I am extremely impressed with Chicago Bagel Authority. We ordered catering for about 30 people for a party. First and foremost, the food was delicious. The bagels were easily the best bagels I've had outside of NYC. Also, several people complimented how good the coffee was, and they provided an ample amount of onions and tomatoes to go with our order. Additionally, CBA made the ordering process seamless, they showed up exactly on time the day of the party, and they got our order perfect. Cherry on top is that it was a great deal. Highly recommend! read more

The bagels are great probably because CBA doesn't make them! My problem comes the staff! Maybe consider a bagel cutting tool. Free hand slicing with a knife is a not sooo good! It the details that get returned customers take your time please. read more

Chicago Bagel Authority - Egg everything bagel - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Pros: Open mic music night on Saturday and open mic poetry on Thursday Rather large selection of bagels & sandwiches Deliciousness Cons: Absolutely ridiculous pricing that isn't even posted, you don't know what you're paying unless you ask or until you've already ordered. Lots of hipsters Is it delicious? Yes. Is it worth $7.50 for a sandwich? No. If it weren't for the open mic I probably never would have come in. Three stars is being nice. read more

Let me start by saying that I LOVE the vibe of this place. It's spacious with tons of room to work. High tables, window seats, regular tables, couches, the whole works. They also have free wifi and printing services so you know this place is a good one if you wanna get some work done. Plus it's right off the Belmont red line. Now, as you walk it you'll be greeted by the friendly staff that are busily working behind the long bar. Above the bar you'll see a large chalk board that showcases their menu items. It's incredibly easy to get overwhelmed by the amount of choices that they have up there, so take your time and make your pick. They have well categorized their items and have a little blurb of what is in their sandwiches. I went with the Hidden Salami and it was DELISH! It was essentially a toasted onion bagel stuffed with lettuce, salami, bacon. avocado and what I believe was mayo. It was so good! It can get a little messy with the amount of ingredients that are stuffed in that one bagel but the taste makes up for the mess. That was my first time walking into the Chicago Bagel Authority and I was most definitely pleasantly surprised. The staff were really nice and were open to give you suggestions if you needed. I will say this though, their bagel sandwiches are about $5-$9 depending on what you order. I thought that was a little pricey at first but once I got my order, I understood why. All in all, a good place to get work done, a good place to get a pretty damn good bagel sandwich. read more

Chicago Bagel Authority - If this isn't love at first sight, I don't know what is! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Maybe I am a hater but the steamed bagel situation is weird. I am from the east coast and would prefer my bagels to be crispy on the outside, soft inside, and impossible to eat as a sandwich. This place makes the sandwich component of bagel eating simpler but there is a serious loss of tradition in the process. read more

I've been coming here for years and the food always keeps me coming back! They really do sandwiches like no other, whether you're looking for breakfast, lunch, or dinner they've got you covered. My favorite is The Good Rick, but literally everything on the menu is good. My boyfriend seems to love the Muenster Mash. The only reason for the 3 star rating is the inside of the restaurant is extremely run down and starting to feel dirty even. I know this place isn't meant to be fancy, but they need to seriously clean it up a bit. Multiple chairs are ripped with stuffing coming out, and the floors were dirty! I'll be sticking to take-out until they revamp. read more

Chicago Bagel Authority - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I've been here twice and although the bagels ate good, I'm not convinced they are worth the long wait and the price. It's a little absurd to wait 30 minutes to pay for two bagels at $18. The bagels are steamed and not toasted, so they can get quite mushy if you don't eat them right away. There are tons of options and I love the variety of all the toppings. I'd recommend ordering ahead since it isn't the best experience yelling your order to the bagel makers and having to wait close by to be sure you don't miss your order. read more

Stopped by for a late breakfast, was not disappointed!! Still had many options for bagels even into the late afternoon. Plenty of options for all eaters! Good prices, and great coffee! In Chicago for 4 days and will be going back. read more

Chicago Bagel Authority - Super Deluxe Bagel - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Really busy Sunday morning. Couldn't at first determine boundaries amongst the order line, the pay line and those who were just waiting for their food. Kind of s mess. Service SUPER friendly and on top of their game. If you prefer sandwiches with a crispy outside, you will not like these steamed creations. They are different for sure. My friend and I shared: Denver on Pretzel Roll (instead of bialy); the Puck on Sesame Bagel (instead of egg bagel); banana cookie; s'more style rice krispy treat. The Denver is ham, onion, green pepper and Munster cheese with scrambled egg. The puck is Canadian bacon and American cheese with scrambled egg. The Denver has way more flavor and worked really well on the slightly sweet pretzel roll. I would order it (the Denver) again. But I would not order the Puck again; it didn't even have "real" Canadian bacon, but rather some sort of thinly sliced deli ham. (I almost think this deli ham might have been a mistake...) The s'mores style rice krispy bars are made with golden graham and coco puff cereal in place of Rice Krispies. Tasty, but kind of a dense, hard texture for a cereal and marshmallow treat. The banana cookie is a wide, thin chocolate chip cookie with sliced banana in the center. This sliced banana center gives it an ooey gooey under baked feel. It's a good cookie if you're a huge fan of ooey gooey texture, but the flavor falls flat. There is no real homemade butteryness that can be so gratifying in a good cookie. I think these treats are way over priced for what they are. read more

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Currently sitting on the west wall of CBA. There is a small picture of a Bagel flirting with an English Muffin. Did I mention I'm by myself? I just had my 3rd bite of The Oak Pork BLT, recommendation made by the young lady breeding bagelwichs. It was a good recommendation. The best I've had in a while. In fact, I asked the bagel to marry me. Anyway come eat here. You'll thank me later. read more

Chicago Bagel Authority - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Just had my first order from here ever & I know I'll be back again soon. Ordered the Greg-O and cold brew coffees. Very very yummy, thank you! read more

Very good bagels. There is a wait but uk ur food is fresh. The steamed bagels definitely are soft and chewy but in a good way. Very filling.

I really want to give this place more stars but they charged us more than their menu listed for the bagel sandwiches because they updated their prices. The sandwich was really good but for $8ish I wish it came with coffee or something! I would recommend you visit when they're running "happy hour" specials to get discounted sandwiches! read more

4 stars for the food- very tasty and clever sandwhiches! 3 stars for service. I get you're that kind of that "whatever/casual" atmosphere and that I am one person with one opinion but I would really recommend telling your employees to smile more and be genuinely nice. It doesn't take much. I went in with a great excited attitude and the dude that helped us really harshed our mellow. Again, great food! read more

While in Chicago moving my brother in law into his apartment, we stopped here for breakfast before heading to Ikea. We needed some good fuel in order to be equipped for the day ahead of us. My brother in law ordered the super deluxe bagel, it was loaded with ham, egg, cheese and bacon. He was in heaven. I ordered country breakfast that had ham, cheese, and egg. It truly tasted delicious. My husband ordered a egg and bacon bagel. His words were "here's the bacon". I will say, every bagel came with ample amounts of meat. We left very satisfied with full bellies. read more

Chicago Bagel Authority - Country Breakfast - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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The best steamed bagel sandwiches this side of the Mississippi (?). Lol. I used to live right around the block from CBA and frequent it on hangover mornings. My favorite is the dank n eggs. I had the Egg McMahon this morning and it brought memories back of how much I love CBA. Highly recommend checking them out. Love supporting the locals. Keep doing your thing, CBA! read more

Best breakfast sandwiches in Chicago. Would order here 7 days a week if calories weren't a thing.

The hardest part about ordering here is what sandwich to get. You can't go wrong however I've been a big fan of the messy Katie lately.

Wowie you want to talk about some good eattins? Out of all the places to eat CBA is the only stop for breakfast for my morning trips to work. The foods awesomeness equally compares to the nicest and coolest employees in town. From the hip bikers to the funny funny talent behind the counter everyone is super nice. Special shout out to a girl named Maddy working there, she makes some bomb sandwiches and also has mad jokes. 10/10 will eat here again. Try the Donkey Punch. read more

Had CBA for breakfast today. I've been meaning to try this place for a while so I'm glad I could swing by and grab a bagel! I got the "Dank n eggs" and it was good! I wish I would have gotten a different bagel though. The turkey ones look great. I will be back for a different bagel next time but I think this place is worth going to. Right of the Belmont stop, a little bit of a wait in the morning/weekends. read more

I love this place! It is a regular delivery and in person stop for me. The bagel sandwiches are excellent!

The food was good bit a little expensive. I do think the sandwichs were kind of small bit flavorful. I'd say stop by if you need a snack. read more

Chicago Bagel Authority - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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In the past we have had poor experiences with CBA and understood that it was partly due to Covid. However we stopped using them because it was too disappointing. Today we were close and needed something GF and quick. I was apprehensive but Eileen was so nice and so accommodating that I had to write a 5 star review. Food and Service were excellent. Thanks Eileen. read more

I'm not sure what certification one has to seek to become an authority on bread derivatives of an entire metropolis, but the people at CBA have passed that exam with flying colors. From my days of enjoying Bagel & Deli at Miami University, I've always enjoyed a good steamed bagel sandwich. And no, this is not a nostalgia trip; I was only at Miami for a few semesters and found most of the food in small-town Ohio pretty ordinary. But this place (let's just assume it's all one big entity, because it tastes like it) is exceptional. From the massive menu encompassing any flavor combination you can imagine to the hot sauce collection to the dessert treats (you get a free one for checking in), I'm not sure why you'd ever go to another sandwich place in the city much less just Wrigleyville/Lakeview. Every time I eat in, I see all the hapless souls wasting their lives at Einstein's across the street and wonder if it was simply ignorance or perhaps a troubled childhood that led them to their decisions in life. Personal favorites of mine include the Dank n' Eggs (standard bacon/egg/cheese PLUS a f*ckton of roast beef), Banana Surprise (when you're not feeling a bunch of meat and cheese), The Heisenberg (even though I don't watch Breaking Bad), and the Pizza, but you pretty much can't go wrong with anything. Oh wait, I forgot about the Crunch n' Munch, which I assure you was crafted by a committee of Jesus Christ, Gordon Ramsay, Kanye West, and a stoner who threw Doritos on a turkey sandwich. But wait, they have ultra-fast delivery if you're the aforementioned stoner who doesn't want to leave the homestead, and on more than one occasion I've received an extra sandwich. Maybe they just like me. And they have their own iPhone app, which I'm pretty sure I use more than Instagram. For those who are confused about the ordering process, don't be (and certainly don't take stars off your yelp review). It's pretty simple: when they're ready they look up, you tell them what you want, pay, and wait for them to call out your order. Not exactly Calculus here, folks. (PS Calculus here is supposed to be a metonym for something difficult, nerds) Go to CBA. Love it. Repeat. That is all there is to these fleeting moments we call life. read more

Chicago Bagel Authority - Full breakfast at CBA - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

CBA has never ever let me down. I had it delivered 2 years ago and have been a fan ever since. Most of my other CBA experiences have been a walk in visit. I usually get something plainish, like the Sam's Sunrise on wheat. Their coffee is okay, but people mostly come here for the food anyway. Don't expect many frills here. It's pretty standard. read more

This place is so cool and cute... the service is very fast and thorough also, they have a booth called "7 minutes of a heaven"... Make out session read more

Chicago Bagel Authority - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

First and last time I try this place waited almost 40 minutes for my food and it was horrible. The Bagel was under cooked no flavor at all. Wouldn't recommend it. read more

I'm from the northeast so I guess you can say i'm a bagel snob, but man, these bagels are top notch. The sandwich combinations they offer are awesome. The Oak Pork BLT, Bacon Boat to Turkey Town, The Clayboy and the Chia Bagel are all lit. Also, they have one called the Ron Swanson, so this spot is an automatic A+ in my book. Where my Parks and Rec fam at?! read more

Came to CBA the other day for lunch after being highly recommended by a friend I came with very HIGH hopes for a delicious bagel sandwich. I walked in and saw a BYOB sign and instantly fell in love. This place is great - very big with lots of tables, seats and couches. They have a ton of different hot sauces lined up on a shelf. So if you like it spicy you will be in heaven here. The menu is very big so don't be a rookie and get overwhelmed. I picked bacon because it's my favorite and under the bacon category I went with The Good Rick. Bagel sandwich with bacon, dill Havarti, gouda, avocado, muenster, mushrooms, tomato and parmesan peppercorn dressing. I checked in on yelp and got a free rice krispie treat. Lucky me these treats were huge. I was pretty shocked by the price - had to be like $7 and some change which to me is steep for a bagel sandwich. But I guess it's pretty much the going rate for sandwiches in Chicago these days. It was a normal sized sandwich, toasted up to perfection and tasted amazing. I ate it up with no complains and will definitely be back. CBA rocks and their menu will keep be interested for a long time to come. read more

You're gonna wait 30 minutes for them to mess up a breakfast bagel. Buckle up, sit back, and enjoy the shit-show.

It really saddens me to be leaving this review. But this place has consistently delivered incorrect orders to me over the past year. I've been a regular customer for the past 6+ years and today is the last time I plan on ordering here. I bought 3 bagels and each was wrong in one way or another. The restaurant agreed to refund it which is appreciated. And sadly enough, since then we've noticed two other errors with the bagels they delivered. While I don't plan on coming back, if you go here, I definitely recommend ordering in store and paying attention to how it's made. They certainly do not. read more

5 on the food 4 on the process of placing the food order First off love bagels and had heard very good things about their bagel sandwiches. I ordered the Donkey Punch which was definitely a different take on a chicken salad sandwich. A good take for sure, really enjoyed this sandwich. My husband order the Chicago Fire and he said he really enjoyed that sandwich and would order it again. This was our first visit and we found the actual ordering process confusing and kind of scattered. We caught on easily as what to do, but still I wish it was less scattered. This is the reason we are giving it a 4 star rather than a 5 star. The actual restaurant was cute and could easily find a place to sit. Would definitely recommend and plan on going back soon! read more

Chicago Bagel Authority - Chicago fire - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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My husband and I went to CBA for the first time since we moved to the city during the pandemic. We were really happy about all of the safety precautions CBA had! It made us feel very safe as we grab our items. We had to pre order online and then once we received a text we walked in. The staff was super nice and helpful with this system. We took our food home and man did we eat it fast! It was amazing! We had two breakfast sandwiches and they were great! Would highly recommend! read more

They have gluten free bagels but they are just ok. I tried the Belmont. You can ask for bagles not to be steamed

Oh boy, CBA is an experience. The first time I came here I was overwhelmed by the menu and the ordering process. But now I got a handle on how things work so I can get in and get my sandwich. The menu is insanely huge. It's organized by protein. They also have veggie sandwiches that can be modified to be vegan (my friend is vegan and is always able to find food here!). Once you decide what you want, you order from any of the people behind the counter making sandwiches. Then you go and pay at the registers while you wait for your sandwich to be made. Food is pretty fast here but if it's crowded, things are going to take longer. My go-to sandwich is Spaulding's Choice: made of turkey, american cheese, lettuce, tomato, avocado & parmesan peppercorn on a plain bagel. Delicious. One thing to note is that bagels aren't toasted here. The sandwiches are steamed. That threw me off the first time because I was expecting a toasted sandwich. But that obviously doesn't stop me from coming back! read more

Ordered the Lean Jean and all they gave me was a regular bagel with cream cheese all clumped together. Really disappointed :( read more

Chicago Bagel Authority - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I'll be honest - i tend to avoid bagels because I find them to just be a ton of bread and usually a bunch of toppings that I can't eat (#veggielyfe). My friends dragged me to this place and I was surprised to find a glorious hummus/sprout/avocado/tomato filled bagel on the menu. It did NOT disappoint & I have to say I've come to the dark (or light?) side on the whole bagel situation. Check this place out - they make 5 star bagels and 5 Star mornings read more

Chicago Bagel Authority - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

That amount of options here is insane! Food tastes great and lots of interesting or silly names they have for specific items. The inside is very homey to me. read more

Probably the best bagels I've found in Chicago. I typically get one of the sandwiches, and always add extra cream cheese. They are steamed and not toasted, which is not my preference, but still pretty damn good. The staff is pretty laid back, in a somewhat difficult for type A people way, and sometimes it takes awhile for your bagel to come out, but it's worth the wait. Additionally, when you arrive, there's no line, you just talk to whoever looks at you first, like ordering bagels in the style of getting a drink at a crowded bar. read more

Chicago Bagel Authority - Huevos Rancheros on an everything bagel- add bacon and cream cheese - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My favorite when I am in Chicago. The service is friendly and the bagels are freshly. I love this place first thing in the morning before exploring the streets of Chicago! read more