Liberty Bagels Midtown

"At the Liberty Bagels location near Penn Station, there’s a bouncer at the door to manage the line, even on weekday mornings. It’s always packed, so plan to take your food to go. Some of the options, like the birthday cake cream cheese, might seem gimmicky, but the big, glossy bagels are pleasantly chewy and packed with flavor. For a spicy, savory option, try the jalapeño everything with chipotle cream cheese. Or, if you’d rather have dessert, go for the Oreo cream cheese. It’s good on just about anything." - bryan kim, will hartman, willa moore, neha talreja, molly fitzpatrick, sonal shah

"It’s so packed at this bagel spot on 35th that there’s someone who’s dedicated to managing the ever-present line like a traffic cop. The bagels here are nice and crispy on the outside and pleasantly chewy on the inside, and they have a ton of interesting cream cheese flavors. Oreo might sound gimmicky, but if you like sweet cream cheese, you’ll love it. For a unique savory option, go for a jalapeño everything bagel with chipotle cream cheese. If it's too busy, try Best Bagel across the street." - bryan kim, willa moore, kenny yang, neha talreja, molly fitzpatrick

"At the Liberty Bagels near Penn Station, there’s a bouncer at the door to manage the line, even on weekday mornings. It’s also always packed, so plan to take your food to go. While the options might seem gimmicky at first (this is, after all, a place that proudly advertises options like rainbow bagels and birthday cake cream cheese), we love the off-the-wall flavors here. The bagels are pleasantly chewy and packed with flavor, and we’ve yet to try a cream cheese option we don’t love. For a spicy, savory option, we love the jalapeño everything bagel with chipotle cream cheese. If you have a sweet tooth, you’re going to love the Oreo cream cheese. It’s good on just about anything. photo credit: Emily Schindler" - Carina Finn