Empire Bagels
“There is no indoors for this place, this is strictly for the walk up buy and move on.”
“The blueberry tends to sell out quick, so keep that in mind-however all their assorted varieties are pretty much going to satisfy.”
“For get Dunkin Donuts, this place is a hidden gem.These bagels have flavor & soft, including their bialy's. The range of flavor is better than average.”
Empire Bagels
Take-out: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Price range.
$ Price range Inexpensive
5 reviews
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Being a New York native, I've an instinctual fondness for bagels, and a sense of gourmet discrimination.
The bagels at Empire Bagels are the best I've ever had, by far.
The greatest thing about them is you can see how they're made. When I first arrived I saw all the new bagels being freshly baked. I like seeing the entire cooking process, it's entertaining.
You'll need all the entertainment you can get, because there's no seating or indoor room for customers. You do everything from outside. Which can be a pain during cold months such as now! But there's something quaint about it.
They don't have a lot of variety here. Beverages are limited. I was pleasantly surprised that they had green tea, but they put sugar in my green tea without even asking me! Who puts sugar in green tea? Maybe a little honey, but not sugar!
Also it can be a bit unsettling to see cooks without hairnets or hats. My dad is a neatnik, so I'm not sure if he appreciated seeing that (I ate doshas off newspapers at Indian train stations so I don't care so much).
Also there's a little kitty that goes inside! Some may find that unsettling but I found it very endearing.
It's tough for me to give this place a numerical rating.
On the one hand it's got some negatives such as no seating, lax rules for look of cleanliness, and limited beverages.
On the other hand, the presentation is unique, nostalgic and endearing. And best bagels ever!
So I'll give them 5 stars.
hands down best bagels and ice coffee in NYC! there is no competition. i live for my sunday everything bagel with scallion cream cheese & french vanilla ice coffee. i am a bagel addict & have tried bagels at tons of places, and no other bagels come close.
My friend lives a few blocks away, and I was craving carbs and cream cheese for breakfast. 🙂 They have a cute little walk-up window type situation going on here, but I'm sure it's less than pleasant in the winter. Their bagels are freshly baked, with a light and almost fluffy texture. Can't go wrong with their whole wheat and lox spread, which doesn't skimp on the smoked salmon. Maybe I'm just used to Queens being crazy expensive for smaller bagels, but my jaw almost dropped when he paid less than $9 for three. Soooo cheap! My only complaint would be their cash-only policy, and the fact that they close at noon. Selection isn't very good by 11am, as they've already sold out of most of their variety.
So I must admit I got my french toast bagel with cream cheese at 11:30 which is 30 minutes before they closed, it wasn't hot or toasted, which is what I would have preferred. The selection was limited because most of the popular bagels sold out and they were out of lox cream cheese. I had my coffee light and sweet, after having tons of spanish cafe con leche this coffee seemed a little watered down, must admit service was great with a nice big smile. Maybe you gotta get here bright and early to truly enjoy the experience of the fresh bagels.
The best bagels in the Bronx hands down – you can't beat them.
Empire Bagels is the definition of no frills – they really don't have a storefront, all ordering is made via a walkup window. In addition to bagels, they have a number of different cream cheeses which are also very good.
The bagels are made onsite, and like other Yelpers said there's something about getting them at the source which makes them extra special. My favorite is eating them within the same day of buying them, they're soft, chewy, warm, and delicious – I don't even need cream cheese or butter I'll eat it straight. Their selection is great too; plain, sesame, poppy seed, onion, everything, cinnamon raisin – they have most standard bagel flavors.
I'm always happy eating a bagel from Empire Bagels, get a hold of these gems if you have the chance!