Super busy location on Highland Park. This family owned business began in 1982 and now has 5 locations. Food is fresh and flavorful and their menu is extensive. This location is not that big so it can get crowded as customers wait for their food orders. You take a number, order and wait for your food. There are a few tables in the back for seating. They serve breakfast everyday but Monday plus they offer a wide variety of fresh cream cheeses,fish, meats,cheeses,and homemade soups and sandwiches. As I waited for my bagels and cream cheese,I noticed a steady flow of regulars . I can't wait to go back and try one of their New York Deli sandwiches. read more

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First time stopping in and the variety of bagels is impressive. Took points off for service which is efficient but not friendly. We ordered lox cream cheese spread and it was such a bright pink we were sure it was strawberry spread. In addition to bagels they sell bagel balls and skinny bagels, soups and a huge variety of spreads. Sadly the only gluten free bagels were packaged Udi's. read more

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I despise that this place closes at 4PM. Even during the annual art fest they do not stay open past 4PM.

Excellent bagels and smeer! There is so much lox in the cream cheese it is bright pink!!! read more

Once Upon A Bagel - Bagels Near Me - Highland Park, Illinois

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Good food good service! No ambiance get it to go. This place is deli with a few tables. Take the food home. Or deliver for large orders. They cater an excellent brunch menu too. read more

Food was amazing ! The best lox bagel I have had outside of NYC. Highly recommended. I will need to come by to try the other items but matzo ball soup seemed to be consistent around the place. The kids enjoyed and burgers and the chicken tenders. read more

Once Upon A Bagel - Bagels Near Me - Highland Park, Illinois

I love this place! They have more than one location I'm not sure yet which location I like the best! They are all very busy places with so many choices to choose from . They have a large room with many tables to eat in . They will bring you your order and silverware and napkins. The food tastes amazing. There are many deli choices and take home choices. I had an egg bagel and vegetable cream cheese with good potato salad ! read more

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My first time grabbing a bagel here and I'm pleasantly pleased. I do wish I got the bagel toasted if that's an option. The service is quick. The store was very packed! But we were serviced pretty quick. There's a lot of seating inside and outside as well. I liked their bagel but I do wish the chive cream cheese had more chive flavor. read more

Once Upon A Bagel - Blueberry bagel with chive cream cheese - Bagels Near Me - Highland Park, Illinois

What a charming place! It's a bustling, no nonsense place that sells every bagel and bagel related food imaginable at a very reasonable price. I got an asiago bagel with cucumber and chive cream cheese and it was very tasty. Their breakfast sandwhich was also really good. I would definitely come here again! read more

Once Upon A Bagel - Menu - Bagels Near Me - Highland Park, Illinois

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Best bagels in North shore! Super friendly and fast service for a quality. Such a great neighborhood spot to grab and go and to dine in . read more

Once Upon A Bagel - Bagel tray - Bagels Near Me - Highland Park, Illinois

Beware I ordered the pastrami sandwich three times in the last six weeks. The sandwich has changed 1. Less pastrami 2. Fatter cut with ribbons of fat within. 3. Bread is smaller ( not as good ). 4 The sandwich is cold not even warm up. Would rather pay more for the recipe of the old sandwich. Terrible sandwich. read more

It might be the nostalgia for me, but this is the perfect deli/breakfast restaurant and I haven't found anything in my new home state that compares! The bagels here are the perfect texture and flavor, they're not too chewy like NY bagels. I always have to have one when I'm in HP. Everything from their counter is fresh and delicious - plus they had KforP options during passover. I came here for breakfast with some friends while I was in town, and even though it was a Sunday morning we were able to find a seat and order/be served quickly. I went for the classic Lox plate and it was delicious with my bagel. I even took a bagel sandwich to go for my boyfriend at home and he loved it. read more

Once Upon A Bagel - Nova Lox Plate - Bagels Near Me - Highland Park, Illinois

Great place to stop in Highland Park! On the way to Mundelein I was hungry but didn't want something terribly large and wanted it to go, so Yelp helped me out here. It's located in what may be downtown Highland Park (I haven't spent a lot of time here) and there's street parking outside as well as a parking lot behind the place. There's lots of outdoor seating for when it's not rainy, but there's also seating inside toward the back. When you enter it's like a deli, and you can order at the counter. There are some refrigerators with soups and whatnot as well. I placed my order online and it was ready when I got there. It was SO GOOD. It was also humungous and well priced. I ordered the All American Breakfast Sandwich on an asiago bagel and added chive cream cheese to it. It really hit the spot; had I been on the way home at the right time the next day, I would have stopped again. I don't know if I would add the cream cheese next time, because it was good without and with the cream cheese it had the potential to be a bit messy. read more

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OUAB prepared a delicious tray of assorted bagels, donuts, cookies and other baked goods. We also have assorted cream cheese spreads, lox, tomatoes, and onions for our brunch. Can't wait to dig in! read more

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So my husband stopped in today to get some soup for a sick friend. He got the "free" bagels and I have a question, do you give the skinny bagels with the soup or have you really downsized your bagels? read more

Love the coffee cake and bagels. Also don't forget to try the soups. very busy area but quick service

Recent ordered once upon a bagel for lunch at my job for a birthday celebration. I got the player to go. Everything was packaged perfectly. The service was quick and I was able to order ahead of time. The bagels were fresh and the tuna was tasty. Definitely would recommend going there for a bagel. read more

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Corned beef sandwich...saggy bread comes w rye not warmed up wrapped in paper w little crumbled up corned beef for 11$ w a tiny bad pickle ....no thanks ...maybe I ll try their baggles..but they look sad and smaller and flat.... Very disappointing place ...inside basic cafeteria...no thanks read more

Once Upon A Bagel - Bagels Near Me - Highland Park, Illinois

This place is pretty neat! Plenty of public parking all around, no charge. Busy joint, and a little cramped, even at opening time on a Saturday. Bagels are great. Pretzel bagel can be salted or unsalted. Obviously enough, the salted option is very salty! Tasty nonetheless. Pumpernickel is delicious! I preferred the chive and onion cream cheese spread over the lox spread. The French roast coffee was very good! You also are given an option for styrofoam cup or glass mug with endless refills. Much preferred to the house blend. Poached eggs cooked to perfection. Neat joint and vast menu. I'd definitely return. read more

Once Upon A Bagel - Poached eggs, salted pretzel bagel with lox cream cheese spread, Pumpernickel bagel with chive and onion spread - Bagels Near Me - Highland Park, Illinois

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My go to deli on the North Shore. It's an old school deli with great sandwiches and bagels. The other thing I love is the consistency, it's always as good as I expect. Recommended. read more

This place was a fantastic find just before a full day of exploring Chicago on our vacation. Prices were very reasonable given the portion size and the food was all good. read more

Curly fries!! Unique to this location. Also tried the beef reuben on challah toast. Comes with a small dill pickle. Fantastic! read more

Quality food. Feels like you are in NYC! In addition to the best bagels, Breakfast sandwiches are also delicious! read more

This is the 3rd platter I have tried from this place. The first two times were great but this time not good. The turkey tasted like pressed turkey and there was salami (we didn't order that) and the rolls and rye bread were all completely stale. I would never return. read more

I've been eating here since 1994. Bought a roast beef sandwich to go. When I got home I was shocked on the amount of sliced roast beef.... It was never this little RB. Used to be a full portion. Don't be like the rest of food retail a shrink the sliced meat. Add a dollar to cover the cost. read more

Once Upon A Bagel - Half the usual amount of RB..... - Bagels Near Me - Highland Park, Illinois

I'm a bagel snob and this place is legit. Boxes are in the lobby. Stuff is stacked everywhere. There's 15 people behind the counter and half of them aren't doing anything. There's wrapped meats in the deli case, 8 coffee machines and murals that have been on the walls for 30 years. Food speaks for itself. Go here read more

Once Upon A Bagel - Bagels Near Me - Highland Park, Illinois

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The best diner around, their sandwiches are second to none. The Rueben and Tuna Melt are a couple of my go-to's. Their Soups, Chili, and potato salad are also some of my favorites. The service is super friendly and attentive. read more

Amazing food, and really quick service!! I was overwhelmed by all of the options they had to choose from but settled on an Asiago bagel with cream cheese, hash browns and a blueberry muffin. My friend had her regular Lox sandwich (salmon) and I tried it too- sooo yummy all around! Must try for sure! read more

Once Upon A Bagel - Menu and ordering area - Bagels Near Me - Highland Park, Illinois

I love this place. I regret only going twice when I was in the area regularly. Once pre-COVID, I ate inside and during the pandemic did a carry out order. I'm obsessed with their bagel sandwiches. Give this one a try: Everything bagel with Chive and cucumber cream cheese Sliced cucumbers Sliced tomato Ham Scrambled eggs Provolone Best bagel sandwich, and honestly, best breakfast sandwich ever. Some other things to note: they're always busy and they have a fairly decent sized menu and a deli. They also have bagel specials and wings specials. read more

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I live in New York and I get bagels pretty often here. I'm always craving a good bagel when I'm back home in Chicago with family, but had been pretty letdown by most places. Once upon a bagel is probably the only spot I've been to in the Chicago area that truly rivals the bagels of the East Coast. I always get a bacon egg and cheese on an everything bagel. read more

Best Chicago bagel I've had. This is not your NY bagel. It's completely different but super flavorful and the best for breakfast sandwiches. I wish I still lived in Chicago so I could have these more often. Oh and service is great! Super nice and personable. Egg bagels all day! read more

I was waiting in line for pick up that I paid for online. It takes forever to get pick up because people cut in front of you. One guy who works there asked for my name and couldn't find. I had to wait for another worker to get my order. My order was in front of their faces waiting to be picked up. I hate waiting in long lines and if my order is in front of a workers face then that is what bothers me. Don't come here on a Saturday waiting for your order and paying for it before hand because you will be last. I hate giving bad reviews. I love the soup and the bagels. read more

I love this place, my dad used to pick us up omelettes every weekend. The bagels are amazing!

I've been coming here my whole life. Customer service is top-notch. Many of the employees have been here as long as I can remember. Prices are not cheap but they are well worth it. What's more, typically at 4:30 p.m. they have half price Bagels. Buy a dozen and the last few quite a while. From chicken soup and matzo balls to omelets, deli trays, pastrami sandwiches, and more, this is an absolute great place to eat and you'll go home satisfied. Pastries are good. Coffee is just average. Everything baked is fresh and delish. read more

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I love OUaB. But I had to post this disappointment. We ordered a couple of our favorite Club Sandwich (with turkey bacon). What shocked me was (as we settled in to dine), each club segment had ONE SLICE of turkey. IT WAS ONCE PACKED! This changed the taste and the enjoyment of the meals as there was much less to consume. Restaurants are cutting back, but given OUaB prices and reputation, I didn't expect club sandwich robbery from them. I should have taken photos but we were hungry and were still so after the bread, lettuce and cheese club. Max & Benny's next time! Shame on You "Once Upon A Bagel." ONE SLICE? read more

One of the greatest places in downtown Highland Park (or the North Shore in general)! A friend of mine who lived in New York for awhile said it's the closest you can get to a NYC bagel (and that made her super happy). The food is always amazing - I love the lox platter and the corned beef sandwiches. Service is fast. It might be confusing at first for a newbie on where to order, because there is a deli counter but also a counter for ordering food. It has a classic deli vibe. My husband always has to go home with a package of smiley face cookies. read more

Convenient location tho parking can be an issue. Good selection though limited on picking up sandwich fixings or breakfast items. Good bagels and bialys. Small inside Nice staff. read more

Everything about Once Upon a Bagel is fantastic! From the bagels to the potato pancakes to the matzo ball soup aka Jewish penicillin - you will never have a bad experience here. Efficient, friendly, no-nonsense service. It gets extremely busy in the afternoon so be prepared to order when you step up to that register. Don't panic - you shouldn't have trouble getting a table if you want to dine-in. Corned beef on rye is the way to go. The corned beef is lean and flavorful. The soup comes with a bagel of your choice. Do not pass on the latkes with applesauce. They are rich in flavor and just hit the spot! If you are taking to-go, grab a number and pay after you get your goodies. The ambiance is just like a New York City delicatessen with its classic hustle, bustle, and shuffle. read more

Always delicious hot food, and to go items. Great variety of bagels, cream cheese, soups, and other treats. Friendly and professional service at the counter, and eat in areas. Really excellent matzoh ball soup, and sandwiches. I strongly recommend this bagel shop and restaurant, for a great breakfast or lunch. read more

Once upon a time, a beautiful princess (my wife) was hungry. Her knight in shining armor (that's me) said: "Let's try Once Upon A Bagel". They both enjoyed a wonderful meal and lived happily ever after! Why can't all meals end this way?!! True story: We were in Highland Park on a recent Sunday, and we were looking for a place to eat. We have never been here before, but decided to give it a try. The place was jammed. You order up front, they give you a number, you find a table, and they bring you your food. Pretty simple. The name is a little deceiving, as it has so much more to offer than bagels. I would describe it as a New York style deli. I ordered the Nova Hash, which is basically hash browns with smoked salmon mixed in. It sounds basic, but it was so delicious! And it was a very generous portion. The restaurant is large, loud, and crowded (all in a good way). There is a wonderful fairy-tale-type-mural on the back wall that mesmerized little kids. Service is great, and the workers all hustle their butts off. If you are looking for your own fairy tale ending, look no further than Once Upon a Bagel! The End. read more

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