Once Upon A Bagel- Winnetka

Truly the best bagels for miles. This is mostly a breakfast and lunch place. They have a small commercial-level bakery in Highland Park (just a few miles north) that makes bagels and other breads fresh daily. There’s a lot on the menu here — a range of traditional Jewish deli items and much more (tacos are unexpected and good). It’s all good and efficiently prepared. It’s hard to go wrong, and it will take many visits to work through the menu. There are discounted bagels daily about an hour before close (whatever is left at roughly half price).

I recently visited this bagel parlor and tried their lox bagel. While it wasn’t bad, it also wasn’t particularly memorable. The bagel was fresh, and the lox had a decent flavor, but the overall experience felt slightly above average. It’s a good option if you’re in the mood for a lox bagel and happen to be nearby, but it’s not the kind of place that will blow you away. One thing to note is the inconsistency with the cream cheese. My bagel had a very light spread, and I found myself wishing for a little more. On the other hand, my partner’s bagel had way too much cream cheese, which completely overpowered the flavors. Being a small café, it has a cozy vibe, but the quality could be a bit more consistent. It’s a decent stop for a quick bite, but there’s definitely room for improvement.

The bagel sandwich was good. There are a ton of options for cheese, bagels, and meat. I just can't justify $10 for it. The bagel itself was great it was nice and light compared to others I had. They also serve Mexican food here. I would stop by again to try something else or simply buy a dozen bagels.

0NCE UPON A BAGEL is decorated with raw bricks and cute signs. The people behind the counter are as nice as can be. Their bagels are light and fluffy. This is not a New York style bagel, with a crisp crust and a dense interior. But it's good. There is no vegan cream cheese. You serve yourself coffee. Everything is ADA compatible. There is a ramp at the entrance.

I lived in San Francisco and I love Mexican food. I think the al pastor taco plate with rice and beans is the best I have had in the Chicago area. Homemade green salsa and guacamole comes on the side. A+

i left my shades on a table and call 15 minutes later they say they have them. go to pick them up and they arent there. enjoy my sunglasses joto

I live across the street, and I loooove Once Upon. Great soups and desserts, delicious bagels, unique cream cheeses, cheap and tasty tacos. The employees are always pleasant. The area to order is usually pretty tight and bustling, but that's just because this place is so popular!

Absolutely the best bagels I've ever eaten hands down. Came back after 10+ years away and they taste exactly as I remembered. Beautiful fluffy bagels - do not miss.

This place was very good. The ambiance when I walked in was nice and felt welcoming. The everything donut was a 10/10. And the workers were chill. 4.5/5

Solid breakfast fare. The bagel sandwiches are always super tasty! Coming from Southern California I have pretty high expectations for a breakfast burrito and so far this has been the closest thing to home. Very family friendly. Great service.

This location gets very busy on the weekends; however the line at the ordering counter moves very quickly. I got the fresh spinach omelette with a choice of plain bagel. The omelette was delicious and a very generous portion. I am giving this location 4 stars because after ordering the wait for food is fairly long and it was unclear if they were going to find me in the next door dinning area or if I was to keep on checking if my order was ready. In the end they knew exactly where I was and brought everything out to me ready to go. They do have a walk-up pick up window for orders placed over the phone ahead of time. I think that's a great option.

Okay food but you need to watch and ask for an itemized receipt. Third time our items weighed and cost more than was requested. It's not about the money, it's about communicating and giving the customer the option to decline the extra weight. We don't generally post on yelp but felt others needed to be aware.

I will never go back. I went once and will never return. Here is why 1) forgot a side order that we paid for 2) dramatically cut back on the Corned Beef to the point where I had to send it back. And even they said "oh... yeah" 3) cookies as hard as rocks ... ended up putting in trash. They were supposed to be good, but clearly they have cut quality to make margin.

Good food, not the best service. Bagel sandwich was pretty good. I would go back because the food was pretty good.

Best potato pancakes in Chicagoland! The taco is very delicious as well. sauces to perfection

Great tacos with a nice discount on Wednesday's. People there are nice too. I like it

An amazing breakfast/lunch spot! I am surprised the reviews aren't higher. The staff is so sweet and service is quick. There is a spacious sitting area if you want to dine in! We got one of the breakfast platters (chorizo, eggs, potatoes), tacos (carne asada, very good!), matzo ball soup (delicious--has chicken noodle with it), and then bagels. Everything was great! It's also in the downtown area, so it's very cute to walk around.

Once upon a bagel is fine, not great. Nothing special, but a better bagel than most places in illinois. Staff is quick, and it's reasonably priced. Fits the bill but doesn't do much more. Stop by if you want a decent bagel in Illinois fro a speedy meal!

Great bagel store with every kind of fresh hot bagels and cream cheese (chive) & more. We had the egg (everything) bagel, toasted with the works, and a sesame , both toasted, wrapped, cut, and wrapped again for eating on the go. They have skinny pumpernickel too, but out of them today. The menu appears endless on the l-o-n-g chalkboard running the length of the bagel and pastry cases. And at the end of this galley is a grill and spacious customer seating, although a lot of people were just picking up $68 worth of hot bagels! This is a popular spot in town. The bagels and bialeys are authentic, fresh and tasty. Regular and decaf coffee are on self serve taps.

If it's bagels you're after, this place is 5 stars. Highly recommend salted pretzel bagels or the everything egg bagel.

This WAS our neighborhood go to and I will NEVER return. I ordered a toasted bagel and cream cheese to go. When I got home the bagel had not been toasted even though we stressed we wanted it toasted. I called and asked if I could come back and get what I ordered - a toasted bagel. Came home again and here is what they gave me. See picture. Horrible service and intentionally jerks.

This place is tasty but they cannot get your order right! The bagels are soft and glossy on top. Two consecutive visits my order is wrong- it's not that complicated. I ordered a seasame bagel with plain schmear. The first time they gave me veggie spread and today I got a plain bagel with plain schmear. Whhyyyyyyyy- please open your ears. Check your order before you leave the store!

Without a doubt, my favorite place to get Matzoh Ball soup. Bar none. It is chock full of fresh veggies. I could easily eat this as a meal every day. My friend swears by their lox, tomato, cream cheese and bagel sandwiches. She swears that it the best in Illinois.

Finally! I've passed by this place a kajillion times and finally made it in due to a meeting on Friday. I've been going to the HP location for years, so I guess I just didn't think about coming here. I have to admit I was super curious, and now I can officially give you the breakdown. Highland Park: It's a classic diner. It's older and more established, and when you come here you'll see regulars and feel like you're part of history. The clientele ranges in age... I mean really ranges. The bagels are light and crispy and soft in the middle. The menu has remained the same for as long as I can remember. Their corned beef sandwich will be my last meal on earth, and the chicken matzo soup is loaded with veggies and flavor. It can get REALLY crowded up front at times and you'll expect to wait for service, but that's okay because this place is everything you could want in a Jewish deli. Winnetka: It doesn't have that classic old diner feel. Walk in and it's super new and seems like you're in an everyday Einstein or other chain restaurant, but the truth is it's authentic, and the same great menu as HP. You can expect the same light and crispy bagels, and a staff that will make you feel like you've been a patron forever. The clientele appears to be younger, and Glencoe just got lucky because they can travel north to HP or south to Hubbard Woods for a true deli experience. The space is much smaller here, but I came on a Friday around 2pm and there were several tables available. On the way out I took a large container of chicken matzo soup home and it was AMAZING! The same recipe. Parking can be a bit tricky if you want a spot right out front, and there is a 90 minute parking limit. Not sure that's really reinforced. It's right off the Metra if you need to make a quick stop. I'd come here again, but HP is where my heart is.

Ordered lox and bagel (sesame) with everything. Meh. Bagel was semi- stale, tomato tasted horrible and onion was dry . Lox was alright. But why bother...so underwhelming when this is supposed to be a treat!? Go to another place that actually cares about their food .... there are plenty other places.

Winnetka is the third richest Midwest zip code. So I expected a lot when I drove up to this location after escorting a client to their home. I observed a nice breakfast crowd and heavy traffic in & out. They must have something here worth fighting for. I was wrong... They don't carry an "everything" bagel (that's my favorite). That's odd. So, I ordered a onion bagel, a side order of sausage patty w/American cheese, an a large hibiscus juice. My bagel had little flavor to it and my sausage patty was the frozen kind found in the supermarkets. I went on and made a breakfast sandwich out of it. Two stars for giving me three patties and the cheese was nice and melted. My hibiscus juice tasted like cough syrup. It was nothing like the one I had in AZ (that's if you follow my reviews). It would have been nice if someone told me anything on the menu can be purchased anytime of day. But just like 7 other reviews mentioned, service here sucks. Once Upon a Bagel. Right now, I am wishing upon a star for a better breakfast!

LOVE their tacos! Great service and very friendly! Very quick with the food with a million delicious options to choose from!

Walked in on a chilly weekday to grab some bagels. The bakers dozen after 3pm Monday - Saturday is only $7.79. There were plenty of bagels left to choose from and we grabbed almost one of each kind, minus the salt and regular pretzel bagels. You can also grab food here to dine in, Mean Weiner and sandwiches and the like are available here. The bagels are good, better than the grocery store variety. They have a lot of flavors to choose from, over 13 types. The aren't super dense like some other Jewish delis but sufficient.

Finally got around to getting the matzo ball soup! The broth and veggies were super good but the matzo was a bit more bland than other versions I've enjoyed. My bowl of soup came with a yummy bagel of choice. I went with the egg bagel. The price was cheaper than I thought it would be! Definitely some bang for your buck here. Nothing like hot soup or a warm bagel on a chilly day!

Their bagels are not my favorite, as the Bagel at Old Orchard or New York Bagel and Bialy has way better bagels. With that said, they still make a solid bagel sandwich and have good omelets. What some do not realize is that their Mexican food is some of the best on the North Shore. Their tacos are authentic street tacos and they have a ton of options. It's also really well priced, which is rare for the area. If you've never tried their Mexican food you will not be disappointed.

Got another turkey sandwich from here the other day-turkey on white bread with Mayo, tomato, lettuce and red onion. Was delicious! It came with a pickle and I ordered the potato salad again. The potato salad was just okay today, may pass on that next time. There's a cute park across the street with picnic tables and a playground too :)

I'm totally not familiar with this area, only came here because I just sold my car at CarMax Northfield/Glenco (7 min away) and had to take the Metra home. This place is right off the Hubbard woods metra station of the Union Pacific/North line. I had an hour to kill and this was the only one open on a Monday with decent reviews. The store front is really inviting with big "Once Upon a Bagel" written in renaissance style letters, however the inside is not themed, looked like a typical mom and pop Mexican restaurant. Their menu ranges from breakfast food to bagels to tacos to sandwiches to salad platters to soup and more. I was totally overwhelmed when trying to decide what to get. I ended up with a large matzo ball soup and 4 tacos. The large size soup comes with 2 bagels and this is the part where they lost a star with me. I'm not a bagel person and it was my first time there. So I asked what types of bagels are there to choose from. The cashier didn't understand me very well and kept lumping cream cheese flavors with the bagel flavors. Additionally she doesn't speak great English so we ended up confusing each other and took a long time and I still didn't get what I wanted. I was there on a Monday around 5pm, was the only one dining in, everyone else did take out. The tacos were very good. I got steak, chicken, shrimp and tilapia. The shrimp and tilapia were just ok, but the steak and chicken was very flavorful and fresh. I took the soup home, it traveled well and tasted great. Definitely would visit again if I'm in the neighborhood.

Awesome quality, great selection and above all Kosher!!

Amazing bagels and fantastic service! I've only had their breakfast bagels, and on my most recent visit, I ordered an egg & cheese sandwich on an egg bagel- it was EGGCELENT! You can also add a meat (including turkey sausage), if you desire. My recent discovery was their fresh palettas from La Michoacana. They're delicious, and were $2.25 each. I tried the mango w/chili, strawberry w/milk, and horchata (my favorite).

Well hello 1st to review...I don't get that honor too often anymore! I also haven't gotten my share of good bagels since moving to Chicago, but I've been in carb heaven since moving to the burbs... I"ve been a fan of the Once Upon a Bagel in HP for quite some time so when I heard the good news that they were opening another location in Hubbard Woods (less than a mile from my house) I jumped with glee. In the first few weeks of our move we didn't get out much thanks to all the unpacking we had to do, but somehow I made it to this Once Upon a Bagel at least a dozen times. It serves as tasty food as it's big sis up in HP- I especially heard their everything wheat skinny bagels and egg white salad. Delish. And the people who work here are quite friendly & helpful. If I dare say it think I may even like this location better than the original because it's not nearly as crowded and I've yet to have to wait for a table. Since you place your order at the counter it's also a fast option for brunch, which helps when you have little ones.

Get the tacos. I'd recommend the al pastor or beef. Bagels are OK- a little chewy for my taste. Haven't tried the other items on the menu as I can't justify getting anything other than the tacos when I go. Location is A+. Unlike it's luddite north shore brethren, this place accepts credit cards!

My favorite Saturday breakfast spot! This place can get really crowded-- that's why I suggest calling ahead and picking up your order. Pay via phone! It's super convenient, and the staff are really nice. I've tried many items from the menu but always return to the bagel. Happy to have this close by!

Once Upon has decent bagels, but not great. What I do like are the breakfast dishes, especially the Mexican ones. The service is always very good too.

It is a diner/deli all in one. Stopped in for breakfast the other day, (2 Eggs up, bacon, hash browns, and toast) pretty good. Bacon was a little more crispy than I like but that is the only complaint. Fast service and a clean spot. I understand why it was hopping on Sunday AM.

Extremely disappointed with the staff. Today drove from downtown Chicago to pick up soup and bagels to carry out and the staff rudely turned us away 5 minutes before closing. If you close at 4 and the open sign is on the door at 3:55 you should not turn customers away and say "all the bagels are in the garbage". That exactly where the unpleasant manager should be located!

Tasty bagels and good cream cheeses, always friendly service. You'll see pick ups for stores and restaurants hauling out dozens of bagels -- always a promising sign.

9/5/17 came for tuna, bagels, around 1:45pm and asked for a small container of chopped liver. The man who waited on me disappeared for a bit, then reached under the takeout/cashier area and took out a Tupperware round container and by the register, filled a small container up for me. I purchased my items, came home and refrigerated the tuna and liver. At dinner time I opened what appeared to be chopped liver crumbles in the small container either with nothing to hold them together, or frozen and thawed, certainly not spreadable. I threw it out. What WAS that? Won't be buying THAT here again.

This review is not about the food! Love the menu, deli and restaurant. Last week I went on Yelp to see the hours. It was Friday, Nov 29th. The hours read open until 6:00. Got there at 5:00 and it was completely dark and obviously closed. So mad since I was coming from Deerfield. Today, Tuesday Dec 3rd, I called to place a carry out order. Started calling around 3:30 and after several unanswered calls, assumed it was closed. I was going to pick up my dog from the groomer, next door...so when I got there and saw it was open...I was really upset. What's going on? I even told them I tried calling and they said they weren't picking up the phones! Really? I'm bypassing Once Upon a Grill in Northbrook and Once Upon a Bagel in Highland Park to go to the Winnetka's Once Upon a Grill. Someone...please don't post hours on your website or Yelp when you're not honoring those hours and please pick up your phone so when we call ahead, the order can be ready...instead of assuming you're closed. You're food is good but I'm leaning toward going to the other locations.

Mexican food Rey good especially the mole enchiladas. Also great salads. Helps excellent

Disclaimer, I know I am giving 5-stars for a bagel place. This is not an overpriced bistro, this wont have your favorite macademia nut milk latte. Its simple pleasure, bagel with an ice cream scoop of cream cheese goodness. Its madness on a Saturday morning. About 20 sleepy eyed, bed-head, possibly wearing their slippers patrons shouting orders to the dozen or so people behind the counter. Short order bedlam. They have about 15 varieties of bagels/bialys. Maybe 8-cream cheese options. There is always the PERFECT amount of way too much cream cheese on each seemingly always fresh bagel. Omlettes are alright, the other fare is just okay as well. But having a local gem, where you can just as well order a bagel, as a south of the border omlette, as a chili dog- its perfection. Get involved, go here.

I would suggest ordering on line to pick up vs. ordering in person. It is my impression that there is a process for ordering on line, however, order in person did not work well. Our order was lost and not fulfilled. The staff seemed annoyed when it was brought to their attention. They never apologized and ignored us to continue with on line orders. To enjoy the great food order on line and NOT in person.

They are trying to do too many thing here. And at least from my perspective the deli part is meh.

Ask for an itemized receipt because the employees will charge you for everything including extra ice, without making mention of it. Massive rip off compared to the HP location-that location doesn't charge randomly like the Winnetka one does. Not going back.

I will continue to go here, but mostly for the tacos. I'm not all that intrigued by everything else I see. Good for families because the kids can be loud. Service is decent, but not great. That said, it's not really a "service" oriented place. Mostly go in, order, eat, leave.

This is our local go-to spot for bagels, lunch and soups etc... There are few standout aspects: --Proximity to a nice park across the street. Always a winner with kids on a nice day. --Great soups -- Really quite good bagels, schmears etc... --Party trays are very handy for home entertaining with a crowd --Their tacos are probably the best in the area and their off-menu taco salad in a fried tortilla bowl is something of an embarrassing indulgence A few negatives: --Dining room is very small and it seems like there is always at least one kid having a melt-down at a table in there, how this is possible, I don't know. --Sometimes it feels really hot in the dining area, more AC would be great --Staff are often overwhelmed and can't pick up enough after the aforementioned children who are having tantrums, so sometimes the floor is dirty and sometimes there are flies which does really turn my stomach. But, Once Upon is a good, classic deli, they probably need more dining space - break through the wall and grab the next spot. It's important to support local businesses so keep coming back here for more!

One of the pros of moving to the burbs from the city was having a Once Upon a Bagel nearby! Since we moved here 3 weeks ago, we are so so so bummed and disappointed about this Winnetka location. The service is absolutely terrible. The people they have working there are cold and rude. They are not friendly what's so ever, seem miserable and blatantly act like they don't care about you. You are a number. That's it. It's gotten so bad that we drive to the Upper Crust Bagels in Deerfield just so we don't have to deal with the people working there. It's not only the workers attitudes. It's also the fact that they can't handle how busy they are. They need to fix their broken system because it's not working. The food takes waaaay too long. I hope one day the staff gets customer service training so we can feel comfortable ordering and going to what we thought was a neighborhood spot.

The mish mosh soup is our go-to comfort food!! Happy they're in the neighborhood. Only complaint is that their own staff should not take up parking spots. It hurts the business.

Worst of the Once Upon a Bagel locations. Cold eggs, no butter. Nice nice that employees can socialize with their friends. Oh well, the customers will wait.

GET TACOS! Do it. They're fantastic. Best value tacos on the north shore (way cheaper than Taco Nano but still fantastic). Taco Monday deal is a particularly awesome steal. This is a wholesome neighborhood joint that has something for everyone. The bagels are okay, the dining area is sub-par, but honestly I'm such a fan because it's exactly what every neighborhood needs.

Definitely one of our go-to's for breakfast but for lunch it is even better. Quesadillas, excellent. Hot dog, authentically delicious with my must have snap. Big surprise...best matzo ball soup. We noticed so many people having it on a warm summer Saturday, so we tried it. Very good and if requested, served with fresh challah bread. Amazing place, owned by Jewish family with Jewish food yet, run by Mexicans so the Mexican dishes are outstanding. Best chilaquiles we have ever had. What a surprise.

Food is generally good, but they are also exceptional at consistently forgetting items in pickup orders. Their food is good, but there's no excuse for fumbling phone orders when you have the opportunity to write everything down and check it off as it is bagged.

This was my first time going there and I was accompanied by two children (ages 1 and 3). Our food took over 30 minutes to receive (I'm sure it would have been longer if I hadn't said something) and they messed up my order twice... if I was alone I could handle this, but it's extremely tough with two kids. Once we did get our food they forgot to bring out my bagel. Also, the seating is VERY crowded. Expect to be bumping into people or getting bumped into left and right. However, I still gave 2 stars because the food was excellent.. The service was just awful.

We had the bagel with egg and cheddar cheese it was amazing. Also the chocolate donut was rally good and service espectacular.