We've been wanting to try Montreal style bagels for a few years, but it's never been convenient for me to stop somewhere to get them (actually, the only somewhere I knew they actually had them). Lefty's opened in Evanston last year so I stopped by today and picked up a dozen. They're delicious. And their flavors are great. I got: pink salt & rosemary, plain, cheddar, sesame, garlic & onion, everything, and giardinera. That's right, they have a giardinera bagel! I haven't tried mine yet but my partner did and said it's excellent. They have several cream cheese blends as well. I picked up the jalapeño, which wasn't too spicy (today at least), and I also got a small one of the lemon and dill to give it a try. My toddler loved the lemon and dill. Parking is street only. I'll be back! read more

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I stopped by Lefty's Righteous Bagels when in the area for lunch. I got to Lefty's about 30 minutes before close so bagel selections were limited. I was thankful that they had some of the classics. I ended up orderings a sesame bagel with scallion cream cheese and everything bagel with jalapeño cream cheese to-go as well as an Eggy Vedder Sandwich on Pink Sea Salt bagel to enjoy there. The bagel sandwich was absolutely delicious! I can only imagine with other bagel flavor options, how amazing it would be. My to-go bagels tasted just as great the next day. I wasn't the biggest fan of their cream cheese but the everything bagel was a top 5 for me! They make their seasoning in house and it shows. Cannot wait to be in the area next to stop in again and try more of their offerings. read more

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I come to this place whenever I'm in town. The bagels here are better than Einsteins in my opinion and the people who work here are always pleasant. Their bagels are Montreal based (since that's where Lefty's originally is from) so no, it won't taste like a New York style bagel (and I love New York style bagels btw), but these are still really good. I think the best ones I've had here are the Kerrygold cheddar and the gardenia one. The rosemary sea salt and regular sea salt bagels can sometimes be too salty. They do have WiFi so if you need a place to work a bit, this place is good for that and it's right across the street from the "L" and the Metra station. As for the coffee, the regular drip is decent but I've had better. Only knocking a star because as I've said, the bagels (specifically the salt ones) can be too salty. If they can get the consistency right with those, it'll be really solid. I will continue to visit though whenever I'm in town. read more

Pretty average bagel. Not a chewy crust and a little too doughy for my taste. Not worth the trip. $3.25 for a bagel, or $5.25 for a bagel with butter is expensive. I won't be back. Oh yeah, guy at the register gave me a funny look when I chose not to tip. Sorry my man, if you toast a bagel for me that's not worth a tip. read more

Spontaneously came across this place on a Saturday morning. It's right next to an animal (cat?) shelter. My daughters were watching the cats play while I ordered our breakfast. It smells great even from outside. They have a great variety of bagels and cream cheeses. I had a spicy giardianiera bagel with cacio e pepe cream cheese. My total was $24 for 3 bagels with cream cheese and 1 chocolate s'more bialy. I noted that they also have a cafe inside, so I hope to go back and try their coffee and a breakfast sandwich. read more

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Tried a new (newish to us) bagel joint. This place is legit, hand rolled, boiled, baked! The pink salt bagel and cheese bagel were very good. Browned butter cake was delish!!! Tried a variety of pesto salads and schemers - good. read more

Lefty’s Righteous Bagels - Assortment of bagels, salad, and schemers - Bagels Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

I had a bialy and an iced coffee. I really liked the bialy. I wasn't crazy about the coffee. I'd go back for the food.

I really like that the bagels are made fresh here- you can see the wood fired oven! Lots of bagel places say they're fresh but they're frozen and then baked- not the same. My bagel was fresh and tasty and the cream cheese seemed to be homemade as well. I got an iced latte which was a seasonal special on offer. Definitely worth a stop for a quick brunch. read more

Lefty’s Righteous Bagels - Bagel, cream cheese, and an iced seasonal latte - Bagels Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

These bagels are amazing!! I am from NYC, and I can say that these are some of the best bagels I've ever had. I buy bagels every Saturday at the farmer's market in Evanston, and the staff is so kind and helpful. 10/10 recommend trying these bagels if you are on the North Shore! read more

I'm biased but a few weeks ago I had the best bagel ever from Lefty's Righteous Bagels. This is my first time trying a Montreal style bagel and after having an everything bagel from Lefty's, other bagels I've had in the past can't compare. It's that freaking good! Lefty's advertises as Montreal style. I was curious and did some homework researching the difference between NY versus Montreal style bagels. NY bagels are bigger in size and boiled in water with barley malt added. They have a higher content of salt and are pretty dense. In contrast, Montreal bagels are small and thin in size. They are boiled with a sugar sweetener (oftentimes honey) and cooked in a wood fired oven. You can definitely taste the subtle sweetness and crunch when biting into a fresh Montreal style bagel. Having visited a couple times, I was won over based on taste and texture. My biggest gripe with the place is the continuous unsuccessful execution with getting my husband's order right. I shared in my husband's frustration and if I were the unfortunate recipient of an order fail I'd be pretty upset too. The consistent mishaps result in having to check the bag before leaving to make sure what we ordered is what we received. It shouldn't have to be this way. On both visits my husband requested a toasted Pink salt bagel with Lox spread. Both times I didn't bother to check the bag because I left in good faith assuming they got our order right. I come home and unwrap the goods only to find out he ended up with a plain bagel with plain cream cheese. SMH. The second visit they got the bagel right but the bagel was oddly chopped up into quarters and the cream cheese was chive, not Lox. Aside from that, Montreal style bagels from Lefty's are pretty damn tasty and I would visit often to indulge in my bagel fix. Overall staff worked out the kinks post their soft opening cranking out enough bagels for the day avoiding a premature close. The employees are happily engaged with a system efficient enough to get you in and out within minutes. As for which bagel reigns supreme (NY or Montreal) is a preference of taste but if this is your first time, I would definitely give them a try. Hardcore NY bagel fans may sway becoming Montreal style converts. read more

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Great service. Walked in ordered got my bagel in less than 3 minutes. Plus friendly staff. I came in just to try their everything bagel. Totally worth the $3.25. Chewy inside and seeded all around the outside. There was a slightly floral note from one of the seeds. Super nice. I brought it home to doctor up. Glad they are in my neighborhood. read more

Lefty’s Righteous Bagels - Everything bagel - Bagels Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Lefty's is a spot my boyfriend friend recommended us to go to. They have decent bagels but in my opinion it is overpriced. The drinks are 5-7 dollars and the bagel with shmear is 5 dollars. Their bagels are like 3/4 of the size of normal bagels. Their drinks are fine. I think this is a cute spot to try out but it's nothing super special. The experience here is good their customer service is great. You can also see the process of them making the bagels. read more

Lefty’s Righteous Bagels - Inside - Bagels Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

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Came here on a Sunday to grab some quick breakfast and wasn't disappointed with Lefty's! Reasonably priced and very filling. I got the Eggy Vedder and it came out within 5 minutes of ordering. The staff were very friendly and helpful when I was ordering. Highly recommend! read more

Rather new to my neighborhood so I stopped in for a bagel and coffee. A nice interior and a competent staff. I don't know if any of you have experienced Kosher or New York style bagels but this ain't that. The crust is chewy which probably denotes an egg glaze. But the inside was more like risen bread. In my experience both NY and Kosher bagels have a more dense interior which is also somewhat chewy. So I have crossed Lefty's off my list of bagel shops. Incidentally. My small coffee was a bit bitter but had a familiar flavor. And the bill with 15% tip was around $10.50. read more

NO! We went to another local Evanston Jewish deli/restaurant the other day and were sooo happy. Then we came here as we wanted to support another small, local biz. What a disappointment to the point of anger! New Yorkers are used to high prices but this joint wasn't in NYC, yet their prices are; and, their bagels are like rubber and raw UFO's with zero taste, and that was "toasted", yet still chewy! We felt like we were confused and then robbed and threw their rubber thingees out. The coffee was good enough to wash those first two bites down. The staff also seemed like they just arrived from a not-so-sharp outer planet as well. Never again! read more

Had breakfast here last week and the bagel sandwiches (accompanied by the proverbial dill pickle) are always amazing! Great chai tea latte as well! Love this place! read more

This place can be hit or miss. The Billy Corgan sandwich is amazing, and they load that sucker with lox, so it's not a bad price for that much lox, although everything else is overpriced. The bagels are good in general, not mind blowing, but good. The cream cheese seems high quality, and the lemon dill one is sooooo good. However, I got a tub of the Shmere of the Month, caramelized onion, and there were maybe 3 pieces of onion. I'm only being a little hyperbolic when I say that. There was hardly any onions, it was just a plain, albeit good, cream cheese. Not exactly what I was hoping for. Their pesto chicken salad tastes like mayonnaise and mayonnaise had a baby, and that baby threw up all over some dry ass chicken. And the service is hit or miss as well. They aren't rude or anything, but they have gotten my order wrong a few times. All that being said, I still eat there frequently. They are along my walking route, and sometimes I cannot resist the sweet, sweet siren call of that lox. It makes any other shortcoming worth it. read more

Wow this place is incredible! Arguably one of the best bagels in Evanston and Chicago. Delicious Montreal style bagels, sandwiches, and fun specialty coffee drinks. I had the pistachio latte and it was divine! I highly recommend the Lox sandwich sesame or giardinera bagel and the cacio e pepe cream cheese blew my mind! Not only is the food delicious but the atmosphere is so cozy and welcoming. It's always warm in there from the wood burning oven and the kitchen is open concept so you can watch the entire prep process if you're there at the right time. If you happen to be there with your kids during the dough rolling step, they'll let them roll out their own bagel so they feel like they're helping with the prep process. It's so cute! The owner Brad is so kind and charismatic and is always chatting it up with regulars and strangers alike. I love this place with my whole heart. The bagels do tend to sell out. I was there last Sunday and they were already almost out of bagels at noon so get there early so you have all the flavor options :) read more

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I wasn't expecting to give this place five stars and I thought I was crazy to go on "Grand Opening" day. I showed up early in case there was a LONG line. There was only 5 people so I was able to get in! First of all, the service at this place is top notch. I know that bagel places can be a little bit in a hurry and overwhelming with their menu. Not this place. The woman behind the counter was very nice and excellent. Everybody else seem to be smiling so I think they are happy here! I got a full Lefty's (baker's dozen) and got a singular toasted bagel to try it out. I went with a Pink Salt Rosemary bagel with a Cacio e Pepe Cream Cheese. That was delicious! I really like this unique combination and I would highly recommend it to anybody who is looking for more of a savory option. I am not the biggest cream cheese fan, but this spread was perfect! If I were to have any downside, the bagels were a smidgen on the smaller size, but I think that's the nature of Montreal bagels. Still not exactly sure what the difference is, but it still tasted excellent. I could also see people thinking the bagels are a little bit expensive, but compared to the "competition", its pretty fair. I can't wait until they add sandwiches to the menu. I will be back for a bagel of course! read more

Delicious bagels. Not so friendly service at the counter. Felt like i was bothering the cashier with my order. "Can i have a dozen and two containers of cream cheese" turned into "stop, wait, what bagels? that's why you have me confused. Start over." No greeting, no thank you, Annoyed presence, is lame. read more

An outstanding experience!! So excited that they did a soft open to spread the word and were so successful. All the staff were exceptionally friendly and professional even though they were swamped with customers. The bagels? Hot, chewy with a crisp outside and melted in my mouth with generous cream cheese. Especially love the decor and vibe too. This place has so much more coming soon too - well done Lefty's for rocking the first few days!! read more

Lefty’s Righteous Bagels - Ambience! - Bagels Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Got two bagel sandwiches to go today. The bagels were dense gobs of uncooked dough. I won't be back.

Lefty's Righteous Bagels is still in their soft opening, but I'm already claiming they've got one of the best bagels I've had in Chicagoland (and I've tried most). I stopped by on a Wednesday morning just as they were opening at 8 AM. There was already a line out the door, but it moved quickly. Every member of staff was hustling, but service was extremely warm and inviting. This is a counter service operation, but there were plenty of tables as well as a bar where you could watch the bagels being made. The space felt very clean and open. These are Montreal-inspired, wood fired bagels with a crisp and warmth you don't get from other bagel spots. They offered a baker's half dozen for about $16, which was a great deal compared to purchasing individual bagels. Flavors are rotating during this soft opening phase. This is an incredible addition to the neighborhood and I can't wait to come back! read more

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Love the place! It's super close to the train station so perfect spot to grab a coffee and bagel! Tried their bagel with jalapeño cream cheese. Super quick service with food and ambiance wise it's bright and has a lot of seating options! read more

Lefty’s Righteous Bagels - Bagel - Bagels Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

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The bagels are very good, and the space is very beautiful, modern but cozy. But $6 for a toasted bagel with butter just doesn't sit right.

Word to the wise - check your order, because none of the four employees who put ours together bothered! We were super excited to try this place - literally took the bus for over an hour - just for them to completely mangle our order. The "half a dozen is 7 here!" shtick would be a lot cuter if we hadn't received 5 bagels (and not even the ones we ordered, mind you). Maybe stick to 6 for a half dozen, and making sure they're all in the bag, so I don't waste another morning going out to Evanston just to get a paper bag full of disappointment. read more

We ordered a lox bagel board from Lefty's Righteous Bagels. We had people in town, and it was easy to throw on the table for breakfast. It was a fun concept, and we are glad we tried it. Our only wish is that it was a little larger. It barely fed 4 people even though it said it feeds 8-10. Also, it was a little difficult figuring out which bagels were which. We would have rather received them whole and cut them up ourselves. All the mixed pieces left everyone confused. read more

Since opening, leftys has not disappointed. Bagels are always tasty and staff is always kind. The monthly specials are always interesting to try. A perfect place to grab a quick breakfast. read more

Great bagels. Ridiculous prices. Unfortunately, I don't plan on returning. It's just too expensive.

I'll get the positive out of the way first: damn good bagels. Free 7th bagel with your half dozen (prolly similar policy with full dozen but I dunno). There's a discount day-old basket which I highly recommend. Nice atmosphere. Friendly staff. Great neighborhood hang. Neutral: haven't tried the coffee but I'm pretty picky about that anyway, so I'll leave that to others. Negative: Buyer beware. Inspect them before leaving store. There is a need for a little more quality control. Came home with my latest purchase, got down to the bottom of my half-dozen to find two of my poppy seed variety terribly burnt. Unacceptably so. But--put this in the positive column--I brought them right back and they gave me two replacement no questions asked. But then...quality control!...got them home to find them *under* done. Hard to slice because the crust wan't crisp enough to stand up well to the slicing. Anyway, go to Lefty's. Odds are you have a good experience. read more

Tried Lefty's for the first time this week. My wife and were craving salt bagels after visiting Montreal the previous week. We did a search of local bagel places and saw that Lefty's had two types of salt bagels. We stopped in and got a dozen (salt, salt & rosemary, sesame, and everything). Angels were terrific and service was great!! Can't wait to stop in and try some of the other bagels! read more

Cute place with a hands on owner and attentive and friendly waitstaff. The best whipped cream cheese ever in delightful flavor combos. The bagels were nor as large or as different as I expected but very tasty. Only drawback- prices are a bit high. read more

Super fun and tasty, with great service and clever interior decoration. Bagels came out fast and tasty, coffee hot and hit the spot. If you're looking for a quick and good breakfast, this is it. Plus plenty of unique flavors, such as za'atar bagels and Cacio e Pepe schmear. So fun! read more

best bagels in Chicago area in fact best bagels except ones in Montreal chewy ,generous amount of various seeds on both sides . outstanding cream cheese order ahead they often are out of favorites You will never want any bagels if they are not Lefty's read more

As a few other reviewers have stated, we wanted to love, but after a 45 minute+ wait we brought home half-baked bagels. Friendly staff, cheerful ambiance, first time restaurateur, billed as 'Montreal Style' bagels which is a HIGH bar, many of the Canadian Montreal bagel shops, St. Viateur, The Bagel House, etc have been tuning their craft for 60+ years. The inexperienced staff, quality control, a run of customers, the oven? all contributed to a sub-par product (see photo). Lefty has an opportunity to retool, but has to move fast as a $3.25 bagel with a limited menu (Bagels, cream cheese, coffee/espresso bar) will only fly if it's one of the best damn bagels you've ever had, anything short of the best will be a casualty of the great idea bin where execution falls short. I'm rooting for you Lefty. read more

Lefty’s Righteous Bagels - Lefty's Bagels - Bagels Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

I stopped by the pop up location in Skokie. I got a bagel sandwich and a medium cup of drip coffee and it was $20. It was just ok for the price. read more

I wasn't able to get any pictures before downing my bagels! We got to try a cinnamon sugar bagel with honey vanilla cream cheese, everything bagel with scallion CC, and a plain bagel with cacho e Pepe cc. Omg they were all to die for! My favorite was the cinnamon sugar bagel- as someone who loves sweets for breakfast. The cacho e Pepe smear was also amazing and the first time I've had anything like that. Every employee I spoke to was so nice and conversational. The shop itself is super cute and has tons of space for working or hanging out. If I was still a student I would definitely be taking my laptop and getting work done there. My only complaint I guess would be the bagels were a little on the smaller side, but I think that's just the style! Just get 2 bagels and you'll be perfectly full! read more

Very good bagel sandwich. Loved the lemon cream cheese and dill on my nova sandwich. Doesn't seem that they do much order customization. Not a lot of bagel or bialy varieties. Nice that the barrister bar is physically separated from the food/cash area. Very clean and pleasant appearance. Staff was very nice. I asked for a toasted bagel, but as they were making my order, they said" the bagel is still warm, right out of the oven. Do you still want it toasted?" They're thoughful and care about their product. read more

Charming new addition to Evanston. The bagels have a nice firm exterior, and the interior has just the right give. I had the everything bagel with jalapeño cream cheese (spicy!) and my companion had the plain bagel with scallion cream cheese. Both were excellent. The interior is the right mix of cozy and chic, and everyone from the folks serving up the coffee to the bakers at the wood-fired oven were welcoming and cheerful. We'll be back! read more

Lefty’s Righteous Bagels - Bagels! - Bagels Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

To be honest, for an independent bagel shop, especially in E-Town, they have a pretty corporate vibe. Just feels like a chain, and/or a business with PE backing that hopes to be a chain someday. The world needs more mom and pop feeling places, and this neighborhood loves 'em. But it's not a chain (for now, at least) and the bagels are delicious, so I'm glad they exist... read more