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    The Great American Bagel

    3.1 (111 reviews)
    InexpensiveBagels, Salad, Sandwiches
    Closed 6:00 am - 3:00 pm

    Order The Great American Bagel Takeout or Delivery

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    THE GREAT AMERICAN BAGEL ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Classy
    Outdoor seating

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    Naomi L.

    I finally stopped by The Great American Bagel after passing it so many times on my morning walks with my pup--and I'm so glad I did! It was a sunny Saturday and the place looked inviting, so I wandered in to see what all the bagel buzz was about. First impressions? The shop is super clean, which is always a plus in my book. Most of the staff were warm and welcoming, though I have to say the cashier felt a little cold. Maybe she was having an off day--hey, we all do. It didn't ruin the experience, just felt a little "meh" compared to the rest of the team. Now, let's talk about that *lox cream cheese* and *scallion cream cheese*--TO. DIE. FOR. I'm talking creamy, flavorful, and absolutely hit the spot. I could eat those by the spoonful (don't worry, I didn't... yet). Definitely worth the stop if you're in the area. I'll be back--next time with my dog waiting outside and a toasted bagel in hand!

    Taco B.

    I ordered some bagels and they both came completely wrong. I got a regular bacon egg and cheese and it came with sausage and the bacon that was barely cooked and the bread was soggy. My other bagel also had only ham and cheese and the ham was grey. I called to see if I could get a refund and whoever picked up the phone had an attitude. And that's not the first time the employees has had an attitude for no reason. Honestly i enjoy this place a lot but the employees made me not like the place. I don't think I'll be back

    Spinach Bagel Ham Egg Strawberry Jelly
    Ryan H.

    I've been here twice. I love the customer service and that they're open early. The bagels are delicious especially the spinach. I recommend not getting it toasted to me it was burnt so the sandwich was not as tasty. I wish they had one one dairy free cream cheese spread. I will have jelly on my sandwich in mean time. They do offer impossible breakfast sausage. They have a cooler full of in house cream cheeses. The service time is quick. The chili was very hearty with reasonable pricing overall. The Jambalaya is awesome so rich is flavor and spicy kick at end of each bite...there were clams, chicken, shrimp, and andouille sausage inside! I so loved it...the customer service is not the same everyday of the week it depends on employee working. The sandwiches do not taste the same depending on the cook; the eggs are microwaved.

    Turkey Club Panini

    This is a warning to be mindful of the differences between locations for any chain. The Turkey Club Panini sandwich I ordered from the Great American Bagel at 1154 West Madison was bland, slapped together trash. Previously I had ordered the same sandwich from a different location and it was delicious. Freshly toasted, buttered, individual slices of bacon. This time it looked like it was made with a cheap 3D printer (see pictures). Like toy food children play with.

    Melanie T.

    A really solid place to grab a bagel! They have tons of bagel options and they all look so fluffy and fresh. I had the egg and cheese breakfast bagel with bacon, on an Asiago bagel and it was delicious and filling! The scrambled egg omelette was a thick, fluffy, and even layer, sandwiched between two fluffy and cheesy bagel halves, along with a layer of bacon and melted cheese. Took the bagel sandwich to go and when I opened the wrapper about 30 minutes after picking it up, it was still warm! Great wrapping!! Will definitely come back soon.

    Seating and tables
    Shannon W.

    Bagel was fine and really reasonably priced for the city. The place in general feels like something from the suburbs or a rural area. Not really the kind of place you'd want to hang out in though, unlike most coffee shops in the area that have really nice atmosphere and comfortable seating. HOWEVER, the staff is WONDERFUL. I had issues connecting to the wifi and I think literally every staff member working at the time helped me in some capacity to try and fix the problem. Idk if they ever figured it out but A+ for effort. Id much rather go to a "middle of the road suburban type" restaurant with nice friendly staff than a fancy pants city restaurant with rude staff.

    Abby H.

    Best bagels ever. the strawberry cream cheese tastes like icing and the cinnamon apple cream cheese has apple chunks in it

    Glass Partition
    Rusty M.

    Stopped in this past Saturday, my husband is a huge fan of GAB, has been since he was little & we decided to introduce our one year old daughter to them as well! This was our first time at the West Loop location & we were pretty impressed with all the safety measures that were taken! They have a glass partition that separates the employees from customers. All the employees wear masks & gloves. They have hand sanitizer available, which is nice too! The bathrooms were super clean & had paper towels available, little things like this make it easier to take young kids out during this pandemic. The food was very good! Bagel Dogs are always my favorite GAB item & this location makes a "Chicago Style" Bagel Hotdog, and it was fabulous. (They have amazing pickles too!) My husband got a bacon egg and cheese on a strawberry bagel & he loved it! The staff was awesome, they gave my daughter a chocolate chip bagel & it was a total hit. We ended up buying a few to take home for her! We will definitely stop here again when we venture into the city!

    Tomazzo bagels

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    8 days ago

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    9 months ago

    Ordered the apple cinnamon bran bagel and was expecting a lot more from the flavor. It barely tasted like apple.

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    1 year ago

    Good Food, Consistent, Good Deals On Wednesday. Always Pretty Good Energy In There. No Complaints.

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    2 years ago

    Love love love sad I don't have one closer such a same !!! They are fast courteous and always a joy to visit this location

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    3 years ago

    Love their bagels... always fresh and they have a variety to chose from. The bagels are always soft.

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    Page 1 of 3

    The Great American Bagel Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - The Great American Bagel

    Are there high chairs?

    Yes we have high chairs and we’re very children friendly and convenient. Dear Rae please feel free to visit any time. Thank you. TJ Jordan, Store Manager.

    What is the most popular bagel?

    Plain bagel is hands down the best seller.

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    New York Bagel & Bialy

    New York Bagel & Bialy

    4.3
    (767 reviews)
    10.1 mi
    $

    Great Bagels Friendly Service Staff are great fast and efficient Reasonably priced bagelsread more

    If you're expecting this to be interchangeable with the franchised bagel places that have spread…read moreacross the country, recalibrate now. This is not that. I've been going to New York Bagel & Bialy for over 50 years, and places like this operate on a different clock, a different standard, and frankly, a different philosophy of what a bagel is supposed to be. Timing matters. If you show up after about 8:00 AM, your odds of getting bagels at their absolute peak--still warm, properly textured, with that slight resistance on the outside and softness inside--go up significantly. Earlier can be hit or miss depending on the batch cycle, but once they're in stride, this place delivers. The essentials are all here and worth your time: poppy seed, sesame, everything, and especially the bialys. The bialys alone are reason enough to make the trip--properly done, with the right chew and depth of flavor that you simply won't find in mass-produced versions. Don't overcomplicate it. Grab a dozen. On your way home, stop and pick up a couple packages of Philadelphia Cream Cheese and some smoked salmon a jar of capers, a Bermuda onion--whether here or even from Walmart--and you've got a meal that outperforms most brunch menus at a fraction of the cost. This isn't trendy. It's not trying to be. It's something better: consistent, old-world, and still doing it the right way. If you're going to call something a bagel, the standard is not branding--it's process. That's why New York Bagel & Bialy on Touhy stands apart. They actually do it right: kettle-boiled first, then baked in rotating ovens. That single decision--boiling--changes the entire structure. It gelatinizes the outer starch layer, locks in density, and produces that thin, glossy crust with real chew. Without it, you don't have a bagel--you have bread with a hole. The rotating ovens matter too. They deliver even heat, which means you get the correct balance: a slight exterior crisp with a dense, elastic interior. No puffiness. No sponge. No collapse under toppings. That's the difference here. Most chains optimize for speed and shelf life, so they steam or shortcut the process. Many local shops land in the middle. This place doesn't compromise. If you care about what a bagel is supposed to be--not just what it's called--this is the benchmark in Chicago.

    Photos
    New York Bagel & Bialy
    Ruben @ New York Bagel & Bialy.(Touhy Ave.Lincolnwood IL)Breakfast Bakery NY Bagels Bialy Sandwiches Salads Soups etc.OldFashion Deli.Cool!
    Ruben @ New York Bagel & Bialy.(Touhy Ave.Lincolnwood IL)Breakfast Bakery NY Bagels Bialy Sandwiches Salads Soups etc.OldFashion Deli.Cool!
    New York Bagel & Bialy

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    Schneider Deli

    Schneider Deli

    4.4
    (209 reviews)
    1.4 mi
    $$

    Great lunch/breakfast spot with fast service and simple/fresh sandwiches…read more The oven roasted turkey sandwich was great, tasted like something my grandma would make me (in a good way). Will be back.

    I really want to like them so much more than I do. If there were a continuum from hipster deli…read more(think Mile End) to traditional deli (Manny's, 2nd Avenue, etc) Schneider would on the hipster side of center. Two of us shared a half pound pastrami on rye with a side of hash browns. The rye was pretty decent but the pastrami was sliced far too thick and the meat was lean. That is not a good thing when it comes to pastrami and I attribute the lean meat to the deli catering to its hipster-ish audience. Although the flavor was decent, the sandwich was dry and difficult to eat. We disagreed on the generously sized pickle. One of us thought the flavor was just right, the other not so much. We both agreed on the hash browns. It's a no-go. They were well fried but entirely unseasoned. I understand the lack of schmaltz but there was no onion or salt or anything else. Waffle House has nothing to worry about. (IYKYK) Service was fast and polite. The space is tiny, but it works. Prices are okay for this area but if you want traditional deli in Chicago, go to Manny's.

    Photos
    Schneider Deli @ Ohio House.600 N La Salle Dr, Chicago, IL  Jewish Deli Fresh Breakfast Lox Pastrami CornedBeef  Bagels & Sandwiches. Cool!
    Schneider Deli @ Ohio House.600 N La Salle Dr, Chicago, IL Jewish Deli Fresh Breakfast Lox Pastrami CornedBeef Bagels & Sandwiches. Cool!
    Pastrami on rye
    Pastrami on rye
    Eunice's brisket sandwich.

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    Eunice's brisket sandwich.
    Gotham Bagels - South Loop

    Gotham Bagels - South Loop

    3.9
    (130 reviews)
    1.5 mi
    $$

    Stopped by Gotham Bagels in South Loop and had a pretty good experience. Service was fast and the…read morestaff was friendly. I really liked that they have both indoor and outdoor seating, gives you options depending on the weather. I got the lox bagel on an everything bagel. The flavors were there but the bagel itself was a bit too hard for me, kind of took away from the whole thing. Definitely want to come back and try the lox on a different bagel because I think it has potential. Also got the matcha latte and that was really good, smooth and not too sweet. That's something I'd absolutely order again. Will be back to give it another shot.

    I wanted to try the famous Gotham Bagels while I was in Chicago, and luckily this location was…read morewithin walking distance of my hostel. There was a short line when I arrived, but it moved pretty quickly. I ordered a jalapeño bagel with cream cheese along with a latte. The bagel was absolutely delicious, and the latte was great too. My only small disappointment was that they don't offer "for here" cups, even if you're staying to enjoy your coffee. Inside, there's only a small amount of seating with a few high-top tables, making it a decent spot to study or get some work done if you can grab one. They also have a larger outdoor patio along the sidewalk, which looked like a great place to sit on a nice day.

    Photos
    Vibe
    Vibe
    Breakfast bagel sandwich. I chose the poppy bagel
    Breakfast bagel sandwich. I chose the poppy bagel
    Entrance

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    Entrance
    Steingold's of Chicago

    Steingold's of Chicago

    3.8
    (180 reviews)
    4.7 mi
    $$

    You'd swear these are the most seeded and topped bagels you've seen. Their poppey bagels are so…read moreseeded they look like a cocoa powder dusted donut, same with the sesame and everythings. I don't know what technique they do it get or keep so much topping on them, but it's a pleasure to have too much rather than not enough. They service beer here which makes it slightly unbreakfasty and their bagel sandwiches used baked eggs rather than griddled/flat topped or from a pan. Keeps them fluffy, but I prefer mine a little runnier. Service is very good, friendly, not rushed or fake hospitality. They cure their lox in house which to me feels more tender than other places, probably just a lower, longer heating or a gentler cure. Excellent schmear, a not heavy handed when scooping (respect the schream cuz). Prices are pretty good considering the care and love they put into the bagels (hand rolled, multiple proofs). They have crunch, chew, density, but air pockets. Chef/owners def put thought into the menu with flavors like zatar, dilly ranch deviled eggs. Dr. Browns sodas. Baclava cappuccinos. White fish on bagel chips, Bagel dog is such a simple combination of not just the everything bagel seasoning, but the dough as well. And the mustard pairs better than had they added schmear (sorry Seattle dogs, i'm not a fan, i only like my cream cheese in philadelphia sushi rolls, lol) . The pizza bagel needs more toppings like pepperoni, sausage becuase then it would eat like a normal size bagel bite. The challah bread on the rachel really is more well rounded than the reuben. It's something I've been recreating back home. Giard cream cheese, cmon ya'll are really hitting the nail on the head for a Chicago bagel shop. I guess that's why there are 3 locations now. The Haystack with apple butter works better than expected, but also works with a chive cream cheese sub, no ketchup needed (if you do go with the harissa ketchup from the yada yada). BEC with a side of salted tomato and harissa ketchup is amazing. If everything was 10% more like toppings wise this would be amazing, but they always seem to skimp on something whether it's the schmear, pickels, salad. I feel like i was haggling for my meal sometimes. Prices area little high for most items, but of great value for others. It's busy in the mornings, but lines move long and only once did I have to wait for a fresh batch of anything despite some large orders ahead of me. It's a 20 minute train ride, but worth it. Prime location near Wrigley.

    If you're looking for the best za'atar bagel or lox sandwich in the city, this is the spot. I've…read morebeen going to Steingold's for years and continue coming back here despite all the new bagel stores popping up. Definitely recommend the Za'atar Bagel with Lox, Pickled Cucumbers and Chive Cream Cheese! Also, their Nutella Rugelach is to die for!!! Steingold's has a ton of unique flavors and the staff is extremely nice so they can definitely help out what best to go with when you get there. They have a ton of casual and clean seating inside, as well as outside space during the summer at a first come first serve basis. You can either order at the counter or through a QR code too!

    Photos
    Steingold's of Chicago
    Steingold's Classic Lox (Cold)
    Steingold's Classic Lox (Cold)
    Brisket and Schmaltzy Potatoes

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    Brisket and Schmaltzy Potatoes
    The Bagelers Coffeehouse

    The Bagelers Coffeehouse

    4.3
    (494 reviews)
    3.1 mi
    $$

    Great breakfast bagel sandwiches and coffee!…read more I got The Bagler Sandwich and a mocha latte with their house made mocha. The bagel sandwich was just the right amount to satisfy my craving and wasn't too heavy or over the top. Their latte was creamy and just what I needed. It has a lot of space and I even saw people working from home from there and I wished I'd brought my laptop to get some work done as well. Service was quick and the staff was friendly.

    This spot is truly so hit or miss- the first couple of times we ordered from here it was fantastic…read morebut then in more recent visits they haven't lived up to expectations. If you place an order for pick up, it could be ready 30 minutes early or 15 minutes late - hard to time pick up. So you like a warm breakfast sandwich? You might get it! Or you'll have an un-toasted, soggy bagel. The hashyb is good when the bagel is toasted and the bacon cooked, but now the ratio of times this happens is on the unfavorable side. The lox bagel also doesn't come on a toasted bagel meaning it ends up very wet and unsavory, I ended up eating the contents of the bagel without the bagel as it was falling apart. The coffee tasted burnt. Again, when they are on it - it's great! I wish they were more consistent, I will not be returning to pay $$ for a bagel that might be decent.

    Photos
    The Bageler - Minus Bacon + Hash Brown on Cheddar Jalapeño Bagel
    The Bageler - Minus Bacon + Hash Brown on Cheddar Jalapeño Bagel
    Breakfast bagel
    Breakfast bagel
    Fisherman Bagel

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    Fisherman Bagel

    The Great American Bagel - bagels - Updated July 2026

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