This Oakland-based pop-up is making incredible New York-style bagels that are perfectly chewy, and have a crackly crust that’s covered in a lot of seasoning (ready your vacuums - it will get messy). And the bagels are made even better when topped with one of their thick housemade schmears, like jalapeño, scallion, or beet and poppy seed. If you want to get your hands on these bagels, place an order online for delivery or pick-up in SF or the East Bay - and note the 12 bagel minimum. They also do bagel sandwich pop-ups on Saturdays at the Grand Lake Farmers’ Market.

We’ve eaten a lot of bagels, and Boichik Bagels in Berkeley makes some of our favorites, ever. They have a satisfying, crunchy crust, and are always perfectly springy on the inside. Yes, they’re smaller, and are slightly more expensive than other places ($3 each) - but they’re worth it. You can also top them with lox and tubs of whipped cream cheese, or whitefish, egg, or salmon salad. Order on their website for pick-up or delivery, or walk up to order.

The wood-fired bagels at Daily Driver are some of the best in San Francisco. They have a chewy interior and a thin, crackly crust that’s even better toasted. Get one in sandwich form with bacon, egg, and cheese, or with pastrami. You can pick up their bagels and sandwiches at their brick-and-mortar spots in Dogpatch or the Ferry Building.

Schlok’s Bagels is a pop-up that used to operate out of The Snug on Fillmore. Their golden-brown bagels are well-seasoned on the outside, and nicely chewy on the inside - and are as delicious as they are massive. They also make a buttery, dill-cured lox in-house that’s fantastic. The bad news: Schlok’s is currently on hiatus while they prep to open a brick-and-mortar in NoPa this summer. But the good news is - they’re opening a brick-and-mortar in NoPa this summer. We’ll keep an eye on their Instagram for updates, and be counting down the days until we can once again get our hands on these bagels.

Early to Rise, a weekend-only brunch spot in Nob Hill, makes fantastic bagels. They’re well-seasoned and fresh, with a really solid crunch on the outside - we like them in sandwich form, filled with buttery lox, red onions, capers, tomatoes, and schmear. You can pre-order a take-home bagel kit here, or walk up to order a sandwich.

You’ll find the naturally-leavened sourdough bagels from Midnite Bagel at the Ferry Building Farmers’ Market, and at SF cafes like Pinhole Coffee and Linea Caffe, or you can order for delivery. Midnite Bagel also gives you lots of options in terms of flavors: onion, garlic, plain, everything, sesame, poppyseed, black sesame, cinnamon raisin, and pumpernickel. But whatever you order is bound to be excellent, and have a chewy, slightly moist interior, and a well-seasoned crust. Place your order here.

We love Nick’s for their thin-crust sourdough pizza - but if you stop by without grabbing one of their excellent bagels, you’re missing out. We like to order the satisfyingly crunchy everything bagel, filled with whipped cream cheese, lox, red onions, tomato, and capers.

Fat Baby Bagels is a DM-to-order bagel operation based out of Berkeley. Their chewy sourdough bagels are small and plump, with a super crunchy bottom and your choice of sesame, poppy seeds, or salt on top. They also do really great sourdough chocolate chip cookies made with huge chocolate chunks and sea salt. Order via Instagram for delivery in SF or the East Bay.

The Bagel Bakery in China Basin has been turning out fresh New York-style bagels since 1976. You can get them by the dozen, but the real move is to order their veggie bagel sandwich. It comes with cream cheese, cucumber, tomato, onion, and a slightly sweet balsamic dressing. We like it better without lettuce.

Beauty’s in Oakland made excellent wood-fired bagels, but since joining forces with Wise Sons last year, they’ve shifted to kettle boiling their bagels. The new versions are less chewy than we remember, but they’re still a solid choice if you want a bagel in the East Bay. Their menu has also changed to include Wise Sons classics, like pastrami and latkes. But don’t worry, you can still get Beauty’s great lox or the fried chicken bagel sandwiches, every day from 7am-3pm at their Temescal location.

This Jewish deli has been around since the ’60s, and it’s a Geary Blvd. institution. They sell challah and pastries like rugelach and hamentaschen, but you’re here for their great selection of New York-style bagels that are baked fresh daily. We like the everything - the seasoning is on the lighter side, but it’s still salty and flavorful. Walk up or order ahead.

This Hayes Valley cafe used to be one of our favorite places to spend a late morning over pierogies and bagels. But right now, the European-inspired spot is only open Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Make sure to pencil these dates into your calendar now - their bagel sandwich with buttery lox and pickled shallots is worth the effort. Walk up or order here to schedule a pick-up.

Last summer, Saul’s in Berkeley started boiling and baking their own bagels in-house. The bagels are soft, chewy, and moist, and have a golden-brown crust - don’t be surprised when you eat at least two out of the bag on the way home. Currently, Saul’s is making five types of bagels: plain, everything, sesame, poppyseed, and onion.

If you’re someone who likes bagel flavors that go beyond the classic sesame, plain, or everything, head to Holey Bagel. They make spinach, sun-dried tomato, and chocolate chip bagels, to name a few. We especially love them with their house-made chive cream cheese, or as a fluffy egg sandwich.

If you’re looking for a quick breakfast spot, and you’re near Noe Valley, head to Noe Bagel. They make a delicious bacon, egg, and cheese bagel sandwich, and at $5.95, it’s a great deal, especially considering how filling it is. You can also get bagels by the dozen, if you want to stock your freezer with something other than half-opened bags of frozen fruit.

This spot in the Sunset has breakfast down to a science. They have cases full of colorful, pillowy donuts, pastries, and great bagel sandwiches, like veggie, lox, or sausage, egg, and cheese. The creamy, salty lox schmear is a standout, and one you should definitely wash everything down with a Vietnamese iced coffee.

Wise Sons gets bonus points for covering their entire bagels with seasoning, something we wish more bagel spots did. The bagels are on the denser side, but still have a solid chew to them. They’re currently offering a brunch kit, which comes with four bagels, lox, schmear, and toppings, or you can stop by for a bagel sandwich. Wise Sons is open for pick-up at their Hayes Valley, Mission, and Fillmore locations, and at the Contemporary Jewish Museum.