The Seattle jalapeño cheddar bagel jamboree: Blazing Bagels

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Welcome back to The Seattle Jalapeño Cheddar Bagel Jamboree. You can read the previous entries here, here, here, and here. So far, a decent number of the Seattle JCBs have been impressive. Let’s find out if Blazing Bagels’ version can keep that streak alive.

When I did my 2024 review of Blazing Bagels a few weeks back, I also snagged a JCB while there. If I know anything in this world, it’s how to stretch a topic out for #CONTENT. So while I regroup post-Thanksgiving, it feels like the ideal time to drop the review and see where they fit in with Seattle’s spiciest bagels.

As a reminder, while my general bagel rankings are based on whims and vibes, I’m handing out actual scores in the jalapeño cheddar rankings. Each bagel will get a score from 1-5 on Bagel Quality, Jalapeño Factor, Cheesiness, Middle, and Overall Experience, as well as an Intangibles bonus (which can add or remove points to the overall score). I’ll add all those points for a Total Score out of 25.

Initial Thoughts

Blazing goes with the controversial jalapeño bits strategy, which we also saw from Rubinstein. I don’t know if it’s a cost-cutting measure or a way to streamline the jalapeño placement but my sense is that this way of doing a JCB doesn’t tend to pay off. I was already a little wary because, well, it’s Blazing Bagels, so that didn’t bode well.

Bagel Quality

The bagel itself was a bit larger than the other ones I’d gotten. The interior was soft and Blazing’s distinct lack of exterior texture actually paid off this time. So in that sense, it was a good fit for the JCB. That said, it also didn’t add too much to the proceedings. Strong Cornmeal Ring of Doom (CRoD) on the bottom, for what it’s worth.

Score: 2.5 out of 5

Jalapeño Factor

As noted, they went with the jalapeño bits method. Visually, it ensures that you get some pepper with each bite, which is noble. However, I didn’t get much jalapeño flavor or heat from most bites. The heat eventually poked through after several bites but most of the time it lacked any of the sensory delights I want from eating a JCB.

Score: 1 out of 5

Cheesiness

The cheese coverage across the entire top of the bagel was notable and ensured nary a bite would be cheese-less. That said, again, the flavor wasn’t there. It was stark just how much it almost seemed like I was eating a starch mound devoid of any flavor. Every once in a while I would get the vague sense of cheesiness but it was there more as a visual marker than a taste provider.

Score: 1 out of 5

Middle

The middle here was peppered with some pepper and cheese bits that trailed down to the bottom of the bagel. If the jalapeño and cheese had flavor, this might make for a nice mid-meal treat. But as is, it ends up being more of the same.

Score: 0.5 out of 5

Overall Experience

The joy of eating a really good jalapeño cheddar bagel is that your tastebuds are constantly being bombarded with bold flavors and spicy heat while the chew reveals a dance between the softness of the bagel, the crunch of the cheese, and the juiciness of the peppers. I didn’t get any of that here. I might as well have been eating a plain bagel most of the time. And adding insult to injury, the bagel didn’t feel particularly fresh either.

Score: 0.5 out of 5

Intangibles

N/A

Final Score

Move over, Westman’s, there’s a new bagel at the bottom of the rankings. The Blazing Bagels JCB garnered a Total Score of 5.5 out of 25. What else is there to say? Let us never speak of it again.

What I will say is cool is that the SJCBJ has really revealed a stark difference in the quality of jalapeño cheddar bagels across the city. Every bagel shop has its things they do well, and we’re getting a good sense of which ones excel in the jalapeño-cheddared arts.

Seattle Jalapeño Cheddar Bagel Jamboree Rankings (12/2)

1. Little Rachel’s (22.5)

2. Backyard Bagel (20.5)

3. Loxsmith Bagels (20)

4. Cafe Argento/Safeway (15.5)

5. Rubinstein Bagels (14)

6. Westman’s (6.5)

7. Blazing Bagels (5.5)

Thanks for actually reading this far. If you enjoyed my bagel review and want to read more of them, make sure you’re subscribed to It’s A Shanda. Know someone in the Greater Seattle Area (or beyond) who would appreciate way-too-detailed reviews of local bagels? Please forward the link their way.