere else before! The Classic (filled with caramelized onions and topped with flaky salt and poppy seeds) is vegan, so my mom tried what might have been her first bialy and enjoyed it. As a non-vegan, I had a bunch of creative options to choose from. I went with "The 'Strami," a bialy topped with pastrami, swiss cheese, dijon mustard, a pickle chip, and a potato chip crust. It came out PIPING hot, still steaming, but I was too excited not to stuff my face and burn my tongue. The pastrami was great (do you make it in house, Kismet?), and the crustiness of it was wonderful. This was a treat. It was definitely a meal. If you're thinking of getting The 'Strami, come hungry! A great, fun concept with a delicious bialy. If you're looking for breakfast in Reading Terminal Market, don't sleep on Kismet. Or lunch. Or a (large, filling) snack.

Briana H.

Before heading to Philly I had read a blog about which stalls to check out in Reading Terminal and this one made their list and my personal must try list! I had never heard of a bialy but reading it was a relative of the bagel I was intrigued. Display cases showed a variety of options- but I had read the The Strami came recommended and so opted for that. The service was quick and the staff was friendly. I loved that it was served with mustard and pickles. Check this place out if you're in Reading Terminal!

A cute box
Suzanne A.

I've had Kismet bagels which are really good but I wasn't sure what to expect from the bialys. They were delicious! I went with a sweet choice, The Jam, which is also vegetarian. It was a white poopy seed bagel with a strawberry jam ( jam flavors change) and lemon whipped ricotta. The staff is super nice! The woman who waited on me was friendly and packed the ricotta separately since I wasn't eating it right away. Bagels, beverages, and souvenir items are also available. The stand is located in the Reading Terminal Market. It's a great addition for breakfast or lunch. The Market has seating and is a great space to people watch. I will definitely be back to try some other flavors!

Hannah P.

Amazing bialys in assorted flavors. We ordered two - a Buffalo chicken and a poppyseed onion. Both were delicious. I preferred the Buffalo chicken because of the sauce on top. The New Yorker we visited with said that these rivaled local bialys! Definitely recommend visiting. Since it is in Reading Terminal Market, there is no seating. The line was somewhat long but it moved quickly.

The 'Strami

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Absolutely delicious! There will definitely be a wait. But we had the bacon egg and cheese bialy with hot sauce and I would recommend!

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Ask the Community - Kismet Bialys

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Kismet Bialys - bagels - Updated May 2026

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