Not Stacy's: This Is The Best Bagel Chip Brand On The Shelves, Hands Down

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Originally designed to minimize food waste, bagel chips are a crunchy New York deli staple with roots tracing back to the 1980s. They are by no means the most dominant chip on shelves, but there are a few popular brands selling the snacks at mainstream retailers. However, we recommend cruising right past Stacy's and 7Days in favor of a much better alternative: Schwartz Brothers Bakery.

Tasting Table recently tried and ranked five bagel chip brands and this brand was the standout winner. A family-owned company based in Washington, Schwartz Brothers Bakery was started by two brothers to supply their line of local restaurants. The brand's treats are now distributed nationwide, but to our tester, its bagel chips still had a homemade taste. Each one was perfectly toasted, with golden brown edges and a thick, crunchy texture. The flavor was also "otherworldly", as our tester put it. Both sides of the chips were thoroughly coated with herbs, spices, and oil, infusing every bite with a fragrant, buttery flavor. 

The overall quality of the bagel chips from Schwartz Brothers Bakery was much higher than the likes of Stacy's, which came last on the list. Our tester tried three different flavors from the fan-favorite brand and, while they were adequate, they couldn't hold a candle to Schwartz. The chips from Stacy's were poorly seasoned, giving them a mild, uninteresting flavor. By contrast, the Schwartz crisps were more complex. They tasted fresh and intentional, while the bites from Stacy's were bland, dense, and almost stale.

Our tester tried two Schwartz Brothers Bakery chip flavors: Everything Bagel and Garlic & Herb. The latter was their favorite, as the garlic was aromatic and sharp, perfectly balanced out by a herbaceous mix of oregano, basil, and rosemary. The former bagel chip flavor displayed the power of a good everything bagel blend at its finest. 

It seems that at-home reviewers have been similarly impressed by the premium bagel chips. One Walmart customer called them the "best crackers ever" in an online review, while another fan on Reddit said, "I call these 'the greatest crackers in the world'. They're to die for. After the last Costco run we had 2.5 of these packs in our pantry. On their own. As part of a charcuterie. Crumbled and used as croutons in Caesar salad. My god I love these." Our tester also enjoyed the chips on their own, and also mentioned that they would be a great addition to the ultimate charcuterie board. Other customers eat them with cream cheese, guacamole, or spinach and artichoke dip. You could also try them with a luxe caramelized onion dip or served with baked Brie. 

The one issue some customers have with the brand's bagel chips is the price. A 15-ounce package of the chips was $17 at Walmart during the time of writing, while a 7-ounce pack of Stacy's was $7.29. The Schwartz Brothers Bakery chips seem to be cheaper at Costco ($13.99 at the time of writing), but if not, our tester also liked 7Days, which can be found in smaller packs for a lower cost.