Oof, just the thought of all of these bagels gets me going.
But I digress.
What makes a great bagel is more than its Instagram-able hype. It's all about the way each shop boils its bagels and which ingredients are used. Then, it's the toppings. The perfect bagel is complex yet perfectly simple. It leaves you so satisfied that you have a smile on your face the entire day. They're the kind of bagels that are so good they could cure even your worst hangover. This is why I went out of my way to put together a list of the best bagels in Miami to cure your longing for a perfect bagel at this very moment.
Below, find the ten best bagels in Miami (the ones I love a hole lot).
Bagel Bar East is a favorite breakfast haunt for North Miami residents who crave bagels.
Photo by Nicole Danna
Bagel Bar East
1990 NE 123rd St., North Miami305-895-7022
bagelbareast.comBagel chips. Bialys. Mini bagels. Bagels by the dozen. Bagel Bar East has it all, and the discerning bagel clientele — AKA transplanted New Yorkers — go with it. Winner of New Times Best Bagels in 2010, this North Miami standby still hand rolls, boils, and bakes more than a dozen varieties daily, from rye, pumpernickel, and sesame to oat bran, asiago, and blueberry. Whether you spread smoked fish or cream cheese on your bagel or prefer it as a breakfast sandwich with egg and cheese, this old-school spot does Miami proud.
The Bagel Club Miami
2400 N. Miami Ave., Miami786-275-4397
bagelclubmiami.comChewy, flavorful, and perfectly seasoned, the bagels at the Bagel Club Miami are best when turned into the stacked, thick sandwiches that elicit uncontrollable drooling when pictured on the restaurant's Instagram feed. Be it a classic "BEC" (bacon, egg, and cheese) or a build-your-own, there's something on the menu for any taste with schmears like smoked salmon, whitefish, avocado, and "Volcano" (a jalapeño-infused cream cheese). Plenty of folks say Bagel Club bagels are the "closest to New York bagels." Let us know if you agree.
Bagel Emporium
1238 S. Dixie Hwy., Coral Gables305-666-9519
bagelshopmiami.comBagel Emporium & Grille has been a breakfast and lunch staple for University of Miami students and Gables/South Miami residents since it opened back in the '70s directly across from the University of Miami (back when the university was affectionately coined "Suntan U"). The Miami deli has been a Coral Gables institution along South Dixie Highway since 1975, and it's known for its delicious bagels, deli sandwiches, breakfast plates, and wide selection of prepared deli salads like tuna fish. The cinnamon-raisin, everything, poppy, pumpernickel, sesame, salt, and egg bagels are soft, dense, and delicious. They also make excellent smoked fish and black-and-white cookies. The neighborhood staple will relocate to 4000 Ponce in 2025, an office and retail development along Ponce de Leon Boulevard and Bird Road in Coral Gables.
For 32 years, this family-owned bagel shop with indoor and outdoor seating has been whipping out some of the most authentic New York-style boiled bagels in town.
Bagel Express photo
Bagel Express
11616 N. Kendall Dr., Miami305-273-9919
bagelexpresskendall.comFor 32 years, this family-owned bagel shop with indoor and outdoor seating has been whipping up some of the most authentic New York-style boiled bagels in town. Although, in 2023, after 30 years, its original owners passed the torch to its new owners, the shop is still just as wonderful. Here, everything is straightforward yet flavorful — and the bagels are top-tier with a large variety of bagels. Plus, Bagel Express is affordable, and service is quick and efficient. In addition to their New York-style bagels, they have added delicious onion bialys, croissants, occasional housemade pastries, and rugelach. Pro tip: This is one of the best spots to order a Nova platter in the Kendall and Pinecrest area. They have different kinds of in-house mixed cream cheeses, and they make honey butter.
Coral Bagels' "Medianoche" bagel sandwich was out of this world in December 2023.
Coral Bagels photo
Coral Bagels
2750 SW 26th Ave., Miami786-767-6134
coralbagels.com Established in 1986, Coral Bagels has been a Miami institution for nearly 40 years. It's a casual breakfast and lunch restaurant that just so happens to offer some of the best bagels in Miami. A locals-only spot, this hidden gem started as a bagel shop and grew into its current status as the breakfast and lunch spot favorite for Groveites in the know. Today, the menu serves up several classic American diner staples alongside a bagel lineup that includes flavors like egg, sesame, blueberry, cinnamon raisin, pumpernickel, and asiago. No matter which one you choose or how you choose to top it, you can’t go wrong with this longtime, family-run establishment.
El Bagel
Two Locations: Upper East Side (Biscayne) and Coconut Grove786-536-7365
elbagel.comWinner of New Times' Best Bagels in Miami-Dade 2024, what was once a quaint bagel shop has expanded to Coconut Grove and even the Fontainebleau Las Vegas. Their fluffy bagels have only five ingredients — no preservatives, syrups, or conditioners. Each of their bakers works in the middle of the night to construct the thick, warm pounds of dough into sellable works of art, which customers can customize with scallion or garlic chive schmear, bacon, eggs, cheese, salmon, and whatever else your bagel-loving heart desires. For Miamians, it's our own prideful take on the delicacy. And who knows, maybe our northern friends don't think it's half bad either.
This Palmetto Bay staple has been whipping out some of the best bagels in Miami.
House of Bagels & Bialys photo
House of Bagels & Bialys
14449 S. Dixie Hwy., Miami305-251-8666
instagram.com/houseofbagelsandbialysThis pint-size emporium has served New York-style bagels, bialys, and other eats in a Palmetto Bay strip mall for more than a decade. (Bialys are round, doughy rolls, similar to bagels, sans hole.) They also sell breakfast specials, deli sandwiches, salads, and pastries — all made fresh daily. Plus, with reasonable prices and a casual walk-in setting, House of Bagels & Bialys keeps Palmetto Bay residents' bagel cravings under control.
Lots of Lox Deli
14995 S. Dixie Hwy., Miami305-252-2010
instagram.com/theoriginallotsofloxFrom grandma-approved matzo ball soup and crisp potato pancakes to bagels, blintzes, white fish, starchy knishes, and mounds of perfect pastrami, Lots of Lox is a New York or Boca transplants' dream. For more than 20 years, Lots of Lox has been making incredible bagels. They also sell sandwiches, like the "Schlemiel" stuffed with turkey, salami, Swiss cheese, and Thousand Island dressing, and the "East Side" filled with roast beef, tomato, onion, and chopped liver. Winner of New Times Best Jewish Deli South 24 years ago (in 2000!), this neighborhood gem is a classic for a reason.
Mitch's Downtown Bagel Cafe
540 N. Andrews Ave., Fort Lauderdale754-779-7599
mitchsdowntown.comThe bright neon sign inside proclaims, "Bagels Don't Count As Carbs." Ah, if only it were true. But let's be real, Mitch's Downtown Bagel Cafe can load as many damn carbs as it wants in its dozen-plus bagel concoctions — it's totally worth it. Cofounder Adam Shidlofsky is the face of the brand these days and may often be found mingling with patrons throughout the week. His dad started the company in 2002 and added additional outposts in Weston and Hallandale Beach. Beyond bagels and flavored cream cheeses (the bacon-scallion cream cheese, dear God!), its beyond-Instagrammable BECTA sandwich is a communal fave, piled with two scrambled eggs, thick-cut bacon, avocado, cheddar, and white truffle oil. Mitch's also has super-solid deli staples spanning potato knishes to matzo ball soup.
Toasted Bagelry is a tribute to all things bagels from brothers Islam and Khaled Mohammed.
Toasted Bagelry photo
Toasted Bagelry & Deli
Multiple area locations, including:83 SW Eighth St., Miami
305-400-6996
toastedbagelry.comBrothers Islam and Khaled Mohammed are the team behind Toasted Bagelry & Deli, now with multiple South Florida locations, including several in Miami. The brothers say they honed their bagel-making skills at various restaurants across New York and New Jersey before relocating to Miami. What sets Toasted Bagelry & Deli apart is the Mohammed brothers' dedication to preserving the old-school way of making bagels, using only kosher malt, flour, conditioner, and filtered water. The menu features deli classics, including Nova lox with cream cheese, tomato, onions, capers, and tuna and chicken salads. Guests can also choose from nine different cream cheese spreads, each prepared in house daily.
