My boyfriend and I visited Willie's this morning, I chose the Sausage Egg and Cheese on a sesame seed bagel which is pictured below. The cost of two breakfast sandwiches and two waters was only $10.46. Our visit: We visited at around 930am, this place was BUSY and for good reason. The bagels were fresh and the menu is very straightforward. We only had to wait five or six minutes for our food, despite the crowd. My sandwich was AMAZING, it was fresh, eggs were cooked perfectly, and the sausage had a little spice to it (YUM.) Definitely satisfies the craving for breakfast first thing in the morning. Overall, I would recommend visiting Willie's. The service is quick, food is fresh, and prices are cheap! read more

Willie's Bagel Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Utica, New York

So delicious. We try to come here once a week and they never disappoint! Great bagels and amazing pancakes!

This place is about as small and inconspicuous as it gets, but a fantastic find and well worth the trip. The bagels were fantastic !! My daughter and I were in a hurry so we just grabbed two plain bagels with cream cheese. They were chewy and dense on the inside with a shiny crust on the outside. The menu had so many other great offerings that I need to come back soon! The service was pleasant and efficient. We are big fans after just one visit!! read more

Willie's Bagel Cafe - Lots of baked goodies!! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Utica, New York

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Best bagels in the 315!!!! Wonderful local family owned business, never get rid of the rainbow

Everything is delicious and fresh. Love going here. Great for brunch too, and staff is nice

We stopped here for lunch during a road trip, based on the excellent reviews. When we walked in I couldn't believe this was the place so many users had raved about. It's a depressing little kiosk in a parking lot off the highway exit, and the place was filthy inside and out. We planned to eat inside after driving such a long way but chose to eat in our car instead since we couldn't find a clean spot to sit in the entire place. The countertops, chairs, and tables hadn't been cleaned. The ceiling and walls were grimy and there were cobwebs in every corner. Even the outdoor bench was dirty. The bathroom was horrendous. Black grime on the walls and door...baseboards that hadn't been cleaned maybe ever...no hand towels but a roll of paper towels that looked like it'd been dropped on the ground. Just gross. Normally I would have walked out and not ordered food after seeing the state of the restaurant (if they're not cleaning the dining area or bathrooms, are they cleaning the food prep surfaces?), but we were hungry and wanted to get back on the road. The breakfast bagel sandwiches were fine but nothing exciting, and the pen they used to write on the tissue paper rubbed off onto my egg (not very appetizing). The rainbow bagel wasn't very photo-worthy (mostly yellow, not a lot of other colors) but tasted OK. read more

Second time here. Had sausage/bacon/cheese. Was just ok. Yelp had wrong pricing was much more expensive. Don't waste money on loaded home fries. Not worth the money. Very small order and when you ask for crispy home fries they are far from it. You should be told they cannot do that . Wouldn't run back for a third time . Bill was $17. Something . Way too expensive for their breakfast. read more

Wanted to switch it up from Bagel Grove for once, so I looked at other alternatives and found this little gem. The staff are hard working and friendly, as are the prices. The selection is good, as is the quality. I can only speak on the marble jalapeño bagels and meat lovers burrito, but both really impressed and frankly, I now find myself driving across the city to get my Willie's fix when Bagel Grove is right down the street (many would argue that Willie's is superior)..but two each is own; I find both places are satisfactory depending on what you are looking for. Nevertheless, I recommend supporting this family run business and their quality breakfast options. To clarify, the total for a bagel w/cream cheese and meat lovers wrap was $9.61- so it's not your absolute cheapest option for breakfast. But you won't be hungry after- guaranteed. read more

Willie's Bagel Cafe - Meat lovers wrap - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Utica, New York

I know this place is still fairly new so I gave it a try and I'm so glad I did. I got the multi color bagel toasted with regular cream cheese and the sausage egg and cheese on an onion bagel. My sandwich was delicious. It was cheesy and large portioned. Everything was so fresh. From their menu they serve not just bagels and breakfast sandwiches. They also have pasta salads. A variety of cold salads and French toast and pancakes. The service was also good. Very friendly people and the price is reasonable. I definitely recommend people trying this place out if they're in the area. read more

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Total hidden gem for a quick breakfast or lunch on the go. Stopped here to pick up lunch during a long road trip and the bagel sandwiches were A+. They did get a little busy and the place is pretty small but definitely worth the 10-15 min wait for a fresh bagel slathered in cream cheese. read more

We were visiting Utica for a fitness show and were craving a bagel for breakfast. We decided to take a walk in the morning and walked past Willies and saw the grand opening sign and that the door was open on Easter. The staff were welcoming and helpful in answering questions about which cream cheese would go best with a pumpernickel bagel. The options of bagel flavors is large, along with their cream cheese choices. They also offer pancakes, bagel sandwiches, pastry and numerous chicken and tuna salad options. I ordered the pumpernickel with veggie cream cheese My girl got the french toast (it's amazing) with cinnamon raisin cream cheese Bagel constancy 5/5 - perfectly toasted Bagel taste 5/5 Bagel size 5/5 - it's literally just enough to satisfy your craving Cream cheese taste 5/5 We've had NY bagels in the city and this place easily rivals any of those. read more

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Coming from NYC, the bar is set high for bagels. A good bagel is a good balance between soft ans crunchy, and this bagel had that :) Friendly gentleman allowed me to sample the creamcheese before I made my choice. I tried the olive creamcheese and decided to enjoy it on a toasted multicolored bagel (for fun). I was not disappointed, the bagel was beautiful, soft and toasty. Personally, I would have preferred the creamcheese to have more of an olive taste, but otherwise it was wonderful! read more

Willie's Bagel Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Utica, New York

Best bagel sandwiches anywhere! Whenever we are traveling and passing through Utica, we make sure we hit Utica in the morning so we can stop at Willie's! Even the granola parfait is yummy! read more

I went into the store this morning. Waited in line while 4 people who came in after me got their order... I literally just wanted an orange juice. Never going back. read more

Service was fast and the bagels were delicious. We are from Texas and Willie's was recommended to us for a great bagel. This place did not disappoint! read more

Bagels are still delicious but service and selection has seriously tapered off in the last year. Will wait another year and check again. Considering this is the most local bagel shop, it's a real shame. read more

Great breakfast stop. Bagels are wonderful and bagel sandwiches are even better. They pile on the eggs, cheese and meat of your choice and serve them nice and hot. The staff is friendly. They have a nice variety of bagels and sandwiches. The only reason I didn't give them a 5-star rating is because the service is a little slow. Having said that, whenever I'm anywhere nearby - I'll always come here for breakfast! read more

Great little spot! Simple breakfast & lunch options that are absolutely delicious. The eggplant parm bagel sandwich is perfect! Philly cheesesteak - unctuous & satiating. Made to order quickly & incredibly yummy. Bravo! read more

I recommend willies bagels homemade and very fresh, the taste is great on time with there time to pick up

Excellent bagels. Chewy and flavorful. Lots of great cream cheese flavors to pick from and some fun rainbow bagels. The egg , cheese and meat sandwiches on bagels are tasty and put together in a unique way that holds all the fillings together. Very affordable as well, we were able to get 4 complete breakfasts for under $20. Some seating inside (9 chairs) and a high chair available, but tight quarters. Much better bagels than the other local bagel joint. read more

I would say hands down the best place to go in the morning! I get the egg and cheese everything bagel with iced coffee on the side. It does get busy so make sure you got time to spare. Definitely recommend it read more

French toast Bagel was great. The bagels were great!!! We would go there more often if we lived closer. They definitely give bagel grove a run for their money. read more

Super nice staff and delicious breakfast food! I had them add home fries to my breakfast wrap, so good! They had a ton of bagel/cream chz choices included several dessert goodies at the counter. The bathroom was decent and they had a cute little patio out front where a few people were enjoying their breakfast to the sound of traffic. Conveniently located right off the 90 too! read more

Absolutely loved this place! I got the bacon egg and cheese on a plain bagel and it was great. My dad ended up getting the pizza bagel and we both like it a lot. The philly cheesesteak bagel was surprisingly tasty. The place doesn't look very inviting at first glance but the food is worth the stop. read more

Willie's Bagel Cafe - Pizza Bagel! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Utica, New York

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Excellent establishment! Great bagels and sandwiches! Fine service! Everything is always fresh.

Central NY is not known for their bagels. As a lifelong Long Islander/New Yorker, I know a real bagel when I met him! When visiting family in the Utica area, we like to have a quick, affordable and easy breakfast. We've gone to the Bagel Grove a lot over the years, but last time we visited, I found Bagel Grove to be a little "dirty". Cobwebs in the corners and orders not coming out correct. I also feel like their bagels are super tiny. So on this recent trip, I consulted Yelp and found that a new bagel cafe called Willie's opened in the area - and I was game to try. My family and I ordered a bunch of various bagel sandwiches (the usual egg and cheeses as well as a Lox sandwich for my brother and Pizza Bagels for the kids). We all noticed how much bigger the bagels were. They were fresh - we literally saw the staff making the bagels in front of us. There was only a ton of variety of types (seem like Rainbow is very popular, but I stick to my Everything which was really good). Were they Long Island/NYC bagels? No. But were they fresh and flavorful served by a very helpful team - Yes! Our order came out correct - and there were a ton of sandwiches so I automatically thought something would have gotten messed up, but I was proven wrong. AND the price was super agreeable. I would definitely come back again, but probably need to get the bagels to go. Willie's is on the smaller side, but their product is awesome. I don't hold their size against them. They had some nice traffic coming in from the area hotels as well as folks from the area. I wish Willie's great success and hope to visit again soon! read more

Willie's bagel cafe has the best bagels you can get. I got their egg and bacon bagels and it was amazing. Highly recommend!!

I love stopping by here in the mornings. They are always fast and friendly there. I have yet to try a place that has better breakfast sandwiches than Willies! read more

Willie's Bagel Cafe - sausage, egg, cheese on an everything bagel - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Utica, New York

Unassuming but tasty! This little place in parked in front of a hooker hotel on some street that leads into downtown Utica. The only problem is that I was staying in said hooker hotel for the night because Utica tends to shut down once the street lights are on, which makes it hard to find a decent set of sheets not stained by last night's trick. That being said, I wake up in the motel with an itch to get out ASAP (and hopefully only that itch), and I notice this little cabana in front that says something about "bagels". Now, being from Atlanta, I can tell WHAT a bagel is, but I don't know a good bagel from a hole-in-the-ground. That being said, I do know basic flavor recognition, and good customer service when I see it. This place has both, and don't let the unassuming shack exterior fool you. They have a full breakfast menu, and apparently they have good coffee (I don't drink the stuff, but the prostitute I call my girlfriend does). I ordered Nova Lox on whole wheat, which in the South is like ordering a baby with an extra arm. It just doesn't happen, but HERE it does, and thank Dog too. I needed a good bagel with salmon after a hotel stay like the Red Roof. Good food. Good people. Done simply. read more

This tiny place is very popular, esp on weekends, there are lines. The people are very friendly, and the bagels are perfection! Toasted onion bagel with vegetable cream cheese, or a toasted sesame bagel with scallion cream cheese -- amazing! True NY bagels, dense seeds or onions or whatever topping on both sides. Good coffee, too. Very close to the turnpike exit, so you can hop on/off enroute to where you are going (watch the exit hairpins -- curves aplenty). Highly recommended! read more

Would 100% recommend this little joint to EVERYONE! The bagels are the bomb. Closest to Brooklyn bagels in this area. Pasta salad is good. Pizza bagels are good. Blueberry bagels with cream cheese are good. Blueberry chocolate chip pancakes are good. Everything is good. If it was closer to work I'd grab a bagel from here every single day. read more

Willie's Bagel Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Utica, New York

Love this place - in particular the Oriskany St location. The staff are all so friendly, the place is super cute and clean, and the food is quick and delicious. My husband and I love eating in at this place for lunch because the atmosphere is so great, and then grabbing bagels and cream cheese to have at the house. Obsessed! read more

Regard the bagel: at best a toroidal Telegraph from the angels, a filling breakfast when garbed with cream cheese and, perhaps, some lox (Loxs?, Loxes?, Loxum?). Served with anything making an appearance atop its more common cousin, bread, bagels rule. Arguably, the best bagels come from NYC, or maybe Montreal which produces our Northern Neighbors' version. An old mathematical formula I just composed states: the yummyness of a bagel is inversely proportionate to the square of the distance from NYC. Willie's Bagel Cafe is a true old fashioned New York City Bagel in the town of Utica. Adjacent to The Red Roof Inn on Genesee Street, Willie serves real NYC type bagels, and why not? He served as a bagel baker for one of NYC's finest bagel shops. My wife considered her whole wheat sesame bagel the most appetizing of any whole wheat bagel she ever had. High praise from a native Bronx Gal. The bagels are fresh and tasty bagels, made into whatever sandwiches you like. You can get coffee, tea, or juice. Seating is luncheonette style. One less star for just having a couple of benches outside, instead of tables, should you want to dine al fresco. read more

Willies is such an amazing family oriented Bagel store! I was visiting my nephew for his Birthday party in Utica and I was just like "Huh ill try this bagel store it seems nice". And oh gee wiz momma it was a smacker! The bagels were a bit crispy on the outside and soft like feathers on the inside! The bagel i got was the sesame bagel and it had sesames on it thats what I like ! The cream cheese was smooth and amazing, like something smooth an amazing would be. I would most surely recommend THIS bagel joint on your next nephew visit. read more

Best bagel "joint" in Utica. It is all they do and they know what they are doing. No glam or glitz just a great bagel.

It is not often I immediately rush to post a review. This place is AMAZING. I have never tasted turkey bacon this good. The bagels are so fresh, better than any NYC bagel I've had. The service was impeccable. Quick efficient and kind. While i was there I watched them offer to reheat another individuals order since he was late to pick it up. Above and beyond what I expected. We will be back again and again and again. read more

The bagels here are delicious. I picked up a few the other day with cream cheese to go. They were still warm in the bag. Im looking forward to trying the chicken salad on a bagel next time. read more

Great bagels, suspect service! I purchased a bagel with cream cheese and a drink, paid with cash. Instead of getting change, the young man behind the counter threw my change into the tip jar! When I called him on it, he denied it! Kind of obnoxious, if you ask me. This was at the North Utica location. At the Oriskany Blvd location, I had another bad experience.... I ordered two everything bagels with jalapeno cream cheese....I was told it would be a 5-10 minute wait. I was waiting for my bagel when the young lady who took my order announced they were all out of jalapeno bagels. I said "I ordered Everything bagels with jalapeno cream cheese." Her response was "I don't need your attitude!" I was shocked! I never raised my voice or spoke sarcastically, nor did I think I gave her "attitude." I apologized immediately if she thought that. She didn't want to hear my apology, just asked if I wanted another bagel or a refund...three times! I ordered another bagel and waited another 10 minutes. They lost a customer today. I will not go back, even though I like the bagels. I would go in there a few times a month while I was working. I stopped going to the N. Utica location because of the obnoxious guy who threw my change in the tip jar still works there. I had pretty good service on Oriskany Blvd until I dealt with the "attitude" girl. In this day and age with so many other options, its not worth my time or energy to put up with people that are rude. read more

I was staying in Utica for HOF weekend and I stopped here to grab a quick breakfast for my drive to Cooperstown. I ordered an egg and ham sandwich on a bagel. The food was great and the sandwich was cooked quickly. Overall great experience! read more

Best bagels in Utica! Great staff! They always have fresh bagels and wide range on their menu