SFGuide

The Best Bagels In SF

In the mood for a bagel? Head to one of these spots.
An everything bagel and a tub of cream cheese at The Laundromat

photo credit: Melissa Zink

San Francisco's bagel scene is small but mighty. And any local bagel enthusiast will tell you that chewy, golden-brown bagels aren’t too difficult to find—you just have to know where to look. From weekend pop-ups and farmers market stands to neighborhood spots attracting lines down the block, here are the eight best places to get a bagel in the city.

THE SPOTS

photo credit: Melissa Zink

Pizza

Richmond

$$$$Perfect For:Casual Weeknight DinnerFirst/Early in the Game DatesDrinking Good Wine
Earn 3x points with your sapphire card

The Laundromat in the Outer Richmond wears many hats—the all-day-ish spot does pizza and wine at night, and serves the best bagels in SF in the morning. So get here during the day to be hit with the smell of malt and everything seasoning radiating from the towering bagel carts filled with their plump stunners. Loose bagels and tubs of cream cheese are on deck (no sandwiches or toasters here), so take a dozen egg everythings and scallion cream cheese to go and assemble it at home or nearby Golden Gate Park. 

The pop-up named after the owner's dog currently operates out of Avedano’s in Bernal Heights. We could go on and on about the evenly seasoned sourdough bagels, which are perfectly crisp on the outside and good enough to eat plain straight out of the bag. But we'll keep it brief so you can exit this page and get your pre-orders in (it's pre-orders only Thursdays and Fridays, and walk-ups only on Saturdays).

The bagels coming out of Midnite Bagel are unapologetically San Franciscan. They’re whole-grain sourdough, for one, and denser than most others you’ll find in town. You can snag them at farmers markets and cafes around the city, or head to their bare-bones Dogpatch commissary, where you'll wander the halls of a warehouse in pursuit of the tangy bagels. They're offered in bulk or as fantastic open-faced sandwiches, which are piled high with things like smoked salmon and lemony onions, or cream cheese, capers, and guacamole.

PizzaHacker in Bernal Heights leads a double life. They're a pizza spot that also moonlights as a place (called BagelMacher) to get chewy sourdough bagels on weekend mornings. They also have great open-faced sandwiches like the Veggie Vibes topped with fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, and red onions, or the Fresser, which comes with lox on one side and smoked trout (our favorite) on the other.

This Jewish deli has been around in the Richmond since the ’60s, and, at this point, is a Geary Boulevard institution. They sell challah and pastries like rugelach and hamentaschen, but you’re here for their great selection of New York-style bagels that are made fresh daily. We like the everything bagels—the seasoning is on the lighter side, but this bagel is still flavorful.

Starting your morning with a golden-brown bagel from this takeout window in NoPa is always a good idea. The bagels coming out of this (appropriately) salmon-colored spot are evenly coated with seasonings and have a gorgeous crust. Sandwiches are filled with things like smoked ham and sweet pepper butter, or caper schmear with house-cured lox that's silky and translucent. And tubs of schmear have green onions and capers layered across the top, like sprinkles on a cake.

For a quick breakfast spot in Noe Valley, head to Noe Bagel. The old-school spot makes a delicious BEC that’s packed with generous amounts of bacon, and is an ideal way to power up before a day full of meetings that could have been emails. You can also stand in front of the glass case and point at whatever looks good—if you want to stock your freezer with something other than half-opened bags of frozen fruit.

This casual spot in the Sunset has breakfast down to a science. Cases are full of donuts and pastries, but you’re coming here for the bagel sandwiches loaded with vegetables, lox, or sausage, egg, and cheese. The creamy, well-seasoned lox schmear is a standout. And because breakfast is always better when you're wired off excess amounts of caffeine, you'll want to snag one of their extra-strong Vietnamese iced coffees.

Chase Sapphire Card Ad

Suggested Reading

The concha french toast at El Mil Amores

The Best Breakfast Spots In SF

Where to go for an early-morning meal in the city.

Schlok's image
7.9

There are great bagels coming out of Schlok’s, a takeout window in NoPa with especially fantastic house-cured lox.

person wearing blanket drinking out of mug in front of spread of breakfast dishes

Chilaquiles, lemon ricotta pancakes, dim sum, and more.

A rectangular mochi pizza with pepperoni.

The new SF restaurant openings you should know about.

Infatuation Logo

Company

2024 © The Infatuation Inc. All Rights Reserved.

FIND PLACES ON OUR APP

Get it on Google PlayDownload on the App Store