It's easy to forget what a good bagel tastes like -- there are so many bad ones out there! But the bagels here are the real thing -- chewy and flavorful. Lots of good options, but a simple bagel with schmear is a classic for a reason. Lines can get long on the weekend, but that's the price you pay for the good stuff. Tip: if you're just getting loose bagels, there's a separate line for that at the back! If you're feeding more than 5 people, recommend getting some bagels and separate cream cheese and save yourself the wait. read more

If the line wraps around you could pass, but if the line isn't too bad jump on in. Ess-a much like most bagel spots in New York is quite good, but just like most spots, there are so many great bagels in NY you don't need to be waiting 40 to an hour for a bagel. They have a location in Dumbo at the time out market which I was a frequent visitor to, and it was just as good with no line ever. But that location doesn't have the charm that this particular location holds. So for visitors I do get the pull to wait in line here. I was taking my parents who've never been and they very much enjoyed the chaos and charm on the inside. I personally stick to the signature favorite as is, and it never fails me. My parents who aren't big on lox, did the egg sandwiches, which they liked but I would say if you're having to wait in line and you're planning on getting the egg sandwiches maybe wait for a time where the line is much more manageable. read more

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Although it's considered an institution, I just don't see the justification for the hype and the long wait associated with it. I ordered the lox spread with all the veggies on a poppy seed. I swear, every time I find myself in NYC, I somehow end up here because someone in the group wants a bagel. But it's just alright. Not as delicious as something in Chinatown, that's for sure! read more

Date: Thursday, March 5th, 2026 Time: around 11:45am Party of: 3 Meal: Breakfast / Brunch *LEO ($13.25) *Morning Classic ($10.50) *Signature Favorite ($17.85) *Small 12oz Regular Brewed Coffee ($3) x2 *Tax ($4.22) We had time to kill until checking into the next hotel. Decided to drop to grab a bagel. I ended up getting the lox everything bagel which is their signature favorite. I went to go find some seating while the boys went to order. Eventually I saw a group leaving and grabbed their table. Honestly there isn't much avail seating here, so I got lucky. My bagel was delicious. Sliced nova, scallion cream cheese, lettuce, tomato, red onion, capers. What's not to love? I mean I could have used more lox and more cream cheese, but I like A LOT of stuff on any carb item, so I am a lil extra. The boys were a little confused when ordering. I think they tried to go to the cashier and order? I believe you order at the counter then walk over to the cashier. I wasn't paying attention so I wasn't exactly sure. Great spot to grab a bagel to go. Wished they had more seating for dine in tho. REVIEW #4016 read more

Ess-a-Bagel - Signature Favorite ($17.85) - Bagels Near Me - New York, New York

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Once upon a time, this was the best bagel in the planet. It is no longer - there are better ones, even, in Park Slope - but they've upped their game in some ways, if not in the bagel construction, then in their service (much more kind than in the old days), and in the portions (a Dagwood Bumstead - sized sandwich indeed). You can't go wrong with whitefish, lox, and pumpernickel, in copious amounts, can you? read more

Ess-a-Bagel - Pumpernickel whitefish - Bagels Near Me - New York, New York

Long line but it moves fast and it's worth the wait! Go early in the morning to get freshly baked bagels. I recommend the scallion cream cheese with salmon, it's delicious. The matcha latte was so good and during the spring try the honey lavender latte! It's seasonal. read more

Ess-a-Bagel - Sesame seed bagel with scallion cream cheese and matcha latte. - Bagels Near Me - New York, New York

They pack the signature favorite bagel with lox, an it's a great bagel. There were a handful of bones in my salmon still, but I didn't mind. The line was just out the door at 11 AM on a Saturday, but it moved fast, and I think we only waited 15-20 minutes. You order at the counter, then wait for your bagel, then take it to the cashier to pay. read more

Ess-a-Bagel - Signature Favorite - Bagels Near Me - New York, New York

Bagel Heaven right here! Crowded yet Cozy cuz the smell of warm bagels makes everything just feel alright. Fairly fast service considering the amounts of hungry people. I love all the different flavors of schmear. Strawberry cream cheese, yum! read more

Ess-a-Bagel - Cinnamon Raisin with strawberry cream cheese - Bagels Near Me - New York, New York

The Good: NY bagel, what's not to like. The scallion cream cheese is outstanding! Signature with Nova was tasty! I do have to admit it's not the best NY bagel I've ever had though, but it's definitely solid. The Bad: Be ready to line up even at 8am on a Sunday morning, but the lines move quickly. The Ugly: Eating another standard Marriott/hotel breakfast bagel afterwards makes you wonder if they are even of the same concept. read more

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The long lines in a NYC bagel shop always gives away the type of quality they serve! I ordered the Signature Favorite which is the sliced nova lox with all of the fixings on a toasted everything bagel and it did not disappoint. While the line may be long but it moves quickly. When in line, be ready to move ahead of the people in front of you so you can place your orders. This is a staple bagel shop with the vibe to match the big apple, and should be experienced while in the city. read more

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The best and most expensive bagels ive had haha We ordered the signature favorite and mr nova lova and holy it is so stacked!! Since it's so massive it's hard to get everything in one bite, but each bite is heavenly! The sliced nova with the scallion cream cheese and fresh tomatoes and crunchy lettuce makes it a very filling breakfast. If you love avocados youll love mr noba lova, it's very creamy! I've come a couple times and sometimes there's a rlly long line, but I came once on a tues afternoon and there was no line, so it rlly depends on time of day. Staff are very quick to prepare your food and there's some tables and seats to sit inside. Def recommend trying the signature as a first time ny bagel experience! read more

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When In New York you have to try every bagel you possibly can! And that's clearly what I did taking a brisk morning walk to grab a bagel from another nearby bagel shop! Ess-a-Bagel was another large bagel shop, with a decent amount of indoor seating and extensive bagel and cream cheese options. Also plenty of other goodies to choose from throughout the shop. I picked up a scallion cream cheese with lox bagel. It was HUGE. I swear New York bagels put all other bagels to shame with how much filling you get, it really balances out the bread to cream cheese ratio perfectly. Perfectly toasted. And the salmon was absolutely wonderful. Each bite into the sandwich was the perfect expectation of salmon, bagel and cream cheese. read more

Ess-a-Bagel - Bagels Near Me - New York, New York

I've been coming to the area weekly since fall '25 and every time I passed Ess-A-Bagel, there would be a queue outside of the establishment starting as early as 9 AM. After stumbling upon a "best bagels of NYC" article that mentioned Ess-A-Bagel, I told myself I'd give it a shot if the line ever died down. Well, with the tourist rush of November and December out of the way, the snowy slush of January/February meant that less people were willing to make their way out so early to line up. Even though it was a random February Saturday morning, there was still a line of about 5 people in front of me, though it moved quickly. There is limited sparse seating around the bagel shoppe (some bar seating in the front, tables in the back) and the "island" in the middle that separates the queue contains some boxed cookies and other fare. It's a pretty impressive dance for all of the workers to be handling orders all at the same time, a combination of called in, internet, and in-person. At 9:15AM, I already saw 15 bags of orders being prepped by the staff that equaled in number. They offer a variety of offerings -- breakfast egg sandwiches, lunch sandos, and a smattering of cream cheese smears. The smears and bagel types were more limited than others I usually go to (i.e. no egg everything and no bacon chipotle cream cheese), so I settled for an everything bagel with scallion cream cheese. For those visiting or transplants, please have your order ready and listen for the workers when they say "next" -- otherwise, you ruin the natural NYC flow. That is one note that might tarnish the experience -- the lack of awareness of people not from NY. The clientele is mixed bag, and some can be entitled and unaware, so just be mindful that you might have people ordering slowly or trying to nudge past you to grab things without saying "excuse me". The bagel though? Standard. I didn't think it was anything that special compared to any other bagel shoppes I've been to since childhood. If I was in the area and had there was no line, I'd come back, but otherwise, I wouldn't seek this out or queue. I don't see anything *that* special about Ess-A-Bagel. read more

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Always long lines but pretty good quality bagels. Defs a nyc classic and staple.. would recommend should try but there are a lot of good quality bagel places. Overall service as expected and recommend read more

Ess-a-Bagel - Bagels Near Me - New York, New York

The bagels here are good and a great bite on the go. The selection of flavors isn't bad and it is fairly quick to order, grab your food, pay, and leave. We got our bagels to eat in and were able to find a table to accommodate 5 of us. You got to pounce once a table opens up though! As stated above, the bagels were good but not the best bagel I've ever tasted. I got the sesame bagel but it wasn't toasted to the point of having crispy sesame seeds or a crunchy outside. The salt bagel was indeed veryyyyy salty. The coffee tasted like diner coffee which is actually something I like~ kind of dark roast but light tasting. lol! read more

Ess-a-Bagel - Bagels Near Me - New York, New York

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Ess-a-bagel is a must try! I ordered a simple bagel with sun dried tomato cream cheese and added avocado. I asked light on the schmear and it did not disappoint! Bagel toasted perfectly and flavorful cream cheese. Whats not to like in this NYC bagel! I saw they had a long long line, so I decided to order for pick up and it was quick. I would rather order for pick up than stand in line, it was quite busy. Would love to come here again next time in town :) read more

Ess-a-Bagel - Bagels Near Me - New York, New York

This place has a huge variety of smears and I chose the lox cream cheese which was absolutely delicious on my toasted onion bagel. Service was very fast considering the number of people that seemed to be constantly flowing thru. Seating is limited but customers are mindful and our party of 4 had no problem. They don't serve decaf coffee which is a must for me so I couldn't give it that 5th star but all else was great. read more

Ess-a-Bagel - Plain toasted bagel with cream cheese and lox - Bagels Near Me - New York, New York

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Great food - not just bagels and toppings - but loads of baked goods like black & white cookies and babkas. Super efficient staff that have to move quickly, and do. Why not 5 stars? It's damn close, but going in when it's busy is a nerve-wracking affair. Long lines with a separate line for delivery pick-up folks that sort of blocks the bottle/can drink cooler, and very few tables for the enormity of the crowd. This place is an assembly line of deliciousness, but as with every assembly line, the hectic pace is wild. Is it worth it? Went there three times in three days. read more

Ess-a-Bagel - Soda and bagel toasted with butter. Breakfast of champions. - Bagels Near Me - New York, New York

This place has been on my list for a long time and I was excited to finally be able to stop in. I was also very hungry. The line was long, but there were many people working and it went quickly. I was overwhelmed with how many things they had, but I stuck to my basic sausage and cheese on and everything bagel. It was toasted a little too much for me, but it was still good. The lady at the counter was so sweet . What bothered me was a guy started cleaning the vents and lights right near me and above me I felt like dust was falling on my food. I had to move down a couple seats. I look forward to going back and trying another sandwich. read more

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If you ever thought the world stopped turning after Covid, look no further than Ess-a Bagels. I tried it once, and the place was empty. Today, it was packed with commuters sneaking in a proper breakfast before work, and tourists who wanted a piece of the coveted New Yorker breakfast prize. At first, I found the price of the bagel on the sign more than reasonable. When I got rung up and saw my total, I realized why. Cream cheese spreads go for $4, while the bagels themselves stay $2. I didn't mind, because that's still a breakfast under $10 in Manhattan. Nice chewy center with a slight crunch from the toasted edges washed now with an orange Snapple. I almost felt 6 again where I'd have my bagel fixings with a glass bottle of Snapple in my day after surviving Sunday mass. read more

Ess-a-Bagel - Store interior - Bagels Near Me - New York, New York

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Solid bagel stop in NYC. I like the large selection of cream cheese flavors. Quite a hard crust though and a tad on the dry side. I prefer a softer bagel and I don't love how crunchy the outside is. I felt like the bagel itself was also a bit dry. I wish the bagels were warm too. Decent amount of schmear but would've been happier with a tad more. I tried the salt bagel- it was fine. Chocolate chip cream cheese and the oreo cream cheese were nice to try. I haven't seen these flavors at other bagel shops before. They tasted rather similar to be honest- both sweet and slightly chocolatey. Overall, I will likely not return. I would recommend Absolute bagels (RIP) or now Broadway (the closest substitute I can find). read more

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I am truly not sure why this place is always soo crowded especially on weekends. I had a sesame bagel with egg and cheese ... yes it was hot when they gave it to me but the bagel was pretty tasteless. I have had better bagels in NYC. I was in the area and very hungry. Service was ok a bit slow and there were not many people infront of me. There are some seats inside. read more

Ess-a-Bagel - Bagels Near Me - New York, New York

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Yummy. Delish cream cheese with chewy raisin bagel. But if a wait so order ahead if you can! Guess it's worth the wait! read more

Ess-a-Bagel - Bagels Near Me - New York, New York

When in NYC not much beats a super busy and popular New York bagel shop, savoring a signature lox sandwich on an everything bagel toasted and open faced, and actually finding a tiny corner seat by the window to people watch. This place rocks! Hand rolled bagels that are plump and huge, lox that melts in your mouth, with all the fixings to round it out. Pure perfection. I could get used to mornings like this. If you're in New York or just visiting, Ess-a-Bagel is the real deal and should be a pit stop for anyone. read more

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Super busy place! It wasn't a holiday week either. This place is decent but I won't wait in line for just a regular bagel. I got cookies to take him black/white. Not bad. My bagel was the bacon bagel. It's ok. Nothing wowed me. I did like the lox bagel but it's not my thing. Maybe next time I'll try a different bagel. I can say the avocado schmear was 9/10. I even took some home. We also got a blueberry bagel with regular schmear. That was good. I would go back if it didn't have a line and a place to sit. I do like how fast they took my order and how the workers are friendly and nice. read more

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Though I've visited the city before, I somehow had not had a New York bagel until this trip. 1st proper bagel is not something I take lightly, but after much deliberation, Ess-a-Bagel, of TikTok and Instagram fame, got the honors. I came here on a Saturday morning, finding a line outside wrapped around the block. Despite its length, the line moved relatively quickly, and in just under an hour, we had made it inside, to the counter, and were being served. Throughout this process, staff were calm and quick, operating as a well-oiled machine. Always a "one thing sweet and one thing savory" person, I got 2 bagels -- everything with scallion cream cheese, and red and green with Oreo cream cheese. Both were prepared very quickly, and came to me warm and toasted with an extremely generous amount of cream cheese in them. Probably a 1:2 shmear to bagel ratio by volume. Both bagels were crispy outside, soft and chewy inside. The everything bagel was very generously seasoned outside, and I loved how brightly pigmented my festive red and green bagel was. The scallion cream cheese was delicious and oniony, as expected. It was 10/10. I was a little worried about the Oreo, because this is something that can be hit or miss. I had nothing to worry about, because it ended up being very adequately Oreoed (if that's a thing), and just sweet enough without being sickening. I also tried a bite of someone else's everything herb cream cheese, which is what I would order if I go back. Absolutely no critiques of the other 2, but I would consider killing for the everything herb. It's one of the best things I've ever tasted. read more

Ess-a-Bagel - Everything bagel with scallion cream cheese - Bagels Near Me - New York, New York

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Simply the best bagels in NYC... that says something. Been an institution in the city for 50 years. Got hooked on Ess-a when I lived in Manhattan and could walk over, and now try to pick up a dozen whenever I visit. Yes, returned to Florida with a dozen in my suitcase on this trip! There is often a long line. Keep in mind that this line is for sandwiches, prepared food, etc. You don't have to wait in this line if you are just getting bagels. Just confidently walk to the back of the store, past the line, to the counter with all the bagels. What's wild is they've only had 2 stores for the longest time. Now I see they opened a few more locations. Check their web site. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED - "HALL OF FAME" read more

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What a good way to start the day... we went to the 9/11 Memorial and wanted to grab a NYC bagel, we heard a lot of good things about Ess-a-Bagel and it was not too far away so... I got Everything bagel with Novacado with egg whites. I'm not a huge bagel guy but this really hit the spot. The bagel had a nice crusty outside and soft inside. The avo and Nova were delicious. They wrapped it nice and tight to avoid all the slippery stuff from falling out :) We would have probably given it a higher review but the staff rushed us to order and then our bagels just sat while they made a lot of coffees for others (with higher order numbers than we had). We were thankful that ours stayed relatively warm. read more

Ess-a-Bagel - Novacado with egg whites. - Bagels Near Me - New York, New York

Always happy to come here just a few blocks from the office although I hear they are moving to a bigger space. The bagels are huge but that doesn't bother me. Tremendous selection of cream cheese and smoked fish. Often crowded. Tourist attraction so time your visits. On my most recent visit I had the belly lox and cream cheese on a pumpernickel bagel. Made promptly and provided everything I wanted for breakfast that day. I usually pick up a dozen to bring home but my freezer was full. Next time. Give it a shot. Not trendy but worth a visit. read more

Ess-a-Bagel - Pumpernickel with belly lox and cream cheese - Bagels Near Me - New York, New York

It's great to be back at this lovely bagel shop. I first came here in 2014 and it's still great. I ordered my lox bagel and a caramel hot latte which were both very good. The service is great and friendly, you walk through a line placing your order one by one, then step back to wait for them to call your order, then proceed through the line to pay. In and out in a smooth flow. They have all types of ingredients to make your bagel sandwich, or you can just eat plain. They are so fresh and look so good, all variety of bagels. So glad my hotel is very near here. The seating is limited, however, there is seating and nice to sit and look out at the people walking by. Totally recommend this spot. read more

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I love these bagels here. Lines are long but usually move pretty fast where the wait is about 20 minutes both days I went. There is a separate express line if you just want to order bagels to go without any cream cheese. My favorites are the signature favorite which comes with smoked salmon, cream cheese, tomatoes but I also really love their everything bagel with scallion cream cheese. read more

The everything bagel feels like half a plain bagel and half an everything bagel in one. I thought I was getting pranked when I opened the wrapper at first. Otherwise really solid bagel, super fluffy with a nice crunch on the outside. read more

Ess-a-Bagel - Bagels Near Me - New York, New York

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It's bagels. It's NY. I'm pretty sure it's something in the water like SanFran has sourdough. When I arrived I was the last customer in the door and it took me 30 minutes to get to the counter to place my order. When I left, the line was from the corner shop to the end of the block; I can only imagine how long it took for those people to place and get their orders! Then there was this lady that ordered 6 dozen bagels. She was loading them into a suitcase. So I guess let that be your judgement if these are good NY bagels. Know that customer service leaves something lacking, but it's in their best interest to get people in and out. read more

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Best bagel ever! Popped in for a quick breakfast bite to-go!! This place is packed but the line If you go to this place, you'd better be prepared and know what you wanna order. The bagel shop gives you the classic New York vibe, which means they mean business. When you stand in line, make sure you know what you're going to order so when they call you, and you're the next person, put your order in quickly. Wait at the counter until they give you your bagel and then make your way to the cash register. This place has a wide variety of bagels, including a wide variety of spreads, they also had many sandwich options to choose from. I ordered a salt bagel, not toasted with lox spread. It was so yummy! The bagel was fresh, doughy and chewy. The bagel had salt on the top sparingly but the bottom is where it's at! It was coated with salt and I mean real salt not the white pretzel salt that some places use. The lox spread was piled on-- they did not skimp! My sister ordered an everything bagel with jalapeño spread. Hers was toasted and delicious! I definitely recommend this place for your New York bagel experience. In fact I can't wait to go back! Enjoy! read more

Ess-a-Bagel - Everything bagel, toasted with jalapeño spread - Bagels Near Me - New York, New York

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Visit & Ordering Shoutout to the Yelp Elite, Brett M. on here who recommended ordering ahead online! I took their advice and it was a game-changer. This was my first time here, and when we arrived, the line was insane. After just landing in NYC and running on a few hours of sleep, it was such a relief to walk in and have our food ready. Seating & Space Seating is limited, with a few tables up front, some in the back, and spots along the window. The store itself felt a bit cramped, and it wasn't the cleanest space. Food I got the lox bagel sandwich. The filling was good, but the bagel itself was a bit tough. Not sure if it's b/c I got it toasted. This was my first NYC bagel experience, so I'm not sure if that's typical, but I wasn't overly impressed. One bagel sandwich could easily be shared between two people. The price was also on the steep side. Drinks No water cups are provided, so we had to buy bottled water while there. Restrooms The restroom situation was unfortunate. There is one restroom in the back, but it's part of an open space that also functions as the "office" with computers and staff working. While waiting, you have full view of the office, and some workers even ate their lunch there near the restroom. It would be much better if they added an acrylic partition or some sort of barrier to separate the restroom from the office area. Overall Ordering ahead online is a must, especially for first-timers. The food was decent but not life-changing, the bagel was tough, the space felt cramped and a bit dirty, and the restroom setup leaves a lot to be desired. It's a fun spot to try once, but I'm not sure I'd rush back. read more

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I stopped by this location of Ess-a-Bagel for a bagel a couple of weeks ago. Ess-a-Bagel used to be one of my favorite bagel spots in the city, but I've been disappointed by two different locations on recent visits. I ordered ahead on DoorDash (glad I did, because the line to order was out the door on a Sunday morning around 9) and walked in to pick up my order. This location still has plenty of charm - even if it's so crowded you can barely see the charm. Don't expect a seat unless you stalk and wait. I got a pumpernickel with cream cheese, lox, and tomato. Overall, it was pretty good, but the pumpernickel was hard. Not good bagel hard. Just hard. I was worried about my teeth because I had to really tear at it to get a bite. Pumpernickel is denser than a traditional bagel (it's that rye), but this was a little too hard/hard to eat. The bagel was sliced at a crazy angle, making the halves completely uneven. And there was only cream cheese on one half (the other half had lox and tomato touching it, making it a little wet). Ess-a-Bagel is a classic, but my recent bagel was a little bit of a disappointment. read more

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Wrapped in plastic wet and sweaty.. They should realize when you wrap Saran wrap on a bagel and it gets over 100° it leeches forever chemicals into the bagels besides making the bagels sweat in awful.. Paid $70 for a dozen bagels from Gold belly.. they sucked.. I'll be looking for my money back read more

Ess-a-Bagel - Bagels Near Me - New York, New York

You walk to the line and they call you up by calling out "next"! The line gives you time to look over the menu. They work quick so before I could look over the menu I just asked for a sandwich with salmon and capers and right away, he said their "Signature Favorites". I chose the everything bagel. I seen him load it with salmon and cut it in half. I waited at the register for my order. It was a good hefty size for $17. I shared it and it was plenty. We were both impressed with the taste! They have a lot of package, pastries, and goodies for takeout. read more

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I had an onion bagel with egg and avocado. It was just okay in my opinion. The avocado mash and the egg were both lacking flavor and unfortunately the bagel was nothing to rave about. Service was great, they were very friendly! We visited early afternoon on a Wednesday so there were quite a few locals. Okay ambiance, nothing h extraordinary. This is a no frills bagel spot, I Just wish my sandwich would have had more flavor. read more

Ess-a-Bagel - Onion bagel with egg and avocado mash - Bagels Near Me - New York, New York

Came here on a Tuesday morning and there was a short line inside but it moved pretty quickly. You wait in line and wait for one of the bagel makers to call you and take your order, then you wait in front of the glass and they call you once your bagels are finished. You then go to the register and let them know what you ordered and pay. We got the Mr. Nova Lova on a salt bagel and the bacon, egg and cheese on a plain bagel. There's a decent amount of seating inside, but I can tell that when it's busy, it can get pretty cramped. The tables in the back of the store seemed cramped and clustered. I tend to gravitate towards bagels with cream cheese, but decided to give the Mr. Nova Lova try since they're the rave. There was a generous portion of smoked salmon, and the bagel was slightly toasted. The salt bagel was extremely salty, too salty even. They use the salt you see on pretzels, and they use A LOT. I think I would've like this a lot better on a different bagel. A cute place, I wish I could try a different kind of bagel here! read more

Ess-a-Bagel - Mr. Nova Lova - Bagels Near Me - New York, New York

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