If you have spent any time scrolling food content on Instagram or TikTok over the past few years, chances are you have seen a bagel oozing with melted cheese, pizza sauce, or scrambled eggs from somewhere deep inside its center. That bagel almost certainly came from Moonrise Bagels, the small New York bakery that turned a simple idea into one of the most talked about food trends in the country.
Moonrise Bagels has grown from a weekend pop up into a multi location bakery with a loyal following, national media coverage, and a nationwide shipping business. This article takes a close look at what Moonrise Bagels actually is, how it started, what makes the bagels so different from anything else on the market, where you can find them, and whether the buzz around them is actually justified.
What Are Moonrise Bagels
Moonrise Bagels is a New York based bakery known for its stuffed bagels, a twist on the traditional bagel where fillings are baked directly inside the dough rather than added afterward as a spread or topping. The result is a bagel that is crisp and chewy on the outside, just like a classic New York bagel, but filled with warm, gooey comfort food in every bite.
The brand describes itself as the home of the original stuffed bagel, and it has built an entire menu around the concept. Instead of choosing a bagel and then a spread, customers choose a bagel that already comes packed with ingredients like eggs, cheese, meats, or even pizza sauce baked right into the center.
This approach has made Moonrise Bagels stand out in a city that already has thousands of bagel shops. In a market where differentiation is hard to come by, a genuinely new format for a beloved classic is rare, and it is a big part of why the brand has grown so quickly.
The Story Behind the Brand
Moonrise Bagels was founded by Jeremy Rhodes and Ali Chetkof, who came up with the idea on New Year’s Eve in 2020. According to the founders, the original spark was a simple question: what if pizza could be baked inside a bagel instead of served on the side.
Months of testing followed, with the pair experimenting in a home kitchen before eventually bringing the concept to the public through a pop up in Kingston, New York. Word spread quickly, especially once the pizza stuffed bagel started appearing on social media, and the response was strong enough to justify opening a permanent shop.
What began as a passion project has since become a full fledged bakery business, with Moonrise Bagels gaining recognition from outlets like Forbes, Today, and Good Morning America. The brand has also been described as one of the most creative bagel concepts in the country, winning attention for both its flavor combinations and its presentation.
What Makes the Stuffed Bagel Different
The core innovation at Moonrise Bagels is the baking process itself. Rather than slicing a finished bagel and stuffing it with a filling after the fact, the dough is hand rolled around the filling before boiling and baking, the same two step method used for traditional New York bagels.
This matters because it changes the texture and flavor in a meaningful way. The filling becomes part of the bagel rather than an addition to it, so every bite includes both the chewy crust and the warm filling together, instead of a bagel with a topping layered on top.
A few things set the process apart:
- Bagels are boiled and baked fresh daily, following traditional New York methods.
- Fillings are made from scratch in house rather than sourced premade.
- Each bagel is hand rolled, which keeps the filling sealed and evenly distributed.
- The menu includes vegetarian and vegan options made with plant based substitutes.
This attention to traditional technique, combined with a genuinely new format, is a big reason the brand has earned credibility with bagel purists rather than being dismissed as a gimmick.
Signature Flavors to Try
Moonrise Bagels offers a rotating and expanding menu, but a handful of flavors have become fan favorites and are considered a good starting point for first time visitors.
Classic Breakfast Options
The bacon, egg, and cheese stuffed bagel is one of the most ordered items, combining crispy bacon, scrambled eggs, and American cheese inside a fresh bagel. There is also a vegetarian egg and cheese version, along with a fully vegan sausage, egg, and cheese made with plant based ingredients.
The Pizza Stuffed Bagel
This is the flavor that started it all. It features red sauce, mozzarella, provolone, and parmesan baked inside the bagel, essentially turning a slice of pizza into a portable, handheld breakfast or lunch item.
Deli Style and Spicy Options
For those who want something heartier, the pastrami reuben stuffed bagel combines thinly sliced New York pastrami, swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and caraway. The buffalo chicken version, made with breaded chicken, housemade buffalo sauce, and mozzarella, has also become popular with customers who prefer bold, spicy flavors.
Where to Find Moonrise Bagels
Moonrise Bagels currently operates three physical locations, all within New York state.
Greenwich Village, New York City
The Greenwich Village location, on West 8th Street, brought the brand into Manhattan and introduced it to a much larger daily audience of both locals and tourists. This shop has become known for long morning lines, especially on weekends.
Woodstock, New York
Woodstock is where Moonrise Bagels first began, and the shop here holds a special place for the brand as its original home base in the Hudson Valley. It remains a popular stop for both residents and visitors exploring the area.
Poughkeepsie, New York
The Poughkeepsie location expanded the brand’s presence further into the Hudson Valley, offering the same menu with a slightly different, more local neighborhood feel compared to the busier New York City shop.
How to Order: In Person, Delivery, and Nationwide Shipping
One reason Moonrise Bagels has been able to grow a national audience despite having only three physical locations is that it offers multiple ways to order, not just in person visits.
Ordering In Person
Walking into one of the three locations is the most direct way to try the bagels fresh, and it is the best option if you want to see the hand rolling and baking process firsthand. Popular flavors can sell out during peak morning hours, so arriving early is generally a good idea.
Local Delivery
For those who live near one of the three locations but cannot make it in person, Moonrise Bagels partners with delivery platforms like DoorDash, allowing customers to order directly to their door within a reasonable radius of each shop.
Nationwide Shipping
For fans outside of New York, Moonrise Bagels ships nationwide through Goldbelly, a platform that specializes in delivering regional food specialties across the country. This has allowed the brand to reach customers who would otherwise have no access to the product at all, turning a local bakery into a nationally recognized name.
What Customers Are Saying
Customer feedback on Moonrise Bagels is generally positive, particularly around flavor and creativity, though it is not universally perfect, which is worth mentioning for a fair and balanced picture.
Many reviewers highlight the pizza stuffed bagel and the bacon, egg, and cheese as standout items, often praising the generous filling and the freshness of the bread. The vegan and vegetarian options also receive frequent positive mentions, which is notable since plant based food is not always executed well at bakeries built around meat heavy menus.
At the same time, some reviews point to inconsistency between visits, with occasional complaints about smaller portions or uneven filling distribution, particularly at the Poughkeepsie location. This kind of variation is common for a fast growing food business that is scaling quickly, and it is something potential customers should keep in mind rather than expecting a flawless experience every single time.
Is It Worth the Hype
Given how much attention Moonrise Bagels has received online, it is fair to ask whether the experience actually lives up to the hype, or whether this is simply a case of clever marketing outperforming the product itself.
Based on the available reviews and coverage, the answer leans genuinely positive. The core idea, baking real comfort food directly into a traditional New York bagel, is executed with real technique rather than as a novelty shortcut. The use of scratch made fillings and traditional boiling and baking methods suggests a brand that cares about quality, not just virality.
That said, it is a premium product compared to a standard bagel with cream cheese, both in price and in the amount of time it takes to prepare, so it is best approached as a treat or a fun weekend breakfast rather than an everyday habit. For anyone who enjoys trying creative twists on classic foods, it is a reasonable and fairly low risk thing to try, especially since nationwide shipping removes the need to travel to New York.
Tips for First Time Visitors
If you are planning to try Moonrise Bagels for the first time, a few practical tips can help you get the best experience.
- Visit early in the day, since popular flavors like the pizza stuffed bagel and bacon, egg, and cheese can sell out.
- Try the original pizza stuffed bagel first, since it represents the concept the brand was built on.
- Ask about daily specials or limited flavors, since the menu rotates with seasonal and holiday items.
- If ordering through Goldbelly, follow the provided reheating instructions closely to get a texture close to fresh baked.
- Consider splitting two or three flavors with a friend, since the bagels are filling and it allows you to sample more of the menu.
Conclusion
Moonrise Bagels has earned its viral reputation through a genuinely creative idea backed by traditional bagel making technique. By baking comfort food fillings directly into hand rolled, boiled, and baked New York style bagels, the brand has created something that feels both nostalgic and new at the same time.
With three physical locations across Greenwich Village, Woodstock, and Poughkeepsie, plus local delivery and nationwide shipping through Goldbelly, Moonrise Bagels has made itself accessible far beyond its Hudson Valley roots. Whether you are a longtime bagel lover or simply curious about the trend after seeing it online, the pizza stuffed bagel and its many variations offer a fun, satisfying way to experience one of the more original food ideas to come out of New York in recent years.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a stuffed bagel from Moonrise Bagels?
It is a traditional New York style bagel that has comfort food fillings, such as pizza ingredients or bacon, egg, and cheese, hand rolled into the dough before boiling and baking, rather than added as a topping afterward.
Where are Moonrise Bagels locations?
Moonrise Bagels has three shops, located in Greenwich Village in New York City, Woodstock, and Poughkeepsie, all within New York state.
Can I order Moonrise Bagels if I do not live in New York?
Yes. Moonrise Bagels ships nationwide across the United States through the Goldbelly platform, allowing customers outside New York to enjoy the bagels at home.
Does Moonrise Bagels offer vegan or vegetarian options?
Yes. The menu includes a vegetarian egg and cheese stuffed bagel as well as a fully vegan version made with plant based sausage, egg, and cheese alternatives.
What is the most popular flavor at Moonrise Bagels?
The pizza stuffed bagel is generally considered the signature item, since it was the original concept that launched the brand, alongside the bacon, egg, and cheese stuffed bagel as a top breakfast choice.
