Best Bagel is a busy bagel spot not far from Penn Station with a kitschy red neon sign and dark decor inside in stark contrast to the bright blue awning outside. Most importantly, it has delicious bagels and well executed combinations.
Due to location and quality of product, it gets quite busy but the line moves quickly. Be mindful that it’s full of tourists, who don’t seem to realize that you cannot order from counters at the front.
The registers immediately to your left are for paying after you’ve ordered at one of the two stations at the end of the horseshoe. In other words, don’t feel badly about walking straight up to the counters in the back.
The bagels are chewy, fresh, tasty and a good size. The spreads are very fresh and well executed; the lox spread, which usually has sparse lox has plenty of pieces of fish in it. Likewise, the nova sandwich, while not cheap, comes with lots of lox.
The tuna salad and whitefish salad are very good though be mindful about ordering the whitefish salad or anything not always offered as the preparation can take much longer. Also note the egg and cheese sandwich is terrific.
I recommend getting whatever bagel type you prefer (everything, onion, garlic were all terrific) and get a table outside while you wait to hear your name called to get your food.
