Bagels should have some chew to them while still being crunchy outside and having good flavor. Here is my take on the local Bagel Situation:
Manhattan Bagel in Ballston, rating: bagels C+ and D for service = “C” overall. They have employees who really dont seem to want to be at work, and at times have seemed depressed or irritable.
Brooklyn Bagels in Courthouse has “B” bagels and “B-” service, for a “B-” overall.
Bruegger’s (Ballston): Excellent service/friendly but the bagels just don’t have the right texture and are more like regular rolls or bread with holes in them. C- for bagels and A- for service = B-.
Georgetown Bagelry (Bethesda) and Firehook Bakery (Alexandria and DC) have decent bagels and service (B+). Georgetown feels like a real bagel shop, which is great, and has a good variety of products. I even remember them having flat bagels.
Firehook is not a bagel shop at all but has good bagels’ it has a very limited variety of bagels and none of the typical spreads and such that a true bagel shop would. Overall between B and B+.
Obviously I wouldn’t recommend a substandard product (by NY standards) as Lender’s frozen bagels, but Ray’s are available in the freezer case at Giant (and are on sale for $2.50 a pack). Ray’s are not sliced, so you must microwave them for 30 seconds, let them cool, and then slice and toast them, but they rate at least B+ without having to leave your home (once you’ve purchased some). I usually purchase the sesame Ray’s bagels because cutting thawed onion bagels by hand can be messy.
9 Responses
You forgot Pumpernickel’s (on Connecticut Ave. in the Chevy Chase neighborhood of DC). Really good NY-style bagels (made by people from NY), family-owned, service with a NY-style attitude.
Whatsa Bagles by far the best….
http://www.bethesdabagels.com/
If you have a creme brulee torch handy, you can make the chewy-but-not-crusty frozen ones proper. Just sayin’…
K street bagel on K in between 20th and 21st is very good. Not only are their bagels tasty, they also hand carve turkey for sandwiches and have a large variety or cream cheese (including olive, my favorite).
Natalya,
Ok, now I’ve tried Pumpernickle’s, but I wonder how representative my sample was since I bought them late in the day. They were good (but a bit too chewy). I’ll try them again sometime.
Have you ever tried Costco’s bagel when they are fresh?
I LOVE Einstein’s bagels on Wisconsin. They honestly make the best Honey Whole Wheat bagels around Arlington/DC that i’ve eaten so far…
I’ve tried Pumpernickel’s several times since. Eh, the bagels are ok but a bit tough. It is as if they are stale, even when they are not.
-JAY
Ray’s Bagels are no longer sold at Giant, but they have Finagel Bagels from Boston, which are just as good.