Can I get a good Seattle bagel at... Bean & Bagel
Is this University District bagel shop a pass or fail?
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When you think of Seattle’s bagel epicenter, you probably think of Capitol Hill. Home to Eltana, Westman’s, Rubinstein, Ben & Esther’s, and Dingfelder’s, not to mention a Macrina, it’s undoubtedly the home of Seattle bagel quantity…if not quality.
While other neighborhoods can boast a bagel place or two, University District has a sneaky claim to being Seattle’s secondary bagel neighborhood, again in terms of quantity. There’s another Westman’s there and Fat Ducks, which serves Blazing Bagels bagels and, therefore, didn’t seem like it necessitated a review. There’s an Einstein’s Bros. Bagels in U-Village if you want to count that for some reason. And a new place called Toasted Bagel and Coffee is coming soon.
And then there’s Bean & Bagel.
It’s admittedly a little hard to find out much about Bean & Bagel. They don’t have a website or a social media presence. The name is generic enough that a web search brings up results for many other places around the country called Beans & Bagels, Bagels & Beans, The Bean & The Bagel, Bean and Bagel Cafe, and every other variation out there.
That no-frills experience continues when you go there as, depending on the time of day, the bagel availability varies and the only cream cheese option you’re afforded is plain. No chives for you!
In a way, it fits the college atmosphere perfectly. No pomp or circumstance, just an unassuming sidewalk stop to get a bagel or a coffee (or both) and get back to studying (or in my case, procrastinating). It’s easy to overlook a place like this when it comes to your bagel options, so I figured I better give them a whirl.
There are a lot of bagels to choose from in the U District. Let’s find out if this is the one you should be choosing.
And if you want to know how I define a good bagel, you can find that here.
WHAT I ORDERED
Plain bagel as is.
Everything bagel with plain cream cheese.
THE EXPERIENCE
I got to Bean & Bagel around 8:00 a.m. on a Thursday and even though they’d been open for an hour the bags of delivered bagels were still sitting on the counter. I’m not sure where they get their bagels from but it was at least confirmation of their sourcing.
As I said, this place is no-frills when it comes to how you like your bagels. Flavors? They’ve got a few. Schmears? They have one and you’ll like it! They do have a selection of bagel sandwiches, which is where it seems like they put their focus.
UPON FIRST GLANCE
I will say, my first impression was better than expected. I liked the colors I was seeing and there appeared to be a generous amount of cream cheese on my everything bagel. The everything appeared to be toasted but only slightly, which, if you’re gonna do it, would always be my preference. It was more warmed than toasted, which I can live with.
One thing I did notice was that the bagels were a little flat. Not quite as plump as I’d like to see them.
TOP
The top of the plain bagel had a nice golden brown coloring. I noted some crevices but nothing in the way of bubbles or blisters. Upon pressing on the top, there wasn’t much crispiness, though I did detect a little bit on the sides.
As for the everything bagel, this one had a lighter seed hand than I might want. I didn’t notice any salt and only a little bit of poppyseed, making it very onion- and garlic-forward. There was some crackle when I touched the top but it was overall fairly soft. I also noticed that it seemed like the bake was a little uneven, with one side getting a little browner than the other.
BOTTOM
There was a slight cornmeal ring of doom on both, but not in an excessive way. The bottom of the plain bagel was sturdy in some parts, soft in others.
The everything bagel’s bottom was much sturdier and passed the knock test. If you can rap your knuckles on the bottom of the bagel and it feels like you’re knocking on a piece of wood, that’s a good sign.
INSIDE/BITE
I ripped the plain bagel and came apart softly without any crisp or crinkles. I remarked “Not the worst bite ever” in my notes, which is faint praise but counts for something. There was a whisp of crunchiness in there though I also detected a little bit of dryness inside. The bagel also rebounded decently after the bite. The interior was slightly denser than the ideal, but not inedible like a wholesale bagel. While I did get the bagel smell that I’d want, the bagel itself didn’t have much in the way of flavor or taste.
As for the everything bagel, I also got the same whisp of crispness biting into it. The bagel itself didn’t offer too much in the way of texture, so when coupled with the cream cheese, it made for a soft bite and chew. As for that cream cheese, it tasted cheap and had a zing that reminded me of Philadelphia Cream Cheese. I know some people are nostalgic for that but not me. The onion and garlic from the top of the bagel did provide some flavor, at least.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I’m not going to say that I thought these were delicious bagels, but they definitely felt like an upgrade over the wholesale-level bagels I’ve eaten at other Seattle spots. These bagels certainly seem to be made fresher and there are elements here that make it a solid “get up and go” option if you live in the neighborhood and are on your way to class or work. That said, I don’t think I would say there’s enough “there” there for me to feel the need to return.
Is It Good Enough For The Goys?
As far as the University District is concerned, I think this is probably the best bagel in the neighborhood. If you’ve seen my rankings you know that’s not saying that much. But if you’re in the area and you have to eat a bagel, a need I can understand, you might as well make it this one.
Is It Good Enough For Northeastern Jews
The litmus test for this is always “Would I bring family members here if they were in town” and the answer is no. However, I have to admit, I’m putting them way higher in my ranking than I thought I would. It’s faint praise as that has less to do with how good it was and more to do with how bad so many other bagels in town are.
MY SEATTLE BAGEL RANKINGS SO FAR (6/4/23)
Bean & Bagel
OUTSIDE SEATTLE BAGEL RANKINGS
The Bagelry (Bellingham)
Howdy Bagel (Tacoma)
Whidbey Island Bagel Factory (Mt. Vernon, Whidbey Island)
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In the early 2000s when I worked nearby, I was pretty sure that they got their bagels from Bagel Oasis. That may no longer be the case, or maybe it never was. But they still look pretty similar, just going by those photos.