The bagel as we know it came from Poland in the 17th century — although circular rolls with a hole in the middle go back way, way further. The myth goes that the Jewish community was forbidden from baking bread, so they boiled it instead.
As Jewish immigrants moved en masse to New York City in the late 1800s, they brought bagels with them. When mass production and automation were introduced, the popularity of the bagel expanded out of New York and rolled into the rest of the country.
As for toppings, the everything bagel we know and love, though, didn’t arise until at least the 1970s — and even then, its origin is debated. Today, you’ll find even more creative flavors and presentations emerging, such as the seasonal pumpkin or Chiefs-themed bagels at Meshuggah in Kansas City, or the turmeric everything bagel at Goldie’s in Columbia.
And that’s not even counting the bagel itself — you’ve got New York-style, Montreal, and even St. Louis-style bagels — and the endless combination of schmears and toppings.
Kansas City’s bagel offerings are only growing these days, so there’s no better time to go explore what’s out there.
Meshuggah Bagels
Meshuggah Bagels likes to say that “even a New Yorker would swear they were biting into a piece of home.” And it’s true that their New York style bagels are legendary here in Kansas City.
Pete and Janna Jinde opened Meshuggah in 2016, and they now have four locations throughout the metro. Their bagels have a firm, crisp outer shell, with a chewy center — exactly how a good bagel is supposed to be.
Meshuggah carries all the traditional bagel flavors, such as everything, poppy seed, cinnamon raisin, and chocolate chip, for those with a sweet tooth. And look out for their occasional specials, like a French toast bagel or serrano jalapeno.
Next up are their schmears. Bagels are traditionally topped with cream cheese, and Meshuggah takes that to a whole other level with garlic dill, veggie, scallion, and Oreo cheesecake flavors. All are made in-house, and as thick as buttercream.
Their garlic bagel topped with a jalapeno schmear proves that there is no such thing as too much garlic. They also offer several seafood options, including lox and whitefish salad, and their pastrami Nova salmon has no rival around town.
Luca Bagel Co.
It makes sense that one of the most well-known pizza joints in Kansas City, Providence Pizza, brought us some of the best bagels in the city — because they know their dough. Luca Bagel Co. was started by Luke Salvatore, co-owner of Providence, beginning as a pop-up that quickly spurred long lines at the Overland Park Farmer’s Market.
Their Brookside shop, which just opened in the summer of 2025, has only expanded their popularity and their menu — now including za’atar sourdough bagels, bialys, and gluten-free options.
When in doubt, go with the everything bagel. A crisp crust surrounds a springy inside that’s almost fluffy. The chewiness is there, but it’s lighter than others.
Or adventure a little bit and go with the Pumpernickel everything bagel. The pumpernickel adds a bit of earthy savoriness that hits the spot. You’ll also find a lot of creative and delicious schmears at Luca’s, like the hot honey or pickle and bacon.
For those with more of an appetite, their bagel sandwiches are perfection, but be warned, these are large. The bacon and egg bagel sandwich with Hemme Bros. Cheddar is a classic, but they also offer ones with pastrami or Jersey pork roll — a Garden State classic.
Ibis Bakery
We recently talked about some of the best bakeries in town, and Ibis Bakery was prominent on that list. As a place that is well known for its amazing bread and pastries, it makes sense that their bagels would be top-tier as well.
Owners Chris Matsch and Kate Seversen opened their first store in Lenexa in 2014 and have built a dedicated and devoted customer base. They offer both plain and everything bagels, which have a springy denseness created by air pockets.
They also offer different spreads, but their veggie cream cheese is simply magnificent. Light and airy, it reminds one of the smell when you walk into a farmer’s market in the early summer.
Blackhole Bakery
It’s difficult to pick your favorite item from Blackhole Bakery. Their mochi donuts have been in this newsletter in the past, and now we’re back for the bagels. It’s important to diversify one’s palette, after all.
Blackhole serves plain, sesame, and everything bagels for just $1.50 each, which has to be one of the best deals in town. Their cream cheese spreads include plain, strawberry, honey walnut, and veggie for a small amount more.
With the bagels themselves, you get that satisfying resistance when you bite in, followed by a rich, substantial center that defines this bagel from Blackhole.
B’s Bagels & Bialys
Some of the greatest adventures are when you discover a spot off the beaten path. That’s what you get with B’s Bagels & Bialys in Belton, Missouri. Although B’s is only open on Saturdays and Sundays between 6 a.m. and 2 p.m., it’s worth the trip.
B’s offers all the normal varieties of bagels, all New York style, and all baked fresh in-house and baked fresh. Besides your usual plain and everything, options include asiago, blueberry, French toast, and even “rainbow,” with several varieties of cream cheese.
What is not to be ignored, though, are their bagel breakfast sandwiches. In a world of continuing inflation, B’s brings you a huge and filling sandwich for a low price. Their bacon, egg, and cheese bagel sandwich is just $8.
S2S Bagels
Do not sleep on our area’s cottage bakers. These are bakers who work out of their homes and have special laws they have to follow for food safety. Many of our favorite bakeries started off as cottage bakers, and you can find them at farmers' markets all over town.
And some will actually deliver to you, like S2S Bagels. Owner Paul Kivett has been making bagels for 20 years, and he’s fine-tuned his recipe to recreate New York style bagels from his home in Stillwell, Kansas.
He has a dozen types to tantalize you, all hand-rolled, fermented overnight, and water-boiled. Expected flavors like everything bagel and sesame are there, plus creative options such as cardamom, macadamia nut, and triple chocolate.
S2S Bagels has a limited delivery area, and there are two tiers. For those ordering at least nine bagels, he will deliver around the I-435/69 area and south to Stillwell. Those who order at least 12 bagels get an expanded delivery area that runs up to Overland Park to just past the I-35/69 merge.
Bagels are not available every day, so plan in advance. Check the website to learn the schedule and order your delivery or pickup.
Brookside Bagels
Brookside Bagels is another one of our cottage bakers. Owner James Holler decided to make his own after failing to find his perfect bagel around town, and thus Brookside Bagels was born. When he sold out in under an hour at his first farmer’s market, he knew he had something special. The bagels give you a solid bite on the outside with a soft and satisfying bite on the inside.
You can find sesame, poppy, chocolate chip, blueberry and even salted rosemary at Brookside Bagels. Here’s their full menu for you to browse. Bagels are ready every Saturday, and if you’re within five miles of Brookside, he’ll deliver for a five-dollar additional fee.
If you’re outside their delivery range, you can always make arrangements to pop by and pick them up yourself. Brookside Bagels sells bagels in packs of 4, 6, and 12.
Other bagels to try
There are more bagels out there that are worth the drive.
You can find Ish Bagels and Deli at Sway Coffee Roasters on Fridays and Saturdays. Their za’atar bagel is unique, and you can snag a “Fun Guy” sandwich with fried egg, chive and scallion cream cheese, swiss cheese and sauteed mushrooms.
For those in Lawrence, you can find made-from-scratch bagels at Olive & I Bagels, where they carry additional fun flavors such as asiago, Mediterranean, and cheddar jalapeno.
Finally, if you’re up for a day trip, don’t skip out on Goldie’s Bagels in Columbia , Missouri, where their specialty is a turmeric everything bagel — get that with pastrami, egg and muenster cheese plus their “comeback sauce” for a killer sandwich.
