5 of the Best Bagel Shops in the DMV (2024)

New Year’s resolutions be damned: Sometimes you need to start your morning off with a chewy, carb-y bagel topped with an impossibly thick layer of cream cheese. We’ve compiled a list of five of our favorite DMV-area bagel spots to help fill the bagel-shaped hole in your life.

Pearl’s Bagels

It’s easy to get why Pearl’s is a local favorite: their hand-rolled bagels are made using local ingredients and a house-maintained sourdough starter named Joe. The spot was opened a few years ago in Shaw by a couple both originally from the Northeast who saw a need for a quality bagel joint in the neighborhood. They’ve more than filled that gap with their killer bagel sandwiches and spreads. Open 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. 1017 7th St. NW, DC; pearlsbagels.com // @pearlsbagels

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Brooklyn Bagel Bakery

Since 2000, this family-owned spot has been a staple of the Arlington community. It was opened by a couple who trained with New York- and New Jersey-based chefs and bakers to develop their recipe for perfectly chewy bagels. Their kettle-boiled bagels are available in over a dozen flavors, including savory options like jalapeño cheddar, onion and everything, and sweeter styles like blueberry, chocolate chip and French toast. Just like a real New York bagel shop, they offer nova lox, whitefish salad and plenty of different cream cheese options, both as toppings on your bagel and by the pound. Open 6:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. Monday through Friday and 7 a.m. – 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. 2055 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA; brooklynbagelva.com // @brooklynbagelva

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Call Your Mother

This “Jew-ish” deli has several locations around town, including Park View, Capitol Hill, Georgetown and on a brightly colored, customized trolley in Bethesda, Maryland. Their high quality bagels are a standout on a menu full of killer takes on classic breakfast and lunch options, with plenty of signature bagel sandwiches and house-made schmears. Their bagels have a few interesting topping options in addition to the typical sesame and everything options, including maple salt and pepper and Za’atar. Open 7 a.m. – 4 p.m. Various locations; callyourmotherdeli.com // @callyourmotherdeli

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Bagel Uprising

In addition to typical (delicious, well-made) bagel flavors like onion, everything and garlic, Bagel Uprising offers one of our favorite bagel-adjacent creations daily after 11a.m.: a pizza bagel. Pizza bagels are bagels sliced in half and topped with sauce, cheese and pepperoni, and are one of the most perfect foods in the world. This is your sign to go get one as soon as possible. Open 7 a.m. – 2 p.m. Wednesday through Monday. 2307A Mt Vernon Ave., Alexandria, VA; bagel-uprising.square.site // @bageluprising

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Bagels Etc.

This is one of those hidden neighborhood gems you might (incorrectly) ignore for years, walking by a tiny hole-in-the-wall joint that’s actually an old school, no-nonsense banger. You’ll be a lifetime fan after just one visit to this unassuming spot, which features a slew of surprisingly affordable bagel sandwiches, schmears and, yes, pizza bagels. Leave the debit card at home, because this spot is cash only, friends. Open 6 a.m. – 4 p.m. 2122 P St. NW, DC.

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