At this Whidbey Island gem, which turned its Clinton location into a wholesale bakery but still has locations in Oak Harbor and Mount Vernon, there are over two dozen bagel flavors, including the excellent rosemary, chive, and sea salt, and a creative “bahn mi” bagel with shredded carrot, ginger, jalapeños, and fish sauce mixed into the dough for a super-savory bite. The classic everything bagel has a thin, less-chewy crust and is loaded with toppings both on the outside and inside.

Pinehurst’s neighborhood bakery and deli offers many excellent bagels, which are available for takeout on-site or via a bagel club for a wide range of delivery around the city. Created by master baker Josh Grunig, these bagels have a subtle sourdough tang and a chewy but airy interior. Great on their own with whipped lox schmear, the bagels are best enjoyed loaded up with pastrami, egg, and cheddar cheese for a messy and hearty sandwich.

Formerly the much-loved Porkchop & Co, this Ballard shop was reborn as a bagel spot during the pandemic. Available for takeout or delivery only, these perfectly chewy bagels are excellent across the board, topped with the likes of za’atar or shichimi togarashi (a Japanese chile pepper and spice blend). There are also great bagel sandwich options, like the Nick and Nora, a riff on avocado toast with chili crisp. The shop also serves special flavors each day of the week, from blueberry to jalapeno-cheddar.

Sea Wolf Bakers’ long-anticipated Montlake bagel shop is finally here, and it’s already got a shout-out from food writer and bagel expert J. Kenji López-Alt. The blistered, shimmering crusts on these bagels certainly do impress in flavors from pumpernickel to garlic, and the shop is also serving a variety of spreads, quiches, pastries, and coffee to go.

Rubinstein specializes in sourdough bagels, which gives a subtle tang and moist crumb while still achieving the traditional bagel chew. There are over a dozen flavors here, from the basics to tempting novelties like cacio e pepe, shallot, and chocolate chip, as well as the occasional bialy. This fast-growing bagel favorite has two locations, in South Lake Union and Capitol Hill, with plans for a third to open in Downtown Redmond in early 2023.

This walk-up window on Capitol Hill was among the first in the Seattle to really up the city’s bagel game, with a dense and chewy New York-style bagel served with a variety of terrific schmears or as sandwiches. The house-smoked whitefish sandwich is the hidden gem of the menu — the smoked trout on an everything bagel making a salty breakfast wonder. There’s also a vegan bagel sandwich made with carrot lox, vegan schmear, and herb-caper dressing that’s far from traditional but makes for a wonderfully bright and tangy treat. The company now has a second location in the University District, too.

Loxsmith’s “bagel bodega” channels the East Coast with breakfast sandwiches like the bacon, egg, and cheese, also available with New Jersey pork roll. The pepperoni pizza is a playful delight, while an impressive lineup of cured fish, from sable to smoked halibut, rounds out the menu. But don’t leave without trying the shop’s house-made king salmon lox or the creative sushi-inspired bagels and bialys with toro, uni, and ikura. The bagel shop currently operates out of a commissary kitchen inside of Georgetown deli Harried and Hungry, but Loxsmith is opening a permanent Beacon Hill location soon.

This small bagel business, started by Jake Carter and his partner Daniel Blagovich out of their home during the pandemic, has expanded into a robust delivery program and pop-up on Saturdays at the Proctor Farmers Market in Tacoma, with occasional appearances in Seattle. The bagel lineup includes all the classics plus a za’atar bagel, served with schmears or as innovative open-faced bagel tartines. Hand-rolled, the bagels are smaller than your average, but not too dense, with a crisp crust. A very gay brick-and-mortar shop is also set to open in Tacoma any time now.