The Best Bagels in Oakland

The Beanery

★★★★☆ 4.2 (290) • $

"My family loves coming to The Beanery, especially for their spicy chicken panini! It's such a perfect lunch (or anytime) meal. The spicy sauce is really flavorful and not too spicy. The chicken is well cooked and not too dry. And the panini is perfectly toasted. I've gotten coffee from here as well and have never been disappointed. Most recently I also got an Italian soda. It was a little sweet for me so next time I'll ask for less syrup. But I still really liked it! They have SO many flavors available, I almost didn't know which to go with. If you need somewhere to start, you can't go wrong with orange (it's basically just an orange soda).Parking in the lot can be tough - there are plenty of spaces but it is shared with all the other businesses and restaurants. I would recommend parking on the street or in the neighborhood nearby as The Beanery is on the farther end of the market, away from the lot. They've got lots of tables, both inside and outside, if you plan to stay awhile. I even noticed a lot of people with their laptops, getting some work done. The cafe is accessible on its own from the outside but you can also get there by going through the market."

Bagel Street Cafe

★★★★☆ 3.9 (262) • $

"This is an excellent cafe. I had been craving a smoothie for several weeks and finally gave it. After a quick Yelp search, I landed on Bagel Street Cafe, which is a short walk away from the UC Berkeley campus. Upon entering, I saw a wide variety of bagel options, as well as a menu full of sandwiches and other food options. They have pastries, as well, although not as wide of a variety.I ordered a strawberry banana smoothie, and my partner ordered a mango smoothie. We also ordered a chocolate muffin (not pictured). For the smoothies, you have a 16 oz option and a 20 oz option. The smaller size is under $6 and the larger is under $7. Not bad for a smoothie. The smoothies are also made with fresh ingredients. I watched the lady add the fresh fruit! The mango smoothie has fresh mango and mango juice (amazing option for mango lovers!). Both smoothies were excellent! The chocolate muffin was good too; exactly what we expected it to be. We loved the smoothies so much that we returned 2 days later for more!The service was quick, and the lady was very pleasant and chatted with us while we waited for our smoothies. The ambience is like a typical deli (very casual). I'm sure this place gets a lot of foot traffic once school starts, given its proximity to the campus. The breakfast sandwich options looked delicious, too!Overall, this is a really great place to get a smoothie. I haven't tried the coffee or the sandwiches/bagels yet, but I plan to. I definitely recommend this place!"

Well Grounded

★★★★☆ 4.1 (279) • $

"Amazing bagels and coffee. Loved that it was organic coffee as well. Service was friendly and quick with orders."

Bit of Ireland Bakery

★★★★☆ 3.6 (64) • $

"The carrot cake from here and the frosted sugar cookies are to die for. I've been coming here since I was a kid and the sweets don't disappoint!"

Barrelista Coffee House

★★★★☆ 4.4 (571) • $$

"Update: info on the door says closed for renovation! Hope they are able to reopen soon!"

Bagel Baron

★★★★☆ 4.2 (19) • $

"I came by early early one weekend morning (before they actually opened) and awaited those special bagels to be delivered to their deli, Saul's. $1.50 a bagel.. i bought 5 with my change purse.. that's $7.50 I had to dig up. On Tuesdays, Panera sells you 13 for about $7. Einstein Bagels a la Costco sells you like 12 for $5. Berkeley Bagels has a great chew on their bagels. Here you're absolutely paying for artisan. Imitating the NY style of baking and boiling, effectively resulting in a tough and drier outside, with a hearty chew on the inside. I love the seeds and spices on the everything bagel. Theirs are more pronounced, more pungent, sharper salt... difficult to explain. Definitely for the occasional splurge. Perhaps it's not fair to put a price on an art of a bagel. In the end, though, I felt, after eating one, that for the difference in texture, whatnot, it was not worth the steeeeep price. Weren't differentiated enough for me. And yep, I surely did read that NYT article as well."

Primavera

★★★★★ 4.6 (82) • $

"Primavera rocks!! Granted, I've only dropped by once but this definitely won't be the last time I'm here. It's a very unassuming shop across from Oakland Tech and one of the Kaiser buildings, next to a pet shop, and kind of colorful inside. Primavera is a truly mom & pop sandwich shop, offering different kinds of sandwiches, breakfast foods, and salads, along with various coffee and tea offerings, milk teas and fruit teas, and other sweet drinks. They also have a ton of candy and canned/bottled drinks available for sale (probably given their proximity to the high school).After dropping off our ballots across the street, we stopped by to grab some sandwiches. My bf got a Chicken Italiano sandwich, and I got a half turkey avocado sandwich/half Chinese chicken sandwich combo with a mango green tea with mango star jelly. Needless to say, my lunch was delicious, healthy, and filling, and my partner enjoyed his meal. Everything is so reasonably priced as well- our meals plus drink were about $22, including the tip! I'd return to try the other drinks as well and other sandwich flavors.I'll continue to drop by here when I'm in the area or in a mood for a sandwich or salad... that was TASTY. Support Primavera!!"

House of Bagels

★★★☆☆ 3.3 (85) • $

"I am so happy I found this place! Their bagels tasted great and came fresh! Plenty of bagel options as well as cream cheese options. They were able to accommodate a catering order for about 35 people and the entire process went smooth. The manager went above and beyond to make sure everyone was taken care of!!"

Evergreen Coffee

★★★★☆ 4.1 (372) • $$

"Great sandwiches, good coffee and a terrific assortment of pastries . Definitely worth a stop whenever we're in the Evergreen area!!!"

Berkeley Bagels

★★★★☆ 3.8 (269) • $

"Pretty good bagel place.They even sell kebabs which were freshly cooked!The bagel was packed with food and sauce. Definitely made me fullService was nice. Folks who work there were super chill. They were helpful when we asked what the options had in the menu.Ambiance inside is average, just a typical bagel place with some small chairs tables etc.Overall, a good bagel place!"

Colonial Donuts

★★★★☆ 4.1 (649) • $

"Oh my gosh where do I start!!?? We found out his spit by accident and I'm so thankful to the donut gods!! You can go morning noon or night and I mean late night because they are a 24 hour donut shop! But no matter what time you go, the donuts are fresh! And I mean F-R-E-S-H!!! *insider tip-go on the weekend and try their bacon and maple donut it does NOT disappoint! The place is clean and there is room to hang out and eat your donut there if you'd like. They have ice cold milk to wash it down along with all the other donut shop goodies and drinks! And the staff is amazing, they're kind and outgoing. Great for the late night sweet tooth run! Yummoooo"

K's Coffee House

★★★☆☆ 3.3 (72) • $

"Stopped.for a toasted pastrami sandwich. The sandwich was not toasted and otherwise boating and uninspiring. The kind you prepare yourself under 2 minutes at home from cheap and generic ingredients. Not stopping by here again."

Boichik Bagels

★★★★☆ 4.1 (769) • $$

"Definitely satisfies my need for a NY bagel! I love the variety of flavors and cream cheeses. I preordered my bagels and it was quick and easy to pick them up. The bagels were ready for me and they are quick to grab the cream cheese from the fridge. The location is small and doesn't have a lot of seating but I normally just pick it up so I don't mind the small location."

Berkeley Espresso

★★★★☆ 3.6 (280) • $

"Quick Summary- Plenty of chairs and tables to sit- Coffee isn't sourI was attracted to the coffee place by its name and also the delicious coffee pictures that appeared in this account's photo. Although I would have wanted to try the white mocha, for the first round I decided to order my usual latte. My relative ordered the mocha. We both ate a large meal before visiting here, so we weren't looking for snacks to fill up. The latte was delicious; it was my type of coffee. The bitterness was comforting and there was no sourness in each sip. The temperature was perfect too, piping hot the whole way. There are seats inside the cafe and some lined along the exterior walls. The seats are evenly "socially spaced" out, so I felt comfortable sitting and drinking coffee."

Daily Bagel Cafe

★★★★☆ 4.4 (514) • $

"Small little bagel shop (only 2 four person tables) that makes classic style sandwiches with them and also carries a variety of cream cheeses. You can also get croissant sandwiches too. Not overly awesome or anything, but it's really solid. Bagels are always soft and fresh and they toast them perfectly. The decor of the place is stuck in the 80's however. Charming if you are into that kind of thing."

Main Street Bagels

★★★★☆ 3.6 (306) • $

"I've been coming here ever since I was a kid with my parents and recently revisited. The owner is a lovely lady who is very kind to all her customers and will always have a wonderful conversation with you. It's really great to see a mom and pop place thriving after so many years still! My mom always gets the #6 which is a bagel with turkey and plenty of fresh yummy veggies. I go for their Lox bagel that's packed with salmon. They also have a selection of fresh fruits and chips for purchase.This location is the best Main St. Bagels I've tried and I'm always bummed out that I live so far from it now. Their back patio faces a lot of trees and gives you a good breeze on a hot day"

Juice Appeal

★★★★☆ 3.6 (240) • $

"Love the juice! Drive all the way from try to come try for it first time. Need to come again and try a new drink"

Posh Bagel

★★★★☆ 3.8 (263) • $

"Big bagels served with big hearts! Posh Bagel carries a good variety of bagel flavors including the standards like everything, onion, garlic, poppy seed, blueberry (if not already sold out), and chocolate chip but also a few gourmet options like cheddar, Asiago, marinara, and pesto. All of their bagels are big and soft. Once lightly toasted and loaded with your favorite cream cheese flavor (they have quite a few to choose from: original, lox spread, garlic, walnut, strawberry, etc.) or sandwich/egg topping, each bite is sublime! The crispy exterior of the bagel and the fluffy interior packed with different flavor and texture profiles will have you craving for more. Get a dozen or half dozen to bring home and pick up a tub of their cream cheese while you're at it! If you get there early, you may also be able to buy their day old bagels for a reduced price.Aside from bagels, they have deliciously looking Dutch crunch rolls that can be served with the sandwiches they make or bought separately. They also serve other warmed (you can opt out of warming it up if you'd prefer to bring home for later) goodies like bagel rolls (hot dog wrapped in bagel dough).The service is friendly, quick, and inviting to all customers. Ordering is quick, payment is quick, and pick up is quick. Perfect for those of you who are on the go!There are also plenty of seats available (most patrons don't stick around) and due to its location in the Fremont Hub mall, there are also an abundance of parking spots here. There were quite a bit of patrons coming in and out while we dined in and bagels were getting sold out quick! Definitely recommend to come early to get your pick.They do have a bathroom available, however it seemed to be out of order when we there. We did see patrons go in and out of it though so not sure if that sign was just obsolete. They also had a TV running some news in the background.Overall, I've had a great experience at Posh Bagel and would definitely come back to try their other flavors and spreads. I haven't bought bagels in a while but they did seem a bit pricey - there wasn't much of a difference when buying in bulk. But the quality of the food, speed at which food is prepared, and friendly atmosphere will keep Posh Bagel top of mind next time I'm looking for a bagel fix! Just SPREADing the word!"

The Coffee Lab

★★★★☆ 4.1 (50) • $

"One of the best places to get coffee on and around campus. Working in the chemistry department, this place is only a few seconds away with friendly baristas and great coffee. They also serve coffee/tea and pastries before department seminars which are excellent as well."

Alamode Donut Shop

★★★★☆ 4.2 (135) • $

"Delicious donuts Easy parking Very nice people I like the custard filled maple bars and apple fritters. My mom likes Chocolate on chocolate cake donuts and custard filled maple bars."

Earthly Coffee

★★★★☆ 4.4 (162) • $

"Omg the veggie bite is heaven :) I so wish I lived here otherwise you bet I'd be here everyday. It's also so nice to be in a coffee shop where everyone is making conversation and not head down on their laptops and phones. The owner is also such a fun personality and we had a great conversation about their efforts to improve crosswalk safety for disabled folks in the community. Amazing! Support local! Support small Oakland business!"

Wise Sons

★★★★☆ 3.8 • $$

"Feeling sad about all the recent menu changes at Beauty's/Wise Sons. For months I have ordered the veggie bagel sandwich for lunch delivery, almost daily. It used to be a generous helping of open-face bagel halves topped with cream cheese and yummy veggies. Recently the menu has changed and then changed again. The generous open face sandwich became a closed smaller sandwich for a higher price. That's right, less veggies, less cream cheese, higher price. It always tastes soggy now, even when I ask them to toast it. Then today I opened my sandwich and lo and behold the bagel was literally half the size it used to be. Like a freaking micro bagel. The only reason I could convince myself to pay $20 for lunch is that it was actually 2 meals for me (or at least a meal and a snack). No longer so. Just sad. I do really like their salted chocolate chip cookie but even that has gone downhill recently. Used to be a beautiful soft cookie, generously sized; now the edges are crisp and browned all the way around. Bleh. Wish this place would return to its former glory."

Poppy Bagels

★★★★☆ 4.2 (127) • $$

"Snack review. Bagel shop.Ordered: Salt & Pepper Bagel (toasted)Jalapeno-Serrano spread+LoxOverall, "I'm a fan.""

Levy's Bagels & Co

★★★★☆ 4 (249) • $

"Toasted bagels are key and this place gets it. Highly recommend to eat your toasted bagel right away at its optimal. A variety of bagels and cream cheese to choose from. Prepared fairly quickly.Lox bagel (together and cream cheese in the middle) or sandwich (open face with cream cheese on both sides) consisted of smoked salmon, red onions, tomatoes, and capers. I'd add a diff cream cheese next time to make it more interesting as opposed to doing the standard cream cheese.My favorite thus far is probably the jalapeño cheese bagel with garlic herb cream cheese and egg (it's scrambled egg). Honestly if this place did a runny egg I think I just found my favorite bagel spot in the Bay Area."

Lox Stock & Bagel

★★★★☆ 3.6 (70) • $

"Soft, fluffy bagel, and lovely garlicky everything seasoning! Fair prices and seems to be mom and pop-run."

Delicious Donuts and Bagels

★★★★☆ 4 (179) • $$

"I promised my kid donuts for breakfast and at 5am I drove around looking for a spot that was open.As luck would have it, I found this cozy little shop that sells truly delicious donuts, & strong coffee.Service was very quick and very courteous. Thanks delicious donuts & bagels for helping me start my kid's morning off with a smile!"

Boichik Bagels Factory

★★★★☆ 4.2 (118) • $$

"Forgot to mentionI break for Bagels!!!Of course I do!Read about these guys, awesome experience and Wonderful Bagels. Delicious Super FreshFriendly service Easy parking The "everything" bagel is extra tasty, crunchy goodness when toasted. After taking home seven to share with family it finally occurred to me , just before the last bite. . . we need a picture!!lol Enjoy this amazing bagel palace!!Ten stars."

Hella Bagels

★★★★☆ 4.4 (88) • $$

"Yesterday I had lunch at Hella Bagels. I had emailed Blake earlier to ask about reserving a dozen everything bagels as well as a breakfast sandwich. I wanted the one w/ bacon and eggs but didn't want the hot honey or pepper jack, substituting American cheese. It also contains cream cheese. I didn't hear back from him but headed over there regardless. My Thursday schedule was different, as Three Stone Hearth is closed until after the first of the year. Also, I'm getting my house cleaned on Thursdays because Christmas and New Year's Day fall on Wednesday.I drove over to the shop and found parking on San Pablo Avenue, not too far away. I walked in to the restaurant, ordered my sandwich at one counter and the bagels at the other. They had 10 everything bagels and that was enough; I bought them all and they have been cut up and are now in the freezer. They are on the thin side, which I prefer, I also bought a couple of schmears. I asked the first woman if Blake was there and she said he was in the back and asked if I wanted her to get him, I said no, because I didn't want to bother him.Mary, the first woman, asked me if I needed help carrying the bagels and schmears to the table, I really appreciated that, because I did. She carried the bag over to an empty table and I followed. A short while later my sandwich was brought to me, warm, cut in half and wrapped in two layers of paper. It was very good. As I was eating Blake came over and sat down to visit w/ me. We caught up on the events of our lives and he asked about my next door neighbor who rode his bicycle over to buy bagels and hadn't been in for a while. I said I would convey his concern to Brian, which I did, and emailed Blake w/ his response. Blake was apologetic about not answering my email, saying he had been super busy the past few weeks, even before Hella Bagels had been the favorite in the SF Chronicle's blind tasting of East Bay bagels. I sympathized.When I was ready to leave I asked if anyone was available to help me out to the car. Mary volunteered and carried the bag out to the car. It was a lovely experience all around!"

Black Diamond Cafe

★★★★☆ 4.2 (390) • $

"I love this cafe and have watched it grow over the years to include a wine bar now!Pros: have yummy house made fruit scones that I highly recommend. The staff is friendly and will make lovely little shapes onto cappuccinos. They have: a small wine bar, pastries, food, drinks, TV, a quiet space, lots of seating indoor and outdoor and a clean atmosphere. Con: they need to descale their espresso machines more often so the cappuccinos can taste as good as they look Overall, great date, meetup or work cafe for a couple of hours!"

Kaz Bagels

★★★★★ 5 (3)

"These are incredible authentic hand made bagels. Very flavorful and much chewier than even the best machine made bagels such as Boichik or Beauty's. Kaz Bagels is a Sunday morning only pop up run out of Gioia Pizzeria in North Berkeley. If you love bagels as much as I do, you need to try these!"