Great bagels, good breakfast sandwiches, and just ok coffee at this convenient spot in downtown Madison. I've been in twice and there was a line each time, so be prepared to wait if you come here in the morning. Nitpick: the lady that took my money also made my bagel. She did not wear gloves or wash hands between register and bagel, so, I got some extra germs with my breakfast. What's up with that?! read more

Gotham Bagels - Bagels Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

I went here for the first time. I'm from NYC so I am always interested in trying bagels. The bagels themselves were fine. I was a little irked that it was toasted without me asking for it. Nowhere on the online order form did it note that it would be toasted unless I asked otherwise. Not the end of the world, but should be improved upon in the order process. Second, I had a run in with the owner. I'd read in other reviews that he was grumpy, but I was quite surprised that someone in the customer service business would be so rude. The store has two doors. In the attached photo you can see the left one, and there is also one 20 feet to the right. Due to Covid19 there is a pick up window to the right side of the store inside the right hand doorway. Also note in the photo below, there is wood up on the storefront to protect against damage from recent protests, so it's hard to tell what's going on inside. Anyway, in the photo the sign says "pickup next door." The sign is pointing into the door in the photo (the left hand of the two doors). I thought the arrow was pointing to a door perhaps just inside in that opening. What the sign meant was, go to the door over to the right about 20 feet away. OK, so I made a mistake. I went in the wrong door (not sure why it was even open if you're not supposed to use it, or why the sign wasn't physically to the right of the door in the photo) and one of the workers told me to use the other door. I said ok, but your sign is confusing so you might want to fix it. When I came out, walked 20 feet to the other door the owner, Joe immediately said "what's so confusing? What's the problem." I told him I'm just there to get my bagels, but he insisted that he wanted to know. So I told him, the sign is not 100% clear on which door you go in. He snidely replied "oh, well, we'll have to look into that," in a tone that meant, I will never look into that. Again, the bagels were fine, I just don't know why Joe has to be grumpy to the people who pay the bills. We have choices as to where we spend our money, and as I like to say, "it shouldn't be hard to spend money." If you look through other reviews you'll notice Joe's gruffness/rudeness is mentioned multiple times: it's a recurring theme. It's time to leave the Long Island attitude back on Long Island, Joe and respect and treat your customers as customers. read more

Gotham Bagels - One of the two doors at Gotham Bagel. This is the left one. - Bagels Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Was slightly disappointed that they were out of everything bagels, but there were plenty of others to choose from. It might have been the best pumpernickel bagel I've had. NY style, not too dense, and a perfect light toast. I had mine with lox and they did not spare on the cream cheese or fish. Awesome sandwich. Next time I'll try the Brighton which is what my friend ordered and looked amazing. I splurged on a fresh squeezed oj that had just the right amount of pulp and was def worth the $3. My friend was jealous and wished she ordered one too. In typical Sunday fashion, I also had a tall coffee. I really appreciated the choice between dark and light roast. I only wished they had sleeves for the cups since it was a bit warm on my hand without but great coffee all the same. Most importantly, the service was excellent. We were greeted right away and the staff were friendly, conversational, and quick service. Great experience with delicious food. Can't wait to go back read more

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I'm a big fan of Gotham Bagels, specifically their Yellow Cab sandwich. If you're like me and love a good BLT with a bonus of avocado on it, this sandwich is for you! I will say, if you are looking to grab something to go quick on a Saturday or Sunday morning, this might not be your stop. In my experience, the line is usually at the door from 9am-12pm, but it does move at a steady pace. Just allow yourself at least a half hour or more from start to finish. On the the plus side, Gotham usually has some awesome jams playing in the background while you wait:) read more

Gotham Bagels - Yellow Cab - Bagels Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

The pick up only ordering is a little inconvenient but it's worth it for the authentic bagels. There are plenty of sandwich options for every taste. Love the vegan cream cheese options! read more

Good food but way overpriced and poor to middling customer service. I've been there a few times--had a couple of sandwiches and a large order of bagels and schmear. Your wait time and service is heavily dependent on who is around. read more

Bagels are chewy and delicious. Cream cheese flavor selection is full of savory choices. Order ahead with the app to balance wait time. The banana bread was insanely dry. The portion was huge but it was flavorless, dense, and drrrrry. Stick to the bagels. read more

So many people have posted pictures and raved about this place and I finally had a chance to try it out. I had no idea about it until I saw people tag is on Instagram. I have driven by on the weekends and it is PACKED. I went on a Tuesday morning and it was so quiet. Perfect for me. There are a good amount of tables (high tops, window seating, tables). I got an everything bagel with pastrami & egg. The egg was made exactly how I like: medium with the egg yolk oozing out at every bite. The pastrami was perfect. Yum. I wanted more and didn't want the bagel bites to end. I also had coffee -- self serve. I love places that carry the raw sugar. It's what I typically want with my coffee. Goal is to come here often so I can try the whole menu. That's how excited I am about this place! read more

Bagel sandwich was fine (after order was corrected) but woman working on 10/26 was super unfriendly. Maybe she should not be working in a job with customers? She didn't even look up after I was waiting awhile, and kind of grunted when I asked a question. I wanted to reach them by phone, but not an option even when they're not busy. A much friendlier NY style bagel place is needed. read more

Realizing that is a busy day during the farmers market is one thing, but a 20 minute time estimate at order turned into well over an hour and a half. Will not come back again. read more

Oof, rough day at Gotham bagels! Would be a 5 based on how our sandwiches tasted (delicious!) but had so many issues with our order. They were completely out of every bagel except sesame. They left the lox off of one sandwich. They left the frozen bagels out of our order completely. And gave us the wrong flavor cream cheese. I wish I could say we would be back, but it's hard to justify after this. read more

So I get this business is super busy on the weekend but does that give the owner the right to hang up on me trying to make a food order? He directed me (ever so briefly) to the website. But yeah the website wouldn't take an order. So not only did he lose a twenty plus dollar order on this date. But future orders because of his attitude. I'm over this joint . read more

This was recommended to me by one of the blog articles when searching for must hit places in Madison. Being a bagel lover and knew I would be hurting for some good hangover eats, this place was on my radar. We ended up getting here about noon. We ordered pretty quickly and sat Dow , the place filled up rather quickly. I ordered the spicy sausage, egg, and cheese on an everything bagel and it was perfect. My husband got an everything bagel with pastrami and gochugang cream cheese. The pastrami was so flavorful! I was unsure if his whole combination but hey, whatever. We also had clam chowder that was one of the best I've had. I love clam chowder! It came topped with bagel chips and they topped it with bagel croutons. Lots of bacon and garlic and I didn't mind it one bit! Definitely need one of these in our town! read more

Gotham Bagels - Bagels Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Sure the bagels are ok, nothing you don't have at any other bagel place. Waiting 1 hour for a bagel to be ready seems a bit absurd. Not sure what's going on here. I won't be back. read more

My first visit to Gotham didn't quite blow me away like I thought it was going to, sadly. However, I may not have ordered one of the most popular items, so I think I'll give it another shot sometime to change my opinion! My roommates and I all went for the spicy Italian sausage, cheddar and egg sandwich on Gotham's everything bagel. They came out pretty quickly (we were there around 9 on a Sunday morning -- it wasn't too busy) and were neatly made. I noticed right away that the size of the bagel maybe seemed a bit small? But that could have been the normal for all of Gotham's bagels -- I'm not sure. Anyways, like I said, I wasn't blown away by my breakfast, but I will say that the italian sausage was super yummy -- the cashier informed me that it's all made in house. And I'm a sucker for some egg yolkiness in my food. Next time, I might try some of their lox! I think I would have changed out the type of bagel, in hindsight. The bagel was so thick, I wished that I had the sandwich on something thinner. Also, due to the bagel being toasted and thick, I ended up scraping the roof of my mouth on the tougher part of the bagel, which was really annoying/painful for the rest of the day and the day after whenever I ate something. I know that Gotham makes bialys which are (I googled this) Polish in origin and are baked rolls, similar to bagels. They seem to be a bit thinner, so I think I'd go for that next time. Overall, I think I would have been much happier with a different bagel choice -- so I'm excited to give Gotham another try! read more

Gotham Bagels - Bagels Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

We went to Gotham this morning around 11AM for brunch, and it did not disappoint! Both sandwiches had so much flavor. I would not get cream cheese added to mine again, but overall we left will full bellies and big smiles! If you're looking for some authentic NY bagels in WI, this is the spot! read more

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Gotham Bagels - an eclectic bagel bakery with flavor options ranging from plain to everything, and ornate cream cheese options to accompany any palette. I was intrigued by the gochujang cream cheese but stuck with my go-to bagel favorite...lox and cream, defined as a Brighton Beach. The salmon was plentiful, accompanied with red onions, tomatoes, a lively spring mix, scallions, caper cream cheese and I opted for the everything bagel. Lovely. I wish I had tried The Alaskan, with seared salmon, scallions, gochujang cream cheese, salad mix and cucumbers. But I stuck with my lox and cream. Little minor regret there. My dining partner got the Spicy Italian sausage, egg and cheddar cheese...titled the Spicy Italian Sausage, egg and cheese bagel ona plain bagel. The egg was runny, my favorite but not so much his; he still ate it. I tried it, sausage was definitely spicy but was a VERY good sammich. I would come back for that one as well. As I sat there, long lines the entire time. This is a little bagel gem-heaven! The ambiance reminds me of Katz in Manhattan, I could sit and people-watch all day. Employees behind the bagel bar are witty and sarcastic...I it. I could people-watch them, too and there's a bagel bar to do that at! read more

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This may or may not fall on deaf ears, but it's fine either way given I'm leaving the review online. Had family visiting from San Diego on November 25, 2023 and touted Gotham's reputation for food. They stopped by and ordered 5 bagels: 1 breakfast sandwich, and 4 bagels with cream cheese. After witnessing the owner give discounts to other families and personally preparing their orders and serving them in a reasonable time, my family waited 45 mins to get the bagels with cream cheese and never got the breakfast sandwich because one would assume the order was right after 45 minutes. Out-of-towers, be weary of patronizing Gotham as you may experience longer than normal wait times due to lack of local recognition. read more

While the food was okay but not great (maybe worth a stop if you're in the neighborhood, but I would never bother to drive here), I just cannot support a business that condones the horrible treatment of an older person I witnessed today. The only way to place an order is with a credit/debit card online or with a smartphone. After going through the annoyance of scanning the QR code, making the order, making an account for the website they use, and then adding our credit card, we were able to make our order and then proceeded to wait. An older man was sadly sitting on the sidewalk and asked us how we were able to place an order. He had called the store for help, but they wouldn't help him. We then spent the 20 minutes we waited for our order trying to help him. We were able to help him figure out how to access the menu, add items to his cart, and start to make an account. However, the man had some technical issues we couldn't help him with because we didn't know his password. The man was sad and confused; he was sent on an errand by his family and he was trying so hard to do something that should have been so simple--picking up a few bagels. When our order was ready, I asked the woman at the window if there was any way she could help the man. She responded in a horrible tone, "Yeah, we can't have an IT person full-time on the corner just to help people place orders." Um. This man was literally the only other customer in line the entire 20 minutes we were there. I don't think having a little human kindness to help an older customer make an order is such an impossible task. She shrugged her shoulders, said they don't take orders any other way, and refused to even care. I have to say, the fact that this business is happy to let an older person struggle out on the sidewalk makes me sick. I also have to say that it's hard not to think that a policy that requires customers to have a computer and internet access or a smartphone, a certain level of technological ability, and a credit card (no cash allowed, she said) strikes me as classist and ageist at best. Not everyone can afford a smartphone or a computer, not everyone grew up with this kind of technology, and not everyone has access to bank accounts and credit cards. I will not be returning here. read more

Yummy! After a big weekend of drinking in Madison, we came to Gotham to grab some breakfast before heading on the road. The place reminds me of a bagel shop ones might find in New York. The line was okay, but it was still pretty early, about 9am. We got the everything bagels with bacon, egg, and cheese as well as a tuna salad and egg salad to go for lunch. It did take a while for them to make but it did not disappoint. After being there for about 30 minutes, the line managed to get very long, pretty much out the door, so I guess we got there at the perfect time before the huge rush! read more

Gotham Bagels - Bagels Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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The food is good, but per the other reviews, their service while remaining shut down is not. We ordered a bagel sandwich and a bagel with cream cheese at 9:30 and didn't receive it until almost noon, on a Sunday when there was not a special event occurring in town. My partner called to check on our order and was told "That's just Madison. You're either going to wait with us or wait with someone else." Had this been handled in any other way (e.g. 'Sorry, we're backed up this morning, it will be there soon.") I would not feel the need to write this review, but they don't seem to place any value on their customers' time. I would like to applaud them for taking safety seriously during COVID, but I feel that improved customer service would go a long way. If you check Google reviews you will see that the owner is constantly defensive and/or combative with the other reviewers when they make similar complaints. As I mentioned at the top of the review, the food is good. We had been here in 2019 and were excited to return, unfortunately with the customer service experience we will not be going back. read more

It's alright. Bagels aren't particularly good but not really many other options nearby. Didn't really see many options besides bagels.

Amazing bagel breakfast sandwich for between $7-$12 and fully customizable! My friend had the bacon & egg bagel and I had a specialty one with heritage bacon (thick and seasoned), cranberry mayo, lettuce, tomato & added an egg! Both sandwiches were delicious. We sat at the bar and enjoyed watching the team prep. You can tell by watching the employees that Gotham is a Madison business with a lot of heart! I'll be craving a bagel sandwich until I go back. read more

Gotham Bagels - Bagels Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Alright y'all, I'm so tired of this place. It's expensive ($10-12 for one sandwich base price with 1.50 for one slice of tomato - wtf), it takes over 40 min for them to make you a bagel, and they have forgotten my lox on a "lox sandwich" at least 3 times now. The bagels aren't even that good! They often taste stale and have that crunch that feels like it will shatter your teeth when you bite it - though this could be because it takes almost an hour from when the toast it to when you can pick it up from the order window as they have a separate line for people who have already gotten the "it's ready" text. Apologies if this is harsh, I hate to rag on a small business, but don't spend your money here it's never worth it. read more

Great bagels, subpar service. As much as I enjoy the flavors of so many of the items here, I have had more orders messed up in the last six months than I can count on two hands. While continuing to give them the benefit of the doubt, today I was asked by their delivery driver to leave a parking spot that was clearly marked for pickup customers. I didn't need to put up a fight so I left for the last time without my weekly order. I'm out. read more

Greatest Bagels in the Midwest. Try everything, yes the everything Bagels. Vegan cream cheese, and they have coffee. One stop shop

Got d bagels, however, I've been there 3 times and never can get order down. They don't even understand double toasted nor open face.

Favorite bagel place in Madison because they have hands down the best bagel sandwiches in town. They do a fine bagel with cream cheese but I think where Gotham shines is definitely with their hefty sandwich creations. My go to is the pastrami and egg on whole wheat honey (helps cut the saltiness of the pastrami). Yummy gooey breakfast goodness. I also tried their Montauk lobster bagel sandwich during Sustainable Seafood Week and that was refreshingly delicious. Love that they participate in Madison food weeks. Expect lines if you come during the weekends and food can be a little slow coming out sometime but if you're craving a bagel, it's all worth it. read more

Gotham Bagels - Pastrami and egg - Bagels Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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Once in awhile when we visit our daughter in Madison we stop by Gotham Bagels for a quick breakfast. On more than one occasion I've noticed an attitude from a guy who I assume is probably the owner or maybe the manager. This past Saturday we were there prior to going to the Farmers Market. Gotham was very busy & appears to be doing well. I saw a customer look for a restroom. The owner/manager asked him what he needed. The customer said "restroom" (which is located behind a roped off area in the employee area). The owner/manager asked the customer two more times "what do you need?" Each time the customer responded "restroom". Without any nicety from the owner/manager the customer was let behind the roped off area & directed to the restroom. Immediately I saw the owner/manager tell another employee about the customer asking for the restroom, as if he was bothered by this "customer". Soon after, the owner/manager walked by me with a very unfriendly look. I said with a smile "how's it going, nice to be busy". He very rudely replied "I'd rather be home like you collecting checks". He doesn't know me as I was offended by his improper remark. Then abruptly walked away. Regardless of this guy's position he should do some soul searching to reassess his attitude & show more appreciation of his customers. Maybe he thinks he's being funny & has a dry sense of humor. Regardless it is not acceptable to us customers. He should try smiling even if he's not happy! On a side note, the numerous employees were working hard & hustling to get the orders out. Their bagels are very good! read more

I'm from Jersey and am picky about bagels. Had low expectations but man, this place is the best! Truly a "superior product". Two bites in I almost forgot how long I waited for the bagel :) Also, the coffee cake is great. read more

They make a great, authentic NY style bagel. We've been buying them weekly for years. The sandwiches are also great. Favorites are the Original V, Brighton Beach and Athenian. For sweet cream cheese try the honey tart cherry. The online grocery selection is also amazing: olive oils, pasta, feta, etc. are all top quality. read more

Service was quick and friendly for an online order. Flavor of the bagel and cream cheese was good, but the bagel was rock hard. My TMJ is definitely going to be acting up after sawing my way through it. Disappointing for a bagel shop not to have fresh bagels. read more

God d*mn! What great bagels and bagel sandwiches. Multiple flavors of vegan cream cheese? Yup. Lots of veggies? Yup. Fast friendly service? Yup. I was so amazing by how fast the bagel was finished especially because of how packed the place was. I really loved being able to see all of the options of bagels and see how fresh they were. I ordered the original v which was vegan and it was so tasty. It was loaded with cream cheese and veggies. I ordered it on a sesame bagel and man was it so good. I would definitely return to have the same sand which or create my own. But I have to admit I was really satisfied with the original v. If you're a vegan you've gotta try it, or if you're not a vegan, you've still gotta try it. read more

Gotham Bagels - The original V - VEGAN - Bagels Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Wanted to try this place again after a break only be reminded of why we won't be back. After putting in our order at 10:30am, the email said 10:50am pick up which is already excessive for 2 simple sandwiches. Lots of frustration from fellow patrons outside. After walking back up to cancel my order at 11:20am, I just get the text and the lady checked the order and said it was done. Though the sandwiches are ok, eating them when frustrated and annoyed just ruined the whole experience. I'd rather go somewhere else and enjoy my meal. Very disappointing. read more

Put in an order at 10:23am it's now 11:44 and they haven't even began my order. They close at noon. There are about 50 people outside waiting for their order and no one has received anything. There is no one telling anyone what's going on or how this works. Shitty customer service and SO SLOW. They have a total asshat running the place who is so rude it's disgusting. read more

Such good bagels if you're in the area. Their "sandwiches" are fantastic and a perfect size for breakfast. They get busy so its recommended you order a head of time, but it's so much fun to order and then sit & eat by the capitol! read more

Really great bagels and sandwiches. I wish they had an eat in option, but it's a great pick me up especially on farmers market Saturdays. Just remember to order in advance! read more

I found it a little funny that this place is based entirely off of New York City when NO ONE in New York would pay $10 for a breakfast sandwich and proceed to wait half an hour to be served. I get it-- any breakfast place on a Saturday morning is bound to be crowded, especially given its location in the center of town. However, there has to be a more efficient way to get people moving through this place. First it's 15-20 minutes on line, then upwards of a half hour to receive food that is, frankly, nothing special. Definitely not the place to go unless you have a lot of time on your hands. read more

AMAZING bagels. True New York style with tons of different bagel flavors and sandwich options. My go to is the bacon egg and cheddar cheese on an everything bagel. It never disappoints and kicks my mornings off right. However, lines can be long so order before online to skip the wait! read more

Gotham Bagels - Bagels Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

I love bagels, so I'd been looking forward to trying Gotham Bagels. We stopped in around 9:00 am Friday morning. It was very hot inside the restaurant. There were lots of people sitting at tables but the line was not particularly long. The menu was on a table next to the cashier where you order, so you don't have much time to think about what you want until you get there. I'd definitely recommend getting the menu up above the cashier so you can plan in advance. We just ordered a couple of bagels with salmon cream cheese. The price was quite reasonable. Then we sat down towards the back of the restaurant to wait. While looking around I began to notice that almost no-one sitting at the tables actually had their food. They were all waiting. We sat there sweating in the heat while they slowly called out orders and patrons went to pick up their food. It was literally 23 minutes after we ordered before we had our bagels with cream cheese. I'm glad they have their ordering system down, but I would actually have preferred to see a line so that I knew how long it was going to take. If I saw the line, I would know and could make the decision if I wanted to wait. With this approach I just sat there seething and sweating the longer it took. 23 minutes is a long time for a bagel with cream cheese -- especially when there is no line. When we finally got our bagels we took them outside and ate on the square. The bagels themselves were delicious. Soft and chewy. The salmon cream cheese was also delicious. Gotham Bagels definitely knows how to make a good bagel, they just need to get the rest of their act together. read more