Where are the best bagels in South Florida? The readers have spoken and the winner is …

Who makes the crispiest, chewiest bagels in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties?

Well, we left the decision up to you after receiving hundreds of nominations earlier this month as part of our Best of South Florida Dining series.

With a half-dozen bagel spots to choose from (because of a tie), readers faced a tough decision on their plates. But they rose to the occasion to pick the best from this batch of finalists, in alphabetical order:

• Bagels & Co. (Fort Lauderdale, Wilton Manors)
• Bagel Snack (Pompano Beach)
• Brooklyn Water Bagels (multiple locations)
• Broadway Bagels (Plantation)
• Grampa’s (Dania Beach)
• Mo’s (Aventura, Hallandale Beach)

No matter which way you slice it, toast it or slather it with schmear, the top vote-getter was … Bagel Snack in Pompano Beach!

The details

Bagel Snack has been serving up New York-style deli cuisine to hungry diners since opening its doors 45 years ago. Husband-and-wife co-owners Jonathan and Thelma Simes took over running the restaurant and deli at 1237 S. Powerline Road in August 1992.

“We take pride in making a quality product,” Jonathan Simes said. “We want to thank our loyal and dedicated customers for making us No. 1.”

The bagels are prepared with high-quality ingredients, and then boiled and baked, which is why customers enjoy them so much, he said.

“We still make bagels the old-fashioned way,” he said, adding that they’re baked to a golden brown, “with a soft, chewy inside and a warm, crispy outside.”

In addition to bialys, their menu offers 13 traditional bagel flavors made from scratch: plain, pumpernickel, cinnamon raisin, sesame, marble, poppy seed, everything (egg and whole wheat), onion, whole wheat, garlic, rye and salt.

Which flavors are the most popular with customers? That would be plain, sesame and the everything bagel, he said

For schmear fans, Bagel Snack has six options: plain cream cheese, or with chives, vegetable, olives, raisin-walnut, and a nova spread.

Any of their overstuffed sandwiches, wraps and deli salads also can be ordered on a bagel.

While bagels may be the star, they share the spotlight with the restaurant’s large menu featuring a variety of comfort foods: smoked fish platters, burgers, grilled cheese sandwiches, tuna and patty melts, meatloaf with gravy, blintzes, knishes, hot pastrami sandwiches and soups, among other dishes. There are also vegetarian items.

Their bakery serves up cake, danishes, muffins, rice pudding, cookies and rugelach.

Side note: Bagel Snack made its small-screen debut last year when the restaurant was featured on episodes three, four and eight of the Netflix series “Jewish Matchmaking,” with co-owner Jonathan Simes and his brother-in-law, Mark Kloda, bantering with a customer about kissing on a first date.

What customers say

It must be said: Several readers heaped high praise on Bagel Snack’s bagels, deeming them as good, if not better, than those in New York.

“Not just the best bagels I’ve had south of New York, but the best deli all around,” said Pompano Beach resident Charlie Siegel. “Not only a local favorite, but the place all my out-of-town friends want to go when they visit.”

Coconut Creek resident Ellen Saslovsky called them “fabulous New York bagels. Slightly crisp on the outside and perfect on the inside!”

The freshness factor also was frequently mentioned in readers’ nominations.

“No nonsense silly flavors. Made fresh hourly. Excellent,” said Wilton Manors resident Daniel Distasio.

In her nomination form, Pompano Beach resident Christine Stolz called their bagels “by far the best.” And she offered this tip: “Come early, while they’re warm (or hot).”

Bagel Snack is at 1237 S. Powerline Road, Pompano Beach. They also offer catering, online ordering and delivery services. For more information, call 954-974-4564, email bagelsnack@yahoo.com, or visit bagelsnack.com.

Ready for next month’s Best of South Florida Dining feature? The topic for March is: best barbecue! Click here to nominate your favorite barbecue restaurant in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties.