Delicious bagels and spreads! Line moves quick and always stocked with the best bagels! Was surprised even at midday there was a line but goes to show people really like this spot. Came on a whim but the locals (students/workers) really seemed to enjoy it too. Inside is simple with the wall of drinks, rows of bagels and spreads on display and a small seating area but Central Park is not too far if you want to eat outside. read more

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Replacing a local favorite (Absolute Bagel), 2788 seems to have the same (Asian) owners, which I personally think is worth supporting. However, I feel their bagels are relatively unspectacular and average. I'd recommend the cranberry Thai iced tea here, and they do make a decent tuna or egg salad. Bagels themselves aren't exactly soft or anything, and they're rather small. They're quite generous with the spread and fillings of bagels. Lines move fairly quickly and their prices are fair. Not really anywhere to sit down though. read more

2788 Bagels is such a gem on the Upper West Side. They took over the old Absolute Bagels spot, and I am so glad to see that the bagels are still great. They also kept mostly the same staff and now take credit cards, which is a huge plus. My go-to order is the egg bagel with lox cream cheese or nova. It is rare to find a good egg bagel that has the right balance of chewiness and fluff, with just a hint of sweetness. The lox pairs really well with it and makes for such a satisfying sweet and savory combination. If you are not close by, I also recommend ordering extra bagels to take home, freeze, and enjoy later. There is often a line out the door, but it moves quickly and the wait is not too long. Definitely recommend stopping by if you are in the area and looking for a classic, reliable NYC bagel shop! read more

When I go to NYC I stay on the UWS and 2788 Bagels is probably the closest bagel store to me. It was about a 15 minute walk each way. I went on my last morning in the city. I got an egg everything bagel with bacon, egg, and cheese and a garlic bagel with lox cream cheese because I was sharing and because you always go big on the last day of vacation. Good bagels! They have a nice crisp crust outside and a chewy dense inside. No notes. I liked that NYPD's finest were here for their morning bagel as well. I'll be back! read more

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Had to check out 2788 Bagels that took over this closed Absolute Bagel. Renovated and bright with what appeared more space upfront for customers, it appeared they took the steps to remedy the issues that plagued its predecessor. Having been weaned on bagels from Kossar's in the Lower East Side when there were no such thing as a sweet or rainbow bagel, I was impressed with their selection with mostly traditional non-sweet options... with the exception of Cinnamon Raisin and Pumpernickel Raisin. What I especially appreciated was the ability to order a dozen with 2 free or 1/2 dozen with 1 free - my preferred quantity when ordering just for myself or 1 guest. My "half dozen" included 2 Pumpernickel, 2 Egg plus to try out 2 Pumpernickel Raisin and 1 Egg Everything. If you'r interested 2788 offers many cream cheese spreads, especially fruit ones presented like in a gelato store, as well as a few tofu spreads. None of these are my thing, but may be yours. The bagels were nice... especially enjoyed the Egg Everything which I could see repeating. Recommend checking out 2788! read more

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I've come to the new Absolute Bagels a few times and glad that the bagels taste similar to the old ones. After visiting 2788, on the third or fourth visit, they changed their system to picking up your order based on the number. This wasn't clear and I threw out my receipt and had a lot of issues receiving my order. It was a disappointing and frustrating experience. read more

I ordered an egg and cheese on a plain bagel and it did not disappoint. The bagel was good, but nothing spectacular. But the egg- that was the star of the show. It was clearly made fresh on the pan for my bagel and tasted incredible. There was a bit of a line and a wait but it wasn't too bad. Although there are a few seats in the space, I wouldn;t recommend eating there. It was overall pretty cramped. The employees were friendly. read more

2788 Bagels - Egg and cheese on a plain bagel - Bagels Near Me - New York, New York

Long line, but wasn't so long a wait. Their system is fairly effective and a well run team allows them to push orders out quickly. There isn't space to eat inside, and its a tight squeeze regardless. We lined up, made our order. Staff was cool throughout, even giving smiles and using eye contact. Got a cinnamon raisin with Lox spread and it was delicious. Good bagel texture, and the sweetness was subtle. The Lox wasnt a stark contrast against it, and they did a good job working together for a flavor combo in my mouth. We also got an everything bagel with strawberry cream cheese. That was also good. Don't have much negative to say about our time there. Extra cute points for the cream cheese looking like gelato. read more

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Still the best bagels in NYC! Absolutely delicious fluffy bagels and amazing spreads. My favorite combo is always a toasted everything bagel with chive and garlic cream cheese. They put enough cream cheese for two full bagels. Even with a long line at peak times, they get through orders so quickly. Theres always a lot of staff so I've never waited long. read more

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An okay bagel experience. What seems like a long line somehow keeps moving and they get through orders exceptionally fast. There technically is an area to stand and eat on the inside, but with how busy it was, definitely better to go elsewhere for a seat. We had 2 everything bagels toasted with different smears- one was the lox cream cheese and the other was chives&garlic. The lox has the salmon integrated nicely so it's a good mix of salty and fatty without being too overwhelming. The chives and garlic was fantastic and I loved that you could see and taste the pieces of chives. For a first time, I always get the default amount of smear, which for here was a respectable amount. Probably 25% more than I personally like, but a good amount of you're a fan. I'm not sure if it's because we came in the early afternoon, but the bagels were pretty mid. Crunchy exterior from the toast, but not great chew and slightly on the stale side. Maybe it'd be different if we came earlier in the day, but still bustling! read more

Excited to come here as someone who loved Absolute, but definitely NOT even remotely close! Happy to see some friendly familiar faces; love the garlic herb CC; they now take credit. No seating area. Bagels- you can try yourself! (I'm neutral about this, so you should decide yourself-- it's just totally NOT the bagel I was hoping for! Bagels are a bit like bagel shaped bread you get at the chain supermarket deli. And the toasting is quite harsh/burned. I guess that explains why there was no usual line out the door at 930a...) (Didn't want to star- rate this place as a first review, so giving 4 in good faith--) read more

2788 Bagels - Onion bagel, not the same! - Bagels Near Me - New York, New York

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2788 Bagels doesn't disappoint. It is the new Absolute Bagels, which closed down in late 2024. The bagels are still just as great, arguably the best in the UWS if not Manhattan (until Bo's Bagels in Harlem steps into the picture). They are crunchy yet soft and chewy on the inside, and the spreads are excellent. My favorite is the jalapeño cream cheese. My fiancée, on the other hand, stands by her unorthodox bagel order: cinnamon raisin bagel, regular cream cheese, jelly, and bagel. And she also stands by her conviction that 2788 Bagels has the best egg bagels in town. 2788 Bagels also now accepts credit cards, and like its predecessor, the seemingly long line still moves quickly. There is limited seating inside, and it remains rather busy throughout the day, so taking your bagel(s) to go is the best bet. read more

2788 Bagels - My go-to order -- everything bagel (toasted), egg, bacon, jalapeño cream cheese - Bagels Near Me - New York, New York

Delicious bagels from a well run & popular store that keeps the line moving briskly, including during their frequent busy times. Even their wholewheat bagels are light and chewy! A variety of dairy cream cheeses and tofu cream cheeses are available, as well as all the usual options (with meats, cheeses, egg, vegetables etc). Prices are reasonable. Seating is very limited, but there are benches on Broadway, and Morningside Park is just a block away. Highly recommended! read more

I used to go to Absolute Bagels whenever I visited NYC, so I was excited to come back and try it again. The bagel at 2788 was still decent, but honestly not as good as I remembered from previous visits. I ordered the garlic bagel with lox spread. The lox cream cheese spread was really delicious -- flavorful, creamy, and definitely the best part of the order. The bagel itself was a little over-toasted, which made it slightly too crunchy on the outside, and the texture overall didn't feel as fresh or soft as it used to. I remember the bagels having a better chew and consistency before. Even though it wasn't exactly what I was hoping for, it was still a solid bagel and I'd probably come back again for the spread alone. Hoping it was just an off day because I've always had great memories of this place. read more

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2788 is cleaner, service is friendlier, and there is a small eat-in counter compared to the old Absolute. But--and this is a big but, the flavoring on the everything bagel is all wrong. No one wants an everything bagel where the main topping is the virtually tasteless poppy seed. This is a real tragedy. Please fix this! . read more

Phenomenal bagels -- I dream of their nova lox (with generous servings of lox) every day. The egg everything has my heart and the scallion cream cheese is chefs kiss. Could not give a more glowing recomendation. read more

$10 for a bacon, egg, and cheese is absolutely ridiculous. There is nothing particularly special about the bagel or the ingredients that justifies charging nearly double what other neighborhood bagel shops charge. And for a business trying to rebuild after being shut down for health code violations, you'd think offering good food at reasonable prices would be a priority. Do yourself a favor and go to Broadway Bagels down the road instead. A BEC is around $5, the bagels are significantly better, the service is friendlier, and the prices actually make sense. Save your money. Don't go here. read more

Good price, $2.00 for a bagel in NYC is a good deal...hard to find one under $2.50. Lots of seeds on the everything and the sesame bagels. Brought four home and toasted them myself, they toasted up well. Good flavor and good chewiness. Lots of homemade and unique cream cheese options available. read more

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Warm fresh bagels with a great selection of! Friendly service . Usually a line but moves fast ! Solid neighborhood bagel spot read more

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I had high expectations knowing the history of this location, but I would say it was only a little better than average. My true test of any bagel shop is a toasted bagel with butter and a non-toasted bagel with cream cheese to get a sense of the standard. I would say this was just below New York City standards. The bagels were on the chewy side and the delicious "sounding" scallion and garlic cream cheese was just too overpowering with high concentrations of raw garlic that left me feeling sick to my stomach for the better part of the day. On top of that, they got my order wrong and thought a "cinnamon raisin with regular cream cheese" meant cinnamon raisin with "bacon egg and cheese." I mean, who orders that lol? Anyway it's still the best option in the immediate area and I will be going back, but I might change up my order. read more

Was sad when absolute bagels closed so I was excited to try 2788. They did not disappoint. Bagels were excellent. At 2:30pm I still got fresh warm bagels. read more