A Manifesto of the DC Bagel: There Is No Truth
Earlier this summer, Bon Appetit put out a list of the best bagels in the United States outside of New York. Featured on the list: DC’s very own Call Your Mother. As you might expect, the 730DC team had opinions. But we wanted to see how they compared with our readers’. So we asked you to share your favorite local bagel spots.
The results…
730DC Readers’ Favorite DC Bagel Shops
From ninety-one respondents
1. Bethesda Bagels (18.7% of votes)
2. Bagels, Etc. (17.6%)
3. Tie: Buffalo and Bergen and Pearl’s Bagels (11% each)
4. Tie: Bullfrog Bagels and Call Your Mother (9.9% each)
Curious that Bon Appetit praised CYM so highly, considering more than a third of you told us it was your least favorite and that it’s severely overrated. You were passionate, too! Nearly a third of you said you were willing to die on a BIG hill, a quarter said your demise would take place on 13th street above Florida Ave NW, and about 27% said you’d perish on an inconvenient speed bump. (See the form if this doesn’t make sense.)
Some shops we neglected to include in the survey were: Goldberg’s New York Bagels, Brooklyn Bagel in Courthouse, Baked by Yael, GW Delicatessen, Chewish Deli, Calvert Woodley Liquor, Neal’s, and Bagels n Grinds.
But as the team put the survey together, the conversation quickly got philosophical: What makes a good bagel or bagel shop, really? Is it the bagels on their own, the sandwich creations, or the overall vibe? Does a bagel really become the truth when you put everything on it? Below, we share the team’s consensus on each shop, along with highlights from the open-answer section of the survey. Beware: The takes are boiling.
So’s Your Mom
Opened nearly 50 years ago, this cash-only spot is an easy answer to anyone who complains that DC doesn’t have bodegas. But the family-owned shop’s menu goes beyond the classics: One 730DC writer says the chicken liver sandwich is to die for. Also, it’s one of the only places to buy good hot sauce in the neighborhood.
- Fun fact: So’s Your Mom actually sells Bethesda Bagels in their store, which can only support one writer’s theory about DC’s Bagel Zero. More on that below.
Pearl’s Bagels
This bagel shop is a go-to recommendation for friends and family visiting from out of town, as there’s a better chance they’ll be roaming around downtown. Otherwise, Mt. Vernon is a pretty inconvenient location.
- Consensus on one big pro: The bagel sandwiches absolutely slap.
Buffalo and Bergen
Inspired by soda shops and diners of Brooklyn’s yesteryear, Buffalo and Bergen brings a new spin to their bagel shop with a quick text to patrons once their orders are ready, an evening transition to cocktails, and solid gluten-free options. A couple mysteries linger:
- The bagels get suspiciously flatter as more toppings are added. Is it simply gravity and pressure here, or something more perplexing?
- Rumor has it that the dough is shipped from Brooklyn, where we hear the water is better. Can any of our readers confirm or deny these claims?
Bullfrog Bagels
With locations in three DC quadrants, Bullfrog Bagels offers Montreal-style bagels, which one 730 writer says they can get behind, even though New York style is, as the writer declares, the best. The shop takes a win with their classic selection of cream cheeses (including jalapeno), but misses the mark with reports of stale and sometimes too dense bread.
- While we did get memories cleared up and confirmed, it’s worth noting that Bullfrog Bagels has been regularly confused with Bethesda Bagels. Yet again, this contributes to the Bagel Zero theory defined below.
- A takeaway tip: Order Bullfrog Bagels once via ChowNow, and you’ll receive constant offers of discounts and rewards.
Bagels, Etc.
At least two 730DC writers are absolute stans of this no-frills, cash-only shop. Located in a basement, it offers inexpensive bodega-style bagel sandwiches. The deals can’t be beat, from a $6 coffee/OJ/bagel combo to a week of breakfasts via their bag of day-olds.
But what makes it really stand out, we think, are the deep parasocial relationships true fans develop with the Bagels, Etc. staff. One teammate shared an anecdote about their friend who, before moving away, made one last Bagels, Etc. stop to say a teary goodbye.
It’s safe to say this was 730DC writers’ favorite. In fact, one writer boldly stated (with seconds and thirds following) that if any other bagel shop on this list closed, they could adapt and adjust — but losing Bagels, Etc. would be absolutely devastating.
Call Your Mother
CYM is surely one of the most well-known bagel shops in DC, and there are many positives to discuss. To name a few:
- The gluten-free yucca bread and the zaatar bagel will go down in bagel-making history.
- There’s a sandwich you can get with a latke in it, which is amazing.
- We remember the avocado and Frito sandwich fondly.
- After DGS closed, it has become one of the only restaurants that celebrate Jewish gastronomy in the District.
Your fearless 730DC writers are also unshy in naming some cons:
- The bagel on its own is not worth it. You have to get a sandwich.
- If you’re near the Georgia Ave location, do yourself a favor and visit the unforgettable Heat Da Spot instead.
Bethesda Bagels
Serving up bagels that are not New York style, but possibly the truest DC style, Bethesda Bagels are some of the fluffiest in the District. Dupont readers can likely sympathize with the hole in one 730DC writer’s weekly farmers’ market routine.
What you’ve all been waiting for: The theory of Bagel Zero. If Bethesda Bagels is the quintessential DC bagel, wouldn’t it be so right that it actually comes from Montgomery County? Bethesda Bagels’ 1982 debut fits right into the local Jewish community’s migration patterns over the last 75 years — including the company’s expansion into the city at Dupont (RIP) and Navy Yard.
