This is the best bagel place in town. The food is great and the staff are very friendly. I do know about the order ahead option, but we came at a good time to just walk up to the register and order. Our bagels took longer than some others just because we got egg and bacon on them. I will say that it seems like it would be easy for the line to be out of control and for seating to run out. The bacon, egg, and cheddar on an everything bagel is what I got and I would definitely get this again. It kept me full for so long. I wanted to get some freshly squeezed juice but I thought I was overpriced so I stuck with a Diet Coke, but they had Collectivo coffee there that was reasonably priced imo. I will absolutely eat here again, however I may choose to come earlier in the morning to avoid the "brunch rush". read more

Place was packed, but 20 minutes for a bagel with nothing on it is pretty poor. Staff had a surly, condescenting attitude when asked. Top it off, bagel wasn't very good. Might be fine on a slow day but avoid if busy. read more

The service was very late--waited 30-something minutes for 5 bagels (4 were normal with just cheese cream and one with eggs and bacon). Only to get home and realize the eggs and bacon bagel was missing despite paying for it... (we confirmed on our receipt that we were charged for it). There was preferential treatment given: a group of 4/5 people ordered after me and received their food within 10 minutes while the employee who brought them their food stood there and spoke with them for the next 15-20 minutes. The bagels tasted ok I guess. read more

don't get me wrong the food was fantastic but it was soured by the staff. I went with my Dad during the Madison Hands Off Protest. I made a mistake and went up to get my food when they hadn't called my number yet. so I went and sat back down. when it was finally my turn to get my food the person who was handing out the bagels yells at the top of his lungs, "last and most certainly least? number 413!!". everyone went quiet and my dad went up go the counter to go get our food with everyone watching. it was humiliating and I'm sad that my experience turned out that way because the food was great. anyways good luck at gothem bagels because you might just end up waiting forever for your food just to get humiliated by the staff. read more

I really love the bagels I get from here. However, it shouldn't take an hour and a half for a bagel and cream cheese. I would strongly suggest turning off your online ordering capabilities at some point in the morning to help manage expectations with your customers. Edit - after the hour and a half I received the wrong bagel! :( read more

This place is an absolute s-hole . The self check out kiosk doesn't work. No Ac It's like 100 degrees. Not worth it. Over priced. Einstein bagel or brueger is better read more

Yum! Loved this beautiful, savory bagel sandwich. Would very much recommend. Would have liked the front window and lights to be cleaner. Service was friendly and upbeat. read more

Gotham Bagels - a close up of a bagel sandwich - Bagels Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Great bagel place in the heart of Madison WI. I came here for the first time on a Sunday morning and the line was to the door. We waited for about 30 minutes before our bagel was ready - so I will say if you have the app you can order ahead. Highly recommend doing this so you don't have to wait long. For how long we waited, I do have a couple recommendations for how they can improve: 1. There is no big menu in the restaurant. As a first timer, I was confused and had to look up the menu online while I was waiting in line. They should have a bigger menu with all their bagel options, and coffee options. 2. The bagel was not toasted. I was a little disappointed in this because it made it harder to chew and was cold. I don't know if this is an option if you request it but would definitely ask. 3. They don't have any cheese bagels like an Asiago bagel. This would be a great addition to the menu. We got a everything bagel with scallion cream cheese and lox and the flavor was delicious. Obviously this place is doing well because they are so busy. I would recommend. read more

Gotham Bagels - Everything bagel with lox and scallion cream cheese - Bagels Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

I stopped at Gotham Bagels right when they opened on a Saturday morning. The line was short, but there were definitely people there who had already ordered. I think we waiting maybe 15-20 mins for our bagels. Well worth the wait! I got a bacon, egg, and cheese on a Everything bagel. This was so good! These bagels were perfect - soft to bite into and very fresh. The chocolate rugelach was out of this world delicious, I wished I would have grabbed 2 bags! I can't wait to go back next time I'm in Madison! read more

These bagel sandwiches are really just amazing and delicious. I've only been here once so far and I must go many, many more times. I mean, the photos of the food say it all! There's also coffee and fresh juices. It's more of a eat and go place more so than a place to linger and hang, FYI. But it gets the job done in splendid fashion, for sure 100% You must, I say must stop here before leaving Madison if on a visit. Grab these for the ride home. Yes, it's not a cheap sandwich but what the hell, quality takes effort and people like to get paid for working and crafting a fine product! read more

Gotham Bagels - I mean they're beautiful and delicious! This is Rocky's something... bacon, egg, cheese, potato pancake, spicy ketchup. - Bagels Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Excellent big variety of great bagels. Great location. Cant go wrong. Cute inside too. read more

Gotham Bagels - Some goodies from the shop! - Bagels Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Need an authentic New York bagel, but live in the Midwest? Get yourself to Gotham Bagels!! The bagels are superb. The sandwiches are fantastic! Order a bagel so you have one for the next day! They deliver and have a walk up window currently after you order online. They're amazing! Who knew bagels could be so good. read more

We ordered two bacon egg and cheddar bagel sandwiches and was told that it would take 30 minutes. An hour later, the sandwiches still weren't done and once we got them, although the bagel itself was pretty good, the egg was over cooked and there was just not much in the bagel. For the price and the extensive wait time, completely not worth it, although the staff did say they'd give me a discount. read more

Gotham Bagels - egg cheddar kimchi on honey whole wheat - Bagels Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

I've loved Gotham Bagels for years; it's our favorite bagel place outside of NYC. We caught the bagel episode on WI Foodie and decided to take a drive to get the Brighton Beach. It was the most perfect bagel & lox sandwich we've ever had--ever. Each component, from the perfectly seeded everything bagel down to the gorgeous and deeply-flavored tomato, sang in unison to create an expertly balanced bite. We could not stop eating--we only stopped to share how much we freaking loved each rich, tangy, salty, sweet, briny, fresh, beautiful bite! The place was hopping; they ran out of bagels about an hour before closing time, so get there early. The service was fantastic and the atmosphere was bustling but laid back. We can't wait to go back! read more

Came for breakfast after seeing the place on Wisconsin Foodie. Did not disappoint! I got the spicy sausage egg and cheese bagel and my wife the BEC. Both were outstanding. And most importantly the coffee was great!!! Took two cinnamon raisin bagels to go with their cream cheese and it was ridiculous the next morning. Gotta make regular stops! Wonderful busy but quiet shop and was fun watching everyone work so hard. Thank you!!! read more

CHECK your order. We just picked ours up (to go) and it was wrong. Wrong cream cheese and missing tomato, for which I paid extra, and tipped. :(. read more

Best bagel you can get in Madison. The low reviews are from insular wisconsinites that don't understand NY deli culture lol

Gotham is a pick up only bagel place with some interesting bagel choices. As other reviews mentioned, service is a bit slow so make sure to order on their website before you come to pick up. If you want to order at the store, there is a QR code on their door to scan to order online (no cash accepted at the store). There is no option for guests to go inside - there is one door (not open) and one pick up window. You will get a text when your order is ready and the pick up window is where you will get your order. I tried the cinnamon raisin bagel with the cherry cream cheese filling and the OMFG bagel sandwich on a kale bagel (Nashville chicken, egg, cheese and bacon). The bagels were good but tasted like a normal bagel. I didn't really taste the kale flavor on the kale bagel. Gotham has quite a few cream cheese flavors such as scallion and smoked salmon. The cherry cream cheese filling didn't have much cherry flavor but it was still tasty. I want to try the smoked salmon filling next time. The OMFG sandwich was so good and I highly recommend it. read more

I see a lot of reviews here criticizing their employees and customer service. For my review, I'd like to highlight how friendly the employees are and how much I value their hard work. It's as easy as mobile ordering 20 minutes in advance to promote a pleasant experience and you will walk away happy with delicious bagels and coffee. This place deserves more kindness and respect and I will definitely be back to give that to them; I hope you choose to join me. read more

Gotham Bagels - Tuscan bagel - Bagels Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Was so excited to try this because I absolutely love bagels- although mine was done quickly, it was SO hard I had a hard time biting into it or biting a piece off. Why?? It tasted day-old, not fresh. They literally make bagels- you have one job. No excuse for them not being amazing! read more

Should be able to produce one toasted poppy seed bagel in under 15 minutes when the shop is nearly empty. But no... this bagel shop does a huge online/togo business and has only two employees prepping sandwiches at lunch hour. Don't expect to pop in/pop out as you would at most bagel shops. Nor to promptly pop out with the bagel that you had ordered in hand. read more

The service was super quick, there's plenty of seating even though it's a smaller establishment. Our were toasted just right, they had the soft crunch I look for in a good bagel; and the flavors of the cream cheese were great. Would totally stop here again if I was hankerin' for a good bagel. read more

Grouchy servers, rude to customers, and they got my order wrong. Spent more time working on internet orders versus serving customers in the store. If you're barely going to grunt at me, you can at least attempt to get my order right. read more

Great bagels and accouterments. I would definitely come here again if I'm ever in Madison. Service is no-frills but I wouldn't call it unfriendly. The menu of bagels and sandwiches is pretty extensive, with specials on the board. There's also a deli case with items like specialty cream cheese and tuna and egg salads on display. I thought about getting a bagel with smoked whitefish salad since you don't see that everywhere. But in the end I couldn't resist getting a classic bagel with lox. I got mine on an everything bagel with scallion cream cheese and tomato. It was delicious. The bagel was fresh and chewy. The lox and cream cheese were perfectly balanced. It was a little messy to eat but I'm a messy eater to begin with. The coffee is from Colectivo. I did have a little trouble finding the place. The Google Maps directions were atrocious. Though that's more of a complaint about Google Maps than the restaurant. I tried to come in through the wrong door and I felt a little stupid, but then I saw someone else do the same thing, so maybe it's not just me. read more

Gotham Bagels - Everything with lox and scallion cream cheese - Bagels Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Yes, the bagels take a while to come out. Yes, you will have to wait longer than they/the online ordering tells you. Have a little patience, and you'll enjoy your meal. Easily the best bagels in Madison! They have SO many topping options and fun combinations. I've truly never had a bad bagel sandwich from here. They've got endless options and something for everyone (I love that they offer vegan cream cheese). It's truly the only place in Madison to get a NY style bagel. The jalapeño garlic cream cheese is next level good. I will forever be returning here for more bagels and sandwich combinations. read more

Gotham Bagels - everything bagel with jalapeño garlic cream cheese, avocado, and a fried egg - Bagels Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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Very average bagels, awful customer service. They have an app to track how long your bagel will take, I ordered two cream cheese bagels and was told 20 minutes. After 25 minutes I inquired and told "it was coming" but we were clearly far down the list. Waited 10 more and decided to just cancel my order. Went to the window to cancel and the manager came to the window, shoved the bagels in my face and said "there's other bagel shops out there" Whole situation could have been remedied with accurate tracking on their app, or a quick mention of apology and recognition that they are backed up/understaffed. Will not be returning nor ever recommending. read more

Solid food but annoying that you have to order online. They accommodated and let me order at the window (cash only) but I received several snippy remarks to order online next time. Come on guys, the pandemic is basically over and it's winter in Wisconsin (aka it's so cold out my phone literally doesn't function). Anyway, bagel was good and there was a good amount of lox (doesn't show up well in the pic). Coffee was standard. Have had their matzo ball soup in the past and it broth was so salty it was inedible and you literally needed a knife to cut the matzo ball... stick to the bagels read more

Gotham Bagels - Everything bagel with lox and cc - Bagels Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

I come from a family of New York & Florida Jews & since moving to Wisconsin, I've been looking for a good bagel like the ones I'm used to. Gotham bagels are the best I've found so far. They also have other Jewish deli staples like rugelach & latkes which were very good! The latkes have scallions in them which is a twist on the traditional recipe that we LOVED. I'm so happy to have found this place for when I'm craving some of my favorite foods. read more

I'm sure that the bagels they offer are probably pretty good. I wouldn't know, because I ordered a bagel and lox over an hour ago and it still isn't ready. This is truly absurd. When the bagel finally is ready (not sure when that will be yet), I'll have to wait in another 20 minute line to actually receive the bagel once I'm notified that it is ready. Getting my COVID vaccine at a mass vaccination site during a snow storm in New Jersey was easier than this. Coincidentally, I could probably fly out there and get an actual east coast bagel in hand before this place serves me mine. Update: I just received received my bagel over an hour and half after I ordered it. Also, you should be aware that you are paying NYC prices for your bagel. Which I can justify if I was getting Midwest service, but alas, I've had better service at a Taco Bell. read more

Delicious bagels, in a good New York style. Recommend the sausage, which was super flavorful.

Gotham is probably the best bagel you can get in Madison. It's the perfect amount of chewy, just like New York Bagel should be. They cut out a slice from the middle, toast it, and give it to you with your bagel which is pretty nice. Overall it's a friendly place and a great stop for breakfast. read more

Gotham Bagels - Toasted bagel with cream cheese - comes with a bagel chip - Bagels Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

GOTHAM BAGELS #1 Flat out, this is the best place to buy a bagel in South Central Wisconsin...maybe the best in the state! Better yet, it's not just the bagel that's fantastic, the bagel sandwiches, chip, soup, etc, are ALL great! The people that own and work at Gotham are amazing, too. If you're looking for the best of the best, place an order with Gotham. You'll be glad you did! read more

Twice I have found plastic shards in my pesto macaroni salad and didn't ask (or get offered) refunds because the people were generally kind. But having ordered today and calling for an hour long wait delay without update I was told that the number I'd reached wasn't Gotham bagels despite having already heard the voicemail before and then when my friend called from a different number the person answered saying don't call here again. The food is decadent if you keep your eye out for shards but apparently the service is now trash and that combo is something I should warn you all about. read more

The food: delicious!! We got specialty bagel breakfast sandwiches. Highly recommend the food! The staff: surprisingly, not very nice. We were quoted 15 min for food to be ready. That turned into 25, then we finally got our food 50 min later. Obviously we were at the pick up counter a few times inquiring, the last time I got a lecture from a gentleman about "shoulda, coulda, woulda" if they had more staff to help, and they are overwhelmed with orders so we just have to wait. I get it being busy, but next time I would appreciate "sorry we are behind, will get your food ASAP". read more

Got to Gotham bagels at around 11 o'clock on Saturday. Waited well over an hour for our food. Bagels seemed fine Sandwiches were quite tasty, but we likely won't be back. Just not worth the wait...... even people who had ordered online were complaining about how wrong their ETA was. Can't comment on the ambience as we never got a seat inside. read more

This is hands down the best bagel place in Madison. You can't go wrong here with whatever you choose, but i will tell you, be ready to wait because this place will have a line out the door no matter what time of day! These bagels are good enough to not get toasted so if you know what you want (ahem... everything bagel with chive spread, tomato and pepper) then you will be happy with that first amazing bite you take. If you do get it toasted it's still good, but will definitely fight you a bit. The default is toasted for create your own bagels. So make sure to say something when you order!! My friend had the BLT, and man. Was it good. Sandwiches don't seem to be toasted by default but man do they cook that bacon perfectly! And the aioli. You seriously can't go wrong with this sandwich. Overall, I'm a definite fan and will stop by here whenever possible! Happy bagel hunting! read more

Safe practices going on here during COVID. You must order in advance online, but they will have your food waiting for you behind a protected window. Really minimal contact, but preferred during these times! Their vegan options are out of this world. I love their tofu-based cream cheese. Before I went vegan, I loved cream cheese. Their rendition (Toffuti) makes me forget about the dairy version. I love their scallion tofu spread so much, I get a tub to-go to enjoy throughout the week. Their bagels are a hit as well, but make sure to go as early as you can before your favs get sold out. I was craving an onion bagel and settled for a poppy seed. It was good, though! Check them out, vegans! :-) read more

I have a serious love affair with the Heritage ham, Gouda, and egg sandwich (on an everything bagel). Gotham is perfect for a quick, casual breakfast or lunch. The bagels are fresh. The service is friendly. (Weekends can be tricky, with a longer line and fewer parking spots.) read more

Gotham Bagels - Bagels Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

All I can say is they are bringing The New York attitude to the Midwest. Rude. No customer service. No thanks. Not for me. Plenty of other options in Madison. Gotham...bit of advice...if you are nice to customers and treat them like they are important to you... you will get more customers. Pretty simple. read more

Driving through Madison on our way home from a trip up north and we thought stopping to get bagels would be a good lunch option. Ordered online and it took 50 minutes to get half a dozen bagels and 2 sandwiches. The pick up system doesn't really make sense oftentimes no one is even standing at the takeout window. I don't understand how it took so long to make 2 sandwiches. Did you make the bagels while we were waiting? The food is really good overall but waiting an hour for something that should take 10-15 minutes tops isn't acceptable. read more