damnlines.comdamnlines.comPandemic-born, TikTok-viral shop that sells hot bagels by the bag with schmear on the side, eaten on the sidewalk.
PopUp Bagels sells hot bagels by the bag — three or six on walk-in, with schmear on the side and a three-bagel minimum, per West Side Rag. Founder Adam Goldberg told West Side Rag the minimum exists to keep bagels hot as they come off the line all day; you can also pre-order a dozen online (The Infatuation). It started as a backyard popup in Connecticut before going viral on TikTok and Instagram.
NBC New York's 'In Line NYC' pegs the wait at 5 to 25 minutes and quotes the team naming the peaks: before work, after work, and 'the longest lines around 11 o'clock on Saturdays and Sundays.' West Side Rag hit a 'solid 10-minute wait' on an early-spring visit to the Columbus Avenue shop, with the line stretching down the block and made up mostly of students and families. The line moves fast — NBC watched roughly 15 people clear in about five minutes.
Getting the bag doesn't end the loitering. NBC reported customers stay planted on the sidewalk after ordering, tearing bagels apart and dipping them in schmear rather than let the bread cool. West Side Rag makes the same case for eating on the spot: day-old and afternoon bagels were 'okay, but didn't have the same pizzazz.'
No camera here yet — but these lines are on camera right now:
The Halal Guys · 27 min walkclosedCaffè Panna · 63 min walkclosedBánh Anh Em · 69 min walkclosedNBC New York's 'In Line NYC' estimates 5 to 25 minutes, and West Side Rag reported a 'solid 10-minute wait' on an early-spring visit to the Columbus Avenue shop. Both note the line moves quickly — NBC watched about 15 people clear in roughly five minutes.
The PopUp team told NBC New York the longest lines hit around 11am on Saturdays and Sundays, plus weekday before-work and after-work rushes. Going outside those windows — a weekday late morning or early afternoon — is your best bet to avoid a crowd.
West Side Rag reports the Columbus Avenue location is open every day from 7am to 4pm. The 2024 opening coverage notes they bake and sell through the day, so arriving earlier means fresher inventory and, before the rush, a shorter line.
Yes. Per West Side Rag, walk-ins face a three-bagel minimum with schmear — $12 for three bagels plus a tub. Founder Adam Goldberg says the minimum keeps bagels hot as they come off the line; online orders are a dozen minimum (The Infatuation).
It's at 338 Columbus Avenue, between West 75th and 76th Streets, near the American Museum of Natural History, per West Side Rag and its listings.