About US

The oldest bialy bakery in the United States, Kossar's Bialys has been handcrafting its bialys, bulkas, pletzels and sesame sticks for over 65 years.

The process is a simple  one, yet it is labor intensive.  We use only the finest 100 lb bags of quality high gluten flour to our freshly ground onions, every aspect is hand made.  We use an old-fashioned brick oven to give you that authentic flavor.

Aside from our unique recipe, not-so-good replicas of Kossar's bialys are the results of automatic tunnel ovens,  freeze dried onions and preservatives.

This is what Zagat's 2000/2001 survey had to say:

"Kossar's Bialys, (is) a place customers call a Lower East Side landmark. If you've never tried a bialy, you should try these when you're ready to graduate from bagels. People say this so-called "must stop" shop is unchanged by modern technology. And customers add that Kossar's epitomizes what New York used to be about - a store doing one thing and doing it best."

"On a scale from 1 to 30, Kossar's gets a 28 for quality and taste..."

In 1998, we decided to try our luck at bagel making.  At first, it was a work in progress.  Now, we have a bagel that has been touted in the media and among food circles.

We put just as much care into our bagels as we do our bialys. We hand roll the bagels using the finest ingredients available. Rather than substituting cheaper brown sugar, which eliminates any old-fashioned flavor and texture, we use real malt to bring authenticity back to the bagel. We allow the bagel to proof slowly over a 24-hour period and then we kettle boil each bagel prior to the final baking. Taste them and you'll agree that they are the best New York has to offer.

"THE BEST BAGELS IN NEW YORK"

- Saveur Magazine, November 1998

Former New York Governor Mario Cuomo and New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver enjoying the unique taste of Kossar's Bialys on a visit to the famous Lower East Side store.

Photo By: Danny Stein