Apr 24, 2026 - Food and Drink

Cage match: PopUp vs. Taste of New York bagels

Monica Eng

Turquoise plate holds a sesame-seed bagel and an onion-topped bagel, with a Pop-Up Bagels scallion cream cheese tub in the foreground; gray tablecloth and a window in the background. — PopUp cream cheese with Taste of New York bagels. Photo: Monica Eng/Axios

I finally braved the line at PopUp Bagels (2321 N. Lincoln Ave.) to see what all the fuss was about, and I have mixed feelings.

The line: While some people have waited over two hours here, I waited just 15 minutes at 2pm on a Wednesday.

The price: $15 for three bagels and a tub of scallion cream cheese.

The bagels: Warm, crisp, tender and chewy because they come out of the oven every five minutes. A very nice touch.

Yes, but: You can also find warm bagels — if you time it right — at other fine bagel spots around town, including Taste of New York (TONY) in Lakeview, which I voted best bagel in the city when I tested more than a dozen spots a few years ago.

On a recent Friday afternoon, I got three bagels and a tub of scallion cream cheese (denser and less salty than PopUps') at TONY for $9.50.
And no line.

Add Axios on Google

Cage match: PopUp vs. Taste of New York bagels

More Chicago stories