After a panel participated in blind taste tests, the Washington Post created a list of the nine best bagels in (and around) D.C. with four of the options from Maryland and all available right here in Montgomery County.
According to the Washington Post, the process of choosing the best bagels began with a list of 18 popular candidates, which was narrowed down to nine contenders after some lively discussions. To ensure a fair tasting, the panel decided to sample one plain untoasted bagel and one untoasted everything bagel from each shop. A distinguished panel of judges, including lawmakers, chefs, and food editors, was assembled to taste and rank the 18 bagels on a scale of 1 to 10, with a blind tasting format to keep it unbiased. Each judge evaluated the bagels as they preferred, with plain cream cheese and butter available for enhancement.
Pearl’s Bagels in DC earned the top spot with the highest overall score and also received “the highest score for plain bagels (41 out of 60) and everything bagels (45), and secured the only perfect score (10) from any judge.” Call Your Mother, which has locations in Montgomery County but is based in DC with 15 locations (as far as Colorado), also made the list at #7.
When it comes to the Montgomery County-based shops that made the list, Ize’s Deli and Bagelry (11622 Rockville Pike, North Bethesda/Rockville) came in ranked at #8. Ize’s has been a staple in the area since the mid 90s, when it opened as Manhattan Bagels before changing over to Ize’s nearly 20 years ago.
Bethesda Bagels, which has been around for more than four decades, came in ranked fifth. Bethesda Bagels currently has three MoCo locations, 4819 Bethesda Ave. and 10241 Old Georgetown Road in Bethesda and 14929-D Shady Grove Rd in Rockville, as well as locations in DC and Virginia.
Goldberg’s New York Bagels was ranked second overall, and has two locations– both in Montgomery County (4824 Boiling Brook Pkwy., Rockville; 9328 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring). “Since 2004 Goldberg’s New York Bagels have offered Washington DC and the surrounding metro area award-winning bagels and deli-style cuisine. We offer a variety of breakfast and lunch options including bagels, sandwiches, soups, and salads. Voted “Best Bagel” by the Washington Jewish Week and the “Top Nosh” award by the Washington Post, we have built our reputation by providing our customers with delicious food and superior customer service.”