Gotham Bagels - Lakeview

I saw the Gotham sign looming large over the Diversey/Lincoln intersection while making a right turn to Coffee Lab Roasters before an early Sunday morning workout. I never did like Gino's East Pizza so this is a welcome replacement. Coffee Lab just wouldn't do... Too stark, too busy, felt like tension in there so I left. Staff at Gotham was friendly and welcoming right off the bat. I asked Mustache Guy for a sample of the coffee (I always do this my first time at a coffee shop to ensure I like the coffee before I order a cup), he poured me like half a cup before I said "Woah I just wanted a taste!" Very generous!!! The staff was smiling, joking with each other, people obviously really like working here and they seem like a hard working crew. I found an egg everything bagel on the menu which is a nice departure from what I'm used to. I don't think New York Bagel & Bialy or Kauffman's offer that. I was excited to say the least! One everything egg bagel with chive cream cheese por favor. At first glance this bagel was a beauty! Sitting in a corner of the shop drenched in morning sunshine this bagel was a thing to beheld. A mountain of fresh chivey cream cheese sandwiched between two fluffy golden brown bagel halves, dark yellow color from the egg yolks I was drooling for that first bite of my morning breakfast and yes this was a full breakfast sized bagel. Note to self: There is enough creamy cheese on this bagel for two bagels! The bagel was soft and chewy with a slight crisp to the bite. Rich and flavorful from the egg and the chives were fresh, really fresh... They must move a lot of this cream cheese as it was plentiful and exploding with flavor. For me, this was the perfect compliment to an excellent bagel execution. As another reviewer mentioned there was definitely a spark of salt at the first bite and I was slightly taken aback. Not nearly as strong as I might expect on a soft pretzel, but definitely saltier than any other everything bagel I've ever had. That said, this is an EVERYTHING bagel... And technically salt is a thing.. After the first bite caught me a little off guard, I gained a great deal of respect for the choice of topping, upon deeper reflection I have zero objections. So far y'all have teed up a nearly perfect bagel experience... And this is where I take off .51 stars. I almost hate to do it, but here goes... The music was too loud for a Sunday morning and the space was a little chilly. One of the employees opened a window right in front of where I was sitting and might have asked if that was ok with me. Clearly these guys are hot in the back and hardcore hustling to get their hefty local Sunday morning rush out the door. People were seated outside so it could be that I'm more sensitive to the cold than others. I would blame the engineering of the space more than the employees for these issues. If one could segment the audio and the HVAC to keep it loud and cool in the back and a bit warmer and quieter in the front that would be more ideal. This is not worthy of a one star deduction by itself, but there was a very correctable issue with the bagel. I wanted a bagel that was toasted dark and crispy. Not burnt, but browned for sure. I would call that a medium toast, I did try to describe what I wanted to the woman taking my order, I guess it wasn't communicated well enough? But in a busy shop trying to get customers orders out the door another 1 - 2 minutes of toasting is a tall order. This bagel got one pass in the toaster and it needed two. This is the same level of toast the average customer probably wants and is not what I was asking for. When I eat a bagel I like to eat it open faced with a crunchy bite to the bagel flesh, I'm not looking for a sandwich. To be fair, I wrestled with Beans and Bagels (Now Spoken Cafe) for years over this very issue. Edit: Returned the following week to find the A/C on with 50f temperatures outside. Top 40s pop music too loud and a bagel that is not toasted but fried on a griddle. I might come back but I'll take my bagel to go.

Had the pastrami and egg, kinda disappointed with the amount of food on the bagel and how it was. Skimpy on the pastrami for sure, though it was good. Bagel was tough and chewy, definitely not what I’m expecting for a total of 20 dollars.

Perfect little bagel spot. Comes out quick and there’s plenty of space to sit down and enjoy your meal or grab the bag to go and get on your way. Would recommend.

Devon was super helpful, and polite. He even gave my 1 year old scrambled eggs because she can’t eat bagels. The environment was very welcoming, and everyone was super friendly. The food was delicious, and if you want something worth while and quick this is the place to go.

I haven’t drove more than 2 minutes to get back and I longed for a warm drink and bagel. That bagel was absolutely cold, don’t get me wrong I get the cream cheese is cold. But that bagel wasn’t even slightly warmed. I didn’t know it wasn’t at least toasted or warmed up. Incredibly salty for the everything bagel, I usually get that at other places and not that salty. The drink was good but not even hot. Disappointing and first time going. Staff was friendly.

Updating my review to see what’s up with the sudden shrink in salmon on the lox and bagel? Been coming here for over a year, almost weekly, both locations! This location has given us less than half of salmon they used to, the past two visits. Today, we had to go fishing for the salmon in our bagels … literally 🤣

First of all, great bagels/bagel sammiches! I had the Amagansett (smoked whitefish) and it was awesome! I can't wait to try more from this business! Secondly, the staff was super friendly, and honest. I lost my wallet and didn't know where, and I called around a few businesses near them, and including them and was worried I lost it on the street. Apparently it fell out of my bag inside or right outside the bagel shop. I called first thing in the morning the next day when they opened, and knew me by name from my message the previous day. They had it safe and sound in their lost & found, and were super kind and helpful with the whole situation. I am so thankful for these kind people who saved me from having to recollect certification cards and cancel credit cards. Nothing was missing from my wallet! My dad picked it up while I was at work and tipped them for their kindness and honesty. I am so incredibly thankful for the awesome staff here!

This has to be my new favorite spot for bagels in Chicago. First time tried it and loved it. The bagels are huge and so fresh. I got the Brighton Beach sandwich on everything egg bagel. It was delicious with lots of filling. I also tried The V (vegeterian) on sesame bagel and that was equally good. I love how they load up on the fillings . One sandwich can be a proper meal. Had the snickers mocha and that hit the spot. The coffee tasted so good. Check out Gotham Bagels, they have multiple locations in the Chicagoland area and are open 8 am- 2 pm daily. *Online ordering only.

Gotham has amazing sandwiches and was very accommodating with bring students in on a field trip. Great service. Thanks so much!

Whitefish salad This place is great. The people are greater. And the food is the greatest. I currently live in Nashville and will most likely drive back to Chicago JUST for the whitefish.

So delicious!!! Bagel was perfectly crispy and warm and I got a coffee to go along. Fast service and not too crowded on a Saturday morning. Excited to use the patio when it gets warmer out!

Large, fresh bagel sandwiches! Very popular so order ahead for pick up. It's a solid meal. Lots of traditional and fun bagel options.

Chicago has a lot of great bagels spots, but I would put Gotham in the Top 2! Location: The Lakeview location has a fantastic outdoor patio with several tables, trees, and some shade. I can't wait to go back in the Fall. There's also several tables inside with strong A/C. Food: I got the Asiago bagel with chive cream cheese, and it was fantastic. The bagels itself was large, had abundant cheese in and on it, and you could see the fluffy layers! It had a generous amount of cream cheese on it, so you're definitely getting your money's worth. Service: We got our order promptly, and they were able to keep up with the rush.

Such a great atmosphere the second you walk into the building and even the outdoor area. The entire staff (shout out to Devin) was so friendly and welcoming! The bagels were absolutely fresh, hot and delicious.

A quick updated review here - the bagels are just as good, def recommend ordering ahead. The line of ppl ordering inside made me grateful I ordered ahead and was able to skip the line to grab my goods. Ingredients were just as fresh, although the husband did mention that his lox bagel had one skinny sliver of salmon.

I've been seeing videos all over social media about this place & finally got to try it over the weekend. The Lakeview location's seating is limited (about 5 small tables and 3 or so tables at the front bar area) and first come, first served. We went around 12pm and didn't wait more than 2 minutes to get a table, though. You place your order online and receive a text when it's ready to pick up at the counter. The food & coffee was prepared fairly quickly and everything tasted delicious! I also ordered the tuna salad bagel to go & I recommend that choice as well! The only thing I have to say about this place is that it's clearly a bagel shop that you'd go to for more of a "treat yourself" type of day, otherwise you're looking at about $30 for 1 bagel and a coffee.. $$$

Visiting from Cincinnati and just checked in Drake Hotel downtown. Left my card in the hotel room and took Lyft ride to Lake Sode to try the bagels here. Ordered my food to realize my card was in my hotel room and the guys at the bagel shop told me not to worry about it "it's on us" I am embarrassed and shocked for the gesture and grateful. Means so much to me and speaks volumes about the true character of people working here. Excellent food. Thanks for making my day. Scott Ford

Fantastic bagels, maybe the closest you'll get to a NYC bagel in Chicago. The chewiness is wonderful and they're very tasty. The ordering system heavily relies on you ordering online ahead from my experience, which has its downsides, but if you plan ahead a little, this is a good spot. Order online, get there and take out or stay and eat at a table. The space inside isn't big, but depending on when you go you can eat inside. There's also a big patio outside when the weather agrees. I've had the everything bagel and some cream cheeses. So far I would not recommend the tuna sandwich, it's a little bland (although I find a lot of tuna sandwiches bland). Many of the other sandwiches look tasty.

Love this spot! Came two weekends in a row because it is THAT GOOD. One thing to note is that you need to order online on the weekend as they don't take your order in person. It makes it easier and more convenience to pick up your food and eat there or go. I loved the Bee's Knees latte, a must try! I've ordered a variety of bagels such as their cinnamon raisin bagel with strawberry cream cheese, bacon, egg, cheddar on an everything bagel, the Brighton beach bagel, and they all were amazingly delicious! Prices range $16-20 for food and drink, but the quality is worth it!

probably my favourite bagels in the city so far, Steingold's a close second. the everything bagel + strawberry cream cheese is my go to. now that it's nice out, can enjoy the patio again. the main guy at the front is always super nice and personable, which is appreciated, especially seeing how busy it can get with both pickups and orders. pro-tip: order ahead before you walk over and it'll be much quicker.

Wouldn't go back. The bagel was ok, but $18.60 (before tip) for one egg/cheese/avocado bagel in Chicago is insane. Definitely better options out there.

Probably my go to place for when i need a filling hangover-curing breakfast. The bagel sandwiches are great and the bagels themselves are very good. There's a good variety of bagels (egg everything for the win) and a couple cream cheese options too. The quality of the food is high. Service is fairly quick too, even on a hectic Saturday morning, we'll order online and then walk over and it's ready in ~15 minutes. The only negative thing for me is the price. It's not cheap, a bacon egg and cheese bagel sandwich will run you like $12. Throw on some lox or chicken or something extra and it'll get to $15+ really quickly. That's pricy to say the least. It just means that as good as it is, it's not a weekly occurrence.

Listen, this is a good bagel. It is loaded with flavor and so much goodness. I typically get the Everything Bagel with Lox, bacon and scallion cream cheese, and it does me right without skipping a beat. The Lakeview location has a beautiful outdoor seating area. I would also say the service is a bit odd at this location, you order online on your phone and then pick it up when it's ready. While, that's okay, we had to figure it out ourselves the people working behind the counter didn't provide additional information or gave us a clear direction.

Very filling veggie sandwich! Impressed with the tofu cream cheese! However, it was pretty pricey and even though it was yummy, I wouldn't get it again. It's very filling but also messy. The Asiago bagel with veggie cream cheese was actually delicious and very comforting! Would get again.

Usually my go to place to reccomend! However this time I went the bagels had noticibly less shmear and were a little burnt. It seems like the quality control has gotten worse due to the amount of orders the staff has to handle. This place has a outdoor patio that is criminally underused. Their location in the south loop has been my top bagel place, but I haven't been able to go with the blue line train under construction.

These bagels are pretty legit! I got an asiago bagel with lox cream cheese. Docking off one star because i'm used to getting chunks of lox in my lox cream cheese, but i really couldn't taste the lox. it was still very tasty though!

I've been eyeing this place for SO long and the time for me to try has finally come! I grew up on eating New york bagel & bialy in Lincolnwood and have been meaning to try other bagels joints in the city. I like that this place offers many different kinds of bagel sandwiches that I would love to try in the future. I just want to help clear something up -- you are able to order in person during the weekdays. On the weekends is when they have online ordering ONLY. I went on a Tuesday morning and I ordered like normal. I docked off a star mainly because of the pricing. I got the Brighton beach and my total came out to a whopping $18...... without any drinks or add-ons. I thought the cashier was crazy when he told me my total but I just rolled with it. I believe all their sandwiches are over $10. Brighton Beach: I was blown away after the first bite. The sandwich was soo flavorful and so so filling! I opted for the everything bagel and scallion cream cheese because that's the perfect combo with lox in my opinion. They really shoved alot of arugula into this sandwich but I didn't mind because I love arugula. If you aren't an arugula fan, just ask for light/less. The bagel itself was super fresh!

Lovely helpful staff- I was desperate for a bagel before teaching 13 year olds all day. I didn't check their hours since I was used to the location on Superior which was open by that time. Whomp whomp... no bagel for me. Heartbroken, I apologized for bursting in and made my way back to my car. Before I made it back to my vehicle, the gentleman from inside was calling me back asserting they could absolutely hook me up with a bagel if that was all I needed. The kitchen staff, busy prepping for their day, got me a bagel and some cream cheese with cheerful hearts and a smile. Made my freaking day.

Was very excited to go here because they have New York style bagels. I walked up to the window and ordered a bacon egg and cheese to go. It was $20 for a BEC and iced latte. A little pricier than what I would normally go for. The area outside is nice and I would go back for that more than anything. It's not my favorite bagel shop in Chicago but good to go every once in a while.

Cute spot tucked away from the main street! We popped in on a Saturday to grab a bagel. I got a seasame with scrambled eggs and my friend got an everything bagel with cream cheese. We ordered online and got our bagels within 10 mins of ordered.

Gotham Bagels are big, soft, slightly chewy, and delicious. Gotham Bagels offers gourmet sandwich creations, hand-rolled NYC Style bagels, deli selections (including house smoked white fish, thin sliced pastrami, traditionally mixed tuna fish salad, latkes, and premium smoked salmon), as well as a variety of beverages and pastries. Gotham proudly offers the best bagels in Chicago, using tried & true techniques to hand roll their authentic NYC bagels. ONLINE ORDERING ONLY! * Highly recommend OMFG & Pastrami Egg * Cinderella Mocha

New to Chicago and wanted a good bagel. After searching yelp for good reviewed ones we decided upon Gotham. It is interesting that it has to be ordered online only that is my only complaint. The bagels are delicious. I've been twice now and haven't been disappointed. I got a plain bagel with strawberry cream cheese. It was full of cream cheese and a good bagel. I also tried the egg bacon cheddar sandwich on an everything (I also added veggie cream cheese). It was amazing! Super flavorful.

Great attentive staff, bangin bagel 10/10 no notes. Ordered ahead quick easy loved it muah

FYI to vegans, if you ask for your bagel toasted they will put butter on your bagel. I've gotten a lot of bagels from here (toasted with vegan cream cheese) and just found this out today :( They said that I could request to have it toasted without butter in the future. If anyone from Gotham reads this- please considering letting people know that you do this when they ask for a toasted bagel, ESPECIALLY when people order vegan cream cheese. I'm pretty disappointed.

Not a fan of the bagels- we got an assortment for a large group, along with some spread and some lox. The bagels seemed pretty dry, and kind of lacked flavor. I know this is a long way from NY, but so are the bagels. I would probably get breakfast elsewhere next time.

Decent bagels in a good location, but frustrating service. You have to order online ahead of time, and we were treated like that was obvious. That was annoying and honestly, we probably won't go through the hassle in the future despite the convenient location. London fog latte was exceptional - I got it on a whim because it was cold out, but it was actually the best part. Honey bagel was okay - Good but not great. I really liked the strawberry cream cheese, though.

The best bagels in chicago....to me atleast! The bagels are fresh, soft, huge, and so tasty. Their house made scallion cream cheese is my fav ontop of their everything bagel. The breakfast sandwiches are also delish! Everytime we get sandwiches, we def walk out with a dozen bagels!

3.5 stars I was down the street and popped in here for a bagel. I know I'd tried to go once before, but forgot why I had to bag my plan. As soon as I walked in, I remembered - online only orders on weekends. Since I wasn't in a hurry, I put in the order since I wasn't in a hurry. Wasn't thrilled about a 20+ minute wait, but it was relatively empty so I hoped for the best. The wait ended up being less than forecasted, if I had to guess 10 minutes. The inside is small, they seat maybe 10-15. I ordered an everything bagel with scallion cream cheese, tomato and onion. I thought about ordering a few bagels to take home because they were not only stupid expensive ($3.15 per), but also lacked standard options like onion and garlic bagels. The bagel is good, definitely one of the better New York style bagels in the area. It's a little softer/less firm than some of the others. My only complaint about my sandwich is if you're charging $1.50 for tomato, it would be nice if I didn't get slices with the hard center. The order options are vast, but seem to lack obvious choices like toasted. Overall, a bit pricey for some items, but a good option if you're a bagel fan.

First time trying Gotham Bagels and I completely understand the hype! SETTING THE SCENE: I, like most people on a weekend morning, woke up NEEDING a bagel. Like my life was going to fall apart if I didn't get one. With that being said, I set out on my search for a bagel sandwich and had always wanted to try Gotham. So I did. WHAT I ORDERED: I couldn't decide between just a bagel and cream cheese, or a bagel sandwich so I ended up getting the best of both. I ordered a sesame bagel with egg and cheese and bacon, and added cream cheese. I was a little late to pick it up so unfortunately it wasn't piping hot, but let me tell you- it was a damn good bagel. The actual bagel was crisp on the outside but so chewy inside. It was the perfect texture. The thick cut bacon was delightful and the addition of cream cheese set this bagel over the edge. Oh! And an honorable mention to the Gotham pickle served on the side. BLEW ME AWAY! VIBE: I just picked it up so not sure about the overall vibe of the restaurant, but the pickup was seamless and I got a text alerting me when my bagel was ready so I didn't have to go wait forever. Big fan of that! OVERALL: 10/10 bagel, 10/10 experience. I will most definitely be back.

Amazing bagels! My sister had been wanting to try this place so we came here today! You order online first but can eat it there, we ended up eating inside. Our food was ready a bit early! My sister and I got salt bagels, I got mine toasted with veggie cream cheese on the side and my sister got hers toasted with plain vegan cream cheese on the side. My dad got an asiago bagel with butter. The bagels are perfect! Good amount of salt, fluffy inside snd perfect amount of chewiness. The veggie cream cheese was really good too. I also got a lavendar honey latte with almond milk which was delicious! Would come back again for sure.

Gotham bagels is a staple! Best place to go (hungover or not!) if you want to sit on a cute patio and eat nice bagel sandwich. My friends and I go here quite often and love! I typically get the Brighton Beach sandwich on an everything bagel because I'm a huge fan of lox and cream cheese. I could do with less arugula and no tomatoes, but that's sheerly personal preference. My friends love to order the bacon, egg, and cheddar or OMFG sandwiches-- ask for extra spicy ketchup. Only reason I'm giving 4 and not 5 stars is because it's a bit pricey for a bagel. That being said, they are decently sized.

gotham bagels in lakeview is my favorite place for breakfast bagels whether it's an egg sandwich or just cream cheese, its always 10/10! the service is amazing! definitely go when you are free & craving bagels!

Unreal! I ordered a bagel from here today since my usual place had a 90 minute wait. I do NOT regret it! They are only doing pick up currently, but you can sit outside on their patio. The staff were super friendly and helpful when I went to pick up my bagel, and it only took about 20 minutes when they said 30 originally. I got an Asiago bagel with scallion cream cheese and it was amazingggggg. So freaking good. I can't wait to go back!

We ordered through their online portal for pickup. Order was ready in 15-20 minutes. It was easy to walk in and grab the food since we had already paid online. Overall, bagel texture is good -- crisp on the outside and soft in the center. Not exactly reaching east coast standards, but definitely good bagels for the Chicago area. I love a bagel place that offers lots of sandwich options loaded with items. Our bagel sandwiches both came with pickle spears. The bagel sandwiches are big, but the price is way too premium. It's basically double what I would expect to pay. For that price, I expect the food to really blow me away. OMFG* - Comes with a fried egg, aged cheddar, Nashville fried chicken, thick cut bacon, and spicy aioli. Made the mistake of getting this on a salt bagel, which was WAYYYY too salty. It felt like the ocean times 10. On one half I ditched the bagel (so sad) and on the other half I took a butter knife and basically scrapped all the salt topping off, so it would be eatable. I'm not sure what toppings would go good with the salt bagel...maybe a good fit if you suffer from extremely low blood pressure. Irving Park (March creation of the month) - Comes with pastrami, egg, potato latke, jerk cream cheese, on an egg everything bagel. Fairly spicy, but all all the toppings went well together.

Delicious, chewy bagels. Excellent sandwiches-- good filling-to-bagel proportions. We had the CAB, pastrami, Brighton Beach lox, and Rocky's Deli. Was able to order in person as it was a weekday. Bees Knees coffee was delightful, not sickly sweet with syrup. When it's warmer, I think the patio would be great. Very pricy, but the flip side is that the sandwiches are hefty, so everyone brought half a sandwich home. One star deduction for the price ($14-17 for a bagel sandwich!) I will return, though, to support the neighborhood.

Best bagel in the city! And the manager Devin is the best. Always happy, engaging, and making sure you're taken care of. Couldn't recommend enough!

My bagel was hard to eat, idk why but it was difficult to get a piece to break off when eating, you really needed to tear at it with your teeth. It was good besides that though

This is by far one of the better bagels I've had in the city. The bagels are firm but also soft and the everything bagel has just enough seasoning without too much salt. I know the Brighton Beach is a little expensive but ITS ABSOLUTELY WORTH IT, it's stuffed to the brim with deliciousness. They are delivery/ order ahead only (I placed my order and they were done in about 20 minutes) but they do have a cute little outdoor spot as well to eat !

Starting with what I was shocked by which was the price. There's a reason the menu has no prices lol we got two bagel sandwiches and a ginger lemonade for $43! That was a shock! For a bagel place we expected softer bagels- we came noon on a Wednesday which is maybe why the bagels were tough but for that price we were hoping for so much better. Most stars for the nice outdoor seating area and service.

People from Wisconsin in Chicago, pretending to be from New York. If my bagel with a Schmeer looked like the one in the picture I might have been more satisfied. I got 1/5 the cream cheese. FaceTimed my friend in NYC who was eating his $3 bagel and Schmeer. Mine was over $5. Have at it people don't think I'll be back.

Bagels are so good & the staff is so friendly - they were so kind when the wait was just a bit long and threw in some free items for us!

Have been wanting to try here for a while and it didn't disappoint! I got the OMFG bagel on sesame seed bagel.

Pros: - Tried the lox sandwich and BEC sandwich. Both delicious (BEC could be bigger) - Service is very friendly. Cons: -Pretty overpriced for the product. Plain bagel is $3? A single slice of tomato is $1.50? Egg on bagel with tomato for $11 is ridiculous. Overall, I don't plan on ordering anytime soon with those prices.

Overpriced for the wait and price. I realize that they are busy but the quality isn't what it was prior and the time that you have to wait is always worse than you are told. I was told 40 mins and it was well over an hour. You cannot order on site but have to sign up through the QR code or website. Taste of NY Bagels beats this place in everything but location.

PLEASE!! Don't think twice about coming here. Bagels are soooo good. I ordered a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich and a vanilla iced latte. 10/10! Beautiful outdoor seating!

Easy online ordering, smiling cashier and clean restaurant. A native New Yorker who is very particular about bagels and I can say these are super well done. Had the Bacon Egg and cheese with a potato latke and spicy ketchup. Amazing!!

I love this place!! Pricey, yes, but worth it every time. Bacon egg & cheddar with spicy aioli and scallion cream cheese on an Asiago bagel