By Abigael T. Sidi
I’ll admit it: I gave into the hype.
Since Absolute Bagels closed, I’ve been wandering the streets in search of a new go-to bagel spot, trying places as I go. Though some have come somewhat close, none have hit the spot quite the same way.
So, yes, I capitulated to the Instagram viral du jour, PopUp Bagels, where eating the bagel and being seen eating it seem equally important.
Despite the lousy early spring weather, I was expecting a line (but not fearing it, given my past Absolute patronage, where a block-long line was integral to the visit). The line was there, a solid 10-minute wait — most of it students and children with their parents — stretching on Columbus Avenue between West 75th and 76th streets. The Instagram/TikTok effect was on full display.
From what I’d gleaned from the reels and advertising on their website, PopUp is all about the experience, with a marketing schtick that could be summarized as “made-to-order, hot, straight-out-of-the-oven.”
Ripping the warm bagel open right after purchase, cracking through that crispy skin, released a heavenly steam of that classic bagel scent. The dough was airy and light, more akin to a freshly baked roll than a traditional, sturdy and chewy New York City bagel.
I then followed proper PopUp etiquette and dipped my bagel parts in their staple scallion schmear (the scallion is one of the two “always available” schmears, along with the plain; they are creamy but on the leaner side, about halfway between classic and whipped).
Overall, the PopUp experience did live up to the hype: It was warm, delicious, and I felt pretty cool while doing it.
As for the afternoon snack and next-morning bagels, they were okay, but didn’t have the same pizzazz. They did remain slightly crispy with a genuine bagel taste, but clearly, for the best experience, PopUp bagels should be eaten as advertised, right out of their ovens and on the go.
PopUp’s bagels are on the smaller end, clocking in at 3.5 oz vs. 5.5 oz for a classic city bagel, as measured at home. The seasonings I tried (plain, salt, sesame, poppy, everything) were all tasty, with the flaky salt bagel being a favorite for the day. There will be fans of the smaller portion and fluffy cream cheese, which make for a lighter, healthier experience. And there will be aficionados of the control you have over the amount of cream cheese per serving – apparently, there is a faction of New Yorkers and tourists who resent the by-default large slabs of schmear spread on NYC bagels.
But there will equally be critics turned away by the lack of authentic chewiness and the forced $13 expense (three packs are the minimum order, which PopUp ownership claims is the only way they can logistically ensure every customer’s bagel will be served warm out of the oven).
PopUp’s marketing strategy for their cream cheeses – “ever-ending” offerings of limited-time schmears (listed as “currently available” or “upcoming”) – does instill some fun and excitement. On the day of my visit, the “currently availables” were a garlic/parmesan spread called Homer’s Blend Schmear (tasty!) and a Lemon Poppy Butter, while the “upcomings,” as listed on their website, were Pimento Cheese and Brown Sugar Cinnamon Butter.
Overall, PopUp’s non-traditional, “rip-and-dip” style bagels do bring something new to the neighborhood, and their commitment to serving the bagels hot and fresh every time is a welcome addition to the UWS’s otherwise old-school bagel scene.
PopUp Bagels, which has been Kosher-certified for almost a year, is open every day from 7 a.m. till 4 p.m. Pick-up is available, but beware, the minimum “pre-order” on the PopUp website is a dozen bagels with two schmears, for a whopping $42. Delivery is also available through Uber Eats and Door Dash, where the three pack with schmear comes at $15.29 instead of $13 (excluding any additional tips and fees).
The Dish: Three Pack with Schmear ($13.00)
The Restaurant: PopUp Bagels (338 Columbus Avenue, between W 75th and 76th streets)
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The customer service is also awesome. William Smith and his crew are very nice!
Love your column but pizzazz or not, you will never convince me to spend a dime at such an overtly gimmicky instagrammy operation. Bagels, especially on the UWS, are New York royalty. When you come for the king, you best not miss. I’ll write back later with a list of respectable options for Absolutists like yourself !
Please do. Where are the good bagels near 110th now?? I went up to Wu & Nussbaum and down to Broadway Bagels and neither did it for me. In a funk mourning for Absolute and Columbia Bagels.
Reposting my top 3 list here:
1. Bagels and Co
2. Broad Nosh
3. H&H
Hope that helps!
“When you come for the king, you best not miss?!” A little confused by this statement. How do you know they missed when you yourself have not tried it?
alright here we go. Relax, no one likes change. Doesn’t mean their bagels aren’t any good (which you’ll never even find out, apparently). I for one will try them based on the promise of “hot out of the oven” alone. Any other spot you need to be extremely lucky to get your hands on a hot bagel. This in of itself makes a visit worthwhile.
Maybe if I’m lucky, I’ll get a large tax refund so I can afford $13 for 3 bagels and a tablespoon of cream cheese. Feh.
Pop-Up also has a great vegan cream cheese, Monty’s, as one of the offerings, for the plant-based crowd
Delicious stuff. Big fan of P.U.B. The heavy handed schmear on at regular bagel shoppe destroys the balance. I love the Rip and Dip process
I like their bagels and dgaf about Instagram, but the problem is these at bagels made for Connecticut (or wherever they’re from), not nyc. Eating them ‘on the go’ as suggested is a huge pain here. If you’re in a car that’s fine, you can put the cup of schmear down and dip and all is well. But walking around the city? Forget about it! You have to sit somewhere to be able to rip and dip. I want a good bagel place that cuts my bagel into proper quarters, and globs schmear on there for me so all I’m have to do is grab it, tuck away the rest in my bag, and have a snack while actually walking down the sidewalk without stopping. Other than that and the 3 bagel minimum which also is not nyc friendly, they’re actually delicious bagels. They just really need to lose this Instagram bs and adapt to this market better
Bagel gentrification.
haven’t been there yet, but looking at the second photo, the crumb (inside) looks nothing like a bagel should look like, and nothing like the bagels I grew up with on the West Side. It looks very soft, and the first photo shows how large the crust and the crumb are.
Not on the West Side, but Mark’s Off Madison is the closest I’ve seen to what a bagel should be.
The description reminds me of the old H and H bagels, which were doughy and fluffy when eaten hot, but tasted underdone and overly doughy once they cooled.
These have the additional trauma of being 2 ounces smaller and more expensive?
No thanks. I’ll get my fully cooked, crackly chewy bagels elsewhere.
Forget the ersatz Jersey air filled bread come-on/rip-off (+ not for 1 person if you want fresh and hot). Real bagels in the area: Bagel Talk, Kossars, Zuckers, Barney Greengrass, Zabars.
Despite extreme annoyance by the price and requirement of buying in 3s plus a schmear, I gave in on two occasions (when friends were around to share), and an enjoyable meal was had by all. BUT — this is not the place for my regular stocking up — not with their size, price, and stipulations. After Absolute’s (justified) dissolution, I was distraught, but after a few excursions, I’ve determined my replacements: Bagels and Co (78th and Amsterdam) for my basics: OK, they’re a little big, but they taste great and keep fresh for many days. Across the street, Bagel Talk is perfectly serviceable. If I have the time and want to eat in, Bo’s Bagel’s in Harlem is really good, but beware: they close at 3PM and they run out of or low on bagels all the time, especially an hour or two before that early closure. But super clean space and wonderful staff.
Yes I wanted to mention Bo’s as well but left it off my list because it isn’t technically UWS (even though many Columbia kids can be seen, especially since Absolute closed)
That requirement is illegal in NY State. Can’t force people to purchase paint if they’re purchasing paint rollers.
Ok so here’s my top 3 to get you off Absolute:
1. Bagels and Co
2. Broad Nosh
3. H&H
There are more
Dan is right on. Bagels & Co. are #1 (certainly for bagels with a kosher certification). Only gripe is their oversize. My credentials as a bagel rater: growing up in the Bronx 80 years ago.
Broad Nosh seems good
Don’t recall anyone asking you to list yours.
No, I took it upon myself to provide the writer with some tips to get over Absolute. Free country
Forcing the purchase of “schmear” with bagels, something Pop Up does, is illegal.
They need to start selling bagels individually, they can also offer specials on X number of bagels with spread.
As much as I disdain this kind of place, they’re not forcing you to do anything. If you don’t like their deal, go buy your bagels the shop next door. They’re not going to hunt you down with their $13 bag
They most certainly are forcing paired purchasing. It is illegal.
And it is irrelevant that there are other bagel shops.
Next time you buy paint, see how much you like also having to purchase roller covers, roller frames, roller trays, and brushes.
Not all tying arrangements are illegal. In fact, most are not. But if you think this one is, then call the bagel police.
The shop can run a special on spread and 3 bagels. The shop can’t compel the purchase of spread and bagels together.
So a tied purchase can be legal, but a compelled purchase isn’t.
Go to a bakery selling French bread, they can’t compel the purchase of brie with every baguette sale.
Also: reread my paint purchase example.
Call: 1-800 BAGEL LAW
People: These things may be delicious, they may be a fad, they may be the greatest thing since sliced bagels, they may be a harbinger of end times….but, whatever they are, they are not bagels.
Bagels as dippers? Disgusting. Did all decorum disappear with Covid? Kind of ironic the author refers to this as “etiquette.” Stop playing with your food and eat like an adult. As for this minimum buy-in business, it probably won’t work in the long run. Either they change policy or they close shop…as is the nature of a pop-up.
UWS residents have an embarrassment of bagel riches. So watching these best-bagel debates is amusing. Seriously, try getting anything even close to an UWS bagel anywhere else in the US. It’s impossible. In most other cities, a bagel is a baked roll with a hole in the middle.
Where are the good bagels on the UWS?
Lenny’s closed, Absolute closed. Neither had serious competition — except the other.
If you want overfluffed bagels, the UWS is the place.
I have not seen the regular pop up bagels crew lately. They seemed to have a turnover of people and the people aren’t as friendly as the regular crew that was there up until a few weeks back.