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Best Bethesda Bagel Shops

By
Real Estate Agent with Keller Williams Capital Properties DC AB15253

Best Bethesda Bagel Shop? That depends on how you like your bagel! Bethesda Bagels, Georgetown Bagel and Call Your Mother are always in contention for the best of Bethesda’s bagels.

Bethesda Bagels

Best Bethesda Bagel Shop

Bethesda Bagels is considered by many to be the best Bethesda bagel shop.  Located on Bethesda Ave with four other locations from Wildwood to Navy Yard, Bethesda Bagels offers nice fat chewy bagels.  They have a consistent set of bagels for sale such as sesame, plain and poppy seed but then they also offer seasonal choices like pumpkin.  There are always several cream cheese spreads to choose from and some smoked fish salads and sliced smoked salmon and such other choices.

The line for Bethesda Bagels is always out the door on Sunday mornings!  Even if you are not a bagel fan you might enjoy their bagel dogs, pizza by the slice or fresh muffins and cookies.

Call Your Mother


Best Bethesda Bagel Shop Call Your Mother is considered by some to be the best Bethesda bagel shop, particularly if you like your bagel as the underpinning of an amazing sandwich.  Located in a bright pink caboose like shop on Old Georgetown Road, Call Your Mother is an outgrowth of the original store in DC.  Try the Bacon Sun City with local Bacon, Bodega-Style Eggs, American & Cheddar Cheeses, Spicy Honey, on an Everything bagel or the Royal Palm with Plain Cream Cheese, Smoked Salmon, Cucumbers, Tomatoes, Red Onion, Capers on an Everything bagel.  If you want more of a lunch sandwich you can consider the Don Cesar with Sliced chicken, Lettuce, Caesar dressing, Parmesan chips on a Cheddar bagel.  All of these can be ordered on line for an even quicker pickup .

Georgetown Bagelry

Hidden away next to Ledo’s Pizza and Sarah’s Handmade Ice Cream on River Road near Kenwood, Georgetown Bagelry has been serving great bagels for a number of years now.  Like the other Bethesda bagel shops, Georgetown Bagelry offers sesame, poppy seed, jalapeno, plain and granola (among others) but it also takes a very sensible approach to its bagels.  They are not huge.  In fact, they are a very manageable size that lets you eat the whole bagel and feel content but not stuffed.

Georgetown Bagelry has been baking fine artisan bagels for the Washington DC Metropolitan region since 1981 using 400-year old bagel baking traditions with the freshest ingredients. Mary Beall Adler (AKA @GTownBagel on Twitter), the owner of the Georgetown Bagelry began learning the art of making fine artisan bagels in 1985 when she became a part of the Georgetown Bagelry family. The Bagelry is widely regarded as the best bagel bakery south of New York City. It was also voted “Best Bagel” by the Washington D.C. City paper for 2009, 2011 and 2012.

Comments(10)

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Nina Hollander, Broker
Coldwell Banker Realty - Charlotte, NC
Your Greater Charlotte Real Estate Broker

Good morning, Lise... as a New Yorker, I'm all about a good bagel. I've had a partially written post on best New York style bagels in Charlotte forever... maybe one day I'll finish it!

Nov 07, 2024 05:38 AM
Patricia Feager
Referral Specialist - DFW FINE PROPERTIES - Flower Mound, TX
Licensed to April 2027

Good morning, Lise Howe 

I can't say I recall the last time I visited a Bagel Shop. But I have to say, the ones you showed today are very different and colorful too! Soon, I'll have to find a Bagel Shop to find out what's new.

Since all the shops you mentioned sound so good, if I were in D.C., in your area, I would have to buy one each, from each store on different days. Thanks for navigating me through the bagel maze in D.C.

Nov 07, 2024 05:54 AM
Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
Pasadena And Southern California 818.516.4393

Hello Lise - while I am not a foodie, I do understand how people have preferences.   For things they put into mouths or where/when/how they spend their cold hard ca$h.  .  

Nov 07, 2024 06:27 AM
Brian England
Ambrose Realty Management LLC - Gilbert, AZ
MBA, GRI, REALTOR® Real Estate in East Valley AZ

Staying low-carb these days rules out bagels for me, but in the past I have certainly had my fair share of bagels, haha.

Nov 07, 2024 06:35 AM
Dorie Dillard Austin TX
Coldwell Banker Realty ~ 512.750.6899 - Austin, TX
NW Austin ~ Canyon Creek and Spicewood/Balcones

Good morning Lise,

I love the selection of bagel places you recommend in your DC area. It's been awhile since I've had a bagel but certainly enjoy a good one! Clearly in your area you have some excellent choices!

Nov 07, 2024 07:28 AM
Roy Kelley
Retired - Gaithersburg, MD

These are good recommendations to share with area residents and visitors.

The bagels I purchased at Aldi this morning probably can't be compared with those from the shops in Bethesda. 

Nov 07, 2024 09:24 AM
Will Hamm
Hamm Homes - Aurora, CO
"Where There's a Will, There's a Way!"

Hello Lisa and love to see a line standing outside to get in to buy, remember that well at my parent restaurant in the day.

 

Nov 07, 2024 10:08 AM
Bridget "Mortgage Mama" McGee
SWBC Mortgage 410-960-2061 - Baltimore, MD
Maryland Mortgage Mama NMLS#196068

I have never seen a swirl bagel like the one in your photo!  People really are as particular about their bagels as they are about their pizza...and their crab cakes of course! 

Nov 07, 2024 05:30 PM
Kathy Streib
Cypress, TX
Retired Home Stager/Redesign

Hi Lise- I'm craving the bagels we used to get when we lived in South FL. Bagels, cream cheese and lox. Yum. 

Nov 07, 2024 06:55 PM
Adam Feinberg
Howard Hanna Elegran - Manhattan, NY
NYC Condo, Co-op, and Townhouse Advisor

Oh, man, I love my bagels. We have a place just a little south of Columbia University's main campus - Absolute bagels- one of the best bagel places in the entire city. The owners are Thai- and learned the business from another top bagel shop before they opened their own place - and it's even better than their teachers. Straight out of the oven- and you don't even need a schmear- they are that good. A lot of people toast them...but when they are that fresh it's a shanda. It's a long walk- but it is walking distance from me- but it's worth it. On the weekends the line forms and wraps around the block. It's gotten pretty expensive these days $21/dozen.

We just got a second location for Bo's Bagels- the only great bagel shop north of 110th st- now at 116th st in Central Harlem, and the 2nd location is on 156th in Washington Heights- 9 blocks from me. They only do small batches- and often sell out too quickly- so that impacts my evaluation of them. They are $24/dozen. The co-owner of Bo's is also a real estate agent too. 

Nov 07, 2024 09:30 PM