Olympia's 6th Borough Bagels: The 2025 Review

Gas up the Subaru and head down I-5, there's some good bagels waiting for you.

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Credit: Yelp/Babette

Olympia has been the capital of Washington State since its inception. However, it hasn’t kept that title without a fight.

When Washington Territory was formed in 1853, territorial governor Isaac Stevens named Olympia its capital, even though it wouldn’t be incorporated as a town until 1859.

Steilacoom, Port Townsend, and Tacoma were among the fledgling towns that fought for the title over the years, but Olympia held strong.

In the 1860s, there was a push to move the capital to Vancouver, with the Legislature even voting to approve the decision. However, the territorial Supreme Court threw out the bill and Olympia kept its title.

When the city was bypassed by the Northern Pacific Railroad in 1873, it seemed to signal that its time in the sun had ended. However, Olympia residents gathered volunteer labor and contracted Chinese workers to build their own rail connection to ensure it kept pace with the rest of the region.

Washington finally became a state in 1889 and voters got the opportunity to choose an official state capital. Six choices were presented: Olympia, Ellensburgh (which has since lost the “h”), North Yakima (now Yakima), Centralia, Pasco, and Yakima City (now Union Gap). When none of the choices got a majority, a runoff vote was held the following year.

This time, voters chose between Olympia, Ellensburgh, and North Yakima. Things got pretty heated and petty, with North Yakima calling Ellensburgh “cold and frosty” while Ellensburgh accused North Yakima of having an allegiance to railroad interests. A three-story governor’s mansion was preemptively built in Ellensburgh while Olympia spent $4,000 renovating the existing capitol building and hosting a clambake for lobbyists. Olympia eventually received more than two-thirds of the vote (over 37,000) and maintained its status.

As the state grew and some of its cities surpassed Olympia in size and prominence, the battle for state capital-dom raged on. Seattle had its heart on claiming capital status several times. Arthur Denny, one of the city founders, was said to want Seattle to be the capital. J. A. Moore, a real estate developer who purchased the land that would become Capitol Hill, persuaded a King County representative to introduce a bill that would have created a committee to look into moving the capital, though it went nowhere.

A 1901 Morrison & Robinson map of Seattle includes a spot for the proposed State Capitol between Prospect and Helen and 19th and 21st Avenue East.

Olympia survived its many challengers and remains Washington’s capital today. While Seattle, Tacoma, and Portland might get most of the attention, the seat of Thurston County still has a few tricks up its sleeves. And it turns out, one of them might just be bagels.

I returned to Olympia’s 6th Borough Bagels this week for a fresh review. Let’s see if it retained its spot as the No. 1 Washington bagel outside of Seattle and how it stacks up with its neighbor to the north.

And if you want to know how I define a good bagel, you can find that here.

WHAT I ORDERED

• Plain bagel as-is ($2.50)

• Everything bagel with scallion cream cheese ($4.00)

• Pumpernickel bagel as-is ($2.50)

THE EXPERIENCE

It’d been five months since my first visit to 6th Borough Bagels (or is it Sixth Borough Bagels?). While the huge lines from their grand opening have died down, I’ve learned not to take any chances with bagel review-based drives. My trusted producer and I were in the car by 7:20 a.m. and arrived in Olympia a little after 8:00 a.m.

I was initially shocked when I first pulled into the parking lot to see a 6th Borough Bagel storefront with papered windows. For a brief moment, I thought tragedy had struck. But I was very pleased to realize this was actually the retail space next door and they were renovating it as part of an expansion. The added space will increase the size of their kitchen and provide some much-needed seating.

UPON FIRST GLANCE

6thboroughbagels

A post shared by @6thboroughbagels

My first thought on seeing the bagels was that they looked very similar to my first visit, which I took as a good sign. They had a recipe that worked for them and seemed to have stuck with it. There were good colors, good sizes, and good textures all around.

TOP

The plain bagel was a good size and featured a tight, small center. The top was a lovely golden brown and blistery all around. The top was firm to the touch but pressed inward easily. The top also crinkled slightly when pressed.

The everything bagel was also a good size with a small, tight center. The coloring ranged from brown to golden brown beneath the seasoning. The top was soft but slightly crackly to the touch. There was a solid seed hand at work with a healthy ingredient blend, a substantial amount of garlic bits, and a mix of black and white sesame seeds.

BOTTOM

The bottom of the plain bagel was firm and knockable. Dark brown coloring ringed the interior, giving way to a blistery, brown outer ring. It seemed super crispy and crunchy when pressed. There was no Cornmeal Ring of Doom (CRoD) present.

The bottom of the everything was also very firm and knockable. It too seemed like it would be very crunchy. The coloring was very similar and there was also no CRoD. There was no seasoning on the bottom.

INSIDE/BITE

The plain offered a tough rip in a good way. The bite was very crispy thanks to the bottom. Texturally, that was offset by a very light and chewy center. There was a medium rebound after the bite. It offered a nice classic smell and flavor, making for a very tasty bagel without the need for schmears. If I were looking to nitpick I might say the interior could use a little more heft, but the overall experience was still extremely good.

The everything bagel with scallion cream cheese offered an extremely crispy bite that was also tough in a good way. The crunch from the bottom coupled well with the fluffier top. The bagel offered a slight rebound after each bite. The flavor of the everything seasoning not only came through but the seeds stayed put the entire time.

The scallion cream cheese application was solid. Not too little, not too much. The flavor was on point with strong scallion notes and no tang. It tasted “bright.” Even better, the cold schmear stayed put through the entire meal.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I clocked that they had a pumpernickel on the menu and I am legally required to try one whenever I see it. In Seattle, Bagel Oasis boasts the best (and only really good) version I’ve had out here. I would say that 6th Borough’s version probably comes closest to matching them. The rye smell and flavor hit the mark and the bagel itself ate well. Bagel Oasis is still the standard-bearer but this one would be No. 2 overall.

Last time, I said that I thought 6th Borough offered “the Most New York-style bagel out here.” Not only would I double down on that assessment, but I have no qualms saying this is one of the best bagels in Western Washington right now. If it were located in Seattle, I would have it in the Top 3 and might even have it in the Top 2. It’s that good.

Is It Good Enough For The Goys?

Estimates clock between roughly 1,500 and 4,000 Jews living in the Olympia area. That’s not nothing but it means most of 6th Borough’s daily clientele didn’t light the menorah this year (or any year). On one hand, I’m delighted that this will be the baseline thousands of young Olympians will carry with them as the standard by which they measure all other bagels. On the other hand, I’m annoyed knowing how many miles I’ll have to put on the car every time I want to get a fix.

Is It Good Enough For Northeastern Jews?

If you’re a Northeasterner living in Seattle dying for your New York-style bagel fix, it’s time to gas up the Subaru and make the drive to Olympia, preferably early on weekends to avoid traffic. You owe it to yourself to give these bagels and schmears a try. It would be a shanda not to.

OUTSIDE SEATTLE BAGEL RANKINGS (1/6/25)

1. 6th Borough Bagels (Olympia)

2. Atomic Bagels (Port Angeles)

3. The Bagelry (Bellingham)

4. Howdy Bagel (Tacoma)

5. The Cottage Bakery (Edmonds)

6. Briny Bagels (Bainbridge Island)

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

8. Coquette Bake Shop (Bainbridge Island)

9. Caffe Vino Olio (Vashon Island)

10. Rubinstein Bagels (Redmond)

11. Good Bagels Cafe (Anacortes)

12. Mustard Seed Baking Co. (Stanwood)

13. San Francisco Street Bakery (Olympia)

14. Blazing Bagels (Redmond)

15. Otherside Bagel Co. (Bellingham)

16. Whidbey Island Bagel Factory (Mt. Vernon)

17. Woodinville Bagel Bakery (Woodinville)

18. B’s Bagels & Butters (Gig Harbor)

19. Whidbey Island Bagel Factory (Clinton)

20. Big Apple Bagels (Bellevue)

21. Bruchelle’s Bagel Bistro (Covington)

22. Street Coffee & Bagels (Everett)

You can see my full rankings here.

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