Gotham Bagels - Lakeview

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.

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.

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.

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 was one of the most phenomenal bagel sandwich’s i’ve had in recent times, the freshness is something you can really taste , the everything bagel was a bit salty and might get a plain next time but def worth visiting if you’re a bagel brat. the atmosphere was sooo mazing and cozy.

Favorite bagels in Lakeview/ Lincoln park! Great staff too

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.

Outdoor patio and ambiance is really cool, but it’s pretty wild to charge $15 for a basic bagel sandwich. Honestly, the bagels at Trader Joe’s taste better. You’re better off making yourself one at home — cheaper and tastes better. One of the sandwiches in our order was also wrong.