I was surprised to find this Once Upon a Bagel when I was in Winnetka and stopped in to grab some breakfast. The sandwich was ok but the bacon was barely cooked, it was totally translucent. Gross; that part went in the trash and it would have been cheaper just to get an egg and cheese sandwich so bummer I wasted a bit of money. I got a few bagels and some jalapeño cream cheese but haven't tried them yet. There's a better selection of bagels at New York Bagel & Bialy, but this is where I was. I'm curious about the pumpernickel bagel for sure. I had a bagel with the jalapeño cream cheese and it was really good; the spice level is enough that it raises the heat without being uncomfortable. Service was good. The restaurant itself was fairly large--I actually forgot that they have a sit-down section since they're kinda separated. There's some parking right outside but also the village has a parking structure down the block on the other side of Hubbard Woods Park. read more

See all

Food and service was fantastic, my bagel and toasted pastry was a tad stale and dry but the flavor was immaculate. Great location and the inside was beautiful! Will definitely be coming back read more

Always a pleasure! I order here when I am sick and I am always met with delicious, warm soup. 10/10

Freshest sandwiches in town!!! Ordering online is easy and quick. Friendly service.

great food! only waited like 5 mins for my burrito and it was delicious. those who took my order were super nice and asked what kind of sauces we wanted. the menu has a good amount of variety and good prices read more

The quality of food isn't the same as Mean Weiner in Highwood.. ordered a steak burrito and it was horrible !nothing like the mean weiner... same owners same menu minus the bagels.. read more

A patient brought us these bagels to our inpatient unit and us nurses went nuts! The bagels and donuts are AMAZING. Soft, balanced, and delicious. 12/10. read more

I really wish I could say this was a great experience but, sadly it was not. I didn't feel like having a bagel, but I noticed that there was a HUGE menu with hot dogs, burgers, gyros, sandwiches and on and on. I ordered the Franchezee hot dog with fries. The fries were good and fresh ( though not "hand cut" as advertised. Although the all beef hotdog was good, the "cheese" - which was that fake liquid stuff- tasted spoiled and if I get sick, I will know why. The bacon was flavorless, served on a microwaved bun that was hard and nearly impossible to chew. Seriously!?? I would suggest if you are going to sell the wide wide world of everything not bagel, it should at least, at the very least be edible and actually taste good at the most. This was my first and LAST trip here. read more

This location gets very busy on the weekends; however the line at the ordering counter moves very quickly. I got the fresh spinach omelette with a choice of plain bagel. The omelette was delicious and a very generous portion. I am giving this location 4 stars because after ordering the wait for food is fairly long and it was unclear if they were going to find me in the next door dinning area or if I was to keep on checking if my order was ready. In the end they knew exactly where I was and brought everything out to me ready to go. They do have a walk-up pick up window for orders placed over the phone ahead of time. I think that's a great option. read more

See all

I am not sure what has happened to them recently maybe new management or ownership. A very nice gentleman helped me this morning. He seemed very uncomfortable and not knowledgeable. I ordered a quarter a pound of two things and when I saw him weigh the second one it was close to a half a pound, and I said something at that point, I asked him to please re-weigh the other thing and that was about the same. all the meats are pre-cut and in a refrigerator looked very dry when I asked about the roast beef I did not get it. I did comment that if the gentleman is having problems, someone should be helping him and at that point someone did. Even though it's close, I don't think I will be going back. This is not the first time. I'm sorry to say. I was there 20 minutes for 1 bagel and .25 of two meats. read more

Best potato pancakes in Chicagoland! The taco is very delicious as well. sauces to perfection read more

Once Upon a Bagel - Delis Near Me - Winnetka, Illinois

Finally! I've passed by this place a kajillion times and finally made it in due to a meeting on Friday. I've been going to the HP location for years, so I guess I just didn't think about coming here. I have to admit I was super curious, and now I can officially give you the breakdown. Highland Park: It's a classic diner. It's older and more established, and when you come here you'll see regulars and feel like you're part of history. The clientele ranges in age... I mean really ranges. The bagels are light and crispy and soft in the middle. The menu has remained the same for as long as I can remember. Their corned beef sandwich will be my last meal on earth, and the chicken matzo soup is loaded with veggies and flavor. It can get REALLY crowded up front at times and you'll expect to wait for service, but that's okay because this place is everything you could want in a Jewish deli. Winnetka: It doesn't have that classic old diner feel. Walk in and it's super new and seems like you're in an everyday Einstein or other chain restaurant, but the truth is it's authentic, and the same great menu as HP. You can expect the same light and crispy bagels, and a staff that will make you feel like you've been a patron forever. The clientele appears to be younger, and Glencoe just got lucky because they can travel north to HP or south to Hubbard Woods for a true deli experience. The space is much smaller here, but I came on a Friday around 2pm and there were several tables available. On the way out I took a large container of chicken matzo soup home and it was AMAZING! The same recipe. Parking can be a bit tricky if you want a spot right out front, and there is a 90 minute parking limit. Not sure that's really reinforced. It's right off the Metra if you need to make a quick stop. I'd come here again, but HP is where my heart is. read more

Solid breakfast fare. The bagel sandwiches are always super tasty! Coming from Southern California I have pretty high expectations for a breakfast burrito and so far this has been the closest thing to home. Very family friendly. Great service. read more

Once Upon a Bagel - Sausage, egg and cheese on an everything bagel - Delis Near Me - Winnetka, Illinois

See all

Good food, not the best service. Bagel sandwich was pretty good. I would go back because the food was pretty good. read more

Once Upon a Bagel - Pretty good food this is how the waffle came to go. - Delis Near Me - Winnetka, Illinois

This place was very good. The ambiance when I walked in was nice and felt welcoming. The everything donut was a 10/10. And the workers were chill. 4.5/5 read more

Once upon a bagel is fine, not great. Nothing special, but a better bagel than most places in illinois. Staff is quick, and it's reasonably priced. Fits the bill but doesn't do much more. Stop by if you want a decent bagel in Illinois fro a speedy meal! read more

Once Upon a Bagel - bagel with lox cream cheese - Delis Near Me - Winnetka, Illinois

Service was great. Great variety of bagel and sandwiches. Bagels were all fresh and not too much dough

Without a doubt, my favorite place to get Matzoh Ball soup. Bar none. It is chock full of fresh veggies. I could easily eat this as a meal every day. My friend swears by their lox, tomato, cream cheese and bagel sandwiches. She swears that it the best in Illinois. read more

I will never go back. I went once and will never return. Here is why 1) forgot a side order that we paid for 2) dramatically cut back on the Corned Beef to the point where I had to send it back. And even they said "oh... yeah" 3) cookies as hard as rocks ... ended up putting in trash. They were supposed to be good, but clearly they have cut quality to make margin. read more

Winnetka is the third richest Midwest zip code. So I expected a lot when I drove up to this location after escorting a client to their home. I observed a nice breakfast crowd and heavy traffic in & out. They must have something here worth fighting for. I was wrong... They don't carry an "everything" bagel (that's my favorite). That's odd. So, I ordered a onion bagel, a side order of sausage patty w/American cheese, an a large hibiscus juice. My bagel had little flavor to it and my sausage patty was the frozen kind found in the supermarkets. I went on and made a breakfast sandwich out of it. Two stars for giving me three patties and the cheese was nice and melted. My hibiscus juice tasted like cough syrup. It was nothing like the one I had in AZ (that's if you follow my reviews). It would have been nice if someone told me anything on the menu can be purchased anytime of day. But just like 7 other reviews mentioned, service here sucks. Once Upon a Bagel. Right now, I am wishing upon a star for a better breakfast! read more

Once Upon a Bagel - Side a sausage patties - Delis Near Me - Winnetka, Illinois

See all

This WAS our neighborhood go to and I will NEVER return. I ordered a toasted bagel and cream cheese to go. When I got home the bagel had not been toasted even though we stressed we wanted it toasted. I called and asked if I could come back and get what I ordered - a toasted bagel. Came home again and here is what they gave me. See picture. Horrible service and intentionally jerks. read more

Once Upon a Bagel - a bagel on a piece of wax paper - Delis Near Me - Winnetka, Illinois

Great bagel store with every kind of fresh hot bagels and cream cheese (chive) & more. We had the egg (everything) bagel, toasted with the works, and a sesame , both toasted, wrapped, cut, and wrapped again for eating on the go. They have skinny pumpernickel too, but out of them today. The menu appears endless on the l-o-n-g chalkboard running the length of the bagel and pastry cases. And at the end of this galley is a grill and spacious customer seating, although a lot of people were just picking up $68 worth of hot bagels! This is a popular spot in town. The bagels and bialeys are authentic, fresh and tasty. Regular and decaf coffee are on self serve taps. read more

Walked in on a chilly weekday to grab some bagels. The bakers dozen after 3pm Monday - Saturday is only $7.79. There were plenty of bagels left to choose from and we grabbed almost one of each kind, minus the salt and regular pretzel bagels. You can also grab food here to dine in, Mean Weiner and sandwiches and the like are available here. The bagels are good, better than the grocery store variety. They have a lot of flavors to choose from, over 13 types. The aren't super dense like some other Jewish delis but sufficient. read more

See all

An amazing breakfast/lunch spot! I am surprised the reviews aren't higher. The staff is so sweet and service is quick. There is a spacious sitting area if you want to dine in! We got one of the breakfast platters (chorizo, eggs, potatoes), tacos (carne asada, very good!), matzo ball soup (delicious--has chicken noodle with it), and then bagels. Everything was great! It's also in the downtown area, so it's very cute to walk around. read more

This place is tasty but they cannot get your order right! The bagels are soft and glossy on top. Two consecutive visits my order is wrong- it's not that complicated. I ordered a seasame bagel with plain schmear. The first time they gave me veggie spread and today I got a plain bagel with plain schmear. Whhyyyyyyyy- please open your ears. Check your order before you leave the store! read more

Once Upon a Bagel - Delis Near Me - Winnetka, Illinois

Finally got around to getting the matzo ball soup! The broth and veggies were super good but the matzo was a bit more bland than other versions I've enjoyed. My bowl of soup came with a yummy bagel of choice. I went with the egg bagel. The price was cheaper than I thought it would be! Definitely some bang for your buck here. Nothing like hot soup or a warm bagel on a chilly day! read more

Okay food but you need to watch and ask for an itemized receipt. Third time our items weighed and cost more than was requested. It's not about the money, it's about communicating and giving the customer the option to decline the extra weight. We don't generally post on yelp but felt others needed to be aware. read more

If it's bagels you're after, this place is 5 stars. Highly recommend salted pretzel bagels or the everything egg bagel.

LOVE their tacos! Great service and very friendly! Very quick with the food with a million delicious options to choose from!

Great tacos with a nice discount on Wednesday's. People there are nice too. I like it

I'm totally not familiar with this area, only came here because I just sold my car at CarMax Northfield/Glenco (7 min away) and had to take the Metra home. This place is right off the Hubbard woods metra station of the Union Pacific/North line. I had an hour to kill and this was the only one open on a Monday with decent reviews. The store front is really inviting with big "Once Upon a Bagel" written in renaissance style letters, however the inside is not themed, looked like a typical mom and pop Mexican restaurant. Their menu ranges from breakfast food to bagels to tacos to sandwiches to salad platters to soup and more. I was totally overwhelmed when trying to decide what to get. I ended up with a large matzo ball soup and 4 tacos. The large size soup comes with 2 bagels and this is the part where they lost a star with me. I'm not a bagel person and it was my first time there. So I asked what types of bagels are there to choose from. The cashier didn't understand me very well and kept lumping cream cheese flavors with the bagel flavors. Additionally she doesn't speak great English so we ended up confusing each other and took a long time and I still didn't get what I wanted. I was there on a Monday around 5pm, was the only one dining in, everyone else did take out. The tacos were very good. I got steak, chicken, shrimp and tilapia. The shrimp and tilapia were just ok, but the steak and chicken was very flavorful and fresh. I took the soup home, it traveled well and tasted great. Definitely would visit again if I'm in the neighborhood. read more

Once Upon a Bagel - Menus are on the walls. - Delis Near Me - Winnetka, Illinois

See all

It is a diner/deli all in one. Stopped in for breakfast the other day, (2 Eggs up, bacon, hash browns, and toast) pretty good. Bacon was a little more crispy than I like but that is the only complaint. Fast service and a clean spot. I understand why it was hopping on Sunday AM. read more

Ordered lox and bagel (sesame) with everything. Meh. Bagel was semi- stale, tomato tasted horrible and onion was dry . Lox was alright. But why bother...so underwhelming when this is supposed to be a treat!? Go to another place that actually cares about their food .... there are plenty other places. read more

Awesome quality, great selection and above all Kosher!! read more

See all

Tasty bagels and good cream cheeses, always friendly service. You'll see pick ups for stores and restaurants hauling out dozens of bagels -- always a promising sign. read more

Get the tacos. I'd recommend the al pastor or beef. Bagels are OK- a little chewy for my taste. Haven't tried the other items on the menu as I can't justify getting anything other than the tacos when I go. Location is A+. Unlike it's luddite north shore brethren, this place accepts credit cards! read more

Once Upon a Bagel - Fantastic tacos - Al Pastor and Beef - Delis Near Me - Winnetka, Illinois

Their bagels are not my favorite, as the Bagel at Old Orchard or New York Bagel and Bialy has way better bagels. With that said, they still make a solid bagel sandwich and have good omelets. What some do not realize is that their Mexican food is some of the best on the North Shore. Their tacos are authentic street tacos and they have a ton of options. It's also really well priced, which is rare for the area. If you've never tried their Mexican food you will not be disappointed. read more

Extremely disappointed with the staff. Today drove from downtown Chicago to pick up soup and bagels to carry out and the staff rudely turned us away 5 minutes before closing. If you close at 4 and the open sign is on the door at 3:55 you should not turn customers away and say "all the bagels are in the garbage". That exactly where the unpleasant manager should be located! read more

My favorite Saturday breakfast spot! This place can get really crowded-- that's why I suggest calling ahead and picking up your order. Pay via phone! It's super convenient, and the staff are really nice. I've tried many items from the menu but always return to the bagel. Happy to have this close by! read more

Mexican food Rey good especially the mole enchiladas. Also great salads. Helps excellent