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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Ultimately, I get it that this speeds up the process but it also allowed my hot bagel to completely liquify the cream cheese.
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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.
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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 |