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Once Upon A Bagel

3.7 (33 reviews)
Closed • Closed

Once Upon A Bagel Photos

ONCE UPON A BAGEL ATMOSPHERE

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Miranda L.

Grand Opening done right! Once Upon a Bagel has officially opened their fourth bagel shop in Arlington Heights. It is located in a strip mall with plenty of parking to accommodate guests. Their menu is expansive with bagels, bialys, deli sandwiches, salads, and more! When entering, grab a number from the counter to save your place in line. One orders at the counter and then pats at the register when the order is completed. The bagel case is behind the register so I recommend taking a look before going to order. I was thoroughly impressed by how many bagel flavors they had to offer! I got a Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Sandwich on a Garlic Bagel (toasted). I was able to pick my cheese type, egg preparation, and ask for my bacon to be crispy. My sandwich was certainly made fresh and bagels were still fresh at lunchtime when I visited. The sandwich in total was $14 which is a bit steep but the flavor was amazing!! This is certainly a treat and a great bagel option in the Chicagoland area!

Karen N.

I was looking forward to the opening of this location, unfortunately it was not what I hoped for. It is located in a strip mall in downtown Arlington Heights with limited parking. The store has beverages in a cooler, bakery items and bagels, spreads and salads. There were 4-5 customers standing and it was unclear if they ordered or were waiting for an order. When I placed by order, it was not smooth. I could not see the bagel choices since the worker was standing in front of them. I ordered a Turkey Club and had to ask what was included. Cheese was extra. Not sure what to expect. The sandwich was ok, the bagel was flat on the bottom and top. This is a traditional bagel, but it was dense and was not as flavorful as expected. The sandwich did have a generous amount of turkey, tomato, lettuce and bacon. It seemed it was all jut piled on. Prices are a bit steep for the quality.

everything bagel with chive cream cheese
Stacy H.

service: went in around opening time on friday. technically they open at 8 but they'll open after they're done prepping which could be before 8. the staff was very friendly and gave good recommendations. one had even recommended jalapeño cream cheese on the cinnamon raisin (which we will try next time)! food: ordered the everything bagel with chives cream cheese (my favorite of the two) and the cinnamon raisin bagel with walnut raisin cream cheese. both bagels toasted. love the thick slab of cream cheese on both. they were very tasty. the bagel itself i wish were bigger. not the best bagels i've ever had but they may be the best in the neighborhood. looking forward to trying the breakfast sandwiches and other bakery items!

Cake
Cynthia G.

Excellent bagel sandwiches and baked goods. Great variety! Love the salted pretzel bagels.

Plain tuna sandwich.   10 bucks.   So not worth it.
Sandra L.

Paid 10.00 for a tuna sandwich. No lettuce no tomato no pickle no side. So low quality for 10 bucks. The young cashier didn't ask what I wanted on it. He has zero personality. This should have at least had lettuce and tomato or the kids should have asked. He never said thank you!! Won't be back.

Breakfast sandwich egg bacon cheese and all seasons bagel
Jessica B.

I got a pretty large order which was the amazing breakfast sandwich egg cheese and bacon. Matzo ball soup. Extra bagels. California chicken salad. Everything was mouthwatering and I will definitely be back!!!

Delicious looking bagels matched with non-existent service

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Reviews are largely positive. People highlight the wide bagel selection, fresh and flavorful sandwiches, variety of cream cheeses, and friendly and helpful staff.

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4 months ago

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2 months ago

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2 months ago

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6 months ago

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4 months ago

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16 days ago

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6 months ago

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5 months ago

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5 months ago

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4 months ago

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26 days ago

Best bagels in the burbs, homemade and fresh every time. Service is always nice. Absolutely recommend

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5 months ago

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4 months ago

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1 month ago

Great bagels, and amazing selection. The staff were very friendly and helpful with placing a large order.

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5 months ago

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3 months ago

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2 months ago

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2 months ago

Food - good. Customer service - horrendous. Parking - horrible. Take out only. Nothing like the store in Highland Park. .

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3 months ago

New favorite bagel place! Used to go to great american bagel until they closed. This is much closer and just as good!

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5 months ago

Bagels are just fair and the prices really high. Cream cheeses are good but also expensive. Will not go back

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4 months ago

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4 months ago

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5 months ago

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5 months ago

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4 months ago

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6 months ago

Really enjoyed my pumpernickel bagel. Quick service, very friendly staff. I'm eager to go back and try some more bagels!

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5 months ago

Great bagels and a very nice staff. I love getting their pastries and the owner is very welcoming.

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5 months ago

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5 months ago

the asiago bagel with chive cream cheese was so good! service is quick and efficient and i'm so glad that this place is so busy

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Scratchboard Kitchen - Blueberry grilled cheese

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3.8(333 reviews)
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I've been here several times and each visit has been a pleasant experience! The service and food…read moreare always great and I love that they switch up some of their menu items seasonally. I do get a little sad when I come back and don't see something I loved on a previous visit, but I also appreciate that rotating the menu makes room for new and delicious dishes to try! I've had their brunch cocktails and coffee on past visits and have enjoyed them every time. This time, I tried their strawberry matcha latte and it was such a delicious sweet treat! I also love the cozy farmhouse vibe of the restaurant! It makes the whole experience feel warm and inviting. Totally recommend this place!

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Best place to get Thai in Arlington Heights. It actually is about the only place. AltThai is a…read moreclean and modern version of the cuisine. Has a lot of the classic favorites. The prices are okay for portions as you get a lot. A casual yet classy atmosphere. It's got a pretty big menu. There's all the favorites including curries and noodles among other things. Bad thing is there's no alcohol. They have things like iced tea. It's about $17 for a curry. These at least come with rice. I got the Panang Curry. This is made with basil leaves, bell peppers, coconut milk, keffir lime leaves, and choice of protein, including tofu. It came in a big bowl. This was more like a soup because it was pretty runny. For sure we could go here again. It's located close to the railroad tracks between Sigwalt and Northwest Highway. There's plenty of choices for vegans and vegetarians.

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CAVA

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4.3(24 reviews)
6.3 mi

My son took me to Cava for the first time tonight. Here are my thoughts:…read more -Place was packed on a Friday night at 9pm. Very nice vibe. Place looks new. -My son described it as "a healthier, and better tasting Chipotle." -You get to pick your base--we did the mixed greens and rice--you can also choose grains. I prefer Chipotle rice over Cava's rice. -Then you get to choose your meat, we went with the honey chicken. Very good. Plenty of meat. -Finally, I added tzatziki, hummus, cucumbers, olives, and a few other exotic items. -All I can say is--all the ingredients were high quality, and tasted great! I will be going back again soon! -Cost was about $13 a person, $2 or $3 more than Chipotle, but worth every penny : ) Highly recommended!

My son was raving about Cava as he tried it in Dallas, TX area. My wife and I love falafels so we…read morecouldn't wait until this was opened. We went after a couple months it opened. The way you order is similar to Chipotle. The line was a decent line, maybe about 6-7 people were ahead of us but the line went pretty quick. You can order bowls or pita. I decided to go with the build you own. You pick your topping (steak, chicken, lamb, falafel) were the choices. I selected falafel. Next, toppings, dips, and finally dressing. And as my side, I went with the classic pita chips. The falafel I felt was not fresh out of the oven or fryer. I was good but I prefer a nice crisp but this wasn't the case. The tzatziki was good but nothing special. I was disappointed with the pita, just the way it is prepared, I prefer some of the "bubbles" on the pita to be crispy or well toasted but it was not. Overall, there was nothing truly special with the sandwich. Now, let's talk about the Original Pita Chips. They were so good and crispy. It was my favorite thing. If I go again, I'd go with a bowl and a side of chips, then dip. The atmosphere was good, crowded but was able to get seating. They had an outdoor area as well. Overall, I'll go here only if the wife wants to go but if I had my choice, I'd go to another place for a falafel sandwich. Also, you only get 4 pieces of falafel.

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Once Upon A Bagel - sandwiches - Updated October 2026

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