People have thoughts about bagels. Some argue that nothing compares to a New York-style boiled bagel, which tends to be larger and chewier. Others are all for Montreal’s take, which is denser and wood-fired. Whether you like yours sliced horizontally or vertically, plain or covered in everything seasoning, you’ve got options. Here’s the dish on four new bagel delis coming soon to a neighborhood near you, plus eight veteran shops that remain open and ready to feed those carb cravings (along with the neverending debate over who’s the most legit).
PopUp Bagels
Adding to Ballston’s impending bagel boom, this Connecticut-born eatery (and New York City sensation) is known for its “rip and dip” approach, whereby customers are given a whole bagel with a cup of cream cheese for dunking. PopUp prides itself on making only five bagel flavors and making them well. That means you can tear into a plain, everything, poppy seed, salt or sesame bagel and use the pieces to mop up your choice of plain or scallion cream cheese or salted butter. There are weekly schmear specials, too, in flavors such as cake batter cream cheese. 4300 Wilson Blvd., Arlington (Ballston)
Bagel Uprising
The name refers to owner Chad Breckinridge’s epic search for a bagel that met his standards. Dismayed by the options, he started making boil-and-baked small-batch bagels himself in 2015 and sold them at the Four Mile Run Farmers & Artisans Market before opening a brick-and-mortar shop in Del Ray in 2019. Now, he’s preparing to open a second storefront in Ballston with an expanded menu. The house-made eats include onion, garlic, salt and sesame bagels, and signature cream cheeses in flavors like “Hot” Cocoa and Green Goddess. “This isn’t a chain store,” Breckinridge says. “It’s a second shop aimed at becoming part of the Ballston community, just as we have in Del Ray.” Note that the new spot will be at the corner of Fairfax Drive and North Vermont Street, adjacent to the planned location for a new entrance for the Ballston Metro. 901 N. Glebe Road, Arlington (Ballston), and 2307 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria (Del Ray)
Buffalo & Bergen
As we noted last year, chef Gina Chersevani is (still) working on opening her fourth location of this soda counter-meets-deli-meets-cocktail-bar. Inspired by a Brooklyn soda shop at the intersection of Buffalo Avenue and Bergen Street, the D.C.-based concept is known for its New York water bagels, brisket Reubens, knishes and other comfort foods, plus an ingenious roster of classic and creative cocktails. 1028 N. Garfield St., Arlington (Clarendon)
Call Your Mother
It’s not just good advice, but the name of a beloved and growing “Jew-ish” deli in the DMV. Call Your Mother is prepping to bring its bagels to Ballston, possibly as early as this summer, along with other carb-y faves like potato latkes, babka muffins and black-and-white cookies. Why Arlington? “We get a lot of messages from customers about where they want us to open, and Arlington has been the No. 1 request,” says Andrew Dana, who owns the chainlet with his wife, Daniela Moreira. (They already have a kiosk in National Landing’s Water Park and a storefront in McLean’s Chesterbrook Shopping Center.) 6232 Old Dominion Drive, McLean; 1671 Crystal Drive, Arlington (National Landing); and 4000 Wilson Blvd., Arlington (Ballston)
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Bethesda Bagels
“We still use the same process and recipe from when we opened the doors in 1982,” says Noah Fleishman, vice president of Bethesda Bagels. “All of our bagels are hand rolled on site, boiled, then baked in the old-world way.” The first storefront was in Bethesda (hence the name), but today there are six DMV locations, including one in Rosslyn, selling 30-plus flavors, including specialty varieties like Maryland (think crab in a bagel) and cinnamon chip. Plus, you can find mini bagels and “flagels”—flat versions of the minis that have the same surface area as the regulars. 1851 N. Moore St., Arlington (Rosslyn)
Brooklyn Bagel Bakery
The owners of this enterprise—natives of Jersey and Morocco—set out to bring a “real bagel shop” to Northern Virginia when they opened this Courthouse eatery in 2000. According to the website, the difference between bagels here and elsewhere is the prep. Brooklyn Bagel kettle-boils its bagels to produce a crispy outside and chewy inside. Sample flavors like asiago cheese, chocolate chip and sunflower. 2055 Wilson Blvd., Arlington (Courthouse)
Celebrity Delly
Whether you’re looking for a basic bagel with cream cheese, or a party platter with the works, this 50-year-old Falls Church deli has you covered. “For more than 15 years, we have carried Bethesda Bagels’ raw product and we bake them in-house ourselves,” says co-owner and general manager William Thompson. “Fun fact: Did you know you can build your own bagel sandwich? However you want it, and with whichever toppings you’d like on it?” The options include schmears, lox, house-made corned beef, egg salad, or any combo you can dream up from the deli’s extensive menu. 7263 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church
Chesapeake Bagel Bakery
Once a national chain, Chesapeake Bagel Bakery lives on today through the independently owned and franchised locations that are still ticking, including a shop in McLean. Pop in for freshly baked bagels in fun flavors such as cranberry, sourdough and sun-dried tomato. Order a dozen for takeout or grab a sammie with your choice of spred or deli meat. 6815 Old Dominion Drive, McLean
Chewish Deli
Making bagels started as a hobby for Gregg Linzey in 2018. Two years later, he launched a food truck and a brick-and-mortar spot. Today, his Alexandria storefront is a popular place to get hand-rolled, New York-style bagels in flavors such as asiago, cinnamon and sugar, and plain ol’ plain. 807 Pendleton St., Alexandria
Chutzpah Deli
Fairfax might feel to Arlingtonians like the other side of the world, but if you’re willing to take I-66 west a bit, you’ll find Eric Roller’s authentic New York deli tucked in the corner of a strip mall. Named after the Yiddish word meaning “extreme confidence” and with a menu long enough to make the Cheesecake Factory jealous, the kitchen dishes out all the traditional bagel options. Think cinnamon raisin, pumpernickel, onion and plain. 12214 Fairfax Town Center, Fairfax
Little City Bagels
The bakers behind this hometown enterprise hand-roll each bagel from scratch using only four ingredients, refrigerate the dough for 24 hours, and then boil and bake the bagels in small batches. Get yours on Saturdays, 8 a.m.-noon, at the Falls Church Farmers Market. (You can preorder them for pick up if you’d like.) Flavors include the usual suspects, plus a weekly special, such as apple pie or chocolate chip. 300 Park Ave., Falls Church
Tysons Bagel Market
This bagel bakery near Tysons Corner Center has been serving its namesake carb since 1994. Although it has changed hands several times, it remains a reliable spot for bagels in a wide array of flavors. Treat your sweet tooth with a chocolate chip one, or go traditional with poppy, sesame or salt. 8137 Leesburg Pike, Tysons