Jea Kim
Google
For a long time, Katz has been heralded as one of the best bagels in the GBA, so I was excited to finally give it a try this past weekend. I rolled in around 7 a.m. (their new opening time) and found a limited selection of bagels and a 20-minute wait for the hot dogs. While waiting, I got to talk to some loyal locals who’ve been coming to this spot for decades. The general consensus was that the quality has been slipping the past few years.
After a 30-minute wait, I walked out with a mix of bagels, their famous pizza bagels, hot dogs, and a blueberry cheesecake. The hot dog was seemingly unassuming, but the pillowy bun, juicy dog, and just the right zing of mustard made it a simple yet satisfying treat. Sure, it might be a bit hefty for breakfast, but it felt just right since I was starving.
Now, the pizza bagel. Sadly, this reimagined classic fell a bit flat, literally. Pressing the bagel into “pizza form” squashed all its fluffy air pockets, leaving a chewy base that lacked the crispy charm of pizza or the bounce of a bagel. To make matters worse, the tomato sauce and mozzarella toppings were spread so thin they barely made an impression. As for the regular bagels, they were solid but not exactly worth a special trip. Good for a local stop, but not quite worth the hype.