5 Best Bagel Shops in Chicago (2026)

Independently ranked by our review of ratings, reviews and reputation · How we chose

By Thorne Savarin, Culinary Explorer · ✓ Data verified July 2026 · 8 min read

Search for bagel shops in Chicago and you get a real mix: sourdough specialists, a deli that has served Chicago-style bagels for decades, and coffee shops that added a bagel sandwich to the menu somewhere along the way. Between the spots on this page, reviewers have left just over 4,000 Google reviews, and ratings run tight, 4.3 to 4.6, so the real question is which one actually bakes its own bagels rather than reheating someone else's.

Short answer: Hero Coffee and Bagel Bar leads on review volume at 4.6 stars across 1,045 reviews for its alley-side coffee shop bagel sandwiches, while Tilly Bagel Shop (4.6, 888 reviews) is the closest thing to a true bagel specialist, hand-rolling sourdough Chicago-style bagels fresh every morning. The Bagel Restaurant and Deli has run since long before either, holding a 4.3 rating across 974 reviews as a classic Jewish deli. Expect roughly $10 to $20 a person for a bagel and coffee.

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1. Hero Coffee and Bagel…
2. Tilly Bagel Shop
3. The Bagel Restaurant a…
4. Broadway Cafe
5. The Bagelers Coffeehou…
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Chicago's bagel shops, side by side

#	Business	Rating	Reviews	Best for
1	Hero Coffee and Bagel Bar	4.6 ★	1,045	Most reviewed / alley coffee shop	View ›
2	Tilly Bagel Shop	4.6 ★	888	Dedicated sourdough bagel specialist	View ›
3	The Bagel Restaurant and Deli	4.3 ★	974	Classic Jewish deli, since decades ago	View ›
4	Broadway Cafe	4.6 ★	542	Bakery cafe, late hours	View ›
5	The Bagelers Coffeehouse	4.5 ★	585	Neighbourhood bagel shop, Lincoln Park	View ›

Where to get a real bagel in Chicago

#1 Overall🕑 Open 7 days

Hero Coffee and Bagel Bar

4.61,045 Google reviews

Hero Coffee and Bagel Bar is a small Loop coffee shop tucked down an alley off Jackson Boulevard, roasting its own beans on site and serving made-to-order bagel sandwiches alongside espresso drinks. It is primarily a coffee shop, with only a small bagel selection, and seating is limited to a handful of outdoor tables strung with lights. A portion of every bag of beans sold goes to local charity partners.

What people praise

Bagel sandwiches reviewers describe as unbelievably good
Coffee roasted in-house with a distinctive flavour
Unique alley setting with a real atmosphere
Friendly, efficient staff called out by name

Worth knowing

Bagel selection is small compared to a dedicated bagel shop
Seating is limited to a few outdoor tables, so busy periods mean standing and waiting

Reputation scorecardrank in Chicago

Rating4.6 / 5

Review volume1,045 · 97th

Confidencehigh

Recency4 weeks ago

Info completenesssite · phone · hours

Rating breakdown79% 5-star

✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: The most-reviewed name on this page, and reviewers back the bagel sandwiches specifically, not just the coffee. Worth knowing it is a coffee shop first with bagels as one strong item on the menu, not a full bagel bakery.

Website Book now +1312-285-2434 Directions

22 E Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60604

#2🕑 Open 7 days

Tilly Bagel Shop

4.6888 Google reviews

Tilly Bagel Shop is a South Loop bagel shop on Balbo Drive built by a pastry chef and an architect, hand-rolling sourdough bagels fresh every morning using a slow fermentation process. It calls its style Chicago style bagels, boiled and baked with a lighter crumb and a tangy bite, and also serves house-made cream cheese, sandwiches and coffee. It is open seven days a week.

What people praise

Hand-rolled, sourdough-fermented bagels made fresh daily on site
Rotating specialty flavours like muffuletta and fig-and-honey cream cheese
Staff help first-time customers pick flavour combinations
Reviewers, including at least one self-described New York bagel regular, praise the texture specifically

Worth knowing

Popular weekend mornings draw a real crowd and a wait
One reviewer felt a specific topping pairing did not quite work

Reputation scorecardrank in Chicago

Rating4.6 / 5

Review volume888 · 82th

Confidencehigh

Recency8 weeks ago

Info completenesssite · phone · hours

Rating breakdown82% 5-star

✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: The clearest specialist on this page. If bagels are the actual point of the trip, this is where the dough itself gets the most consistent praise.

Website Book now +1312-300-0846 Directions

34 E Balbo Dr, Chicago, IL 60605

#3🕑 Open 7 days

The Bagel Restaurant and Deli

4.3974 Google reviews

The Bagel Restaurant and Deli is a long-running Lakeview deli on Broadway serving classic Jewish deli fare, from matzah ball soup to pastrami on challah, alongside its namesake bagels for sale to take home. It is set up more like a retro diner than a bagel-focused counter, with a big menu covering sandwiches, soups and cookies. It carries the lowest rating on this list, though still solidly positive at 4.3.

What people praise

Classic deli sandwiches on challah bread, praised repeatedly
Bagels available to buy and take home, not just eat in
Cozy, old-school diner atmosphere reviewers call a hidden gem
Large menu covers more than bagels, from soup to dessert

Worth knowing

Lowest rating on the list, at 4.3
One reviewer felt the bagels were not boiled and did not taste like a real bagel

Reputation scorecardrank in Chicago

Rating4.3 / 5

Review volume974 · 92th

Confidencehigh

Recency2 months ago

Info completenesssite · phone · hours

Rating breakdown68% 5-star

✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: A genuine Chicago institution for deli food generally, with bagels as part of a much wider menu rather than the headline act. Go for the full deli experience, and pick up a bagel on the way out.

Website +1773-477-0300 Directions

3107 N Broadway, Chicago, IL 60657

#4🕑 Open 7 days

Broadway Cafe

4.6542 Google reviews

Broadway Cafe is a small Loop bakery and coffee shop on Adams Street known for unusually late hours, open into the early morning several nights a week, serving pastries, cakes, sandwiches, coffee and specialty Greek coffee. Its own site markets it as covering bagels alongside bakery and dessert items, but reviewer praise centres on the pastries, cakes and coffee rather than bagels specifically.

What people praise

Late-night hours are a genuine rarity for a Loop bakery
Pastries, cakes and baklava praised consistently across reviews
Named baristas singled out for attentive service

Worth knowing

Small interior with limited seating
Reviews focus on pastries and coffee rather than bagels specifically

Reputation scorecardrank in Chicago

Rating4.6 / 5

Review volume542 · 66th

Confidencehigh

Recency7 weeks ago

Info completenesssite · phone · hours

Rating breakdown82% 5-star

✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: A cozy dessert and coffee spot with genuinely rare late-night hours downtown. It lists bagels on the menu, but treat it as a bakery cafe first if bagels are the priority.

Website Book now +1312-350-4881 Directions

22 E Adams St, Chicago, IL 60603

#5🕑 Open 7 days↩ Responds to reviews

The Bagelers Coffeehouse

4.5585 Google reviews

The Bagelers Coffeehouse is a Lincoln Park bagel shop and cafe on Lincoln Avenue, kettle-boiling its own bagels and serving them plain or as sandwiches alongside coffee and house-made syrups. It runs a big menu of bagel flavours and toppings, with weekend mornings drawing a steady crowd. It closes by mid-afternoon most days.

What people praise

Bagels are kettle-boiled in house, a genuine bagel-making process
Wide range of bagel and cream cheese flavour combinations
House-made coffee syrups, including salted caramel and mocha
Reviewers repeatedly call specific sandwiches, like the jalapeno cheddar, the best in the city

Worth knowing

Gets busy and crowded on weekend mornings with limited seating
One reviewer found the plain, untoasted bagel a bit chewier than expected

Reputation scorecardrank in Chicago

Rating4.5 / 5

Review volume585 · 71th

Confidencehigh

Recency3 months ago

Info completenesssite · hours

Rating breakdown74% 5-star

✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: A genuine neighbourhood bagel shop with its own boiling process and a loyal following in Lincoln Park. A strong pick alongside Tilly if a real bagel, not just a bagel-topped sandwich, is what you are after.

Website Directions

2461 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL 60614

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How we rank these picks

Every number on this page comes from public Google data on the date shown, not opinion or payment. Rating is the business’s live Google star average. Review volume is how many customers have rated them, ranked against the other bagel shops on this page. Confidence weighs the rating by that volume, so a rating built on a thousand reviews carries more weight than the same rating from a few hundred. Recency reflects how recently people are still leaving reviews. No business can pay to change these numbers.

How much does a bagel cost in Chicago? (2026)

Prices vary by whether you are buying a plain bagel, a loaded sandwich, or a coffee to go with it. Based on the per-person figures reviewers reported on Google for the businesses above:

Job	Typical price
Loaded bagel sandwich, per person	$10 - $20
Bagel and coffee, per person	$10 - $20

Ranges reflect the price-per-person figures reviewers reported on Google for the businesses on this page, not published menus. Individual item prices vary by topping and location, so check the shop’s current board or online menu.

Bagels across Chicago

These bagel shops span the Loop, South Loop, Lakeview and Lincoln Park, covering a wide stretch of the city from downtown north into the neighbourhoods. Searching for a bagel shop near me? Every listing above shows a live phone number, address, and directions so you can find the closest option fast.

What to ask before you order a bagel

Are the bagels boiled and baked on site, or brought in from elsewhere?
Is this a dedicated bagel shop or a wider bakery or coffee menu?
What hours does the shop keep, especially on weekends?
Does the shop offer online ordering or pickup for busy mornings?
Are there vegetarian or dietary-specific fillings clearly marked on the menu?

Frequently asked questions

How did you choose these bagel shops?

We started from bagel shops and cafes serving bagels in Chicago with a public Google presence, then ranked by rating, review volume, consistency, and recency. See How we rank these picks above.

Are these rankings paid?

No. Rankings come from the public Google data in the scorecard. A business can pay to be a Featured Partner, which adds a badge and top placement, but that never changes another business’s score or position on the underlying data.

How often is this updated?

The data carries a verified date (July 2026 on this page). We refresh listings periodically so ratings and review counts stay current.

Which of these actually make their own bagels?

Tilly Bagel Shop and The Bagelers Coffeehouse both bake their own bagels on site, boiling and baking or kettle-boiling in house. Hero Coffee, The Bagel Restaurant and Deli, and Broadway Cafe all serve bagels as part of a wider coffee shop, deli, or bakery menu.

How much does a bagel cost in Chicago?

Reviewers on this page report spending roughly $10 to $20 per person for a bagel and a drink, with the busier sit-down spots running higher. Single-item prices are not published by most of these shops, so check the counter board or the shop’s own menu before you order.

The bottom line

If a real, hand-made bagel is the point, Tilly Bagel Shop and The Bagelers Coffeehouse are the two genuine specialists on this list. If you would rather grab a great bagel sandwich alongside a strong coffee, Hero Coffee and Bagel Bar is the safe default given its review volume and consistent praise.

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