Kismet Bialys

We had a quick walk at Reading Terminal Market and stumbled upon a bialys stand! It is owned by Kismet Bagels and I was instantly drawn by its cute logo, pink storefront and bialys selection. ＊Caramelized Onion Bialy (vegan) They have some interesting bialy flavors like Buffalo Chicken, Pastrami and BEC, but we opted for a more classic flavor. It was fully covered by generous amount of poppy seeds. When we were eating, some people saw our bialy and also felt amazed. The center was stuffed with caramelised onion sprinkled with sea salt. They reheated the bialy for us so it was served warm. I swear I’ll bring a bag to carry their bialys, and run to their bagel shops in Fishtown and Rittenhouse next time!

An excellent twist from regular bagel deli! Their salty version of stuffed bagels are a must try. We stopped my very early in the morning and they are all freshly out of the oven! We ordered the fish, the one with stuffed chicken, and an everything bagel! My father’s favourite is the fish~

I absolutely love Kismet bagel I normally go to the location on Girard Avenue. This was my first time at Reading Terminal. Anthony and Emma were amazing. Great customer service. Thank you so much

This shop in the Reading Terminal Market was my first chance to try a bialy, which is like a bagel with a filled depression in the centre instead of a hole. I got a caramelized onion bialy, which happens to be vegan (the original is also vegan). They warmed it up for me to enjoy and it was super fresh. I really appreciated that the poppyseed coating actually mostly stuck to the surface of the bialy so that poppyseeds didn’t go everywhere while I was eating it. No line on Saturday morning (9:30 am), so it was a very quick and easy breakfast, and a bonus, all the staff were very friendly. If you like bagels and want to try something different, check them out!

If you've never tried a bialy before you don't know what you're missing. Bialy's are not bagels, rather there is a cuplike holder in the dought where the hole of the bagel sits and it can be filled with either sweet or savory toppings. I visited here to take some home with me and I ended up getting a 4 pack of poppyseed bailys. I also got two vegan bailys for my son. They freeze well and I had my first one. It was dense but not overly filling. I really enjoyed eating it. Bialy's are a traditional Polish bread roll and can be very hard to find. I like the fact that the can be made vegan and sampled some of the topping on his classic bialy. I am very pleased with my purchase and most definitely will stop here again should I ever find myself in Reading Market.

DELICIOUS fresh baked bagels with adorable toppings (at least the special) and excellent looking regular menu fare! I can't wait to come back and try more of these, they're just so tasty

Absolutely delicious. Craveable. The zhug sauce, a Yemeni chimichurri, takes it to another level. Earthy spices galore. Honestly worth waiting in line for.

It's ok. Nothing amazing although I did have a lukewarm onion bagel. I probably should've gone for the egg one or a more loaded one. It was quite filled with onion though to be fair. I'd recommend it only if there's no line. Not worth waiting.

I've had their bialys before at their Fishtown location. I was so happy to see they had a stall at the market. Picked up 3 of the BECs. So delicious. Best grab and go breakfast. I wanna try everything off the menu. Get there maybe a few minutes after they open. I'm sure they sell out quick and also you get them nice and fresh. I got there when they opened and not everything was out. I pretty much got whatever they had ready. I was not picky. The staff was friendly and the market is always fun and bustling.

We had a quick walk at Reading Terminal Market and stumbled upon a bialys stand! It is owned by Kismet Bagels and I was instantly drawn by its cute logo, pink storefront and bialys selection. ＊Caramelized Onion Bialy (vegan) They have some interesting bialy flavors like Buffalo Chicken, Pastrami and BEC, but we opted for a more classic flavor. It was fully covered by generous amount of poppy seeds. When we were eating, some people saw our bialy and also felt amazed. The center was stuffed with caramelised onion sprinkled with sea salt. They reheated the bialy for us so it was served warm. I swear I'll bring a bag to carry their bialys, and run to their bagel shops in Fishtown and Rittenhouse next time!

Please run down to Kismet Bialys as fast as you can. I was lucky enough to stop by here when the bialys were piping hot out of the oven first thing in the morning which is the best way to enjoy. I got an egg and cheese and just a plain bialy. They are so puffy and have the best texture. The shut sauce was excellent, I wish I had asked for more. I liked the egg and cheese flavor but would prefer the egg to be less like a hard boiled vibe (maybe add it in later as the bialy is already cooking?) but no other complaints. I had the plain bialy cold later in the day and especially liked the onions in the middle. More of those would be great! And definitely easy to heat up yourself if you wanted to and had the means. The man at the counter was super friendly and answered my questions. The line moved very quickly. I'm dying to go back to Philly for another!

Just ok. I got a bacon egg and cheese fresh out of the oven, with zhug sauce and was underwhelmed. The bialy itself is just okay -- lots of seeds on the outside but the inside was lacking in much flavor. The egg dropped in the middle was fully cooked hard and again lacking in salt. The cheese and bacon topping were fine, but there wasn't enough bacon for all the breading. The zhug gave some much needed brightness but it wasn't at all spicy. I don't really know much about zhug beyond the version that I've had from Trader Joe's. The one was trader Joe's is more flavorful. Also, there wasn't enough zhug for the amount of bread and it also made everything very oily.

Was hungry after an early morning flight and decided to get breakfast here while in here. Line moved pretty quick even though it was long. I got The Egg and The onion. The egg is the one I ate at the market and it was so good! It was definitely filling and good for breakfast. The onion I had the next day and it was okay. Maybe it's better day of. Which is fine. Staff was fine and helpful for any questions. Would stop by again whenever I'm in Philly.

First heard of a bialy, and tried Kismet Bialys, at a Rights to Ricky Sanchez event at Underground Arts. They had a vegan, caramelized onion version. I loved the combo of bagel-like consistency surrounding a center of caramelized onion. I liked it so much that before I left town, I went by their Reading Terminal Market location and grabbed another one. Since that initial experience, I've returned to Philly a few times and made sure I grabbed a vegan bialy on each visit. I've had varying success with waits. My first visit I was in line for less than five minutes. Subsequent visits have ranged from ten to fifteen to twenty-five minutes. Despite the waits, I never leave that line. I know how good things are once that Bialy is in my hand. If you are a bagel or Bialy fan and in the Philly area, give Kismet a try. Their product speaks for itself.

I got turned on to authentic Long Island bialys a couple years ago. Believe me when I tell you there's nothing like them. Kismet doesn't really match an authentic Long Island bialy. Let me say that right off the bat. I tried the basic onion bialy from Kismet, and I will say that it's quite good. The onion in the center is well caramelized. But truthfully, a Long Island bialy doesn't really go that route. It tends to go more for a basic onion flavor and it spreads out well through the bialy. This one puts all the caramelized flavor in the center and it kind of stays there while the rest of the bialy is more of a bagel. I mean it's tasty. It's just not authentic to me. But then they won me over with the pastrami bialy creation they had. I didn't care one bit if it was authentic. It was hearty and flavorful. They kind of do their own thing. If you're a bialy snob, you might find something off. But, if you're just looking for something that is pretty darn good on its own, this will impress you.

I've never heard of a bialy before! It's a "flat roll with a depression in the center typically seasoned with an onion and poppy seed mixture." Kismet has so many flavors, I wish I could try them all! I tried the BEC (bacon, egg, and cheese) and the lox/salmon (not on the same day.) Both were delicious, filling, and unique. Love the small business--service felt like family. I hope they keep on flourishing (and I think they are--they started out as a pop-up, and now have multiple physical locations!)

It was good, but would have been better if the bialy was super fresh and hot. The line moved quickly enough and we got our hands on a lox and schmear bialy. The lox was good, the cream cheese was...cream cheese. The bialy? Man, i could see how close it was to being really great. If it had been fresh, I would have scored this a 4.5.

I learned that the longer the line, the more likely the flop at this establishment. The concept of bialys is fun and can be delicious but this place's execution was a tad lacking. The egg and cheese was just...boring. The bagel was fluffy but the egg was hard boiled and the cheese was more of the burnt side. It was more like eating the Sahara Desert of bagels. There was no outstanding flavor so for that I cant give it that good of a review. My dining partner had the classic lox with scallion cream cheese and enjoyed it. He noted that the excessive amount of oil drizzled on top overpowered all the other flavors which how does smoked salmon get overpowered in flavor?! This place explicitly stated that there could be no substitutions so what you saw on the menu is what you got. Unfortunately for me it was not worth the hype or wait. The best part was the lack of utensils or napkins provided - it was more here's your boxed bagel, deuces! Not the most lovely of experiences. You can try for the hype but honestly, go to another spot in Reading Market.

Yall I don't even care for bagels but this bagel was sooooo good! I walked passed it while searching for a quick breakfast in the reading terminal. The line wasn't long at all. The service was good and received my bagel pretty quickly. I got the egg and cheese bagel for about $8. And also got some hot sauce to go with it, which is not your ordinary hot sauce. That hot sauce was hawttt and delicious. Can't wait to visit again to try something different on the menu.

Conveniently located inside the Reading Terminal it is a great place to get either breakfast, quick lunch, or hefty snack. The service is really nice, and the selection of bialys is good also. I got The Egg, and eating one was plenty. I wish it was less salty, but I would like to try other bialys.

I'm thrilled Kismet Bagels opened a bialys shop. I love bagels, and I love bialys even more - try the 'strami ($10, credit accepted). It's got pastrami, mustard, Fishtown pickles, Swiss cheese, and potato chips. What's better than that? It's all in a bagel-y case that's better than a bagel sandwich. Find this shop in the Reading Terminal Market. They're open from 8am to 6pm every day. Don't miss them! p.s. I impulse bought a Kismet Bagels cap here, and have no regrets.

tl;dr Reading Terminal's new bagel-adjacent stand is pricey but enjoyable for a unique spin on a bagel sandwich Kismet is a pandemic hobby-turned-bagel enterprise. The original popup was met with wide success, and Kismet now boasts several brick-and-mortar bagel shops and, now, a unique bialy-centric Reading Terminal Market stall. For the uninitiated, bialys are chewy, yeast-based rolls closely related to bagels, except that they are baked (instead of boiled) with a "bowl" (instead of a hole). Kismet's varieties are subsequently stuffed with a variety of toppings, sweet and savory. Kismet took up residency in an end booth on the South side of RTM. The stall sports a wrap-around stainless steel counter, soaring pink shelves, and plenty of industrial bialy (and bagel)-making equipment. The daily selection is displayed on trays beside the register, behind a plexiglass pane. My mom and I recently visited RTM for weekday lunch. While most vendors were swamped by the lunch rush, the staff at Kismet were tearing down shop, the last few bialys of the day patiently awaiting a patron. We did a lap around the Market, but were down back to Kismet. We picked out the best-looking ones, and a staff member promptly heated them up in an industrial oven and boxed them into vibrantly retro takeout containers. The card reader crashed while I was paying; while we waited, one staff member effortlessly struck up small talk while generously loading us up ramekins with Fishtown Pickles. The cashier ended up granting us the bialys on the house (no small sum, since the bialys typically run from $6-10 each). We got The Onion and The 'Strami Bialys. While I mildly missed the chewy skin of bagels classic, these crispy crusts understandably held up better against the semi-solid toppings. The former was a poppy seed bialy decked with a dollop of rich caramelized onions. While tasty, we both agreed that this bialy was sorely in need of one more component -- maybe a slice of melty cheese or a fried egg. The latter bialy was coated with crushed potato chips and topped with blistered, baked swiss and thinly sliced, melt-in-you-mouth pastrami. We opted for the pickles and dijon on the side, and we were glad that we did -- in excess, either could risk drowning out the main event. My only critique is that I only wish for more pastrami. I'm not certain that I would go out of my way to get a bialy again, but it was a wholly enjoyable experience and hit the spot. Between stellar service and a solid lineup of bialys, bagels, and schmears, Kismet Bialyis is a welcome addition to RTM.

I have never had a bialy like this!!! My mom and I were exploring the breakfast options in Reading Terminal Market on a weekday last week, not sure of what we were going to find! My mom is vegan so we were keeping our eyes peeled for vegan breakfast options. And we found Kismet. Bialy virgins: a bialy is not a bagel - I think signs at Kismet refer to it as a cousin to the bagel. There's not a hole in the center - there's a base in the center so that the circle created can be filled (most traditionally with onion, caramelized onion, or poppy seeds). And they're not boiled before they're baked (a bagel is). They're thought to originate from Bialystok in Poland but became very popular in New York City after Jewish immigrants from Poland brought the bialy to their new home with them. I've eaten quite a few bialys in my life. But I've never been to a restaurant or food stand that specialized in and modernized (hipsterized maybe?) the bialy!! Kismet Bialys is doing something I've never seen anywhere else before! The Classic (filled with caramelized onions and topped with flaky salt and poppy seeds) is vegan, so my mom tried what might have been her first bialy and enjoyed it. As a non-vegan, I had a bunch of creative options to choose from. I went with "The 'Strami," a bialy topped with pastrami, swiss cheese, dijon mustard, a pickle chip, and a potato chip crust. It came out PIPING hot, still steaming, but I was too excited not to stuff my face and burn my tongue. The pastrami was great (do you make it in house, Kismet?), and the crustiness of it was wonderful. This was a treat. It was definitely a meal. If you're thinking of getting The 'Strami, come hungry! A great, fun concept with a delicious bialy. If you're looking for breakfast in Reading Terminal Market, don't sleep on Kismet. Or lunch. Or a (large, filling) snack.

Before heading to Philly I had read a blog about which stalls to check out in Reading Terminal and this one made their list and my personal must try list! I had never heard of a bialy but reading it was a relative of the bagel I was intrigued. Display cases showed a variety of options- but I had read the The Strami came recommended and so opted for that. The service was quick and the staff was friendly. I loved that it was served with mustard and pickles. Check this place out if you're in Reading Terminal!

We tried the BEC and the strami and enjoyed both! Because this spot is in RTM, finding somewhere to enjoy these fresh proved to be difficult. But, overall, they were satisfying! Only disappointment is that they were served slightly cold.

This shop in the Reading Terminal Market was my first chance to try a bialy, which is like a bagel with a filled depression in the centre instead of a hole. I got a caramelized onion bialy, which happens to be vegan (the original is also vegan). They warmed it up for me to enjoy and it was super fresh. I really appreciated that the poppyseed coating actually mostly stuck to the surface of the bialy so that poppyseeds didn't go everywhere while I was eating it. No line on Saturday morning (9:30 am), so it was a very quick and easy breakfast, and a bonus, all the staff were very friendly. If you like bagels and want to try something different, check them out!

I've had Kismet bagels which are really good but I wasn't sure what to expect from the bialys. They were delicious! I went with a sweet choice, The Jam, which is also vegetarian. It was a white poopy seed bagel with a strawberry jam ( jam flavors change) and lemon whipped ricotta. The staff is super nice! The woman who waited on me was friendly and packed the ricotta separately since I wasn't eating it right away. Bagels, beverages, and souvenir items are also available. The stand is located in the Reading Terminal Market. It's a great addition for breakfast or lunch. The Market has seating and is a great space to people watch. I will definitely be back to try some other flavors!

Amazing bialys in assorted flavors. We ordered two - a Buffalo chicken and a poppyseed onion. Both were delicious. I preferred the Buffalo chicken because of the sauce on top. The New Yorker we visited with said that these rivaled local bialys! Definitely recommend visiting. Since it is in Reading Terminal Market, there is no seating. The line was somewhat long but it moved quickly.

As a fellow Yelper noted I was excited to learn that this place had vegan options here since my son is vegan. I definitely wanted to check this place out while visiting the Reading Market. Neither I nor my son had ever heard of a Bialy before but this would be my first opportunity to try one out. Bialy's I learned are a little bit lighter in texture than regular bagels. They are the traditional bread of the Ashkenazi Polish Jewish cuisine. Finding them can be difficult. During my visit I needed some to take home with me to enjoy. The salesmen recommended I get the 4 pack of the poppyseed bagels and then get the classic and the onion bialy for my son. He instructed me how to carefully package it so it would arrive home safely. Once home I was able to freeze them since they only keep for a few days. They sell "schmears" here as well. I finally was able to try one of the poppyseed bagels I purchased for myself. It was loaded with poppyseeds. It tasted denser but it really wasn't as filling as I thought it would be like a regular bagel.I must admit I thoroughly enjoyed eating it. I do like the fact that instead of a "hole" they have a "bowl" center where they can put either sweet or savory filings in it. I also sneaked a taste of the onion baily filling before putting it away and I know my son will love it. Truly if you want to try a different sort of delicacy then put this place on your bucket list when checking out the Reading market. The prepacked bialy's come as a set of 4 which will last me a few days.

Fast, high quality bialys at the Reading Terminal Market. Got the pastrami one, that's crusted in potato chips and comes with pickles and it was phenomenal. Highly recommend.

So glad Kismet is now in RTM! the bialy was super fresh and one of the best I've had. The line moves super quickly and my sandwich was ready only moments after ordering. Highly recommend the Buffalo chicken-it was delicious! Can't wait to go back and try some more!

This Kismet chain of bagels and bialys has been popping up all across the Philadelphia region, so I was excited to try it for the first time. I shared three different bialys (pronounced "bee-AH-lee", according to websites online) with some friends - the Cheesy Buff, the Jam, and the Onion. Most of my friends liked the Cheesy Buff the best, but we enjoyed all of the above. I wish we had been able to eat fresh warm ones, because the ones we had seemed like it had been sitting out for a while. I think it's pretty good, but somewhat overpriced for being an elevated bagel. I enjoyed the experience and now can say that I've tried a bialy!

Ordered a kismet bagel at Reading Terminal just to see what all the hype is about. The hype is real dudes. I ordered the Strami bagel. It's basically an open faced pastrami sandwich but on a moist bagels that's way better than bread. It was loaded with thick slices of pastrami t on top of melted cheese. The drizzled sharp Dijon mustard on top and served with a side of dill pickle. It was delicious and I want to try more. Also their bagel packaging is cute and functional. I adore the pink and blue striped bagel box. I like how they put thought into the branding of their business!

We tried the classic bialy because they were out of the onion and this was the most similar. The classic was one of my boyfriend's top picks for food we ate while in Philly. I love their packaging and quick service. We managed to get there at a great time where the line wasn't very long but walked by about 10 minutes later and it was wrapped around the corner. Just keep in mind that it may be busy when you go. Definitely worth the stop.

Finally got to try the bialy's at Reading Terminal market, and it was a mixed bag. The bialies certainly are fresh. My issue is with the dough and with the amount of filling. I had the onion, a poppyseed covered bialy with a huge mound of onions in the middle. The dough was too heavy, I expect a bialy be lighter, full of air pockets, and a small amount of filling. A bialy should be able to be split and buttered or with a schmear, The Shop needs to go beyond all the things in the center. Btw, the coffee they served was fine. I may or may not return... a bialy is not supposed to be a meal in and of itself. Hope Kismet figures it out.

Absolutely delicious! There will definitely be a wait. But we had the bacon egg and cheese bialy with hot sauce and I would recommend!

As per usual, Reading Terminal Market never disappoints me! As long as you get there prime lunch time, food is so hot and fresh and theres plenty at whichever vendor you choose. This trip, I paid a visit to the new Kismet Bialy and brought a friend who was visiting. We thoroughly enjoyed our breakfast! I had never had a bialy before, but now I absolutely want them to be a part of my breakfast rotation. We tried "the BEC" which features bacon, egg, cheddar and sesame seeds. We also tried a special bialy they were offering that day, which was the shakshouka bialy. Both of the bialys were amazing! The bread itself was super fresh and the toppings were rich with flavor. This foodie trip was satisfying!

Delicious - classic bialy plus scallion cream cheese completely hit the spot. Really great version of one of my favorite foods! (Plus the service was lovely.)

so I'm a proponent of supporting small businesses but for the prices you pay vs what you get , you can get better bagels from a local bakery. I was charged $4 for a plain bagel and an additional $1.50 for butter , BUTTER. I say if you're about the hype, try it but the best bagels are in NYC hands down and you can actually get a bagel for under $4. Edit: not to mention, it was dry in case you haven't noticed in the pictures already lol

PSA: if you are watching diet, only get one!!! Their bialys are so good that when I got one, I immediately went back to get two more to try their other bialys variety. Then once I started calculating an estimated of my caloric intake...I was shocked. They have one of the most friendly staff that I have dealt with. You can easily get in a long conversation with them but don't be that guy that holds up the line because of your conversation. I wished they had a bigger stall so they can serve the same dishes as their bigger location but they didn't have much options of available stalls when they signed up. I wonder if they let me purchase their packs of bagels if I ask?

I asked to buy the last 4 bialys and the guy working literally threw them away in front of my face. He said sorry we are closed. It was 3PM but he could have flexibility for 5 minutes. This was after I stopped by the rittenhouse square shop which was sold out. Seems like an easy thing to do would have been sell me the bagels instead of wasting them. I needed them for breaking fast for Yom Kippur. Should I have come earlier yes. But I would have paid cash and dude could have literally pocketed the change.