Berkeley Bagels, the family-owned bagel store that has been a staple on Gilman Street since 1974, has just opened their second location three blocks away from Berkeley High School. On University Avenue, only a block away from Trader Joe’s, Berkeley Bagels opened it’s doors on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026. They say their mission is to provide Berkeley with great quality, East-Coast style bagels.
Bagel places are all the rage in Berkeley, and there are countless cafes all across the city with their own take on the classic bread. One thing that sets Berkeley Bagels apart is their use of fresh ingredients.
“Our bagels are handmade. They are kettle boiled and baked every morning, and we do not use any preservatives, so everything is all natural. We try to keep it traditional … we use the finest ingredients,” John Lalas, the Berkeley Bagels’ shift lead said.
Berkeley Bagels makes all of their goods fresh in store each day through the laborious processes of cold proofing, boiling, and baking. Their clear display case puts their bagel’s deliciousness on exhibit, and makes it easy to tell which flavors are which.
“Some of the (other shops’) bagels are 50-75 percent cooked already, so they just spray water and push them into the oven,” Lalas said.
Camila Babij-Ross, a BHS junior who described the bagel shop as delicious, kind, and welcoming, shared Lalas’ sentiment. “At the other cafes, it’s pretty clear they just buy (their bagels), and they’re good, but they weren’t as soft and delicious as the Berkeley Bagels one,” Babij-Ross said. After trying Berkeley Bagels, Babij-Ross plans on incorporating the cafe into her lunch spot rotation.
Former Berkeley Bagels customer, and now employee, Denise Solis recalled that she kept going back to Berkeley Bagels because of their fresh bagels and welcoming atmosphere.
“I think there’s just a home type of feeling,” Solis said.
“Everyone is super nice at Berkeley Bagels and remembers the regulars. I’ve experienced in the past where people have remembered my orders. I think at other (places), it’s very robotic in some ways, (but) I think Berkeley Bagels really caters to the people here,” said Solis.
Lalas said that this familial atmosphere is intentional. “We try not to be too fancy, so that means we don’t raise up our prices,” Lalas said. This new location hopes to keep up the tradition. “We try to learn all the names of our customers, as many names as we can,” Lalas said.
Babij-Ross’s experience was true to Lalas’s words. “I got it plain, but I thought it was pretty cheap. The lady who helped us was really nice, and it was really soft, like a doughy bagel,” she said. Babij-Ross’s garlic-everything bagel came out to $2.50.
The new Berkeley Bagels location has big plans to cater to students. It’s considering implementing student discounts, including maybe a buy-10-get-next-bagel-free punchcard, or a deal where customers get free items once they purchase a certain amount of drinks.
Berkeley Bagels also offers sandwiches, coffees and teas of many varieties, boba, fresh-made challah, and chicken kebabs. With their doors open everyday from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., this new location is the perfect spot for breakfast or lunch any day of the week.