Cody ..
Yelp
Summary: disappointing everything bagel that had 95% white and black sesame seeds and 5% poppy seeds (check the picture); however, it's a nice little bakery with hip outdoor seating, good service, and an interesting menu. I love supporting local businesses but I don't know if I'll be back given the hard miss on a staple menu item. Skip below if you want to see individual scores for certain aspects!
It's been tough to find a solid bagel spot in Sacramento. If you've seen my other reviews, I tend to start with the "basic" order for most restaurants that are new to me, and in this case a bagel with cream cheese was sufficient for testing. I ordered an everything bagel, toasted, with cream cheese. $5 + tax and I pre-paid online. Seems like an average price for a decent bagel nowadays.
For context, I make my own batch of bagels twice a month, and after a bit of experimentation I adapted a now-controversial YouTuber's New York Style Bagels recipe posted 7 years ago to suit my taste and keep things relatively simple. I'm not going to start a cottage business selling bagels, and I won't proclaim them the best bagels ever, but I've been asked by friends and neighbors to make them many times.
Here's the whole review:
Flavor 1/5 - I usually don't start with the lowest score but I'll get right to it for the flavor. In my experience, everything bagels have garlic flakes, onion flakes, white & black sesame seeds, poppy seeds, and flaky sea salt.
This bagel had 95% white and black sesame seeds and 5% poppy seeds. There was no room for any other taste besides sesame. I didn't see or taste any garlic or onion flakes/flavoring mixed into the dough either.
It's not worth it to drive back over $5, and I'm not one to usually make a stink and ask for a replacement, but if I was eating there I would at least ask if there was something wrong with my order. And I can say pretty confidently it wasn't an order mix up because there were both sesame and poppy seeds on the bagel.
-
Texture 3/5 - The everything bagel was reasonably firm on the outside. It was fresh even though I ordered around noon. Small blisters were hugging the toasted exterior - I would guess they use a bit of baking soda when boiling to achieve this.
I chose the regular toast level and approximately 10% of the ingredients were overly toasted, which is just the right amount of char to add another level of flavor to the bagel. We've all been wronged by a burnt everything bagel in the past, so I wouldn't recommend the double toast option unless you want a lump of charcoal and are a masochist.
The bagel was soft enough inside. I think if they used a proper spice blend with garlic and onion flakes, and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt, I could change this to a 4 or better as the blend does influence the texture.
-
Service 5/5 - Easy to order online pickup. Scheduled for 15 minutes and I arrived after 10 minutes, so I picked up my order immediately upon arrival and headed home. The woman at the cash register was pleasant and welcoming. I'll also note the out of stock/availability for online ordering seemed to be accurate which is appreciated.
-
Overall, I'd say if they fix their spice blend, the everything bagel is a solid value for $5 + tax. If it was a dollar cheaper with proper ingredients then I'd be visiting 2-3 times a month without question. It's a shame they flubbed so hard on the everything bagel because I really wanted to try their empanadas and egg sandwiches.
Thanks for reading my review! Stay safe out there, friends.