Pinehurst’s neighborhood bakery and deli offers many excellent bagels, which are available for takeout on-site or via a bagel club for a wide range of delivery around the city. Created by master baker Josh Grunig, these bagels have a subtle sourdough tang and a chewy but airy interior. Great on their own with whipped lox schmear, the bagels are best enjoyed loaded up with pastrami, egg, and cheddar cheese for a messy and hearty sandwich.

A lot of places have popped up across Seattle since Bagel Oasis set up shop in 1988, but few are able to replicate the classic feel and consistently good bagels found here. Ask any longtime local and they’ll tell you that trendy shops and Instagram-friendly pop-ups come and go but Peter Ryan’s Ravenna bagel shop is Seattle’s doughy, dependable constant. Search the morning’s bagel baskets for golden brown goodies but don’t sleep on bagel sandwiches like the Emerald City Gem or Meatless in Seattle.

Formerly the much-loved Porkchop & Co, this Ballard shop was reborn as a bagel spot during the pandemic. Available for takeout or delivery only, these perfectly chewy bagels are excellent across the board, topped with the likes of za’atar or shichimi togarashi (a Japanese chile pepper and spice blend). There are also great bagel sandwich options, like the Nick and Nora, a riff on avocado toast with chili crisp. The shop also serves special flavors each day of the week, from blueberry to jalapeno-cheddar.

Tucked away in an unassuming corner of Portage Bay you’ll find Little Market (formerly Little Lago), a neighborhood market and deli best-known for their wood-fired pizzas. However, they’ve also quietly developed a reputation for having arguably the crispiest bagels in Seattle. Golden brown and brimming with blisters, these bagels also offer an enjoyable chewy interior. The sesame is a standout but consider the salt and pepper bagel for a unique spin on a classic. Get there around 9:30 a.m. for their fresh-out-the-oven best. 

Sea Wolf Bakers’ long-anticipated Montlake bagel shop finally opened its doors in 2022, and it quickly earned a shout-out from food writer and bagel expert J. Kenji López-Alt. The blistered, shimmering crusts on these bagels are amazing to look at let alone bite into, and the shop is also serving a variety of spreads, quiches, pastries, and coffee to go.

Rubinstein specializes in sourdough bagels, which have a subtle tang and moist crumb while still achieving the traditional bagel chew. There are over a dozen flavors here, from the basics to tempting novelties like cacio e pepe, shallot, and chocolate chip, as well as the occasional bialy. This fast-growing bagel favorite (now sans its namesake founder) has three locations: South Lake Union, Capitol Hill, and Redmond. 

After years of crisscrossing the city with various pop-ups, Loxsmith found a permanent home in Beacon Hill with a prime location right around the corner from the light rail station. The East Coast vibes are strong here, with breakfast sandwiches like the bacon, egg, and cheese, also available with a New Jersey pork roll. But as the name suggests, it’s all about the house-made king salmon lox or the creative sushi-inspired bagels and bialys with toro, uni, and ikura. The bagels themselves have long had a reputation around town for their crispy crusts and chewy interiors.

The hype around Jake Carter and Daniel Blagovich’s pop-up-turned-shop has been so loud that Seattle bagel connoisseurs are happily flocking down I-5 to see what all the fuss is about. Born out of the pandemic, word of Howdy Bagel’s Instagram-worthy bagel sandwiches led to eye-popping lines everywhere they showed up. Be warned, the lines haven’t abated now that they’ve opened their South Tacoma shop. The Brisky Business sandwich, featuring slow braised brisket, is a particularly hot seller when available.