Tompkins Square Bagels has only been open since 2011 but it has become as big and iconic of a player in the New York bagel scene as Ess-a-Bagel or the now closed Absolute. It took Alphabet City by storm (an area that was in need of a fresh bagel shop) and has since expanded to three locations nearby.
It is only recently that I finally made it to Tompkins Square Bagels at a reasonable hour for a bagel. In fact, I actually found myself visiting two of their shops.
My first visit was to their second location a bit further west in the East Village, on 2nd Avenue. I was told nothing was hot exactly but was assured that everything was warm. The bagel I got was fine, but it was not exactly warm.
I received an adequate fresh everything bagel that mostly suffered from some uneven seasoning. I found it to be salty with little of the other flavorings able to shine.
It also was strangely sliced with one half much larger than the other sliver I was left with. Along with huge globs of cream cheese, none of these were major bagel crimes, but this experience didn’t blow me away as I had come to expect from this establishment.
So I returned a few months later and this time visited the original location on Avenue A.
I should mention both locations make bagels fresh on premises, which is a huge plus. The bagel making is a bit more on display at the original location so I was able to see as soon as something new came out of the oven.
And I immediately pointed to a stack of bagels which the guy taking the orders told me were onion bagels. So I picked one of those with scallion cream cheese and waited.
This was at the beginning of the line. I was surprised that by the time I got to the front of the line to pay, my bagel was prepared, wrapped up, and bagged. That meant it sat in that bag for a few minutes while I waited for the others in front of me to finish with their orders.
Ultimately, I get it that this speeds up the process but it also allowed my hot bagel to completely liquify the cream cheese.
I guess the bagel was so hot that the cream cheese didn’t stand a chance – especially as it had been wrapped up and sitting in the bag while I waited to pay.
But this is just about messy food which ultimately can really only make a food experience better, can’t it?
Again, I found the seasonings to be a bit sparse with little onion flavor (aside from the scallions in the cream cheese).
The bagel itself was wonderfully hot and fresh with a nice crunch, but I found it to be a bit tight without much chew. Again, it is an adequate bagel but just not sure it is still living up to the hype it once garnered.
That being said, of course, this is a properly made New York bagel and a neighborhood spot that is worth a visit in any of these neighborhoods.
Does Tompkins Square Bagels have the best bagels in NY? Some might say they do and while this is a good bagel and one I like to have on the scene, it was a bit underwhelming when compared to the hype with a few flaws here and there, but it receives a worthy 7.5 out of 10.
TOMPKINS SQUARE BAGELS |
165 Avenue A (between East 10th and East 11th Street), Alphabet City (646) 351-6520 |
184 Second Avenue (between East 11th and East 12th Street), East Village (917) 472-7639 |
23 East 17th Street (between Broadway and Fifth Avenue), Union Square (646) 978-9088 |
tompkinssquarebagels.com |