Can I get a good New York bagel at... Murray's Bagels
Can I get a good New York bagel at... Murray's Bagels
Another New York City bagel with incredible hype and confusing results.
Welcome to It’s A Shanda, one Northeastern Jew’s quest to find a decent bagel in Seattle (and beyond). If you’re interested in taking this journey with me, make sure you subscribe so you never miss a review. If you want to ensure I review any specific bagels (or want to let me know why I’m wrong), you can email me at seanmatthewkeeley@gmail.com.
When I initially tried to figure out which bagel shops I needed to visit during my trip to New York, there were some very obvious places that stood out based on myriad rankings and lists out there. There were three places in particular that were so universally accepted as the best that it wasn’t even a question.
They were BO’s Bagels (which was indeed amazing), Absolute Bagels (the line was too long for me), and Murray’s Bagels.
If you just go by the story on the company website, Murray’s Bagels was started by Adam Pomerantz in 1996. In reality, however, Adam started the company with his brother Matt. The brothers were living in Greenwich Village wondering where all the good NYC bagels had gone when they bought a pottery shop location on Sixth Avenue and turned it into the original Murray’s.
The inspiration for their bagel recipe came from their father, Murray, who made them for the family growing up.
“Opening a store that made bagels the way my father remembered them was something I wanted to do for him,” Matt told Crain’s.
The bagel shop was a hit and, in 1999, they opened a second Murray’s Bagels on Eighth Avenue. One of their calling cards was that they had a strict “no toasting” policy, which spoke to the hearts of bagel purists everywhere.
“The no-toasting thing has created a little mystique at Murray’s,” the store’s owner, Adam Pomerantz said at the time.
However, somewhere on the road to success, much like a deli pickle, things turned sour between the brothers. So much so that by 2006 Matt had started an entirely different bagel company, Zucker’s Bagels & Smoked Fish. Zucker’s now boasts seven locations around Manhattan while Murray’s contracted to the Sixth Ave. location.
These days, you’ll find no mention of Adam on Matt’s company’s website and you’ll find no mention of Matt on Adam’s company’s website. Yikes.
It’s also worth noting that, in 2015, Murray’s Bagels rescinded the “no toasting” policy.
“Murray's Bagels will now toast,” read a tweet. “Although we still firmly believe that a hand-rolled, kettle-boiled, fresh Murray's Bagel is superb, our customer's satisfaction is paramount to us. We will now toast bagels upon request and hope that everyone will enjoy New York's best bagels any way they choose.”
Bagels might be simple but they have a way of causing a lot of drama. But now that the dust has settled and Murray’s has become a veteran mainstay of the NYC bagel scene, how do they stack up to their reputation? Let’s find out.
And if you want to know how I define a good bagel, you can find that here.
WHAT I ORDERED
Plain bagel as-is
Everything bagel with scallion cream cheese.
THE EXPERIENCE
The first thing I noticed walking into Murray’s was that it felt like a chain. There was a “corporate Jewish deli concept” feeling to it that made me wonder if I’d missed the glory days of this establishment (like Black Seed) before it became a capital B Business.
Not that the locals seemed to mind. The place was packed and the line to make my order was about seven people deep when I got there. There was a lot of hustle and bustle behind the counter and there still seemed to be enough of the classic bagel shop energy around to hope this was going to live up to the hype.
$2.15 is on the slightly higher side for an NYC bagel but it was cool that the price was universal no matter which bagel you got (aside from some specialty items). I feel like places that charge a lot more for a seeded bagel are “taking the piss.”
While Murray’s 2015 note about toasting said they would do so on request, I was asked by the counterperson if I wanted my bagels toasted, so all bets are off at this point (I said no, for the record).
UPON FIRST GLANCE
The first thing I noticed was that these were some pretty big boys. These hand-rolled bagels defintely fit with the larger sizes I’d been seeing at some of the region’s other shops, though not quite as massive.
TOP
The top of the plain bagel had a nice golden brown throughout. While that might have previewed a potentially crispy bagel, the top was actually very soft to the touch. Thanks to the hand-rolled dough, I did detect a few interesting crevices and craggy spots.
As for the everything bagel, I noted a medium seed hand that seemed very uneven. The top was also very soft to the touch and the coloring was brown was slightly lighter than the plain.
BOTTOM
I thought the plain bagel bottom looked nicely cooked and had a bubbly ring of goodness all around. The bottom was also very firm and knockable, portending some crispiness ahead.
The everything bagel bottom was also pretty firm and featured some interesting grooves that forebode texture ahead. The seed hand was about the same in terms of amounts, though perhaps more uniform, than the top.
INSIDE/BITE
The plain bagel offered an extremely tough rip and I detected a little bit of crispness on the tear as well. The interior of the bagel was super pillowy and doughy but not dense. That said, it definitely offered a tough chew. The best bites were when the crunch from the bottom came through, elevating the texture of the entire bagel. I didn’t get that every time but the possibility kept me eating to find it again.
I thought the bagel smell was legit and as you’d expect it. However, I quickly noticed a malt aftertaste that was a little bit off-putting. It would hit me at the end of each bite and I stopped eating the bagel about halfway through because of that.
As for the everything bagel with scallion cream cheese, it too was a very tough bite and the bagel was pretty dense inside. That strange malty sweetness was present here too, which didn’t do the bagel any favors.
The cream cheese included big chunks of scallion and had a slight tang. Coupling that with the maltiness made for a weird mix and a bagel flavor that just didn’t seem right.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Much like with Black Seed Bagels, I would be curious to know what Murray’s Bagels was like back in the day. I find it extremely hard to believe they could have achieved their reputation based on what they’re currently serving. My guess is that, like Black Seed, somewhere along the way they cut some corners in the name of efficiency and corporate growth, and here we are.
I thought that the plain bagel had some potential, and the everything bagel was inoffensive enough until that malt flavor showed up. I don’t know what was going on there, or if I just happened to get a bad batch, but neither one ended up being an enjoyable bagel to eat.
Is It Good Enough For The Goys?
I wish I’d taken a picture of it but there was this candy/snack stand right by the register and it was full of all the stereotypical candies and treats that you might have found in a deli in 1957. Things like halvah and Mallo Cups and chocolate gelt and Peanut Chews. I was struck by the notion that most people probably don’t order these things. They’re there for show. As a representation of what Murray’s is trying to visually emulate, rather than what it actually is. More “Jew-ish” than Jewish. Just a thought.
Is It Good Enough For Northeastern Jews?
Just like with Russ & Daughters and Black Seed Bagels, if you live in New York City and this is the bagel you decide you need to keep eating, I demand to know why and who failed you in your childhood.
MY NEW YORK AREA BAGEL RANKINGS (10/24/23)
O’Bagel (Hoboken)
Murray’s Bagels
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