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In recent years, bagel clubs have emerged as a way to cater to bagel enthusiasts who crave regular access to fresh, high-quality bagels. Why sign up for a bagel club? There's no better way to get a consistent supply of freshly baked bagels without the need to visit a bakery or grocery store.
Bagel clubs also create a sense of anticipation and surprise. Members typically receive different flavors with each delivery, adding an element of excitement to their bagel experience. This variety keeps things interesting and allows members to sample a range of flavors they may not have tried otherwise.
Saturday, February 8th
Amazing Clubs is almost always at the top of our list when it comes to monthly clubs. The company excels in delivering delightful surprises, ranging from candles and neckties to coffee and candy. You can even customize a membership to include several different clubs: maybe you want bagels every other month, mixed in with flowers, jam, or desserts. Whether you mix it up or focus just on bagels, this club is our absolute favorite.
16 bagels in 2 different flavors for each shipment
Let's start with what you'll get in each delivery: 16 full-sized bagels, shipped fresh from the ovens of NYC's top bagel makers. You'll get 8 bagels each of two different flavors, which are selected for you. Past selections have included classics like cinnamon raisin and sesame seed, as well as interesting flavors like pumpkin, "egg everything”, and french toast. While you can't select the flavors here, the good news is that Amazing Clubs tells you way in advance what you'll be getting - and it's super-easy to skip a month and have it tacked on to the end of your plan if the scheduled bagel flavor(s) aren't to your liking.
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Your delivery will also come with a newsletter, Whatta Bagel, that gives you the background on the bakeries behind your bagels, serving suggestions, and even some fun facts about your favorite breakfast bite.
Flexible frequency and payment options
Wondering what your Amazing Clubs' bagel subscription will cost? That depends on whether you choose a plan that lasts 3, 4 (seasonal), 6, or 12 months, with pricing ranging from $55.95 to $57.95 per shipment. Good news: shipping fees are included no matter which bagel club length you decide on. Amazing Clubs also lets you space your deliveries out to every other month if you wish. And, unlike many bagel clubs that require upfront payment in full, this one gives you the option of paying as you go if you'd prefer.
Best bagel club for gift-giving
This bagel club is also the easiest one to set up as a gift for someone else. You'll enter your recipient's info during the checkout process, and then you can decide if you want Amazing Clubs to send them a notification by email or via USPS on the date of your choosing. Alternately, you can print out a gift announcement and give it to the lucky person yourself. Whether for yourself or someone else, you choose in which month you want the club to start too: shipments go out the last week of the month no matter when you subscribe, but you can choose to have the club begin any month within the next year.
Unbeatable satisfaction guarantee and customer service
We've tried several different Amazing Clubs over the years, and one thing has always shone through: their "You'll Love It! Guarantee” is ironclad. If anything, and we mean anything, goes wrong with your bagel club - the bagels arrive stale or they taste funny, your delivery goes missing, you name it - the reps here will bend over backwards to make it right for you. But, if you decide to just cancel outright, rest assured that you'll get a full refund for any months remaining on a prepaid plan, and that it's no problem to stop future deliveries if you're paying month-to-month.
Even native New Yorkers are convinced
And, as you'd expect, most customers rave about the bagels they receive through this club. We got a good laugh from the reviews from native New Yorkers who said that they were skeptical at first but were very pleasantly surprised. In fact, the only negative comments we found came from customers who either didn't like getting bagels in general as a gift or who didn't like that the flavors rarely included traditional plain options (but Amazing Clubs let them switch to another club of their choice).
#1 among bagel clubs
Unless your ideal bagel club sticks strictly to tried-and-true flavor favorites, Amazing Clubs will be a total win for variety, flexibility, and overall satisfaction. You won't find another plan with as much to offer, especially for gift-giving. The Amazing Clubs bagel club easily earns our #1 spot.
New Yorker Bagels got its start over 50 years ago, originally known as The Bagel Buffet on NYC's 6th Avenue. They opened their doors to the wholesale market about 20 years ago as New Yorker Bagels, providing freshly-baked goods to hotels, restaurants and cafes throughout the tri-state NY area.
3 bagel club options
Fortunately for you, you don't have to be a business or a NYC resident to get these quintessential New York bagels: there's a club for that. You've got three options, actually:
Impressive variety of bagel flavors
What flavors can you get in a New Yorker bagel? At the time of this review, the list was lengthy. It included traditional favorites (like cinnamon raisin, egg, "everything”, plain, poppy, sesame) as well as some more unique varieties (such as quinoa multigrain, Kalamata olive, jalapeño red pepper, and cranberry energy).
Easy to modify your subscription as needed
New Yorker Bagels gives you flexibility in your month-to-month deliveries. Need to pause your deliveries or change the next delivery date? You got it. Want different bagel flavors on your next shipment? No prob. And, since you're paying month to month (on non-gift clubs, that is), you can cancel at any time.
Most people love these bagels
How about reputation? While you might find a few cranky customers who didn't think these bagels lived up to their exacting NY standards, you'll also spot some intensely loyal clients who wouldn't dream of buying any other bagel brand (it's actually kind of fun looking at the back-and-forth among those customers on New Yorker Bagels' Facebook page). While we'd love to see a little more feedback from New Yorker Bagels' customers - there were under 100 reviews scattered around the internet - the vast majority of what's out there gives the brand a hearty thumbs up.
Great choice for bagel subscriptions
This company is a huge name in the bagel industry, and it's clear that they know what they're doing. You'll get a lot of input on your particular bagel subscription, whether you want to try a variety of flavors or stick with what you already know and love. We have no problem recommending New Yorker Bagels as a top pick for your club membership.
For some bagel-lovers, it's a struggle to find options that are safe. Why? Allergies. The Greater Knead emerged from the founder's desire to provide an allergen-free bagel for her sister and grandfather, after they were both diagnosed with Celiac Disease back in 2012. All bagels and baked goods sold by this bakery are free from the top nine ingredients - namely wheat/gluten, dairy, eggs, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, and sesame - that would stop most people from enjoying this breakfast staple.
Get lots of bagels in lots of flavors
But, the benefits don't stop there. This bagel club is extremely customizable too. You'll start by choosing how many bagels you'd like in each delivery: 16, 24, 32, 40, or 48. That corresponds to 4-12 packs, with each pack containing four bagels in the same flavor. You'll customize your box to select the flavor of each pack; choices at the time of this review included heart-shaped, pumpkin, "everything”, salt, plain, french toast, tomato basil, onion, garlic, snickerdoodle, chocolate chip (which was sold out), cinnamon raisin, and poppy seed.
Can add other gluten- and allergen-free baked treats
Then, you'll decide if you want any "extras” in your box. Hey, as long as it's gluten- and other allergen-free, why not? Options include soft pretzels and pretzel nuggets in a variety of flavors.
Shockingly affordable for gluten-free
What will your bagel club cost through The Greater Knead? We were so surprised that these meticulously-made bagels don't come at a premium price: you'll pay $58.22/month for a monthly delivery of 16, and shipping is included in that fee. The price stays the same whether you choose to have deliveries every 30, 45, or 60 days, and you'll pay as you go: there's no long-term commitment or upfront payment required here.
Phenomenal feedback from bagel fans
Reviews for both the bagel club and the company overall are very positive, averaging an impressive 4.9 out of 5 stars. Time and again, people rave about how the baked goods here taste nothing like a typical gluten-free product - in other words, these bagels are actually GOOD. One person even said she was brought to tears by being able to eat something she had long had to forego because of an adult-onset allergy. And, for any customer who had a complaint or concern, it was easy to spot the friendly, prompt response from The Greater Knead - often from the owner herself.
Best for people with allergies, still great for everyone else
Would we recommend this bagel club to customers without allergy concerns? Probably. It's priced competitively, the bagels taste great, and there's a ton of flexibility within the club. The only drawback is that you wouldn't get some of the more novel flavors out there, exactly because they tend to be more problematic ingredient-wise. Other than that, The Greater Knead's bagel club is an excellent choice - and it's definitely the only one in our review that can bring that bagel goodness to people with food sensitivities.
Best New York Bagel is the creation of a NYC firefighter who missed having authentic big city bagels during his time in the Midwest. His shop aims to deliver the best bagels anywhere in the nation, with shipping as fast as a New York minute.
Low price on the club but high shipping fees
You might get really excited when you see that this club is priced at under $25 per month for a dozen freshly-baked bagels. That's half of what most rival clubs charge. But, when you get to the checkout you'll find out why: you'll be paying almost the price of the club itself just in shipping fees. On our monthly subscription, we were quoted delivery fees of $21.81, bringing the total up to $46.50 - which is about what we'd pay with most other bagel clubs.
Weekly, monthly, or every-other-one
On the other hand, this could be a great choice if you want bagels more often than once a month. Best New York Bagel's recurring delivery can be set up to come every week or every other week; alternately, you can get bagels every other month if you don't want them quite so often. In the notes section, feel free to tell BNYB if you have a preferred delivery date (Tuesday through Saturday): a great feature if you're ordering bagels as a regular delivery for your weekly office breakroom snacks or monthly book club meeting.
You pick the flavors
Another way that this bagel club is more flexible than some of its competitors is in flavor selection. With your dozen bagels, you'll choose the flavor for every two: on the page where you set up your subscription, you'll see dropdowns for Bagels 1&2, 3&4, and so on. Flavor options are fairly standard but offer a nice selection: choose from plain, cinnamon raisin, poppy, sesame, several varieties of "everything”, onion, rye, pumpernickel, whole wheat, salt, multigrain, egg, and garlic, or pay a little extra to get blueberry or french toast.
Would benefit from more reviews
A lack of customer feedback is the main factor keeping Best New York Bagel from earning a higher ranking here. We looked all over the place, including the store website itself, and it was just hard to find comments (positive or negative). We're not worried about this company's reputation in any way - after all, the Better Business Bureau gives Best New York Bagel an "A” rating - but in a competitive marketplace like bagels in New York, reviews from a loyal customer base go a long way to tip the scales.
Good overall bagel club
Given that you're not locked into a long-term subscription and you get so much say-so in your bagel flavors, you might want to consider going with Best New York Bagel for your club - particularly if you'd like a weekly or bi-weekly delivery schedule. All it would take is an increase in customer reviews for this bagel club to move way up in our rankings.
Serving NYC's Greenpoint neighborhood since 1977, Bagel Point offers old-fashioned bagels made fresh daily. But don't get confused when you see the URL for Bagel Point's monthly club: this membership is sold through the website for NYC's BagelFest, a tribute to the city's "most beloved carbohydrate”. We're not entirely sure why Bagel Point doesn't handle sales for the subscription on their own, but it is what it is.
Plenty of (mostly savory) bagel varieties to choose from
Your monthly deliveries here come with a dozen bagels, in up to four flavors of your choosing. At the time of this evaluation, Bagel Point offered plain, pumpernickel and pumpernickel "everything”, sesame, "everything”, egg and egg "everything”, cinnamon raisin, poppy, garlic, onion, whole wheat and whole wheat "everything” flavors. That's a solid range that goes beyond some of the traditional flavors you're limited to with other clubs, but it shops short of giving customers a novel experience with each order. We also noticed that there was only one sweet flavor among those bagels; other clubs tend to include options like french toast or chocolate chip too.
A little more expensive for what you get
And the price? It's not super-spendy at $53.95/month for a dozen - but many rival bagel clubs give you 16 bagels at that price. Plus, shipping can be free on your delivery, but it looks like Bagel Point won't give it to you unless you remember to include the code FREESHIPPING at checkout.
No gift-giving features
Although there really aren't any gift-giving options here, you can always set a shipping address that's different from your billing address. Also, Bagel Point ships bagels out Monday through Thursday, so you aren't locked into a set shipping timeframe for your club (i.e. you don't have to wait until the end of the month for your bagels to go out if you're setting up your deliveries at the beginning of the month).
Customers are satisfied with the bagels and the service
Another positive for Bagel Point is its solid track record with happy customers. While the reviews we found were for the company in general and not always specific to the bagel club, people almost always have good things to say about the quality of the baked goods and the service received. Bagel Point's reps handle issues quickly, but you're not very likely to have any: your bagels will probably arrive perfectly fresh and taste amazing, especially according to New Yorkers living elsewhere who have their bagels shipped from this store to get an authentic taste of home.
Not a bad option, especially for not-sweet bagels
Bagel Point's monthly club has its upsides: the bagels are high-quality, you get to choose up to four different flavors per month, and the customer service is excellent. On the other hand, you'll spend a little more, and if you've got a sweet tooth you may not be a huge fan of the lack of non-savory bagels in the selection here. Still, we think this bagel club is better than average and worth a look if you don't find what you're looking for with a rival subscription.
Bagel of the Month Club is a service offered by Bagel Boss, a Long Island-based bakery in business since 2010. The bagels here are water-boiled and baked in a brick oven, made by 5th- and 6th-generation bakers.
Mini or full-size?
You've got two bagel club options here. For $29.95/month, you can get 12 mini bagels; or, for $54.95/month, you can get 13 full-size bagels. While shipping is included on both plans, pricing is a little spendy compared to rival clubs (who often charge the same amount as the 13-bagel plan but give you a total of 16 bagels per shipment).
Some flexibility in your club terms
On the other hand, this bagel club has a few features that offer an advantage over some competitors. For example, you get to choose the shipping date here; bagels are sent out every Monday through Thursday, so you don't have to wait until some predetermined shipment date. (For example, one bagel club in our review only sends out bagels at the end of the month.) You can also choose to have your club come every month, every other month, or every three months.
You choose each bagel flavor, every time
Another plus is that you get to choose the flavor of each bagel in every single delivery: you're never stuck trying some weird flavor that you already know you're going to dislike. Bagel of the Month options at the time of this evaluation included bialy, cinnamon raisin, "everything” and egg "everything”, egg, plain, rainbow, poppy seed, sesame, whole wheat, whole wheat "everything”, blueberry, and onion - plenty to choose from, and nothing over-the-top.
Mixed reviews
However, client feedback for Bagel Boss and the Bagel of the Month club has us feeling a little underwhelmed. While some customers have ample praise for the freshness and flavor of the bagels here and for the service received, we found more than one complaint about bagels arriving moldy. And, unfortunately, some of those complaints also mentioned getting a less-than-friendly response from the customer service team at Bagel Boss.
Some room for improvement
At the end of the day, this Bagel of the Month club ranks as "just average”. It's a little more expensive than some of the higher-ranked options, without anything that really would move the needle in Bagel Boss' favor - other than being able to choose the exact flavor for each bagel in the box or getting mini-bagels instead of full-size. You may want to keep this in reserve as a bagel club option after you've checked out what our top picks have to offer.
Like many bakeries offering bagel clubs, Davidovich Bakery is based in New York and has several in-person locations in addition to their online store. Founded in 1998 and featuring generations-old recipes from Ukraine, this family-owned and operated business likes to say that "all other bagels wish they were a Davidovich”.
Select your flavors - in theory
This isn't the most intuitive bagel club out there. When you go to sign up for a membership - the 3-month plan, for example - it says that the bagels will come in a 5-pack, and the options you select will be shipped to you for three months... but there's nowhere to indicate which flavors you want. We got all the way to the "pay now” part of the checkout without ever being able to specify which kinds we preferred.
Not a lot of options for club terms
Davidovich Bakery also doesn't give you a lot of flexibility with its subscriptions themselves. You can either get 20 bagels a month for three months, priced at $110, or you can get 25 bagels a month for a whole year, priced at $599.99. Most of its rivals give you some intermediate options (like 6-month plans), but at least this bagel club gives you free shipping on the two available plans.
Bagel clubs have almost no reviews
Feedback for this bagel club is extremely limited: just three reviews on the 3-month subscription (and of those three reviews, two were left by the same customer) and none on the year-long plan. We're glad to see that those ratings were all a perfect five stars, but it's not enough to really paint a picture of how good Davidovich Bakery's bagel club really is (or isn't).
Bakery has mediocre feedback as a whole
That's important because when we looked at reviews left elsewhere for the bakery and its deliveries, they weren't great. Across 150+ reviews on one of Davidovich's in-person locations, the average was a "meh” 3.2 stars. You could argue that those ratings aren't relevant to the bakery's deliveries - since they were left on the café's business listing - but some of them specifically mentioned disappointment with deliveries. The bagels were described as not having much flavor, and sometimes issues with packaging resulted in stale products on arrival.
Try a higher-ranked bagel club instead
We'd really only recommend this club if you're already a loyal customer and you're hoping to share your favorite bagels with someone cross-country. But, even then, Davidovich Bakery might not deliver the kind of bagel experience you're hoping for. For true bagel aficionados, a higher-ranked, more experienced club is probably going to be a better option.
Nagel's Bagels is the smallest bagel shop in our review, serving customers in North Georgia since 2019. Unfortunately, that smallness and newness translates directly to their confusing, nondescript bagel club.
So many questions, so few answers
When you check out the Bagel of the Month page on this store's website, you'll be left with more questions than answers. How many bagels will I get per delivery? What flavors are available? What will it cost? Those all seem like pretty standard details that would be included at the get-go, right? Not here. In order to sign up for Nagel's Bagels' club, you have to send an inquiry through their online form... and then wait to hear back. In other words, if you're up late at night and just remembered that your bagel-loving mom has a birthday coming up, you're not going to be able to set up a gift subscription right away with this club.
Bagels can come weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly
The only detail that Nagel's Bagels gives away in advance is the delivery schedule. Subscribers can choose to have deliveries come every week, twice a month, or once a month.
Business doesn't respond to inquiries
We even tried reaching out through the store's social media channels - which, fortunately, were quite active at the time of this evaluation - but we got no response even after waiting several days.
You can't even ship a one-time bagel order
Ordinarily we might suggest trying a one-off order, to see if you even like the bagels they make. Again, to our dismay, it just isn't possible with Nagel's Bagels: if you order online through the provided link, you have to specify if you want carryout or local delivery.
Don't bother with this bagel club
All in all, it feels like a bagel club is something that Nagel's Bagels felt like they ought to offer, but it certainly hasn't gotten much attention. Until this shop gets its proverbial act together and starts offering more information about their club upfront, it's just not going to compete at all with the other options we evaluated. We really don't have a choice but to put Nagel's Bagels' club at the bottom of our list.
The convenience of a Bagel Club is particularly appealing to busy individuals or those who have trouble finding authentic and not-mass-produced bagels in their area. Additionally, bagel clubs often offer a wider variety of flavors and specialty options that may not be readily available elsewhere, allowing members to explore new tastes and indulge in their bagel cravings.
Bagel clubs can even foster a sense of community and connection. Some clubs encourage members to share their bagel experiences on social media or participate in online discussions, creating a space for bagel enthusiasts to engage with like-minded individuals and share their love for this iconic food.
Bagels have a long and rich history that spans centuries, starting in Eastern Europe and making their way to become a beloved staple in various parts of the world. The origin of bagels can be traced back to Jewish communities in Poland in the 16th century, with the round shape of the bagel said to symbolize eternity and often associated with celebrations and religious events.
Bagels were traditionally made by boiling the dough first and then baking it, resulting in a distinct chewy texture and shiny crust. Jewish immigrants brought bagel-making techniques to the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, where they gained popularity among a wider audience.
Over time, bagels evolved beyond their traditional flavors of plain and sesame. Today, you can find a variety of flavors, such as poppy seed, cinnamon raisin, "everything”, and even more experimental flavors like cranberry orange or jalapeño. Bagels have become a versatile food item, enjoyed on their own, sliced and toasted, or used as a base for sandwiches and spreads.
However, it's important to note that not all bagel clubs are created equal. How can you tell which ones are worth your attention? Here are a few criteria to help you pick the best plan for your bagel deliveries:
Bagel clubs have emerged as a modern concept, catering to bagel enthusiasts who seek convenience, variety, and a sense of community. By providing regular deliveries of fresh, delicious bagels, these clubs offer a unique experience that allows individuals to indulge in their love for bagels and explore new flavors. That's why Top Consumer Reviews has evaluated the best - and the worst - bagel clubs, to help you elevate your breakfast routine and add a delightful touch to your culinary adventures.
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