Tal Bagels

Been going there for 17 years now. Bagels still as good as the first day I walked in the door. Service has gone down a little but still this it is very clean and they keep freshening up the place. Great salads. Toasted bagels? You don't toast a good bagel. Credit cards? For an average bill of less than 10 dollars? Come on....

Great Bagels! Their flat bagels are killer. No they don't toast because good bagels should not be toasted. The service is fine they get your order and your money quickly, what more do you need at a bagel place. Highly recommended, best bagels on the UES.

The food is very good-no problem here. The attitude of the people behind the counter is not welcoming, rushed, makes one feel like a number at a deli counter, for a sit down place they don't cater to consumers' needs: Won't scoop out a bagel, let alone toast one for you, make you feel like a moron if YOU don't know how THEY normally do things, no one smiles, they don't speak to you-they only speak at you in uptight terse comments. They need to completely revamp their "bedside manner" and treat customers like family and valued customers...my experience left me shocked, and I will avoid going there in the future. And how dare they NOT accept credit cards in 2008? No where is it clearly posted that they accept cash only-certainly not on the front door when you walk in! This place need a consultant and quick.

And these are the best. You should only toast bad bagels, so if you want yours toasted you should go back to the burbs. I cannot comment on the cold cuts, fruit salad or whatever, but the Bagels (go to the one at 1228 Lexington Ave, not listed on this site) are the best in the city at the moment. Crunchy outside, soft dense inside. Just right. A dollar each is too much but you get 3 free with a dozen so if you have a group it is great.

I like to go to Tal Bagels when it isn't very crowded. I am addicted to their flat bagles - sunflower seeded is the best! I always find the workers to be efficient. The variety is wonderful - cream cheeses, lox, etc. The chicken salad is fabuloso!!!! Fruit salad is nice and fresh. The atmostphere is such that you almost forget you are in New York City. I avoid Tal Bagles during the Saturday morning rush and when I see lots of Moms with baby strollers - those special requests are enough to drive anyone nuts! The bagels are so fresh that you don't need them toasted. (Come to think of it, if they did toast their bagels, people would complain about the wait!)

Went here on a Saturday morning, only bagel place ever to refuse to toast a bagel. Took around 10 minutes to get 2 bagels with cream cheese. Upon getting the bagels, they were rock hard. I will never go back here again.

Great atmosphere. They don't toast the bagels, the lox spread was mediocre at best and the muffins were lacking. The person didn't speak English very well and although I am a patient person, I don't like having to say plain bagel more than 3 times.