Can I find a good Seattle bagel at... Golden Wheat Bakery
A Central District bakery making bagels, challah, and rugelach??
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At this point, I don’t expect to find too many already-established Seattle places making their own bagels that I don’t already know about. Usually, when I come across a bakery or cafe selling bagels not heretofore reviewed, I’m able to tell that they’re getting them wholesale from Blazing Bagels, Backyard Bagel, Macrina, or one of the retail brands around town.
So when I noticed Golden Wheat Bakery had bagels in its display case, I presumed it was something like that. However, as far I can tell they might just be the last bagel-making proprietor standing. By all accounts, if they sell something in their storefront, they make it themselves.
The Central District shop opened in 2013 and owner Angel Rocha quickly set out to provide the community with a true neighborhood bakery.
“Though the Central District has historically been home to an assortment of ethnic eateries, don’t pigeonhole this place,” said The Seattle Globalist in 2013. “Rocha is keen on selling himself as a talented baker, period. Not a Mexican baker. He’s mastered everything from rugelach to biscotti to wedding cakes. In a few weeks, French quiches will be sharing a pastry case with Spanish empanadas.”
Even now, while Rocha’s Jalisco, Mexico roots shine through, you’ll find a wide variety of breads, pastries, cookies, biscotti, empanadas, tamales, bagels, and even challah. Though, according to The Intentionalist, his favorite thing to make is fruit danishes.
“When you work for someone else you have to do it like he does, but when you work for yourself – you can do what you want,” Rocha said.
There are so many great things to try, but today we’re here to eat some bagels. Let’s find out how they stack up with the rest of Seattle.
And if you want to know how I define a good bagel, you can find that here.
WHAT I ORDERED
Plain bagel as-is
Sesame bagel with plain cream cheese
Bear-shaped sugar cookie
THE EXPERIENCE
As soon as I walked up, I knew I was going to like Golden Wheat. The unassuming cafe is nestled in the middle of a residential area on Cherry Street, making it an ideal neighborhood bakery location. The snug shop was already welcoming and that was before the lovely staff greeted me. The were so many different kinds of baked goods to admire but I spied some bagels in the corner. I noted plains and a lone sesame, so I worked with what I had.
While I was waiting, I couldn’t help but notice the giant alligator bread display, as well as the turtle-shaped bread sculpture. There was a clear appreciation of craft here but also plenty of whimsy and fun.
I was a huge fan of the older woman who periodically emerged from the kitchen to assess the dining area and zero in on things she wasn’t happy with. She did several laps around the tight space to determine if tables needed cleaning or if something needed to be moved, at which point she’d get one of the guys from the back to move said item. You better believe I made sure to clean up all my crumbs…
UPON FIRST GLANCE
I could tell right away the bagels had some strong blistering going on. And it seemed like the coloring was really on point. At the time I still wasn’t sure if these were in-house bagels or wholesale bagels (I was thinking at the time they looked like Macrina) but I was intrigued.
I wasn’t able to tell if they had other flavors besides plain and sesame. Plain cream cheese was the only schmear option as far as I could tell.
TOP
The plain bagel was a good size and featured a small center. The coloring was a beautiful golden brown and the top was absolutely covered in blisters. The bagel was oblong with one side larger than the other. The top was very soft to the touch and pushed inward easily. The exterior crinkled a little bit when pressed.
The sesame bagel was also a good size and featured a very tight center. The coloring was light to golden brown depending on the region. There was a strong seed hand at work. It appeared that some sesame seeds were toasted (the bagel itself was warmed/toasted). The top was soft but crinkly to the touch.
BOTTOM
The bottom of the plain bagel was firm but soft. There was a vague presence of cornmeal but no Cornmeal Ring of Doom. The bottom pushed in easily just like the top.
For reasons that escaped me, I didn’t take any photos of the sesame bagel bottom but this one was very firm and almost knockable. It was also dark brown, potentially from the toasting. There were no seeds on the bottom half of the bagel.
INSIDE/BITE
The plain bagel offered a very easy rip. I noted a very bready interior, but not in the usual way that comes across. The interior had a unique flakiness and the flavor reminded me of something specific. After a few bites, I figured it out. It was as if someone had taken croissant dough and turned it into a bagel. It had a distinctly croissant-like smell as well. There was also a whisp of crispiness and a hint of sweetness in the bite.
Again, for some reason, I didn’t take more photos of the sesame bagel, so my bad. This one offered some crunch thanks to the seeds on top and crispy bottom. There was a bready feel to the taste and interior like the plain. This bagel did eat well, though on the softer side.
The cream cheese was tangy and soft but not overly oozy. The combo wasn’t giving me the idealized bagel and schmear flavor and texture, but it also wasn’t bad. I wanted the cream cheese to be a little more enjoyable but I have to admit I ate the whole thing.
FINAL THOUGHTS
So the bagels weren’t the showstoppers I was hoping for, but I gotta tell you, I’ve had way worse. And I really enjoyed finishing my meal with that 10:00 a.m. sugar cookie.
Ultimately, the big learning here is that Golden Wheat is a delightful neighborhood bakery and cafe well worth a visit. The sheer selection of breads and baked goods from different cuisines was so intriguing. There were so many things I wanted to try and I want to make sure I’m supporting places like this. I’m looking forward to making another visit soon.
Is It Good Enough For The Goys?
Hey, you could do a lot worse for your morning bagel and cream cheese with coffee, though there were so many other fun pastries and cookies to consider. There’s also a very intriguing lunch menu. I’m jealous of the locals who get to have a place like this in the middle of their neighborhood.
Is It Good Enough For Northeastern Jews?
You know, the bagel might not be up to that level but I’m very intrigued to try out their challah and rugelach. If you’ve had them, let me know what you think.
MY SEATTLE BAGEL RANKINGS SO FAR (1/3/25)
Hey Bagel - 1st visit
Little Rachel’s (Lake City) - 1st visit
Toasted (U District) - 1st visit
Loxsmith Bagels (West Seattle) - 1st visit
Golden Wheat Bakery (Central District)
Rubinstein Bagels (Eastlake) - 1st visit
Rachel's Bagels & Burritos (Ballard) - 1st visit, 2nd visit, 3rd visit
Macrina Bakery (Capitol Hill) - 1st visit
Cafe Argento (Capitol Hill) - 1st visit
Eltana (Wallingford) - 1st visit
Westman’s (U District) - 1st visit
Einstein Bros. Bagels (U Village) - 1st visit
Dingfelder’s (Capitol Hill) - 1st visit
Cafe Solstice (U District) - 1st visit
Kelly’s Cannoli (Magnolia) - 1st visit
Bagelbop (Pike Place Market) - 1st visit
You can see my full rankings here.
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