Zabar's

All 315 rated mentions, most helpful first

in:Chocolate Babka2 pts
“And they’ll have a good example of the chocolate babka you’re looking for.”
H3
in:Best prepared take-home food?1 pts
replying to u/zmets12: What do you like at zabars? I love them for smoked fish and baked goods, but their prepared stuff always looks a little heavy / bland to me. Would love some recs!
“Beef bourguignon was very good. The latkes, blintzes. I got a tofu sesame salad that was outstanding. The chicken skewers were good.”
H3
in:Looking to purchase authentic THICK New York Cheesecake1 pts
replying to u/putupthosewalls: Go to Zabars and buy an S&S cheesecake
“The zabars cheesecake was a smaller 6-8" and competely overcooked. It was dry and not creamy at all.”
H3
postZabars: After 50 years, I won't go back0 pts
“What they’re selling is no longer so great either. Last week I bought a container of fresh (“Homade”, according to Zabars) sauerkraut. Got it home and the top layer was rotten.”
H3
postWhat I ate on my NYC trip (all rec’s from this sub)316 pts
“Whitefish was excellent, definitely some of the best I’ve had although I like a little bit of a smokier flavor.”
H2
in:Would you recommend Zucker's or Utopia bagels in this scenario?34 pts
“I don't like the bagels there as they're more of a fish place than a good bagel place (see also the similar Tal, Russ & Daughters, and Zabar's.)”
H2
postSix days in NYC w/a schmo and a vegetarian, a food report32 pts
“Had the nova on a pumpernickel (plz do not judge), gf had the vegetarian version. Both excellent.”
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in:You’re putting together a good NYC food gift basket; what to include?27 pts
“I sent my mom a Zabar's pastrami fixings box last xmas. She loved it.”
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in:Best olives in nyc?26 pts
“Zabars on the Upper West Side has a great olive bar (amongst other things).”
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in:I would be travelling to New York for a day and wanted to take home some speciality food items that are unique to New York and not available elsewhere . I would really appreciate some pointer - falafel .donuts anything 25 pts
replying to u/FajitaTits: Head to Zabar's -- black and white cookies, rainbow cookies, chocolate rugelach, knishes, and their rye breads should travel well. I'm sure they have these in Chicago, but I'm positive not like this. Enjoy!
“And a cinnamon babka. It is NOT a lesser babka!”
H2
in:Good takeout spots near Central Park for a picnic lunch?23 pts
“Zabar’s for good bread, cheese, other dips/spreads, some fruit. Yum!”
H2
in:Best Bagels23 pts
replying to u/Pbpopcorn: Dumb question -but isn’t all the lox in the city including Russ sourced from the same place -Acme in Greenpoint?
“Places like Zabars and Russ and Daughters have Acme smoke to their specific recipes and have buyers that do quality control to make sure they are getting the best product.”
H2
in:Girls weekend in Manhattan early January22 pts
“Their cafe is also a great place to get an affordable yet high-quality bagel, lox and cream cheese as a quick on-the-go breakfast or lunch.”
H2
in:Best bagel and lox I had so far (Apollo Bagels in Williamsburg). Feel free to recommend any others if any in the same caliber as I haven't found any others in NYC.21 pts
“But the real pro move is to buy your sliced nova from Zabar’s, a tub of Temp Tee whipped cream cheese from your local supermarket, and fresh hot bagels from whatever good bagel place is closest to you. Then you’ll have the best of the best.”
H2
in:Bagels on the Upper West Side15 pts
“Zabar’s for the win and get some babka or chocolate rugelach”
H2
in:What's your most controvertial nyc food scene opinion?14 pts
“You buy your appetizing (cured and smoked fish) at a place like Zabars”
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in:Bagels on the Upper West Side13 pts
“Zabar’s herring in cream sauce is outstanding. Get some of that.”
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in:Holiday ham?13 pts
replying to u/Garconavecunreve: BKLYN Larder or Zabars
“I can't help thinking there's something off about getting a ham at Zabar's lol”
H2
in:Jewish Food crawl13 pts
replying to u/amandabug: Honestly you go to Zabar’s and you don’t need to go anywhere else. Food-wise and time-wise. I can be there for a whole afternoon just looking, but grocery stores are my happy place.
“The OP should buy some Nova from the counter. That is the full NYC immersive experience.”
H2
in:best whitefish bagel in nyc?12 pts
“Zabars has the best whitefish salad imo”
H2
post3-Night Trip Meal Reviews (UWS, Midtown, and Chelsea)11 pts
“We liked the bagels, but I thought Kossar's were a little better.”
H2
in:best whitefish bagel in nyc?11 pts
“Zabars has the best whitefish salad. Get the chunky one!”
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in:What lox bagel shop gives a generous portion of lox?10 pts
“Zabar’s classic piles it up. At least they did for me.”
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postBagels on the Upper West Side9 pts
“which offers — IMHO — reasonably fresh, decent bagels.”
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in:Cheap(ish) lunches near 70th and Broadway?9 pts
“You're also a short walk to Zabar's, which is paradise if you like smoked salmon.”
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in:Zabar's "Gift Bags" -- Suggestions?9 pts
“yes to the black and whites.. and babka.”
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in:Do you have a favorite purchase at Eli Zabar's in Grand Central?9 pts
“Zabar’s on the UWS is a pricey, if somewhat fun, boutique grocery store with a good cheese selection, babka and matzoh ball soup.”
H2
in:What are some good options for comfort food/baked goods that offer delivery for someone who is grieving?8 pts
“Zabar's babka.”
H2
in:LF Russ & Daughters alternative8 pts
replying to u/Heylittlebirdy: Truthfully, Russ and Daughters has always been a rip off of you’re getting the bagels there/having them make it for you. If you are into their speciality smoked fish, the best move is to get a bagel and cream cheese elsewhere and just the salmon from R&D. I’m aware that’s a pain, but their bagels have always been kind of not great, so it really is a better bang for your buck in more ways than one. But if you’re just looking for more of a regular smoked salmon situation, I think the bagels and salmon at Zucker’s is actually pretty good with a healthy amount of salmon.
“R&D and Zabar’s have my favorite salmon, but I don’t like either bagel.”
H2
in:Cheap (ish) lox? Or cheap alternatives for bagel toppings.7 pts
replying to u/firstpressing63: I haven’t done it in a few years but Acme Fish Fridays at their HQ in Brooklyn is always a good options, I remember getting steep discounts on lox!
“The best lox by far however is Zabar's to me.”
H2
in:What are the hardest food items/products to find in NYC?6 pts
“Zabars has fresh caviar in fall/winter for $20-30.”
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in:Best bagel and best Mexican6 pts
“you will find good bagels in Tal Bagels, Zabar's, Bagels & Schmear, Bo's Bagels”
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in:Best Summer Soups? 6 pts
“At Zabar’s, they have gazpacho in the cooler, including a watermelon gazpacho that’s pretty fun.”
H2
in: Ess a Bagels still the shit?6 pts
replying to u/Garconavecunreve: Ess a bagel isn’t bad but nowhere near the top choices in my opinion. Full lox and cream cheese: Zabars or Utopia If you want to pull a (unnecessary complicated pro-move): Fish from Barney Greengrass or Russ and Bagel from Liberty/ Tompkins Sq and assemble yourself
“I like their food, but the bagel itself is so unremarkable.”
H2
in:What I ate on my NYC trip (all rec’s from this sub)6 pts
replying to u/NYEDMD: Interesting. Zabar’s has serviceable bagels right in the store. Is it worth making the extra ten-block trip to Kossar’s? Hoping everyone will chime in. Thanks.
“Zabar's bagels are terrible.”
H2
in:French fast food in midtown: jambon buerre at Pavé and L'Ami Pierre6 pts
“You can get good echire or bordier butter at zabars or some other gourmet grocers for a fair price”
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in:Where Are the Best Milkshakes in NYC Right Now? -Summer 20266 pts
“Zabars in UWS has a great malted shake that actually tastes malted!”
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in:Best pastries in Manhatten?5 pts
“Cherry strudel at Zabars. Savory, their knishes are good. Not exactly a bakery but some of my favorites.”
H2
in:Zabar's "Gift Bags" -- Suggestions?5 pts
“BABKA”
H2
in:Recommendations for Chocolate Babka5 pts
replying to u/DC25NYC: Mekelburgs
“Zabars is terrible. Dry and tasteless.”
H2
in:Bagels on the Upper West Side5 pts
replying to u/Remarkable-World-234: Zabar’s for the win and get some babka or chocolate rugelach
“I actually like their bagged rugelach in aisles better than the ones at the bakery counter.”
H2
postUpper West Side Bagels4 pts
“They’re OK — a little small and a bit on the dry side; maybe a 6/10.”
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in:Best Chicken Salad near Central Park! 4 pts
“That said, Zabar’s has pretty good chicken salad.”
H2
in:Best deli pickles in NYC (preferably near manhattan)4 pts
“Zabar’s. But only for the new & half-sours.”
H2
in:Where are the street knish vendors anymore? (I live in Philly these days, come to the city maybe yearly, and haven’t been able to find one since the 90s, basically. Help? Truly one of my favorite food experiences on earth.)3 pts
“Zabar’s has great knishes.”
H2
in:Rating of all the cookies in NYC3 pts
replying to u/furbz420: Good list, we’re blessed on the UWS with Janie’s, levain, chip city, maman, and daily provisions. Personally, if they have a flavor you like at the time, maman has the #1 cookie in the city. Not that crazy about the chocolate chip but they’ve had key lime, lemon, pumpkin and other seasonal cookies that are just incredible. The texture is just too perfect. Excluding maman my UWS list is Janie’s (the big Nutella one is just ridiculous, not the pie crust one), daily provisions, levain, then chip city in last by a good amount.
“Ill add chocolate rugelach from the bakery counter, by the pound (not the prepackaged ones) at Zabars.”
H2
in:Good spots for buying picnic food?3 pts
“I usually pick up cheese, bread, cold cuts, appetizers, cookies from zabars”
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in:Are there any bakeries in the UWS that bake fresh baked bread and pastries themselves?3 pts
“you can also find some good breads and pastries (fresh-baked) at Zabar's bakery counter.”
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in:Best Caesar Salad & Fry Combos in the City?3 pts
“shockingly solid Caesar salad? $2.95 small bottle of dressing at Zabar's, better than most restaurants”
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in:Must try eats in NYC/Unique American foods3 pts
“Zabar’s or Russ&Daughters for smoked fish/whitefish salads. Get the rugelach from Zabar’s bakery section.”
H2