Reviews

Wow. Just wow. I love breakfast everything - particularly breakfast bagels. This place was the best breakfast bagel place I have ever been to in my life. The options are as varied as they are delicious. I got the NYC BLTA with Russian dressing and it was perfect. My friend got the bacon, egg, and cheese, with hot sauce and also immensely enjoyed his meal. The line was long, but the service was quick and very used to heavy crowds. The prices are reasonable for NYC and it’s location in midtown. Overall a wonderful experience and I would absolutely come back again - maybe even before I try new bagel places.

Good bagels and selection of fillings, but nothing to write home about. Have found comparable quality in multiple bagel shops in New York area. Staff not particularly friendly, line is so over bearing that there is no atmosphere in the place.

This is the quintessential New York bagel and you need to try it at least once. The line is long but moves quickly and the bagels are very good. I am sure you can get bagels at other places, but if you want to say you had the New York experience, go at least once. There is every type of topping or add-on that you can ask for but be ready to order when you get to the case. Don't bother with the coffee unless you absolutely need some to go with the bagel.

Nice bagels with something for everyone however the staff are terribly rude. We ordered bagels for pick up this morning and whilst they were nice, they were cold and I was grunted at by an incredibly rude woman who clearly hates her job/life (it was 7.30am....far too early to be so revolting to customers). On the other hand, Tal bagels is a short walk away on 1st and 54th and I would highly recommend them over Essa. The bagels are every bit as good as is the selection and the staff and friendly and obliging. Tal is also a traditional jewish bakery just like Essa Bagel so no difference really!

We were staying at the Pod 51 Hotel around the corner (reviewed by me separately) and saw this HUGE line for something. Hoping it was for something worthwhile, we joined in at the end of the line. While waituing, we learned from co-waiters what it was all about. It was for the (apparently) very famous Ess-A-Bagel establishment. The line was really very long, but eventually we got in and ordered our bagels. Good tip - Send your spouse/friend to grab a table while you do the line thing...... The bagels were good, but not outstanding. We have had better bagels at other eateries in NYC, but they were fresh, tasty and suitable for breakfast. Loooong Lines!! Good Bagels!!

Always love visiting the city and hitting up Ess-a-Bagel - Brough my son this time to start the tradition for him to enjoy the bagels! Amazing service and even a better food. A must if visiting the city!

I did the whole watch TikTok & YouTube for best NYC eats and this place kept coming up, lived up to the reputation and my bagel was so crunchy and delicious, food satisfaction 10 out of 10

The line wrapped around the building, but it was worth the wait. Excellent breakfast sandwiches, efficient service. Their Signature Favorite (salmon, capers, onions) did not disappoint.

This is our favorite bagel in NYC. It’s a bit of a walk from our hotel on Eighth Avenue and 48th but it’s become a tradition to go there for a bagel. Unfortunately they no longer have dine in service due to the Coronavirus issues. That was a surprise to us. We decided to get carry out and bring the food to our room. I must say that the schmear of cream cheese was a bit skimpy this visit. Then again there’s a shortage of cream cheese these days. Still we love their bagels.

Good bagel, everything with lox schmear. Good price, and fairly quick. Has a fast-paced atmosphere at the counter, and gets through long lines pretty quickly. On this trip I compared a few bagel stops in similar conditions, and this was not my top pick, but this is still a good bagel. Lots of options for schmears and sandwiches, and has several sides too.

I had a plain bagel (I'm a purist!). the size and color were nice, texture pretty good although I prefer a chewier skin and fluffier inside. flavor was a bit dull. it was a fine bagel but I've had better in Rockland and Westchester - and the city!

Found this gem the day before the end of our trip. There was a long line outside so we knew it had to be good. There is limited seating inside and by the time we ordered there was a table available. I bought bagels to bring home too.

This small shop offers a nice selection of chewy bagels with a variety of toppings if you don't mind the wait. Sandwiches and desserts are available, too. Seating is cramped, so I would recommend take out if possible. It captures a taste of New York and is worth a visit if you have the time.

All I can say is yum. Fresh bagels in nyc? Yes please! The lox bagel had generous portions of lox. Nicely toasted to be crunchy but still chewy like a bagel should be.

Terrific spot! Big fan of these bagels and the vibes. Right around the corner from our apartment too - part of the reason we picked out our place!

Excellent bagels and quite a lot of people know it! The hardest thing is to choose each time. Good service!

Delicious bagels! They are the perfect texture: crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside. The everything bagel is literally covered with everything seasoning and the scallion cream cheese was everything I ever wanted. My husband said the lox were amazing! Super quick staff for a weekend morning. I only with there was more table room inside to sit but I guess that’s NY for you. So glad we ate here!

Great New York bagels! Long line but it moves fast. Hot coffee was average. They have Natalies orange juice, which was a bonus! Definitely recommend.

While the variety is great and the bagels are very good , the experience in the store is disappointing. Very long lines with an inefficient process that can definitely be expedited. Staff not very friendly, and the cashier takes a very long time unnecessarily. Would definitely not go to the store but perhaps next time would try delivery or pickup instead.

We love the bagels we get at Essa Bagel! We always bring some home! They are the best bagels!!! Go early, as they get really busy!!

Buy by the dozen ( or less) and skip the line. Go in to the store and go to the back. They sell in bulk back there. Grab some cream cheese from the fridge, get some plastic ware and head to the cashier bypassing the long line.

Ess-a-bagel was just around the corner from our hotel. We had wondered why there was always a queue,so decided to try it early Sunday morning. Luckily didn’t have to queue too long and managed to find a table instead. As I didn’t like cream cheese, loved how the menu was so versatile, opting for a tuna and salmon bagel between us. Amazing! Definitely highly recommend!

Ok bagel but think we just got the wrong choice. Opted for an egg bagel but it was microwaved and had a weird texture to it. Should have had salmon and cream cheese with avocado which looked amazing. So many choices to choose from! Lots of filling though.

Tricky this one. We were recommended to go to this particular bagel outlet/eatery and there was a queue out of the door when we arrived at breakfast time. We queued for quite a long time (maybe half an hour) and watched the comings and goings - there were a few tables to sit down and eat but not many given the numbers of people visiting, there was also a pick up point at the back of the shop and so people weee popping in/out just to collect their orders which made everything feel more frenetic. There was a good selection and we went for speciality bagels - a pizza bagel and a pastrami bagel. I’m not sure that I chose particularly well as it was a little sloppy and felt really caloric. I would perhaps have done better with something plainer!

It’s a rare occasion to actually say that something is the worst thing you’ve eaten in a long time but today’s visit was that. The bagel and cream cheese was stale, cold and $3.65. A slice of tomato .90. $12.10 for a bagel with whitefish, cream cheese and a tomato. It was all overpriced and stale. Service was quick though and the workers were nice enough

Terrible experience ! Bagels are not worth it and service is worse part. We waited almost 2hrs for bagels with cream cheese. They forgot to make our order so we just waited and waited . When we asked did not even apologize. It is chaotic. Better bagels anywhere else. Manager is sitting on cell phone doing nothing.

As a relatively regular visitor to NYC, we always have breakfast here and then bagels to go! We love it. Thanks so much, great food, great service....

Great bagel selection freshly prepared and presented. Very filling! Consider sharing between two. Smoked salmon with cream cheese excellent

Ess-a-Bagel is hands down, has the BEST bagels I have ever had and I have tasted a lot of bagels in a lot of cities. My favorite is salt but they are all incredible. Fresh and chewy with incredible flavor. You know it's a great place when there is always a line out the door BUT, if you are just getting bagels, you can skip the line and head straight to the back counter.

Outstanding bagels! I went on Sunday morning and the line was long. Here is a tip that was given to me: If you are just interested in just bagels and cream cheese to go, you can skirt around the right side of the line. There is a back window where you can get bagels to go. Cream cheese and bottle drinks are in an adjacent case.

Was excited to eat a legendary NY bagel on my first trip here. Unfortunately the experience and the bagel (eggstasy - ham, sausage, egg, and cheddar) were mid. The line wasn’t awful, I probably waited 15 minutes. However, there was practically no seating so I had to head back to my hotel 3 blocks away to eat rather than continuing my day. It took me less than 5 minutes to get to the hotel and by then the bagel was luke-warm, at best. After only 5 minutes this means it was never hot. The cheese didn’t even melt at all. Plus the eggs, etc were microwaved as opposed to being grilled. The people were friendly and they move quickly for the volume. That’s where I expect the problem lies. They’re so busy they have to rush the assembly. I will give them credit that the bagels are quite big. Overall I might go back if it was near my home, I was hungry, and it was the closest stop on my way to work, but if you’re looking for the iconic NY bagel experience, this isn’t it.

Place is always packed and it takes a little while to get the food but it's worth it. The bagels are delicious and they load on the cream cheese generously. They have lots of flavors of schmear to choose from. We got the everything bagel with vegetable schmear and a cinnamon bagel with plain cheese and it was awesome. There's no place to really sit inside but it's more of a grab and go type of place. Wish we were able to try the sandwiches too because they looked great.

We visited today after reading great things online, the bagel itself was really tasty with a lot of choice but it just about ends there. I have no issue waiting in line, there were a lot of people serving and the line moved at a reasonable pace. I was given the wrong order, and was missing a drink. When I questioned it I was ignored and the guy serving me walked off to serve someone else. I brought it up with the cashier who claimed I must’ve ordered wrong and didn’t do anything at all about it. I then waited almost ten extra minutes for them to make my drink which was also wrong, I’d paid for a large and got a regular. The staff I dealt with behind the counter were so rude and had zero customer service skills so I just gave up and left as it was so appalling. On the way out I heard someone else complaining about wrong items and then the cashier shouting at another customer. I was a manager in a hospitality environment for a number of years in the past and I would be mortified if any of our staff behaved in that way, if you’re thinking about visiting save yourself the hassle and find somewhere else in the area.

My favorite bagel place in New York or anywhere. Just go here you won’t regret it! I’ve been telling my boyfriend how good it is and he said that the reviews for Pick-a-Bagel were better. I said TRUST me.. ess a bagel is the best. We had a little competition and went to both shops, and we both agreed that ess a bagel was the winner. Best competition ever.

Ah, this got me my NY bagel experience. They were still warm, still (perfectly) damp and delicious. We got them numerous times on our trip and my 5yo is now a bagel snob!

We got the avocado garlic cream cheese and the jalapeno cream cheese on everything bagels. The jalapeño cream cheese was great but the avocado garlic was flavourless. The bagels too left something to be desired. Perhaps they needed to be toasted better. Regardless, it was an average experience.

Authentic NYC bagels - a must stop for breakfast/lunch in when in the city. So many different types of cream cheese and reasonably priced. Always busy which is a good sign!

My daughter told me not to miss this place for a good bagel. Flavorful and chewy, big enough to share. Nothing beats a good New York bagel, and this is from a Chicago girl. I can only imagine the line on a weekend....

Whilst there was a wait in the line of around 15 minutes, it was so worth it. Excellent bagels at a good price. There's great choice too. It's more a grab and go place although there are a few seats if you're lucky. Great value, highly recommended.

This is one of those popular places where the wait is absolutely worth it. When you arrive, there will almost always be a line and you will want to leave, but don't do it. The bagels are fresh and ginormous, there's a multitude of toppings, and once you do get to the front of the line, everything moves quickly - but you should have time to decide on your order while you wait in line. I love an everything bagel with scallion cream cheese, and I also love adding the Spanish eggplant salad if I'm super hungry. You might not finish your bagel, but you'll have leftovers for later. If you want to save time, order bagels in bulk and skip the line. There are some tables if you want to eat here, but not a lot, so I'd recommend taking your bagel to go unless you're lucky enough to get a table.

We buy bagels from this branch and others whenever we get the chance. My favorite is the bialy, a white bagel with onion in the center, where the hole would be. I ordered a chicken cutlet bagel sandwich as a test, since I usually find cutlets to be too heavy. The chicken Parmesan sandwich passed with flying colors. The tomato sauce was perfect, the cutlet was not too heavy, and the amount of cheese was just right.

This is a fantastic place! Was visiting NYC with family over Thanksgiving and looked up bagel places - typical tourist I know! I walked there thinking no one else would have the same idea as me as it was mid week. Arrived to a line out the door. They specialize in made to order bagel sandwiches so each one takes time. We waited about 45 minutes outside and about the same inside. If you are only looking for a bag of bagels and cream cheese you can bypass the line and go straight to the back and pick these up and pay for them. Otherwise you are standing in line. They also had some great black and white cookies, fresh orange juice and some other items. If I were to go there again I would use their online ordering and time my arrival to pick up my order in the co like the locals instead of waiting in line. But the bagels do keep in a hotel room for a couple days!

When you are getting a bagel, cream cheese, and lox anywhere else in North America, you are comparing against what is here, because this is the perfection of the craft. The place itself is tight with tables for 15-20 really good friends max. In October 2022, the aforementioned bagel will run $14, or $16 as the signature favorite with red onions and capers. On Friday afternoon at 5:00pm, one can walk straight up to the counter. On Sunday morning, there is line out the door as if it were the place to get concert tickets. Could one assemble a bagel and lox for less? Yes. Could it be as good as here? Yes. Are there better places with better bagels? Very few in the world.

Excellent NY Bagel. On the top of our list of foods to eat while in NY we have to have Essa bagels. Essa bagels always are delicious.

We decided to bite the bullet and wait in line to see what the appeal was surrounding Ess-a-Bagel. What a huge disappointment. We waited for 45 minutes for terrible service, expensive prices, and average food. The garlic bagel with cream cheese and lox was $14.50. There was a little cream cheese and very little lox. I ordered mine with capers, which was 75 cents extra. I received three small caper berries. My husband ordered a bagel with two hard boiled eggs. They were out of hard boiled eggs so instead he ordered two scrambled egg whites. They wanted to charge him for an egg white sandwich because they couldn’t figure out how to charge him for the scrambled egg whites. He refused to pay the extra amount. They then got more hard boiled eggs from somewhere. The staff was rude and inflexible for a simple item like egg whites. I would never go back.

I was surprised it wasn’t better. I ordered an everything bagel with scallion cream cheese. The cream cheese was better than what I get from home but the bagel wasn’t anything super special. It’s a very busy store but with an extremely efficient staff so, the line moved and moved quickly.

We grab a breakfast here every morning we’re in NY on our periodic trips. They are that good. We see no point in hunting out other options. First the bagel themselves - they are fantastic, always fresh, large and tasty with numerous varieties. Now let’s talk about the fillings - just about anything you can think of. Our favorites are the fish based ones - salmon, whitefish, etc. we’re ex-New Yorkers who now live in rural Virginia AKA - no bagel land!!!!!!

Incredible bagels - crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside with lots of flavor. I got a novacado which had lots of eggs, tons of nova and teeny sliver of avocado. The service was just unhelpful and avoiding customers. The bagels were so good I'd just get a bagel and shmear next time.

Granted there was a queue but it took just a few minutes to order and receive. Welll toasted and prepared. We have had cheaper for the same syle bagel but acceptable.

What can Monte say that wasn’t covered in review #1? The location a few steps from Penn Station is very good. What Monte did not appreciate was the hired help whom got upset when they toasted the WRONG BAGEL! Not a dealbreaker, and a good bagel that keeps calling Monte to return!

We returned to this place 6 years after the last time. It remains a guarantee even if prices have increased as in all of New York. Bagels are and remain delicious, lots of variety. Tip: one each is more than enough! They are filled properly.

The menu is extensive and they have many delicious non dairy cream cheeses. My wife said it was the best lox she ever had. Same goes for the black and whites.

Amazing! Huge line to get a sandwich (an hour?), but local gave a tip - if you just want to but some loose bagels and prepackaged cream cheese just walk in, go to very back. No wait required :) got regular cream cheese and three sesame bagels and they were fantastic, still warm 10 minutes later when we ate then our hotel room… could watch them boiling the bagels…

Very tasty bagels and lots of cream cheese (try the raisin walnut — delicious!). LONG lines — place your order online and let them notify you when it’s ready instead of waiting in line.

I ate here for breakfast twice on my business trip to NYC. The bacon egg and cheese sandwiches are huge and are plenty for one person. The line was long at 7:30AM but well worth it. Nice staff and fast service. Very good.

Ordered a beef and cheese melt but it was lukewarm and after a long wait I couldn’t be bothered to go and complain. My partner has salmon and loved it so I guess I was just unlucky. Coffee wasn’t the best either.

This is a must go for bagels if you’re in New York City. They have the best homemade bagels on earth! The perfect balance of crunchiness and chewiness makes the bagel texture exceptional. I always love to make my own bagel sandwich so of course again and always - tomato, avocado and egg on my pumpernickels bagel. The avocado was disappointing as it was not fresh and most likely just some artificial avocado spread. However, I will always come back for their bagels whenever I’m in towns. Be prepared to wait in line if you don’t come early in the morning!

The staff were amazing in this place. Realising we weren't locals they found us a seat and helped us place our order. The bagels were so filling, I didn't need to eat for the rest of the day. Will definitely return when in New York.

Very good bagel ! Only 6$ and you have a big amount of cream cheese. I tried the signature bagel and i loved it. There was a long lone but it went by quickly.

Half an hour on line, heavily accented employee, out of what I wanted. My husband had always spoken of this place, so I thought I’d give it a try. One and done. The bagel was tasty, as is expected of N.Y. bagels. Not worth the hassle to get though.

The bagels and sandwiches are excellent. The long wait times are not so much fun, but if you want a great bagel, get in line!

I'm a local and I my company buys us a big stack of ess a bagels every single morning for breakfast. So I have had all the flavors very many times. When I first grabbed my free morning bagel for the first month, I noted that the bagels were nice and slightly larger than I'm used to, but nothing to write home about. It's a good bagel, you can't say much more than that. So imagine my surprise when one day I saw our company's invoice with the delivery and the receipt said they are Ess a Bagels. The point is that there almost always a giant line in front of this store and it's ridiculous. When I first saw the line I couldn't comprehend why there was a line there. I thought maybe it was for the next door business or perhaps there was some kind of event going on. But no, everyone was going into the bagel shop. Maybe they were giving away free bagels or something, I thought. No, I've since passed by and seen this line tons of times and I cannot for the life of me understand why people wait for a bagel that is basically average or slightly above average. Not only that but apparently their bagels are so good that you have to have them untoasted. No. I've had them untoasted and toasted and I'm sorry to tell you less than intelligent hype following zombies out there that they are fine both ways but toasted is probably better. I have one every morning and I'm cooking them in our toaster every time now. Don't believe the hype, don't waste your time. The bagels are nice but not "wait in line for an hour" nice. Certainly if you can find them outside of amusement park length line hours, give them a try. Frankly I've had better bagels at other famous bagel shops in other parts of the city and not waited. If you're a tourist, seriously just get your bagel at any good bagel shop and it will be very good, don't make pilgrimage to this just because you heard it was "amazing." If you wait an hour just for a bagel that is maybe 15 - 20% larger than the standard bagel then I don't know what to say to a person like that.

It is worth the wait in line. The fresh cream cheese is amazing!!! The bagel breakfast sandwiches are very good as well. They also ship their bagels.

Best bagels we ever had. We somehow managed to avoid the busier times, although we probably were in line about 20 minutes. The place had a great atmosphere, friendly staff even if they were busy. As a tourist it was kind of scary to order, but I made sure I had my order ready by the time I got to the guy.

I will think about this bagel for the rest of my life. Waited in line for 40 minutes and I’m so glad I did. I’ve never had a bagel with such a perfect ratio of crisp and chewy. I got an everything bagel and went all out and got the everything cream cheese. It was so good. I want to plan another trip to New York just to come back here. By far the best bagel place we tried during our visit and I couldn’t recommend enough! My boyfriend got the bagel that had salmon, scallion cream cheese, capers, lettuce tomato and onion and he agrees its the best bagel he’s ever had too!

Heard about essa bagel when googling best bagels before we visited nyc from the uk Managed to get there just before the queue was huge - loooots to choose from and the menu kept changing and showing different pages so felt a tad hectic but decided on an everything bagel with egg bacon and cheese and it was huge and delicious My boyfriend had the same on a salt bagel - and just an FYI it’s COVERED in salt (it’s in the name lol) One down side was I ordered a small tea - then when paying (the server was a little rude but the more I was kind to her the nicer she seemed to get) I asked for milk and she put the tea in a triple size cup and filled the other 3/4 with milk Even with the tea bag in there, it was just milk at this point - but they were so slammed I just left it You could also get salads, juices, cakes etc - so plenty of choices and options

Well worth a visit, even if there was a large line outside. They are working hard but it takes a while. Some people ordered on line and picked up, but still took us an hour. Not a lot of seating. i didn't see many natives. I asked for no meat on my bagel and they put in on anyway. Still great though.

Huge queue inside and outside but worth the wait as bagels are massive and fillings are fab! Very few seats inside to sit and eat but there’s a very cute little park just around the corner to sit and enjoy your bagels.

Lines out the door aren’t wrong, this is the right place for a bagel. Line forms to the right for just bagels and the left for “sandwiches”. I like my bagels and this was one of the best I’ve found.

Went to Ess...ordered a bagel. I ate it. It was very, very good. I had the signature bagel. Lox, tomato, red onion, caper, and cream cheese...on an everything bagel for a reasonable price. Lot's of food. Limited seating (when the place is busy). Lot's of variety here...great deli place. I'd go again.

Bagels were delicious! We didn't realize we were going to wait 2 hours in line they should have a better system for service.

Although I prefer the Montreal style of bagels, I think this is one of the best New York style you can get. Crispy on the outside and soft and chewy in the center, we got the BLTA (avocado) and a salmon with cream cheese. Enjoyed them both. Although I reprimanded when I asked if they would toast it. Oy Vey!

Went in for breakfast and found the yummiest bagels ! I had an Eggstacy and added tomato. This is one of the most delicious bagel combos ever! The place was stacked with people but the line moved fairly quickly, will definitely come back!

Excellent. Had a few different bagel sandwiches, all outstanding. Worth the carbs and calories! Whole wheat everything bagel was better than regular, even.

First time visiting Ess-a-bagel from the UK and I was not disappoint, amazing food and a great experience! I will be returning again!!

Whenever we are in the city from CT we stop to get bagels at Ed’s-a-bagel. The best, the freshest bagels I’ve ever had, simply delicious

I picked up take out. 4 huge, typical NYC everything bages. A half pound whitefish and baked salmon spreads for a breakfast back at the hotel. Yummy, tasty and very good.

We went to this shop at about 9am in the hope that the queue we had read about wouldn’t be too long... when we arrived it was out the door! We waited around 45 minutes until we reached the front of the queue. We had 1 bagel, 1 sandwich and 2 coffees and the total came to over $30 dollars. The bagels were excellent, really tasty and packed with fillings. Perhaps not worth the price, but I think you also pay for the experience as this shop is famous in NYC and has been branded by many as having “the best bagels in NYC”. We also managed to get a seat in the very busy seating area which was great. We did notice that there was an express line that you could be served at instantly, but this only offered cream cheese bagels. This may be worth considering if you don’t want to wait. The staff were very abrupt, but overall a good experience if you don’t mind a long wait.

I have worked in walking distance of Ess-a-Bagel for 30 years, but never knew about it until this month. Damn, it is good. The portions are big and the food is fresh and delicious. My wife and I had their Signature bagel. The lox was fresh and so was everything on it. And, although I usually have my bagels toasted, this one was so fresh that I had it hot from the oven. And my server put a smile on my face with her good humor and charm. I'm coming back!!!

A short walk from Radio City Music Hall, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, and St. Patrick's cathedral. Not a lot of seating, but the bagels were terrific!

I had a couple bagels when on vacation and they were all amazing! Also tried the Western breakfast sandwich, which hit the spot for my morning meal!

Big, fresh, hot from the oven, and delicious! Like to visit when we are in NYC for holidays. We will return’

The bagels were delicious and great to have this classic New York food. However, the service was terrible - in the end I gave up on receiving my whole order as the servers were not willing to help. A real shame.

Loved there breakfast coffee very fresh and delicious , can’t resist the pastry get me them bagels all day yea good

Post-covid there is no indoor seating, but the bagels are still amazing! I ordered a sesame bagel with everything herb cream cheese. The bagel was fabulous - hot, chewy, filled with cream cheese! 🥯 The line from the corner outside took about an hour to get through.

I’m sure there are bagels out there that are just as good as these without the line. There was no customer service at all. The man who took my order asked me to repeat it twice as he wasn’t listening (or didn’t care). They all seemed to be taking their own sweet time with each bagel which might be why the lines are so long. I can understand other reviews where it said they loved the vibes? The vibes here are lines of people treated like a production line themselves while the workers shell out standard bagels without a smile or friendly conversation. Can’t really understand the hype. The bread was fresh but I’m sure it is in other local friendly bagel delis that need supporting?

On a previous visit to New York City in December 2021 I had Bagel's from the Ess-a-Bagel shop on W 32nd Street and they were excellent with a huge choice of cream cheese spreads... So on this visit to New York City I thought I'd try the Ess-a-Bagel on 3rd Avenue. This store is older and in my opinion not as clean and slick as the W 32nd Street shop. There seemed to be less choice of cream cheese spreads and the bagels just didn't seem as nice either... Still 'very good' but not excellent as my memory of my December visit to Ess-a-Bagel had been. An everything bagel with bacon and scallion cream cheese was $7 and an onion bagel with Nova Lox (salmon) was $14.25 A nice bagel but I have had others this trip that were better from Leo's Bagels and also from Finn's Bagels.

I visited the 32nd street location and found no crowd at 9am on a week day! I took the opportunity to enjoy an everything bagel with lox, cream cheese and onion. It was delicious and enormous!

The bagels were ok thought was a bit pricey even for the city for two bagels cream cheese nova was $42 . However the most important the tables were filthy. Do not know when was last time it was wiped off. Crumbs pieces of eggs etc. disgusting couldn’t finish my meal I was so grossed out.

It's great. If you can, order in advance to avoid the wait... However, the line actually moves fairly quickly & everyone seems efficient. (FYI - when you're called, order & then step back out of the way a bit and wait for your food. Then pay)

Never disappoints! The fact this is a short walk from the Kimberly is a super plus; take out bagels with a fantastic view!

The name gives the connatation that the place is "Jewish" or kosher. Far far from it but the place is well organised and helpful. Bagels and spreads are top notch.

After reading the reviews, had to give this place a try. The line was out the door as expected, so about thirty mins worth of anticipation. Overall, meh. The bagels are good, but in all honesty I’ve had better in other places out of NYC. I think what you’ll get here is the experience, and an pretty good bagel - just not as amazing as I thought from reading other reviews.

I wanted to finally have a real NY bagel so I did research and found Ess-a-Bagel. My husband went in one line and order two sliced, warm bagels with cream cheese on them and I went to the express line and ordered a dozen assorted bagels to take home to share with family and friends. We both thought the staff was friendly and helpful and these were the best bagels we've ever had.

Ess-a-bagel is what it says on the tin. Great if you like eggs on everything. Overall a good busy spot and not too expensive for a quick bite.

This is a very popular place for everyone who is looking for one of the best Bagels you can find. But prepare to wait to order, a lot of people has found this gem

Very poorly run business. One cashier. We waited at least 45 to get in doors, to see another long line inside which would have been another 30 minutes. Ridiculous! The manager sitting on the side on a computer giving orders looking at her screen and not helping. No bagel is worth 1.5 hour wait!

I had bacon, egg and cheese on an everything bagel and it was a very good breakfast sandwich but somewhat dry and it needed mayonnaise which would have helped. There was quite a line to order but it moved swiftly and with precision. Besides the dryness of the sandwich the only other negative was that everything you order is to go and on the streets of Manhattan there are very few places to sit and enjoy a meal so I had to lean against a wall and eat my bagel and drink my bottle of water. Due to Covid I don’t really blame Ess A Bagel but it is inconvenient to customers. I like the food and I’ll be back.

Wonderful large freshly baked bagels, and plenty of appropriate sides and shmears. Challah bread also excellent. Service was brisk and pleasant.

One of the best addresses for a bagel. Many choices available, and they're not greedy when they fill it! Plain bagels are also available for sale if you want to take some home.

We got in line at 11:01 AM on a Sunday morning. We got our sandwiches at 11:57. It was a full hour wait. It was not worth it, but I also think we did it wrong. For that, I am truly sad because I do think the bagels are spectacular. We ordered sandwiches. Mine was an egg, ham and sausage on an everything bagel. The meats were so salty it ruined the taste of the bagel. The same for my wife. Luckily, I am married to a smart lady. She ordered a to-go bagel with strawberry cream cheese. We ate it later in the day and loved it. Suggestions: - Don't wait in line, order bagels online - Walk in the exit door and push past the line to the other side of the restaurant - Pick up your order and walk to the check out and pay - Don't buy sandwiches - go for bagels and spreads - They are massive, so consider sharing

Everyone claims this is on of the best bagel places in NYC, the line usually go out the door. Had an everything bagel with veggie cream cheese. Honestly the guy down the street in my home town in NJ makes better, fresher bagels! They do have a huge assortment of cream cheese.

My daughter said we had to come here. We stood in line for at least 30 minutes. We were worried about getting to our Liberty tour on time, so we were rushed, but they were very good. They are huge! I had chocolate chip cream cheese on onion bagel and my daughter had plain cream cheese on cinnamon raisin bagel, she loved hers. Mine was a bit too sweet

We went by chance the waiting was half hour but coz we had a small child they were kind to give immediate service. The sheer variety of bagels , the cream cheese & the toppings were too many . Each and every thing we tried were just terrific. Never had a better bagel sandwich. Will never miss going there whenever in New York.

Enjoyed the experience of queuing and watching how the locals order their bagels. Decided to go for he signature Nova bagel which was delicious. I keep thinking about it even three weeks later. My partner got hot beef bagel but didn’t enjoy it but I think this was because of a miscommunication when ordering and it wasn’t very hot. Would recommend and go For the signature bagel. Yum!