The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not reflect the views of Spoon University.
It’s the quintessential breakfast food. Bagels are endlessly versatile: savory, sweet, with schmear, piled high with toppings or enjoyed plain. This past year, the Evanston bagel scene has more than doubled. Whether you want to sit down and do work alongside a toasted bagel, or grab a bagel to-go, there is no shortage of options for students and locals alike.
I took the liberty of creating a comprehensive list of Evanston’s best bagel shops.
Lefty’s Righteous Bagels
Located at 827 Chicago Ave., Lefty’s Righteous Bagels is a cozy spot serving up Montreal-style wood fired bagels that opened up earlier this summer. With inventive flavors such as giardiniera, rosemary pink salt and a rotating seasonal flavor — Lefty’s bagels are irresistibly crisp on the outside, chewy on the interior and ever so slightly smoky. The bagels are baked fresh in the store’s wood oven, with the entire baking process visible behind glass windows. Owner Brad Nadborne’s hospitality is impeccable, as is the shop’s coffee by Chicago’s Magnifico Coffee Roasters. For a spicy yet tangy bagel experience, try the giardiniera bagel with lemon dill cream cheese. The cacio e pepe cream cheese is also to die for.
Mensch’s Deli
After Mensch’s pop ups last year at Picnic, the hype surrounding Mensch’s Deli and its traditional Jewish bagels was certainly justified. Their brick-and-mortar location opened this summer at 1608 Chicago Ave. Mensch’s shines in its open-faced sandwiches, with toppings from Acme nova lox and whitefish salad, to “a perfectly seasoned tomato,” as described by its menu. The bagels themselves are imported from Lincolnwood’s New York Bagel and Bialy, and are the epitome of what one would imagine a delicious New York bagel to be. For a good, hearty breakfast, my recommendation is The Fixins (lox, onions, capers, tomato and scallion cream cheese) on an everything bagel.
Bagel Art Cafe
Bagel Art Cafe is a traditional New York-style bagel shop, located at 615 Dempster St. The cafe has a cozy and inviting atmosphere, perfect for a long study session. Bagel Art Cafe’s fluffy bagels are baked fresh in-house and topped with thick and creamy shmear. The shop offers a wide range of breakfast and lunch sandwiches, with a series of egg, lox and deli meat options. For a filling breakfast, get the Green Eggs n’ Bacon (plain cream cheese, bacon, egg and avocado).