At Absolute Bagels, the vibe is simple and bustling, with expertly crafted bagels and a plethora of creamy spreads that keep locals and tourists coming back for more.
"An iconic Upper West Side bagel shop, closed following a failed health inspection, causing local unrest." - Emma Orlow
"A beloved bagel shop on the Upper West Side that opened in 1992 and recently closed after a failed health inspection." - Emma Orlow
"A staple of the Upper West Side that closed following a health inspection." - Emma Orlow
"Come lunchtime, this barn of a bagel bakery boasts lines that trail out the door, the customers eager for a taste of its large and reasonably priced bagels, often delivered still warm. The bagels are larger than average and glossy from their boil. The bright orange egg bagel is a favorite, and so is the everything bagel, best spread with the salty and smoky whitefish salad for a flavor explosion." - Robert Sietsema, Eater Staff
"If we had to pick one bagel to reign supreme, it would be the untoasted everything bagel with scallion cream cheese from Absolute Bagels. Tiny and round like a softball, each springy dough globe you’ll find here has a blistered bottom. The dough itself tastes malty and sweet, like it had a daydream years ago about being a dessert. Absolute Bagels also makes fantastic Thai iced tea. (The place was founded by Sam Thongkrieng, who moved from Bangkok to NYC in the ’80s and worked at Ess-A-Bagel for years)." - bryan kim, willa moore, neha talreja, hannah albertine, will hartman
