Can I find a good Austin bagel at... Rockstar Bagels
Can I find a good Austin bagel at... Rockstar Bagels
They say everything's bigger in Texas. How bout them bagels?
Welcome to It’s A Shanda, one Northeastern Jew’s quest to find a decent bagel in Seattle (and beyond). If you’re interested in taking this journey with me, make sure you subscribe so you never miss a review. If you want to make sure I review any specific bagels (or want to let me know why I’m wrong), you can email me at itsashanda@substack.com.
I live my life by a simple rule: If someone offers to pay for you to go to Texas to interview a golden retriever, you say yes.
Technically, there was a little more to it, but that’s essentially what I did with my weekend. I traveled to Austin on behalf of my day job to watch ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit “work a shift” at a fast-casual restaurant on Friday. If you’re familiar with Herbstreit, you know about Ben, the 11-year-old golden retriever that goes everywhere with him. For all his fame, Kirk is officially second fiddle to his furry companion. One gets the sense that’s fine by him.
Saturday, I had the chance to go behind the scenes at College GameDay on the University of Texas campus, interview some ESPN folks about their “Texas Takeover” coverage, and had some pretty great (and expensive) seats to watch the Texas-Georgia football game that night.
It was quite the whirlwind weekend. By the time Sunday rolled around, I was ready to hop aboard my 10 a.m. flight and head home.
But not before getting a bagel.
Sunday morning was the only free time I had to sample Austin’s wares. The most popular bagel spot in town appeared to be Rosen’s but they didn’t open on Sunday until 8:00 a.m. (a shanda unto itself). Swedish Hill and David Doughie’s also looked somewhat promising but the timing also didn’t work.
One place that was a) open early enough and b) on the way to the airport was Rockstar Bagels. And so it was written.
The rockstar of Rockstar Bagels is Joe Humel, a local drummer who stopped “banging the tubs” in 2009 and started making tubs of cream cheese instead.
“I thought, ‘I’m going to try making bagels. I think that’ll be a lot of fun,’” Humel told EastSide Magazine. After experimenting and trying to perfect the classic New York-style bagel recipe, he eventually found his own version that he was pretty happy with.
“It’s got to have a certain pull. It’s going to be chewy. It’s got to be exhausting to chew,” he said, adding that while he remains in search of the perfect batch, he thinks he makes “a damn good bagel” as it is.
Let’s find out if that’s true…
And if you want to know how I define a good bagel, you can find that here.
WHAT I ORDERED
Plain bagel as-is ($2.00)
Everything bagel with chive cream cheese ($5.00)
THE EXPERIENCE
I needed to be at the airport by 7:30 a.m. so the fact that Rockstar opened at 6:30 a.m. was clutch. My Uber dropped me off, suitcase and all, around 6:45 a.m. and I was actually the second person in line despite it still being dark out. Good sign.
Also a good sign? The random menorah in a window near the entrance.
Like Westman’s in Seattle, Rockstar is walk-up only. I rolled up to the window and placed my usual order, choosing the chive schmear to replace the scallion. They seemed to have quite a collection of cream cheeses to choose from, while the bagel flavors were more traditional.
After waiting a few minutes, I heard the guy at the window say “Mr. Sean, your time to shine has arrived.” With that, he handed me a bag and I heard him playfully berate an employee about his tardiness. I get the sense Rockstar is a fun place to work.
I had no time to spare so I hailed another Uber and made my way to the airport. Thinking that TSA might want to confiscate my bagels for one reason or another, I found a seating area and did a makeshift review. The things I do for my readers…
UPON FIRST GLANCE
Sometimes you can look at a bagel and just know it’s gonna be good And you can definitely look at a bagel and know it’s gonna be terrible. But there’s a middle ground where the bagel could go either way. It’s usually because a lot of the traditional details are muted (lighter color, slight textural features, few blisters). I’ve had bagels in this realm that were nightmares and ones that ended up being solid. These bagels truly looked like they could go either way.
TOP
The plain bagel was a good size with a massive center. It featured a light golden brown coloring and was firm to the touch with slight crinkles. The bagel had a uniform feel with lots of little texture points and crackle lines running across the top.
The everything bagel was also a good size, perhaps slightly larger than the average. Soft to the touch on top, it featured a medium-sized center. The coloring was a light golden brown to beige. There was a medium sand hand at work and the mix looked sesame-heavy. The chive schmear application was the most substantial of any bagel I think I’ve ever gotten for a review. It was practically billowing out the center and sides.
BOTTOM
The bottom of the plain bagel was firm and crisp to the touch. Little crinkles would erupt when I pressed down slightly. There was some noticeable cornmeal but nothing that rose to the level of a Cornmeal Ring of Doom (CRoD).
The bottom of the everything bagel was firm and somewhat knockable. There wasn’t much in the way of seasoning. The coloring was a light golden brown in spots and light golden brown in others. There was also some cornmeal but not a CRoD.
INSIDE/BITE
The plain bagel offered a soft rip and had a good feel. The chew was soft and doughy with a little bit of crinkliness. There was also a strong rebound after the bite due to a pillowy but not dense interior. There was a little bit of sourdough flavor but it was mellow and smooth. Sometimes that flavor can be distracting or offputting but not here. The bagel chewed well, giving me a little workout but not in a harsh way.
We can’t talk about the everything bagel with chive cream cheese without talking about that schmear application. As noted, it was extensive, like a cream cheese sandwich. As expected, it went everywhere on the first bite. I’m pretty sure at least 50% of the schmear oozed out onto the wrapper within two bites. However, once that happened, the ratios evened out and made for a really enjoyable bite.
The schmear tasted good and didn’t have that tang that comes with cheap cream cheese. The green tinge meant the chives were mixed in, but there were also plenty of chive chunks as well. Usually, you see one or the other, but this style ensured both flavor and texture. I was picking chive bits out of my teeth afterward, which probably sounds gross to you but I found it to be a good sign.
The everything seasoning didn’t stand a chance, especially as I didn’t notice any salt (AS GOD INTENDED) in the mix. I did note a slight crunch on the bite, which made sure the overall eating experience provided a good mix of flavor and texture.
Afterward, I was left with enough cream cheese to feed a family of four. Thankfully, I still had some plain bagel and ended up dipping it.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Gotta say, these were solid bagels. I’m not ready to make any kind of judgment about the Austin bagel scene. But when it comes to Rockstar Bagels, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them to someone if asked.
There are certainly some nits that I can pick. I’d love to see the schmear experience be more balanced. The quality of the flavor means there’s no need to overcompensate on quantity. Also, I think another 30 seconds in the oven might have taken these bagels to another level. Still, I’ve certainly had way worse and would absolutely go back here next time I’m in town to write about a dog.
Is It Good Enough For The Goys?
I don’t know if they’re doing a good job keeping Austin weird, but it seems like they’re doing solid work keeping Austin well-fed. I didn’t know which way this review was gonna go, and I was certainly ready to be disappointed. But I have to tip my yarmulke and I hope the other Austin bagel shops are keeping pace.
Is It Good Enough For Northeastern Jews?
It’ll scratch the itch for sure. If you find yourself in town for a Texas game, F1 race, or otherwise, it’s worth a stop. Just be prepared to find something to do with all that extra cream cheese.
You can find my full bagel rankings here.
Want to recommend another Austin bagel spot for people to check out? Shout it out in the comments below. And if you have any bagel shop recommendations from around the country, let me know. I’ll put them on my list in case I find myself there.
Thanks for actually reading this far. If you enjoyed my Seattle bagel review and want to read more of them, make sure you’re subscribed to It’s A Shanda. Know someone in the Greater Seattle Area (or beyond) who would appreciate way-too-detailed reviews of local bagels? Forward the link their way.
Wait, were you there for the F1 race? Because this will reveal a whole new side of you.