As a New Jersey native now living in San Diego, I was excited to find a decent bagel shop that offered taylor ham. I ordered a taylor ham egg and cheese bagel and as I took my first bite, there appeared to be something throwing off the entire bagel. The taylor ham, or whatever this pork product was, tasted really bad almost rancid. The overall bagel was really good and was the closest thing to a nj bagel I’ve had in California.

Got decent food. I ordered tuna melt and coffee at the ladys suggestion. Nice people working there, but 2 of the coffee machines were out of coffee midmorning.

I found the owner of this establishment to be extremely rude to my wife. Upon doing some research on this business and the business owner, Steve Amster, I discovered allegations against this man that have shocked me. I encourage everyone in our community to do their own research before supporting this business. It is an absolute disgrace that this man has a place in our community.

Bagels are great and seemed fresh but do not get any hot sandwiches!!! They are microwaved.

I WONT GO HERE ANYMORE!I wondered why my 14 year old male nephew got free bagels and drinks here⁉️ 🤔⁉️👎I go to I ❤️ BAGELS (Oceanside/ vista by Home Depot ) excellent option

Great little place for good food

I like this place. Anything I have had there is consistently good. No surprises: good or bad!! Lol

Garden State Bagels is the only bagel shop in San Diego County Ive been to so far that wouldnt close down in the tri-state area in a week. They know whats up here.This Encinitas strip-mall bagel shop is worth the 50 minute round-trip drive for me from my home -- they have tons of bagel and cream cheese choices, just like the bagel shops of the northeast that I miss dearly. Garden States bagels are fresh and theyve mastered achieving the right density and texture: insides are chewy in the way they should be, outsides are crunchy.My go-to breakfast here is the toasted Jalapeño Bagel with Jalapeño Cream Cheese, featuring freshly chopped jalapeño pepper chunks in the cream cheese. Ive switched it up a few times and gotten Onion Bagels, Garlic Bagels, and Combination Bagels (i.e. Everything Bagels), which are also all good, but I always go back to that same cream cheese here.Drip coffee at Garden State Bagels isnt bad and selections include, among others, a Hawaiian Hazelnut Coffee and Kona Coffee that I alternate between.If youve lived in an urban area in the northeast, like me, I believe this is as close as youre going to get to that kind of a bagel shop experience in San Diego County.

These are seriously some of the best bagels I had. Theyve got a great selection of bagel flavor plus the cream cheese flavors were out of this world. Mine had actual fresh green onions/chives in the cream cheese. My friend got one of their breakfast sandwiches which was also delicious great spot for morning

Do not go here. If you question why watch the YouTube video. Just search for garden state bagels. Judge for yourself. The guys daughter is defending him naturally but all you need to do is watch the video for yourself.

4.5 They have produced a great quality & value bagel since the 80s.According to my friends (native NTC residents) This is the only bagel worth a bite in San Diego.

A Jalapeno bagel should be more than a plain bagel with a few bits of jalapeno chopped up in it. Look at how Einstein do theirs.Toasted should be more than warmed just enough so it feels like a day-old

Best bagels just like when we were living in NJ. Crunchy outside soft inside, not a soggy bagel like other 0laces. Jalapeno bagel is the best! Their baklava is I credible.

Unsafest place Ive been to since quarantineGuy handling the food had his mask below his mouth, while talking50% of the patrons had their masks below their noseIts such a small, crammed space, the 6 feet rule was more like a 1 foot ruleI actually quite liked this place but will never come back

Best bagels in town. I like mine extra toasted with a light spread of cream cheese and they get it right every time. I also love their egg salad sandwich bagel. plenty of drink options including coffee Jews milk as well as lots of cream cheese options. Staff is super friendly and quick

Great bagels and very cute boy that works there named garrett

Good bagels. Love that they put an inch of cream cheese 🥯! So so so good! Get the toasted egg bagel w/ cream cheese. Best ever! Will be coming back.

Crazy that this place has a 4.6 rating. I would give them a negative 10!The bagels are undercooked and are like eating a ball of dough! We took them back inside and told them we didn’t want them as they are horrible and they wouldn’t refund our moneySeriously, horrible customer service! If you can’t give your customers quality and they aren’t happy, just give them their money back!Don’t go there unless you like eating a dough ball!

Great prices, great bagels, and great company. Very fast as well! I would recommend their blueberry bagels and breakfast sandwiches. Note that the parking lot is one way, so you need to enter it from the north side (directly from El Camino).

The service I got was positive. The counter person was friendly and cheerful and made my order promptly. I got a bacon, egg, cheese bfast bagel and it was tasty. The bagel itself was not the best I’ve had nor the worst, just okay. It may have been under baked a bit as even toasting it did not make it less doughy. I’ll try the shop again as I believe there is promise to it. They do have an excellent assortment of flavors which I want to sample.

Ordered cinnamon raisin bagel with cream cheese...BLAND ... tasted like cardboard.

Ive been going to Garden State Bagels since it opened.. can personally tell you they have the best bagels around.. its an excellent place to come for breakfast and lunch. The staff are always very friendly and the food is some of the best 😋 a staple in Encinitas if you ask me 😉

Please do not go here. The owner is a bad dirty person. BOYCOTT GARDEN STATE!!

This place has amazing food and Amy is the best. Amy is a great employee and is always so kind.

Will not recommend . the person who was working there try to hookup with me and my little sister who was a minor,

Easily my favorite bagel spot in San Diego. A small independent shop definitely worth at least a visit.

Best bagels in San Diego bar none. My favorites are the jalapeño, sourdough, everything bagels. Their cream cheese is great too, I love the jalapeño, onion, and the cream cheese with lox. SO good. Ive been coming here since they first came here in the 80s with their New Jersey recipe.

The selection and quality are good (especially their drip coffees), but the service is what puts this place over the top. Steve, the owner, is an East Coast transplant. Underneath, brash, funny, and opinionated, yet hes somehow developed a laid back California affect. Everyone of the employees has a huge smile and it makes you feel like youre family. It reminds me of Cheers, where everyone knows your name.The place is small and could have a better seating arrangement, so do what I do and sit at the tables out front.Theres ample parking, so pay attention. The parking lot is one way and if you decide to ignore the flow, youll block everyone else trying to leave.This place is already part of local history, so ask questions when you have time to chat with the owner, including the story about the traffic officer who sent away for trying to give tickets, while in the parking lot.

Fantastic local bagel spot

Best in the county. I go here every time I am in the area. Best bagels and lox.

Great nova lox bagels! This is in the same small strip mall as tmobile and dance supplies, and studio. Its a good place to come to while waiting to pick up your child from dance classes. They have a selection of bagels, which I get toasted with cream cheese, nova lox, red onion, and capers, all of which they serve with a pickle.

If you’re from the Northeast, it’s like a slice of home. Decent bagels too and they give kids a free mini bagel. Very sweet joint.

I just moved here and I love Garden State bagels! They’re so nice and they make the best bagels in town!! A ton of flavors, too!!

A pretty average bagel/deli place. You can get bagels or sandwiches. Individual bagels seem on the more expensive side (1.49+), and the bagel sandwiches are average priced. Theres a good selection of bagels, but it seems by mid-late morning, they dont make anymore so whatever is there is what youre stuck with.I decided on the egg cheese bacon bagel sandwich. Theres a generous amount of cheese, a precooked egg, and not-cooked-enough bacon. The bagel itself is alright, soft and chewy but with burnt toppings for an everything bagel.Overall, its an okay bagel place, but its not the best.

Steve Amster, I am so disappointed. Paid for 12 fresh candy cane twisties. I do this often and drive from san Marcos for bagels. This batch is inedible. Hard, no flavor and crumbly, dry and cold. They were not fresh. Called, spoke to a male manager. Nothing they can do. Theyll make 12 more but Id have to pay for them twice. 33$ +cream cheese. Im not paying 2 times for 12 bagels. No return, no refund policy. These will be trashed...the worst bagels Ive ever had there. Steve, please fix this and make it right. Something is different in this batch.

As authentic as you can get around here. Good people and good bagels. Highly recommend.

Yes, the bagels are good and the owner is probably nice when less rushed. But I am not a regular there, so when I come in I need a minute to figure things out. The stuff has no patience for that, even if (like today) they are not busy. They also didnt bother checking if we wanted to take bagels for there or to go, or if we wanted them toasted (we did). The I toasted spinach and Swiss with egg and cheese my daughter got was unpalatable. I really must remember to not come here even when it is convenient.

Go there all the time great Bagels love the specialty ones like the French toast bagel.

Its a sad thing that this was voted best bagel in SD multiple times. My bagel was slightly denser than a stale burger bun. How can this be a best bagel? Sun Flour in Carlsbad is much better.

The best bagels Ive had

Been going to Garden State since they opened! Best bagels in North San Diego County!

I love their bagels. Super nice staff

Excellent food, excellent customer service. Always friendly.

Great bagels, quick service. A nice little place with a great selection.

Both the Carlsbad and Encinitas locations offer authentic East Coast-crafted bagels. Maggie is especially polite and efficient.

This is the best bagel place in Encinitas, but you have to get there early in the day. They dont restock the bagel selection throughout the day, so the selection starts getting slim by 9 or 10 on a weekend.

Steve is originally from New York so he knows what hes doing. Best bagels I ever had, nothing compares, love it love it love it

Best bagels I’ve found in San Diego. Closest thing to an east coast place I’ve found in a while.

I am sure the bagels are as good as advertised, but it was closed at 8:00 on a Saturday night, even though the times here indicate it is open until after midnight. Maybe an update is in order?

Good bagels and large variety but the system they have in place for taking orders could be improved upon

Really good

Hands down the BEST bagel in southern California.

My first time... And I love it ❤

Great bagels and the people who work here are incredible!! Owner, Steve, couldnt be nicer. The bagels are fresh and delicious!!

This is a community gem. Good food good people and good service

Best bagels in Encinitas! Try the Taylor ham, egg, and cheese on a bagel for a true Jersey experience.

Good bagels, not so good service.

Great service.

Best real bagels available in Northwest San Diego

Fresh from the oven to your mouth. Simply the best.

Good bagels, family owned and ran with pride

Really good bagels and coffee!

Effeciancy and taste is the main reason I go to Garden State Bagels.

Best bagels Ive ever had!

Rude service, stale bagels, over priced. Trying to be an East Coast bagel shop but you can do better with a package from Vons.

Delicious bagels, as good as H&H but the service is terrible. Downright rude.

Yes, only good bagel place in the county.

Friendly ambience, and all the bagels are fresh and delicious!

Good bagels, service wasnt very good though.

They are using Styrofoam.... request they use biodegradable containers or ban them

Best bagel in San Diego by a large margin

I still miss your bialys and wonder if you can ship a dozen to Tucson, AZ.....and, what the shipping cost would be?

LOVE This PLACE.

New Jersey style bagels are great

Beat bagels around!

Great breakfast bagel.

Best bagels in town

Big variety of fresh bagels here.

Try the French Toast bagel. Wow.

Best bagels in Encinitas!

Best bagels in Encinitas hands down!

Good food yummy breakfast

Best bagels in North county

Best bagels in North County.

The do a great job for me

I love the Liberty Bagel ;)

Best bagels in San Diego, by far

Poppy seed bagel is the best

Fresh & friendly

Incredible Bagels and Service

It wasnt a ny bagel

Excellent

The real deal!

Greay bagels

Yum yum

Bagels West of the Mississippi

Delicious bagels