Have been to this bagel spot a few times. Definitely one of the better options in the area. Like other« Unilocalers» have mentioned it’s a no-fuss type of place. Nothing terribly fancy but always a consistently good + delicious product. Go to order is whole wheat with veggie cream cheese, slice of tomato and cucumber.
Vad P.
Rating des Ortes: 1 Upper East Side, Manhattan, NY
Not having enough time this morning to grab breakfast at my normal place in my neighborhood, I decide to try this place out as it is right by the 6 train. First thing I noticed, this place has a rating of B. That should have been a sign for me not to go in and instead find another place. But time being limited and I was already late for work. I order a simple bagel with cream cheese and a coffee. First off, the bagel was average, the cream cheese however was sour! I never in my life had a cream cheese that was sour. It must of have been old or not kept refrigerated at the correct temperature. In addition, thru the entire time, their customer service was awful and plain rude! I ended up throwing my bagel away.
Franklin S.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Norwich, CT
Excellent bagel! Not the best I’ve ever had, but very very good(it’s tough to get the crunch on the outside and doughiness on the inside just right). The olive cream cheese was tasty, and the service was fantastic. I was there after 9am on a Friday, so post rush — but you could tell with how quick they moved they probably keep the rush moving. All behind the counter were extremely friendly too; speaking with multiple people on a very personal level(knowledge of their regulars). Made me want to be a regular — but I live 100 miles away, so that’s probably not going to happen. Note that a few comments here complain about the price. I only had flavored cream cheese, not lox and veggies, and it was $ 2.95. I’m ok with that.
Melissa M.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Miami, FL
I was in NYC for four days, but only three of those were«breakfast eligible.» I ate at Bagel & Schmear two out of those three opportunities only because I had previously made Sunday brunch plans. I got the Everything bagel both times — first time with regular cream cheese, second time with the scallion cream cheese. The bagel was the MOSTPERFECT bagel I’ve ever had in my life. It was perfectly crunchy, salty, all the deliciousness an NYC Everything bagel should be. The cream cheese was also perfection. My friend tried the avocado cream cheese, and although I didn’t try it(humph), she said it was amazing. The staff is super friendly too — they use terms of endearment, which is sweet. The guy who helped me both days called me «linda,» :insert blushing emoji here:. It’s a great breakfast/lunch spot. Definitely worth a try :)
Sue N.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Seattle, WA
Avocado cream cheese. Avocado cream cheese. Worth saying twice. Ate an everything bagel with avocado cream cheese every day I was in NYC. Nice salty, crispy bagel and cream cheese spilling out the sides, so couldn’t get better for me personally. If you are going in for the first time, it can be a little confusing about where to order if it’s crammed with people, and because it’s NYC everyone is moving pretty fast, so just walk straight back toward the drink coolers to place your order, then wait and pay up toward the front door. Inexpensive, satisfying carbohydrates – we will be back.
Alan H.
Rating des Ortes: 2 Manhattan, NY
Very convenient location for me, so I have been a few times for bagels and breakfast sandwiches. Overall, the convenience doesn’t justify the quality of the food. Sausage, Egg, and Cheese(2⁄5): The bagels aren’t the best, as they taste a bit bland and texture is a bit too dense. I feel that this contributes to the overall sandwich being a bit plain, especially since you don’t get that much egg or sausage. The cheese also tastes cheap… in summary, can definitely find better at other shops. — $ 4.25 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — How food scoring works(very subjective, and relative to price) 1 — Given the price, no 3 — Worth, taste is on par with price 5 — An absolute steal, amazing taste and great value
Diane W.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Manhattan, NY
I hear a lot of hype about this place, but I think it’s just okay. First time I came here I ordered a lox bagel with tomato and avocado, and it turned out to be $ 8 which I find rather expensive for a bagel. I wanted to give it another chance, so this time I ordered a whole wheat everything bagel with avocado cream cheese. They gave me a whole wheat bagel with the smallest amount of cream cheese. Kind of disappointing. The bagel itself was decent, but a little hard. Maybe I shouldn’t have gotten mine toasted? I think next time I want to get a bagel I’ll try elsewhere. Nothing compares to the super soft and doughy bagels at Absolute, but unfortunately that’s all the way on the upper west side. Still on the hunt for a good place downtown!
Angel W.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Washington, DC
Best bagel in New York. Got an everything bagel with plain cream cheese– no fuss, no frou frou. Bagel texture is so important and this place nailed it– crispy on the outside, but the inside was so dense and doughy. The cream cheeses were displayed beautifully(how is that even possible?), shaped almost like cakes and decorated colorfully according to flavor. Can’t wait to try their bagel and lunch sandwiches!
Courtney D.
Rating des Ortes: 5 New York, NY
Fact: Bagel & Schmear solves problems. Dilemma– It’s 7:30AM, I’m in a hurry, and I hate the world Bagel & Schmear– Cheers me up with quick service, happy employees, and good food Dilemma– It’s fall, I’m a white girl, and I need a quality carbohydrate and a pumpkin spice latte Bagel & Schmear– They have me covered Dilemma– The bottom half of the bagel sucks Bagel & Schmear– both sides of the bagel are amazing Dilemma– Plain cream cheese is getting boring Bagel & Schmear– too many cream cheese choices Dilemma– My family doesn’t want to see me Bagel & Schmear– My family wants to see me when I bring them a dozen Bagel & Smear Bagels and cream cheese
Alla M.
Rating des Ortes: 1 New York, NY
More like bagel and sh*t. The bagel itself is good but I feel like the staff are very careless in their preparation. My bagel hardly had any egg on it. They gave me sausage when I never asked for it. It is a waste of money. Go somewhere else.
Kristin C.
Rating des Ortes: 1 Buffalo, NY
They screwed up my order and put S, P, K on the wrong breakfast sandwich, I could tell the cheese they used was cheap and the everything bagel was mediocre– definitely not fresh.
Dawn K.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Salt Lake City, UT
Get out of town with these bagels!!! Oh my! I had a turkey avocado on wheat, and it was so good! My husband chose the smoked salmon on an everything bagel, and we both agreed best bagel we’ve ever had! Loved it!
Tom L.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Phoenixville, PA
Very decent bagels. Pricing ok. Convenient for my walk to the office when I am in NYC, but it does not stand up to the couple others that are unfortunately, out of my way when walking to work. Register woman is super nice. The rest of the guys working are very bland… just no personality. Odd thing is they only put the toppings on one side of the bagel. You open up your wrapping and thing you got a plain bagel at least half the time… always gets me. If I get a sesame bagel, I want that sucker loaded with sesame seeds and that just isn’t the case here. Limited options for bagels and cream cheese gets this place 3 stars.
Laura O.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Queens, NY
To know Bagel & Schmear is to crave Bagel & Schmear. Coming here is starting to become a bit of a habit, and nowadays I don’t feel like weekending until I’ve had a chance to enjoy an everything bagel, lightly toasted, with avocado cream cheese… or chipotle cream cheese… or cream cheese and lox. The former two options are super cheap — like, $ 3 total for the bagel and cc combo. The line can look slightly intimidating, but the guys behind the counter move everyone through pretty quickly. And they’re all super nice. So why not 5 stars? Well, while the bagels are chewy and delicious, they’re no David’s Bagels. That is, they’re really good, but not mind-blowing. The«everything» bagel could use some more of everything. The avocado cream cheese often has cilantro in it(why???). And I’m not a big fan of the iced coffee. All very tiny miscues. I’m still a huge fan and am looking forward to Saturday. ;)
Maud D.
Rating des Ortes: 3 New York, NY
Once in a blue moon, I allow myself to start a friday off with a bagel. It’s not that I’m not a fan, it’s just, you know, carbs. Today was one of those days, but I found myself scraping the bottom of my office’s bagel friday bag and finding nothing but dust bunnies and sesame seed detritus. Off I go to Unilocal,before practically running down 28th street to Bagel and Schmear. I went for an egg bagel with lox spread, tomato, and onion, and it hit the spot. This is not your trendy bagel spot — I wouldn’t venture much off the beaten path order-wise, and the bagels are definitely a little chewier than the ones you’ll find at a Baz bagels or Black Seed, they do the trick when you’re in need of a carby, creamcheesy morning snack. Flatiron is rough when it comes to that middle ground between upscale deli and fine dining, but this is a spot that will do in a pinch.
Farrah A.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Houston, TX
Unilocal to the rescue! Gal pal and I woke up with carb cravings — hangovers, man. And instead of waiting an hour for the room service bagel, I quickly used Unilocal to find a nearby, highly rated bagel shop. So the name was a total turn-off. I’m a Texan have no idea what exactly is this«schmear,» but after checking out Unilocal photos captioned«scallion schmear,» «strawberry schmear,» «garlic and herb schmear,» I got it… Assortment of bagels and«schmears» makes it hard to decide, but either way you’ll be pleased. We did have far better service than described in previous Unilocal reviews. Looks like it was our lucky morning with a semi-flirtatious staff. Guess it’s ’cause we’re Texas girls! ;) And as I started writing my review today, I just noticed that five of my NYC-based colleagues are also fans of Bagel & Schmear, as it’s a few blocks away from Unilocal HQ. Basically, B&S is legit.
Alexa S.
Rating des Ortes: 4 New York, NY
One of the best bagels I’ve had in Manhattan. There’s something about their dough that’s very sweet and tasty! They also have some awesome cream cheese options. The one thing I do have to complain about is that during the weekend when they’re busy they always run out of certain bagels and the service is a bit slow. Wish they made more bagels when they know that they’re going to be a little bit busier than normal. This is usually my go to spot! Highly recommend trying out Bagel & Schmear.
April P.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Manhattan, NY
Got Cream cheese and lox on whole wheat everything. These bagels are HUGE! Which is not really my style to be honest. The everything bagel didn’t have a lot of seeds on it and I asked for double toasted and they didn’t. Still hunting for my favorite bagel spot in NYC.
Molly S.
Rating des Ortes: 4 New York, NY
Gramercy location for good NYC bagels. They have flat bagels too AND avocado cream cheese, betches of gramercy park rejoice. I’d give the bagels 5 stars but the cream cheese 4, not as fresh or the best I’ve ever had, but to the other reviewers discredit, it was not slathered on like they said. Also, iced coffee was pretty good! For two bagels toasted with cream cheese and tomato, plus two iced coffee we paid $ 12.75. I have no idea the going rate for bagels, so can’t tell you if relatively that’s expensive? When it comes to bagels, I have no price limitation.
Melissa L.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Los Angeles, CA
Craving a New York bagel, stepped into this place and got an Everything bagel w/Lox Schmear, toasted. So good! The coffee? Wasn’t a fan, but who cares, I got my bagel fix. Only a few stools to sit & eat your bagel, while looking at yourself in a giant mirror while you eat. I prefer when I’m inhaling a bagel not to see myself. At least the mirror allows one to pick out the poppy seeds from their teeth and wipe off the excess cream cheese from your face. haha.