Battle of the Bagels

The pursuit of bagels in New York is a tale of long lines and well, longer lines. If you want a bagel in the big apple, you're going to have to wait.

New York is known for many things, one of those things being bagels; everyone knows this and as a result everyone goes in search of one every morning. To meet this demand, the city is home to hundreds, if not thousands of bagel shops. So, finding your bagel is easy; it's the ordering part thats hard.

If you're seasoned enough to know how you like it (scooped-out? toasted? with spread? sliced?) then all that stands in your way is the line.  And occasionally a snippy cashier (But with all the tourists and bagel enthusiasts, can you blame them? It's a mess out there.) I, however, am a patient consumer and am willing to bid my time when it comes to the perfect bagel.

I'll swim the Hudson and wade through any crowd in search of my breakfast bagel. Every bagel place in New York promises great service and an exceptional bagel. This isn't always the case. After surviving endless lines, you're sometimes greeted by a rock-solid disappointment that you break your jaw biting into. Or a crumbly mess that you can't believe you just paid for.

In my search I have found a few places that merit this dedication and have displayed products and service that truly deserve the title: New York's Best Bagel.