Just had a fire on 9/9 and are unsure of damage. They aren't sure when/if they will be open again. Their website is up to date. So sad--they have the best bagels in town and are incredibly nice. read more

GREAT bagels- ok the best in town. HOWEVER... the business has changed... I remember learning that they were closing last year, went and stocked up on a couple of dozen, knowing I would miss them. JUST learned that they are still "open." Be aware that they are "strictly curbside service and are open Friday and Sunday 8am-11am" this is their current business model. Look at the website, to learn more about Bagel and Challah ordering. https://www.brownsteinsbagel.com read more

When I discovered that my favorite Rochester deli had been replaced with a Subway (years ago) I found Brownstein's on Google. Nice little shop that reminded me of deli's in Queens. Great people and the sandwich, on homemade Jewish seeded rye bread, was awesome! Very generous with the meat and unique in that they are kosher and won't put cheese on the meat... but they will give you cheese and you can put in on yourself if you're a gentile. Definitely try one of the fantastic oatmeal raisin cookies too... And the bagels... OMG! They are my favorite deli... Like a NYC deli but cleaner. Forget about the big chains and support the little guy... You will be glad you did! read more

Olive rosemary bagel? Olive pimento cream cheese? Sign me up. Somehow even combing that made it not overwhelming. Even though the line was long on new years eve, it moved along. read more

Outstanding! The bagels are perfect NY style. I tried the whitefish salad today & it was excellent! The service was fast and friendly. This place is a true gem. Do yourself a favor and get a cookie. Worth every calorie! read more

We LOVE Brownstein's for bagels! Usually pick up two diff bagels and split them while walking at Corbett's Glen or Ellison, etc. This past Saturday we splurged and got one with cream cheese, lox & red onion; and one with cream cheese, tomato & red onion -- and then enjoyed while walking thru Mt. Hope Cemetery. Always fast & friendly service. Always delicious fare! Don't forget they are cash/check only! read more

Brownstein's Deli and Bakery - Splitsies: Cream cheese, lox & red onion on one; cream cheese, tomato & red onion on the other! - Delis Near Me - Rochester, New York

This place is still just as good as my first review! It's authentic New York. Just discovered the Rye bagel today and its probably my new favorite! read more

See all

Okay, so I visited Brownstein's for the first time yesterday and I found myself returning this morning. Needless to say, I am a fan. Brownstein's is a family-run deli and bagel shop near Twelve Corners. The friendly staff is what you would expect from a mom and pop shop. I'm an indecisive individual and the staff had no problems steering me in the right direction in terms of bagel and lox pairings. I had a plain bagel and lox with the works: lettuce, tomatoes, onions and capers. It was my first time having real lox in Rochester. Prior to this, I've tried unsuccessfully to order lox at popular brunch spots only to receive thick pieces of overcooked smoked salmon filet. The sandwich was simply delicious! The doughy bagel, crispy lettuce combined with the smooth, silky cream cheese and lox was the perfect combination of textures and flavors. Usually, i'm inhaling food. But with this sandwich, I savored each bite slowly. The sandwich cost about $10 which is a little on the steep side, but totally worth it in my opinion given the quality of the fresh ingredients. I returned for a salmon salad bagel this morning and it was also yummy for only $6. I'm sad that I discovered Brownstein's so late. I feel ashamed of all the bagels i've eaten at Dunkin's Donuts. I guess that means i'll just eat more at Brownstein's in the next few months. It's definitely a good alternative to your chain/fast food bagel restaurants. Check it out! read more

See all

Ok I now know why I've not been here more it's CASH ONLY! REMEMBER THAT CASH ONLY. I give them 3.5 stars... I understand things are Kosher it $10 for a quart of Chicken Soup.. Um nope.. it needs a bit of a clean up or wipe down. Staff can be friendly or aloof. The Matzoh Balls are excellent. They share a very small parking lot. That's all I got read more

I am a native Rochesterian, but I have lived all over the place and done my fair share of travelling and these might be the best bagels I've ever had anywhere. Seriously, they are unreal. And the price is great too! I would HIGHLY recommend this place! read more

A great shop for a bagel or a sandwich. The owner is an incredibly nice guy and gets to know the whole community. They have the best challah in town, chicken salad sandwiches to die for (and I am REALLY picky about my chicken salad) and can work with you to put together kosher shiva platters or box lunches for a group. read more

I am a Rochester native, and I remember this establishment many many years ago. It was wonderful then and it's wonderful now! We live in Watertown New York, and whenever we're in town, we visit. They have the best loxs!!The staff is absolutely fabulous. They do everything they can to accommodate you. The challah rolls are to die for!!! Even my husband, the Gentile, loves visiting here. We intend to stop every time we are in town. Thank you all for having a fantastic place to visit. read more

Cash only. good food, parking is horrible, but sometimes you've got to take some pain in order to taste goodness. try the whitefish salad, it's amazing! read more

Poor and uninterested service, with food that appeared left over from previous day.

This place is amazing for breakfast sammies or any other sandwhich youd like. So nice to have a kosher deli around just like the ones in NYC. The place only excepts Cash or Check but there is no tax! Everything tastes so good cause it is all homemade so you cant go wrong at all. In the breakfast sandwhich they put homemade pastrami which is just the perfect salty for their soft bagels. What a treat this little dive is. read more

Brownstein's Deli and Bakery - Onion and Baily breakfast sandwhich - Delis Near Me - Rochester, New York

See all

I recently moved to nyc from Rochester. None of the NYC bagel places I've tried so far can compare with Brownsteins. I wish they had a location here. Such a shame that they can't find someone to take over the business. read more

HORRIBLE!! DO NOT GO HERE!! WOULD GIVE ZERO STARS IF I COULD. Pastrami was bought for my Dad for Father's Day; it was disgusting and pure fat. My parents (both from NYC so they know what real pastrami is supposed to look like) brought it to the attention of the owner the next day. The owner proceeded to yell at them, my 89 year old parents!! Who does that? No customer understanding, no apology, just plain rude. So zero points for the meat, zero points for the customer service. GO TO FOX'S INSTEAD!! read more

Brownstein's Deli and Bakery - Would you eat this? - Delis Near Me - Rochester, New York

Being new to the Rochester area I am excited to find another location for authentic bagels! Brownstein's Bagels offers delicious bagels and cream cheese without a long line and wait. I'm guessing the gentleman that waited on me is the owner - he was super kind and helpful. I got bagels to go and enjoyed the crispy, chewy treat at home. Looking forward to going back to try more of their offerings! I highly recommend you try Brownstein's ASAP! Heads-up - they are a cash only establishment. read more

This is our favorite place to grab breakfast bagels or some sandwiches for lunch on the go. I would recommend the pumpernickel bagel and cream cheese. Their toaster oven doesn't work well, but your bagel will be soft and flavorful! The chicken salad lunch box is delicious! All lunch boxes are served with your choice of a small macaroni, potato salad or coleslaw, a bag of chips and a refreshing pickle! Add in one of their huge chocolate chip cookies and your taste buds will be satisfied! read more

Brownstein's Deli and Bakery - Chicken salad lunch box with mac salad. - Delis Near Me - Rochester, New York

If you have a bag of Brownsteins then you may enjoy it. However if you have underwear with Brownstains, that's just f***ing gross, Rochester. Seriously. Clean yourself the f*** up. People told me these were the best bagels in Rochester. Well honestly the bagel was a 1 or 2 out of 5. The only reason I'd give it a 3 or more is because I like to support local family businesses and rarely give them less than 3 except in extreme circumstances. Then there's the service, which is really great, they certainly know how to treat their customers here. So for that reason I'll bump it up to a 4. But definitely not happy with what I ate here. I got a bagel with cream cheese. The cream cheese tasted like Philadelphia, the bagel tasted like Wegmans. It was just very average in every way and did nothing for me. I'm very spoiled by the bagels in NYC, obviously. But one thing I will say though. At least I didn't see any brownstains at brownsteins. Amirite? read more

Is it safe to say this is a solid kosher establishment when the rabbi walks in with his whole family while you're waiting for you bagel and schmear? Yes. This is a family biz through and through. I love coming here for that reason. The owner is a sweet man, always making sure everybody in line is taken care of. The girls (who I assume are his daughters) are whipping up your sammie or bagel in a jiffy with a smile. Plus, it's a deal and a half... I got 2 bagels w/ cream cheese for $3 and some change. I love the sesame in particular, it's my #1 anywhere, but this bagel specifically is delish. Coated with sesame seeds, it's a thick bagel with the perfect consistency, most importantly, not too dense. You can finish a full bagel and not feel like there's a 5 lb. weight in your gut. Next time, I'm going to give the sourdough a whirl. First time I've seen that offered around these parts. Great for lunch - grab yourself some marble rye topped with corned beef or pastrami, try one of their veggie filled kacha, the list goes on. Even some old dill and new dill pickles (I actually don't know the difference... but they have both!). If you're feeding an army, you can get 15 bagels for the price of 12 ($9.99). **No credit - just cash or check. read more

Brownstein's Deli and Bakery - Storefront - Delis Near Me - Rochester, New York

See all

This place is a fixture in the Twelve Corners community and favorite of Brighton and Rochester area residents for a reason. They have the best bagels and real kosher deli foods. The owner is extremely kind and generous both in his baker's " dozen" and in supporting the community. You can't beat their lox too. Don't forget to stop at ATM because it's cash only. read more

Delicious, authentic bagels! I got an everything bagel, and it tasted like ones I have had downstate. Great texture, flavor, and chew. The cream cheese was good. I can't wait to try their sandwiches. CASH ONLY. read more

Real bagels, like you get 300+ miles east, but all you have to do is drive to Brighton! Authentic Jewish comfort foods, very elll made, and very affordable! This reviewer lives in the Suburbs of NYC, and I'll vogue for their food. ...also the young lady who made me two cups of coffee this morning perfectly was awesome (and very cute). Just the perfect amount of cream cheese on my bagels, which were toasted to perfection. The coffee was good, and attentively made to your liking! They were super duper accommodating -- for example they even opened 2% milk just for me for my coffee! Their challah is also awesome. I recommend each and every resident of Rah-Cha-Cha come but it and make french toast with it!!!! If I wasn't getting back on a train to NYC today, I would get breakfast here again tomorrow! read more

See all

We love Brownstein's! Best bagels in town. And Irwin is just a trip. A character from a sitcom and a lifelong friend. The bagels and other goodies are just fantastic! Don't be afraid to ask for a special treat. read more

So I was really looking forward to enjoying authentic fresh bagels today. My guy and I were excited to have lunch here on his unexpected day off. Unfortunately the written sign in the window reflects CLOSED MONDAY AND TUESDAY DURING JANUARY. Thus the one star. . Please update your information here. Hoping we can try again. read more

Considering the abundance of bagel places in the Twelve Corners area, I've only been to Brownsteins once, so this review might not be completely accurate. I promise I'll update in the near future. I came here after reading reviews on RocWiki, saying this was the best Jewish deli / bagel place in the city. I had recently returned from a trip to Brookline, MA, the Jewish capital of New England, and for the first time in my life, I found myself with a strong craving for some delicious Jewish deli fare. I hoped Brownsteins could satisfy my hunger. The space occupied by Brownsteins is tiny. The parking lot is incredibly cramped and one Brightonian in a Denali can make it impossible to exit your car. Additionally, this is a take-out only joint (unless you want to sit crisscross applesauce on the floor), so plan on finding somewhere else to eat your sandwiches (the outside area across the street behind Starbucks is a good option). From my Asian, Roman Catholic perspective, Brownsteins has pretty much all of the Jewish specialties covered, from Challah to homemade chopped liver to whitefish salad to bialys. My girlfriend and I decided to "keep it real" (Jewish), so I ordered a lox sandwich (onion bagel, cream cheese, salmon, red onion) and she got a corned beef sandwich on rye with Russian dressing. We were informed that they did not accept credit cards, so we had to sprint to the nearby HSBC to extract some cash. My lox sandwich was extreme, to say the least (see picture). My first bite featured an oniony wad of salmon with a copious amount of cream cheese surrounded by an overly chewy bagel. I couldn't believe how much salmon was in this sandwich. It was actually a little bit overwhelming, but I figured I got my money's worth, considering the sandwich was almost ten bucks. The only thing that disappointed me was the bagel, though I probably hyped it up too much beforehand. The last time I had an NYC bagel (from NYC) was four years ago, so I might just be used to the softer, non-NYC bagels, but to me, it seemed like it was at least a day old. My girlfriend, who has been to NYC many more times than me, agreed and we decided to explore other bagel options in the area before returning to Brownsteins. The corned beef sandwich was good, but it wasn't as good (or as big) as some of the deli sandwiches I've had in NYC (Carnegie Deli) or Boston (Michael's), which feature about a pound of house-cured, paper-thin corned beef on freshly baked bread. I also wished they had corned tongue. Overall, Brownsteins was successful in satisfying my Jewish cravings, but it did not make me yearn for more and eagerly anticipate the next time I would eat one of their sandwiches. I will return, in order to make a definitive statement regarding their bagels, and I would like to try their chopped liver and whitefish salad. Until then, this place has three stars. read more

Brownstein's Deli and Bakery - Lox Sandwich on Onion Bagel - Delis Near Me - Rochester, New York

See all

Great spot. Cash only. Authentic, genuine. Bagels are fresh and chewy and delicious. Pastrami sandwich was sublime. Highly recommend this spot. read more

Mostly a bagel bakery, but they also make some very tasty breads. I especially like the seeded rye and the chewy pumpernickel. The offer many sandwiches on the bread and bagels. It's all kosher so dietary rules dictate the menu. The sandwiches are delicious and come with a really nice pickle. You can add soup or chips. There is a good selection of deli takeout too. They even make salads. It's all very quick and affordable, and service is friendly. Strictly take out. A great "grab and go" place. Catering is available. read more

Brownstein's Deli and Bakery - Smoked turkey on rye. Potato salad and chips. And a pickle. - Delis Near Me - Rochester, New York

Excellent bagels. I had a lox sandwich and it was great. Generous serving of delicious lox, tasty cream cheese and fresh veggies. The best lox sandwich in Rochester. read more

Great bagel and lox with coffee. Toasted perfectly and coffee was wonderful. Took longer than expected to prepare but the service was kind making up for the wait. read more

The bagels here are better than anything in even the most Jewish suburbs of Chicago. Full NYC quality as far as I can tell, and worth the half-hour bus trip out to Brighton for me. Incredible yeasty depth of flavor. Hand-sliced lox is also a massive bonus---it's not quite as thinly sliced as one might get at Zabar's or whatnot, but it's still a mile better than any supermarket lox. In sum, this place is a treasure and it's good I don't live closer or I'd spend my entire paycheck on lox. Note that Yelp seems to think this is an actual restaurant. Note that it's just a counter; no seating area. read more

Who doesn't want a nice hot pastrami sandwich forSunday brunch on their birthday. The bagels, knishes are also great. Almost real NYC Jewish deli that closes just after lunch. Minus one star just because they don't do their own meats rather than using Hebrew national but still a good place near the 12 corners area of Brighton. read more

Huge, meaty sandwiches on great bread. Wonderful cole slaw. Best half sour pickles in town. I grew up on deli in NYC, and Brownstein's is like coming home. Just got an assortment of sandwiches, and all were fantastic. The size and quality meant great value for the price. Wish I could eat there every day, but, alas, my waistline would never abide that! read more

Possibly the best corned beef for sandwiches I've ever bought/had, bar none. I grew up going to Wegmans, since that's what my mom did. Now that there's no kosher deli at Wegmans, I had to get my fix elsewhere. I tried Brownseins and was just blown away. I live out of town in a place that I can't get kosher deli. On road trips we always stop and bring some home. This beats what we get in Chicago and Indianapolis anyday. The salami was awesome too. Wish mom had gone here instead of Wegmans. A bonus is that the folks that work there are nice too. Can't wait to go back! read more

Fantastic bagel with cream cheese and lox. It's cash or check only. Service was friendly and prompt. read more

Brownstein's Deli and Bakery - Delis Near Me - Rochester, New York

Brownstein's has baked salmon salad... it's a little slice of Long Island. I walked in, noticed it, and said, "Oh man, you have no idea how long I've been looking for this!" The reply I received was, "We've had it for 20 years, where have you been?" The answer was... not Rochester. But now that I'm here, I know where I can find my all time favorite breakfast; a bagel with baked salmon salad. read more

Rochesterians have a variety of opinions on who has the best bagels in town. I've visited all the bakeries countless times, and stand firmly and proudly in the Brownstein's camp. They focus on the standard lineup of classic bagel flavors--you won't find any jalapeño cheddar or french toast meshugas here--and boil and bake them to absolute perfection. Their salt bagels, egg bagels, and rye bagels are particular highlights. Wherever they get their lox from, it's to die for, and they make sure to pat it dry so that it doesn't slip out of your sandwich--a total pro move. Overall, an unfussy and authentic spot well worth your business. The one downside, (but not, in my opinion, a dealbreaker) is that they only accept cash. read more

Came here with James M. after Chris L. suggested it to us. As the boys mentioned, Brownstein's is a kosher deli serving bagels, sandwiches, pastries, meats, sides, drinks etc.. It's a take out place, there is no where to sit down to enjoy their wonderful food. I ordered the rye bagel with cream cheese and lox, it was truly glorious. Only after I ordered did I notice the $8 price tag on my meal but when I received my bagel, I understood the steep price, it was packed with high quality fresh lox as well as the cream cheese - a lot of it, but I'm a believer of the more cream cheese the better. I also sampled James' pastrami sandwich and was blown away by it. I will be back soon with plans to stock up on bagels, rugelach, etc. read more

The best bagels I've ever had with the worst customer service. Only take cash in 2019, will give you sass if you dare accidentally come 25 cents short when ordering things by weight (lox) and though they appear on grubhub and other delivery apps, they won't be delivered because....surprise!...they don't take their payment method! Also good luck getting your desired bagels in desired quantity past 9:00 a.m. That being said, truly some of the best bagels I've ever eaten, hence 2 stars. I've been burned (metaphorically) and scowled at one too many times. I quit, until they enter the 21st century. The scowls I can take, the unreliability and payment difficulty I cannot. read more