Lil’s is our ~lil~ ritual… My husband and I live in the West Covington area and our favorite morning activity is to walk here for a bagel. We normally stop at Roebling for a coffee too. We absolutely love it, and they’re the best bagels EVER Seriously, we went to New York City (supposedly the best bagels in the world) and every single bagel shop we tried left us saying “meh, Lil’s is better.”Plus the staff at Lil’s is always great. They greet us when we come in and it makes us feel at home. We love eating our bagels on the back patio. We bring all of our friends here, especially if it’s their first time visiting the area.We love the sandwiches — BEC & GEC are our regulars. But the schmears, or really anything you get, will be delicious. Our favorite bagels are the Everything, Old Bay and Parmesan Pepper.We’re on the edge of our seats to see what Lil’s plans to do next. It’s a Covington staple and we truly love everything about it. #lilsforever
Tamara Green
I've been wanting to try this place for a while, but by the time I get up and going in the morning, they are always sold out of all the "normal" bagels. I finally made it...and it was ok. The bagel was thick and chewy. The sandwich itself lacked flavor. Maybe I ordered the wrong thing? Maybe I had built up too high of an expectation? It wasn't bad-it just didn't wow me like I had hoped.
Stuart Edwards
I went for the first time today after literally just searching “sandwich” close to my office. I’ll probably be going every day I need to buy lunch from now on. They have a great selection for such a small, quick spot and are very inexpensive given the quality of ingredients. It is great to find a delicious, quick, minority-owned small business. I was out the door in five minutes today (amazing), but will surely post up on the patio for my lunch breaks as soon as time allows.
Christine A.
We decided to try this place for breakfast on our way out of town. I had a pastrami, egg, and cheese on a salt bagel and it was delicious! The bagel was perfectly chewy and the ingredients on the sandwich were high quality. Definitely recommend!
Sandy H.
Omg Lil's has so many options of bagels and schmears to choose from, everything sounded so delicious!! I went with the lox sandwich just cause it's a go to favorite of mine everywhere I go and oh man it did not disappoint! Now my goal is to try every schmear flavor!
Shantell P.
Prefacing with us visiting on Labor Day. If you plan to go here, expect to wait a minute. We got there around 10 and the line was out of the door. We waited about 10-15 minutes to get our bagels after ordering. When we got them, they were good. That's all I can say, nothing too exciting but an alright bagel. Nonetheless, your bagel craving will be fulfilled.
Sheryar K.
This cute "cozy" bagel spot is perfect for a weekend morning stroll through covington. Though make sure to get here early enough because there's limited bagels (because they're fresh)! We opted for the Lil's bagel and the Violet. I am a s***** for Bagels with Lox and this was pretty solid (not sure if it's $13 worth, but good still) The Violet was $5 and perfect. The goat cheese and jam mixture was a hit on my pallet.
Colonel Randers
Hate to disagree with all the 5-star reviews, but our experience at Lil’s has only been so-so. There’s not a lot of variety in sandwich ingredients, they pack a LOT of cream cheese with the bagel, and they messed our order up once. That said, it’s a very cute, quirky location with very friendly and helpful staff.
Michelle Johnson
I love everything at Lil’s - always fresh and delicious!!!
Joe English
Delightful little place with great bagels and sandwiches. Try the blueberry-lime jam, it’s delicious. There’s a great patio out back and a takeout window on the side.
Bagels are excellent. As close to NY as I’ve had in the Midwest. Lox is top notch and the schemears are fantastic. Service is friendly and efficient.
brady b.
Don't even consider going to another bagel place in the morning. It is a touch pricier, but Lil's Bagels makes a quality bagel unrivaled by any other establishment in the Tri-State Area, and boy is it worth it. Usually will have a small line in the mornings waiting at the walk-up counter, but getting a bagel won't take you forever. Cute nostalgic decor inside with minimal indoor seating, but plenty outside for this hot summer. Staff are friendly, welcoming, and helpful as they help recommend something to you-- a great environment to be in. You can't go wrong with anything here, but I love the Bad/Good Judy (check which one is available!)-- it is fresh, tangy, light , creamy, everything. I think of this bagel often, I can't lie. You should go to Lil's Bagels-- what a great food destination in Covington!
Amanda H.
You don't need another person telling you how wonderful everything is at Lil's Bagels, but I'm doing it anyway. The Good Judy on a lemon poppyseed bagel is my go to because it is DELICIOUS. The staff is fun and friendly, the service is so quick, and the space is beautiful inside and out. Stopped by before Covington Pride and had a blast!
Antoinette W.
Amazing bagels!!! Literally one of my favorites in the Cincinnati- Northern Kentucky area. Their Lox bagel OH MY GOD! AMAZING!!!! I am lactose intolerant and They have so many dairy-free options and vegan too! They are fast and very friendly. For sure coming back and back and back! Love it
Dayna S.
Best bagels in town and superb service. They have a wonderful variety of bagels and GF options as well. Highly recommend!
Lil’s is our ~lil~ ritual… My husband and I live in the West Covington area and our favorite morning activity is to walk here for a bagel. We normally stop at Roebling for a coffee too. We absolutely love it, and they’re the best bagels EVER Seriously, we went to New York City (supposedly the best bagels in the world) and every single bagel shop we tried left us saying “meh, Lil’s is better.”Plus the staff at Lil’s is always great. They greet us when we come in and it makes us feel at home. We love eating our bagels on the back patio. We bring all of our friends here, especially if it’s their first time visiting the area.We love the sandwiches — BEC & GEC are our regulars. But the schmears, or really anything you get, will be delicious. Our favorite bagels are the Everything, Old Bay and Parmesan Pepper.We’re on the edge of our seats to see what Lil’s plans to do next. It’s a Covington staple and we truly love everything about it. #lilsforever
I've been wanting to try this place for a while, but by the time I get up and going in the morning, they are always sold out of all the "normal" bagels. I finally made it...and it was ok. The bagel was thick and chewy. The sandwich itself lacked flavor. Maybe I ordered the wrong thing? Maybe I had built up too high of an expectation? It wasn't bad-it just didn't wow me like I had hoped.
I went for the first time today after literally just searching “sandwich” close to my office. I’ll probably be going every day I need to buy lunch from now on. They have a great selection for such a small, quick spot and are very inexpensive given the quality of ingredients. It is great to find a delicious, quick, minority-owned small business. I was out the door in five minutes today (amazing), but will surely post up on the patio for my lunch breaks as soon as time allows.
We decided to try this place for breakfast on our way out of town. I had a pastrami, egg, and cheese on a salt bagel and it was delicious! The bagel was perfectly chewy and the ingredients on the sandwich were high quality. Definitely recommend!
Omg Lil's has so many options of bagels and schmears to choose from, everything sounded so delicious!! I went with the lox sandwich just cause it's a go to favorite of mine everywhere I go and oh man it did not disappoint! Now my goal is to try every schmear flavor!
Prefacing with us visiting on Labor Day. If you plan to go here, expect to wait a minute. We got there around 10 and the line was out of the door. We waited about 10-15 minutes to get our bagels after ordering. When we got them, they were good. That's all I can say, nothing too exciting but an alright bagel. Nonetheless, your bagel craving will be fulfilled.
This cute "cozy" bagel spot is perfect for a weekend morning stroll through covington. Though make sure to get here early enough because there's limited bagels (because they're fresh)! We opted for the Lil's bagel and the Violet. I am a s***** for Bagels with Lox and this was pretty solid (not sure if it's $13 worth, but good still) The Violet was $5 and perfect. The goat cheese and jam mixture was a hit on my pallet.
Hate to disagree with all the 5-star reviews, but our experience at Lil’s has only been so-so. There’s not a lot of variety in sandwich ingredients, they pack a LOT of cream cheese with the bagel, and they messed our order up once. That said, it’s a very cute, quirky location with very friendly and helpful staff.
I love everything at Lil’s - always fresh and delicious!!!
Delightful little place with great bagels and sandwiches. Try the blueberry-lime jam, it’s delicious. There’s a great patio out back and a takeout window on the side.
Restaurantji Recommends
Bagels are excellent. As close to NY as I’ve had in the Midwest. Lox is top notch and the schemears are fantastic. Service is friendly and efficient.
Don't even consider going to another bagel place in the morning. It is a touch pricier, but Lil's Bagels makes a quality bagel unrivaled by any other establishment in the Tri-State Area, and boy is it worth it. Usually will have a small line in the mornings waiting at the walk-up counter, but getting a bagel won't take you forever. Cute nostalgic decor inside with minimal indoor seating, but plenty outside for this hot summer. Staff are friendly, welcoming, and helpful as they help recommend something to you-- a great environment to be in. You can't go wrong with anything here, but I love the Bad/Good Judy (check which one is available!)-- it is fresh, tangy, light , creamy, everything. I think of this bagel often, I can't lie. You should go to Lil's Bagels-- what a great food destination in Covington!
You don't need another person telling you how wonderful everything is at Lil's Bagels, but I'm doing it anyway. The Good Judy on a lemon poppyseed bagel is my go to because it is DELICIOUS. The staff is fun and friendly, the service is so quick, and the space is beautiful inside and out. Stopped by before Covington Pride and had a blast!
Amazing bagels!!! Literally one of my favorites in the Cincinnati- Northern Kentucky area. Their Lox bagel OH MY GOD! AMAZING!!!! I am lactose intolerant and They have so many dairy-free options and vegan too! They are fast and very friendly. For sure coming back and back and back! Love it
Best bagels in town and superb service. They have a wonderful variety of bagels and GF options as well. Highly recommend!