Local Eats: The Best Bagels on Campus
Here’s the criteria: The shop must be within what I think are the “official” NYU campus boundaries: between 14th Street and Houston and between Sixth Avenue and Third Avenue. Bagels must be the main thing they sell, therefore eliminating bodegas and breakfast carts. It also eliminates Starbucks, but they were mostly disqualified because their bagels are disgusting. Local’s co-EIC Zoe Haylock wanted me to rank McDonald’s bagels on here, but, personally, I found that ask to be anti-Semitic. Ranked from lowest to highest, these are the campus bagel spots.
5. Bagel Bob’s (10th & University)
Look, Bagel Bob’s is good, I like their bagels a lot, but it’s cash only, which is dumb and ridiculous and puts them at the bottom of this list.
4. Brooklyn Bagel & Coffee Company (Eighth & Mercer)
They’re new and I’ve only had them once, so take this opinion with a grain of salt: their bagels are a little thin. I don’t know, it just wasn’t fluffy enough for me. Again, I will need to try them so more before having a concrete opinion, but that was my first impression.
3. Bagel Belly (14th & Third)
Bagel Belly has a hole-in-the-wall atmosphere but their bagels have always satisfied me. And of all the shops on this list, they have the most options so if you like niche bagels and toppings they’re the place for you.
2. Ray’s Pizza & Bagel (St. Mark’s & Third)
I know this one is absurdly high, but Ray’s bagels have texture and I love that. The only reason they’re not number one is because I would never, ever feel safe ordering lox from them.
1. Murray’s Bagels (13th & Sixth)
Murray’s is great, even though it’s the furthest out of the way for most people (not me; I live around the block). Their bagels are fluffy, always toasted to perfection, and they put lots and lots of cream cheese on that sucker! A+ all around.
