Where to Grab a Bagel and a Schmear for National Bagel Day

Dallasites have long grumbled about the lack of bagel options in the Big D and with good reason. Besides a few bakeries, the only place to find a ring of dense, chewy goodness was the deli section of a nearby grocery store or a chain bagel shop. But as Bob Dylan said, the times, they are a-changin.

The pandemic ushered in two bagel shops with rumors of more on the way. Add that to one long-time favorite bagel joint and a smattering of delis across the metroplex and you will have more than enough places to pick up a bagel and a schemer when celebrating National Bagel Day on Jan. 15.

Shug's Bagels

3020 Mockingbird Lane

There aren't many sure things in this crazy world, but one thing that you can take to the bank is if you find yourself at Shug's Bagels on a weekend morning, there will be a line. More than likely that line will stretch out the door, down the sidewalk and around the building of this Park Cities Village newcomer.

Opening less than a year ago, Shug's has already wormed its way into the hearts and bellies of North Texas. Native New Yorker and SMU graduate Jason Shugrue noticed the shortage of bagel spots during his college days. After his friend Preston Paine was furloughed from his job at a New York Michelin-starred restaurant last March, the two decided to open Shug's Bagels.

Advertising themselves as "The Bagel That Dallas Deserves," the menu includes fan favorites like eggs, bacon and hash browns, served between a French Toast bagel sprinkled in powdered sugar. A Flaguel graces the menu for those who want a skinnier "carb-conscious" bagel, while the classic Nova Lox, cream cheese, tomatoes, onions, capers and lettuce on an Everything Bagel is for the fans of the classic bagel.

While you're there, don't forget to grab deli-cut meats by the pound, chicken salad, pimento cheese, and various lox in small tubs in the to-go deli case.

Lenore's Handmade Bagel Company

Online Store

This pandemic-inspired company is the latest addition to Dallas' bagel scene. One could say this is the bagel spot for the Texas-loving bagel lover. The owners Jessica and Seth Brammer make their bagels with a special variety of Texas-grown wheat that is stone ground by a mill near Austin. The result is a distinct nutty flavored bagel that supports Texas farmers.

The couple offers five varieties - poppy seed, sesame, plain, everything, and salt - but the cream cheese is where it is at. Homemade cream cheese includes balsamic onion cream cheese, which uses slow caramelized onions with a balsamic vinegar reduction, gravlax cream cheese, which is full of chopped gravlax (dill cured salmon), dill, capers, and lemon, and roasted tomato and caper cream cheese using tomatoes roasted with garlic and capers then folded into whipped cream cheese.

The bagel company does not have a brick-and-mortar shop, but bagels are available for pick-up or delivery on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. The online bagel store opens for orders several times a week. To be in the know, join the Secret Bagel Club by texting 'bagels' to 214-480-4627. You will then receive a text when the next ordering window opens.

Lenore's Handmade Bagels can also be found at area coffee shops like Houndstooth Coffee, Fiction Coffee and Bonton Coffee House.

Benny's Bagels

1901 Skillman Street

This small locally-owned business has been slinging bagels with a schmear in Lakewood for more than 30 years. The New York-style bagels are boiled, seeded and prepared by hand every day.

Along with the traditional bagel flavors, Benny's sells a wide variety of bagels including, asiago cheese, blueberry, jalapeño cheese, and cranberry oat. With cream cheese flavors like jalapeño, spinach, garlic herbs, honey almond apricot, strawberry, cinnamon raisin walnut, onion chive, the mix-and-match bagel and a schemer options are endless. If the options are too overwhelming, the deli also serves sandwiches, wraps and breakfast items.

Deli-News

17062 Preston Road

It's hard to believe that such an authentic New York-style delicatessen, restaurant and bakery could be located in a strip mall in North Dallas, but here we are. The deli's menu is jam packed with Russian-Jewish favorites like latkes, kugels, matzo ball soup, homemade gefilte fish and overstuffed sandwiches.

While it's tempting to order the Pastrami Rueben with its mound of sauerkraut and melted swiss cheese between freshly baked New York-style rye bread, you will not be disappointed with the bagels. Deli-News takes the quintessential Bagel and Lox to a new level with its house-cured salmon, fresh cream cheese and crunchy crust, chewy interior bagel.