Our Story
A neighborhood institution since before most of our customers were born.
In 1986, Howard Beach Bagel Cafe opened its doors at 162-54 Cross Bay Boulevard with a simple promise: make bagels the way they're supposed to be made. Hand rolled. Kettle boiled. Baked in stone deck ovens. No machines, no shortcuts.
Four decades later, that promise hasn't changed. Every morning before the sun comes up, our bakers are shaping bagels by hand — the same way they were shaped on day one. The neighborhood has changed around us, kids have grown up and brought their own kids, but the bagels are the same.
We use Philadelphia cream cheese because there's no substitute. We use Boar's Head meats because our customers deserve the best. And we open at 5 AM, 365 days a year, because Howard Beach counts on us.
No shortcuts, ever.
Hand Rolled, Always
Every bagel is shaped by hand — never extruded from a machine. You can see the difference and taste it. This is what a real New York bagel is supposed to be.
The Finest Ingredients
Philadelphia cream cheese. Boar's Head meats. We don't cut corners on what goes into your food. When the ingredients are this good, you don't need to hide behind anything.
Kettle Boiled, Stone Baked
Before our bagels see the oven, they're boiled in kettles — the step most shops skip. Then baked in stone deck ovens until the crust is golden and the inside is chewy.
Open Every Day
5 AM to 5 PM, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Holidays, snowstorms, summer heat — we're here. Howard Beach counts on us and we don't let them down.
40 years of mornings.
Howard Beach Bagel Cafe opens at 162-54 Cross Bay Blvd
Word spreads — lines form out the door on weekend mornings
Full catering operation launches, serving offices and families across Queens and Brooklyn
Online ordering goes live — same hand-rolled quality, now at your door
Still hand rolling every single bagel, every single morning, 365 days a year
Come taste 40 years of tradition.
162-54 Cross Bay Blvd, Howard Beach, NY · Open daily 5AM – 5PM