Can I find a good Everett bagel at... Street Coffee & Bagels

If you want to find a bagel in Everett, look for the Chevron logo.

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.

“The Pittsburgh of the West.”

That was what lumberman Henry Hewitt, Jr. and railroad executive Charles L. Colby had when they envisioned a city in Port Gardner Bay in the late 19th century.

When they eventually started purchasing land in the region, they decided to name their would-be city after something unrelated to the location or geography to avoid attracting attention from speculators. Hewitt had “expressed amusement at the prodigious appetite of Colby's 15-year-old son Everett,” and the city’s name was born.

Everett the man had an impressive political career, serving as a State Assemblyman and State Senator in New Jersey in the early 20th century. He also worked in Herbert Hoover's Food Administration during World War I and later served as a major in the Tank Corps. By all accounts, he had no connection with the Western Washington city beyond the fact that it bears his name.

Everett the city has persevered in the century since, remaking itself several times to survive. For many Seattlites, the Boeing town is a stopover on the way to Bellingham, Mt. Baker, or Canada. It’s not exactly a destination, especially regarding food (though Upper Left Beer Fest sounds fun).

You’d probably never think of the City of Smokestacks, as it was known in its early days, as a place to grab a sesame bagel and cream cheese. However, it’s possible. You just need to know where to look.

Today, let’s look at Street Coffee & Bagels to find out if The Pittsburgh of the West has a little bit of Philly in it, too.

WHAT I ORDERED

• Plain bagel as-is ($3.10)

• Everything bagel with cream cheese ($4.05)

THE EXPERIENCE

I had a pretty good sense of what I was getting myself into with Street Coffee & Bagels and that was before I turned off Everett Mall Way and saw it was connected to a Chevron gas station.

I stopped by in the early afternoon on a Saturday and there were a handful of cars in front of me for the drive-thru. While they did have a walk-up window, I felt like driving up to get my bagels would be the more “authentic” experience. I am nothing if not a gas station bagel purist.

While I was waiting, a car pulled up behind me driven by a young guy with his friend in the passenger seat. I watched as they started playfully punching one another in the arms, perhaps just to feel something. I took it as a bad omen.

UPON FIRST GLANCE

As I said, I was sure I knew what I was getting into here, and those suspicions were confirmed as soon as I got my bagels. Since I asked for my plain as-is, I was handed a cold, pre-sliced wholesale bagel fresh out of the plastic bag. And while the everything came toasted, I was immediately aware of its factory-ness. It came with the only cream cheese option available. I found myself wishing a high schooler would punch me in the arm, too.

TOP

The plain bagel was on the larger size with a medium-large center. It came pre-sliced. The top was glossy and a light golden brown color. There were lots of lines and texture points visible but it was completely soft to the touch.

The everything bagel, which was also large and featured a larger center, was toasted and sliced. The coloring was a light golden brown. The bagel featured a weak seed hand that was mostly poppy seed. The top was very soft to the touch. I could see some blistering but there was no crispness or texture.

BOTTOM

The bottom of the plain bagel was very soft and lacked any crispness. It felt very rubbery as well. The coloring was a buttery brown to beige depending on the spot. There was no Cornmeal Ring of Doom (CRoD).

The bottom of the everything bagel was extremely soft and pushed in easily to the touch. There was blistering present but no crispness or texture. The coloring was golden to light golden brown. No CRoD.

INSIDE/BITE

The plain bagel offered a very dry rip. The bready, dry interior made the bagel almost impossible to eat without some kind of schmear or topping. Biting into it, I immediately flashed back to the bagels I might get at the continental breakfast at a Holiday Inn Express. There was no real texture or flavor to speak of. This was simply starch in circular form.

The everything with cream cheese was somewhat flat, perhaps because of the toasting or warming process. Admittedly, it was edible, thanks to that toasting. The bite was doughy, lacking any crispness or crunch. There was no rebound on the bite either. The schmear, which was scant, tasted cheap and tangy. There was no flavor from the everything seasonings.

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FINAL THOUGHTS

This experience reminded me a lot of Kelly Cannoli, a drive-thru serving factory bagels. At least here they’re not trying to trick you into thinking they’re “NY bagels.” You know what you’re getting at Street Coffee & Bagels. They’re here for a little carbo-boost on your way to work and that’s about it.

Is It Good Enough For The Goys?

Given his “prodigious appetite,” I imagine 15-year-old son Everett would have been fine with the bagels that now exist in his namesake city. It sounds like it does the job for plenty of modern-day locals as well. Fingers crossed some intrepid baker decides to help elevate the bagel game around Everett soon.

Is It Good Enough For Northeastern Jews?

OUTSIDE SEATTLE BAGEL RANKINGS (8/20/24)

1. 6th Borough Bagels (Olympia)

2. The Bagelry (Bellingham)

3. Howdy Bagel (Tacoma)

4. The Cottage Bakery (Edmonds)

5. Shawn’s Cafe & Bakery (Mercer Island)

6. Coquette Bake Shop (Bainbridge Island)

7. Caffe Vino Olio (Vashon Island)

8. Rubinstein Bagels (Redmond)

9. Good Bagels Cafe (Anacortes)

10. Mustard Seed Baking Co. (Stanwood)

11. San Francisco Street Bakery (Olympia)

12. Blazing Bagels (Redmond)

13. Otherside Bagel Co. (Bellingham)

14. Whidbey Island Bagel Factory (Mt. Vernon)

15. Woodinville Bagel Bakery (Woodinville)

16. B’s Bagels & Butters (Gig Harbor)

17. Whidbey Island Bagel Factory (Clinton)

18. Big Apple Bagels (Bellevue)

19. Bruchelle’s Bagel Bistro (Covington)

20. Street Coffee & Bagels (Everett)

You can see my full rankings here.

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