Reading Southsider magazine, I discovered Great Bagel as they prepare to open their second location this summer at Millpond shopping center. I went to the original location on Woodland Avenue. Checking out their website, the first impression is eye catching. The website scrolls through a pictures listing of some of their best bagel sandwiches. I was sold, this was a must try. When I arrived, the menu looked quiet different from their online impression. The signature sandwiches weren't easily identifiable and separated on 2 different listings for breakfast and lunch. I actually had to go online and confirm what sandwich I wanted from the pictures. I went with the American bagel sandwich with the added touch of Siracha mayo. When I sat down waiting for my order to arrive, the pick up locations confused me. I heard orders after mine being called out. I went up to check and it was the drink orders begin called out. The food had a separate location for pickup. I later realized from the hanging signage the pickup areas, but it wasn't clear as a first time customer. My sandwich was waiting on the counter when I arrived. I opened up my sandwich and it did not look appetizing. The egg was runny and mostly outside, stuck to the paper. They had also forgotten to add bacon. I had to go up twice to get this corrected. The customer service was prompt when telling them of my problem. When I finally sat down with rendition #3, the bagel sandwich tasted great. It's the comfort you'd expect from a breakfast sandwich. Bagel was crisp and full of flavor. I'll be willing to give them another try as the food was good. read more

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food was great service was like boom and [[HIGHLIGHT]]there is a good movie room[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] and [[HIGHLIGHT]]it was like real candyland[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

The food ain't as good as it used to be and 13 dollars for a mid bagel is nuts. Additionally charging a 5% fee for employees and still asking for tips is absurd. read more

I remember coming here all the time as a student at UK. It would always be slammed on weekend mornings and even during the lunch hour during the week. There always used to be this awful burnt smell as soon as you walked in. This time, I came in and I didn't smell that at all. They were busy for a Sunday in the summertime around 11:30 ish. I was surprised. I forget people probably stay in town to intern or something. They weren't as slammed as they are during the school year though. The parking lot can get busy and tight. It's not always fun. Not a fan of the orange walls, but I guess it's a thing here in Lexington. Lots of quirky cafes and shops paint their walls the same color. Anyway, there was no line when I came in. Just tons of people at tables although a few tables were empty. I ordered a maple bourbon bagel with egg and sausage. It gets charged as American (the same thing but with cheese) even though it's without cheese. Seemed a little unfair to make it the same price... It was a little over $5. Sometimes toasted bagels hurt my jaw. I ate half of it and gave the rest to my sister. It used to be so amazing coming here because I barely ate this stuff for breakfast. As a poor college student, I ate cereal everyday. Now that I make this stuff at home all the time, it lost it's appeal. Also, the maple bourbon tasted like a regular bagel. I couldn't taste the flavors. They have a cream cheese to go with it which maybe would've brought out the flavors. My favorite bagel was Asiago, so I perhaps should've chosen that. I still think that Great Bagel is a cheap and quick option, but I don't see myself visiting here as much as I used to. Service was alright. The girls at the register seemed unhappy to be there. Maybe the busyness was tiring them out? A line formed after I had finished ordering. Still, one lady apologized to me for how long it took to get my bagels. I had ordered two of them. One for myself and one for a friend. I wasn't upset though. Coming here often, you know they can get backed up. The grill isn't huge either, so they can only make so many at a time. I will commend them for the different types of bagels to choose from. They even have a gluten free one! read more

This place is awesome! On my way out of town, I stopped for a bagel with a friend and her mom. I had been craving a Lox and Cream cheese bagel with tomato! My friend recommended Great Bagel and we went around 11a- boy was this place packed! There was a line to order and all tables looked full. We stood for a few minutes hoping someone would get up, and they did. I snagged a table and waited while my friend ordered. She ordered the same as me, but with chive cream cheese not plain! The bagels were ready a little while later and we dove in! The bagels were crunchy on the outside and sought on the inside ( i never get mine toasted, i like them soft!). It didn't take long before the whole bagel was gone and I was stuffed! Perfect meal before I hit the road for a long drive home. Will definitely be back! read more

Great Bagel - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

Worst iced tea on planet earth but the bagels are amazing. Always made fresh and their selection is great. Due to the close proximity to UK I'd avoid it during the hours of 10-11 because the lines can get long. read more

Great Bagel - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

They are charging you for employee health insurance and their time off without asking. Its principal. Check your receipt! You cant charge me for something I havent agreed to pay for. I have requested a credit and they tell me they will be sending one but I was told they would not be accommodating me going forward. I will no longer visit this business See Pictures. read more

Great Bagel - The Charge - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

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The bagels were good for sure. Friendly staff and great service. However........... I really have a problem with being charged an additional 5% employee health and wellness fee. Why is it the customer's responsibility to pay extra for the employees to get better benefits? I had 4 bagel sandwiches and a latte and paid $40. Yes, $40! That seems steep enough that I shouldn't have to pay an additional 5% for extra benefits for the workers. It seems to me there should already be enough. I will not be going back. read more

i got the american and it was amazing. honestly one of the best bagels i've ever had. the staff was so kind. we got our food very quickly. i highly recommend coming here read more

Great Bagel - American Sandwich - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

This place is great and very consistent. They have quite a few options and a full coffee bar. I usually get the American, with bacon and ask for my eggs to be over medium. I think they typically do over hard unless you specify. They have raised their prices a bit as well as rebranded the menu but still pretty reasonable. read more

Great Bagel - Menu - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

Let's be honest, my go-to breakfast order here absolutely NEVER misses. The NYC on an everything, scallion schmear, add capers. Couldn't ask for more! But I do. With my order I typically get a large iced vanilla lavender latte with oatmilk. While this coffee adds almost $12 to my order, it is far better than a starbucks drink. But hey, what do I know? I'm just another average boujee bagel and craft coffee connoisseur here in town! Cheers! read more

Am I the only one noticing a big difference in their bagels? We get the same order every time: 1 plain bagel, 1 everything bagel, spinach salad, and a bacon egg cheese on everything bagel. Unfortunately our last 2 orders (placed 2 weeks apart) all 3 looked strange, almost like wheat bagels. They were very dark and had a completely different texture and flavor. The first time we just thought they messed up our order but tried again today and same thing. The spinach salad's chip/crouton things looked and tasted different, too. Not sure what's going on but I think we're done with Great Bagel for a while, which is disappointing. read more

After two failed attempts for an Asiago bagel at another bakery I. Lexington, I settled for Great Bagel. I had forgotten how great it is! It was busy, but the service was fairly quick and my sandwich was made to order. It was still warm when I got home. I need to remember to get breakfast here more often. Delicious. read more

Great Bagel - Pepper jack jalapeño American bagel sandwich - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

This spot is BaGOALS, seriously really great service and food. Visiting Kentucky from Indianapolis and this is a contender for one of the better bagel spots I've been to! read more

Great Bagel - Great Bagel with Lox and Cream Cheese - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

Best bagels and service! A must visit morning treat when visiting UK campus. Easy online ordering and pick up process.

I was looking for a good bagel place and came across this little gem. Great service and delicious bagels !! I bought a dozen (variety) and 3 tubs of cream cheese. Everything was so fresh !! Highly recommend. read more

Ahhhh another college bagel spot, and we still have none. I am a bagel magnet and when we are near a bagel spot - I cling to it for dear life. After a girls trip to Lexington this weekend we were in need of carbs before the drive home. We stopped in to find a bustling bagel spot on a bright and cheery Sunday afternoon. Glistening bagels line the spools of the window before you order. It is quite the sight to see. You can opt for a sammie or a bagel toasted with a variety of delicious homemade cream cheeses. HIGH FIVE SHOUT OUT TO THE OWNERS: Thank you for cooking your eggs and bacon to order. Yes, this makes things extremely difficult and the cook who was running the line was a magician, but it makes the WORLD of a difference. His energy was on point as he called out ticket after ticket and continued cracking those eggs. I was in SHOCK at the rhythm the entire team kept here. It was really beautiful to watch. Now - back to my point, a huge thank you for doing this. At other bagel spots even some local ones you often find cooked eggs sitting in trays of water and bacon that is precooked the day before and this always hurts my soul, but not here. 5 stars for that alone. Also another high five for having a fresh pressed orange juice machine! I've actually never seen one of these, but again - this spot is QUAL.I.TEEEEEEEEE. Super fresh. Friendly. And the next time I'm back in Lex - this is one of the first spots I'm going to hit. THANK YOU!!! read more

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The bagels were great! Almost as good as Pearl's but better than Southland bagel. Even though it was super busy the line moved quickly and the staff were very friendly. read more

Great selection of bagels and bagel sandwich options. I enjoyed the Healthy Sprout with Lox and my father had the Club. They both were delicious! The coffee was exceptional as well. This place does not disappoint. What puts Great Bagel over the top is the kind people that work there. read more

Great Bagel - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

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At first, the employees kinda seemed snobby. My first time with my wife, we had asked a couple of "newbie" questions and the guy at the register seemed bothered that we didnt just order and move on. Felt like we were an inconvenience to him. But we kept coming back cuz the coffee is AMAZING and the bagels are really decent. I also like supporting local places like this. It's been several months that we've still been coming and the lady at the register (with a Monroe piercing) has been the one to take our order the last several times. She is so nice and friendly. Today, I asked about the soup of the day, a chicken spinach parmesan soup, and both her and lady cooking the food were super helpful. They were right about the soup! It was SO GOOD. I would definitely recommend this place to my friends and family and coworkers. read more

Got a maple bourbon bagel with cream cheese and a French toast bagel to-go, both toasted. Both were delicious and nice and hot when we got them. The maple bourbon bagel didn't have a super strong flavor though. It was fairly busy when we went (Sunday afternoon after church) but didn't take super long. Staff was friendly. read more

Great neighborhood spot that has provided delicious bagels & fresh OJ over the years! TIP: If you have Celiac & order something GF, I recommend specifying for GF items to be bagged separately. Our order was together touching & employee was unapologetic & burdened by our request for a new one. Probably just having a bad shift tho! We'll be back!! read more

If you are in Lexington, you should definitely try "The Great Bagel." I love almost everything on their menu. It's made fresh right in front of you, and at a fair price. My personal favorite is the "Kentucky Brown," bagel. I usually get an everything bagel, piled high with turkey, bacon, tomato, pimento, and topped with mornay sauce. However, they have so many different options and bagels, you can build them any which way. Did I mention, they have a juicer in house. It squeezes the oranges right in front of you, creating the most fresh and tasty orange juice. Make sure you try that. Plenty of seating, be patient if the line is long. This place is awesome. read more

Great Bagel - Sorry I devoured half of it before remembering to take a picture. Kentucky brown bagel. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

So the lab got this for us for Lab Week and I have to write that I had never tasted a bourbon-maple bagel before. Not only that I have never tasted a bourbon- maple bagel with maple bourbon cheese spread. The spread looks like it would have the texture of hummus. Other than the fact that it was in fact a bagel and there was something out of the norm, I would give it a four. Then again, it was just a bagel, nothing out of the ordinary. I also had a stale Panera bagel this morning as well and really, I could not tell the difference. No, the bourbon maple bagel was not stale; however, what I am trying to express was that it was a bagel. Bagels are bagels are bagels. read more

Best bagels in town by a long shot :) Mia has always been so kind and friendly every time we come in. Cant recommend GB enough!

What a great place for delicious bagel options and a drink! I went on a Saturday morning and it was packed. I didn't care. The good things in life are worth waiting for. I ordered the American breakfast sandwich. I chose the Marbled Rye with a fully-cooked egg (you do get the option of slightly runny) with Ham (with options of sausage or bacon too) and American Cheese. Their coffee options look wonderful but I'm not a coffee drinker (i know, I know)...so i ordered Lemonaid (they also offer fresh squeezed OJ). I want to eat their food every day! Here's their website for menu options: http://eatgreatbagel.com/ read more

Great Bagel - American with Ham on Rye - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

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As a New Yorker, I am particular with bagels. I don't mess with unworthy bagels. These bagels are worthy!!! Big, chewy, delicious. I've has their bagels and cream cheese and the NYC (classic lox) sandwich was great-big thick chewy piece of smoked salmon and lots of veggies. Only missing the capers! Their cream cheese is phenom- their veggie was the best I've ever had, stuffed with chopped veggies And it tasted like some garlic. No complaints whatsoever here, I'll be back to try more!! Line was long, of course, but service moved fast! Staff were all friendly and it was nice and clean. read more

Stopped by while road tripping. Great food, everybody loved it! Online ordering and pickup available.

Great Bagel is a staple in my life. They are actually "great bagels." So many options of bagels (but they do run out throughout the day so it's best to get there early). I normally get an everything or sesame bagel as the "Melt" sandwich with turkey, Swiss, scallions and lettuce or sometimes I stick with cream cheese. The fresh-squeezed OJ is amaze but comes with a hefty $6.50 price tag, so unless I'm feeling some scurvy-like lack of vitamin C, I'm not buyin it. I'll go with the much more economical, and very tasty, iced coffee. They are great for breakfast with friends, or just picking up a bagel solo. read more

Great Bagel - Pumpernickel "melt" bagel sandwich. Turkey, Swiss, lettuce & scallions. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

I'm a New York bred. There, great bagels are the norm. Lexington's "Great Bagel" has terrific bagels, a huge variety of them. I have not had any of their sandwiches as I may be a bagel purist -- cream cheese, maybe some nova and a red onion. The folks behind the counter, however, were not very friendly and seemed not to want to be there. The parking lot is terrifying. I came close to being run down by a student. Run in, get your bagel(s), and run out. Take them home and enjoy! NOTE: Do you know you can make your own exotic cream cheese? Just add whatever strikes your fancy to room temperature cheese and fold in. Much cheaper that purchasing. read more

Good spot. I always get the NYC bagel. Comes with lox, cream cheese, onion. One of my top picks for breakfast. Professional employees, good vibe. Clean. Good location. read more

One of my favorite places to go to breakfast! Great Bagel and their welcoming staff set the perfect place to get a good start on the day. I haven't had anything there that I have not liked thus far, but my favorite is the French Toast Bagel with butter and jam! A must try is their tea. I do have to warn you it is not like your traditional tea. When I first tried it, I wasn't sure I liked it, but now that is the main reason I go some days. They are usually pretty busy on the weekend if you are catching a late breakfast, so just come early to avoid some of it. But they are still usually pretty quick in preparing everything. read more

Great Bagel - French toast bagel with butter and jam. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

Got an everything bagel with egg whites and bacon & a cinnamon roll super tasty & fresh

Great place for breakfast. I can defiantly see the reviews about the line out the door although it wasn't that bad when I arrived. I think from getting in line to getting food was about 10 minutes. Since I am not from here, I am not sure where uk is in relation to this place but they are definitely a favorite here. I would definitely come back here. read more

Great Bagel - Asiago American bagel - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

I love this place..Interior is bright and welcoming and staff is very friendly. They have truly great bagels with the signature chewiness of an authentic bagel. And the best part is, they are locally owned by a couple of passionate people! They have a wide selection of choices from breakfast to lunch bagels and you can get them made with any bagel of your choice.. Even if you are not a bagel person, after visiting this place, you will become one!!! read more

The bagels are amazing here! They have multiple options of both cream cheese and bagel flavors. They also have a wide variety of drinks. Their sprouts bagel and freshly squeezed orange juice are my favorite things to order. It's always crowded but definitely worth the wait. read more

In brief, the bagels are fantastic. This place is about a mile from my place, and we decided we'd walk it to at least feign exercise. We didn't know what we were going to encounter when we walked in on this lazy weekend morning, but were quite pleased with what we found. The space is well utilized, and in a few more months will look more "lived in". The bagels were the right mix of dense and chewy on the inside with just a bit of crunchiness to the outside. We had hummus and tomato on our bagels, and the hummus was delicious as well. The hummus is pretty heavy on the garlic, so if that's not your thing I would try having something else smeared atop your bagel. Things were a bit disorganized, but we were there very shortly after their grand opening, so I'm optimistic that the kinks will be worked out. Definitely check this gem of a bagel shop out. read more

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Dear Yelp World, I feel like a fool. For two years I've been living in Lexington complaining that I couldn't find a good bagel anywhere. I'd been hurt by imitations before, so I didn't think the Yelp reviews for Great Bagel could possibly be true. Maybe it would be a good bagel by Kentucky standards, but a great bagel? I doubted it. I was wrong. We finally tried GB on Saturday morning after a night of drinking. We really wanted the carbs and a good bagel is sometimes better than no bagel. It ended up being a glorious bagel. My salt bagel bacon egg and cheese was right up there with the best bagel loves of my life from NY and CT. Husband's everything bagel with lox and cream cheese was also awesome. So obviously we went back again on Sunday morning. (Yep, after another night of drinking) I'd have gone back today too if I'd had the time and if carbs didn't automatically attach themselves to my thighs. (Don't worry, I didn't drink last night) I feel bad that my yankee snobbery got in the way of what could have been a beautiful bagel friendship these past couple of years, but I'm ready to make up for lost time. read more

Exceptional service. Order over the phone and they bring it to the car. Food is delicious and staff is kind and professional. Lovely Lexington, you will pull through. We will help! read more

This is a must quick breakfast/brunch in Lexington! My go-to is the Asiago bagel with scallion cream cheese and avocado. Not a ton of seating, so maybe plan to get it to-go if it is a Saturday or Sunday morning/afternoon! The mobile ordering is great, because the lines can get long on the weekend. Order before you go and it's ready to pick up by the time you get there! read more