Liberty Bagels Midtown — Restaurant in New York

I am writing a honest feedback of the service i get from the store. It was a horrible, humiliating & terrible service i got from the lady @ the collection counter.

However, I am thankful to the cashier lady and guy who are both very helpful and patient when i placed my order. I did not managed to get both their names. Receipt shows Kenne M.

The store is not busy when it happened. I actually purchased 24 pieces of bagels after finishing my rainbow bagel & coffee at the store.

I am a tourist and its my first time buying the bagels which i thought to bring back my country for my family to try.

However, i am totally disappointed and even felt humiliated with the lady at the collection counter who calls out names for people to collect their bagels orders.

So i have ordered 24 bagels & paid separately in 2 bills.

ORDER A : 1 Dozen bagels & 1 medium cream cheese ORDER B: 1 Dozen bagels & 1 large cream cheese

Order A is well packed in a plastic bag with 2 seperate brown bag. 1 small brown bag contains the medium cream cheese with knife & serviettes. The 12 bagels are also packed in another 1 big brown bag.

Then i waited for my second bag @ the counter. I waited quite long as they missed out calling my name for Order B and left @ the side counter near the coffee machine. I saw and told the lady that my Order B is ready for collection.

When i opened the bag. I saw only 1 big brown bag. Not knowing if my large cream cheese is packed inside, i asked the lady. She told me the large cream cheese is at the base of the brown bag. When i open the big brown bag, all i can see are the bagels.

I asked if she can helped me transfer the bagels out as i need the cream cheese to be pack separately. She appeared annoyed and reluctant to help. She just passed me a transparent plastic big bag. How am i suppose to do my own transfer of the 12 bagels out myself with my barehands in-front of the collection counter and in public view. I was speechless. I asked for help again if she could help do the transfer of bagels out and to get my large cream cheese out and packed it separately as i staying in a hotel and it is hard to me to do and i need to chill the cream cheese in fridge. She became impatient and unhappy and informed another female colleague who seems to be of higher status (probably the manager).

The other female colleague did not help to repack but instead just helped me hold the plastic transparent bag while i pour the bagels out in front of everyone just to take the large cream cheese tube at the base. I felt super embarrassed and humiliated that i had to do all myself at the collection counter. I asked if the bagels can be put back into the brown bag. She commented reluctantly that it will not fit back. Instead of bringing it back to the kitchen to transfer, i had to pour all it back into the brown bag again.

All these could be prevented if they take the ORDER B bag to repack it behind the kitchen and helped me to pack the cream cheese tube in a separate bag like ORDER A.

It is a horrible feeling to experience this kind of service of not helping a customer small request when even the packaging is not standardized and it’s a large order. Even if it is a good food, a terrible service makes me feel the food is not delicious anymore each time i ate it.

I hope the owner could take this feedback seriously and improve. If the other female lady is the manager and does not have good service attitude or recovery, i can understand why the workers reacted with bad service...

As a devout Best Bagel-er (the shop across the street) I knew I had to try Liberty Bagel sooner or later, no matter if my experience would make me rethink everything I thought I knew about bagels in Midtown.

My partner and I ordered a few things: A plain everything bagel as a control subject; an untoasted everything bagel with lox spread; a toasted onion bagel with lemon & dill cream cheese.

For starters, the energy and atmosphere of Liberty Bagels is warm and exciting from the moment you enter the shop. An employee acting as a theater district usher welcomes you and directs you to narrow the line at the front of the counter. There are tons of options here for lovers of all bagel types (including the tradition-breaking rainbow bagel with cake batter flavored cream cheese) and loads of different spreads, ranging from classic to experimental (the maple bacon cream cheese is still on my to-try list, FYI).

The service was speedy and exceptional, and the prices are on par (if not a little more affordable) than most bagel shops in the area.

The bagels, themselves, have a respectable amount of flavor. In particular, the everything bagel was salty and savory and coated with toppings on both sides, offering a healthy crunch and munch with every bite. The cream cheese spreads (that we tried) we're more subtle in flavor than one may expect, but still were supremely tasty.

Where I fault Liberty Bagels, however, is consistency. All three bagels in our order were a different size, none of which coming anywhere close to the planetary-fluffiness of Best Bagel down the street (which, for my money, I'd rather have more bagel -- always more bagel).

My everything with lox spread was chewy and flavorful and offered a satisfying bagel experience, combined, in part, to a normal, human amount of cream cheese (even tho I'd have a preferred a slightly more lox-y flavor, even given the accessible price of $5.99).

My partner's bagel, however, was significantly harder to the tooth (even in spite of it being toasted) and came with an unnatural amount of cream cheese that found her spending more time wiping off excess lemon & dill spread into the paper wrapper than actually enjoying her breakfast (see the last few pics). She didn't hate her meal; she rather enjoyed the flavors of the cream cheese. But she ordered a bagel with cream cheese, not the other way around.

Liberty Bagels is, in fact, a tasty place to start your day in New York City, for a great price with a seemingly endless amount of options for your money (again, I really will be going back and trying the maple bacon cream cheese, I'm a sucker for madman flavors). However, I wouldn't feel like anything less than a tourist if I were to choose this over Best Bagel.

I...

Liberty Bagels Midtown is hands-down one of the best bagel spots in New York City. Located just a few blocks from Penn Station, it’s a must-visit for anyone craving a true NYC-style bagel experience. The line often stretches out the door, but it moves quickly—and trust me, it’s worth the wait. The bagels are everything you want them to be: hand-rolled, kettle-boiled, and baked fresh daily. They strike the perfect balance between chewy and crisp, with a satisfying density that holds up beautifully to any topping. The flavor options are impressive, ranging from classics like sesame and everything to fun twists like rainbow and jalapeño cheddar. What really sets Liberty Bagels apart is their cream cheese selection—it’s wild in the best way. From savory chipotle and scallion to sweet Oreo and birthday cake, there’s something for every palate. I tried the jalapeño everything bagel with chipotle cream cheese, and it was a spicy, savory dream. The staff is fast, friendly, and efficient, even during the morning rush. Seating is limited, so most people grab their bagels to go, but the vibe inside is upbeat and welcoming. Prices are reasonable for Midtown, especially considering the quality and portion sizes. Whether you’re a local or just visiting, Liberty Bagels delivers a delicious, authentic taste of New York. Highly recommend for breakfast, brunch, or a quick bite on the go. Don’t leave without trying at least one of their signature cream...