Pigeon Bagels — Restaurant in Pittsburgh

I decided to go to Pigeon Bagels because my roommate said he found them “honestly disappointing”. He said they were over-hyped. They certainly do have a great reputation for being very hip, I see their cool stickers all over town.

This would be my first time visiting their new brick-and-mortar location near Hobart and Wightman, but I was more than sure I had tried a Pigeon Bagel or two at a local Pittsburgh farmers market. They were good? They were big? They were expensive. The onions were very good! That was all I could remember.

I live in Squirrel Hill so my partner and I were able to walk from my house. It would be a good brunch. The store space was PACKED, but our wait time was not long. It gave us just enough time to browse their lean and mean menu of bagels, add-ons, and signature sandwiches. There was also a drink menu of creative sodas and espresso coffee options. The menu typesetting was very well done, very hip (as expected).

After discussing our options my partner ordered for both of us; one Classic Lox sandwich (lox, herb flavored cream cheese, red onions, and capers) on a sesame seed bagel, and one everything bagel with salmon, plain cream cheese, red onions and cucumbers. Cucumbers are one of my favorites so I interjected at the last minute, “Can I have cucumbers on mine too?”. This was no problem at all, which was very nice. It was clearly a busy morning but the service was patient and really nice! We also order two coffees. One cold brew. One oat milk cappuccino. My partner opted to have the cappuccino served in a handleless ceramic mug which was very well made. The cappuccino was also very well made.

I tried one sip of the foam while it was still hot. “Wow that’s good!” I exclaimed loudly. They really appreciated it. Our bagel sandwiches were ready in no time at all, and I was excited to see that they looked THICK. The lobby was thick with people, so we decided to take our sandwiches outside. It was crowded outside as well. It was a sunny day so many people choose to sit in the shade against the cement wall (the only obvious option).

My partner did not want to sit on the ground so we took a three minute walked to Hobart Park where there was plenty of shade and wooden park table tops. I’m glad we made this decision. The sandwiches were very large and sliced in half; it would have been frustrating as hell to have to eat them without the option of being able to set the second half down. I love Hobart Park, but it would have been very cool if Pigeon offered outdoor patio seating (they have plenty of space outside).

The sandwich was excellent! Plenty of TASTY salmon, cream cheese that was not overpowering, and the red onions were just as good as I remembered them, next time I’ll ask for more. The bagel itself was fresh! It was also served warm, not toasted. Honestly, it was not the star of the sandwich by any means. However, it served its job as an ingredient vehicle very well. The sesame bagel and the everything bagel were both coated in seeds top+bottom style-- this is the only acceptable way to serve these types of bagels. My partner did advise that the everything blend might be a little heavy on the fennel. IF fennel is not your thing, please be warned! I was excited that the sandwiches were as big as they were because they were very expensive. Salmon is never cheap, and you get a generous portion of it. Nobody should complain about a liberal serving of lox, but I would suggest you prepare to take big monster bites if you want to keep it all together.

All in all, a delicious experience! The sandwiches were fat with flavor, the coffee was rich with oats, and the day was beautiful. I do wish we could have stayed on location to eat, but the walk to Hobart Park was very manageable. Thanks for...

Good news and bad news. The bad news first. It was impossible to take a picture of my bagel sandwhich to post along with this review because it was so totally irresistible and perfect, that I inhaled it before I even got to my car. Now the good news, next time I visit this establishment, which is good enough to cross a bridge for (real Pittsburghers know that's high praise) I will try and capture the beautiful cross section of the work of art they call bagels before I devour it again. Pittsburgh has a fairly large metropolitan crowd, with food offerings punching above its weight for a city of its size, as well as boasting a sizeable Jewish population, especially in Squirrel Hill where Pigeon is located. Which is why it was always mind boggling that we had so few good (non-chain) bagel shops (read: zero). I would consider myself something of a bagel connoisseur and have been waiting on baited breath for the day to come when farmers market fan favorite (was always worth waking up early making the trek, and crossing your fingers that they didnt sell out) Pigeon bagel would enter the big-time brick and mortar ring and finally claim its title as best bagel shop in Pittsburgh. Here they sell bagels by the dozen, and serve hungry patrons one off sandwhiches by the gross. Their chef crafted choices are great, I particularly love the tofu schmear and vegan carrot lox, but their honey fig bagel is also great. Dont worry, you can also custom make your own. Another thing this bagel shop fills a "hole" for is the kosher population. The orthodox jewish community can enjoy all of the bagels made here as they are proudly under the Pittsburgh Vaad (orthodox kosher certification) so theyre also a perfect choice if you need to quickly and somewhat cheaply cater an event that is inclusive of orthodox jews and doesnt compromise on quality. In case you havent already figured out, this place is the bomb, and as such, there is often a line going out the door, and even though they are constantly having piping hot bagels flying out the ovens, they can run out of some of their flavors at times. Its worth the wait (and worth the weight gained). There is a few parking spots and it is two blocks away from the metered streets on the main Squirrel Hill Murray Ave commercial drag (I swear I could smell the bagels over a block away). Plan...

Very unique little bakery. Very exceptional little bakery as well. Easily the best bagels I've had in Pittsburgh and more than likely the best bagels I've ever had. I grew up in South jersey with family in Brooklyn NY. The bagels at pigeon are better, by far than 99% of the bagels present in either location.

The bagels themselves

Very well baked, excellent crunch to the outside with an incredible, moderately dense light interior. Extremely flavorful with a healthy coating of toppings (today I had an everything and a sesame).

The veggie sandwhich Delightfully fresh with a great crunch layered on top of a wonderful cream cheese that is smooth and complements the crunch of the veggies and crisp exterior of the bagels well.

The rugelach

Dense and extremely flavorful. I split the chocolate and the apple with a friend. A decision I wound up regretting. I should've eaten them both myself. Each bite left me wanting more. Delectable fillings with what tasted like a mix between milk and dark chocolate for a phenomenal palate experience and the apple cinnamon was clearly made from fresh ingredients. The dough was lightly sweet and played very well with the filling.

I also got a cappuccino. The cappuccino was good, nice, lighter roast espresso which admittedly is not normally my thing but it was tasty nonetheless.

Things to know

This is a Kosher bakery. No egg sandwiches with breakfast. But trust me, the veggie bagels sandwhich will make you forget egg entirely.

Five people maximum in the bakery at one time so there is always a line that goes outside, but don't worry, it moves pretty fast.

It makes other bagels taste sad...