Lighthouse Bagels

Honestly, these are the best bagel breakfast sandwiches my wife and I have ever had—and we’ve been coming here since 2001. Truly authentic NY bagels in a variety of flavors. Sandwich ingredients are prepared on the spot, and it’s always consistent. A true home run.

A good place for quick breakfast. There’s bagels are fresh and their breakfast sandwiches are plenty. On a weekend there’s always going to be a line so plan ahead. Their service is quick so doesn’t matter the crowd. The bagels are nice and fresh with a variety of cream cheese options. The coffee cake was not that great, just a load of sugar in a cake.

This native New Yorker had to try the NY bagel shop when in Corolla. I had saw a TikTok featuring this place weeks ago and knew I wanted to try it. So after catching the sunrise we headed over to the bagel shop around 7am and there was already a line outside. That’s a good sign in my book! The line was long but it moved swiftly. Lots of staff on deck with pleasant attitudes greeting and helping the customers. I was waited on by a man training another young man. He was friendly and efficient and obviously invested in the training of the individual. Now to the important part of the visit. The bagels! Fresh and delicious and absolutely reminiscent of what I’d find back home in Long Island, NY. The cream cheese is homemade and delicious and they really are generous with the smear…. Which if you know anything about NY bagel shops…. They go heavy on the cream and without request. We tried an egg everything bagel and Sriracha everything Bagel, bacon egg and cheese sandwiches. They did not disappoint. We also had to try a cream cheese bagel and had onion and the beer pretzel bagel. Both also yummy. I do wish I had my normal favorite of the salt bagel but the reviews hyped the beer pretzel, so I had to try. Pretty tasty. Overall the place was fast, fresh and delicious. The service was awesome and I would definitely recommend!

I highly recommend a trip to lighthouse bagels. The service is quick, although the shop does get busy quickly, go early if you can. Service is also very friendly and can make ordering fun if you have a good attitude with them. Overall the prices are very good at about $2.50 a bagel when ordered by the bakers dozen. Sandwiches and cinnamon rolls are more experience but still a fair price in my opinion. Check them out for breakfast. They have a good amount of outdoor seating too.

It was my first trip to the OBX so first time at Lighthouse, I would give them another chance but would make sure to ask for it extra toasted or toasted twice! We waited in a long line but it didn’t take long, shows how popular they are! It’s a smooth organized operation and good prices. I am a bit of a self-declared bagel snob so I would’ve preferred more seasonings on the bagels such as everything or sesame. The texture was good and they are thick but maybe a little too thick and the toasting wasn’t enough. Next time I would also buy a dozen as is to make at home how I prefer them. I was impressed with the variety of flavors. The staff was very friendly, welcoming and patient with each customer which was impressive after seeing how busy their mornings are!

The French toast bagel was amazing. Everyone in my family loved it! We went 3 days in a row to get them after trying them.

Big bagels and sandwich options. The bagels are doughy and made fresh. There’s tons of variety too. I got a rosemary and salt bagel that was delicious with lox and cream cheese. You can tell this place is Jersey made with their sandwiches and use of Taylor’s ham. Lots of outside seating options and right across from Timbuck II so shopping is an easy get to

Very tasty and fresh. Get there just before they close and you may get a few freebies. Walking distance from other stuff to do and places to shop. Great option for a quick breakfast and coffee! Don’t skip the cinnamon buns. French toast bagels and they cream cheese spread options are delicious.

Service was fast, staff were kind. There are tons of bagels to choose from and then tons of flavored specialty cream cheeses to add with them. They also have the option of a variety of sandwich combos. Lots of cream cheese on the bagels (NY style ) and the bagels are made perfectly!

Skip a brekky sandwich and order a bagel with cream cheese. Everyone in my group who ordered a sandwich felt the filling wasn't balanced with the bagel, so the bites just felt like a whole lot of bread! With the one bagel with cream cheese we did get, it was phenomenal! There is a ton of cream cheese to balance the bagel and honestly, it was the best French toast bagel I've ever had. And the cinnamon raison cream cheese was to die for!!

This is the best bagel you're going to find in the Outer Banks, and if you want one during peak season you're going to have to wait for it. We came here twice during our recent visit to the Outer Banks and waited around an hour both times from start to finish. The line was out the door both weekday mornings we came (around 9/10 am). It was about a half hour wait until we got up to the counter to order (and had we only ordered a dozen bagels and some cream cheese that could've been it), but the wait for our breakfast sandwiches was another half hour after that. It's a casual to-go spot that has no indoor seating, but plenty of outdoor tables if you can't wait till you get back to your beach house to devour your order. That said, the breakfast sandwich creations they have on the menu this year are on point and worth the wait -- and that's coming from a New Yorker. The Bang Bang sandwich was a standout and an absolutely perfect combination in my opinion -- fresh turkey, swiss cheese, arugula, eggs and spicy bang bang sauce all come together in the most delicious bite of breakfast sandwich your tastebuds have ever seen. You can order ahead online if you're getting breakfast sandwiches only, but not all of them are available via the online portal as of me writing this message (the Bang Bang isn't on there yet unfortunately). All that said, this review was written during the first week of them being fully open for the summer with a brand new staff, so they're still working out the kinks. I'm confident that if you're coming here later in the summer, the wait won't be as arduous.

I'm a big fan of bagel and lox and this place had the best it was so good I was almost finished with it before I realized that I needed to take a picture of it. It was deliciously fresh with just the right amount of cream cheese and red onion and capers my mom also purchased an assortment of different bagels for the house she said that the service was friendly and quick although their online ordering was a bit confusing because you could not make any changes. My cousin was able to get the bagel she requested in accordance with her dietary needs though. Will definitely come back when I can!

Nice bagels. Lots of options. Nice outdoor seating. Only complaint is that it took forever...... not because the staff were slow but they were so busy!!! It was about a 20 min wait just to get to order and another 15 mins before we got our bagels. The Turkey Bang Bang was amazing

Stopped by lighthouse bagels with my friends and the bagels here are crazy good. We're from New Jersey so we know a good bagel when we see one and this bagel is BETTER than good. It's up there with New York and new Jersey bagels, I got the everything bagel with cream cheese and scallion cream cheese. It tasted amazing and the bagel was super high quality and tasted like some fine artisan bread. Best bagels in the outerbanks and I don't even have to try any other bagels to say that!

Awesome bagel place! We're from NJ and we're sooo excited for this bagel shop and we heard the recipe came from Jersey too! We got a bunch of bagels and they were all good! The french toast bagel was awesome. Would definitely recommend to anyone coming down here!

For our family, having good bagels for breakfast is a must for our vacations. Having been to some amazing bagel places in the northeast, I didn't know what to expect from Lighthouse Bagels. But wow, were we pleasantly surprised! Their bagels are as good as any I've had in New York, Philly or New Jersey! They have some amazing options and flavors, and their consistency and size is perfect. We arrived at their peak hour (between 8 and 9), so it was crowded with lines coming out the door. But the line moved quickly. They have online ordering, but I thought it was good to order after seeing the bagel options in person. Unlike most busy island food places that serve locals and tourists, the staff was very patient, pleasant and helpful. We ordered two baker's dozen, but their breakfast sandwiches also looked great. I highly recommend the sriracha everything bagel and the French toast bagel. Both were unbelievable, not that the other flavors weren't also amazing. I was pleased to see they continually were replenishing the bagels as more were sold, so they always had a good supply of their ample flavor options. I should mention that they are not exactly cheap. A baker's dozer is about $31. A lot of bagel places I've been to give a discount when buying in bulk, but that wasn't an option here. But are worth the price! I wasn't a huge fan of them having a MAGA sandwich, as I prefer to keep politics out of my dining and food ordering, but hey, this is NC so I probably shouldn't be too surprised. Plus, that's totally the owner's prerogative, and it doesn't change the fact that they're doing a great job and offering outstanding bagels!

Bagels-to-go IN THE OFF SEASON - my favorite time to go to Lighthouse lol - any time there isn't a line snaking out the front door and I can walk in and walk out with a bag of freshly made bagels under my arm is my favorite time to go. (But during busy season, there's good reason for there being a line out the door every morning - just a solid choice for a North-of-Duck helping of bagels and bagel sandwiches (including piping-hot-and-hefty bfast egg, meat and cheese bagel sandos). If you're here on the OBX before crazy I mean busy season starts and are hankerin' for bagels, take advantage of their pre-season opening (be sure to check business hours before hopping in the car as pre-season hours are shorter) and GO check this place out. Friendly, casual, great service and the folks working there know their stuff!

A little busy and they closed twenty minutes before closing time the day before, but food was excellent. Would definitely return. Cute place !

The vegan way bagel is so good, I went all three days I was in town! and the staff are quick and friendly. The line can be long but moves pretty fast! Nice outdoor seating as well

Very busy place with long lines. The food is good, definitely one of the better places in Corolla. Good service.

I went here for mid day meal. I got a sausage egg and cheese on an everything bagel and a cinnamon bagel with cream cheese. Both bagels were so good! At the checkout the super friendly, sweet lady at the register chatted with everyone as she checked them out. It came to me, she knew I wasn't feeling the greatest but she was super sweet, and we were given a crumb cake to share, no picture of that but it was sooo good. Thank you!!

Bagel were authentic and delicious but came with fam for a quick stop before getting in the road back home and waited 45 mins for a few bagels with cream cheese and a couple custom bagel sandwiches. Granted they were busy when we first got there but I saw small order competed 20 mins prior to ours which was frustrating. A plus service tho otherwise very friendly

We make it a point to visit this location every time we come to Corolla Beach. Each visit surpasses the previous one, leaving us even more impressed. The staff here is incredibly diligent and friendly. Despite always being busy, they handle the crowds with poise and grace. The outdoor eating area is absolutely perfect. And without a doubt, they serve the most outstanding bagels in all of OBX. We decided to try the Rosemary & Sea-salt bagel with cream cheese and the Southern Gentleman bagel, and we highly recommend both choices. Additionally, we also ordered the Beer Pretzel and Cinnamon Burst to take away. Although we haven't tasted them yet, they certainly look absolutely delicious. I'll make sure to update you once we do try them.

Love, love, and love. After ordering, I didn't know that you could ask to get your bagel scooped. I also asked for strawberry cream cheese on the side. My order was basic, but this was my third time coming back!!! I went early Sunday morning and even though it was packed I got my food very quickly.

Had a free voucher for 12 and they were not happy about it but I don't care. The asiago had like no cheese, hello??? Super busy and the lady at the end in the white was very rude. Kinda weird for a bagel shop, I get that you are busy but enjoy the business while it lasts..

Lighthouse is a staple at Corolla for my friends and I. Next to bagels from NEW YORK they're honestly my top 2. We are here multiple times when we come to vacation. The service and staff are amazing. Even when they're super busy. The vibe is what you'd expect from a bagel shop and they have a great selection of beverages. When you're in Corolla, Lighthouse is a mandatory of places to eat.

Amazing place! I got a vegan breakfast sandwich and it was soo amazing. All the specialty bagel sandwiches are delicious too, my family and friends and I love this place. Don't be surprised to see a line out the door, this place is the go to spot in Corolla! It's worth it! Highly recommend! Great staff and great food! Will come over and over again!

This place is a special - high quality baked goods and great coffee cake, not to mention fresh coffee! Nice people too!

Ordered food before 9 AM told me to be ready at 11:45 cannot cancel your order. You can't go back in and edit it or anything. What a rip off.

I usually check the bad reviews first and see if they're petty or if there's some real issues. This is no exception, we've been coming here for close to ten years now and consistency is prefect, year to year. Same people all this time. Being from Jersey, I have to say that north Jersey bagels are the standard in my opinion. With that said these bagels are always fresh, perfectly crusty outside and doughy/yeasty inside. Always friendly service, always prompt. It's absolutely as good or better than north Jersey bagels. If you want a bagel, this is the only place in this area to go!!!! Unless of course your a very sensitive woke snowflake who needs absolutely everyone to cater to your every whim and is easily triggered by words, then maybe go to the food store.

What an amazing staff! The people at Lighthouse Bagels were so accommodating. I called to see how late they were open and was told they closed in 5 minutes. The man on the phone asked how far away I was. I said one mile. He told me if I left right now, he would wait for me. Now, that's service! I made it there with seconds to spare and everyone was fantastic. No one gave me the bum's rush to get rid of me. Instead, they were gracious and friendly. I live in Baltimore, MD and I'm not used to that kind of service. Instead of an obnoxious teenager who can't get his face out of his phone, there was a big smile and no attitude. Did I mention that the bagels were amazing!? Because they were. I highly recommend the French Toast Bagel. Magnificent!

Yo. I NEVER find a good bfast sammie place from FL to Maine. Everything I compare to S Jersey is crap. Not here. This place is legit steak egg and cheese and the bacon egg and cheese were on point. Highly recommend especially if you are used to NJ food.

Stopped here for breakfast and was very impressed with the bagels. I got the French toast bagel with butter. So amazing! It has a very relaxed welcoming vibe.

I highly recommend this place. They have amazing bagels and a good vegan option with just egg.

The bagels at Lighthouse are great authentic NY bagels and we've been enjoying them for the past few summers during our annual visits to Corolla. Our only gripe is that it typically takes a decent wait for any breakfast sandwich aside from a bagel with cream cheese. That said we'll definitely be back in 2025 when our crew returns to OBX.

My oh my how things can change in a year. Came back to the OBX for our annual vacation and stayed in same rentals house as a year ago. Owner left us a coupon for a free dozen. Went in to claim the free dozen and purchase other dozen a small flavored cream cheese and some crumb buns. Tally was close to $100.00. You have got to be joking!! Food is same but prices are outrageous. Coming out of Long Island I know what a good bagel looks like. Lighthouse bagel are ok but cannot hang with strong island bagels and are definitely not worth the price. Buyer beware and hit the ATM before you come in!!!

Woohoo - amazing place, quick service, super friendly, bagels are 5* and we absolutely recommend the lunch sandwiches.

Best breakfast sandwich bagels I've ever had. Will definitely be back. The French Toast bagel is top tier!

Delicious bagels with a side of the absolute BEST and FRIENDLIEST customer service I've witnessed in a very long time. As we were sitting outside enjoying these yummies they turned off their open light and as we breathed a sigh of relief to have made it right under the wire another customer pulled up and walked in... We immediately felt terrible for them because most businesses these days don't go out of their way to go that extra mile and serve them... Well this was not the case here at all. They were so nice. Let them in and not only let them order, but gave them some extra bagels on the house... Not the end of the story. At least three other people came and were treated the same exact way. Fantastic bagels and kindness. So good! Don't miss the chance to enjoy a great bagel while supporting this family business when you're visiting.

Pretty bad. While staying in the area we picked up a variety of bagels and cream cheese. Our whole group hailed from New Jersey and Long Island so we had high expectations but we were very disappointed. Found the bagels to be flavorless, doughy and gross and just entirely not worth the insanely long wait. The cream cheese we got tasted kind of synthetic and not very fresh, and I was definitely not a fan of their vegetable cream cheese. The kids in our group we disappointed by the lack of a cinnamon raisin bagel, as was I. Would definitely skip next time if I was in the area, truly not worth the wait.

This is the "Turkey Bang Bang" ($12) on an onion bagel. The wait time was about 35 minutes but they were VERY BUSY. It seems like they are this busy all the time. And it's totally worth it. There is only seating outside but early in the morning it was in the shade. DELICIOUS and definitely worth a try!

Awesome homemade bagels!!! So so so good!!!! The coffee cake is incredible too!! 10/10!

Ok so i love the bagels and have had great customer service here but knocking two stars off because they have a "The MAGA King" bagel. I just felt extremely uncomfortable seeing that and felt like it was unnecessary to have. You can have whatever political beliefs you want and yes it's your business, but maybe let's not name it after someone who has said and done some pretty horrible things, including 1/6. As someone said in a previous review, naming it it "Freedom Toast" or even "The America Bagel" is a better name for it vs calling it that..

This is a good breakfast/bagel spot in Corolla. Bagels are fresh and taste great for this area. Wouldn't say they're quite as good as a NY/NJ bagel but they're very good for a North Carolina bagel. Have to give big kudos for the well thought out customer experience. The way they handle the ordering and their line process is great. The staff is excellent. Definitely worth trying

My husband and I biked here from our beach house in Corolla for breakfast. When we arrived, there was a line out the door. We hopped in line and waited about 20 minutes to order. Per my friends recommendation, I ordered an egg and cheese sandwich on a French Toast Bagel, my husband had a bacon egg and cheese sandwich on a Sriracha Everything Bagel and we ordered six cinnamon rolls to take back to family. There were picnic tables outside, a few with umbrellas. Once our order was placed, they call your name at an outdoor pickup window when it is ready. My bagel sandwich was really tasty! My only complaint was I wish I had gotten the bagel toasted (which I believe you have to ask for if you want it done) which would have elevated it a whole lot more. The bagel was HUGE so the egg almost got lost in the bagel but it was still really good. I sampled my husbands sandwich and was surprised by the slight kick of sriracha in the bagel. Later on in the day, my husband and I sampled the cinnamon roll. We warmed it up and it was absolutely delicious. I would go back here in a heartbeat just for the cinnamon rolls! But we really enjoyed the bagels and would make another trip if we ever vacation down here again.

My wife and I came here on a recommendation that Lighthouse Bagels was the best around. We were not disappointed I am not a bagel connoisseur. However this place sticks out as a top 2 bagel sandwich I have ever had (the other being a place in Virginia we went to on vacation). I ordered the bacon, egg, and cheese bagel sandwich on a sriracha with everything bagel. The bagel was delicious, a little crunchy, had a surprising kick of heat with it, and tasted so good paired with fresh egg/bacon/cheese. For the price, this is infinitely better than any other bagel you could get! We also ordered some cinnamon rolls to go which were gobbled up back at our place. Highly recommend snagging a few of these when you stop by for a sweet snack later.

I don't usually actively search out bagels, but the misses craves them. But this was the first time I've had bagels that rivaled what you can get in New York City. Their online ordering system is quick and efficient and helped me preorder for the following morning pickup. They have a pickup window for orders and I was out of there in a couple minutes despite a lot of guests waiting inside. Their everything bagel with scallion cream cheese was the favorite combo I tried over a few days.

My husband just picked up a dozen bagels for breakfast and we all love them! They are fluffy and big. Crunchy but soft on the inside. So glad we found this place. And they made a herb cream cheese with herbs from their garden this morning and it is delicious!

I ordered a pogue with no mayo. I got a pogue with mayo. I ordered a salsalito with no mayo but add tomato. I got it with mayo and no tomato. This was my first time here. I would not recommend.

We got bagels and cream cheese to take back to our beach house about an hour before they closed, midweek. No line at all. Very friendly staff. Clean. Bagels were big and delicious! Will remember for future vacations in Corolla.

If you have time, stay in line. Our 1st attempt, we couldn't wait (had to get to our horse tour). However, we gave it a try again the next day and we're glad we did. It was their last day of the season too. We shared a breakfast sandwich then got a plain cinnamon raisin and a plain French toast to take home. At checkout, we had time to chat with the owner who found out it was our first time in OBX and first time there so she reached over and gave us two coffee cakes on the house. Soooo glad we went back the next day. We'll be back again on our next trips too!

The bagels are so good! So soft! And if you're not much of a bagel fan you can get sub the bagel for a crossiant. My FIL got a steak and cheese on a crossiant and it was delish! They have lots of seating outside which is nice. Being it our first time we would def try more things! They also have cream cheese and serve kind coffee there too. The service and wait time was reasonable. We want to try the home made juice next time.

This is the hot spot for breakfast. Came here two days during vacation and the line was out the door both days. Don't worry, the line moves fast. The first day we came around 9:30 and the second day around 10:30. I was worried that it would be slim pickings both days but they were cranking out fresh bagels, replenishing the low stock in the front case. I tried both the classic bacon, egg, and cheese in an everything bagel and the French toast bagel with butter. Both were fantastic. Def a place to stop if you're in Corolla.

My boyfriend and I were in town and found this place on tiktok, and we're so glad we did! They have amazing flavors -so many to choose from, and it was delicious. Highly recommend this place for anyone in town!

This place is only open seasonally but they make the BEST breakfast sandwiches! We were staying in a house right around the corner from here and decided to pop in. I am not sure how anyone can have a negative review for this place. My husband and I went here every morning we stayed at Corolla. I had their breakfast sandwich on the Sriracha bagel which was amazing. The next day they were sold out. My husband loved the French toast bagel. Their coffee cake is amazing... we got some to go and we were happy we did! Great prices I highly recommend! There isn't much around, but this place is a gem.

This place is delicious. Salt bagels, everything bagel, sriracha everything bagel, beer bagel, All the toppings you can want for a bagel with various cream cheeses Nothing tastes better than a messy bagel w an iced coffee to get you ready for the beach. Iced coffee cones in a nice glass jar that you keep. Great for reusing your whole trip. Line may look long but goes fast.

This place is incredible. We got a bacon, egg, cheese and avocado on a salt bagel, French toast bagel with plain cream cheese, and the southern gentleman on a beer pretzel bagel. All were amazing and huge! My kids gave the chocolate muffins rave reviews as well.