If you’ve ever read my articles, you may be thinking, Another article about bagels? Can’t this girl talk about anything else? Clearly, the answer is “No.”
Trust me; I really considered taking a break from bagel-related topics. In fact, my motivation for trying new restaurants this month was centered around finding a new non-bagel spot that I liked enough to write about. And I was successful. I went to some fantastic new restaurants that I am so excited to recommend. Still, I cannot with good conscience deprive the loyal – and, might I add, lovely – Spoon readers of the absolute best bagel in Atlanta for one more second.
During my freshman year, I had a lot more free time on my hands because of remote learning and the lack of social gatherings. So, I did what any 19 year old in that position would do: I traveled far and wide around the Atlanta area for the very best food. As a result, I tried a considerable number of local bagel shops, and more often than not, I was painfully disappointed.
Now don’t get me wrong, I have, and always will be, a fan of the bagels at B-Side Cafe. They have delicious, hand-rolled, Montreal-style, wood-fired bagels and a quintessential aesthetic cafe with delicious Instagram-worthy – and accordingly priced – coffee. However, what I have been searching for over the past year and a half is a bagel shop that looks, and more importantly, tastes like the ones I have at home in New York. A place that takes pride in its lack of glitz and glamour, preferably with lines out the door, and gains extra points for having Jewish staples like babka, Dr. Brown’s Cream Soda, and matzo ball soup. While there’s absolutely a time and a place to be a coffee snob, my ideal bagel shop would have no frills when it comes to its coffee, specifically iced coffee. What matters most to me is that it’s inexpensive and full of caffeine, making it the perfect accompaniment to my toasted everything bagel with cream cheese and tomato.
However, after endless searching, I officially gave up and accepted the fact that my ideal bagel spot did not exist in the South, and believe it or not, my life continued. But one day, my suitemate from Oklahoma alerted me that there was a delicious bagel spot just ten minutes from campus. At first, being the bagel snob that I am, I was doubtful; I had just spent the last several months getting my hopes up about the prospects of good bagels in Atlanta only to feel disappointed again. But the optimist in me was motivated to give this so-called “delicious bagel spot” a try, and boy am I glad I did.
Brooklyn Bagel Bakery & Deli
You can probably see where this is going: Brooklyn Bagel Bakery & Deli is exactly the bagel shop of my dreams. Made fresh daily, their bagels are crunchy on the outside and doughy on the inside, just the way I like it, and clearly just the way the locals like it too. During each of the seven times I’ve been back in the last two weeks, I’ve never seen it without a line; one of the best indicators that a food establishment is doing something right (don’t worry – the line moves fast). Brooklyn Bagel embraces the no-frills ambiance that I love, allows customers to make their coffee how they choose with a self-service bar (extra points!), and has all the Jewish goodies I could want from ruggelach to latkes. Brooklyn Bagel Bakery & Deli officially has my vote for the best bagels in Atlanta.
If you live in Atlanta, please do yourself a favor – try out this bagel shop and confirm for yourself that great bagels do, in fact, exist in the South. When you’re there, keep your eyes open for a blonde 5’5 girl who is likely wearing an Emory sweatshirt because there’s a solid chance I’ll be there with a bagel in one hand, coffee in the other, and a big smile on my face. I would love to meet you and gush about all things food, and of course, bagels.