The 18 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 garlic challah. 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 olives. Top the bagels with seasonal “schmears” (e.g., sweet potato) and jams (such as mixed berry cranberry).

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 and offers them to bake at home if you want to stock up. For an Instagrammable hit, the rainbow bagel is an attention getter that’s sure to garner likes. There’s a variety of housemade 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 and French onion soup.

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 Vienna beef bagel dogs, sweet bagel bites and dog treats. Stop in Fridays for a sourdough challah.

Baker Miller transformed into Bagel Miller last year after testing the concept during COVID lockdown. Both the original Lincoln Square location and a stall in Revival Food Hall offer traditional bagel sandwiches featuring smoked salmon and pastrami plus a variety of schmears including giardiniera or gochujang. You’ll also find favorites from Megan and Dave Miller’s original concept like chocolate chip cookies, muffins and doughboys.

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.

If a vegan Jewish deli sounds perplexing, well … you’re not alone. But Sam & Gertie’s manages to successfully put a unique spin on an old-school experience. Whether you're a carnivore or not, everyone can appreciate the bagels made here, available in flavors like sesame, mish mosh (everything) and salt and poppy. There are also wheat-free bagels for those with dietary restrictions. Need something heartier? Grab a vegan lox or breakfast sandwich.

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).

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. 

This environmentally-conscious Lincoln Square takeout window 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.

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.

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.