I want to make a very important disclaimer: I am not a New Yorker. Therefore, I know I have no business declaring which bagels (and their accompanying schmears) are “best.” But sussing out where the warmest, doughiest, and most perfectly toasted carb discs are hiding is way cheaper than buying a plane ticket to cure my cravings.
Thankfully, the city’s bagel shops came to play. With flavors like rosemary sea salt, French toast, truffle butter, and everything mochi bagels, we’re holding our own in the breakfast dough category. If you’re on the hunt for the perfect morning treat, here’s where to find the best San Diego bagels.
Nomad Donuts
What to Get: Rosemary sea salt bagel
Don’t be fooled by the name. Nomad Donuts‘ bagel menu is just as tasty as its sweeter options. Owner Brad Keiller likes to point first-timers to the rosemary sea salt bagel, which is baked with hand-picked fresh rosemary. While it’s plenty good with plain cream cheese, it’s also a fan-favorite as the base for the shop’s chef-created breakfast sandos.
3102 University Avenue, North Park
Ben & Esther’s Vegan Delicatessen
What to Get: Everything bagel with lemon-dill cream cheese
The everything bagel is a staple that, in many ways, should not be messed with. Luckily, Ben & Esther’s Vegan Delicatessen doesn’t alter the dough classic, but owner Justin King does ask that you open your mind to what flavors can be spread on its toasted surface. Rather than opting for your typical plain schmear, go a little crazy with their lemon-dill cream cheese and thank us later.
6663 El Cajon Boulevard, Suite Q, College Area/SDSU
Inglourious Bagels
What to Get: Angry everything bagel with green chili schmear
The only reason anyone would be angry at Inglourious Bagels is because they ran out of angry everything bagels. These seeded-and-spiced treats elevate the classic “everything” mix with a blend of dried chilis that co-owner Andrew Brewer says are only made better with their green chili or habanero schmear (the latter being for those who really want to feel the burn). Sweet-toothers need not worry; the shop’s Blueberry bagels, paired with either the mixed berry or fig schmear, are also a must-try.
6955 El Camino Real, Carlsbad
Spill the Beans
What to Get: French toast bagel with bananas foster cream cheese
It’s hard to find a place that rivals the amount of bagel options that Spill the Beans provides. While the serrano habanero bagel and white truffle and parmesan cream cheese will spice up any morning meeting, make sure you also include the French toast bagel in your dozen. Its sweetness is only made better with a schmear of their bananas foster cream cheese.
Various Locations
Asa Bakery & Cafe
What to Get: Everything mochi bagel
If you (like me) have been getting your mochi fix a là frozen dessert, it’s time to expand your universe and eat it for breakfast. Asa Bakery & Cafe‘s everything mochi bagel is all you could want in an everything bagel: a soft yet chewy texture with a faint sweetness that complements the savory mix of seeds and spices. No schmear necessary.
634 14th Street #110, East Village
I Love Bagels
What to Get: French toast bagel
The spread at this Oceanside staple is more vast than you’d get at your average corner deli, and that’s because I Love Bagels really does love their little balls of dough. The French toast bagel, in particular, is a standout among the 20+ flavors available daily. Topped with powdered sugar and served with a side of maple syrup, this delectable breakfast treat is great on its own or topped with a little PB&J.
3910 Vista Way, Site 101, Oceanside
P.L. Bagels
What to Get: Everything Bagel with Garlic, Bacon and Basil Cream Cheese
Usually the bagel is the star of the show, but at P.L. Bagels, the schmear is what steals the spotlight. Their garlic, bacon and basil cream cheese is so good you might be tempted to eat it by the spoonful. But it’s much more socially acceptable to spread it on their always-crisp everything bagel.
3704 Voltaire Street #107, Point Loma
Golden Bagel Cafe
What to Get: Spinach Bagel
Spinach is easily the most unlikely ingredient ever to grace a bagel. Yet, somehow, it just works. Golden Bagel Cafe’s Spinach Bagel is the perfect balance between earthy greens and doughy goodness that regulars love to bite into with a spread of Garden Vegetable cream. But if the green color is throwing you off, they have 24 other unique bagel flavors (including Sundried Tomato, Peanut Butter and Cranberry Orange) to choose from.
13289 Black Mountain Road Suite 2, Rancho Peñasquitos
Bruegger’s Bagels
What to Get: Rosemary olive oil bagel
I know it’s basically blasphemy to introduce a chain into the bagel conversation, but hear me out. Bruegger’s Bagels are soft, chewy perfection and it’d be a disservice not to include them. While they may not have all the fancy flavors of a local shop, their rosemary olive oil bagel is a must-try for anyone who loves savory carbs. One bite of the subtle herb flavor and rich olive oil aroma, and you’ll rethink your stance on corporate-backed dough.
Various locations
Desperado Bagels
What to Get: Everything Bagel
OBecians will wake up early for one of two things: a gnarly surf sesh and Desperado Bagels. The latter only happens on Sunday mornings and has grown to be so popular that owner Gerry Giuliano—who has been hand-rolling, cold-proofing, boiling, egg-washing and baking these all-natural, artisanal bagels out of his OB rental since April 2024—sells out of his two flavors by 8 a.m. So set your alarm clock and plan for more than just a quick snack because these everything bagels are as delicious as they are big.
4938 Niagara Avenue, Ocean Beach
Wildwood Flour Bakery
What to Get: Experimental fourth flavor bagel
Plain, sesame and everything bagels will always be available (and tasty) at Wildwood Flour Bakery. But it’s the random, just-because flavors (the most recent being a purple potato bagel with loaded baked potato cream cheese) that make this cozy, inventive shop a true neighborhood gem. It’s always a surprise when a new bagel flavor pops up. So, if you’re lucky enough to stop in during one of Wildwood’s baked goods experiments, take advantage.
1976 Garnet Avenue, Pacific Beach
Marigold Bagels
What to Get: Za’atar bagel
It’s all about the spices at Marigold Bagels. The Za’atar bagel is a standout, with its bold blend of thyme, sumac, sesame seeds and salt that you’ll be hard-pressed to find anywhere else. Currently, these bagels are only available during the Mission Valley Farmers Market on Saturdays. So go hungry and early. Rumor has it they sell out within a few hours of opening.
Civita Park, 7960 Civita Boulevard, Mission Valley
Phattie’s Bake Shop
What to Get: Everything bagel
Going gluten-free is usually a sacrifice when it comes to baked goods. But Phattie’s Bake Shop has mastered the art of GF and vegan bagels, offering a small menu of flavors that taste almost as good as the real thing. Like most gluten-heavy bakeries, this shop’s everything bagel is a fan favorite. Pair it with vegan cream cheese and thank the flour-alternative gods for this Point Loma shop.
4143 Voltaire Street, Point Loma
