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Best of San Diego
Kettle-boiled, hand-rolled, ranked
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The Winner
The best-baked bagel in the county, from a bakery that is a bakery first.
Wayfarer Bread in La Jolla makes the best bagel in San Diego, with a naturally leavened, blistered crust. Izzy's Bagels in Rancho Bernardo is the most authentic New York style, and Grand Ole BBQ's neighbor Wayfarer aside, Bagel Bakery Nate's in Hillcrest wins for classic egg sandwiches. Most shops sell out by 11am on weekends.
| # | Place | Neighborhood | What to get | Price | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wayfarer Bread & Pastry | La Jolla | Plain bagel with cultured butter and a morning bun | $4–9 | 91 |
| 2 | Izzy's Bagels | Rancho Bernardo | A dozen mixed, everything and pumpernickel first | $2–13 | 89 |
| 3 | Nate's Bagels | Golden Hill | Everything bagel with scallion cream cheese | $3–11 | 87 |
| 4 | Wayfarer Bagel Bar at Bread & Cie | Hillcrest | Sesame bagel with lox and capers | $4–15 | 83 |
| 5 | Bagel Bar East | Del Cerro | Whitefish salad on a poppy bagel | $4–14 | 82 |
The best-baked bagel in the county, from a bakery that is a bakery first.
Wayfarer treats bagels like bread: naturally leavened, blistered, and deeply flavored. It is not a New York bagel and does not try to be, but the crust-to-chew ratio is the best in San Diego.
Local tip: Arrive before 9:30am on a weekend — bagels sell out well before lunch.
The closest thing to a real New York bagel in San Diego County.
Izzy's boils and bakes small batches, and the everything bagel has the seed coverage and salt hit that most California shops miss. The shop is small and no-frills; the bagels do the work.
Local tip: Buy a dozen and freeze them — they revive well in a toaster oven.
The best neighborhood bagel shop in central San Diego.
Nate's runs a tight menu with real hand-rolled bagels and a short list of house schmears. The sandwiches are generous without burying the bagel.
Local tip: Weekday mornings are calm; Saturday lines wrap the block by 9am.
A reliable Hillcrest option with a full bakery attached.
Bread & Cie is a bakery institution, and while its bagels are softer than a purist wants, the lox and the pastry case make it a solid full breakfast stop.
Local tip: Get the lox plate rather than the pre-built sandwich for better fish-to-bagel ratio.
Old-school deli energy and the best whitefish salad in town.
Bagel Bar East is a throwback: fluorescent lights, deli case, and a whitefish salad worth the drive. The bagels are dependable rather than exceptional.
Local tip: Cash-friendly, fast counter, and best before 10am.
Every revision to this ranking, newest first — additions, removals, and rank moves.
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Our rankings are editorial. This part is yours — vote for your favorite bagels in San Diego. One vote per reader.
Experience
How good the core food, drink, or activity actually is.
Consistency
Repeatability across visits, staff, and seasons.
Value
Price relative to what you get.
Atmosphere
Setting, crowd, and comfort.
Uniqueness
Something you can't get anywhere else in San Diego.
We weighted the plain bagel above everything else — crust, chew, and whether it was actually boiled — then judged the schmear and sandwich program separately.
Wayfarer Bread & Pastry in La Jolla makes the best-baked bagel in San Diego. For a traditional New York style bagel, Izzy's Bagels in Rancho Bernardo is the closest match.
Yes — Izzy's Bagels and Nate's Bagels both kettle-boil their dough, which produces the dense chew and shiny crust that defines a New York bagel.
About $2.50 to $4 for a single bagel, $10 to $14 for a bacon, egg, and cheese, and $14 to $18 for a lox sandwich.
Every list is scored with the same methodology. See all rankings → See every 2026 winner →
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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 .
