Ess-a-Bagel

Good service, but overpriced. The service was very good, and the staff speaks both Spanish and English, which is a big plus. We had to wait a bit, but nothing too bad. The food was tasty, but we feel the prices are way too high — we paid $50 for two bagels, a yogurt, and two espressos. It was a nice experience to try once, but we wouldn’t come back.

Look, I’m not trying to steal ice or anything but for them to charge me a cup of ice for my toddler’s Nestle strawberry milk is insane! The little dude in the cash register was too quick to judge as if I hadn’t bought $35 worth of food from there. The 2 stars is for the man who helped me order my bagels. He was friendly and fast. Got the order correct given that it got pretty busy. The seating challenging. Not very many but people do come and go so if you find one, grab it. No one cleans it after.

The service here was incredibly fast and efficient, which was impressive given the bustling atmosphere. I ordered a plain bagel with strawberry cream cheese, and it was absolutely delightful. The bagel was fresh and perfectly baked, while the strawberry cream cheese added a sweet and tangy touch. The variety of cream cheese flavors is impressive, and I appreciated the quick service that allowed me to grab my order and go. Overall, Ess-a-Bagel delivers on its promise

Went here on the second day in NYC and it was so delicious we came back 2 more times in our 5-day stay. So much choice and very generous fillings. We only struggled to get a table on the last day when we went around 9:30am, later than in previous visits when we’d been able to sit and eat there.

If your only goal is to find a filling bagel and to have a huge choice of cream cheese options, this will do it. We got the Novacado and Morning Classic and both were bland and stodgy and the eggs had a rubbery texture. It might have been marginally improved if the bagels were toasted, but we were told that New Yorkers typically order bagels untoasted so we went with that.

Delicious breakfast bagel sandwiches! Got an eggstacy and it was very filling and very good! On a separate day I got an everything bagel with everything cream cheese and it was also very filling and delicious. The lines are long, one is for sandwiches and cream cheese, the other is just for bagels (nothing else). You have to pay attention for when they call for the next customer and be ready with your order. Just order and take a step back and they will tell you when your order is ready. Everything is quick and to the point. They have other small pastries for sale as well.

I looked up must eat bagels in NYC and Ess-a-Bagel popped up so we had to try it. It's a typical bagel shop which serves different types of bagels, schmears, bagel sandwiches, dessert options, coffees, etc. The place was crowded and there's not much seating available inside. We picked our order and enjoyed our breakfast / brunch at Greeley Square Park which is diagonally opposite. We ordered everything seed bagel with avocado cream cheese (my fav), plain bagel with oreo cream cheese (my kid loved this) and eggsplaining sandwich on everything seed bagel. We enjoyed our breakfast/brunch. The bagels are thick with generous amounts of cream cheese.

Food: 4.5 out of 5 Staff: 4.5 out of 5 Atmosphere: 4.5 out of 5 Value: 4 out of 5 Overall: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4 out of 5 Recommendations: Signature Bagel First time trying New York bagel! The store is very nice and the line moves very fast because the staff were efficient. I got the signature bagel, which was very delicious, especially the smoked salmon. While it’s delicious I feel like $18 for a bagel is a little too much for a student like me. I haven’t tried other bagel places in NY so I can’t really compare, but Ess-a is definitely solid, and I will probably visit again next time I crave a NY bagel.

Ess-a-Bagel is consistent and high-quality regardless of their location across the city. Foot traffic is quite busy in this particular location but staff still go out of their way to assist with your order. There's a huge range of cream cheese types available plus numerous bagels coming fresh out of the oven. Flanks of salmon are freshly cut, the rainbow bagels look glowing and the mountains of bagels around you - even in the empty boxes - make you feel like you're being well taken care of by experts. Only caveats are that the line can last a while and there's nothing unique about this particular location compared to other chain spots for Ess- around the city.

This was just okay - better bagels elsewhere. Asked for an everything bagel and got a plain one. The bagel itself was just okay, dense and had to chew. The only saving grace is they give a lot of cream cheese and salmon. The bagel is also overpriced - after tax this was $18. The line moves fast and if you want just bagels they have another line. There's also a lot of seating and a restroom. Wouldn't come back but it's okay for a quick bite.

An hour + wait. Tiny space. I'm thinking this better be the best damn bagel in town. It was ok. Like I had very high expectations, and it was fine. Expensive & not worth the wait. Had an everything bagel with lox, it was good but not exceptional. Salt bagel was WAY too salty. Black and white cookie was so messy and soft it was like a cake - which I know it is supposed to be cake like but it was crumbly like a cake. You need a fork. Oat milk latte was good.

Right after my train pulls into Penn Station, I get off and head for Ess-a-bagel. Every single time. Whole wheat everything bagel with scallion tofu cream cheese, untoasted. Wash it down with a huge iced coffee. My fav NYC breakfast.

Can't come to the city without a BEC! I've passed by the Ess-a-bagel near Madison Square Garden often but never decided to grab anything because the line was always so long. The morning that I stopped in, the place was busy but the line only had about 8 people ahead of me so I figured this would be the perfect opportunity before catching the train to Queens. The service was wonderful. They have lots of staff working to collect orders and then get them over to you asap. It's nice that when you order a bacon egg and cheese you can actually select which cheese you want. I went with the classic American cheese but they also had provolone, swiss, etc. If I remember correctly the total was about $10. The sandwich was a big portion. I ate half for breakfast and half for an early lunch. I was happy to see that they had hot sauce... I wish it was Cholula but it got the job done. I would recommend Ess-a-Bagel if you're coming into the city. There's plenty of places to sit inside. And they also have hella cream cheese flavors (there was a banan pudding one!--not sure I would eat that but it may be delicious) and lots of sandwich/bagel options. Enjoy!

This place is iconic in my mind. We had a classic bacon egg and cheese on an everything bagel as well as a bagel with Lox and the works also on an everything bagel. It was everything we wanted and hit the spot. Order at the counter and then pay at the kiosk as you walk in. Just a heads up they do not have gluten free bagels. Great visit. Tasty, quick, funny and kind.

Traveling to NYC from Los Angeles, CA. First time trying Ess-a-Bagel as recommended by colleagues. We went classic with an everything bagel with scallions cream cheese - about $7 total. Overall, bagel is definitely better than back home. It is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The scallion cream cheese felt unnecessary. It probably was better to just get the classic schmear. It felt underwhelming from what I remembered as NYC bagel. There is some seating inside, but it is tight. Maybe around 15 seats total. Definitely a grab-and-go place! Overall, thought it was alright!

ESS A DISASTER. Expect to be confused. Before stopping by this place, I read tons of reviews and the review all called out how inefficient the establishment is and...it's so true. When we walked in, we, including everyone else in the establishment was confused where we're suppose to order and where we're supposed to wait for our food. For a big establishment like this, I expected some sort of order and efficiency but no...we finally figured out where to stand to order and got our food. The bagel wasn't anything special for me to come back to this place...especially with the logistical nightmare!

This was one of our bagel spots we wanted to try when in NY, but it was unfortunately disappointing. We ordered an Everything Bagel w/scallion CC and a Cinnamon Raisin Bagel w/plain CC. Both bagels were dense and didn't have that bounce or chewiness that we were expecting. The dough was tough and hard to chew, tasting like it had been sitting out for a while and not that fresh. We might've gotten bad bagels, but they were sadly underwhelming. There was no wait when we got there, and there's a wide selection of bagels and cream cheeses you can choose from. They also had bagel sandwiches on the menu. The service was quick and our food came out fast. The shop itself has some indoor seating but it was pretty packed and difficult to find a seat.

Nut allergy friendly, no issues with my pickup order. Gets absolutely packed on weekends and stays packed, for good reason! I ordered pickup and it was ready relatively quickly. Got the classic Nova Lox Bagel with added capers for the same price as competing places nearby that had no add-ons (just under $20). I thought the bagel here was average, but they had a far better balance of lox, cream cheese, and other ingredients compared to other bagels I had in NYC. It was one of the best I had while I was in town. Highly recommend a stop by.

Came here for classic breakfast burrito - it was yummy with the egg, bacon, and melted cheese - bagel sandwich came out super fast (I believe breakfast bagels are available at all times we came around 2pm), there's good amount of seating too and they also serve coffee - for the iced honey lavender latte, it wasn't mixed very well so my first sip was thick sweet syrup but after mixing it was good!

New York bagel...check! Craving satisfied...check! Delicious...check! First of all upon arriving there was a line out the door but the line moved quickly. There were so many choices not just bagels but cream cheese. The Mr Nova Lova was bomb! The avocado garlic cream cheese was so tasty. They don't have much seating inside so it's definitely more like a grab and go spot.

Got the signature favorite on everything bagel with extra capers and no lettuce. Mine was decent, and I liked the fact that they had the right amount of lox. The bagel was okay too. It was pretty spacious with a good number of seatings for a bagel place, which made it a lot easier to eat. However, the bacon egg and cheese (not pictured) was quite underwhelming. I think they precooked everything and just microwaved the egg and bacon

We waited 20 mins for mediocre bagels. This place is rated highly all over various platforms. I don't get it. They were fine, not memorable. Way too dense. No fluffy inside. Kind of tasted stale even though I assume they were made the morning of. Also I'm not sure why I paid more for the cream cheese spread on the bagel than the bagel? Glad there was a park across the street to eat outside rather than in the super crowded shop.

It's a good bagel, but competition in NY is steep. And $4 for scallion cream cheese is criminal, even for Manhattan. I tried another place a few blocks away and preferred that one. But it's cool. If you work nearby and need something quick before work, this is a fine option. There's some seating. There will probably be a line. Order first, grab your bagel, and then pay up front. You can order drinks at the register as well.

This was our first stop in the city and I enjoyed it! I got their breakfast classic, which is a bacon egg and cheese. I added cream cheese on it. The eggs and bacon were pretty subpar to be honest. If the eggs and bacon were better I'd give this 5 stars. The service was good and they got through the crowd pretty quickly! The inside is super cute and has some seating for you.

When you think of a NY bagel, this is probably the first spot you think of. The bagels are well known and delicious --it's a staple here. Luckily when I came, it wasn't busy at all. But if you're able to plan ahead a little, you can order ahead online for pick up to make the entire process much easier and quicker. We got a custom everything bagel with sundried tomato cream cheese and olive cream cheese with capers for $9.60. Ess-a-Bagel does have so many cream cheese options to choose from, so it's fun to mix and match. They also give you an inch thick of cream cheese between the bagel that compliments the sandwich. Overall, can't go wrong with a bagel here.

Fine bagel... the secret line where you can get your bagel and cream cheese way quicker is legit. Keep in mind they won't put your cream chz on your bagel in the secret line! Coffee was decent too!

First ever NYC bagel. Honest review? It tasted exactly how I expected a lox bagel to taste, nothing out of this world. I thought NY bagels were supposed to be on another level. Very pricey bagels but comparable to the other bagel shops. Plain bagels with cream cheese were affordable but the specialty ones are expensive. On a weekday morning around 8:30am, line wasn't too bad but started to pick up.

One of the best bagels in nyc I've tried. They're on the bigger side. I enjoy the sesame seed bagel. Don't knock the tofu cream cheese till you try it. The BEC is a classic to try if you're wanting something salty. The strawberry cream cheese is delicious if you want something sweet. If you're wanting to skip the line and just get bagels, you can go to the Togo line to get just bagels. They won't cut it for you or spread cream cheese on it but it's quick.

Ambiance: 5/5 Only a few tables, but clean and comfortable. Service: 3/5 Maybe it was just the guy I had, but it seemed like he wasn't really listening? I had stated I wanted a raisin cinnamon bagel w/ walnut raisin cream cheese. He was looking at the other direction and was just nodding and mumbling something lol. I felt like he might not have heard me so I stated what I wanted again, a little louder this time. He just nodded and went to work. When he was done, he hands me two wrapped bagels and I was so confused. He had thought I wanted a Signature bagel and the raisin one lol. Food: 3/5 My friend and I got different bagels to try. She got the Muriel. Both were just okay. The bagels were kinda hard, even after being toasted.

A true classic in the city, notoriously popular for their bagels. And I finally got to try Ess-a-Bagel! Everyone that I know of has been recommending this place for the longest time, so it's exciting to finally experience it. I went there twice during my trip to New York. I started with the famous Nova Lova which is their smoked salmon bagel. To start off, it's huge! It's hefty, savory, and definitely worth the penny to try it out. They literally pack the bagel with lots of smoked salmon and the smear they used for the bagel complements the bagel quite nicely. I also got the blueberry one with the blueberry bagel, the banana nut bagel, and the grilled salmon bagel. The blueberry was SO good! The cream cheese was super blueberry-like and it had a great sweetness to it. I loved it. I also got with the blueberry bagel as well. I second this if you don't want the Nova Lova (it is pricey...) The baked salmon was good, but it definitely doesn't compare as much to the smoked salmon. Very hearty and filling tho. The banana nut one I would say was my least favorite. I think I wished my bagel had a bit more banana nut cream cheese and I felt like it would have been a lot better But other than that, I'm so glad I got to try this place. Coming back here for sure if I'm back in NYC.

Ess-a-Bagel is one of my favorite bagel shops and I always make a point to visit when in the City. On this particular trip, my sister and I visited twice. We were fortunate that it was a short walk from our hotel. Timing is vital when visiting this place because there is often a line out the door. Their bagels are delicious! I love the pumpernickel, but was encouraged to try the multigrain on my recent visit due to the fact they were sold out. I must say it was equally as delicious. They have a line of staff making sandwiches to order and a couple of cashiers who also perform as baristas. The coffee options are minimal, but the oat milk latte with cinnamon powder does the trick. They offer a variety of baked goods, beverages, and snacks too. I highly recommend checking this place out if you're a fan of bagels or desire a quick breakfast. You won't be disappointed!

Bagel was on the rougher side even though I came in early in the morning. It was still tasty, and the staff was super friendly, but it is not a bagel I would go out of my way to get. Still had a positive experience though! Lots of space and fun vibes!

Good bagel sandwiches though pretty steep price for adding a few veggies. We got 4 bagel sandwiches (tofu scallion cream cheese, various veggies) costing about $40. The staff was friendly and fast and made the experience easy to order for a few of us.

Got these delivered for a friendly NY bagel taste test and ended up taking top prize! Don't sleep on the apple cinnamon cream cheese, so unique and delicious.

When in New York, you MUST try a bagel! I was told Ess-a-bagel has some of the best bagels in the city so I had to go try... and it lived up to its hype. I got the Monte Cristo and the Signature and they were both absolutely DELICIOUS!! I personally enjoyed the Signature a little more but I just absolutely loveeeee salmon/lox and they STACK it with sooo much lox. It was so filling and delicious. Slight con is that there is limited seating indoors which is totally fair given how popular they are but it is such a small con for a huge pro (the bagels!!) I will definitely be going back again.

Actually got an order from DoorDash and let me just say, the servings are HUGE! I loved it for a cheat weekend but my god am I even happier to get my money's worth. Delicious bagels, happy with everything! Not even much to say! Thank you!

Honestly found the bagels here pretty mediocre. We got a loaded bagel with salmon with lettuce, tomatoes, and some other toppings for a total of $16. The bagels weren't bad but at the end of the day it was a sandwich, and not a particularly extraordinary one at that. It tasted decent but at a $16 price point for a salmon bagel, you couldn't definitely find something better. I enjoyed it a decent bit but wouldn't come here again. 3.5/5 stars

Ess A Bagel serves amazing, fresh bagels with generous toppings / fresh and chewy bagels. The vibe is classic NYC--bustling, no-frills, and super crowded / Service is quick but rushed, so expect a wait!

The bagels here have a wonderful texture; a delightful "chew" that you don't often find elsewhere! Fast and friendly service!

Bagel was delicious!! Get there early to avoid the line! They don't have as many options as liberty bagels but very good !

OH MAN - THIS PLACE! I am usually not a bagel/sandwich person (try to be healthy and conscientious, ya know) but this was worth every single calorie and carb. The bagel was out of this world and I loved the neverending options for cream cheese - I went with sundried tomato. The line wasn't too long but they were CRANKING in there and I felt like we barely waited. I honestly needed the wait time to try to decide what I wanted to order! I could not believe all of the options for meals, bagels, the combos... literally endless. The space itself is a good size but seems small because it's always packed. Plenty of options for seating for a quick meal or you can just take it on the road to go. You can't go wrong!

Not a local New Yorker, just visiting, and some friends encouraged us to try Ess-a-Bagel, saying it was their favorite NY bagel. Obviously we had to give it a shot. They have lots of bagel choices and tons of cream cheese options, more than you can even imagine - savory and even sweet ones too. We got the Signature Favorite (lox, cc, capers) and the Novacado Egg Sandwich (lox, egg, avocado), both on everything bagels. We got the signature with vegan scallion cream cheese. I thought they both were pretty solid bagel sandwiches. I liked the lox and cc one a bit more than the egg sandwich. I found the bagels to be a bit doughy so I don't think I can say it's my favorite bagel ever but I enjoyed it overall. Worth a try!

Finally got to try supposedly one of the best bagels in NYC. We checked this place during one of the weekdays, so the line was not too bad at all. Got their signature essa, which has salmon, tomato, lettuce, cream cheese and the salmon was the freshest out of all the bagle shops I have tried in my life. The everything bagel was just okay, not too fluffy unfortunately. I think I just got a wrong batch because their blueberry bagel was so fluffy. The BB bagel with the blueberry cream cheese was heavenly and that's what I would recommend if you want to get a second bagel like me. Overall, loved the experience and will come back every time I come to NYC.

One of my favorite bagels in nyc! Super chewy and fresh (no need for it to be toasted). Lots of bagel options and even more spread options. Line moves very quickly!

It was good. Very packed, so clearly popular. Staff was efficient. Menu was large, and prices were not awful. Did a side by side comparison with Utopia on 34th, and preferred Utopia, but would certainly enjoy Ess a Bagel if I had it again. Bagel had a nice chew to it, scallion cream cheese was fine but nothing special.

My sesame bagel with everything herb cream cheese was ok, but nothing to write home about. Pretty expensive for what it was, and there are just so many other bagel options to choose from. Might not be back!

The bagels are the best in New York , I have tried several different places and these are really really good. I bought last year and thought huh and went back 2 weeks ago and bought again and was like ok. I even ate lunch there this time and the sandwiches are good.

Yummy! A bit of a line but ordering an ahead for pickup worked great. Coffee was basic but got the job done. The bagel is delicious, the lox are some of the best I've had!

The line looks intimidating but it goes fast as long as people (and you) know what you want. We came here pretty late in the morning on a long weekend and the line was out the door. I would say we stood in line for about 10 mins before it was our turn so again, looks intimidating but it went fast. You can totally build your own but they have a list of cold and hot bagel sandwich options to also pick from. Don't expect high end smoke fish options but they have a good assortment of classic deli toppings. Seating is first come first serve. Husband and I were able to snag two stools at the window bar. We shared a bagel and it was just the right amount for the two of us w/o being too full. There are several locations, I've been to two of them so far and everything seems consistent. I don't really have a sweet tooth but Ess-a-bagel partnered with Magnolia Bakery to create a banana pudding cream cheese flavor if you're interested in a NYC collab.

The one thing on my to-do list when visiting NY for the first time was to try a really good bagel. Before being brought here, I had already tried a few highly rated bagel spots in the city, but oh boy, these were really good! They don't look like the usual bagel you find everywhere....even here in SoCal.....they're bigger, have a perfect chewy density, tasted so so good and went really well either simply with cream cheese, or as a breakfast sandwich. In fact, we liked them so much that I brought a dozen of them back with me to SoCal. I was planning to buy 2 dozen, but realized how big the take-away bags were going to be and disappointingly settled for just one bag of a dozen......3 - sesame bagels, 3 - multigrain everything bagels, 3 - regular everything bagels, and 3 - onion bagels......sadly, they ran out of garlic bagels, which I really wanted to try. On the bright side, when you order a dozen, you get one free, so we chose the last pumpernickel bagel. Have so far tried the everything bagel and oooooooh, it was oh so good and oh so yummy! You just have to take smaller bites and chew thoroughly to enjoy every bite of these wonderful freshly made bagels. I will for sure be getting my friend to buy another dozen to bring back to SoCal next month as I don't think the dozen I have will last very long :P

Ess-a-Bagel lives up to its reputation, often hailed as the best bagels in NYC. Heeding advice about long waits, I visited at an off-peak time (1pm) and was pleased to find no line. This was also helpful as there is limited seating. On the staff's recommendation, I tried the Mr. Nova Lova on an everything bagel, a tasty combination of sliced Nova, avocado, red onion, and avocado garlic cream cheese. The sandwich was a flavorful, satisfying experience that truly showcased what a bagel in NYC should be. It's a must-try for both locals and visitors alike. I'm already planning my next visit!

I have NO idea why the quality of the bacon egg and cheese bagel is to awful and disgusting at this location. I mean the pictures should speak for themselves. Was this egg and bacon made in the microwave? Absolutely disgusting. The bacon was barely cooked, wasn't crispy, the egg was rubbery. The cheddar was oddly melted into the bagel, and the price...around $12 with tax. I'm super disappointed, and half this sandwich went in the trash. I thought it looked weird, but once opened I was disgusted. I could have gotten better quality at McDonalds.

Ok. A little stale. Lots of cream cheese which is appreciated. Pumpernickel bagel hurt the top of my mouth a bit.

Just got the everything bagel with scallion cream cheese this morning. The bagel is cold. There was nothing special.

Possibly the perfect bagel (either that or it really stands out vs the inferior product I get in Miami) Had a garlic bagel with plain cream cheese that was absolutely delicious at the Midtown location. Generous amount of garlic flakes and schmear but what really stood out to me was how crunchy the bagel crust was on the outside yet soft and chewy on the inside. A great bagel that will have me coming back again on this trip. Please open a location in Miami--I am begging you.

This place has some great bagels, and the options are also plenty. Will probably be a line but it goes quickly.

The bagels here are hands down delicious! I went in the morning around 8 am and no lines so I was fortunate for that! I got the bagel with cream cheese and lox - lox was pickled and had capers on it!! Holy heaven! It was amazing! The bagel was a good sized one and they were not skimpy with the cream cheese