Upper West Side Bagel Crawl

One rainy Saturday, we set out on a mission to find the best edition of two NYC bagel staples: A classic Bacon Egg and Cheese sandwich on an everything bagel, and a plain cream cheese bagel. Our criteria for each bagel were simple: does the bagel itself have the perfect, thin, crisp crust that gives way to a dense, chewy, but also tender inside? Is the cream cheese smooth enough and sweet and tangy at the same time? Is the ratio of bacon to egg to cheese balanced? 

The first stop on our crawl was Bagel Talk, a small, no-frills bagel shop with 10 types of cream cheese and several spreads. The cream cheese bagel ($3.80) had a decent crisp on the outside that gave way to a soft and chewy inside, although the bagel itself was somewhat flat. The cream cheese was not mind blowing and a little too tangy for our taste, but the bagel was hot off the toaster and tasty overall. The BEC ($9.75) had the same crunchy outside and soft inside, but came toasted even though we did not ask. The bagel itself also could have used some more everything seasoning and been a bit bigger. There was a good helping of bacon, but ultimately the BEC was very average. 

Next was Bagels & Co., a kosher deli with indoor seating, a pizza oven with pies available, and the usual deli fare including plentiful spreads and cream cheeses. The cream cheese bagel ($4.25) was not as crispy as we hoped but had a very nice chew. The cream cheese itself was fluffy and had great flavor and the whole bagel was nice and large. Because Bagels & Co. is kosher, they did not have bacon and thus we ordered a simple egg and cheese ($6.00). The bagel was similarly large and of good quality, with the same lack of crunch but a good chew. The everything seasoning was mostly sesame, however, but the egg to cheese ratio was near perfect.  

Egg and Cheese from Bagels & Co.

Third on our journey was Modern Bread and Bagel, a gluten-free, kosher, and vegan establishment that was lively and bustling when we walked in. They had covered outdoor seating and free water, and our expectations were initially high. We were slightly disappointed by the high prices we saw on the menu, and accordingly our vegan BEC ($10.50) and vegan cream cheese bagel ($6.00) were exorbitantly priced. Almost instantly, the BEC was almost surprisingly bad. There was a verbal “yikes” after the first bites were taken, with the tiny bagel being the worst of the whole crawl. The bagel was almost the consistency of a mealy apple, with no crisp on the outside, no chew on the inside, and even poor flavor. There was far too much cheese, the bacon predictably did not taste like bacon and more like bad parmesan chips, and the onion in the everything seasoning was burnt. The cream cheese was surprisingly okay, but unfortunately decent cream cheese could not save an otherwise horrid experience. We were baffled by the end of our day that Modern Bread and Bagel had been far and away the most crowded establishment given its lackluster offerings. 

Cream Cheese Bagel from Modern Bread and Bagel

The second to last stop on the crawl was H&H Bagels, a very clean and modern shop with indoor seating and a peculiar chemical smell. The BEC ($8.45) was a bit soggy and not really toasted despite us asking, with the bagel itself being slightly on the smaller side as well. There was a good amount of bacon and egg but slightly too much cheese, and there could have been more and more flavorful everything seasoning. The cream cheese bagel ($4.45) also did not taste toasted, but the cream cheese stayed fluffy even after taking half to go. Both bagels tasted of lower quality, as if school cafeteria bagels, however, making the overall experience disappointing. 

Bacon Egg and Cheese from H&H

Lastly, we visited Broad Nosh Bagels, a sizable deli with outdoor seating and every single deli, spread, and cream cheese option you could ask for. The cream cheese bagel ($4.63) came out fresh from the oven and was served immediately, but strangely the BEC ($9.00) took an incredibly long time to make. Luckily, the latter was decidedly the best of the entire crawl, with perfectly crispy bacon, the perfect ratio of cheese and egg, and a superb bagel that met all criteria. The cream cheese bagel was similarly excellent, having the perfect crisp and chew. Our only complaint with the cream cheese was that it constantly dripped out as the bagel itself was piping hot and fresh. 

Final Ranking:
1. Broad Nosh

2. Bagels & Co. 

3. H&H Bagels

4. Bagel Talk

5. Modern Bread and Bagel