Chicago Bagel Bialy - Wheeling

This place is a legend! It has been around for many years and has the best bagels in town. My mom recently went in and the owner was so friendly and kind to her. He shared lots of fun facts with her about their menu and bagels. I love the onion bagel, sesame, pumpernickel-the lox and whitefish are amazing with their fantastic varieties of cream cheese. This is a great stop on a Sunday morning or for your catering needs. Enjoy

I went in today and it was especially busy because of St. Patrick’s Day. There was a long line but I was happy to wait because I didn’t have much to do. I ordered a bagel sandwich and I was waiting for a bit, but again not in a rush. The staff noticed I was waiting for a while, and they were apologetic for the wait and made sure I got my food quickly after that. Very nice staff and delicious food too.

The sandwich was pretty good, not great. A plain, normal sized bagel with egg and cheese (nothing else) is $7.74! A plain bagel is $1.20. I paid $6.50 essentially for an egg and a slice of cheese, which might be acceptable if I was downtown in a hotel, but not in Wheeling. I'd come back for the bagels and make the sandwich at home, because paying almost $8 for an egg and cheese on a bagel is ridiculous even in the Financial District in Manhattan. You'd also get a bagel that is double the size in NYC for a lower price. I thought they made a mistake when charging me, but I double checked with the guy at the counter and he said that's the correct price.

Interesting in a good way. Bagels and cream cheeses are plentiful and flavorful. The reason for the “interesting in a good way” the food and flavors are there all the way. The service displays and process are a little off. 1) displays of bagels: NOPE! The bagels are in a display case however they are in non-see through white plastic tubs labeled by a label maker. I want to actually see what I am buying….I probably would have bought more if I could have seen them. 2) cream cheeses are stack in a cooler case away from the bagels. Again display them nearer each other and I would have bought more. 3) the inside signage is fancy but not clear or together. Just weird. 4) lastly why all the fried food (specials on the kitchen door. I recommend this shop because the bagels were awesome. Just suggest they shop themselves ….In other words look at everything from a customer point of view.

My husband got the bbq salmon bagel. It was fresh and delicious. The corned beef hash was good. The liver was seasoned well and we got some to go!