In the past when you asked someone about Chicago's bagels, you'd most likely encounter tales of doughy, round giants produced en masse by nationwide chains. However, those days are long gone, as Chicago enters a new bagel era, transforming from an underdog to an up-and-coming bagel mecca with a rising generation of bakers.

Quality reigns supreme now with hand-rolled, freshly boiled and oven-baked bagels boasting crispy crusts and chewy centers that do justice to their lox and cream cheese adornments. These innovative bakers are not only paying homage to the iconic Jewish breakfast staple but are also infusing it with distinctive Chicago flavors that exemplify the city's cultural diversity. Here's a snapshot of the best and brightest bagel spots in Chicago today.

The elusive Holey Dough's bagels, baked in smaller quantities and sold exclusively through pop-up events, are worth every bit of the hunt. Jake Rubin, an accountant by profession, bakes these gems in his spare time. The tantalizing flavors - plain, sesame, everything, onion, and garlic - coupled with Rubin's specialty giardiniera cream cheese, give a new, delicious twist to your everyday bagels.

R&A Sourdough, co-owned by Rachel and Adam Beltzman, transformed a pandemic hobby into a full-scale bakery by 2021. Their signature, chewy, on-site rolled, boiled and baked sourdough bagels come in classic and creative varieties, offering something for every palate. Also offered, their Windy City Salami sandwich is nothing short of a culinary masterwork.

Chef Felix Zepeda's Pilsen-based shop is making waves with their freshly milled wheat berry-based sourdough bagels. Some of his most beloved flavors include red mole, Mexican everything, and a deliciously spicy cinnamon-raisin-churro. Plus, they even cure their lox with hibiscus, resulting in a beautiful purple-red hue.

After the success of his Jewish delicatessen, Aaron Steingold began a bagel-themed eatery by Wrigley Field in 2024, quickly garnering a fan-following for its unique bagel flavors paired with its rich cream cheeses.

The Onion Roll, a long-established Jewish deli known for stellar deli items, added handcrafted, on-site baked New York style bagels to its repertoire in 2022. Their bagels have shiny crusts and chewy insides resulting from a three-day fermentation process. They excel at traditional flavors and their Onion Roll bagel, in particular, is a must-try.

South Loop's Starchefs has co-owners Hannah Tillett and Mike Banaszak going above and beyond to define the Chicago-style bagel. Their offerings boast of blistered crusts and springy centers and come in exciting flavors, including their Chicago style bagel that is topped with seeds and ample seasoning.

Finally, Lincoln Park-based Sam Zeitlin started baking bagels amidst the early days of the pandemic, creating a line of bagels with crunchy crusts and soft centers that have quickly attracted many enthusiasts in the area.