Best Instagram Worthy Bagels Restaurants in Chicago
12 hand-picked restaurants, critic-reviewed and ranked
Last Updated: February 2026
Our Top Pick
Tilly Bagel Shop
Sourdough-driven bagels with signature Chicago seasoning profiles and rotating specials.
Notable Picks
8.5
Handcrafted sourdough bagels with a Chicago-leaning flavor lineup, built around a chewy interior and lightly blistered crust. The ordering sweet spot is a single specialty bagel plus a schmear or one sandwich—tight orders keep timing, toast, and texture consistent during the morning rush.
Must-Try Dishes:
Chicago-style bagel with house schmear, Cacio e pepe bagel, Smoked salmon lox bagel
What Makes it Special: Sourdough-driven bagels with signature Chicago seasoning profiles and rotating specials.
8.3
A Lincoln Square cafe where bagels are treated like a composed breakfast—distinct spreads, clean builds, and a menu that leans nutrient-dense without feeling austere. The move is a signature bagel sandwich plus one of their house-driven coffee drinks, then take advantage of the patio when it’s open.
Must-Try Dishes:
Strawberry cashew cream bagel, Green Power bagel sandwich, Goat cheese + cucumber + avocado bagel sandwich
What Makes it Special: Bagel sandwiches built around distinctive spreads and health-leaning combinations.
8.3
The Bakehouse Chicago is a Latin-leaning bakery and café where egg-and-cheese bagels, smoked salmon plates, and breakfast bagels share space with laminated pastries and strong coffee. It’s a go-to in Roscoe Village for a slightly upgraded bagel breakfast in a casual, sunlit room.
Must-Try Dishes:
Egg & Cheese Bagel, Smoked Salmon Plate on bagel, Breakfast Bagel sandwich
What Makes it Special: Family-run bakery where bagel breakfasts sit beside serious pastries.
8.2
Oud Coffee & Cafe is a Palestinian-owned coffee bar and bakery where knafeh, specialty lattes, and a full bagel section anchor a polished, photo-friendly space. In River North, it functions as an all-day stop for lox bagels, Asiago bagels, and sweet snacks alongside elaborate matcha and espresso drinks.
Must-Try Dishes:
Lox Bagel, Asiago Bagel with Cream Cheese, Everything Bagel with Chive Cream Cheese
What Makes it Special: Design-forward cafe where Middle Eastern pastries share space with a full bagel lineup.
8.2
Vibes:
Business Lunch Power Players
Trendy Table Hotspots
Quick Bites Champions
Instagram Worthy Wonders
A smoked-meat deli built around a breakfast menu that treats bagels like a real lane, not an afterthought—kettle-boiled options with schmears and stacked sandwiches that hold up for an office-day start. It’s best when you commit to one bagel build (salmon or bacon-egg-cheese) and skip the buffet mindset so it stays crisp, hot, and focused.
Must-Try Dishes:
Classic Smoked Salmon Bagel (Stack It), Royale with Cheese (bacon, egg, cheddar on a plain bagel), Everything bagel with smoked salmon schmear
What Makes it Special: A deli that actually runs a full bagels-and-schmears lane all morning.
Worthy Picks
7.9
A community-forward café-bakery where the bagels are made in-house and the vibe leans witchy, queer-friendly, and neighborhood casual. The bagels shine most when you keep it simple—choose a standout flavor (rosemary olive oil is the move) and pair it with vegan cream cheese for a clean, satisfying bite.
Must-Try Dishes:
Rosemary olive oil bagel, Everything bagel, Bagel with vegan cream cheese
What Makes it Special: In-house bagels with a community-first café energy and vegan-friendly options.
#7
Outdoor Café
7.8
A North Park cafe built for drinks, dessert, and hanging out, with bagel sandwiches as a practical savory option rather than a purist bagel program. The bagel move is straightforward: order the egg-and-cheese style sandwich and eat it fresh while you sip something iced.
Must-Try Dishes:
Egg/Ham & Cheese Bagel, Egg & Cheese Bagel, Milk tea (boba)
What Makes it Special: A cozy neighborhood cafe where bagel sandwiches anchor the savory side of a drinks-and-dessert menu.
7.8
A café-market hybrid where the surprise is that the Smash Burger belongs in the conversation, not just the coffee and baked goods. It’s a daytime play—order, grab a seat, and treat the burger as lunch fuel rather than a late-night craving.
Must-Try Dishes:
Smash Burger, Breakfast Sandwich, Seasonal Pastries
What Makes it Special: A coffee-and-market spot where the lunch smash burger actually hits.
#9
Sip & Savor
7.7
A bright, community-forward coffee shop where bagel sandwiches fit naturally into the daytime cafe lineup. It’s strongest as a simple breakfast stop—one bagel sandwich, one specialty drink—before the room fills up.
Must-Try Dishes:
Ham & egg bagel sandwich, Mocha Bama, Honey vanilla latte
What Makes it Special: Coffeehouse energy with a reliable bagel-sandwich breakfast lane.
#10
El Churro Shop
7.6
A Little Village sweets-and-coffee counter where the bagel play is a breakfast-sandwich detour alongside the churro-and-drinks main event. If you want bagels here, commit to the Breakfast Bagel as the anchor, then add one drink—don’t turn it into a sprawling dessert order if you’re chasing a clean morning meal.
Must-Try Dishes:
Breakfast Bagel, Churros with cajeta, Cafe de olla
What Makes it Special: A churro-and-coffee shop that also runs a legit breakfast bagel option.
This Goddess and the Baker location is a colorful café for coffee, layered cakes, and all-day café fare on a quieter stretch of Superior. Dessert cases lean playful with rainbow cakes and pastries, making it a flexible stop for a latte-and-slice break or a casual breakfast.
Must-Try Dishes:
Rainbow Cake Slice, Macarons, Rainbow Cake Latte
What Makes it Special: Cheerful café from a local mini-chain with a strong coffee and cake program.
7.6
A pastel-bright Pilsen café where bagels are treated like breakfast sandwiches—hearty builds and sweet drinks over classic deli minimalism. It’s strongest when you pick one signature bagel sandwich and skip over-ordering extras.
Must-Try Dishes:
Mexi Bagel, Meat Lovers Bagel, Cream Cheese Bagel
What Makes it Special: Bagel sandwiches with a playful, Latin-leaning café vibe.