We've heard about Empire for a while but hadn't managed to get there during the morning hours. We woke up this morning with a craving for a solid bagel sandwich and took the drive up to Thomasville for what is undoubtably, one of the best breakfast sandwiches we've ever eaten. The line upon arrival was at least 15 to 20 deep, but it moved so quickly. If you arrive to a wait, do not let it deter you. They hustle!!! It was just a short wait for our food to be freshly prepared. We both opted for the same sandwich with different bagel flavors. The sesame bagel was absolutely loaded with sesame seeds. There's nothing worse than a bagel that claims to be a "sesame" bagel that only has a sad smattering of seeds across one side. This bagel was absolutely loaded up. Crispy on the outside, soft and tender on the inside, loaded with a huge portion of scrambled egg , this breakfast sandwich was enough for two people to share, but we did not! I would literally drive up to Thomasville from Tallahassee again just for the sandwich. You cannot beat their price point. This breakfast would be twice as much in Tallahassee as it is at Empire. Empire has a quaint, local NY bagel shop vibe. You can order bagels for the office or just a sack to take home. The assorted smears have something for everyone, with Canoli flavor being a bonus for your sweet tooth. I'm already planning a lunch trip in the near future. read more

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This is as close as you can get to a New York bagel experience! The owners are even from New York! Service is friendly and orders are consistent. They make their own bagels fresh daily and have many delicious shmears to choose from. The 'Brunchwrap' is my absolute favorite but I always recommend checking out the specials board, you can't go wrong! The 'Billyburg' grilled cheese is my favorite lunch choice along with the pasta salad. You won't be disappointed with this sweet but spicy spin on a classic grilled cheese. We like to sit outside and watch the locals. Its a laid back kind of vibe on the bricks downtown. read more

Empire Bagel and Delicatessen - Brunchwrap - Delis Near Me - Thomasville, Georgia

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If you're in a New York State of mind, and you could use a good cup of coffee, this is the place you want to go. Great bagels. They make their own fresh bagels every day. They have specialty sandwiches which are fantastic. The Roosevelt is my favorite, but they are always trying new specials. Coffee is good and not pretentious like Starbucks. The vibe is very chill. Perfect decor for waking up and getting caffeinated. There's outside seating and booths inside. Great to bring a group and get charged up for the day. read more

Empire Bagel and Delicatessen - The Roosevelt - Delis Near Me - Thomasville, Georgia

Food is good enough, staff is friendly, but the place is dirty. Had to bus our own table before sitting down. They ran out of iced tea an hour and a half before closing and refused to make more. Maybe get your food to go. Otherwise be ready for loud and dirty. read more

This like sixth visit to empire. The food is just so amazing. The atmosphere is like small country town. The staff are very knowledgeable and helpful when ordering. I met John the owner of empire bagel , he is amazing baker. Have to stop in. read more

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Pretty good bagel! I got the lox and they give the perfect amount of lox. We came just before noon and they had already ran out of most of they bagels besides a few poppy and egg bagels so I got the poppy, which was pretty good. It took a bit of time to come out though. The guy who took our order was talking really low so it was a bit hard to hear him. I would come back though and hopefully earlier to try more of their bagels. read more

Empire Bagel and Delicatessen - Delis Near Me - Thomasville, Georgia

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In the quaint town of Thomasville, GA you can find Empire Bagels and Deli. It's about 40 minutes drive from Tallahassee Fl. They make their own bagels and they are exquisitely made. Everything on the menu looks delicious, but I always end up having a poppyseed bagel with scrambled eggs sandwich. There are tables inside and a few outside too. You order at the counter and they will call you by name once the order is ready. I recommend this spot if you plan to be in Thomasville.. read more

Popped in for coffee and a bagel with cream cheese. Bagel was yummy. Good coffee. Fast service. Ate on the patio which is adorned with beautiful murals. read more

Located in the quiet town of Thomasville, GA is Empire Bagels serving the most delicious food and coffee in town. One of the very few places open on a Sunday. The place gets full and there's typically a long line to order, but it moves fairly quickly. You can tell that everyone around you is enjoying their time dining here. read more

Empire Bagel and Delicatessen - Cali Wrap - Delis Near Me - Thomasville, Georgia

A taste of New York in downtown Thomasville. If you're craving a New York-style bagel experience, this is the spot. I stopped in early for breakfast, and right away, the place struck me with its modern, lively atmosphere. The constant flow of customers grabbing breakfast on their way to work gave it that quintessential city vibe I've been missing since moving here. The Empire Egg Sandwich was absolutely phenomenal. The everything bagel was one of the best I've ever had, perfectly chewy with just the right amount of seasoning. The scrambled eggs were surprisingly flavorful, something rare to find while eating out. Add the crispy bacon and melted cheese, and it was a true breakfast masterpiece. Paired with a creamy Vanilla Oat Latte (hot), my meal was as satisfying as it was delicious. That said, there were a couple of hiccups during my visit. As a first-timer, I appreciated the friendliness of the girl at the front counter, but I wish she had explained the pick-up process. I didn't realize my food and drink would be at separate counters, and a mispronunciation of my name led to some awkward moments of hunting for my order. A customer ended up helping me find my meal sitting atop a counter (I'm a shorter person) that was too tall for me to make out my meal in a paper container. Clear communication would have made things much smoother. The cleanliness of the dining area was another downside. I expected cleaner tables and menus. My table was greasy and crumb-laden (see the photos), and the menu I grabbed from the front counter to take to my table for photos was splattered with old coffee stains. It was disappointing but not enough to overshadow the quality of the food. What really stood out, aside from the incredible breakfast, was observing what seemed to be a manager passionately leading his staff through updates on new items and drink preparations. His dedication was apparent, and the team seemed genuinely engaged. That level of care and attention to detail left a lasting impression. Despite the minor inconveniences, I'll absolutely be back. Empire Bagel's food is worth it--and if they tighten up on communication and cleanliness, they'll be unstoppable. Pro Tip: If it's your first visit, ask about the pick-up process to avoid confusion. And go for the Empire Egg Sandwich. Trust me, it's a game-changer. read more

Beat Bagel i have ever had. Crunchy Crusty and inside perfect. I had it scooped. Double toast easy CC. Side of eggs and i am perfectly happy. Order at the register sit down sip a coffee and wait for your name to be called. Then eat!!! Friendly service and very clean just like the rest of this town. I am coming back read more

Empire Bagel and Delicatessen - Best Everything Bagel in my life!!! - Delis Near Me - Thomasville, Georgia

Loveddddddd! Never thought we would get a bagel with the taste we did in Georgia! I felt like we were in jersey or New York getting bagels - I highly recommend!!! Even if you have to drive a little ways it's totally worth it!! read more

Empire Bagel and Delicatessen - Delis Near Me - Thomasville, Georgia

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They have a nice menu selection and the bagels are always good. The classic lox is my favorite and I love the customer service read more

Empire Bagel and Delicatessen - Classic bagel and lox on garlic herb bagel - Delis Near Me - Thomasville, Georgia

GO TO THIS PLACE! TRUST ME!!! Best bagel sandwich I've ever had. Bagels are made fresh every morning and you can tell! Service was incredible and everyone was so kind. read more

Such a cool place, very welcoming and comfy, with great food at reasonable prices! Loved the bagels, but next time we're gonna try the homemade pop tarts! read more

So excited to have breakfast at a bagel shop, it's been so long since I've had bagels other than Panera. I purchased the Empire bagel sandwich with scrambled eggs, Swiss, turkey and I added the jalapeño Asiago smear (cream cheese) on the garlic herb bagel. Absolutely delicious! We split a French toast bagel with cannoli smear. This one was ok, it was hard to get the flavor of the bagel, I think it was due to my allergies, the only thing I would change with this, is the smear had big chocolate chips in it. I would make the smear but sprinkle some mini chocolate chips over the bagel. They. can be over powering to me, so less is more. They had other baked goods that I'm sure were delicious. Oh and the salted caramel latte was very tasty. Definitely ready to go back and maybe try the wrap! read more

Empire Bagel and Delicatessen - Delis Near Me - Thomasville, Georgia

Every time I am in Thomasville, I have to stop here! The bagels are great and the people are lovely' highly recommend!

BAGELS Are made right in front of you! The hours are limited from 7 AM to 2 PM Tuesday through Friday and Saturday and Sunday 8 AM to 2 PM. The BAGEL was very good, I have the empire egg sandwich. Very delicious. Ambiance is plain and clean read more

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Never got to enjoy the food. Place seems super cool but we showed up at 1:50 to grab a bite to-go because they close at 2 and they informed us that they'd already shut down the kitchen. Your hours should not indicate what time your employees get to go home, it should indicate when someone can still show up to get food. read more

Great bagels and I care about a good bagel. Good coffee as well. The restaurant was crowded on a Sunday morning after church so time it around services if you want a table. Service was friendly and when I asked for sprouts (after I had received my bagel) the guy gave me a small container of then for free. If we are ever in the town again, we'll stop for sure. read more

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Quick and friendly service. Ordered the Greenwich avocado toast bagel and the egg sandwich on a croissant. Both were large sized and very filling. Very good! read more

Let's address the elephant in the room. Yes, these were the only folks open Sunday morning. Bagel was delicious. I liked the option of getting to choose whatever bagel you liked. Though I will say, try to know which one you'd like before you get the front of the line. The rush came when we got there and the pressure to keep the line moving hit me so I went with the garlic and herb bagel. Great choice though. That pimento shmear was divine. Good spice to it. Not overpowering and didn't require a nose blow. Have never been a bagel guy, never understood the culture but I can see how you could become fond of them with an atmosphere like this. As for the nitro cold brew. I chose the vanilla flavor for it. Can't say I actually tasted an vanilla. Whether that's my taste buds fault or not, not sure. But the cold brew was still great. Well done! Would definitely recommend for any visitors! read more

Empire Bagel and Delicatessen - The Roosevelt. Fried eggs, pimento shmear, sausage pattie, hash brown, on whatever bagel you choose. And a nitro cold brew, vanilla. - Delis Near Me - Thomasville, Georgia

Food is always great. I just paid $17 for an orange juice and the Cali breakfast burrito. Incredibly expensive.

I ordered the Roosevelt. It was the best bagel sandwich I have ever had. The cappuccino was fabulous as well. Great prices. You will not be disappointed. read more

Empire Bagel and Delicatessen - Roosevelt on pimiento cheese bagel. - Delis Near Me - Thomasville, Georgia

The best bagel place in town. No question about it. Please start making blueberry bagels a regular thing! Sincerely, a loyal customer. read more

We love bagels and the thought of some fresh homemade bagels sounded great! So the place wasn't that busy - Saturday midday - and there were at least 7 staff that I counted and none seemed to be overly worked. When we arrived there were only four flavors of bagels available. Part of our party ordered club sandwiches on garlic bagels. The remainder of us opted out since the selection was so limited. The good news was that in the 15 minutes we waited for the two club sandwiches, they did bring up some plain bagels. Based on that we had a toasted plain bagel with jalapeño Asiago; a toasted plain bagel with honey butter and an I toasted plain bagel with jalapeño Asiago. The honey butter was very tasty - totally enjoyed sharing it. The two jalapeño Asiago bagels - not so much. There was something 'odd' about the texture of it - and we've had jalapeño Asiago spread at dozens of bagel joints all over the U.S. - we were not fans. The bagels themselves were very good, so thumbs up there! The club bagels were very tasty - good job on those. Fresh and tasty all the way around - bagels, meats and veggies all good. If we were here again we may stop back and give it another try. It was a mixed bag - some really good and some not very good. read more

Empire is a welcome addition to the Thomasville community, bringing a taste of the Northeast to the heart of the South. As someone who didn't grow up on bagels and lox, my girlfriend has been singing the praises of New York delis for ages while I could only stand confused. Well, Empire has shown me what I've been missing out on this entire time! With everything from the basics of a bagel and cream cheese, to the classic bagel and lox, and other deli sandwiches, you should be able to find something new to try or a staple to commit to. The bagels are freshly baked, with a hard outer crust and soft inside, but don't expect it to be toasted (apparently frowned upon here). The variety of schmears is fantastic and offers something for everyone (the chives is especially good with lox). I also got to try out their regular baked items and loved my cinnamon roll and pain au chocolat. I keep hearing great things about their homemade pop tarts, so I'll have to check those out next time! Overall, I love what Empire is bringing to Thomasville and look forward to many more visits. read more

We were visiting Thomasville and when I saw Empire Bagel I knew immediately we have to try that out! Fresh bagels and variety of flavors, enjoyed my Greenwich Bagel with avocado and micro greens. Their coffee is also very good, made my morning. read more

Cannot say enough about how great Empire Bagel is. I stop in every time I'm in Thomasville for breakfast and bagels to go to take home. The classic egg sandwich, breakfast burrito, and their version of bagels and lox (called The Classic) are all delicious and you can't go wrong. This place is fantastic and I look forward to visits to Thomasville just so I can go! read more

Have been there several times, food is great and creative. Servers and workers always polite. Get there early as it is limited space, but worth the wait. read more

Great fresh bagels and cream cheese! The sandwiches and coffee are awesome too. Make sure to try the everything bagel with veggie cream cheese! read more

Kudos for Empire Bagel for offering curbside pickup during these pandemic times. Wanting something to change up my make-breakfast-every-day-at-home rut since the pandemic hit, I called Empire to see if they were offering curbside pickup. They are! So I placed an order, paying over the phone with my credit card and given them info about my car, and then took the 30 minute drive from Tallahassee to Thomasville. Directly in front of the restaurant is a parking spot with a sign for curbside. I pulled in and within a few minutes out came an employee, wearing a mask, with my order. She put it in the backseat and I took the return trip to Tally. We ordered a bakers dozen bagels, a tub of flavored cream cheese, and 2 Classic sandwiches. The Classics are fantastic: a bagel with a schmear of cream cheese is then topped with capers, red onions, tomato and a ton of lox. You will not be disappointed by the amount of toppings. The only complaint I have, and it's why this is really is a 4.5 star review (I wounded up) is that they tend to underbake their bagels. You want a crispy outside and a soft inside, yet the everything bagels had no crust to speak of. They were tasty, but waaaay too soft. It would be great if they were to have the baker wait until the bagels have that perfect, browned exterior. I am so glad that they are doing curbside! And it was nice to take a drive from Tally. read more

Food tasted pretty good. The gluten free bagel is not it. If you're looking for a gluten free bagel that's homemade and fresh for $3 extra dollars this is not it. The coffee was good. Place was cute. Super busy. read more

I do not believe I have had from scratch bagels in my adult life that I can remember, but I will certainly make Empire a spot I will frequent when visiting Thomasville. I chose the classic onion bagel with turkey, cheese (wish I knew there was pimiento spread), and avocado. The bagels are double the size of a store bagel and they feature Lucky Goat coffee to accompany your breakfast dish. The wait time was short as it is more deli style here. read more

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Real New York bagels. Nice little bagel place with great coffee (Lucky Goat). The bagels are great and fresh. Had a special, egg over easy, Cajun potato cake, turkey and their sauce, which was excellent. They also have several sweets that are great. We have been talking about coming here for months, definitely worth the drive from Tallahassee. read more

Cool vibe in the inside! I ordered a breakfast sandwich with egg whites and it was good! Also got the nitro cold brew-which was yum read more

Empire Bagel and Delicatessen - Delis Near Me - Thomasville, Georgia

Breakfast was wonderful. Was very busy, but the service was quick and accurate. I'm definitely visiting again when in Thomasville.

Visited this establishment last week. Not cheap at all. The place was dirty and worn looking in the seating area and the bathrooms were disgusting. They looked like they had not been cleaned in a long time. A complete turn-off, one can only wonder what the kitchen looked like. It wasn't for lack of staff as they were all standing around talking. After using the bathroom, I was sorry I placed my order, it was that bad. Bagels are made with pizza flour which is not the accurate gluten ratio to make a bagel. The inaccurate gluten ration in the flour will turn hard after a few hours. read more

One of my favorite stops for breakfast or lunch! Next time I will have to try something new because each time I always get "The Classic" on an everything bagel. It's cream cheese, capers, red onion, lox, and tomatoes and it is delicious! They have tons of cream cheese options that I am super eager to try out though so I'll have to keep coming back! The staff is super nice and get you your order quickly. You just order at the far end of the counter and pay at the front. I love the creative tip jars too! They have different polls (favorite Christmas movie for example) and you cast your vote in the specified tip jars. I can't wait to come back and try some more menu options! read more

Empire Bagel and Delicatessen - The Classic on an everything bagel - Delis Near Me - Thomasville, Georgia

So delicious! I went on Monday and it was so good I went Tuesday to try another bagel! Great customer service, very fast, and delicious food. read more

Empire Bagel and Delicatessen - Empire Egg Bagel - Delis Near Me - Thomasville, Georgia