The hunt for a perfect bagel

Coco Otto

Smoked ‘cado on everything bagel from Toasted

After quickly bonding over our mutual love of bagels, we set off on a journey for the good of BHS to find the best bagels in North Seattle. Below you can find our honest reviews of four local bagel shops and our top pick!

Toasted (University District)

Order- Smoked ‘cado on everything ($9.95) and Toasted lox on sesame ($15.49)

Texture (6/10)- The bagel itself was a little too doughy and salty. Toasting it more would have helped to increase the crunchiness and reduce the doughiness.

Taste (8/10)- The avocado topping was great on the Smoked ‘cado bagel. However, the Toasted Lox bagel had room for improvement as there were far too many pickled onions.

Atmosphere- Great atmosphere, very clean and the super tall ceilings and massive windows made it feel spacious. This would be a great location to study. There was the option to order with a barista or order on a self-order screen. The staff were great, the coffee was delicious, and the service was quick.

Menu- Toasted has a Mediterranean inspired menu with lots of unique options. We would want to go back and try their cinnamon pear bagel. There were both vegetarian and vegan options. There was also an extensive coffee menu with tons of unique drinks plus plant milks had no extra cost!

Old Salt (Ballard)

Order- 2 untoasted everything bagels, one with herb cream cheese and the other with lox (total cost: $15.04)

Texture (9/10)- The bagel was a perfect texture. The crust wasn’t too hard and the inside was the perfect amount of chewy. The cream cheese was very thick which created a perfect textural balance between the soft bagel and smooth cream cheese.

Taste (7/10)- I loved the everything bagel, I could easily taste all the flavors in it, and this is coming from an everything bagel skeptic. The salmon cream cheese was very flavorful and added the perfect amount of salt to the flavor profile. However, I was very disappointed by the herb cream cheese, it tasted like straight dill, which I don’t like.

Atmosphere-(4/10) It was a cute place but there wasn’t any seating, which was a very big negative for me. However, the staff was very nice and they made the bagels quickly, I was in and out in less than five minutes

Rachel’s Bagels and Burritos (Ballard)

Order- The Rocky Racoon (egg, avocado, sprouts, sun dried tomatoes, oyster mushrooms, truffle cream cheese) ($14.35)

Texture (7/10)- A little soft bordering on doughy in the center but the outside was perfectly crunchy. There were tons of seeds which added to the perfect external texture.

Taste (10-10)- The filling was great and all of the flavors complemented each other. The bagel was adequately seasoned and added a perfect saltiness. The cream cheese was a great texture and there was an appropriate amount.

Atmosphere- On weekdays it is very calm and quiet. However, weekends it gets pretty busy and the wait is much longer but I think the food is still worth it!  The staff are always nice and helpful. There is limited seating both indoors and outdoors, although it appears that they are expanding it to include more indoor seating.

Grateful Bread (Ravenna)

Order- Open face plain bagel with salmon cream cheese and a snickerdoodle ($8.50)

Texture (6/10)- Kinda chewy bread but the crust had the perfect crunch and the cream cheese is really thick.

Taste (7/10)- The cream cheese wasn’t super salmony but still tasted very good. The bagel itself was also very flavorful. I also really enjoyed the snickerdoodle.

Atmosphere(9/10)- The staff were very helpful and kind and the food came out very quickly. The shop had coffee shop vibes with low lighting and local art on the walls. There was a donut booth that was really cool, but it was full so I didn’t get to sit in it. There is a parking lot and both indoor and indoor-outdoor seating.

Menu-(9/10)Large selection of coffee, smoothies, tea, bagels, salads, sandwiches and tasty looking bakery items. I came after school and they had all the traditional kinds of bagels still available except cinnamon raisin. There were enough choices that I felt like I could go back frequently and not get tired of the menu.

Awards

Best bagel: Rachel’s Bagels and Burritos

Best value: Grateful Bread

Best menu: Toasted (especially drinks!)

Best atmosphere: Grateful Bread

Best Location: Old Salt

Best overall: Grateful Bread