Are you searching for the best bagels on Long Island? As locals, we’re rounding up our favorite traditional and unique Long Island bagels.
Long Islanders love one delicacy. Bagels. And we are just a bit more than opinionated about our favorites.
But we can promise you one thing – our thirty years of bagel research as Long Islanders hasn’t failed us yet. It’s hard work, but we’re willing to do it. For you…
But first, WHY are some of the best bagels on Long Island? It all boils, quite literally, down to one thing: boiling the bagel before it’s baked to perfection. Most storefronts outside of New York City and Long Island simply bake the bagels, while Long Islanders have retained the more authentic European cooking style. It’s less about what’s in the water, and more about using it in the first place.
So, which bagel joints have mastered the authentic New York cooking style? Where can you sit and stay a while, listening to jazz music? And where can you snag fun flavors, supreme egg sandwiches, or the original flagel?
We’ll also be covering the most unique Long Island bagels. Think jalapeño, cheddar, rainbow, and sun dried tomato bagels.
Plus you can’t forget about traditional Long Island bagels. If you’ve ever tasted a simple, but fresh plain bagel, you know.
We suggest ordering your bagels fresh, with a smear of butter, or lightly toasted with cream cheese. Long Island bagel joints love to mix up their cream cheeses, too. You’ll likely find veggie, scallion, cinnamon raisin, strawberry, and others to pair with your bagel.
You can’t go wrong, though, with lox and cream cheese, or an egg sandwich on a bagel. Sunday mornings were made for a bacon, egg, and cheese on a sesame bagel. Or a pumpernickel with butter and American cheese. Or an egg everything with chicken salad and hot sauce.
But first, let’s talk about where you can find the absolute best bagels on Long Island.
Where Are The Best Long Island Bagels?
Bagel Boss
Best of Long Island, which annually ranks everything from food to medical professionals, has crowned Bagel Boss as having the best bagels on Long Island for the last few years.
With 15 locations across Nassau and Suffolk County, Bagel Boss has Long Islander’s covered with their fresh kosher bagels. The CEO is also the creator of the trademarked “Flagel,” a flat, crunchier bagel that tastes amazing and is ideal for bagel spreads.
- Search all of Bagel Boss’s locations | (516) 569-8600
Strathmore
Strathmore is known for being a slightly upscale bagel café. With jazz music piping through, and an aquarium to gaze at, Stratmore is more of a “sit and stay a while” than a “to-go” bagel joint (though you can always grab a dozen for the road).
Their trendy environment, though, certainly doesn’t take away from the fact that Stratmore serves up some of the best bagels on Long Island. Along with their popular bakery items, Strathmore is continually renowned as a Long Island favorite for good reason.
- Strathmore is located at 1879 Lakeland Ave. Ronkonkoma, NY | (631) 585-9114
Long Island Bagel Café
Long Island Bagel Café’s philosophy is simple: old fashioned, kettle cooked, and baked to perfection. Their simple, timeless bagels speak for themselves, across nine Long Island locations.
Stop in for a bacon, egg, and cheese bagel sandwich or, Tori’s personal favorite, a black Russian (extra dark pumpernickel) bagel with butter and American cheese.
For Long Island bagels in Nassau County, Gabby’s only opened its doors in 2000, but has quickly risen in the ranks. In addition to fresh bagels daily, Gabby’s serves hot breakfast and brews its renowned iced coffee daily. Unlike others, Gabby’s doesn’t just offer bagels to go. Customers wishing to sit down can be served by a wait staff.
Out of towners are in luck, too; Gabby’s ships overnight straight to your doorstep!
- Gabby’s Gourmet Bagelatessen Gabby’s Gourmet Bagelatessen is located at 8025 Jericho Turnpike Woodbury, NY | (516) 496-9000
A&S Bagels
According to top radio station Z100, A&S has the best Long Island bagels. Cooked in the traditional New York style, A&S proudly offers fun flavors, like blueberry, sun dried tomato, cheddar cheese, and jalepeno, in addition to the standards.
The storefront in Franklin Square is open 24/7, but A&S ships to most of the continental US, as well. They also sells bagels wholesale to other bagel joints, pre boiled, making them one of the top suppliers in the industry.
- A&S Bagels is located at 761 Hempstead Turnpike Franklin Square, NY | (516) 326-9288
Hand Rolled Bagels
Those living in Queens are in luck since Hand Rolled Bagels, in New Hyde Park, serves some of the absolute best bagels on Long Island. Opening first in the 90s and gaining popularity by advertising “free bagels,” Hand Rolled Bagels has since gained a loyal (and paying) following.
In addition to their perfectly fluffy bagels, the unassuming shop serves some of New Hyde Park’s best coffee and the staff proudly refers to themselves as coffee snobs.
- Hand Rolled Bagels is located at 930 Hillside Avenue New Hyde Park, NY | (516) 352-1313
Town Bagel
Though Town Bagel self proclaims that they’re more than just a bagel shop, they still serve great, classic Long Island bagels. Family owned and operated since the 1970s, they serve bagels, sandwiches, salads, soups, breakfast, and lunch.
Town Bagel was one of the first of its kind on Long Island, with hot coffee and an eat in dining area, and it has since expanded to serve Long Islanders across four locations.
Bagel Gallery
Open 24 hours a day, Bagel Gallery has been a community fixture since the 1980s. Still family owned and operated, Bagel Gallery, also known as 24 Hour Hot Bagels, prides itself on its old fashioned roots and in giving back to the community.
Commuters on Long Island will love their $3 commuter special of a buttered bagel and hot coffee!
- Bagel Gallery is located at 75 Route 111 Smithtown, NY | (631) 360-8406
Where do you score some of the best bagels on Long Island? How do you take your bagels?
As locals, we’ve frequented all of the places listed, and a few (or a lot of) others, searching for our favorites. And, of course, we continually update our content when new favorite pop up on our radar.
Let us know in the comments section which Long Island bagels are your favorite.
Do over ! Try the eccentric bagel on shelter Island. It’s sinful
Author
Thanks for the suggestion! We’ll certainly try them out.