LIC Bagel
Long Island City, Queens
Total Score
Ranks & Awards
Store: Basically a Mexican restaurant with a bagel hamper. Long store with tables for dining, a buffet-style set of heating trays set up with saucy entrees and whole cooked fish. No drink fridges, no pastries. No spreads on display. The store's intention seemed so different from a bagel shop that I was surprised they even had scallion cream cheese. 'Heaven' by Byran Adams plays on the radio. Staff was friendly. I actually wanted to give the space a higher score for how absurd it is to get a bagel from such a location, but I realized this was not in the spirit of this exercise and a subpar score does just as much to call out its uniqueness. 2.25
Bagel: Medium-large sized bagel. One-sided toppings, standard. Good density. The staff seemed almost surprised I declined to have the bagel toasted. A soft chew, not fresh but not old. Closer to a well-appointed roll than a bagel. Would likely be improved by toasting. 3.25
Cream Cheese: Served at a warmer temperature for a smooth softness. A good, tame flavor with no overcheese. Good texture contribution from the scallion. A little less than I would like quantity-wise but even coverage. The expectation bar was low from the bagel and the store but the result more than cleared the standard. 3.75