Stefanie Y.
Yelp
Solid bagels. Spread Bagelry is always busy (on weekdays, weekends, for breakfast, even lunch), and I get why. I find Spread's bagels to be similar to those I had in Montreal, with that slightly denser texture and wood-fired taste. After a year away from Philly, I visited Spread late on a weekday morning on my way out of town and found Spread to be as tasty as always.
Bagel prices range from $3.50 for the basic bagel with cream cheese to $12 for a sizable pastrami bagel sandwich. I'm a fan of the nova scramble (scrambled egg and smoked salmon cream cheese for $8.50) and the Greek bagel sandwich special (salmon, tzatziki sauce, and red onion for ~$11), and my sister almost always goes for the standard (scrambled eggs, bacon, and cheese for $7). Spread's prices, though a bit high, are in line with other bagel places in Center City, and for me, their bagel sandwiches so filling, I can usually stretch them over breakfast and lunch.
There are some tables at in the front window and at the back of the place, but as seats are hard to come by, I usually get bagels to go. Because the place is so busy, the most popular bagel flavors (sesame apparently) often run out on the weekends, but on the flip side, the bagels are always super fresh. Service is not particularly friendly - just make sure you know what you're ordering before you get to the front of the line and you'll be fine. The ordering line moves pretty fast, but after that, prep time for each order does take another 15+ minutes.
I never felt like I had to write a review for Spread because they always have lines out the door, but their 3.5 star rating on Yelp surprised me. If you like bagels, can accept that Spread's bagels are Montreal-style, not New York-style, and are willing to wait a bit, I'd recommend stopping by Spread Bagelry for some toothsome, loaded bagel sandwiches.
P.S. If you go on the weekend, be prepared to be regaled by live accordion music while you stand in line.