The Bagel House

Had a chicken pesto flatbread sandwich and it was terrific. The flatbread was toasted yet still soft to eat, the chicken with the pesto sauce full of flavor. A definite to eat I’d you’re passing by.

Best bagels in Astoria. NO LINES! Superior taste friendly staff. This is the place to go. I’ll never goto Brooklyn and wait again!

The bagels at this place are super delicious. I like them better than Brooklyn bagel… They’re not so dense and they also don’t over cream cheese… Best part is the fresh taste… One star off for a bit if a dingy appearance and also not much on the coffee selection. Got a regular frappé and although it tasted good it was almost all foam so not a good value. Would just stick to regular coffee here and if they make the front area a bit more warm and appealing so you might want to grab a table and stay, it would be five stars!

Came here one morning to try their bagels. It was highly recommended by a friend of mine. He said that their bagel sandwiches were good so I ordered an egg & cheese on a cinnamon bagel. We also ordered their scallion cream cheese spread on a plain bagel.
Bagels were both toasted nicely. My egg/​cheese bagel was tasty. The bagel itself I thought was just okay. It felt over cooked.
The customer service was excellent. I believe it was the owner who took our order and he was super friendly and helpful. This place reminded me of a donut shop my grandpa used to go to. Locals from the community just come here and just sit and talk for hours on end. It had a real homey feel to it.
For the service and the atmosphere I’d give it 4 stars but as for the bagels (3 stars). I still prefer others. As for a bagel sandwich, I will have to try others to compare but I feel that this place was just so so.

This place rocks! Staff is super friendly. Good service. Clean and comfortable environment. Everything Flagels are my favorite and are delicious! The bagels are yummy and fresh. I will go back and try the sweets.

Been looking for a great breakfast sandwich in the area. This was the third place I’ve been to and the best so far. Got a bacon, egg (2 eggs over easy) and cheese on a roll and it was delicious. The eggs were cooked perfectly, the roll was fresh, the bacon was crispy and the cheese was melty. What else can you ask for?
The guy at the counter directing and taking orders was very nice and the place was not too crazy for a Saturday mid-​morning. The iced coffee was above average and worth a try also. Will definitely be back!

Over the years, I’ve had the misfortune of going in there every now and again, as I seem to forget just how awful this place is. So I’m writing myself (and you) some notes here, as a reminder. Finally, I’d say this place is at best 2 out of 10 according to my rating system (see below)
Note #1: if you like stale (or otherwise not good) food, this place is your first choice in this neighborhood!
As Astoria gentrifies and avenues like Ditmars boast fresh quality foods, and good eats all-​around, this place really stands out. but not in a good way. I live nearby (in Astoria for over 30 years) so as I walk by, I can see the same sad bagels, pastries, and baked goods sitting in their respective display cases day after day — items that shouldn’t even be given away, they try to sell off to Astoria’s rapidly changing, gentrifying residents.
Overall, their food quality (ie. grade, and freshness) is worse than almost anything in Astoria north of the Grand Central/​Hoyt Avenue. The lowest greasy-​spoon diner (and there are several w/​in walking distance) will serve up fresher, tastier, and better priced options for you across the board.
Note #2: if you like abusive owners who are nasty to their workers and customers alike, this place is a top tier choice as well.
Inside, the nasty older lady who has run this spot for a few years now, has managed this place to the ground. Her ever-​changing staff cannot look more demoralized and frustrated. I’ve seen/​heard her be so nasty to these workers that I’ve said to myself why to I ever support this behavior. But I forget, again, hence this reminder!
Note #3: if you like to pay a different price for the same exact thing, or just get randomly ripped off with your breakfast, again, this place is a top choice in the area.
My last trip there, the old lady and a new young face behind the register (her grandson?) behind the counter where boasting and chuckling with one of their grill-​workers about how they just overcharged the guy who just left (not caring for a moment that another customer. me. was standing there.).
As they’ve decided to tape over (and not list) the pricing for some basic breakfast items that they sell — bacon/​egg/​cheese, or egg/​cheese sandwich, or some coffee-​type drinks, just to name a few — I guess she just waits to size you up, or just make up pricing depending on how busy it is, as she rings you up. Which reminds me.
Did I mention their food quality in general is awful — yeah, I did. good. OK, just one last reminder of how there are several choices in the area, all of which are better options regardless of the time or day, and so its time for me to say goodbye to the Bagel House.
My rating system:
Food quality = 1.5 of 10
Food taste = 3 of 10
Overall aesthetic = 3 of 10
Service = 1 of 10
Overall = 2 of 10

The place looks dreadful, but the bagel and cream cheese and chives was yummy. I came and in by mistake Lolz, was looking for the other bagel place around the corner but at the end the bagel was Fresh and the cream cheese with chives was perfectly blended. Don’t know if coming back. Will have to be one of those quick decisions.

Incredibly fresh, great food! Super friendly service that will make you any sandwich/​panini/​salad that you can think of!

Got a bagel + cc on my way in, asked if they took card (no) and asked where’s the closest ATM. They said no don’t bother just come by tomorrow on your way in to pay your bill. I love it. thank you.

Dropped by to get some breakfast to go as I was passing by. It was the worst breakfast wrap I have ever tried. tasteless and leaking with water from the eggs. It was a ham cheese and egg wrap. I wish there was a sauce or at least a punch of salt and pepper in the eggs. I struggled to eat the first half of it. I give two stars only because the guy at the register was very polite and welcoming otherwise the food gets only one star.

I’ve come here a couple of times now. Each time they get my order wrong. Today I made an effort to repeat my order and even though I had them repeat it back the order was still incorrect. Also, the don’t take cards. Frustrating…

Excellent place fresh bagels straight out the oven, perfect quick stop for breakfast they even have a sitting area. I had a great experience I just came out the gym, my pregnant wife wanted a bagel with egg and cheese and that MEANS I MUST GET IT OR DEAL WITH THE WRATH. When I arrived I realized I left my money at home. There was a gentleman behind the register named Steve also, He told me no problem just come back and pay him another day I was relieved, at the end of the day my wife loved the bagel, she didn’t even want to share but I did get one bite. It was definitely fresh and tasted great thank you and yes I did go back and pay. :)

It was only $ 5.25 for two bagels. One bagel had lox spread (and I mean huge pieces of lox were included). The other bagel was veggie cream cheese (full of peppers). Both were very fresh and delicious. There was seating available, but no bathroom. The people working here are really nice and friendly with each person who came inside on this snowy morning.

Despite the outdated signage in front of this building, this is a true gem on Ditmars. It’s never been terribly crowded when I’ve gone but they seem to have a steady flow of patrons, and the man working the counter was able to greet regulars by name. Which is a nice thing to see in a neighborhood spot.
I’ve ordered a few different bagels here, cream cheese and bagel sandwiches and I have to say they do a mean bagel sandwich (bacon, egg, and cheese, or ham, egg, and cheese yum!). Their bagels are really fresh and tasty and they listen to your special requests (not too much cream cheese really means not too much cream cheese it’s awesome!). I also find their bagels to be a wee bit tastier and softer than the ones a Brooklyn Bagel, but that might be personal preference.
However, I do prefer the variety of cream cheese down the street at Brooklyn Bagel. So I’ve come up with a solution: buy my bagels and get them toasted at Bagel House (if I’m not getting a sandwich of course) and buy a tub of bacon scallion cream cheese down the street for days when I just need a fix. Boom. Problem solved and I get to support two great Astoria establishments. Winning.

One reviewer calls the owner (affectionately) «the bagel nazi» because she reminds him of the classic Seinfeld character who serves soup. I have found her to be a little «to the point» and maybe «old-​school New York» but she’s not as scary or gruff as people make her out to be. Maybe we caught her in a good mood… we’ve only been here 3 times.
Another review says the prices are easy on the wallet. Yes, that’s true, but only because bagel sandwiches have gotten ridiculously expensive in NY.
Another reviewer said «The best bagels in all five boroughs». That is not only patently false, it’s a ridiculous thing to say. I hope the reviewer was using hyperbole, because if not, the reviewer has been missing out on some seriously good bagels that NYC has to offer. These bagels were good, but I’ve had much, much better.
I’ve had three bagels, lox, cream cheese (not toasted) from here: poppy seed, garlic, and sesame. All three times they «ran out» of onion bagels. 0. o
Twice the bagels were hard, which is inexcusable. Before becoming a Wall Street analyst, I used to bake bagels for a Washington DC bagel store called Chesapeake Bagels. We used to donate our bagels to homeless shelters around 1pm and bake a fresh (reduced) batch for late afternoon /​evening bagels. Not cost effective, but our bagels were never hard.
Despite the fact that 2 of my 3 bagels were too tough, they still had good flavor.
They are a bit stingy with the cream cheese. All three times I had scallion cream cheese, and all three times, I had to go back to the store and ask them to slap on more cream cheese, since the cream cheese flavor and texture got lost between the hard bagel and salty lox.
Perhaps I’m being nitpicky. These were good bagel sandwiches, as evidenced by my three-​star «A-​OK» rating. However, Brooklyn Bagel and Coffee a few blocks down has superior bagels, a nicer atmosphere, more personable staff, and a bigger menu (despite what you see on their online menu) at a slightly greater cost.

Came here on a Saturday morning, so I get that it would be busy and I’d have to wait, but this was awful. I ordered two pretty basic things: a bagel with butter and a bagel with bacon, egg, cheese and hot sauce. Nothing too fancy or over the top. I waited over twenty minutes. People behind me (who also ordered a bagel and butter and another person who ordered a bacon, egg and cheese) got their order and were out, while I was still waiting. The guy at the counter blamed the workers and said they mixed up what went on what bagel. First of all, that’s embarassing to your workers, but I guess he needed to come up with some excuse for me while I just stood there like a lost, starving puppy.
Finally get my stuff, get in the car, and the bagel with bacon, egg, cheese and hot sauce (which I confirmed with the guy twice), had no cheese or hot sauce. Just a bagel with bacon and egg. Sigh.
Aside from that, the bagels are alright. Not something I’d go out of my way for.

The woman who works here is hilarious. We like to call her the bagel nazi or the slum lord. She is very… to the point. But what can i say, she is a native New York Italian, born and raised. Definitely hard has nails, and reminds me of my own grandmother if she was raised in the rough streets of NYC.
Ms Bagel Nazi has the best bagels around. Sure you can go a block down to the other bagel place (brooklyn something), but i can assure you that place is nowhere near the authenticity of Bagel House when it comes to new york bagels.
Also has great coffee, but if you ask for cream and sugar, they decide how much youre getting and its A LOT of both… damn you bagel nazi
i also thought it was funny watching her demand her mexican employee to make the toaster toast my bagel faster. now thats customer care!

The Bagel House is solid 5 stars. This neighborhood spot has been a constant stop for me for an easy-​breakfast destination when I travel to NYC from Boston (been coming here for many many years!)
The bagels are great and they also make a delicious grilled sandwich (breakfast or lunch). The cheesecake muffin is the best around… I am surprised they haven’t been in some sort of cheesecake muffin competition THERE HAS TO BE ONE SOMEWHERE?!
Also, did I mention The Bagel House is very easy on the wallet!!!
It has very limited seating, so, beware, it is more a to-​go shop. The owner, Steve, is a really chill guy too!
Enjoy

They make good bagels and sandwiches and their coffee is good, if not a bit expensive.
I particularly like the hungry man sandwich, a breakfast hero with eggs, bacon, sausage, ham and cheese. It’s delicious and big and makes me want to go right back to bed.
While there are better lunch sandwich options in the neighborhood, their pesto panini (grilled chicken, pesto and melted mozz.) is delicious and consistent. Remember to ask for the 3 bean salad that comes free with it, as they don’t always make a point to include it.
The people who work behind the counter are nice and take care to make sure they get your order correct and I see them around in the neighborhood sometimes, which reinforces the fact that this is a local establishment, and that’s always good. Particularly since there are like 5 Duncan Donuts in a half mile radius.
They open very early and close at/​around 6, so its definitely more of a breakfast/​lunch spot.