Bagels are like pizza, loved by all and even the bad ones are pretty damn good. Here in Boston though a great bagel isn’t all that easy to come by, which led me to my stomach stretching quest to find the best bagels Boston has to offer. I’m talking fluffy on the inside and crunchy on the outside, not your average supermarket variety given out after high school cross-country races. My hunt for the best bagels in the Bean took me everywhere from Pavement Coffeehouse to Finagle a Bagel, but in the end two spots stole the show:
Kupel’s is the most talked about bagel shop in the Boston area – strike up a conversation with a Bostonian about bagels and they’re bound to bring up Kupel’s within the first 15 seconds. This comes as no surprise considering they’ve been raking in the awards and titles for years. If you head over to Kupel’s on a Sunday you’ll encounter a line that spills out the door far past noon. Inside, behold every type of bagel you’ve ever fantasized about, oh yeah, they even have a variety of whole-wheat bagels for those of you looking for a “healthy” option. Let me tell you, these babies don’t disappoint, they’ve got the crunch and they’ve got the airy interior, the only trouble is deciding which one to try.
Hand shaped, boiled and baked; these words should sound like music to any bagel lover’s ears, fortunately they are doing all three at the newest bagel shop in town. Bagelsaurus opened less than two months ago after their wildly popular bagel pop-up in Cutty’s. The popularity didn’t end there, on weekends you have to hustle to get a bagel as they often go “extinct” by noon.
Photo by Sarah Silbiger
I had the instant feeling THIS would be the place I would meet the bagel of my dreams, and boy, was I right. I visited Bagelsaurus on a quiet Tuesday morning (tip: go on a weekday to avoid massive lines) and was welcomed in by wafting scents of fresh bagels. I opted for an everything bagel with plain cream cheese despite their wide range of flavored spreads and funky bagels, think pretzel bagel with honey rosemary cream cheese. After my first bite I knew my hunt for the perfect Boston bagel had come to a close, nothing could beat the perfect crunch and chewy inside that Bagelsaurus delivered.
Photo by Sarah Silbiger
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