"I usually get mine with scallion cream cheese-fantastic."
(in 15 reviews)
"…i'm going for my usual - toasted everything with scallion cream cheese…"
(in 5 reviews)
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David's Bagels - CLOSED
Rating Details »
- Nearest Transit:
-
1st Ave-14th St (L)
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good for:
- Breakfast, Lunch
- Alcohol:
- None
31 reviews for David's Bagels
Review Highlights
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Tragic.
If you miss David's Bagels, PLEASE visit them on 1st between 19th and 20th. I wish I had the extra time in the morning to do it every day, but at least on the weekends, I can still enjoy the goodness of their everything bagel.
Also, boycott the Hot & Crusty that opened next door. The landlord's opening of this disgusting generic hellhole was the catalyst for forcing David's Bagels out of business at their East Village location. SHAME ON THEM!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
5/9/2007
There's always debate about the best bagels in New York City. I'd like to say that David's has the… Read more »
This is the Sunday bagel place of choice for my close friends - always warm, no need for toasting. HUGE bagels! Just a little bit of butter and you're all set - I find that cream cheese ruins it but if you're into that, they have many varieties.
Just the basics here, people. It's a hole in the wall and the nexus for all sorts of friends and foes. If you feel like people watching on a Sunday, they have some tables inside so you can nosh away at your comfort food in...comfort.
RIP, David's.
Though you never hit NYC bagel greatness, you were a solid B+. Usually fresh, and a decent crust. You never quite could hit the right density, though--even at your best, you were a little bready. But in the winter, when it was too cold to walk to Ess-A, you were my man.
Sorry you're gone.
I suppose it isn't entirely fair that I'm reviewing this place so soon after I've dined at Ess-a-Bagel. I'll try to keep that experienced blocked out while I write this though...
There was only a couple people in here when I decided to stop...only one person before me in line. That being said though, it took them several minutes to take notice of me and even then, none of the guys asked to take my order. By the time they did, I was sort of irritated and decided to grab a pre-wrapped muffin rather than waiting for a bagel. I'm glad I did, because my cranberry-orange muffin was sooo yummy! It wasn't the biggest or best I've had, but it certainly was fresh and well preserved in its plastic-wrap cocoon.
I also had a chocolate crumb cake later on, also very fresh and RICH! Definitely cured any chocolate cravings I had...though they could lighten up a bit on the streusel topping, it was almost as thick as the cake itself!
I lived down the block for a couple years. So part of my starage comes from the smell and memory of coming back from Brooklyn loft parties at 7 or 8am and grabbing a bag of hot fat rounds before climbing 6 flights to my apartment.
Three star because I reserve a large gap for Ess'a'Bagel, which is, thank you Serena, "just down the block" (12 blocks).
Twelve blocks, after dancing on a roof for 5 hours, or even when waking up early to hit Crunch, is reeeeaaaaly out of the way.
EV dwellers appreciate the location, better than average NYC bagels.. but be warned- this place is plucked right from China Town, and is more dingy than a south of Canal seafood restaurant with no sign.
Eat Well!
The X
I don't know who this David fellow is, but I'd like to thank him for always being there to satisfy my craving for an everything bagel (toasted) with chive cream cheese and tomato slices... Oh so good. Mmmmm.
-1 star for the crazy fish heads behind the glass thing. They scare me.
Sadness! I've been eating at David's bagels since I was a kid and one of my cousins used to live in the east village. Since then I've travelled far and wide and just recently found myself living around the corner. For the past month I've been eating their bagels nearly every day before work or on lazy sunday mornings. Now I am in withdrawal as the 19th St. location is a bit too far out of the way for me to get to on my way to work. I refuse to eat at the Hot and Crusty next door which to me is an Agent of Satan. I'd rather starve.
Thankfully the location on 19th is still around and last I spoke to someone before they closed the 14th St. shop the owners were still looking for another location to reopen in.
For now I will have to deal with walking a couple extra blocks for my delicious Thai-made bagels with Cream Cheese or Bacon and Eggs. I also recently discovered the awesomeness of their Thai Iced Tea. As a mis-placed northerner in North Carolina for a few years I picked up a taste for sweetened tea, and I've found that theirs, although very different, is a worthy substitute.
I'm getting a headache reading the reviews for David's. These bagels are awful! These are bagels for people that don't know what good bagels are.
If you want a real bagel that real New Yorkers eat go to Ess-a-Bagel. It's a short walk from David's and it's the real thing. Also H&H is very good.
Stop the madness!
Bagels here are soooo soft. You add a little butter or cream cheese.... OOOOOOOO ooooooo heavenly delish. Takes you to a happy place.
It's sad that they will be closing this location. We get bags of bagels from here for the office... I guess no more.
It's morning. All I remember from the night before are lights, music and maybe some singing? My stomach is empty and it needs something. Something starchy. Crispy. Smothered in cream cheese.
David's Bagel has helped me survive a rough morning more than once. It's on my way to the train and each time I stop in, I say a little protection charm so that nothing bad will happen to them. I don't know if it's working, but I like to think I'm doing my part.
I can't believe I almost forgot to write a review of David's Bagels. I was walking by there today and I was thinking, man, they have some tasty bagels. Then I walked down to the L train and waited at the platform for the train to come.
Across the platform on the 8th Ave side there is this old man with some kind of crown on and he is singing very loudly. When I tune in to what he's singing I can't help but laugh out loud -LOL for all you nerds:)
Here's his song:
"I want to buy an everything bagel, everything bagel,everything bagel. I want to buy an everything bagel for my baby with vegetable cream cheese, for my baby, an everything bagel,everything bagel,everything bagel with vegetable cream ,with vegetable cream , vegetable cream " !
There's more, that's just the chorus.
See! The bagels at David's are really that good!
And the coffee is damn cheap.
----------
Seriously? Wtf happened to this place? Ugh.
Bagel nirvana.
I hail from bagel no-man's-land, and arrived in New York firmly convinced that bagels were disgusting, inedible horrors, with teeth-breaking exteriors and dense, tasteless innards. Either that, or they were mealy, sweetish, shelf-stable Sara Lee things. Watch me shudder.
I'm eternally grateful to David's for showing me the light. Their everything bagels are savory, crackly, chewy, and just all around delicious. Worth every carb-laden bite. This is a great meal for under $5. The breakfast special is $3.23 for a bagel, two eggs, coffee and juice. You can't beat that with a stick.
Came here for a hung over breakfast once last year, and didn't even remember it very well. And I was not that hung over, so shut up. It just wasn't that great. Sorry folks, I'm not impressed. I love a toasted everything bagel with cream cheese, lox, onions and capers. No capers available. And only yellow onion. You've got to be kidding me.
David, I know you mean well, but you're not doing so hot there with them bagels. And trust, I know from bagels. I've even made them myself (totally not worth the effort, by the way).
If I were allowed to give David's Bagels six stars, I would. I visited the Upper East Side location on a trip to NYC before I moved here and fell in love with the bagels. Later I ended up living just two avenues from this location in the East Village and would get breakfast there almost every day.
David's bagels are huge and heavenly. The outside is nice and crusty, the inside chewy. If you can get one when it's fresh out of the oven, you are in luck, but they'll toast it for you if it's no longer warm. They don't skimp on the cream cheese, which makes me so happy - I sometimes have to ask for extra elsewhere. I even got hooked on their vegetable tofu cream cheese, a nice healthy option.
Being a regular, I came to recognize lots of other regulars - this place sure has its devotees. I think this place has a bit of a cult status. Even celebrities come here; I have seen Rosario Dawson and Robin Tunney waiting on line for bagels with the rest of us. So very sad that I've moved and don't have a David's near my apartment anymore.
One word for you: HYPE.
_SO_ was not impressed by David's. They were tasty, and better than most I found in my days out West, but not _that_ good.
The big killer for me was the ratio of hardness on the outside vs. chewiness on the inside. The amounts were much too close for my tastes. I like it hard on the outside and soft and chewy on this inside. The bagel I had (everything with vegi cream cheese) was kinda hard on the outside and slightly chewy on the inside.
meh.
I'm sticking to my guns: if you need a bagel on the east side go to Ess-A Bagels and if you need one on the west side go to Hudson Bagels.
Best. Bagels. Ever. I love this place. Everytime I am in Manhattan one of my first stops is David's Bagels. Their everything bagels have seeds and salt on both sides-the KEY to a great everything bagel. They don't need to be toasted. They are great out of the oven. I usually get mine with scallion cream cheese-fantastic. Their breakfast sandwiches are equally as good. The egg is cooked on the grill and tastes great with an everything bagel. I have heard that the addition of bacon or sausage makes them better. I have also tried the cinnamon raisin and was just as happy. They have a wide selection of tofu cream cheese for those who do not eat dairy. Why is it impossible to find a bagel like this in the Baltimore/D.C. area????
One of the biggest reasons I enjoyed this place was because it was open at 4 in the afternoon on a sunday. I was originally going to try ess-a-bagel to help me cure my hangover from saturday night, but it was closed, so I wandered down 1st and found this place. It's cash only, which was fine, and they took there time making my egg and cheese bagel. The bagel was really good. The cheese tasted a bit to processed for my taste though. So good meal + being open to help with my kickin hangover= thank you david's bagels.
As good as the bagels in central Jersey. plus some of the nicest people work there. I just wish they weren't closing due to Hot & Crusty opening up. Never go to H&C. But at least there's another Davids on 19th. They make the best whitefish sandwiches and I dont even care for it that much. Got the breakfast special 2 today (lox and onion omelet on an everything bagel with coffee and OJ for like $6). Tomorrow i'm going for my usual - toasted everything with scallion cream cheese.
These bagels are so delicious that the cease to be called "bagels" any more, and are in my mind called "deliciouses" instead. Though the doughy bits of heaven are amazing on their own------chewy and soft and warm on the inside, they're even better when you take advantage of the billions of varieties of cream cheeses and toppings available.
Try the olive spread if you're a big fan of olives. Mmm. MMM!
I've not had all of the bagels in the city, so I can't really speak to whether or not these are the best, but they're certainly my favorite so far.
I went to David's Bagel for lunch this weekend, and got an everything bagel with eggs, cheese and bacon... pure deliciousness. Seriously, that was just amazing! The bagels are great, and indeed people were lining up. The funny part is that the owners aren't Jewish at all but Thai (or could they be Thai Jews?!). I'll definitely be back.
Why anyone would eat here when Ess a Bagel is literally down the street is beyond me. Their bagels are somewhat expensive and are kind of bland-ish. I suppose it's kind of cool that they have "flat" bagels, but they are flat in taste, as well. Additionally, they only accept cash. If you're morally opposed to waiting in line/are to hungover to deal with the crowds at Ess a Bagel, I can understand why people would come here, but beyond that you're much better off walking down the street.
David's is the best bagel I've ever had. Seriously.
oh man.
i lived in stuyvesant town for a long time and it took a while before i discovered these bagels. being from los angeles, the bagel isn't a usual contender for my dietary needs, but one drunken morning walking back from the apartment i ended up in, freezing cold, i walked past on my way home and smelled the fresh bagels inside. the next thing i remember is chewing on a fresh everything bagel and being the happiest guy in the room.
after that, my mornings started off with a fresh everything bagel as i walked to the office.
How come there aren't too many reviews on this place? I was surprised to see Asian folks running a bagel shop, but they were very friendly. When I got there, people were lined up outside the door, but the service was really quick. I had a breakfast bagel with eggs and bacon on everything. That was the ultimate breakfast. You have so many choices of things you want your bagel(from cream cheese to all kinds of fish). I'd definitely go back once I find myself in NYC again.
I can't believe this place doesn't have more ratings! Best veggie cream cheese. Best bagels. Delicious lox. And the prices are totally reasonable. A great pick for a fast bite when you're in the area or escaping from Stuyvessant Town.
This place was bought by an Asian family from the original Jewish owner, and although there is another unrelated David's up the street on 1st ave, this one is better. The bagels are fresh. The service is efficient, queue in line, order from the men who work the oven, grill and bagel bar, then move to the ladies who take your money and get you your drinks. There are some first timers who can't figure this pattern out, but the service is not soup nazi style. I like it because it is close to the hospital I work at and it is the best bagel, and best service, family style.. better than Essa Bagel.
Best bagel I ever had, I had an everything bagel which I didint even need to have toasted because it was still steaming hot. I had plain cream cheese, lox , tomato and onion. Unfortunately they lack cucumbers which I love on a bagel. They go real heavy on the cream cheese as well as the butter so watch out! Add their Thai Iced tea and you got a great NY meal.
It's my namesake bagel shop. Serious bagels for the bagel fan. Have it any which way you like. Cue up in line and place an order.
Best bagels in the city!!!! I made the mistake of bringing them to my family on L.I. once, and now I can never show up without them!
Best bagels I've had in NYC.
Best bagels in town. There is no room for debate here. Give me an everything with veggie cream cheese and a Tropicana OJ from their FREEZING COLD fridge, and I am all set. However, i would like to start a campaign to get the owners to replace the disgusting yellowed ceiling tiles and fluorescent light lenses that cast a depressing gloominess over the best meal under $5 in al of NYC. Who's with me?
