Giant, chewy NYC bagels w/ tons of cream cheese & sandwich options. Expect lines, but worth it!
Established in 1976, Ess-a-Bagel is a New York institution renowned for its exceptionally large and chewy bagels, complete with a delightful crust and soft interior. Despite often facing long queues, the experience is widely considered worth the wait, especially with their vast selection of 18 house-made cream cheese flavors and a full menu of hearty bagel sandwiches.
Ess-a-Bagel is celebrated for its substantial, chewy bagels that come with a variety of 18 house-made cream cheese flavors. While many recommend the classic bagel experience, some reviews suggest the quality can be inconsistent, with a few users finding them mid-tier or not worth the hype.
"Customers frequently recommend the classic bagels with a generous amount of cream cheese, as well as bagel sandwiches. The lox spread bagel and bagels with egg and cheese are also highlighted as good options."
Customers overwhelmingly praise the large, chewy bagels and extensive cream cheese options, though some find the establishment to be overhyped or occasionally inconsistent.
Important Note
Some customers feel the establishment is overhyped and not worth the long wait, with a few reviews suggesting the bagel quality is only average or inconsistent.
"This commenter mentioned Ess a bagel as a recommendation for lunch specials or buffet."
Neutral"The original Ess-A-Bagel is mentioned as being constantly busy but worth trying for bagels."
Positive"This user notes that Essa's bagel quality has declined since 2019, possibly due to a deal to supply pre-packaged bagels to various locations."
Negative"The original poster recalls having a good black and white cookie at Essa during a previous visit to the city, though they didn't actively seek out the 'best'."
Positive"The sauce on the pizza bagel was compared to Spaghetti-Os, which might be a comfort for some but unappealing to others. The cheese was better than Black Seed's, and the author chose an onion bagel which was deemed a fine choice."
Neutral"The commenter suggests contacting Ess-a-Bagel with photos if the bagels were unsatisfactory. They shared an experience with Goldbelly refunding a late cake delivery."
Neutral"The commenter has mixed feelings about Ess-a-Bagel, finding their bagels to be decent in flavor and texture but inconsistent in size. They prefer Utopia Bagel in Queens."
Neutral"The commenter believes Ess-a-Bagel's bagels are actually on the smaller side compared to other NYC bagel shops like Bagel Pub, which offer larger portions."
Negative"The commenter finds Ess-a-Bagel to be a tourist trap and recommends NY Jumbo Bagel nearby for better bagels and lox sandwiches, particularly with onions and capers."
Negative"The original poster clarifies that the Goldbelly package did not specify mini-bagels and that Goldbelly offered compensation. Their primary concern was whether Ess-a-Bagel had reduced its standard bagel size."
Neutral"Ess-a-Bagel does offer mini bagels. It's possible the original poster's sister mistakenly ordered the mini size instead of the regular ones."
Neutral"The original poster is seeking a balance in bagel size, preferring neither comically large nor excessively small bagels, aiming for what they consider a 'Goldilocks' size."
Neutral"The original poster acknowledged that while bagels might have been smaller in the past, the ones they received were not a return to an old-school style but rather a noticeable reduction in size."
Neutral"The commenter visited the Midtown Ess-a-Bagel location for the first time and found the bagel to be chewy and dry, which was a disappointing experience."
Negative"The commenter noted that NYC bagels have generally become oversized, preferring smaller ones. They mentioned a Brooklyn place making old-style bagels and that they opt for bialys over large, pillowy bagels."
Neutral"The original poster noted that the Goldbelly bagels were noticeably smaller than those from a local LA bagel shop, Bagel Nosh, and provided a photo for comparison."
Neutral"The commenter received Ess-a-Bagel bagels via Goldbelly, which were packaged in the company's standard plastic sleeves and were of the usual large size."
Neutral"The commenter agrees with the previous statement, noting similar issues with portion sizes for other items purchased through Goldbelly."
Neutral"The commenter inquired if the bagels were the size they used to be, to which the original poster clarified they were still smaller than expected and provided a comparison photo."
Neutral"The commenter states that their experience with Goldbelly orders for places like Buddy's Pizza and Milkbar has been very similar to the actual products. They assume items sold in grocery stores might differ."
Neutral
