The Kettle Black

Spent years thinking Philly didn’t have good bagels then moved to nolibs and discovered this gem!!!! The owners are genuine humans who take the time to say hello to each customer. Their coffee, bagels, and pastries are all worth the early morning line.

Kettle black has the absolute best bagels I have ever had in my life. Truly find it hard to eat other bagels bc I am obsessed with theirs!! I personally love the sesame and cheddar, and love their pretzels and sourdough loaves. The owners are amazing - know many customers by name and they somehow manage to be super friendly/take their time even when there is a line around the block and know they need to move quickly! This is an absolute gem. If I leave the neighborhood I would definitely make a trip over to get these goods.

Kettle black easily has the best bagels in Philly, but to stop there is a miss. Their loaves and pastries are also incredible. The miso chocolate chip cookie will change your life. Stop in for a treat (or a few) that will make your day brighter.

Updated the review with more photos, went back a few more times and still love it!!! Original Comment: Best bagel I’ve tried!! Their bagels have a softer texture compare to other places’. My favorite is the pretzel bagel but honestly everything is great and worth trying. There’s usually a line before the store is even open, but I figured the wait is the shortest if you come Thursday after 9 am.

Delicious cheddar jalapeño pretzel and genuinely the best cookie (dark chocolate miso cookie) I’ve had in my life. I’m usually not a big cookie person, but this one was chewy and despite the liberal quantity of chocolate chunks, the cookie was not too chocolatey and not too sweet! The salt on top was perfect. The bagels were beautifully and abundantly covered with toppings, soft inside and chewy on outside. I do have to say it didn’t quite taste like the bagels I grew up eating in NJ and NYC, but it was still yummy! The pain au chocolat was well-executed and perfect reheated in the toaster oven.