Bagel bliss: Our picks for the best bagels in Philadelphia

There is nothing more heavenly than waking up to the crusty, doughy deliciousness of a first-class bagel. While it may not be common knowledge to Philly outsiders, our fair city has become quite the bagel town, with bagel shops popping up everywhere from Rittenhouse to Fishtown. No matter where in the city you are, giving into your bagel craving has never been easier. To help you on your quest, here are our top picks for the best bagels in Philadelphia.

Knead
725 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106
www.kneadbagels.com

The fine folks at Knead tout themselves as a “non-traditional” bagel shop and they certainly have interesting flavors to backup the claim, including the spicy togarashi and cardamom bagels. If you’re keeping it simple, however, their fennel seed & sea salt is a nice middle ground.

Spread Bagelry
262 South 20th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
www.spreadbagelry.com

If it’s a Montreal-style bagel you’re looking for, a visit to Spread Bagelry is in order. While their bagel varieties are more traditional, their array of homemade, local jams and spreads takes things to the next level. Try their smoked Nova salmon cream cheese for an extra kick. If you’re in the mood for something sweeter, the seasonal sweet berry cream cheese is a must-try.

South Street Philly Bagels
613 South 3rd Street
Philadelphia, PA 19147
www.southstphillybagel.com

Open since 1996, this family-owned and operated bagel business is dedicated to the New York-style bagel and serves up a range of varieties including blueberry, egg, pumpernickel and chocolate chip. If your Instagram feed is missing a shot of a rainbow bagel, don’t worry, they have those too.

Philly Style Bagels
1451 Columbia Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19125
www.phillystylebagels.com

The world has New York and Montreal-style bagels, so it’s about time there was a Philly-style bagel, right? Created by Collin Shapiro and Jonathon Zilber, the Philly-style bagel sets itself apart by being boiled in water and beer. This ingenious twist to the bagel experience may put off bagel purists but it sure is tasty. Try one for yourself at their recently opened shop in Fishtown.

Have more bagel recommendations for us? Tell us in the comments below!

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