5 Elite Daily Editors Review TikTok’s Viral PopUp Bagels

If PopUp Bagels has ever come across your TikTok FYP — and with 10 million views on the app, it probably has — you know the deal. You rip ’em (no slicing and definitely no scooping) and dip ’em right into containers of cream cheese or butter (the flavors and brand collabs change weekly), some of FoodTok’s biggest creators like @wishbonekitchen and @SistersSnacking are obsessed, and if you didn’t pre-order, you may encounter block-long lines at their New York City location. But soon, foodies from out of town will be able to avoid the wait and get them closer to home.

Recently, the startup — which has a bunch of celeb investors, including Paul Rudd and Michael Phelps — announced it’ll be expanding, with retail shops soon opening nationwide. In honor of more bagels for all, five Elite Daily editors tasted and reviewed the mega-viral bagels (everything, sesame, poppy, salt, plain) and schmears (plain cream cheese, pumpkin spice cream cheese, scallion cream cheese, plain butter, Witches Brew butter) in our New York City office the week of Oct. 30. Here’s the tea on FoodTok’s favorite bagels and spreads, from first impressions to overall ratings.

Kaitlin Cubria, Deputy Experiences & Style Editor

First impression: Appearance: They’re cute — thicker, puffier, and smaller than the typical NYC bagel. Taste: They’re soft, light, and easy to pull apart, making them fun to dip. The perfect density.

The bagels I tried: Everything, sesame, poppy, salt, plain.

The spreads I tried: Pumpkin spice cream cheese, plain cream cheese, Witches Brew butter — no scallion cream cheese for me.

My favorite bagel and why: Plain bagel — it was light and fluffy without all the bells and whistles of any seasonings. Delicious as is.

My favorite bagel + schmear combo and why: Sesame seed bagel and plain cream cheese. I don’t usually find myself reaching for sesame anything, but the crunchiness from the seeds paired with the airiness of the bagel and creaminess of the spread just *worked*.

Overall thoughts: Since I was born and raised in NYC, I’m definitely a bagel snob; you have to have a really good product to compete with the random corner delis. PopUp Bagels delivers on the doughy interior, ever-so-lightly crisp exterior, and overall texture and density I absolutely need in a bagel. Would I appreciate them more if they were 10% bigger? Probably, but I had room to try more combos this time around, so it’s fine.

As much as I loved the plain bagel, and sesame bagel with plain cream cheese, I wasn’t a huge fan of the poppy seed, salt, or everything bagel options. All of them had a littleee too much of their respective seasonings for my taste.

And, of course, the spreads — a major yes to the plain cream cheese, probably the best I’ve ever had. A light schmear of the pumpkin spice is good; I went a little heavy on it the first time around and it was a bit overkill. The Witches Brew option tasted exactly like you’d think Fruity Pebbles in butter would taste: sweet and buttery.

Rating out of 5: 4.9/5 (if we’re looking at the plain bagel alone, on account of its slightly smaller than usual size); 4.5/5 if we’re taking everything into account. I can’t wait to try the other offerings.

Michelle Toglia, Executive Editor

First impression: They’re smaller than I expected — which was perfect for trying them all — but also thick at the same time. They’re giving leveled-up mini bagels, and I love that for them (and me). I’m dairy-free and was never a big cream cheese or butter girl when I did consume dairy, however, I was truly craving these flavors. I almost risked it all to dip into the scallion cream cheese.

Bagels I tried: Everything, sesame, poppy, salt, plain.

The spreads I tried: N/A.

My favorite bagel and why: Salt! Wow, never thought I’d be a salt bagel girlie, but here I am. I honestly feel bad for ignoring salt bagels for all these years. (However, I think these are prob elite salt bagels, so I don’t feel too bad.) The salt flakes are big and flakey and actually sort of stunning. They remind me of that glitter app kirakira+ that was popular in 2017.

My favorite bagel + schmear combo and why: I sadly couldn’t partake, but I was dreaming about a salt and scallion cream cheese combo and will continue to do so.

Overall thoughts: While salt was the unexpected favorite, sesame (also a bagel I’d rarely order) was a close second. It was so soft and fluffy on the inside and perfectly crunchy on the outside — as all of these were. The plain actually nailed this balance the most for me. And I must say, they really know what they’re doing with their seasoning. I usually worry that all of my everything seasoning will fall off my bagels, but the seasoning on these — the poppy, the sesame, the everything — is not going anywhere.

Rating out of 5: 5/5 — I love everything from their size to their consistency and crunch to the fact that my favorite bagel flavors were ones I’ve literally never ordered before. Plus, I’ve been ripping into my bagels like this forever, so it’s nice for it to finally be normalized.

The bagels are soft and fluffy on the inside with an ideal level of crisp on the outside

Sam Rullo, Director Of Editorial Operations

First impression: These bagels look so fluffy, yet small — does that mean I can just try even more??

Bagels I tried: Everything, poppy, salt, plain.

The spreads I tried: Pumpkin spice cream cheese, plain cream cheese, scallion cream cheese, Witches Brew butter.

My favorite bagel and why: SALT. I was never a salt bagel person, but this one may have converted me! The salt is very light and flaky, and not at all overpowering, it just adds a little extra bite that levels up the flavor.

My favorite bagel + schmear combo and why: Salt with plain cream cheese. Their cream cheese is the perfect texture, incredibly soft and creamy and so easy to spread, with just a hint of sweetness that goes perfectly with the savory salt bagel.

Overall thoughts: PopUp crushes it in the texture department for both their bagels and spreads. The bagels are soft and fluffy on the inside with an ideal level of crisp on the outside. The cream cheeses were also the perfect consistency, thin enough to be easy to spread (or even dip the bagel in), but with the fluffiness and density you want in a schmear. I’m not a sweet bagel person, but the pumpkin spice was delicious and I would gladly eat it on cinnamon raisin toast or something similar. Usually, I’d go for scallion over plain cream cheese, but the slight sweetness of their plain made it my favorite!

Rating out of 5: 4.5 — I just wish they were a little bigger, more the size of a standard NYC bagel!

Hannah Kerns, Staff Writer

First impression: Fluffy, warm.

The bagels I tried: Everything, sesame, poppy, salt, plain.

The spreads I tried: Pumpkin spice cream cheese, plain cream cheese, scallion cream cheese, plain butter, Witches Brew butter.

My favorite bagel and why: Salt bagel. I usually stick to a sesame bagel, so I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked the salt.

My favorite bagel + schmear combo and why: Salt bagel and scallion cream cheese — I always prefer salty/savory over sweet. I was worried the combination would be too much, but it was honestly the perfect amount of flavor.

Overall thoughts: The bagels seem smaller at first glance, but they’re dense. I found the cream cheese very dippable, but the butter is harder, making it difficult to get that viral scoop. The pumpkin spice cream cheese is very sweet, so if you don’t have a sweet tooth, the flavor might be overwhelming.

Rating out of 5: 4.8/5 — I loved the flavors and texture, but I wonder if that’s mostly because they were warm and fresh. I’m not sure if that rating would stay the same had I eaten a few hours later. Also, my favorite bagel order is a BEC, so I’m slightly biased against a simple bagel and cream cheese (even if it was delish).

I’ve never dipped bagels in cream cheese buckets and I officially want to eat them this way forever now.

Sarah Ellis, Senior Entertainment & Dating Editor

First impression: The bagels look so fluffy!

Bagels I tried: Everything, sesame, poppy, salt, plain.

The spreads I tried: Pumpkin spice cream cheese, plain cream cheese, scallion cream cheese, plain butter, Witches Brew butter.

My favorite bagel and why: Everything bagel. I always love a combo of flavors and this one is the best of ~everything~.

My favorite bagel + schmear combo and why: Everything bagel with plain cream cheese. The complex bagel flavor with the simple creamy spread is perfect.

Overall thoughts: I’ve never dipped bagels in cream cheese buckets and I officially want to eat them this way forever now. The texture of the cream cheese is great — not too rich but still super creamy, just the right thickness. I gravitated toward the plain and scallion cream cheeses because I’m normally a savory bagel person, but I think the pumpkin spice flavor would be a dream for someone who loves sweeter flavors.

Rating out of 5: 5/5 — I’m obsessed. The crunch, texture, and flavors are beyond perfect, especially when the bagels were warm and fresh. I’m new to ripping bagel pieces and dipping them, but I’m a convert now — another TikTok recommendation I can wholeheartedly vouch for.