Second Schmears: Revisiting Loxsmith Bagels (Beacon Hill)
Second Schmears: Revisiting Loxsmith Bagels (Beacon Hill)
Beacon Hill is now Bagel Hill, but have the high expectations been met?
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 ensure I review any specific bagels (or want to let me know why I’m wrong), you can email me at seanmatthewkeeley@gmail.com.
When I originally reviewed Loxsmith last September, it was the first time on this journey that one of the “Best Bagels in Seattle” actually lived up to the hype. It gave me hope that, in the midst of an Mt. Bagel-less future (which has since been rectified), there were still good bagels to be found in Seattle.
In the months since, some bagels have surpassed them in my Seattle rankings, but not many.
At the time, I tried to wrap my head around how Loxsmith seemed to constantly be bouncing around Seattle from pop-up to temporary home to shared kitchen back to a pop-up while lesser bagels were able to settle down all around town. So many previously announced plans for a home base had failed to materialize that the news of an impending Beacon Hill location would need to be seen to be believed.
This time, however, the plans stuck and doors have officially opened on Loxsmith’s new location around the corner from the Beacon Hill light rail station (they’re also still posting up in West Seattle). After a soft opening last week saw lines out the door and sellouts way before the 2 p.m. closing time, I knew I was going to have to act fast to see if this bagel-meister was still living up to the hype.
“I don’t want to come across as a hater,” owner Matthew Segal told Capitol Hill Seattle in 2018. “But I do like to at least acknowledge the fact that nobody is doing what I’m doing, so that’s why I’m doing it.”
Let’s find out if they’re still doing what they’re doing in their new home.
And if you want to know how I define a good bagel, you can find that here.
WHAT I ORDERED
Everything bagel with scallion cream cheese.
Plain bagel as-is.
Za'atar bagel as-is.
Just like with my previous Second Schmears review, I’m going to break from the usual setup and instead provide a comparative study between visits.
Showing up for the 9:00 a.m. opening on a Thursday, I was impressed to see a line forming outside. By the time doors opened, there were about 15 of us waiting, which is no small thing for a mid-week bagel and a testament to Loxsmith’s reputation.
Inside, the spartan space is still in the midst of being furnished, but that’s part of the soft-opening charm. There’s also a really pleasant “we just opened and we’re really excited” vibe inside. Coupled with the lowkey “today’s specials written out on a piece of paper” aesthetic, it really made me want to root for Loxsmith. Given the interest I saw in person and have seen online, I’m not too worried.
Last time, I had a bit of a kvetch about the prices, which were astronomical in bagel terms. Those prices have either stayed the same or slightly increased (a dozen bagels went from $26 to $29+). That’s officially more than double what my favorite New Jersey bagel place charges for a dozen to this day. *shakes fist at sky*
Still, the bagel quality delivered on its promise last time, so I was willing to let that slide.
After getting home, I definitely noticed something that seemed different about the bagels, especially the plain. The sleek uniformity of the top lacked a sheen as well as the good imperfections that marked the previous version.
Last time I said that “The bagel actually has some crispiness, but there’s no crunch.” This time, I wouldn’t even say the top had crispness. There was a slight crackle on touch, which I found a bit strange, and a wisp of crunch on the bite, but not much. The golden brown color was what I’d expected to see, at least. The bottom was fairly soft.
Just like last time, the bagel smelled like a bagel, which isn’t always a given. Despite that, I wouldn’t say I got a strong bagel “taste” when eating it.
The interior of the bagel was light but not too fluffy. When I bit into it, the lack of texture and toughness on the outside caused the entire bagel to collapse in my mouth. I would say that it felt at times more like I was eating a roll than a bagel.
As for the everything bagel, I noted the same golden brown color and a slight crackle on the top. The seeding was solid but stronger on the bottom than on the top. The bottom was soft and lacking in crispness as well.
The scallion cream cheese was very different this time around. Whereas last time it was a classic-looking cream cheese full of scallion bits, this green-tinged version appeared to be infused with scallion and promised a flavor explosion.
And yet, somehow, the cream cheese was exceedingly flavorless, just as it was last time.
Just as with the plain bagel, the lack of strong texture on the exterior meant that the entire thing collapsed around the soft interior and swath of cream cheese on the bite. In spite of the everything seeds, infused cream cheese, and the bagel itself, I could not discern any flavor.
I had gotten a Za'atar bagel as a bonus because I’m a big fan. I was glad because that bagel happened to offer a little bit more crunch than the other two. There also seemed to be a little more heft to the bagel, perhaps because of a longer cook. Still, in spite of the strong flavor, it still lacked the mouthfeel I’m looking for in a bagel.
WHAT I SAID LAST TIME
“If we’re just talking bagel bona fides, I have to admit that Loxsmith is the first bagel I’ve had on this journey that I would consider getting again. I felt like the crisp exterior, enjoyable dense interior, and strong cream cheese application helped me to understand why Loxsmith perseveres and maintains such a strong reputation in the Seattle bagel community.”
WHAT I THOUGHT THIS TIME
I’m gonna level with you. I feel terrible about this. I am personally rooting for Loxsmith and I’m really glad to see a bagel desert like Beacon Hill get a dependable spot. I think they’ve built up a lot of goodwill and justified hype over the years that will see them through. And this is literally the second week they’ve been open, so there’s still plenty of time for things to come together.
But on this particular trip, with these particular bagels, I came away extremely disappointed. I’m not sure what to make of the drop-off in quality from my previous Loxsmith experience. I don’t know if it’s an ingredient shift or adjusting to a new oven, but whatever changed, I hope they change it back, especially given the prices.
MY SEATTLE BAGEL RANKINGS SO FAR
I’ve been thinking for a while that I needed to revisit the rankings of Oxbow, Old Salt, and Loxsmith, all of which exist in my “pretty good bagels” zone. I’ve been to Old Salt and Oxbow a few more times since that review and dare I say that both have improved in certain ways. Loxsmith, however, appears to have taken a step back. Taking into account that a third tie-breaking visit is in order and their overall reputation remains solid, I’m only going to drop Loxsmith one spot behind Old Salt for now.
OUTSIDE SEATTLE BAGEL RANKINGS
The Bagelry (Bellingham)
Howdy Bagel (Tacoma)
Whidbey Island Bagel Factory (Mt. Vernon, Whidbey Island)
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From the photos, it looks like possibly a bigger drop than 1 spot.
Loving these various second schmears cuz every place has a bad day (Bagel Oasis included). Also, quite a surprise to see how it got MORE expensive AND a little worse. Kinda seeing a pattern here, esp after your recent revisit and homecoming for Mt. Bagel.