Emerald City Bagels

Great lavender cold brew coffee and fresh ingredients on the bagel! However the bagel itself was not my favorite and it was quite expensive for a coffee and bagel. Cute atmosphere though!

My partner and I got bagels this morning and I loved it! It was my first time and as a person who passively likes/ eats bagels it was my first time I was like oh wow. I would actually love eating a bagel sandwich from here. Here’s why: The everything bagel I got had great flavor (a touch more salt than other places. Do other places actually use salt on the outside of their bagels? 🤔) It was thin in a way that was amazing. The bagel was thin enough where it didn’t feel like my jaw was having a light workout. It was just great flavor and exterior perfection with enough bread inside to be filling. I got my cream cheese on the side because I wanted to try both the regular whipped cream cheese and their current flavor of charred scallions which was amazing. I will say if you’re reading this when they have this flavor, it may go better with just the plain but it was still good on the everything, just a lot of savory flavors in a bite. I also got their chicken sausage on the side which is a thin patty that was also savory but beautifully balanced and amazing for a bagel shop. With all that in mind, I could imagine me putting all these pieces together next time and having a great sandwich that’s savory and not overwhelming as some bagel sandwiches can be. Tips for myself that you’re welcome to take with you for your order: If you’re traveling to take the bagel home, don’t get it toasted. Toast it yourself so it remains perfect longer and assemble yourself so your cream cheese ratio is to your preference.

Colassal disappointment! Not sure who they think they are, but the bagels are tiny and they barely put spread on them. I asked for them to go heavy. The one with butter had to be a joke! 2 bagels w/cc and 1 bagel w/butter. $16! Never gonna throw my money away there again on their frozen dough tasting bagels. I'd rather go to Einstein's, and their bagels are trash as well. But still better.

Having previously lived in New York City for 25 years before coming to Atlanta, Emerald City Bagel was a curl of the monkey’s paw when I asked for a New York-styled bagel. As some caveats, my partner and I went to the secondary location on the belt line - which receives the boiled bagels from the main location every morning. We also went around 1:00 PM, so we didn’t get a chance to try the freshest bagels. However, having been to other NYC bagel stores like Best Bagel and Coffee and Katz Deli, this Emerald City Bagel experience was a 2.5/5 I asked the cashier about how the bagels were made, and he let me know that the owner of the franchise moved from New York to Atlanta to open his shop. The cashier let me know that the bagels are boiled in the traditional way, and that they are sent from the main location every morning. The environment and ambience was a retro take on a bagel shop. All of the employees had a 1950s styled uniform, complete with a small paper hat. The pace of the restaurant was decidedly not NYC, which wasn’t a problem but a noticeable difference. The restaurant was not jam packed with people calling out their bagels, and the staff didn’t have the feel of seasoned, efficient bagel cashiers. When we ordered, I got a standard toasted everything bagel with regular cream cheese and capers, and my partner got an egg and cheese bagel with avocado. My bagel was decidedly “Okay”. The bagel itself tasted like a garden variety bagel you could get in the city. Given the huge range of bagel options, being middle of the pack isn’t a strong endorsement, and I would struggle to describe this bagel as a solid mid-range bagel. Positively, it was clear that the bagel was boiled the right way, and it was seasoned well. However, the bagel came out lukewarm despite the toasting, and there was no fluff to mine. I got a generous dollop of cream cheese and capers, so I was happy with that. My partner’s bagel, on the other hand, was crazy. I could not, in good faith, call her egg, cheese, and avocado bagel a NYC styled one. Her bagel had a glossy finish to it that made us question if it was truly boiled. When asked about adding avocado and tomato to the bagel, we were told that hot and cold sandwiches had to be built certain ways, and that hot sandwiches couldn’t have cold toppings added to it to “preserve the bagel”. So my partner’s avocado and tomato came in a separate container, which she added to the bagel herself. Looking at her bagel, the egg and cheese were really disappointing. The egg looked like a thin, fried egg rather than the fluffy scramble that we were expecting, and the cheese didn’t seem like it was added on at the right temperature. When compared to some random photos of an average NYC bagel (Final image), you can clearly see the difference between how the eggs were made. All together, Emerald City Bagel on the beltline just barely makes it on to a recommendation list. For people from the Tri-state area, I would describe my experience as fine for someone who wants the closest reminder to what bagel should be. But, in my opinion, there was a lot of daylight between these bagels and what I expect from an NYC one. This wasn’t the place where you’ll get the BECSPK you had before hopping on the plane. I’m looking forward to a different experience at the main site later this summer.

Brief Suffolk -sun lox with chicken sausage. Toasted garlic bagel with garlic and herb cream cheese.🤗💫👍🏾 Orange juice – 😫 Extended Went to Emerald bagel on my way to the airport. I got the Suffolk , but without the lox which I believe is a type of smoked salmon. I substituted it for chicken sausage, and it worked out pretty good. They did not skimp on the cream cheese!!! It made for a delicious, messy bagel so if you don’t like a lot of cream cheese, I would suggest you tell them. You have to be mindful of your parking, you may be able to park on the street, but parking is limited. Both times I visited the area I was able to get street parking, so it may depend on the time of day that you go. Everyone is very friendly, and the young man at the counter, took time to explain all of the different types of bagels and the combinations. I got my bagel toasted, and it was a bit more on the “Well Done” side, so if you want it lightly toasted, make sure you tell them and double check your order. I did not have to send it back, because it still tasted delicious. The orange juice they have is bottled, and not made in house. It does have pulp in it, and had an overall weird taste. Happy eating, and don’t forget to try something new!