Des Moines, Iowa: 5 Borough Bagels

One Saturday morning we woke up hungry, but all out of breakfast foods. I went through our list of breakfast places to try and right at the top was 5 Borough Bagels. We hopped in the car and made our way over to Clive, locating the little bagel shop right in the middle of the strip mall. Read on to find out what we thought of the place.

About 5 Borough Bagels

According to the 5 Borough Bagels website, the bagel shop offers freshly baked, New York-style bagels. The shop boasts at least 12 flavors of bagels and cream cheese, as well as fresh coffee and a variety of toppings for your breakfast.

5 Borough Bagels is a common mention in the media, appearing in articles on popular sites like Delish and Taste of Home. It also appears in the list of hidden gems from the Catch Des Moines Visitor Guide. With such a big media presence and more than 400 positive reviews on Google Maps, 5 Borough Bagels sets up big expectations for the experience.

The owners of this bagel shop are a married couple one half from Iowa and the other half from New York. After returning to Des Moines from New York, they decided to open the shop and provide New York-style bagels to the Des Moines area.

You can order a bagel sandwich based on a borough in New York, or you can build your bagel with a plethora of bagel flavors and the ice cream-esque tubs of cream cheese. If you're looking for a whole bunch of bagels, you can order a half or whole dozen.

Is 5 Borough Bagels any good?

*The Empire Bagel (Bottom) and The Lox Bagel (Top)*

We got to 5 Borough Bagels plenty hungry and ready for some good coffee. When we walked into the shop, it was bustling with activity. It's a fairly small area with awkwardly-placed tables, so we felt off as we tried to find somewhere to stand and read the menu. We felt right in the way as we looked, which made us rush through the decision and pick the first things that looked good to us.

We went to the register and asked for the Lox Deluxe and Empire sandwiches. The person behind the counter seemed agitated with us, asking what type of bagels and cream cheese we wanted. Rather than offering a suggestion, they stared at us as we looked around, trying to figure out what they were talking about. Ultimately, we got plain cream cheese and bagels for both, as we felt the line behind us becoming frustrated and the attendant didn't offer much help.

After ordering our food, we found a table to sit at but still felt as though we were right in the way. Every time the door would open (which was often) we were blasted with icy air from outside. The table and stools were both wobbly, which made it awkward to sit at. The person who called out our orders was far more friendly than the person who took them, but at that point, we already felt out of place and ready to eat and leave.

Egg Cream & Chocolate Covered Strawberry Latte

*Egg Cream (Left) and Iced Chocolate Covered Strawberry Latte (Right)*

I could not finish the latte. Isabelle doesn't care for coffee and tries to avoid drinking it when she can, so this one was all on me. From the first sip, I knew that I wouldn't be able to power through. I'm not a coffee snob by any means, and I usually like my coffee strong, but this latte tasted like a potent mixture of gasoline, vinegar, and syrup.

If you like coffee and you want to grab something tasty to go with your breakfast, I would recommend Smokey Row or Horizon Line instead.

I had never heard of egg cream before visiting 5 Borough, so I was baffled when I saw it on the menu. Isabelle quickly informed me that it was something they had on the East coast. We always lean on the side of trying new things, so we went for this one – a mix of Hershey's syrup, milk, and seltzer. Unless this is something your know and love, I would not recommend dropping the $3.50 on it.

The Lox Deluxe

The Lox Deluxe is a bagel on the breakfast menu that features lox, capers, scallion cream cheese, spinach, and onion. This is 5 Borough Bagel's take on a classic cured salmon bagel sandwich. We loved the look of this bagel and enjoyed the taste. For me, there was too much softness and not enough crispy or crunch. Isabelle definitely enjoyed this one more than I did. The Lox Deluxe comes in at $8.75 but seems worth the price given the specialty meat.

The Empire

This monster of a breakfast bagel sandwich packs flavor in every bite. The Empire comes with bacon, sausage, ham, egg, cheddar, Swiss, and muenster. This was by far my favorite thing we had at 5 Borough Bagels, and it's something I would come back for. At $9.95 this sandwich is one of the more expensive breakfast options on the menu.

What to know before visiting 5 Borough Bagels

At Postcards and Pins, we understand the awkward traveler, because that's us. We always try to compile some information to understand before visiting each location. These are some things to keep in mind about 5 Borough Bagels:

The dining area is cramped. If you're unhappy in tight, close spaces, you may want to pick somewhere other than the 5 Borough Bagels dining area. The tables are wobbly and either right next to the door, right next to the line, or right next to the person eating behind you.
Know what you want before you go. The menu is vast and there's not much time to figure out what you want, especially when it's busy. If you feel rushed, you may pick something you don't love. Check the menu out ahead of time and figure out what you want before heading in.
Know the bagel and the cream cheese. Even if you order a sandwich from the menu, they may ask you what bagel flavor and cream cheese flavor you want. Prepare for this by deciding on plain or checking out the flavors beforehand.
Pay attention for your order. When your order is ready, one of the bagel preparers behind the counter yells out what you had and looks for someone to take it. Pay attention and remember what you got to ensure you grab the right stuff.
Consider ordering pick-up. Ordering pick-up at Borough Bagels might be the perfect choice for this bagel shop. It eliminates the need to order and wait inside, and you can take your bagels somewhere else for a more enjoyable dining experience. You can grab coffee at a different location, too.
It may be very busy. If you're unhappy around a lot of people, try going during the week. You can also go right when they open or later in the morning to try and avoid the mid-morning rush.

Final thoughts about 5 Borough Bagels

The thing this place does best is in its name. The bagels we had were so delicious I'm considering going back just for them, despite the less-than-stellar treatment we had at the counter. If you're going for breakfast, I'd suggest a pick-up order and coffee elsewhere. Bagels from 5 Borough make an excellent breakfast picnic option or food on the go. If you stopped by 5 Borough Bagels, let us know what you thought of the place in the comments.