J. Kenji López-Alt is a food columnist at the The New York Times and has authored a book about better home cooking through science. He studied architecture at MIT and, perhaps a smidge more important than that, grew up in New York City, where he ritually ate bagels from his neighborhood shop.
In his Serious Eats article, "The Good Bagel Manifesto," López-Alt offers some trademarks of a proper bagel. The "crust should give way to a crumb that's dense and chewy, but tender and easy to bite through." The skin of a bagel should be thin and shiny with a "crackly crust spotted with the kind of microblisters that you can only get from proper boiling followed by a high-temperature bake."
Mostly, López-Alt says bagels should never be toasted:
"All through 1989 I remember waking up every morning thinking today might be the day they come out with the hoverboard. Not once did I think they might come out with that wheely-chain thingy that makes bagels browner!"
Hoverboards never really took off. Browner bagels, for better are worse, are a thing.
After years of blossoming bagel scene in Dallas, including one spot that is racking up national awards, we consulted a group of bagel connoisseurs and chefs on their favorite local bagel. We combined those results for a ranking of the best bagels in Dallas, chock full of microblisters and tender easiness:
1. Starship Bagels
1108 W. Main St., Lewisville; 6859 Arapaho Road; 1520 Elm St. Several of our local "bagel experts" selected Starship Bagels as their top dog, which aligns with national rankings. Starship's mothership opened in Lewisville in 2021 and now has two satellite shops (North Dallas and Downtown). These bagels made Bon Appetit's list of Best Bagels in the U.S. (Outside of New York) in 2023. Starship's schmear has won multiple awards, including Schmear of the Year at the 2024 New York BagelFest. They also happen to be one of our personal favorites. The key to these bagels is a 24-hour fermentation process, and, of course, these orbs are boiled before being baked. 2. Cindi's NY Deli and Restaurant
Multiple LocationsSure, Cindi's is a Dallas institution, but we're surprised how many of our super exclusive bagel panel chose this spot immediately and, in one case, singularly, for the best bagels in Dallas. In terms of the bagel game, this is a sleeper hit. A true October surprise. We've been celebrating the wave of new bagels in Big D, but all along Cindi's has been making stellar orbs. Cindi's is certainly one of our favorite New York delis with tall Reuben sandwiches and a menu that is a short novel. Here, you can get Nova salmon, which is flown in weekly, with LTO, cucumbers, Greek olives and cream cheese and your choice of 15 bagels for about $18. Third place was a three-way tie.
3. Deli-News
17062 Preston RoadDeli-News is another Dallas deli institution, open for almost 30 years and prized for authentic Russian-Jewish plates and sandwiches. Everything here is from scratch and baked daily, including the bagels, which are served with all the trimmings or just a schmear, if that's how you roll (just $2.99).
3. Lubbies Bagels
1160 Peavy RoadSisters Jen and Adrea Lubkin — from Brooklyn, New York, and Montclair, New Jersey, respectively — opened this East Dallas shop last year. Lubbies is designed for grab-and-go orders, although a small dine-in area is reminiscent of Bubbie's kitchen. The skin of the bagels here are speckled with that crucial microblistering, and as Hank Vaughn wrote after his first visit, "the all-important chew factor: slightly crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside and full of yeasty flavor and toppings that were not overpowering." Light and fresh schmears are substantial but not overpowering, Vaughn continued. Bakers use organic flour and dark barely malt for character, and smoke their salmon in house. They select local producers for other ingredients, like Lusher's Post Oak and Evan's Meats.3. Shug's Bagels
3020 Mockingbird Lane and 4001 Lemmon Ave. When Shug's boldly opened during the pandemic (August 2020), owner Justin Shugrue promised to deliver the bagels that Dallas deserves. Meaning, mainly, not Einstein's. Shugrue is a Westchester County native (north of the Bronx), here by way of SMU. He recruited restauranteurs and bagel experts from up North to help open this spot, as well as staging at a bagel spot in New York. The bodega-style bagels here are kettle-boiled in refurbished equipment prior to baking. You can get fat sandwiches loaded with meats, cheese, eggs, and so on, as well as traditional deli items. Two places tied for sixth.
