I normally don't have the time or the care to sit and write a review, however, today I have plenty of time. My parents are in town from Texas, my father wants to have the full New York experience, so one of his last requests before heading back home was to have a bagel. Nothing extravagant, a simple bagel and a black coffee. No problem, I responded as I pass a bagel shop everyday that has a line, which to me means the community loves them. Early Saturday As i have to move my car i stop to get him a few bagels and a cup of coffee. An hour later he has nothing. Why? The Spanish workers who take orders decided that the black guys order SHOULDN'T BE FULFILLED as everyone else's. I stood outside for 15 minutes waiting on three bagels and two cups of coffee, while a lady behind me got two dozen bagels fulfilled a guy next to me got his order plus something else he randomly asked for and three others. I'm not one to sit and call people labels, nor am i one to even care, however i am annoyed at the fact that everyone with a lighter skin tone than me got service while I brought my father air bagels. It's one thing in this community to be looked at while walking on the street in a hoodie. It's one thing to be followed in the Walgreens store you have to visit when you run out of toilet paper, even the racial slurs you endure at Peach Pit, but when people whose the same tone as you or even the same background discriminate it sucks! There has to be a level of accountability that everyone gets the same services they pay for. Empire. I'm disgusted by the treatment i revived today. I hope you treat people the same in the future. read more

The coffee is exceptional and I have always had friendly and accommodating service, no matter how busy the house was. It was easy to make a selection and it shows more quality than quantity to me. The coffee is unique, tasty and awesome. The staff are tremendous! All in all.. Great experience, great staff, great spot, reasonable price. read more

Best bagels in the Bronx. May be the best bagels in NYC! Gotta be that bronx water!! You know the bagels are good when you walk up and there's 15 people standing on line outside in the cold, rainy or snowy days. Window service only. The bagels are perfect. Nice and crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. Definitely worth braving the elements if your in the area read more

Do not get the everything bagel, its not made as a bagel, its like a regular roll as it tastes, when I opened this everything bagel the consistency is bread like, doesn't taste like a bagel. I also got the blueberry bagel , this is better, its a bagel the way a bagel should taste. Also, their coffee tastes bad, but taste it for yourself, maybe its only my taste buds. I am not going to get a bagel here for now. Another thing, when you see a picture of this bagel place in Google or anywhere you think their bagels are really good because you see people lining up to buy bagels but the people are just outside because it is only a counter that you tell them your order , no entrance door that you can go inside. Its a little disappointing. read more

I don't know how this place stays in business--quite frankly, their bagels taste lousy!

Delicious Bagels!!! They're fresh and soft and good. This is the best place if your looking for a great bagel!! read more

Bagels are bomb. I work in the the Bronx and never ever heard of this bagel shop- no wonder I haven't because the place is apparently a hole in the wall. My coworker bought a dozen bagels this morning along with containers of cream cheese from Empire Bagels. The bagel itself has some sort of sweetness to it, I couldn't put my finger on it but either way they were still warm in the paper bag half an hour after they were brought in. They were fresh, soft and tasty, everything a bagel should be. Whipped some veggie cream cheese on one and happily chowed it down like a happy camper. So glad I've found out about this place, I know have a regular bagel joint close by to get my fix. read more

Amazing bagels! great cream cheese carry lut only and nice staff and cheap! hard parking... read more

Empire Bagels - Bagels Near Me - Bronx, New York

See all

THE BEST BAGELS IN THE BRONX They updated their storefront and it looks fantastic. It really makes the neighborhood look a lot better and they rightly deserve to be the centerpiece for quick breakfast perfection. I've eaten bagels all over New York City and let me tell ya, this place has top quality bagels. It would be great if more businesses in Pelham Bay would follow suit and follow the quality over quantity model. In this case, they do quantity and quality. Let me clarify one thing - they make the bagels in-house. They are not delivered and warmed up, this is an actual Bagel mill. You don't find that very often. This is a specialty shop focused solely on Bagels. read more

Freshly Baked Rainbow Bagel w Cream Cheese and lox ---------------------------------- Bagels made fresh in front of you check out my insta story to see them bring them out the oven steaming hot These guys turn out aprox 12,000 bagels on the weekends with that much business you know it's delicious and one bite is simply impossible This paired with their awesome iced is a great way to start a long day read more

Every morning, I face a dilemma: Do I have a balanced breakfast at home or run to Empire Bagels and indulge my carb+cream cheese addiction? For less than two bucks, I can get a hot, crispy, chewy bagel with a generous slathering of cream cheese while under the shade of the majestic 6 elevated train track. The bagel usually doesn't last the walk home. "Balanced breakfasts" are probably some kind of government conspiracy anyway. read more

Being a New York native, I've an instinctual fondness for bagels, and a sense of gourmet discrimination. The bagels at Empire Bagels are the best I've ever had, by far. The greatest thing about them is you can see how they're made. When I first arrived I saw all the new bagels being freshly baked. I like seeing the entire cooking process, it's entertaining. You'll need all the entertainment you can get, because there's no seating or indoor room for customers. You do everything from outside. Which can be a pain during cold months such as now! But there's something quaint about it. They don't have a lot of variety here. Beverages are limited. I was pleasantly surprised that they had green tea, but they put sugar in my green tea without even asking me! Who puts sugar in green tea? Maybe a little honey, but not sugar! Also it can be a bit unsettling to see cooks without hairnets or hats. My dad is a neatnik, so I'm not sure if he appreciated seeing that (I ate doshas off newspapers at Indian train stations so I don't care so much). Also there's a little kitty that goes inside! Some may find that unsettling but I found it very endearing. It's tough for me to give this place a numerical rating. On the one hand it's got some negatives such as no seating, lax rules for look of cleanliness, and limited beverages. On the other hand, the presentation is unique, nostalgic and endearing. And best bagels ever! So I'll give them 5 stars. read more

When the reviews are great and there is always a line, chances are the place is worth a try. So, do what you have to do! Double park your car,(street parking also) walk up to a service window, and place your order. It may look like what some people call a hole in a wall, but the line goes quick, and the service is great. Order various bagels, mini bagels, or muffins. All freshly made on site. My favorite is the everything bagel toasted with garlic herb cream cheese. I also ordered onion, and sesame bagels, blueberry, banana nut, and carrot muffins. The bagels are light, fluffy and flavorful. You can taste the freshness. I hate dense bagels! Thats why I will definitely buy my bagels and muffins from here again. read more

Almost always a line here. There is a reason why empire bagels is so popular in this area of the bronx. The service is quick, the workers are friendly and the bagels are all pretty delicious. The blueberry tends to sell out quick, so keep that in mind-however all their assorted varieties are pretty much going to satisfy. they are also generous with the cream cheese! I always try to grab a dozen or so when i travel home and these bagels are gone within minutes in the hands of my family. chewy and delicious! FYI-this place closes by noon. I didn't know that for awhile and woudl go in the early afternoon wondering why they were closed. read more

Getting bagels from here has become our Sunday tradition: so fresh and delicious!!! There's almost always a line of people outside, but it moves fast!! Bagels are so soft and you can tell they were freshly baked. My kids love the rainbow & plain bagels, I'm partial to the pumpernickel and sundried tomato ones and honestly I've tried pretty much all their bagels so far and haven't found one I dislike. Worth a try!! read more

See all

Love, love, love this place. The bagels are phenomenal and always fresh. Coffee is great too. Must go early or you will not get any! They also make the best rainbow colored bagels. My nieces and daughter love those. Like everyone mentions on here, it is a little hole in the wall and the line is usually pretty long but they move fast. Must try. read more

So I must admit I got my french toast bagel with cream cheese at 11:30 which is 30 minutes before they closed, it wasn't hot or toasted, which is what I would have preferred. The selection was limited because most of the popular bagels sold out and they were out of lox cream cheese. I had my coffee light and sweet, after having tons of spanish cafe con leche this coffee seemed a little watered down, must admit service was great with a nice big smile. Maybe you gotta get here bright and early to truly enjoy the experience of the fresh bagels. read more

The best bagel spot is the bx. You cant go wrong here. Got the old school oven and the bagels are freshly made and the staff work hard to be accommodating to the people that enter. read more

Good for the BX, OK for NYC. Not amazing compared to some of my personal favorites in the city: Absolute, Brooklyn Bagel, Murrays... Etc However, this doesn't mean it is not decent and I would say since it's the Bronx and not Brooklyn or Manhattan, this may be one of the best bagel shops around. I've only been in the warmer months so the street service window worked great, I do however imagine it could be less than ideal in the cold and snow. The food is what you would expect bagels, cream cheese, coffee... Nothing special but better than what's available at a grocery store. Overall, if you are in the general vicinity I would recommend stopping by but it's nothing out of the ordinary. read more

Empire bagels have been around for years. Their bagels are ON POINT, never failed me. Lines are long but is it worth it? YES! Customer service? GREAT! Their friendly guys, their appearance is what makes it cool enough to want to come back. If they expand it into a legit bagel shop, it'll be crazier but I think this is fine. Change isn't always a good thing. Bagels are always fresh, no need to toast them, muffins are soft and moist. Valid customer stamp ! read more

The best bagel place in the Bronx for sure. The bagels are fresh and tasty they also make good muffins. The only complaint here is that parking here is really bad, that's a small price to pay if you really wanna get a good bagel. read more

Best bagels in the neighborhood! So may options to choose from. About a dollar each plain. Open from 5am until 12pm daily. Service was quick and friendly even despite the number of customers on line. Definitely a must for breakfast! read more

See all

This is the most overrated bagel spot ever. I recently started working in the Bronx and all the folks was like try it out this the best bagel in the Bronx. I tried the egg and plain bagel. it was hot out the oven but PLEASE This NOT a bagel spot. This is a roll labeled bagels store. I pass by Bagel Cafe and Bagel House every day. This is not a bagel, it's a fresh hot roll you g at at the deli. read more

The best bagels on the east side(Pelham Bay)of the Bronx! For get Dunkin Donuts, this place is a hidden gem.These bagels have flavor & soft, including their bialy's. The range of flavor is better than average. You can get a plain,an everything bagel to a blueberry or Sun dried tomato bagels. The spread is basic, lox, butter/jelly & cream cheese, so don't expect anything hot off the grill like eggs & bacon/etc. Baked on the premise, with a walk up window. Sorry, no sit down booths. They also make muffins, but you don't go for the muffins. read more

These are great bagels and at a great price! The rainbow bagels are so much fun! 3 bagels and apple juice super cheap compared to other bagel places I've been to! Amazing! read more

Empire Bagels - Bagels Near Me - Bronx, New York

My favorite bagel spot. Walk up window, fresh bagels, no fuss. Bagels are always fresh, staff friendly, and when get here super early before heading off to work, they are still warm. My favorite bagels here are the sundried tomato, everything, and rainbow read more

The number 1 choice for bagels in the Bronx. We got here before sunrise so we could get a great mix of bagels. They had the Bialy too, which was wonderful! That's a great you have to get there early for. The bagels are fluffy and so de-lish... best bagels around. Walk up to the window, place your order and get one with cream cheese for immediate snacking. Yum! read more

I love a good bagel and these are GOOD bagels with great prices. Try the everything bagel sticks with butter or even a plain bagel with cream cheese. Their all soft and warm w/o being too doughy or chewy. I can't go back to bagged bagels. read more

Bagels are amazing you can tell by the long line every morning. Made fresh daily. The best in the area.

Amazing bagels and coffee. These are as good as most of the places in Manhattan. They also close early as well. I love the bagels that are hot out of the oven that melt when you bite into them. The coffee is pretty good too and as others said, great service. There is no indoors for this place, this is strictly for the walk up buy and move on. read more

Love this place! Love these bagels. The coffee is just okay, but come for the BAGELS!!! My favorite is the Blueberry. read more

Empire Bagels - Best bagels in Bx. - Bagels Near Me - Bronx, New York

See all

No seating (unless you count the NYC bus stop), limited beverages, barbed wire next door, and an elevated train rattling overhead... and why do I come here? Because the bagels are that good (same for the cream cheese). And there is something nice about getting good bagels at their source. Totally no frills yet I'm always happy here. Perfection. read more

Empire Bagels - Walk on up & feel happy - Bagels Near Me - Bronx, New York

Such yummy bagels ! They have so much to choose from and the cream cheese is to die for ! I deff recommend the jalapeño cream cheese . Bagels were so warm and fresh and the staff was super nice :) read more

By far the best fresh bagels in the Bronx. I come from Coop City just to get their bagels. The Walnut Raisin Cream Cheese on a Cinnamon bagel is amazing!! My kids love thier rainbow bagels. They have all kinds of bagels and a nice variety of cream cheese. Got to take the time to pass by and try this place. read more

The bagels are fresh and homemade with a light, soft texture that really worked for me. There is no seating, but it is fun to wait in line on the sidewalk. You feel like you are going out of your way to get good quality old-school bagels. My friend and I got sesame bagels with cream cheese and shared a blueberry muffin and ate in the car. This is a place I would recommend if you are going to the Bronx Botanical Garden and would like a delicious breakfast for energy. The only thing that would make this place better would be a seating area. read more

Great local place to get a bagel. They are only open until 12pm so keep that in mind. They are always making fresh bagels. The outside was crunchy and the inside was soft. It was a great bite. The staff is super friendly and accommodating. Definitely a place to stop and have a great bagel. read more

Kick ass bagels and cream cheese. They don't do slices of lox, but they do have lox schmear.

Freaking awesome fresh bagels! The workers are nice, respectful, and cheerful. Prices are great. Just one wish... 100% whole wheat please would be better for us trying to eat clean. read more

Walk up window in perfect location walking distance from home! Best cinnamon raisin bagels - Usually warm - love them plain! read more

Why not zero stars. These doughy under cooked bagels just suck. Even found a hair in bagel when cut it open. No hair nets are used, no gloves used. Inspection service here we come read more