Order: Everything with Nova lox + plain schmear $4–14
Kettle-boiled, wood-fired, hand-rolled. The most consistently great bagel in the county; owner is a New Yorker.
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Hillcrest Local Guide
The best bagels in Hillcrest start with Bagelheads and Nomad Donuts. Here's where locals actually go in 2026, what to order, and what you'll pay.
Last updated
Quick answer: Top picks: Bagelheads, Nomad Donuts, Wayfarer Bread & Pastry.
Kettle-boiled, wood-fired, hand-rolled. The most consistently great bagel in the county; owner is a New Yorker.
Weekend-only bagel program from their laminated-pastry team. Boiled + baked in-house.
Weekend-only bagels that sell out fast. Widely considered the single best bagel in San Diego when they run them.
Full-service deli with a legit bagel program. Best sit-down bagel experience in the city.
Old-school Jewish deli. The bagel isn't the crustiest, but the lox is the best.
Bagels are a weekend game — Wayfarer and Nomad only run them Saturday–Sunday, and both sell out by 11 AM.
'Kettle-boiled' matters — it's what makes the crust chewy and the interior dense.
Lox platters are the best value: at Elijah's, Milton's, and Bay City Deli, one platter feeds two.
The everything spice is the SD default — most shops sell everything topping by the jar.
For a New Yorker sanity check, Bagelheads is the answer 90% of the time.
In Hillcrest, Bagelheads is the local anchor for bagels.
The best bagels in Hillcrest include Bagelheads, Nomad Donuts, Wayfarer Bread & Pastry. Bagelheads is the top local pick for Everything with Nova lox + plain schmear, priced $4–14.
Locals point to Bagelheads as the best bagels in Hillcrest — Kettle-boiled, wood-fired, hand-rolled. The most consistently great bagel in the county; owner is a New Yorker.
Expect $4–14 to $5–12 per person at the top bagels spots in Hillcrest. Prices are current for 2026.
Yes — Hillcrest has bagels options that work for visitors, including Bagelheads, Nomad Donuts, Wayfarer Bread & Pastry. Most are casual and don't require a reservation, though weekend brunch and omakase counters are exceptions.
Neighborhood-level rankings for food, drinks, and coffee in Hillcrest.
Narrow it down to your neighborhood — locals' top bagels picks, block by block.
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Written and fact-checked by the Sandi Spots Editorial team — San Diego residents publishing under Sleep Coast LLC. Every place we recommend has been visited in person or verified against an official source, and no business can pay for inclusion or a higher ranking. Last updated .