South Street Philly Bagels

4.0 star rating
77 reviews Rating Details

Categories: Bagels, Coffee & Tea  [Edit]

613 S 3rd St
Philadelphia, PA 19147
Neighborhoods: Queen Village, South Street District
(215) 627-6277
Hours:

Mon-Sun 6:30 am - 4 pm

Accepts Credit Cards:
Yes
Price Range:
$
Parking:
Street
Outdoor Seating:
No
Wheelchair Accessible:
No

Review Highlights   

user photo
"Definitely try their lox cream cheese." (in 35 reviews)
user photo
"The whole wheat everything were a big hit." (in 6 reviews)
user photo
"...you love sweet stuff, the French Toast bagel is a meal in..." (in 7 reviews)
  Loading...
Sort by: Yelp Sort | Date | Rating | Elites' | Facebook Friends'

77 reviews in English

  • Review from Katy V.

    •  
    • 2 friends
    • 62 reviews

    Philadelphia, PA

    5.0 star rating
    1/12/2012

    My new favorite breakfast spot! Their coffee could use some work but the bagels are so fantastic I don't even care. Egg sandwiches are yummy, and they will put sriracha on them if you ask. Two bagel sandwiches and two coffees is about the same price as the same meal from Dunkin' Donuts, and I'd so much rather patronize this place.

    My favorite so far is the sun-dried tomato bagel. I am not a morning person, but delicious bagels like these help make getting out of bed a little easier.

  • Review from Aruna A.

    Philadelphia, PA

    3.0 star rating
    12/25/2011

    I'm a pretty big bagel snob, and when I find good bagels I get really excited.  I can't wait.  I seek them out, I savor them, and I really just plain enjoy them.  Part of my love affair with bagels is that I am a true carb head.  It's pretty sick how much I love carbs. But I digress. As a result of being a carb fiend / ny bagel snob, I feel like I know a good bagel when I have one. I recently stopped by South Street Bagels in an attempt to enjoy a good bagel. I really wanted to like them, but in the end, while their bagel was GOOD, I still think I prefer Four Worlds Bakery and the NY Bagelry out on Haverford Ave, even to some extent, Spread in Rittenhouse Square.

    Here's why:

    I went there early on a Sunday morning while running errands, really hoping to be in and out fast.  The place had a significant line, and they were NOT moving people along pretty quickly.  In fact, they had a number of people standing behind the counter NOT helping customers.  Secondly, the bagels, while many in variety, and all looking great and warm and coming out constantly (implying that they were in fact very fresh), were OKAY.  I ordered a sesame seed bagel with lite vegi cream cheese, instead got a sesame with plain cream cheese, and it was just plain okay. It wasn't fantastic.   It was a decently made bagel, but there was SOMETHING off about it.  I bought two, so I got to try it again the next day.  Toasted, it was good.  But again, not great.  It was a LITTLE too tough for my liking, and though they had just come out of the oven, they weren't nearly as soft and yummy as I had hoped they would be.  They also seemed to be too dense, and just not quite delicious.  

    Verdict: it's a good bagel place to get a good bagel fix.  A tad overpriced, and the service is a little slow (if my experience was at all typical), and just plain okay.

    There are other bagel places around / in the city that I prefer.

  • Review from Jen L.

    •  
    • 3 friends
    • 1 review

    Philadelphia, PA

    4.0 star rating
    2/7/2012

    Yummy bagels, try the everything. Good cream cheese selection too. And friendly staff make this spot a winner.

  • Review from Adrienne R.

    •  
    • 14 friends
    • 51 reviews

    Philadelphia, PA

    4.0 star rating
    2/4/2012

    Best bagels I've had in Philly -- though only a 4 because while it's as good as Philly gets for bagels, it's still all relative to every other city that has better bagels. But waiting in their line on a Sunday morning reminds me just a bit of my years in NYC.

  • Review from kate s.

    •  
    • 9 friends
    • 47 reviews

    Philadelphia, PA

    4.0 star rating
    12/11/2011

    Looking for a tasty bagel? Check out South Street Philly Bagels. If I lived closer to them I'd probably end up here more often. Always quick service, great selection and so fresh! I'll be sure to pick up my New Year's day bagels from here.

  • Review from Vinny P.

    Philadelphia, PA

    5.0 star rating
    6/13/2011 1 Check-in Here

    The first thing that I noticed about this joint is that it smelled like the bagel place that I used to go to when I was a kid.  When I walked in, I smelled salt, poppy seeds, onion, garlic.  This place is warm inside and clearly it was built more for functional than form.  There is a plexiglass wall separating you from the bins of bagels.  They have at least 15 varieties.

    The prices are good here.  A bagel shop in my opinion should not be expensive.  When you make your order, they ask you if you want it toasted.  They have a small prep area that you can watch them assemble your sandwich, be it just cream cheese or something more involved like a sausage egg and cheese.

    All bagel shops that I know of always have coffee at the ready.  South Street Philly Bagels is no exception except they have two varieties and it's actually brewed well.  The coffee here compliments the excellent bagels.

    Minor complaint: no taylor ham (down here it's called pork roll)  They have deli ham but it's just not the same.

    The line moves quickly, the staff is pleasant and basically, I love this place.

  • Review from Allison B.

    Philadelphia, PA

    1.0 star rating
    Updated - 6/16/2011

    I said never again, so why did I go back? Because I was craving a bagel and this place is two blocks from my apartment, that's why. And after my last negative review, a stranger messaged me and urged me to give South Street Philly Bagels one more shot.

    My poppy seed bagel was like a roll with a hole in it. No chew, no glaze, no difference between the crust and the stuff inside. My flavored veggie cream cheese had no flavor at all, and the 'vegetables' looked like a mix of dried spices instead of the typical shredded carrots, chives etc.  

    Service was quick, it's a great location but these bagels don't cut the mustard, er, the cream cheese. Don't give these guys any slack just because we're in Philly and not New York. I've had much better at Hot Bagel in Houston, Texas.

    What a waste of carbs.

    Listed in: Royalty in Queen Village, Wake up, I'm HUNGRY!

    Was this review …?

    1 Previous Review: Show all »

    • 2.0 star rating
      4/16/2011

      No no no no no no no.

      What a terrible Saturday.

      My boyfriend and I dragged our hungover asses out of… Read more »

  • Review from kathleen d.

    Philadelphia, PA

    4.0 star rating
    5/7/2011

    "Whaa hew whan fer bruckfuss?"

    Repeating that breathy phrase over and over annoys people awake. I thought that you might find that to be a helpful morning tip.

    It's funny to me that so many reviews note that the bagel is a helpful hangover management tool. I agree wholeheartedly. Everything bagel with cream cheese is a fine, fine cure. Bagels soak the badness away. Bagel oasis offers many tasty cream cheese flavors for your cream cheesy needs.

    South Street Philly Bagels are pretty dern decent. Better than decent, I decree! I have to say my "not as good as in NY thing," and now I'll add that these are the best bagels that I've had in Philly and it makes me happy that they're only a few blocks away when I need them. Ooh and I need em.

  • Review from Michelle C.

    Philadelphia, PA

    4.0 star rating
    4/17/2011 3 Check-ins Here

    A toasted whole wheat everything bagel with low-fat vegetable cream cheese and a large cup of L'Aube coffee? The perfect start to my Sunday morning and the fuel I needed to make it through a workout I really wasn't in the mood to start in the first place.

    Decent bagels are so few and far between in Philly that South Street Bagels are automatically elevated to four star territory. There are better bagels to be had, but you'll have to travel to Jersey to get them. In the city, this spot corners the market.

  • Review from John F.

    Philadelphia, PA

    5.0 star rating
    7/22/2011 3 Check-ins Here

    Outstanding bagels.  They have improved their coffee selection here but I typically skip it.  They are even offering cold brewed coffee...the new trend.  You have over a dozen bagles and spreads to choose from and the place shines when you want to get a full dozen and take 8oz spreads to go.  

    They have always been fast and friendly but I do have two gripes - though neither warrant a lower rating.

    1.  It gets packed and no one knows how to make a line, they just gaggle.  Please put a "--------- Line starts here" sign up, thanks!

    2.  If you get there really early, like 630 (which you think would be the breakfast on-my-way-to-work crowd) they have hardly anything ready.  I think they actually "open" at 7 but their doors are open earlier so I generally stroll in.  The problem is they aren't stocked till around 7-730ish so the selection at that time sucks.  This morning at 6:45 they had 3 types of bagels but it's my fault for visiting outside the business hours.

    Anyway, if you're craving a bagle with spread or all the other jazz like lox, or sausage egg and cheese, this is definitely the spot!

  • Review from Allie H.

    Philadelphia, PA

    5.0 star rating
    5/14/2011 2 Check-ins Here

    These bagels are everything right with the world. Almost -- dare I say it -- on par with North Jersey bagels (honestly the only reason to ever venture to that part of the Garden State, ever).

    So many different flavors of bagels and cream cheese varieties, you could try a different combination every day and never run out of ideas. Everything bagels (plain or whole wheat) are fluffy, perfectly seasoned and amazing toasted with plain or veggie cream cheese. If you love sweet stuff, the French Toast bagel is a meal in itself. Highly recommend the newest flavor, honey pecan cream cheese. God, I could go on and on.

    Moving one block away from this place was probably a very dangerous idea.

    Listed in: YAY

    Was this review …?

  • Review from Julie N.

    •  
    • 9 friends
    • 22 reviews

    Philadelphia, PA

    4.0 star rating
    6/3/2011 10 Check-ins Here

    Quite possibly THE BEST bagels in Philly! There's a wide variety of bagels (freshly made on the premises) and loads of selections when it comes to toppings/bagel sandwiches. I always tell myself that I'll try a new bagel whenever I come in, but I've always stuck to the tried-and-true sesame bagel with sausage and egg. The egg isn't a real fried egg though; just some weird egg patty thing... The deliciousness of the bagel makes up for it though!

    The line can get pretty long during the brunch hours, but it's definitely worth the wait. Anddd, the prices are reasonable. :)

  • Review from Jason O.

    •  
    • 12 friends
    • 52 reviews

    Philadelphia, PA

    4.0 star rating
    6/26/2011

    I've been three times over the past week. I've never tried crack, but my guess is it's as addictive as South Street Philly Bagel's Everything bagel.  I went the first time on a recommendation from a local, and man I just couldn't wait to go back. I had an egg and cheese, a bacon egg and cheese and a cream cheese with jelly (all on an everything bagel) and all three were awesome.  Soft and warm bagel with great spices.  Just can't get enough.  

    I also tried their iced coffee - wasn't a huge fan. It was SO strong I needed to put double or triple the normal milk I put in.  You might be into that but it wasn't my favorite.  And the breakfast sandwich with an iced coffee was $7, and that felt a bit steep.

    OK, I'm starting to twitch.  Need to head over for an everything bagel.

  • Review from Kristin S.

    •  
    • 7 friends
    • 10 reviews

    Philadelphia, PA

    4.0 star rating
    7/8/2011

    These bagels are good, because they're made the same way they make them in NY (boiled first, then baked).  However, they make a lot of their bagels in the afternoon, so by the time you buy one the next morning, it's already a bit stale.  If you're craving a bagel, I recommend buying one of these for dinner.

    (If you want a fresh NY-style bagel for breakfast, and are willing to travel a bit, New York Bagel Bakery on Haverford Ave uses the same technique, but makes their bagels in the morning.)

  • Review from Ettya F.

    Philadelphia, PA

    4.0 star rating
    5/1/2011

    Look, let's just play this one straight.

    This place offers a wider bagel selection than Steve Madden does shoes.

    It has more cream cheese options than there are rednecks in Oklahoma.

    Oh...and the wafting hot bagel smell at 7:00 on a Sunday morning is absolutely intoxicating - it's like a Saturday night party all over again, but more appropriate.

    Recommendations: Salt Bagel (yes, with nice fat Kosher salt granules); Everything Bagel; Sun-dried tomato cream cheese (with actual full size, soft, delicious, sun dried tomatoes); and pesto cream cheese.

    THIS PLACE IS AS WIN AS CHARLIE SHEEN.

  • Review from todd z.

    •  
    • 2 friends
    • 13 reviews

    Philadelphia, PA

    2.0 star rating
    3/28/2011

    I want to like this place, but the bagel egg sandwiches just aren't good enough.

    When you ask for a toasted bagel, you're going to get something approaching lukewarm. I suspect they rush bagels through the toasty machine to keep the line moving... but it just makes the bagels suck.

    I find it hard to like a business that just wants to move their products as fast as possible without caring about the product itself.

    No one really cares about making something delicious here, and you can tell.

  • Review from Jonathan L.

    •  
    • 39 friends
    • 34 reviews

    Philadelphia, PA

    5.0 star rating
    12/26/2010

    I love this place!   You can watch the friendly Mexican man in the back making the bagels fresh, right before your eyes.  

    One of the reasons I so adore this place is because their lox bagel sandwich is LEGIT - capers, tomato, onion, all the good stuff.   This seems to be unique in Philadelphia, where most bagel shops pass off cream cheese bagels with bits of (hopefully) salmon as 'lox bagels'.  

    As someone else pointed out, their service system (the same person that takes your order makes your sandwich) is inefficient - but I've generally found it to be timely and the employees friendly.

  • Review from Whitney D.

    •  
    • 1 friend
    • 8 reviews

    London

    UK
    5.0 star rating
    5/16/2011

    I moved to Philadelphia from North Jersey two years ago and have spent most of that time searching for a bagel place as good as this one. If you are from New York/North Jersey you know how particular we are about our bagels up there. I tried several places throughout Philadelphia before finally following the Yelp reviews to this bagel shop.

    It is everything I have been missing from home. They have a wide selection of bagels and spreads, all great quality, and at very reasonable prices. If you're looking for great bagels, definitely give this place a try!

  • Review from RINNA L.

    •  
    • 30 friends
    • 18 reviews

    Philadelphia, PA

    5.0 star rating
    8/25/2011

    Seriously if you give this place less than five stars you should get your head checked out.  Bagels are awesome, toppings are awesome, workers are friendly.  My go-to order is an everything bagel with veggie cream cheese and a slice of tomato.  I actually will wake up super early some days are get a craving for one of these bagels and MUST HAVE BAGEL RIGHT NOW.  I have called them at 5am to see if they are open yet (if i recall correctly I had to wait an hour) but I did, because they are that awesome.

  • Review from jose a.

    •  
    • 0 friends
    • 42 reviews

    Philadelphia, PA

    5.0 star rating
    11/20/2011

    Love the assortment of bagels. Love the various cream cheeses. The coffee is just alright, but I think that's perfect for this type of bagel place. I might grade this a little more harshly but with so few good bagel places in the city I'm just happy they're here.

  • Review from Brad P.

    Philadelphia, PA

    4.0 star rating
    5/26/2010

    When I wake up on this Sunday morning, I hope to hear at least one of the following two statements-

    1. Wow, I'm so glad that I, Scarlett Johansson, famous film actress, went home with you last night, Brad P.

    2. Let's go get South Street Philly bagels.

    It is the second statement that ignites my taste buds...On my way over, I will excitedly wonder, "which cream cheese will I get on my delicious bagel?"

    Spinach Florentine? Sure
    Cheddar Horseradish? Why not?
    Olive Pimento? Didn't know anyone made that but OK!

    South Street Philly bagels has an incredibly wide, creative selection of cream cheeses.  it is a small, no frills place that is best suited for takeout.  The prices are right, the bagels have a delicious consistency, and their cream cheese selection is so diverse that if you don't find something you like, you simply don't like cream cheese.  It is OK not to like cream cheese but it just means this is not the place for you(I won't agree with your irrational thought process though).

  • Review from Monica S.

    Miami, FL

    3.0 star rating
    3/31/2010 1 Check-in Here

    The morning after can go one of two ways:

    1) I'm looking to pow-wow with friends at a long, drawn out brunch reviewing the night's transgressions.

    -or-

    2) I wouldn't know because I'm buried in the haze of a hangover and looking to shove a cream cheese loaded everything bagel down my throat.

    When it's the latter, South Street Bagels is where I go.

  • Review from K M.

    •  
    • 0 friends
    • 10 reviews

    Philadelphia, PA

    3.0 star rating
    11/15/2011

    Bagels are pretty damn delicious, but restaurants and stores I frequent always have me returning because of their wonderful customer service. The lady behind the counter here is one grouchy mother fucker.

  • Review from Flora T.

    •  
    • 0 friends
    • 15 reviews

    Philadelphia, PA

    4.0 star rating
    1/31/2011

    Getting a bagel from this shop has become part of our weekend routine. It is our favorite place to go in Philly to get lox on a whole wheat everything bagel.

    The only issue I have is that I witnessed them handling money and then making the bagel sandwich without washing their hands.    But I've only seen that happen twice.  Maybe the germs will make you stronger.

  • Review from Ilene F.

    •  
    • 0 friends
    • 1 review

    Canyon Lake, TX

    5.0 star rating
    8/2/2011

    Last June South Street Philly Bagels catered a wedding brunch for my newly married daughter and son-in-law.  In the hussle-bussle of activity I think I forgot to write my review.  Lesley, in charge of catering, did a wonderful job helping me choose the bagels, cream cheeses, white fish salad, lox, rugelach and cookies.  Her dad (the owner) actually came and delivered everything the morning of the brunch.  Everyone loved the food and it was fun getting to meet Lesley's dad.  Great catering!  Thank you for making the brunch so tasty and wonderful!

  • Review from Wallspro S.

    •  
    • 24 friends
    • 47 reviews

    Philadelphia, PA

    4.0 star rating
    8/4/2008

    Great selection of bagels, the staff is efficient and courteous and the cream cheese selection is good. The only reason they don't get a full 5 star review is probably a little beyond their control.

    This place can get really hot and on some mornings, after a long night of alcohol consumption, a few minutes in a steamy bagel shop can be pretty unbearable. Like, hallucinatory, feverish delerium hot.

    Other than that, big up to the staff!

  • Review from Sara C.

    •  
    • 142 friends
    • 284 reviews

    Ferndale, MI

    4.0 star rating
    2/26/2008

    Though Philadelphia may not be known for the best bagels in comparison to our neighbors to the north, South Street's bagels and cream cheese are incredible.  To get a couple dozen bagels for under 15 bucks makes me wonder why the hell I have ever purchased name-brand bagels at the grocery store.

    Try a wheat bagel with blueberry cream cheese.  Heaven.  And the french toast bagel.  It speaks for itself.

    Do avoid the coffee, however.

  • Review from Mikey I.

    Philadelphia, PA

    5.0 star rating
    Updated - 5/13/2011 18 Check-ins Here

    I can't possibly rave any more about this place. I just wish they had pork roll as a meat option. I mean they do have bacon and sausage. Also, there's something mystical about their cheese, sure it might just be plain white American but there's something absolutely amazing about it.

    Was this review …?

    1 Previous Review: Show all »

    • 5.0 star rating
      10/18/2010

      Great bagels and selection of cream cheeses, salads, as well as having your standard variety of meat… Read more »

  • Review from Cynthia D.

    •  
    • 66 friends
    • 203 reviews

    Philadelphia, PA

    4.0 star rating
    9/16/2010

    This became my staple of where to get a bagel in Philly. I'm a New Yorker so finding a good bagel was a plan I had expected to take longer.

    Tip: Get an extra for a friend. People want to eat the other half.

  • Review from Bill M.

    Philadelphia, PA

    3.0 star rating
    2/5/2009

    When it comes to everything bagel related this place is dead on amazing. But for everything else it may need a little work.

    My main concern is that the level of customization may border a little too far on the excessive. By the time I picked out my bagel through the vast list of varieties on the wall, I had to read through a list of 20-30 cream cheeses. When I came to the conclusion that I didn't want to try the cream cheese just yet I had to read through a list of 10-20 sandwich options. I was almost to the point that my head exploded and I ended up forgetting what bagel I wanted it all on!

    Finally I went with the French toast bagel because it sounded like the stuff of legends, and I decided to get it as an egg and cheese. The bagel portion of the sandwich was truly immaculate, but the egg & cheese portion not so much. If the bagel it came on wasn't so damn amazing I'd say that you could probably get a better egg & cheese at McDonald's. The coffee that it offered went from typical to obscure. I picked up the sticky bun flavor for whatever bizarre reason and it ended up tasting nothing like a sticky bun. it was $0.96 for a small though so I got what I paid for.

    Lesson learned - go here for your bagel fix and do try the cream cheese (maybe the whitefish). But other than that keep it simple and you should be happy. And I like that you can score 2 dozen bagels for less than $15!

  • Review from Nicole R.

    •  
    • 119 friends
    • 303 reviews

    PA

    4.0 star rating
    2/1/2007

    Although this place is a slipshod operation, they make damn good bagels.  I am so sick of lumps of bread with holes cut in the middle that call themselves bagels.  These are the real deal.  They are best when they're still hot out of the oven with a little hummus and tomato or goat cheese.

    SSPB also has a serious spread of cream cheese for the non allergic to dairy individuals of the world.  I would give the little toe on my left foot for maple walnut cream cheese on a whole wheat bagel but nobody would make that trade--it's a little gross.

  • Review from karla g.

    •  
    • 17 friends
    • 127 reviews

    Philadelphia, PA

    4.0 star rating
    7/9/2008

    I remember back when I was in high school having to solicit for sponsors for my school plays....and I remember the nice people at Philly Bagels taking out an add, which totally rocked!

    Within the past few years, though, the bagels and bagel sandwiches haven't been tasting the same. Don't get me wrong, they're great in the morning, especially with some lox and tomato, but there's something I can't quite put my taste buds on. Different flour? Something.

  • Review from pedro s.

    •  
    • 4 friends
    • 21 reviews

    Philadelphia, PA

    3.0 star rating
    11/12/2007

    For Philly this is the only choice...

    It's a travesty that for an area with a large Jewish & other forms of loud, hungry mouths to feed, this is the ONLY spot to find a bagel crafted according to old-world norms (thanks to the hard-working, of course, Spanish-speakers toiling continually in front of the viewable kitsch-en ovens).

    In NYC these would be OK - the dough isnt all that flavorful, the CC's are a bit salty and not always real tasty/fresh, and the variety of flavors in name does not match their respective tastes.

    Coffee service is a pain: creamers lately have not been chunky - somehow they stay below bacteria-happy levels in their little cooler-thing - and the tease of fresher coffee in two usually-empty glass pots can frustrate.

    Staff works hard, it turns over a lot, and the clientele is rather brusque on the strange lineup.

    The owner seems to be a mensch who strides in quickly at times, swoops behind the counter, barking out some orders, questions - makes a few apologetic phone calls, then takes an order or two mixing in jokes right outta Loch Sheldrake or Monticello.
    He might be a better entertainer than bagel purveyor - but in Philly his virtual monopoly is desperately needed.

    A plus are the "men's" magazines on display in back of the cash register - showing sexy Israeli chicks with bold Hebraic fonts - this would be a nice style touch at 4th Street Deli !

    To sit inside and enjoy a b'fast or lunch bagel one must stake out turf and plant hard on one of the two available seats (plus a Victorian era couch Dateline has postively tested for many things)...

    It's more nervy than exciting inside - but the point is the bagel - and the fact so many want them toasted... well, what else do u need to know?

  • Review from Susan G.

    Philadelphia, PA

    5.0 star rating
    7/23/2007

    This place is awesome!  Not only do they have DELICIOUS bagels, they have yummy cream cheese, and whitefish salad!
    They are friendly and quick an as Alana H. said...it's super exciting to have a nice bagel shop around!
    Though I am a fan of the D&D's....for coffee...I'll go here in a heartbeat for bagels!

  • Review from Bruce W.

    •  
    • 2 friends
    • 9 reviews

    Washington, DC

    3.0 star rating
    6/20/2010

    I would give the bagels themselves four, maybe five stars.  Each of the flavors I've tried have tasted great and had just the right amount of spongy  softness.  If you want toasted, try asking for double-toasted, as just one toast doesn't do it for me.
    This shop unfortunately falls short elsewhere.  The coffee is terrible (thankfully there's great coffee next door).  The cheese that they use for breakfast sandwich bagels is meh.  And not much in the way of seating.  Still, a great place to grab a quick and delicious bagel.

  • Review from Erin F.

    Philadelphia, PA

    5.0 star rating
    11/23/2010

    There are many things you shouldn't do while driving. Talking on a cell phone, texting, sexting, emailing, reading, applying makeup, but I'm still unclear on whether eating while driving is okay or not. Either way, I'm a pro at it and it's probably my #2 hobby in this world. My favorite thing to eat while driving is a novelty size slice of pizza from Lorenzo & Sons, but on Saturday morning I opted for a bagel from South Street. I've always wanted to go here but never made it until last week. I love bagels and it's hard to find somewhere with a good variety of both bagels and spreads. I also like that it's not a chain - Manhattan and Bruegger's are OKAY but it's just not the same. So I dropped in and ordered a garlic bagel with lox spread and tomato. This combination is the ultimate bagel combination, in my opinion, short of a garlic bagel with actual lox, scallion cream cheese, and tomato. I also had a Diet Pepsi.

    I got back in my car to make the trek down to Target and between 3rd & South Street and Target off of Columbus Blvd, I ate the whole thing. There was traffic, okay. The layer of lox spread was very generous, the tomato was juicy but not wet, and the bagel was top notch. My breath was also top notch afterwards and there are toasted garlic crumbs in the console of my Saturn now, but I'm okay with it. South Street has a long list of bagels and spreads, including classics, some low fat options, hummus, and my darling lox spread. I love places like this and I think I'll make it a destination on my weekly weekend errands.

    Oh, and while I was waiting for my bagel to come up, the two guys in front of me were discussing what lox is. "Do you know what lox is? I don't know, ask him, I bet he knows what lox is. Dude, do you know what lox is?" Their friend was like, "yeah, it's an onion." In unison - "OHHHHHH". Then they left. Awesome.

  • Review from Coleen L.

    •  
    • 12 friends
    • 45 reviews

    Philadelphia, PA

    5.0 star rating
    9/2/2010

    It's ridiculous how much I eat here. Just about every morning. Vast selection of bagel flavors, as well as flavored cream cheeses. Yet still, my favorite is a plain bagel with butter and a LITTLE BIT of strawberry jelly, and they always get the LITTLE BIT of strawberry jelly right.

    Two strengths of coffee (very much appreciated), always service with a smile. I kind of wish they didn't have a $5 minimum for credit cards (which is illegal at present time), but I understand why they do.

  • Review from Carly M.

    •  
    • 1 friend
    • 16 reviews

    Philadelphia, PA

    3.0 star rating
    10/15/2009

    When I lived a half a block away from this little joint, I was in here an average of once a day.  And I miss it, I really do.  My favorite thing about it is the customization factor -- there are so many choices and combos you can make from the bagel, cream cheese, and topping selections that there's sure to be something for everyone.  After experimenting, my all-time fav ended up being spinach florentine cream cheese on a whole wheat everything bagel with lettuce, tomato, and cucumbers.  Ahh...I can taste it now....

    HOWEVER:

    The manager / owner may or may not have a screw loose, and the rumors are true -- he WILL hit on your fine ass unmercifully.  It got to the point that I would not stop in this place unless I was sufficiently unshowered and hangover drunk-faced from the night before.  Granted, he still talked my ear off, but less...um...creeptastically.

    A word on the rest of the staff?  I'm fully aware that these kids must make a hot $7 an hour at best, but really, this crew might possibly have lowered my own IQ a few points, just by sheer proximity.  The blank stares, coupled with the de rigueur 5+ repetitions it takes to get each order (possibly, hopefully) correct left me wondering if there was something in the water over there... (Not to paint with too broad a brush though, as there is one young lady that seems to know what the hell is going on, and is just as frustrated with the rest of the staff as the customers are.)

    Basically, if you're headed here for the ambiance or the winning customer service, you're pretty much S.O.L., but for a crazy selection of bagel & spread varieties, and a damn good hangover-cure sandwich, look no further.

  • Review from Caitlin C.

    •  
    • 103 friends
    • 389 reviews

    PA

    5.0 star rating
    2/6/2007

    Small, fast-paced and South Philly family-run. These are some damn good bagels.

    When I use to stop here before work to get bagels for the office, I would always grab a couple of their French toast bagels (powdered sugar and maple syrup infused!). They also have lots of healthy options and fun creations like chocolate chip, etc.

    The cream cheeses are awesome, too. This is the place to get a coffee and egg sandwich - not McD's.

  • Review from CHE L.

    •  
    • 11 friends
    • 38 reviews

    Philadelphia, PA

    5.0 star rating
    4/10/2011

    The bagel is pretty good. I like their chocolate chip bagel just plain just like that. 85cents is not bad for a bagel. They have a lot of selection of different kinds of bagel and cream cheeses. This place gets busy.

1 to 40 of 77 (12 Filtered) |  
Page: 1 2
Write a Review

People Who Viewed This Also Viewed...

People Viewed This After Searching For...