The 22 best bagels in Chicago

Don’t take our word for it—any Jew or New Yorker can tell you the best bagel in Chicago is not in Chicago. It’s in Lincolnwood, at a nondescript strip mall just off I-94. This place is open 24 hours Friday and Saturday and until 11pm the rest of the week. It doesn’t have tables, which is why if you’re looking for us, we’ll be in our car in the parking lot, inhaling a bagel sandwich with Nova lox and clutching a bag of still-warm salt-and-poppy and sesame bagels for later.

You’ll want to arrive at pastry queen Mindy Segal’s Wicker Park bakery bright and early in the morning (seriously, they sell out quickly) for first dibs on wonderful bagels and bialys, which are available in standard and rotating flavors like za'atar. The gluten-free bagels sell out even faster. And don’t forget the giardiniera cream cheese, either.

Though it takes inspiration from classic Jewish delis, Steingold’s is nothing like the places your bubbe would’ve frequented back in the day. Chef Aaron Steingold’s contemporary deli doesn’t conform to tradition (there’s even a bacon-egg-cheese sandwich on the menu) and his New York-style bagels are simply exceptional. Made from a recipe that was developed and refined over several years, they’re considered by many to be one of the city’s best. Pair them with the meat and fish that are smoked and cured in-house for an impeccable combination.

Reno offers Montreal-style bagels, which are wood-fired, smaller and slightly sweeter than their New York counterparts. They’re mostly vegan and come with an array of toppings, such as poppy seeds and Old Bay. Top the bagels with mixed berry jam or an array of schmears like sweet potato or whipped feta.

Chicagoans and New Yorkers don’t see eye-to-eye on a lot of things, but even locals can agree a chewy and crusty New York bagel is hard to beat. Due to differences in the water supply between the two cities, this Lakeview shop imports its products from the East Coast and then bakes them on site. For an Instagrammable hit, the rainbow bagel is an attention getter that’s sure to garner likes. There’s a variety of cream cheese flavors to spread on them including bacon cheddar and brown sugar & cinnamon.

This cult favorite from Madison, Wisconsin expanded to Chicago a few years ago and now has several locations around town. Despite its origins, the bagels are authentically New York-style, meaning they’re large, soft and chewy. If you’re ordering for a group, the platters are a great option and come with a dozen bagels plus lox, tuna or pastrami and veggies.

Hannah Tillett is the driving force behind Tilly Bagel Shop, which is responsible for some of the best doughy delights in the city. After working in several high-profile kitchens, the pandemic pushed the pastry chef to start her own virtual bagel business, which added a brick-and-mortar shop in the South Loop in 2023. Hannah and her husband Mike serve up Chicago-style sourdough bagels, offering traditional flavors along with novel options like cacio e pepe, plus a new flavor every week.

Located in a tiny space next to Piece Brewery & Pizzeria, Brobagel is a venture from Piece owner Bill Jacobs, who ran a local chain of bagel shops, Jacobs Bros. Bagels, with his brothers in Chicago in the ‘80s and ‘90s, before selling it. Now he’s back with Brobagel, which offers seven kinds of bagels, six spreads, and a menu of breakfast sandwiches. Try the spicy-sweet sriracha spread on the garlic bagel, which is studded with bits of garlic, and has a pleasantly chewy texture.

A pandemic sourdough starter served as the genesis for this Ravenswood bakery. Rachel and Adam Beltzman have come a long way from hand rolling, boiling and baking bagels at home, adding a commercial kitchen in River West to keep up with demand. You’ll find all the deli classics like Nova lox, pastrami and tuna salad along with bagel dogs, scones and dog treats. Stop in Saturday or Sunday for a cinnamon roll.

The success of owner Corey Kaplan's chain relies on its kettle-boiled bagels: They're just chewy enough, just dense enough and just sweet enough to give New Yorkers a run for their money. Get them as a bagel sandwich, such as the classic with Nova lox, capers, cucumbers, tomato and red onion.

Swing by any day of the week to snag a kettle-boiled bagel and a brown sugar cinnamon latte to go, or linger with your laptop and get a jalapeno cheddar or blueberry bagel toasted and served with the housemade garlic chive or giardiniera cream cheese. Open since 2014, this chill spot near DePaul offers a variety of hearty bagel sandwiches like their signature Bageler, a mix of bacon, egg and muenster cheese, or the vegan Gardener layered with fire-roasted peppers, cucumber, lettuce and onion. 

Baker Miller transformed into Bagel Miller after testing the concept during COVID lockdown. The Lincoln Square shop offers traditional bagel sandwiches featuring smoked salmon and pastrami plus a variety of schmears including giardiniera or scallion. You’ll also find a wide selection of drinks including La Colombe brown sugar coconut cold brew and hot honey green tea. Enjoy them inside while getting some work on your laptop or at one of the picnic tables on their shady patio.

After a two-year hiatus, Rye Deli & Drink reopened inside the Crowne Plaza Chicago West Loop hotel in 2023 and added dinner and drinks to the menu. Visit in the morning for Big Shoulders Coffee and bagels overflowing with smoked salmon, pastrami or bacon and egg, with rich schmears like melted leak or salted maple. Park yourself at a booth with your laptop or place an order ahead of time and just grab your bag from the pickup counter.

Blending both traditional and modern ideologies, this 21-seat Jewish deli is the culmination of owner Jake Schneider's dreams. Attached to the Ohio House Motel in River North, the restaurant offers all of the usual suspects—bagels, lox, corned beef, matzo ball soup—alongside time-tested recipes with a contemporary spin, like a charred eggplant sandwich.

Open for over 30 years, this environmentally-conscious Lincoln Square spot uses all compostable packaging and will be extra happy if you bring a travel mug for your housemade chai or latte sweetened with Canadian maple syrup. Pick up a bagel sandwich loaded with fried ham, Nova lox or Beyond Meat veggie sausage along with a bread pudding made from leftover bits of bagels and croissants baked with either cherries or sauteed mushrooms and onions.

After a fire forced it to close in 2011, this classic deli (which originally opened in 1955) rose from its ashes. Traditional Jewish breads—bagels, rye bread—are Kaufman’s foundation and form the base for dozens of deli sandwiches, such as the New York Special (thinly sliced corned beef with chopped liver—ask for mustard, too).

Established in the early ‘50s, The Bagel is a classic diner and deli that delivers homey delights. As the name suggests, bagels are a must-get here and you should definitely grab some smoked whitefish or a lox platter to go with them. Don’t just take our word for it—there are seven decades of happy customers backing us up.

The flavors of specialty bagels change weekly at this Oak Park shop, where diners plan ahead to stop in when they want their maple bacon or vegan kalamata olive rosemary fix. You’ll always find plenty of classic soft and chewy New York-style bagels available by the dozen or as part of sandwiches like the Sweet & Tart made with goat cheese cream cheese, apple and honey, or the Dude piled with roast beef, lettuce and tomato.

Wine and cheese shop All Together Now makes its own hand-rolled plain and everything bagels for weekend brunch, serving them with plain or scallion cream cheese, or as a sandwich with lox, onion cream cheese, capers and pickled shallot. Enjoy it with some coffee or a glass of natural wine, but be sure to arrive early because the bagels regularly sell out. Browse the selection of snacks, preserves and salami to find something for your next picnic.

Family-owned restaurant Max and Benny’s has been dishing out deli staples for more than 35 years, serving bagel sandwiches with lox or soft salami plus lox boxes for those who prefer to customize their ratio of bread to cream cheese to fish. The 280-seat dining room has plenty of room for large gatherings, though you can also pick up a party platter for a big bagel brunch at home.

Evanstonians were hungry for high quality Jewish deli fare that didn’t require a drive to Skokie or Northbrook, and Mensch’s Deli delivered first with a pop-up and then with a brick-and-mortar location that opened in July. Bagels from New York Bagel & Bialy are served open-faced to better show off their toppings, which include nova, whitefish salad and slices of heirloom tomatoes. Add on a latke with applesauce and sour cream for a real taste of tradition.

A North Shore favorite that boasts multiple locations, Once Upon a Bagel offers a wide variety of full-size and mini bagels, including pretzel, chocolate chip and garlic alongside equally eclectic schmears such as strawberry, jalapeno and cucumber chive. There are skinny versions for those who want just a little less bread with their lox and catering platters for feeding a crowd.