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    Pick-A-Bagel

    3.4 (296 reviews)
    Open 6:00 am - 6:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Order Pick-A-Bagel Takeout or Delivery

    Pick-A-Bagel Photos

    PICK-A-BAGEL ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids
    Outdoor seating

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    Innards
    Jane D.

    Pick-A-Bagel is something of a red-headed stepchild* in our Great Bagel Metropolis. Locations appear in close proximity to clusters of excellent bagelries (e.g. Tal Bagels, Ess-a-Bagel, Broad Nosh or, depending on your leanings, Absolute, H&H, Pop-Up, etc...). But in such star-studded company, Pick-A-Bagel is a bit of an afterthought. * Not that I have anything against redheads or stepchildren. Please feel free to insert your own politically incorrect idiom of choice. Here's why: - Bagels are not fresh out of the oven. I mean, they must be fresh out of the oven at SOME point, I guess, but I've personally never caught them fresh on morning or afternoon visits. (Compare this to Tal, Ess-a-Bagel or Broad Nosh, where bagels are almost always fresh out of the oven. And when they are not, they were baked just a few hours prior.) Staff at this UES location shrugged and nodded when I asked whether bagels are baked on premises, but I was not entirely convinced after they tried to give me a bialy straight out of a plastic package. - Probably as a result of the prior, bagel crusts are neither crisp nor gently chewy, and are only good when toasted. - Everything bagels come unevenly seasoned. Some bagels in our batch had nice coverage; others were as sparsely sprinkled as Larry David's pate. (In their favor, however: Everything seasoning *is* applied to both the top and bottom.) - To our tastes, bagels are undersalted. That could provide some leeway for lox, capers and cream cheese, I suppose, but if you keep things simple like we do with cream cheese or nothing at all, bagels can come across as bland. To be clear, Pick-A-Bagel is not awful. I like the density / rise, I like that the everything seasoning includes some sunflower seeds, which not all establishments use. I like the reasonable size, the usually discernible hole. In parts of the world where NYC style bagels aren't in such abundance, Pick-A-Bagel would be a perfectly fine bagel. But in NYC, it's fourth string.

    Pumpernickel bagel
    Neha M.

    Quick place to grab a bagel! It's a little expensive but the bagels are huge and the cream cheese is decadent. The jalapeño cream cheese is tangy and paired well with the bagel.

    Sausage egg and cheese
    Anthony P.

    Got a sausage egg and cheese here - have come to Pick a bagel before and it is an authentic NYC bagel place but still wouldn't consider it amongst NYC's best. I would say, solid, and does our bagels justice, but hit or miss sometimes. Probably more expensive than other bagel places - unfortunately the UES just be like that. Chicken salad - big chunks of chicken, not too much mayo or crunchy celery bits (how I like my chicken salad) Black and white cookie - this was pretty fluffy and fresh, and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it here. All in all, happy with what I got and I live around the area so probs will come back. Although, if you're looking for NYC's best bagels, there are other spots. If you're a local and need to scratch your itch, this place will do the trick.

    Bagel, egg, and cheddar cheese on an everything bagel
    Josh R.

    I gave this place another shot. I ordered the bacon, egg, and cheese with cheddar cheese. It was $8.84. The toppings themselves were high quality, but the everything bagel didn't have much flavor. This place is just okay.

    Alexa T.

    I was craving a bagel and found this place on my morning walk. I got an Everything bagel with scallion cream cheese ($6.76). It wasn't the best bagel I've ever had but it was fine. I think you can get the same bagel for less at a different bagel shop.

    Kaitlin W.

    I got fresh squeezed orange juice and an onion bagel with cheese, egg and jalapeño cream cheese, I also had half a bagel with cream cheese. The bagels were good and I really enjoyed the jalapeño cream cheese.

    Ordering station
    Marla F.

    I rarely leave 3 stars or less but today was at least my 5th or 6th visit to this Pick A Bagel location since I moved uptown. They get your order wrong -- every. single. time. I called today to let them know that once again they forgot ALL THREE fresh ingredients on my bagel. Ordered a toasted bagel with bacon, egg and cheese plus lettuce, tomato and red onion. Bagel was delivered by GrubHub without lettuce, tomato or red onion (which you pay extra for). The man at the location offered to send a new correct bagel to me but I couldn't wait because I had to leave for work. He explained that they keep forgetting fresh ingredients because there's separate hot and a cold workstations. So utilize this feedback, no? I can't be the only person consistently receiving wildly incorrect orders. Train employees to communicate between workstations so a sandwich can be constructed to completion. Overall, I'd say 90% of the time I order from here they forget ingredients. The man offered to refund me 59 cents LOL but GrubHub was nice enough to give me a $7 credit. Never ordering from here again, it's just an absurdly run location. Side note -- The Gramercy/Flatiron location is much friendlier and never gets orders wrong!

    Everything bagel w/ veggie cream cheese
    Piper B.

    An absolute must try if in nyc!! This was the best bagel place i've ever been to. Came for breakfast everyday of our trip it was that good! The chicken noodle soup was also incredible! Still think about this place very often wish we had something like this at home!!

    Posted 09/25/17
    Marianne W.

    I'm going to be nice and give them Four Stars. In my opinion it's hit or miss if I get friendly service. Sometimes I get a snobbish vibe from the employees. This area in the East 70's is more expensive to reside and do business than a mile north where I reside. Like I've said about the other locations it's a treat for me. After a while I endure the hassle for a Muffin or Bagel and Cream Cheese. That was the case early one morning this past week. If you're in the neighborhood I recommend. Or you can go a couple blocks north there's another well known Bagel Shop with the same if not worse vibes from employees. You gotta put up with it if you like the product.

    Onion Bagel w/ Egg + Cheese. Vegetable Cream Cheese.
    Sandy Y.

    Always solid and reliable. Doesn't stray too far from what you would expect and is always consistent.

    Betsy S.

    I went here to get a dozen bagels for my family- if you get a dozen you get two free. The bagels are expensive but worth it. I should've asked for zip up bags for the bagels so they would stay fresh-- but I managed. Make sure you note the hours so you don't get shut out of getting your bagels!!

    Nicholas G.

    They have every possible breakfast option you can think of. They even have yogurt with granola and fruit which wasn't the best thing but it is a bagel shop. The problem was the granola was a little soggy. All good. The bagels are always solid here and that is what you should stick to. This place has a few locations in NYC and this one is a solid neighborhood spot. It is reliable and gives you plenty of options. What more could you want?!

    Over priced breakfast

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    9 months ago

    Bagel and cream cheese were mediocre. Lots of flavors which is nice but not my top choice for a bagel. Service is quick though!

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    1 year ago

    Love their bagels and salmon spread. Just be ready and confident when you order and you will be good!

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    2 years ago

    $25 for a basic bagel with water not worth it at all. No need to fill up 85 characters for that.

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    Page 1 of 8

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    Banter - Chicken Salad Wrap

    Banter

    4.4(96 reviews)
    2.3 miKips Bay, Midtown East

    Great spot to meet friends for brunch or get takeout! Numerous healthy options and delicious…read moredrinks. We got the Banter Bowl, which includes pickled carrot, cabbage, watermelon radish, cucumber, edamame, avocado, quinoa, and miso ponzu dressing. You have a choice of meats, so we chose the grilled chicken. Second, we ordered the falafel bowl that includes three falafels, pickled onions, avocado, cucumber, whipped garlic feta, kale salad, romesco, and Za'atar dressing that had a delicious flavor. However, our ultimate favorite had to be the Thai Crunch Wrap with sweet potato fries. It was fairly busy, and our drinks took a while to come, but the food arrived shortly after. The next time I'm back, I will be sure to reorder the Thai crunch wrap. If you have food allergies, they are extremely accommodating and have numerous vegan/vegetarian/GF.

    - Cozy little spot serving all-day brunch with plenty of indoor tables and ample outdoor seating;…read morewhile the space is on the smaller side, it feels clean and inviting; it wasn't very busy during lunch on a Monday afternoon, with just a handful of tables occupied inside and out - Service was friendly enough and efficient--ordering ahead online was easy, and my pickup order was ready at the promised time and packaged well; that said, it was missing utensils and napkins - The food was just okay--the Banter Bowl with grilled chicken came with two thin slices of chicken breast that were under-seasoned and a bit dry; the accompanying ingredients were fresh and made for a healthy meal, but overall everything lacked flavor and really needed the dressing to bring it together

    Photos
    Banter - Inside

    Inside

    Banter
    Banter - Inside

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    Inside

    Cask - Bar Front

    Cask

    4.1(1.6k reviews)
    2.2 miMurray Hill, Kips Bay, Midtown East
    $$$

    Wednesday girl dinner is a must try. For $25, you get a martini, salad (Cesar or market), and fries…read more(truffle or regular). I got the market salad with grilled chicken which was very filling and packed with flavor. The grilled chicken was an add on so cost a little bit more than $25 but still an amazing deal. 10/10 recommend!

    Stopped into Cask Bar & Kitchen in Murray Hill for a casual dinner and loved the quirky, cozy vibe;…read moreit kind of feels like having dinner in your grandma's living room (in the best way possible). Think vintage wallpaper, little knick-knacks, and warm lighting. It's got character. I ordered the market salad with mixed greens, honeycrisp apples, goat cheese, candied pecans, and sherry vinaigrette. It was a hearty portion - super fresh and flavorful, and honestly more than I could finish (not a complaint!). I also ordered a Diet Pepsi with grenadine; they don't carry Diet Coke, which I almost docked a point for, but the mix was unexpectedly delicious. Highly recommend it. My date ordered the hanger steak and said it was absolutely amazing. Only hiccup: his first glass of wine he got came out hot... like, microwave-level warm. Fortunately, the server brought a new (cold) one and the rest of the meal was smooth sailing. Service was friendly, the vibe was homey and relaxed, and the food was solid across the board. Would definitely come back, especially for that salad and another round of grenadine magic.

    Photos
    Cask - Ed the Bartender

    Ed the Bartender

    Cask - The Bar

    The Bar

    Cask - Chimay

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    Chimay

    Tara Rose - Spicy penne vodka

    Tara Rose

    4.6(1.1k reviews)
    2.4 miKips Bay
    $$

    We were looking for a place not to far from our hotel to have a couple drinks before we met up…read morefriends and we found this place. The inside looked really nice with some nice pictures on the wall and lots of space for seating. They also have a downstairs that has a bar and plenty of seating. We just ordered a few Aperol Spritz and chilled at the bar. The drinks tasted really good. Hard to mess that up but you never know. They had music playing from something in the background which was really good. The bartenders were alway asking if we needed anything so that was good. We didn't order any food but the plates that we saw looked really good. Definitely a place you need to check out if your looking for a cool spot to drink and get some bites to eat. They also have a good happy hour and from the looks of it a nice brunch with bottomless mimosas. Have to come check out this place if your in town or live near the area.

    My objective was to find a bar for happy hour in Midtown East. In my rarely treading over to the…read moreeast side these days and wanting to avoid Grand Central I searched a little through google maps what was nearby Murray Bro Hill/Kips Bay area and this spot popped up and I remembered wanting to check out their brunch but never did. It's $25 for unlimited drinks plus food by the way. Which is sad is a deal these days. Anyway, their happy hour is solid enough for a Monday and was meeting up with a friend I hadn't seen in over a year. Place is actually very cute. There are no tvs which I appreciate and the paneling of the walls and decor with all the flowers is quite tasteful. Happy hour deals 4-7pm Mon-Fri & all night Thursday apparently: Aperol Spritz $8, Hugo Spritz $9, Paloma $10, Mules $9, Draft Beers (except Guinness) $7, House Wine $9. As well as 2 Appetizer Bites for $19.95. Not the best but not the worst. I'm normally not a Spritz kind of gal. I think watering down prosecco or wine is heinous. But it was a Monday and I didn't exactly feel like powering down into happy hour so Aperol Spritz it was which switched to a Modelo later. It was the perfect drink situation on a god awful hot as hell day. We also ordered the fish tacos and what initially were the curry fries but they brought out the Greek fries. I wasn't mad about it. Honestly was torn between the two and I don't send food back unless something really bad happened. But it was essentially a side of Caesar salad dressing with feta cheese and generous amount of herbs on a very sparse and frugal amount of crispy standard cut fries. Now I know why it's a 2 for $20 deal. The tacos were 3 in an order which I guess is typical. They weren't bad but nothing stood out to me. I'd come for the drinks or try something else on the menu.

    Photos
    Tara Rose - The bar

    The bar

    Tara Rose - Tara Rose Burger

    Tara Rose Burger

    Tara Rose - Chicken and Waffles and a bloody mary, available during our boozy bottomless brunch.

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    Chicken and Waffles and a bloody mary, available during our boozy bottomless brunch.

    Sarge’s Delicatessen & Diner - Nicely oiled pastrami sandwich which I probably would have liked the bread lightly toasted for some texture. The meat was flavorful

    Sarge’s Delicatessen & Diner

    3.9(1.7k reviews)
    2.0 miMurray Hill, Midtown East
    $$$

    We had one goal this night: a really good pastrami sandwich. After doing some research, we decided…read moreto give Sarge's a try, and it was exactly what we were looking for! We both ordered the Hudson with pastrami and corned beef. The rye bread was SO good, the meat was thinly sliced, the sauerkraut was on point, and the melted Swiss with that little bit of golden toasting made the whole thing even better. It came with French dressing, which was good, but adding some of the mustard from the table really took it up a notch. Service was excellent, and it wasn't overly crowded, ambiance was an old Eastern Europe style deli, which made for a surprisingly relaxed and enjoyable dinner. Pastrami mission accomplished!

    It was like 15 years ago when we tried Katz Deli and back then it was all hype to me and also the…read moreprice of their pastrami was $29.00. I had a Yelp friend suggest to me to go to Sarge's Delicatessen and so we did. It was raining that evening so they weren't too busy and we got sat right away. The prices of the traditional sandwiches like pastrami, corned beef, braised beef brisket were all reasonable and the way it comes, just meat and bread is exactly how I like it. I can add mustard to every bite instead of all over the sandwich. My son and I split a pastrami and the beef brisket together to be able to sample at least two types of meats. My wife ordered the half corned beef sandwich with a bowl of French onion soup, so we got to sample a bite of each of those as well. Surprisingly we finished everything and still had room for a home made strawberry cheesecake which was amazing. If I'm being honest, I liked it better than juniors and you can read more of my review of Junior's cheesecakes on their Yelp page. Sarge's was a New York mile long walk in the drizzling rain, but it was worth it and the walk back was just as good and it allowed me to work off all the carbs.

    Photos
    Sarge’s Delicatessen & Diner - Dining area

    Dining area

    Sarge’s Delicatessen & Diner - Super thick slice and really big

    Super thick slice and really big

    Sarge’s Delicatessen & Diner - Meat piled high

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    Meat piled high

    Pick-A-Bagel - bagels - Updated September 2026

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