PopUp Bagels — Restaurant in Tampa

As a New Jersey native, I hold bagels to a high standard—and while this spot offers a unique experience, it falls short in a few key ways.

The ordering process is unconventional: you place your order outside and must purchase three bagels at a time. While not a major drawback, it feels slightly limiting. That said, the pricing is reasonable for the quality. We opted for the everything bagels with plain cream cheese.

The bagels themselves arrive hot, fresh, and delightfully fluffy. However, their size is noticeably smaller compared to what you’d expect from a traditional bagel shop. The standout feature here is the seasoning—specifically, the use of Maldon salt. While undeniably high-quality and flavorful, the amount used tips the balance into overwhelming. Even as someone who enjoys salt, I found it to be excessive and ultimately distracting from the bagel itself.

The “rip and dip” concept caters to cream cheese enthusiasts, with a generous and luxuriously thick spread. The texture is smooth yet heavy, and while some may enjoy it, the richness makes it difficult to feel good afterward.

As for the atmosphere, the bagel may have been hot, but the decor? Peak cheugy. Aesthetic for Instagram, sure—but not exactly timeless.

Overall, while I appreciate the creativity and care behind these bagels, I wouldn’t choose this spot over a classic bagel shop. It’s an interesting experience, but not one I’d...

Had a stranger at my bar venting about food culture and service industry flaws in the Tampa area, when he mentioned a few new places that have recently opened nearby. He was highlighting these places for their guest-forward approach, a welcomed change to the dramatic lull in the hospitality industry that has been the low-standard for many places since my arrival in Tampa 15 years ago. One of those mentions is a fun little bagel place that’s only been open a couple months, PopUp Bagels. His word of mouth pitch was enough to get me to google search it, visit it within 48 hours, suggest it to a friend the same day I tried it, and positively review it. It’s been my goal lately to take the time to shine a light on anyone willing to counter the poor practices that is, Tampa-Hospitality-Norms! You must go here! Heads up they don’t toast or slice and you cant buy one. It’s 3, 6, or 12 and a bucket of schmear!! You can add one to the 3 to get a bag of 4! They’re warm, rich, delicious, and amazing! It’s the best bagel I’ve tried in Tampa and a fair price! The schmear was a hot honey cream cheese and awesome! I really think everyone needs to give this place a first chance! The person that assisted us was friendly, personable, knowledgeable, and hospitable!! The atmosphere was fun and unique! The food travels well, looks cool, tastes spectacular, and is just plain fun! This little bagel spot needs to be...

Line goes out of the building, and for good reason. These might be some of the best bagels in Tampa. So many people are comming through the door that they always have fresh and warm bagels. Our wont be getting anything that has been sitting around for a while. We went with a green goddess spread, a veggie based spread that was good and you could actually taste the green.

The bagels themselves are very well done and taste great. The crust is good, but the chewyness of the inside was the thing that stood out the most for me.

Only downsides to PopUp are that there is virtually no seating, so you are going to be grabbing and going. I highly suggest you order online to save yourself some time in waiting. Everyone who ordered online basically got their bagel instantly.

Another downside is that I think they are somewhat more expensive than the other options around town. Baker's dozen with 3 different spreads would have come out to 42 dollars. The bagels are great, but 42 is a pretty steep sum in my honest opinion.

Overall, definitely deserves alot of the business its getting. Looking forward to trying their different spreads and bagel types every week, but you are definitely paying a premium when...