Really good bagels but buy your own cream cheese. Literally have never a place use so little cream cheese when they make it for you. Especially since the bagels are really thick, so if anything, you need a little extra. read more

Bagels are still as good as ever. Service, not so good. Today, on my regular visit for a dozen to take home, one of the counter ladies decided that talking on the phone for 15 mins. was more important than waiting on customers. The other counter lady was slow and involved in a complicated order. So, as the line stretched to the door I finally got to order. After saying, in a perfectly clear voice that I wished to purchase a dozen poppy seed bagels, I finally had to say 12 ! And to top it off upon returning home I noticed there was no extra bagel (13) as is the custom. Oy ! read more

Been coming here for over 12 years and since this place switched management in last couple years, they can never get my order correct, and they don't seem to care, ever, about improving this. Do not recommend, unless you want to purchase bagels and bring stuff home to make yourself. read more

I've finally had it. I've been going here on and off for almost 2 decades and I'm done. For months I was being overcharged by the same person and when I finally caught it, they apologized and that was it. Today i walked in and 2 people were working on the same order. Someone came from the back asked the person who's order that the other 2 were working on and when he said they were working on it, she just joined the other 2 so now it was 3 people on the same order. When that order was finally down, the woman who came from the back stepped to me and then decided to hold a full on conversation with yet another person (so now there are 4 employees standing behind the counter), while I stood there (instead of taking my order and letting one of the others work on it while she continued her conversation). The final straw was that the order before me were 3 lox sandwiches and when I bit into my bagel I got a solid taste of the lox... for someone with a seafood allergy, not exactly how you want to start your morning. read more

This place is freaking awesome. I love bagels as much as the next guy but Kupel's is really special. Their pricing is fair and the customer service is great. The bagels themselves are delicious, perfectly baked, and perfect for entertaining a brunch with friends or showing your coworkers you appreciate them on a Friday! read more

The terrible, terrible service (and the mediocre rugelach) lost them a customer. I ordered my Rosh Hashanah challah and rugelach the day prior to make sure I got what I needed. Ordered it for 11 AM and arrived at 11:45 AM to pick it up. Order was no where to be found. Asked about it; they had no idea what I was talking about. Had to run out to my car to grab my phone for the confirmation number. After presenting the confirmation number, it took them + the owner/manager to realize that the order simply never went through. Mind you, they never told me any of this. I just waited and waited without any communication. The owner/manager gave me one of the last challahs they had (thank god) but told me they didn't have the rugelach I ordered. I told him that I ordered the rugelach yesterday so this wouldn't happen. He told me that I had two choices: a refund or take some of the last rugelach they had. No apology. No explanation as to what happened. He never even told me my order clearly never went through (I had to figure that one out myself while I waited). Just a gruff, "here are your options." A simple apology would have gone such a long way after a long wait. I walked away furious. You know you have your customer by the balls when they are picking up challah and dessert on Rosh Hashanah morning. While the challah was good, the rugelach we ended up with (apricot and raisin) sucked. After many years traveling across the city to buy my challahs at Kupel's, never again. read more

The bagels and cream cheese are some of the best around. Service is slow for sandwiches but easy if you're just getting a bag of bagels.

Had a taste for a bagel so I decided to stop by Krupel's. I enjoyed Krupel's very convenient location within walking distance from my Airbnb and proximity to other restaurants and shops in the area. There was quite a line on the Sunday morning I came to visit and honestly it moved a little slow because there was only one register being manned but the staff too quick action and another employee took on the second register and things moved much more quickly. I kept my order simple and had an onion bagel with egg and cheese. My selection was simple but amazing and I feel like I received waaaay more than what I paid for. read more

As a longtime Bostonian and Jew, Kupel's has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. Back when the Jews were wandering through the desert, they'd often stop by Kupel's for a bagel 'n' lox. These guys are open New Years Day, Xmas Day, and usually at 6 AM. The bagels are soft and lovely on the inside, generously flavored, and nice 'n' chewy on the outside. Despite what some loud-mouthed NYer will tell you, these're how bagels should be. They've usually got a special going with 1/2 dozen bagels, lox, and cream chese for about $10. Best deal going ... get that, show up at my house for breakfast, you'll be loved. Purists argue that toasting a bagel is a sign of ignorance, but with all the flavoring these guys put in, they come alive with a light toasting. I tend to rhapsodize about the Cissel/Rye bagels. Their onion bagels are pretty damn impressive too. If you prefer cinnamon raisin, you're a horrible person. There, I said it. Those aren't bagels. Feh. They've got lots of pastries, but not all are perfect and wonderful (hence 4 out of 5 stars). Stick to more "traditional" Jewish stuff and you'll be safe. Their hamentaschen are so good, they're made year round. I prefer the apricot, but the raspberry runs a close second. There's a lot going on, and the place is often busy, so know have your order ready to go. They won't waste your time, don't waste theirs. Also - you can call ahead for big orders, parties, etc. They'll have your order waiting and ready to go. Much better than going in and annoying the others in line as you order 3 dozen bagels, and a couple of these, and some of those, and that other thing on the end, and a ..... read more

Very sad to be writing this review as I gave Kupel's general manager (Jose Vega) every opportunity to fix what they did wrong. I ordered catering for approximately 18 people - 24 assorted bagels with 3 assorted cream cheeses and a vegetable platter. The bagels were great.. The vegetable platter ($30) was literally just sliced red onion and tomato. Very disappointing. Upon delivery, the driver was unable to provide a receipt. As a business expense, I needed a receipt and was instructed to contact Jose. After several emails and phone calls over a span of two weeks, Jose finally sent me an email with an attached receipt. However, the receipt was for $41 dollars less than what I was charged (total cost $84 - charged $125). I inquired why the receipt did not reflect the amount I was charged and Jose said that I must have ordered something else.. I didn't. Jose proceeded to send me a new receipt that added a salmon platter to total $125. The only problem is that I never ordered a salmon platter. After several attempts to talk this through and requests to be refunded the $41 I was overcharged, Jose has now stopped responding and refuses to make this right. Needless to say, this business and it's management is unorganized, unethical, and irresponsible. Kupel's has been added to a list of banned vendors that my company will no longer use. read more

Take it from a New Yawker, Kupel's has the best bagels in Boston! By a landslide. They're doughy and delicious and well decorated! My favorite bagel type is Everything. And Kupel's shines above the rest by giving a generous coating of everything toppings all over the bagel, not just on the top. This is an important distinction from Rosenfeld's Everythings (often mistaken for the best bagels in town) because theirs had just a few seeds on the top, and sadly they fell off when I cut and spread cream cheese on my bagel. If I wanted a plain, I'd have ordered a plain. Well, this is not the case at Kupel's. Even if you eat just the bottom half, you'll still get all the delicious flavor. Kupel's has a humongous selection of flavored "shmears" (try the honey walnut mmmm) and even though it's put in 8 oz containers, it's also sold by weight, so ask for less and try 2! The raspberry rugelach and the lox I chose were a little disappointing, but I cannot praise the bagels enough. (Closed on Saturdays) read more

I'm a New Yorker on a mission to find a bagel in Boston that is made correctly...boiled, not baked. I thought I had found that in Kupel's..... when I first started going there about 4 years ago the bagels were great. However, lately the quality has gone down hill. The insides aren't as soft and they don't toast and/or freeze as well. The real reason for the low rating is for something other than the bagels. I was waiting in line one day looking at the case of cookies and pastries and I realized that the poppyseeds were moving. Poppyseeds don't move. They were bugs. All over several different kinds of the baked goods. I thought maybe it was a fluke and went back only to see the same thing. Gross. No more Kupel's even if they are the only boiled bagel in town. :( read more

So, I'm not sure that what I ate at Kupel's was actually a bagel. I think it might have been, I dunno, drywall. Waxy exterior, dry interior, no flavor. When I read all these crazy good reviews of Kupel's, I'd thought I'd stumbled upon the H & H of Boston. Yeah, no. They have 4.5 stars on Yelp. That's like false advertising. Someone needs to say something about the jank food here. I shake my fist angrily at Kupel's-- arrrrrgh! The "Breakfast Special" of a bagel with egg, cheese and tomato plus a cup of coffee? At $2.99 it's cheap, I'll give you that. But it didn't taste good. T got a poppyseed bagel with cream cheese (ya know, to keep it simple) and it was so dry and tasteless she had to throw it away. This is the same woman who is constantly trying to feed me nearly expired foods to avoid wasting it. The coffee-- not even worth mentioning, except to say, blegh. The "chocolate stick" (chosen because it was almost sold out) tasted like a chocolate scented candle. Waxy and flavorless. Bad. Just bad. read more

Definitely the place to start a perfect Sunday morning. I ordered a black and white bagel with light miami lox cream cheese, tomato, and onion. It was the best bagel of my life. Go here for the bagels. I've ordered baked good before and wasn't as impressed (hermit cookies that we just okay-- I'm spoiled because my grandfather bakes the best hermits, an elephant ear that was pretty good I suppose, and a black-and-white cookie that tasted like it DEFINITELY was baked too close to the lox-- fishy taste + frosting = garbage can). There is usually a line, but it moves quickly and is completely worth it (I reiterate: for the bagels). read more

I really was not impressed by Kupel's Bakery when I came in most recently. I came here a few times as a teenager and really liked the bagels and the wide variety of cream cheese available, but this time, the bagels were not good. I had a plain bagel with honey walnut cream cheese, and had one bite of it before throwing it away. I mean it just wasn't worth the calories to eat more of it. I was really looking forward to it too! I ordered the elephant ears for a family member, and she said they weren't great. She is used to getting them at a bakery in NYC which has the best elephant ears in the universe, so I'm not sure it's a fair comparison for kupels! The challah bread I purchased was also stale. Come on Kupel's! Selling stale challah should be a crime. I was really looking forward to making challah French toast but instead, it was fed to the birds. I don't think I'll be back again. There are plenty of other bakeries that serve up confections that are consistently delicious, so why bother with Kupels? read more

I feel bad giving such a popular neighbourhood bakery a two-star rating, but the service here is terrible! I came here on a Saturday last year, ordered a cinnamon raisin bagel toasted with strawberry cream cheese, and was given a plain, un-toasted bagel with regular cream cheese. It was so packed that I left the cafe in a hurry, and didn't realize that I was given the wrong bagel until I was a couple blocks away. I gave Kupels a second chance this past Sunday, and had an even worse experience with the service! My boyfriend and I ordered a toasted Garlic bagel with Salmon cream cheese, a toasted Cinnamon bagel with Honey Walnut cream cheese, a Raspberry Bear Claw and a Chocolate Cinnamon Rugallah. Our server was clearly struggling with our order (although it was hardly a complicated order) and it ended up being over a 10 minute process. He just took off while I was halfway through ordering, and didn't re-appear for a couple minutes; he didn't toast our first bagel, and had to start over; and he forgot our order numerous times. Honestly, I was ready to leave before getting my food. After what felt like forever, we finally got our food and left. As I was about to eat, I realized that the Cinnamon bagel was never toasted and the "Garlic" bagel was not actually a Garlic bagel. Are you kidding me?! I do sympathize with the staff because Kupels is an absolute zoo on the weekends, but this is kind of ridiculous. The mystery bagel with the Salmon cream cheese was by far the best, but the Cinnamon bagel and Honey Walnut cream cheese did not live up to my expectations at all. The Chocolate Cinnamon Rugallah was decent, but not what I was expecting in terms of taste (specifically the chocolate filling). Like I said, I feel bad for giving such a neat little neighbourhood cafe such a low rating, but I can't ignore how poor the service is. read more

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Yes, the wait was long, but not as long as you think! This line moves fast! There is a large crew behind the counter, they have a system and it works. Plus, they keep you occupied with delicious samples. I love a good queue. So many bagel options, so many cream cheese options! The place is a hive of activity, with fresh pastries and breads coming out all the time. I had a Whole Wheat Everything with Lox cream cheese. It was everything a good bagel with a schmear should be. I will definitely be coming back for the pastries and pies! read more

Always a great bagel and I have to say I like when they run out of my favorites because it forces me to try something new. Garlic and everything bagels are a must. Sunday morning is not the same with out walk to kupel's and a everything bagel with Miami lox cream cheese and smoked salmon. The tuna salad and white fish are also great... don't worry about the line, it goes fast and while you wait you can pick out some good rugalach read more

I used to come here when I was little, and I loved the delicious smell of baked goods as I walked through the door! However, as I've been coming here recently, I have not enjoyed the quality of their products at all :-( I want to enjoy it of course, because I want to support a local business.) It seems like the quality has dropped off, to be honest. A few months ago, some friends from out of town were coming to visit and I bought about $50 worth of goodies from here for my guests. Even among the diversity and wide array of baked foods I bought for them, not one of the pastries was very good or fresh. Like I said, I hate saying this because I want to like Kupels, but the quality was just so not-good! If they step up the quality, even by a little, I will definitely be coming back to my favorite childhood bakery!! read more

The staff is nice but they always mess up our order (not toasted, wrong cream cheese etc). It's overpriced and not worth it anymore. I'll go somewhere else from now on. read more

Ugh, Kupel's, why'd you have to go and ruin my everything bagel with fennel seed? I guess I'm going to have to start asking what exactly "everything" entails when I try new bakeries. It's ok though, your chocolate Rugellah more than made up for it. I ate half a pound of that dense, doughy deliciousness in less than ten minutes, and I regret nothing. Your flat tire was enjoyable as well, although a little odd. I don't think I've ever had a pastry quite like it. I'll be back to try your hamentashen when I come down from this sugar high that I'm riding. read more

I love this little hidden jewel in Brookline... They have great food and it's very authentic. The people working there are friendly and always eager to help you out. They have bagels, lots of them. And theirs are delicious! Big and tasty! They have all kinds of them, you name it, they have it. They also have cookies of all sorts including various sorts of humentachen. That's awesome too. Their signature cake which I have yet to try is their bubka. Any Seinfield fan out there owes it to themselves and get one. I didn't do that, shame on me. I will next time I swing by though. Their food is freshly baked and their prices are great! Awesome place! read more

My family makes a pilgrimage here every Sunday morning. My dad gets up at the butt crack of dawn to stock up. Kupel's has the best bagels in Boston -- nice big, fat NY style bagels. If you think they're ordinary, stick to your finagle a bagel or whatever crap, more doughy goodness for me! Awesome cream cheese and good lox. Note: not all lox is made alike. However, go to the butcherie down the street for your lox and save some moolah. Kupel's is a great place for a nosh. Back in my vegan days, I remember appreciating that Kupel's had options for me. The perks of a Jewish bakery -- there's insentive not to use dairy in baked goods so they can be consumed with meat. I'm not a big pastry person, but my parents looove the elephant ears here. And I think I remember some mighty fine half moons from my childhood. As a kid, I woke up at the asscrack of dawn to go to Kupel's w/my Dad so I could get a mint brownie. So shout out to you, mint brownie! read more

I love love love this place!!! Top ten reasons for Kupels being the absolute best. 1. Best bagels in the city!! 2. Kosher! 3. Cheap!!!! 4. Friendly service! 5. Yummy lox (very reasonably priced) 6. Every spread that you can possibly think off, they've got it. 7. Weekend deals are a real deal. 8. Potato knish. I wish they would hire me, so I can steal that recepie. 9. Chocolate babkas!! Yum! 10. Rugalach!!! BONUS 11. If you want to see me in my natural habitat, come to Kupels, get a bagel, have a seat, Im a regular there. read more

Jose V is extremely rude as well as her co workers. This place makes good food but the employees are extremely rude. I would suggest ignoring them and to give it back to them! Jose V is a terrible employee. She looks like a boy. A piece of advice for her would be to treat customers better! She will be fired soon I bet. Anyone going here avoid her! read more

I tried in vain to come up with a list of things I would do for a fresh, hot Kupel's bagel. However, halfway through, I realized the list of things I WOULDN'T do for a fresh, hot Kupel's bagel was much easier to assemble. Namely, I wouldn't kill a kitten, and I wouldn't ever like Scott Brown. I think that's it, though. read more

I heart cream cheese and Kupel's has about 100 different flavors! Definitely the best spot around for a Sunday bagel and cream cheese. (Not open Saturdays) There are many different types of bagels too- I like the whole grain with maple cream cheese personally. They also have tasty baked goods like danish, challah, cookies and other pasteries- also cold cuts, lox etc. There are only a few tables so not the best place to sit and eat. read more

After years of walking by this place, I finally decided to stop in. I just wanted a bagel with cream cheese - big mistake. One bagel is $1.10. Because I added cream cheese, it was a $3 upcharge. They had a sandwich menu, but no where on the menu was there anything specific to just a bagel and cream cheese. Ridiculously overpriced. The bagel was delicious, but not enough so to justify paying $4 for a bagel and cream cheese. Save your money, go someplace else. read more

This place is great for bagels.... It kills me that they are always closed on Saturdays (Jewish bakery) when I want to accompany my 4A coffee with a bagel. The bagels are good, I have tried several pastries and they are nothing special. A bagel with cream cheese is $2.99 pretty pricey if you ask me. Definitely great to get a dozen bagels for takeout and put them in your freezer for the week. The other bummer is 80% of the time there is a massive line, that goes slow and takes FOREVER! A very tight space inside and usually a lot of people and kids running around. read more

I had heard a lot about Kupel's before trying their bagels for myself. I work at another bagel shop in Boston and so I eat a lot of bagels--I felt that I needed to try the fabled "Boston's Best Bagel" for myself. Today I finally did try one of their bagels. And the thing is, my mind wasn't blown. I attribute this to my preconditioning to have high expectations; the egg bagel with honey walnut cream cheese I had was good. But it wasn't outstanding, and the bagel itself was even a little dry. I think the best thing about Kupel's is that there is something for everyone here: a great variety of toppings, spreads, and pastries. Just don't expect a life-altering bagel experience. read more

I grew up on real, fresh bagel straight from the Jewish bakery. My dad insisted that they were warmed, not toasted ... and we ripped them into chunks instead of cutting them in half. Rumor has it that my 3X great grandfather was a bagel baker. It's not surprise then, that I've never been able to eat a Dunkin' Donuts bagel, Einstein bros is not on my list, and Finagle is, well, meh. Luckily, there's Kupel's. But then, this week, I went to Kupel's and bought some plain bagel (I'm a purist). I'm disappointed to say that something has changed they are ... yikes ... kind of fluffy and lack flavor. Typically the plain taste good, well, plain. No more. Hopefully this was just a fluke?????? Please fix this problem so I can write a new review! read more

Oh Kupel's. So conflicted about this place. Their bagels are outstanding. Like, legitimately outstanding. They are chewy, and have body, but remain soft (a rather difficult dichotomy to embody). All your favorite bagel varieties (poppy, sesame, everything, etc.) are available in both white and whole wheat versions (which is fantastic for the health conscience). I literally order two whole wheat sesame with garlic herb cream cheese when I'm there- it's worth the double dip. With all that said, I never encountered a customer base that is more rude, pushy, or inconsiderate in all of Brookline. I've been in the area for nearly 7 years, and I am routinely amazed at how brazenly obnoxious these older Brookline folks are (rude to the staff, rude to other customers, disregard basic line etiquette, etc.). I'm also amazed that the staff makes it in the morning: most look hung over every time I'm there on a Sunday morning. But hey, if I had to deal with Kupel's rude regulars on a weekly basis, I too would be equally despondent on the job. Bottom line: a great bagel, but only if you can stomach their customers (and poor service). read more

Note: This review pertains solely to the baked goods at Kupel's, not the bagels. I hadn't planned to visit Kupel's and found myself there by chance, so I didn't know anything about it before I had arrived. I was initially impressed by the quantity and variety of baked goods - they had so many different types of things, and it all looked soooo tasty. I'm a fan of rugulah, so I had to try that... and there's my never-ending quest for a good peanut-butter cookie. My friend got three other types of baked goods, all of which looked very yummy (and she graciously permitted me to nibble from them.) I wasn't particularly impressed by the taste and quality of the baked goodies. I've gotta say, it was just average. The peanut butter cookie was too dry and fell apart when I tried to break off a piece - not hard and crunchy, perse, just dry. As for the rugulah - I like the stuff at Rosie's Bakery better (please don't kill me!) The bites of the stuff my friend had were interesting, but nothing heart-stopping. After seeing the variety and quantity of items at Kupel's, I've gotta admit to being disappointed by the taste. Pros: fabulous selection and price. Cons: average baked goods. Next time, I'll have to try a bagel. read more

By themselves, the bagels at Kupel's rate three stars. Bagel for bagel, there are more flavors here than just about anywhere in the Boston area. Moreover...beyond the vast quantity, these are the freshest and tastiest that I've tried outside of NYC. Even if everything else about Kupel's was wrong, they'd still stand out because of their bagels. Particularly noteworthy is the vast selection of spreads behind the counter. From the generic regular cream cheese to the tofutti It's a better variety than I've experienced around here. Even the standard types, such as the chive, seem to stand out. The selection of baked goods is good - not outstanding, but very good. Customer service can be a bit slow at times, but in a relatively small place with a lot of people working behind the counter and a constant stream of customers coming through the door, that's understandable. Very worthwhile and always a satisfying trip. read more

It's not right to have that last review there. Yes, this place is not H & H bagels. But, come on, waxy eterior and no flavor? Ridiculous. I go here often and I am never disappointed. When I bring in bagel's to my students, they clamor for and demand that it be Kupel's. Their cream cheese is good, they always have fresh lox, they have a wide variety of delicious bagels (I am a fan of the California bagels, especially), and their baked goods rule. On top of that, where else can you get good fresh rye bread in Brookline? Nowhere! With that said, their babka's are a little weak on the fruit filling and their coffee is kinda chalky. But who goes for the coffee? If you are judging this place on cranky NY person standards, than you will probably be disappointed. The bagels are smaller and drier than your typical melt in your mouth NY variety. However, they are better than anywhere else within a 10 mile radius, and they are locally owned and operated. read more

Kupel's is right at the end of my street, and so naturally I stumbled in one morning in search of a cure for my incessant hangover, and was delighted to see what I'd found... Seriously: every flavor of bagel... in WHOLE WHEAT! So many options, so little time. More often than not when you go in to Kupel's in the morning and ask for your bagel toasted, they'll tell you it's still warm from the oven. What more do you want? My only complaint is that they are closed on Saturdays, but I can clearly live with that. read more

Amazing bagels but service is terrible. Took me 45 minutes on a Tuesday morning to get two bagels. read more

Kupel's Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

I cannot believe I just paid $5 for a rugalah that tasted like mold. If I hadn't brought it home already, I would have gone back for a refund! Literally tasted like it was made at the beginning of the week, it's Friday now. read more

Kupel's Bakery - Chocolate and cream cheese rugalah - Bakeries Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

I want to be in love, but, I'm just.... not. Why: 1) I miss New York. I miss New York bagels. I only lived there for a year, and those bagels ruined me for life. (Is it really in the water, like Kramer says?) 2) I'm never sure what is parve and what isn't parve at Kupel's. I am a big fan of dairy, and a tad creeped out by parve. Words of Kupel's wisdom: 1) Get the Shaq. Cream cheese, lox, tomato & lettuce, best bang for yo' buck. 2) Be careful who you order from. Today my bagel-mate had pretty much the worst server ever: "Is it okay if the eggs are cold? I forgot to warm them up." [blank stare] "It'll take like 45 seconds." "That'd be cool, thanks." Umm... who prefers their eggs cold? He then tossed all the toppings on the bagel in such a way that they all fell out upon eating. My girl was great, though - perfectly made bagel sandwich. All of the baked goods look delicious but I never know which are parve... I'm assuming most of them are. I bought one once and bit into it and realized it was NOT cheese. Byebye pastry. Moral of the story: if you keep kosher, this is the place to be (and the constant crowds agree). If you don't, it's still a fine bagel place for Boston standards. I'ma keep looking for my dream bagel. read more

The other morning I woke up with a raging hangover. I stumbled into the kitchen and much to my dismay, I was out of coffee! So of course I was in panic mode when I remembered, "Hey isn't there a little bakery at the end of the street?" I strapped on my boots and warmest winter clothes then stepped out into the January cold in hopes that the imagined bakery at the end of the street existed and had coffee. And there it was...Kupel's Yes, they had coffee and it was delicious. They also had tasty bagels and quality customer service. All of this made my headache and frozen limbs seem ok. read more