Kupel’s Bakery

There seems to be a real (Kroner) comprehension problem with a portion of the staff in the morning. When I placed my SIMPLE & CLEARLY SPOKEN order; 2 sesame bagels not toasted with plain cream cheese minds were blown. I was immediately asked if I wanted those bagels toasted and what kind of cream cheese I wanted on them. I understand you work at a bagel joint so you don’t have to or can’t think but listen for 30 seconds people do not like to repeat themselves. This has been a recent trend and this «trend» has unfortunately lead me to have to discontinue my patronage of Kuples. Rosenfeld’s though you are further away you now have 100% of my business b/​c going into Kuples is like fright night (Yama Hama).

I went here when I was visiting Boston in 2012, back when I held by the KVH supervision. This place is an institution located in a prime spot on scenic, beautiful Harvard Street. It’s a shomer shabbos establishment, which means that they observe the Jewish Sabbath, and are therefore closed on Friday nights and Saturdays. At first, I thought it was pronounced «Koo-​pels,» but their clever logo from years ago (in an era probably when Jews were seen more pervasively as «other») quickly corrected that, as it preempts our ignorance and tells us to «Say Couples.» The bagels were some of the best I’ve had OUTSIDE New York, but of course, they just cannot compete with our bagels, just like their baseball team can’t compete with ours (I’ll wait for the lynch mob right about now). It’s been open since 1978, even though it feels like it’s been around forever. You must come for the sandwiches! What a tremendous variety of offerings, combinations, and permutations! I counted 24 bagels, bialies, 16 spreads, 8 light spreads, and 3 tofu-​based cream cheeses, for the lactose intolerant (vegans, don’t despair. In a kosher bakery, the bagels and breads must be parve, non-​dairy, due to a principle the rabbis enacted that forbids making dairy breads, out of a concern that people would mistakenly come to use it with meaty meals. The Talmud discusses this in tractate Pesachim, page 36). You can literally have hundreds, maybe thousands, of different bagel-​spread combinations here. You could theoretically get breakfast here day after day, and never order the same thing twice. It’s simply marvelous. They have lots of pastries and desserts, as well, and I love the fact that the cheese danish and cream cheese rugelach are all parve, non-​dairy! They make a great dessert to bring to someone’s house for a shabbos treat. I love the raspberry and chocolate rugelach, and as far as sandwiches go, I loved a schmear of chive cream cheese mixed with a little horseradish cream cheese on a cissel (caraway) bagel. You can mix and match all sorts of combinations here, and that’s what makes it such a fun spot.

You know this place will be good given its location. I’m a huge fan of smoked salmon and due to my Irish and Jewish friends I have a pretty high bar. I was amazed at how much smoked salmon they given you for any of their bagel & lox combinations. That and it tasted extremely fresh. Combined with the fact that the prices are good and staff is awesome I highly highly recommend this place to anyone who is a fan of bagels with lox.
Never had bagel with lox? Well this would be one of the best places in Boston to try it for the first time.
As a disclaimer, every time I went to this place I tried only the bagels. So I can’t say anything about any of their other items on the menu. I will say that my friend who is a local regular firmly gives two thumbs up.

look this isn’t a super fancy place on the inside and it’s no 5 star atmosphere but what you’re going for is food right? AND THE BAGELS ARE AMAZING
There are tons of random combinations named after Boston MBTA stops (I like the Leechmere) but a basic bagel with cream cheese is pretty hard to beat.

Kupel’s bagels are pretty good but due to the terrible terrible service I can’t allow myself to go back! I’ve been going twice a week for six months and I’ve never had an issue with the service. They aren’t amazing but they aren’t terrible until recently. I get mayo on my bagel every time until last week when I asked for it and his response was «I don’t want to go through the trouble». I was with out of town guests so I let it go until he was making our coffee and decided to keep going on about the mayo and how he wouldn’t do it. Another employee who had waited on me before stepped in and said I do it for her all the time. I told the guy I wasn’t going to argue with him as there was about 50 people crammed in the bakery. It was extremely unprofessional and I can’t return when an employee treats a customer like that. There’s a reason majority of the reviews comment about terrible service.

It’s OK, not amazing. The bagels are decent, the pastry not particularly.

This review is only about the delivery service, not the walk-​in bakery.
I placed a large order of bagels for a brunch the morning after my wedding. I placed the order around two weeks before the day and even called back two different times, once to add cream cheese and another time to add more bagels and associate a credit card with the order. The employees I spoke to recorded my name, phone number, the delivery address, the credit card details, and the kinds and quantities of bagels. The manager (?) even gave me his name and told me to call him if I needed anything else.
On the morning of the brunch, no bagels were delivered. I called Kupel’s and was told the delivery driver was late. OK. An hour later, still no bagels. (The delivery was within 5 miles of the bakery.) I called back, and this time I was told that they had no record of my order! All I got was a weak apology, as though this sort of thing happens all the time. I can’t understand how an order I called about three times and even associated with a credit card can simply be lost and forgotten. What’s the point?
Don’t rely on this bakery to deliver bagels.

Maybe the best bagel in Boston (brookline). My go to is a sesame bagel with veggie cream cheese. Their veggie cream cheese has a pleasant kick with jalapenos, which is great. The pastries are also fantastic. Keep in mind they are kosher and closed on Saturdays.

I feel bad giving such a popular neighbourhood bakery a two-​star rating, but the service here is terrible! I came here on a Saturday last year, ordered a cinnamon raisin bagel toasted with strawberry cream cheese, and was given a plain, un-​toasted bagel with regular cream cheese. It was so packed that I left the café in a hurry, and didn’t realize that I was given the wrong bagel until I was a couple blocks away. I gave Kupels a second chance this past Sunday, and had an even worse experience with the service!
My boyfriend and I ordered a toasted Garlic bagel with Salmon cream cheese, a toasted Cinnamon bagel with Honey Walnut cream cheese, a Raspberry Bear Claw and a Chocolate Cinnamon Rugallah. Our server was clearly struggling with our order (although it was hardly a complicated order) and it ended up being over a 10 minute process. He just took off while I was halfway through ordering, and didn’t re-​appear for a couple minutes; he didn’t toast our first bagel, and had to start over; and he forgot our order numerous times. Honestly, I was ready to leave before getting my food. After what felt like forever, we finally got our food and left. As I was about to eat, I realized that the Cinnamon bagel was never toasted and the «Garlic» bagel was not actually a Garlic bagel. Are you kidding me?! I do sympathize with the staff because Kupels is an absolute zoo on the weekends, but this is kind of ridiculous. The mystery bagel with the Salmon cream cheese was by far the best, but the Cinnamon bagel and Honey Walnut cream cheese did not live up to my expectations at all. The Chocolate Cinnamon Rugallah was decent, but not what I was expecting in terms of taste (specifically the chocolate filling).
Like I said, I feel bad for giving such a neat little neighbourhood café such a low rating, but I can’t ignore how poor the service is.

Went here to a long line on a Saturday afternoon just for a sweet tooth fix. We had 2 hamentashens and rugelach — both tasted traditional and sweet, the hamentashen had less filing that I usually like.
I want to go back to try other things, esp ones I haven’t heard of!

Multigrain everything bagel + chive cream cheese =
I need to become more adventurous and try their other more obscure bagel delicacies … But seriously dough… Them bagels dough… that cream cheese. Not sure I’m willing to take the risk and try new items because I’m so pleased with my usual.
Boyfriend got the (adventurous) Fenway– egg salad and jalapeño cream cheese on an everything bagel. He inhaled the dang thing in 0.8 seconds. No complaints there
A bit crowded during normal breakfast hours — but as a late riser, I have no problem rolling in at 11 and getting whatever I want asap.

The local place that only local people know how tasty baked-​goods is.
A place doesn’t have fancy interior designs, big windows to see through it, nor indie music playing while you eat in the store. The only thing they have, and always, is a dozen baskets of baked-​goods.
When I visited Kupel’s in the first time, I ordered California bagel w/​tofu lox (I am a salmon lover!), and a cup of latte. I ate in the store, watching people come and go. They usually left with at least two bags of their goods, pastries, cookies, bagels, and fancy breads. You can tell they are frequent customers because they know exactly what they what to order in a second.
After finishing my bagel, I can’t help to line up and order a half-​dozen bagels to go. Still now, every time I go to Kupel’s, I will order one to eat freshly right there and take more out for the next few days.

Ordered whitefish salad with lettuce and tomato on sissel rye, pumpernickel with regular cream cheese.
Sign out front says top ten bagels in america.
It is definitely a good bagel, on par with any good bakery. Their real claim to fame is their combinations. Salmon, whitefish or tuna salad, great. Classics too, egg and cheese, just cream cheese, etc.
Only 3 tables, plenty of seating for very small groups. very attentive and quick service.

Kupel’s has some of the best bagels I’ve ever had. I go in wanting a bagel and walk out with a dozen!
I’ve learned they are great toasted and are good days later!
Please do not let the line scare you off!
Oh, and their pastries are great as well!

Great ice coffee (fair trade, too) — not burnt like at Starbucks, and very deep/​rich.
Their lochs bagel sandwich is a must, of course!
An extra perk: they sell day-​old bread for quite cheap, so get there in the morning for a big ball of egg rolls for $ 2, or pumpernickel bagels for $ 3.
If only they had wifi, then this would be the perfect little neighborhood bakery to spend the day at.

We heard great things about Kupel’s so probably went with higher expectations than we should have but it was a decent bagel experience by Boston standards. Here are the main highlights:
The Good:
1. They have a good variety of bagel types — we went at 11:30AM on Sunday and despite the long line still had a lot of selections available so kudos for that.
2. The staff is very nice and accommodating.
3. Salmon was good. Nothing special, just good.
4. Cream cheese was excellent.
The Bad:
1. The whole wheat everything bagel has rye seeds on it (gf thinks they were caraway seeds but they tasted like rye to me and I hate rye so wish I knew this beforehand since I’ve never seen them on a bagel before). The salt bagel tasted good though.
2. The bagels have good crunch to them on the outside but unfortunately aren’t soft on the inside. Einstein Bros has better bagels honestly but these ones are bigger.
The Ugly:
1. Eggs are microwave Dunkin Donuts style — pass (wish I knew this before going because we went primarily to have a bacon, egg and cheese)
2. Asked for bacon and the lady looked at me like she had no idea what bacon is. I don’t understand why a bagel place wouldn’t have bacon so massive points off for this. UPDATE 2÷16÷15: Apparently Kupel’s is kosher so that’s why there’s no bacon. Oh well, heads up to those who didn’t know.
4. $ 8.99 for a bagel with cream cheese and salmon is quite steep.
Conclusion: Pass — If you’re willing to travel (drive, bus) check out Katz Bagels in Chelsea instead of this place. Kupel’s is seemingly popular based on its location more than the quality of its food.

As a native New Yorker I don’t think there are any bagels that compare to NY bagels. This is the only place I have found in Massachusetts that will make a New Yorker smile and say those are some good bagels.
Highlights
— whole wheat sesame bagel (not made in most bagel shops, yum)
— tofu cream cheeses
— true feel of a bagel shop (the line on Sunday mornings is long but hang in there it goes by quickly)
— pastries: they have one pastry that is like ruggela but it’s not cut up individually (many flavors, all delicious)!
— the service is excellent! Everyone is very nice there.
Change:
The pastry — I wish they did have them in individual portions so I didn’t have to eat/​buy the whole thing
Make sure you come here because you will not be disappointed!

Went here today with some friends from Philadelphia. We got a mix of bagels and chocolate cheese rugelach. The bagels were delicious but they go heavy on the cream cheese. The rugelach was amazing. The wait was long – don’t expect to pop in here on a Sunday morning between 10 – 1 and not wait. The servers kept checking back to confirm what people wanted on their bagels. They could probably be more efficient in their service, but it’s a leisurely Sunday breakfast so I didn’t mind.
I really want to try some of their challah soon.

Excellent bagels. Plenty if whole wheat options, and many flavored of lite cream cheese. Also basic bagel vegetables available for 25 cents (onion, cucumber, tomatoe). I had a sesame seed bagel and lite jalapeño cream cheese. Loved it.
There was a generous amount of cream cheese, but I normally use less. (So maybe that undoes the lite/​whole wheat choices. :))Tasty though. I will get cream cheese on the side next time and maybe split cream cheese with my husband who orders his own bagel.
They only sell onion bagels on Fridays and Sundays, their busy days. I came back on Friday and got 6 onion bagels and 8 oz cream cheese to keep at home. Great.
I do wish the nutritional info were available. But whole ingredients aren’t hard to approximate.
Thanks, Kupels, for making the healthy options numerous, attractive, and tasty!

Really nice and cute place.
You can order a variety of bagels and other cute desserts here. The cool thing about this place is that everything is named after a street in boston, which was really unique.
I ordered the Harvard ave on egg roll, which contained honey cream cheese and jam. It was pretty delicious, even to someone who is not a huge fan of cream cheese. To all the cream cheese lovers out there, you will love this place cuz it has SOOO many different types of cream cheese, which unfortunately I cannot appreciate as appropriately.