Craving a bagel with that glistening, kettle-boiled chew and an oven-crackled crust you can hear? You are in the right place, because these old-school shops still do it the time-tested way. From New York icons to Montreal legends and rising stars across America, each spot proves tradition still wins. Bring your appetite and a little curiosity, because the best bites tell a story you can taste.
Courage Bagels – Los Angeles, California
Courage Bagels brings a sunlit Los Angeles swagger to old-world technique. Here, hand-rolled dough gets a proper kettle boil, then a blistering bake that leaves a shattery crust and custardy crumb. Toppings are layered with painterly care, from smoked trout to jewel-bright tomatoes, always seasoned with a squeeze of lemon and flaky salt.
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You will likely wait, but the wait sets the rhythm. The everything bagel crunch gives way to gentle chew, and you taste patience in every bite. It feels modern yet deeply respectful of tradition, proving Los Angeles can hang with classic bagel cities. Order boldly, eat slowly, and let the sunshine do the rest.
Bagel Hole – Brooklyn, New York
Bagel Hole is tiny, stubborn, and gloriously uncompromising. You walk in, smell barley malt and steam, and hear racks clatter from the oven. Their bagels are modestly sized, intensely flavorful, and built for cream cheese rather than showy sandwiches. The crust snaps, the interior pulls back, and suddenly every other bagel feels overblown.
They still boil in kettles and bake on burlap-lined boards, keeping the ritual alive. You do not come here for frills, you come for correctness. Get a plain or sesame, still warm, and taste Brooklyn’s old memory made present. It is the kind of shop that makes you plan a detour, then another, then quietly move your standards higher.
Fairmount Bagel – Montreal, Canada
Fairmount is a Montreal legend, running almost around the clock with a wood-fired heartbeat. The bagels arrive smaller, sweeter, and denser than New York cousins, rolled by hand and boiled in honeyed water. You watch a ballet of peels and flames, seeds crackling as they tumble into the oven’s glow.
Take a sesame straight from the bag and it perfumes your hands. The crust is glossy, the chew intense, the sweetness balanced by smoke. You will want two, then four, and still think about more tomorrow. Montreal style is its own pride, and Fairmount keeps it honest. Bring cash, bring friends, and bring an appetite that forgives nothing but celebrates everything.
Starship Bagel – Lewisville, Texas
Starship Bagel proves Texas understands old-school discipline. They hand-roll, kettle-boil, and bake with a respect that feels almost reverent, then send you off with generous schmears and clever specials. The texture lands between crisp shell and tender chew, a balance that invites both breakfast and lunch builds.
You will find thoughtful sourcing and a crew that loves the craft. Sesame and poppy sparkle, while everything seasoning hits like a friendly handshake. It is a destination worth a drive, even in Dallas sprawl. Order a classic with scallion cream cheese or go adventurous. Either way, you will taste time, heat, and care in every crumb, proof that tradition travels well.
Ess-a-Bagel – New York, New York
Ess-a-Bagel leans large, lively, and unmistakably New York. The line snakes, the counter banter pops, and the ovens keep feeding the city. These bagels are hefty, kettle-boiled, and bronzed with a satisfying crackle. Cream cheese spreads come in every mood, and smoked fish glistens like a promise.
Order with confidence and a clear plan, because options abound. Sesame, everything, onion, or pumpernickel rye will treat you right. The chew sits right in the sweet spot, substantial but never tough. You leave with a brown bag that warms your hands and a grin that lasts until lunchtime. Classic city comfort made fresh, again and again.
Myer’s Bagels – Burlington, Vermont
Myer’s channels Montreal technique with Vermont soul. Hand-rolled rings get a honey-water boil, then a wood-fired bake that brings toastiness and smoke. The bagels lean smaller and denser, designed to eat warm with a swipe of cream cheese or a smear of maple butter if you are feeling local.
You can watch the dance of boards and flames, then step outside to lake air that sharpens your appetite. Seeds scatter generously, and the crust shines like lacquer. It is a ritual worth repeating, morning after morning. Grab a dozen for the road and thank yourself later. Tradition finds fresh air here, and you taste both craft and place.
Wise Sons Jewish Deli 24th Street – San Francisco, California
Wise Sons on 24th Street honors deli heritage with West Coast brightness. Their bagels are kettle-boiled and baked to a golden shell, perfect for lox, whitefish salad, or a straightforward schmear. You get crisp edges, a measured chew, and seasoning that sticks without shedding everywhere.
The vibe is convivial, and the menu knows how to comfort. Order a seeded bagel, add pickled onions and capers, and let the balance sing. You will taste tradition filtered through San Francisco’s produce-driven sensibility. It feels welcoming, careful, and proudly old-school. Bring a friend, share a plate, and leave with rugelach for later satisfaction.
St-Viateur Bagel & Café Mont-Royal – Montreal, Canada
St-Viateur is Montreal’s other great heartbeat, and the oven never seems to rest. Bagels here are hand-rolled, honey-boiled, and wood-fired until seeds glimmer. The texture is tight and resilient, with a sweetness that pairs perfectly with butter or smoked salmon.
You will likely leave with a string of warm bagels slung over your wrist. The experience is tactile, aromatic, and simple in the best way. Watch the peels slide, listen to seeds crackle, and join the quiet line of regulars. It is a ritual as soothing as coffee. Old technique, living tradition, and a paper bag that steams your fingertips.
Call Your Mother Deli – West End – Washington, District of Columbia
Call Your Mother brings a cheerful wink to serious bagel craft. The dough gets boiled, then baked to a burnished shell that stands up to bold fillings. Think zesty schmears, crunchy veg, and silky salmon tucked into a bagel with real chew.
The West End shop feels neighborhood-friendly, with color and warmth. You will want to photograph everything, then abandon the camera once the first bite lands. It is the kind of spot where tradition meets play, without losing respect for the basics. Pick a seeded bagel, add capers and dill, and let the textures do the talking. Comfort, joy, and proper technique in one bite.
Murray’s Bagels – New York, New York
Murray’s keeps Greenwich Village rooted in the right kind of bagel. They hand-roll, kettle-boil, and bake on boards, prioritizing texture over spectacle. The crust crackles, the crumb pulls, and cream cheese spreads like a dream. Ask for it untoasted, because the warmth from the bake is plenty.
Order a sesame with lox and you will understand loyalty. The balance of salt, fat, and chew is calibrated like a favorite song. Lines move steadily and service stays kind. It feels like a ritual that has not forgotten why it started. Bring patience, leave satisfied, and measure other bagels against this standard.
Bagelsaurus – Cambridge, Massachusetts
Bagelsaurus offers a playful name with serious technique. The team hand-rolls, boils, and bakes to achieve a burnished crust and a tender, open crumb. Flavors push creative without losing roots, with malty notes that reward slow chewing.
You will notice thoughtful flour blends and precise fermentation. The result is a bagel that stands alone or carries generous layers of smoked fish. Try a sea salt bagel with honey cream cheese for balance, then grab a dozen for later. Cambridge energy hums in the background, bright and curious. Tradition thrives here, updated with care, never gimmick.
H&H Bagels – New York, New York
H&H is a New York postcard you can eat. The bagels are broad-shouldered, glossy, and properly kettle-boiled. You get a firm crust, generous chew, and a malt perfume that feels like morning on the Upper West Side. Cream cheese choices abound, and smoked fish holds its own.
Lines can get brisk, but the rhythm is part of the charm. Grab an everything or sesame and savor the balance of salt and seed. It is a classic made daily, not a memory. You leave with a warm bag, then return sooner than planned. That is the spell of a city institution done right.
proper bagel – Nashville, Tennessee
proper bagel in Nashville delivers crisp technique with a design-forward vibe. The bagels are hand-rolled, kettle-boiled, and baked to a golden shell, then matched with playful schmears and thoughtful toppings. You get structure without heaviness, the kind of chew that celebrates each bite.
Music City hospitality meets northeastern rigor, and it works. Try an everything bagel with scallion spread and tomato, or go classic with lox. You can taste the care in the crumb and the confidence in the crust. It is a place that respects old methods while welcoming newcomers kindly. Bring curiosity, leave with a dozen, and plan breakfast tomorrow.
Utopia Bagels – Whitestone, New York
Utopia Bagels is Queens through and through, generous and no-nonsense. They hand-roll big, glossy bagels, boil them right, and bake for a sturdy crust that stands up to serious fillings. The lineup includes classics and specials, with seasoning that clings tight.
You will appreciate the pace and pride of a shop that feeds its neighborhood well. An everything bagel with scallion cream cheese hits the spot any hour. The chew is confident but not punishing, the malt subtle and steady. Grab a hot one and accept that you will eat it before the door closes. That is Utopia’s reliable gravity, and it keeps locals loyal.
Schmaltz Delicatessen – Lisle, Illinois
Schmaltz Delicatessen brings Chicagoland comfort to the bagel ritual. Expect hand-rolled dough, a proper kettle boil, and a bake that finishes with golden confidence. Pair a sesame with nova, onions, and capers, or go simple with plain and scallion spread. Either way, the crust-to-crumb balance feels dialed.
You will find deli energy that invites lingering conversation. The staff knows their fish and their schmears, and they guide kindly. Take home a dozen and a tub of whitefish salad for the week. It is a suburban staple with city instincts, proof that tradition lives far from coasts. Warm, steady, and proudly old-school.
New Absolute Bagels – New York, New York
New Absolute Bagels keeps the Upper West Side happily supplied. The method is textbook: hand-rolled, kettle-boiled, and board-baked until the crust shines. The bagels are nicely sized, with a measured chew that welcomes both schmear and fish.
Order sesame or everything and feel the seasoning pop. The line moves quickly, the prices stay fair, and the warmth of the bag seeps into your fingers. It is a neighborhood anchor that never talks too loudly. Bring an appetite and a plan to return. Traditions like this become habits fast, and you will not mind one bit.
Russ & Daughters – New York, New York
Russ & Daughters is a Lower East Side treasure where bagels meet world-class appetizing. The bagels are properly boiled and baked, then matched with salmon cut like silk, briny capers, and precision-sliced onions. Every detail aims for balance, from salt to fat to chew.
You will want to linger over the cases, then eat standing because patience gives out. A sesame with gaspe nova and dill feels like eating history that still tastes alive. Staff guidance helps you build the perfect bite. It is a ritual worth crossing town for, and worth repeating often. Tradition here is not performance, it is daily practice.
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