@thebagelbitchh Takes Philadelphia
Written by: Jane Morgan
Shot by Annabel Kiley
Looking for a bagel shop in Philadelphia to add to your Sunday morning ritual after a night out? Jane Morgan, known as @thebagelbitchh on Instagram, has got you covered. Follow her along on her quest to find the best bagels in the city, comparable to those of New Jersey (yes, you read that right!), and steer you clear of the worst.
My name is Jane Morgan, and I live in Medford and Ocean City, New Jersey, home to my two favorite bagel shops of all time: Medford Bagel Shop and Dead End Bakehouse. Bagels are my absolute favorite breakfast food of all time, and in my 21 years, I have eaten close to 8,000 of them, so I consider myself an expert. Philadelphia has exploded with bagels in the past few years, and I deemed it necessary to report on the good, mediocre, and repulsive of the Philly bagel scene.
I have considered the following for an exceptional bagel (on par with my favorite Jersey ones). The texture of the outer shell must have a crunch, not overly hard, but not soft enough to bite into without being able to hear it. The inner dough needs to feel soft and airy in texture, and if it is chewy and too firm, it throws off the taste of the bagel. The outer shell to inner dough ratio must be a 2:1, slightly more dough than the shell. The cream cheese amount has to be less than the thickness of the bagel, but enough to create a whole layer on its own that’s visible when cut open. The flavor of the cream cheese cannot be too bitter but should not taste sweet in any way. The bagel should be toasted enough that it is warm and crispy, but not too much that it is too hard to bite or too hot to melt the cream cheese. The size of the bagel should be easy to hold in one hand, but not any smaller. Most importantly, the bagel must be able to cure the deathly hangovers that come following a Saturday night as a college student in the city; otherwise, what’s the point of eating it?
Keeping this in mind, here are the best (and worst) places to get a good bagel in Philadelphia. Trust me, your tastebuds (and hangover) will thank me later.
Bart’s Bagels | 3945 Lancaster Ave
Simply put, Bart’s is the closest thing to a New Jersey bagel I’ve found in Philadelphia and revived my will to live through a hangover while at college. While I know they have the best pork roll, egg, and cheese in the city, I had to go back to the roots of the plain bagel with plain cream cheese, which lived up to the bagel sandwich equally. The crisp outer shell combined with the hot, fluffy inner dough and rich, half-melted cream cheese will heal your soul, regardless of what you did the night before. The size of the bagel is the perfect amount to fill you up but not overstuff you. On top of the fact that they hold the title of my favorite bagel in Philly, the shop owner is so pleasant and is always outside to offer customers extra napkins.
Grade: 4.6/5
Outer shell texture: 1 2 3 4 5
Inner dough texture: 1 2 3 4 5
Shell to dough ratio: 1 2 3 4 5
Cream cheese amount: 1 2 3 4 5
Cream cheese flavor: 1 2 3 4 5
Toast level: 1 2 3 4 5
Size: 1 2 3 4 5
Spread Bagelry | 3602 Chestnut St
Whenever I’m asked where I want to go get bagels while at school, my response is always “anywhere except for Spread.” While a popular bagel joint among my college friends, I find that they call themselves a bagelry repulsive. Not only is the tiny portion not worth the $7 (yes, a plain bagel with cream cheese was $7) I spent on it, but the cream cheese was so bitter I couldn’t even stomach half of it. While the inner dough was the perfect texture, the outer shell was so soft that it felt undercooked, with flour even sticking to my fingers. This is not the place to go if you want to get an enjoyable bagel.
Grade: 2.1/5
Outer shell texture: 1 2 3 4 5
Inner dough texture: 1 2 3 4 5
Shell to dough ratio: 1 2 3 4 5
Cream cheese amount: 1 2 3 4 5
Cream cheese flavor: 1 2 3 4 5
Toast level: 1 2 3 4 5
Size: 1 2 3 4 5
Knead Bagels | 725 Walnut St
Although known for their surprising bagel sandwich ingredient combinations, such as their old bay chicken salad sandwich with pickles and salt and vinegar chips (on the bagel!), their plain bagel with cream cheese was disappointing. The cream cheese had a very odd taste, almost nutty or woody, and on the sweeter side. There was also far too much of it that it was spilling through the bagel hole. On the other hand, the shell to dough ratio was ideal, and the inner dough was soft yet still firm. The small bagel was toasted flawlessly, but the taste wasn’t satisfying plain. Knead is the place to go for a lunch bagel sandwich, but not if you’re looking for classic cream cheese.
Grade: 2.9/5
Outer shell texture: 1 2 3 4 5
Inner dough texture: 1 2 3 4 5
Shell to dough ratio: 1 2 3 4 5
Cream cheese amount: 1 2 3 4 5
Cream cheese flavor: 1 2 3 4 5
Toast level: 1 2 3 4 5
Size: 1 2 3 4 5
Philly Bagels | 1811 John F. Kennedy Blvd
The JFK Blvd. location of the Philly Bagels chain offers a mediocre bagel. While the outer shell to inner dough ratio was on point and the amount of cream cheese was perfect for the size of the bagel, the cream cheese tasted sweet, almost more like it was icing. I did appreciate the firmness of the cream cheese, as it didn’t completely melt by the heat of the toasted bagel, but the outer shell of the bagel was quite soft. Although it is a chain, I can confidently say that other locations of Philly Bagels present a better bagel option, so if you come here, stick to the sweet cream cheese flavors.
Grade: 3.1/5
Outer shell texture: 1 2 3 4 5
Inner dough texture: 1 2 3 4 5
Shell to dough ratio: 1 2 3 4 5
Cream cheese amount: 1 2 3 4 5
Cream cheese flavor: 1 2 3 4 5
Toast level: 1 2 3 4 5
Size: 1 2 3 4 5
Bagels and Co. | 1001 N 2nd St
If you live in Northern Liberties, consider yourself lucky to be close to Bagels and Co.! There is not a single aspect of this bagel to complain about. The perfectly toasted outer shell and warm, doughy inside paired perfectly with the soft, rich cream cheese. It is the ideal size to fill you up for breakfast after a long night out, and the amount of cream cheese is just enough and won’t leave you feeling nauseated. I guarantee any bagel from here tastes amazing based solely on how they do a plain one.
Grade: 4.6/5
Outer shell texture: 1 2 3 4 5
Inner dough texture: 1 2 3 4 5
Shell to dough ratio: 1 2 3 4 5
Cream cheese amount: 1 2 3 4 5
Cream cheese flavor: 1 2 3 4 5
Toast level: 1 2 3 4 5
Size: 1 2 3 4 5
Philly Style Bagels | 218 Arch St
Whatever taste comes to the mouth when you think of a genuinely fresh-baked, artisan bagel is how I would describe the taste of this one. The yeasty, oven-baked flavor is so satisfying and is elevated even more by the smooth, sharp taste of the cream cheese. However, a little small, the crunch of the outer shell mixed with the soft inner dough won’t leave you feeling hungry after finishing one. Philly Style Bagels doesn’t come to play with their essential pairings!
Grade: 4.4/5
Outer shell texture: 1 2 3 4 5
Inner dough texture: 1 2 3 4 5
Shell to dough ratio: 1 2 3 4 5
Cream cheese amount: 1 2 3 4 5
Cream cheese flavor: 1 2 3 4 5
Toast level: 1 2 3 4 5
Size: 1 2 3 4 5
The Bagel Place | 404 Queen St
The first bite of a bagel from The Bagel Place is capable of quite literally completely curing a raging hangover (trust me). This bagel tasted almost exactly like the ones I can get at my hometown bagel shop, which is an extremely high compliment. The inside is super doughy and soft, and the outside is thin and crispy. Perfectly flavored cream cheese is tough to come by in Philadelphia, but The Bagel Place’s fits the bill for this description, although next time, I would ask for a little less, as the amount of it was overwhelming and messy to eat. My only wish is more dough on the inside, but overall, I have no words for how amazing this bagel tasted.
Grade: 4.1/5
Outer shell texture: 1 2 3 4 5
Inner dough texture: 1 2 3 4 5
Shell to dough ratio: 1 2 3 4 5
Cream cheese amount: 1 2 3 4 5
Cream cheese flavor: 1 2 3 4 5
Toast level: 1 2 3 4 5
Size: 1 2 3 4 5
NY Bagel & Deli Shop | 1120 Buttonwood St
What you get when you order off the screen from this bagel shop is precisely what you’d expect walking into the tiny, gas station-looking establishment. This very mediocre bagel gets the job done of suppressing hunger, but is not truly satisfying. The bagel itself had a chewy texture, which is not ideal. The taste of the cream cheese was slightly bitter, and there was a very overwhelming amount. Although it was a great size, reasonably large for the price, and well-toasted, it was simply not great. The best way to describe the taste is a moderately elevated gas station bagel.
Grade: 3.1/5
Outer shell texture: 1 2 3 4 5
Inner dough texture: 1 2 3 4 5
Shell to dough ratio: 1 2 3 4 5
Cream cheese amount: 1 2 3 4 5
Cream cheese flavor: 1 2 3 4 5
Toast level: 1 2 3 4 5
Size: 1 2 3 4 5
Coffee House Too | 2514 E York St #3647
Although not made in-house, Coffee House Too gets its bagels from Kismet, a Philly-based bagel company that wholesales their bagels to shops around the city. I was super excited to try them as they are well known in the area, but was overall disappointed at the taste. The outer shell was very soft and offered no crunch even after being toasted. The bagel was extremely small, and you would need to eat more than one to satisfy your hunger. While the cream cheese was flavorful and had the perfect tang, there was too much for the small bagel. The bagel itself was too sweet in flavor to be plain. Simply put, it tasted like an average store-bought bagel.
Grade: 2.9/5
Outer shell texture: 1 2 3 4 5
Inner dough texture: 1 2 3 4 5
Shell to dough ratio: 1 2 3 4 5
Cream cheese amount: 1 2 3 4 5
Cream cheese flavor: 1 2 3 4 5
Toast level: 1 2 3 4 5
Size: 1 2 3 4 5
Lost Bread Co. | 1313 N Howard St
If you’re looking for a cozy atmosphere along with an authentic artisan bagel, Lost Bread Café is the place for you. Their bagels are made with in-house flour and baked with so much care that they don’t need to be toasted. The grainy version of the plain bagel makes for a different taste than a typical bagel shop, and dare I say...better. Although on the smaller side, the doughy inside combined with the crisp outside provides the perfect bite. The amount of cream cheese was slightly overwhelming for the size of the bagel, but the sharp flavor made up for it. The Walnut St. location pictured below is unfortunately closed, but luckily they still have another location in Fishtown!
Grade: 3.4/5
Outer shell texture: 1 2 3 4 5
Inner dough texture: 1 2 3 4 5
Shell to dough ratio: 1 2 3 4 5
Cream cheese amount: 1 2 3 4 5
Cream cheese flavor: 1 2 3 4 5
Toast level: 1 2 3 4 5
Size: 1 2 3 4 5