3 Houston Bagel Shops You Should Know About

Houston has plenty of old-school bagel spots, but there’s always room for a few more purveyors of this classic chewy East Coast treat, especially when the makers have roots in the storied Northern-centric bagel tradition. Here’s what you need to know about a trio of bagel shops in town, all opened (or upgraded) within the past year and all seriously worth your schmear.

Bagel Bob’s NYTX

1021 Dairy Ashford; Memorial

• The bagel guy: Robert Orzo (Bagel Bob), a native New Yorker, temperament and all, who made Houstonians swoon with his bagels at Spring Water Café and B&B Butcher’s, opened his own place last month.  
• Why they’re good: His bagels are boiled, then baked on stones, the old- fashioned way. 
• The setup: Counter service; there are a few tables, but you can also just take it to-go or eat it quickly against the wall, NYC-style. 
• The order: You can’t go wrong here, but our money is on the everything bagel with plain cream cheese. 

Jersey Bagels

9522 Huffmeister Rd, #700; Cy-Fair

• The bagel guy: Cory Yates, a New Jersey transplant, was making bagels from home before opening his small but popular spot in December. 
• Why they’re good: They’re hand-rolled, boiled, then baked. The hand-rolling makes all the difference. 
• The setup: Counter service, as usual, but you can enjoy this yeasty delight sitting down, if you can snag a table. 
• The order: Because Jersey makes a sturdier bagel than most, perfect for a sandwich, order a Jersey original: Taylor ham (real ones call it pork roll), egg, and cheese. 

Kenny & Ziggy’s NewYork Delicatessen

2327 Post Oak Blvd., Uptown

• The bagel guy: K&Z’s has been around for ages, but they’ve recently overhauled their bagel game by bringing in Barry Shapiro, another NYC-born bagel master who comes from a 150-year bagel-crafting tradition. Shapiro started doing bagels for K&Z’s in addition to turning out the ones at Sugar Land’s Bagel Express, last September. 
• Why they’re good: Lots of malt and gluten, baby, making for a sweet, rich product. 
• The setup: Walk into K&Z’s, and head to the deli counter. 
• The order: Poppy lightly toasted with cream cheese, briny capers, and silky Nova lox. 

Published in the The Ultimate BBQ Issue issue of Houstonia Mag.