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In my 2026 Seattle Bagel Predictions, I said that “a new Seattle bagel pop-up will emerge and shake up the scene.” Admittedly, I had no knowledge of any new arrivals and was mostly playing the odds, but we’re not even out of January, and it appears to have come true.

Over the weekend, Jaded Bagels showed up in Lake City, seemingly out of nowhere. We’re awash in a sea of social media hype, all-out promotion, and slick PR efforts, so it’s not very common that you see a bagel shop appear unannounced these days.

Instead, Jaded appeared to be using the breadcrumbs approach. A spartan website and nonchalant Instagram profile are all we have to go on.

“Jaded Bagels is a small bagel shop in Lake City built around one simple idea: your bagel should be baked when you want it, not hours before,” states their website. “We don’t bake once. We bake all day. Our bagels are naturally fermented and baked fresh in small batches throughout the day, so yours is never from the morning and never sitting on a shelf. We’re a neighborhood spot focused on doing one thing exceptionally well: serving truly fresh bagels, hour by hour.”

Friend of the Newsletter Jason Parker was first on the scene, praising the flavor in spite of interior air pockets. The Infatuation’s Aimee Rizzo soon followed, and they’ve already slotted the bagel at No. 6 overall in Seattle.

My interests were, of course, piqued. Not just about the bagel, but also about how this place just magically appeared on the corner of 125th and Lake City Way. What I was able to find out is… something I can’t share yet.

Full disclosure, I agreed to an embargo about the shop and what they’re planning, and I’ll be able to share more later this week. But in the meantime, I can defintely check to see if Seattle suddenly just found its next great bagel.

If you want to know how I define a good bagel, you can find it here.

Plain bagel ($2.80)
Everything bagel ($2.80)
4 oz. scallion cream cheese tub ($4.00)

THE EXPERIENCE

I try not to visit bagel shops when they first open. I’ve learned to give them a chance to grow into their vision. However, with Jaded’s sudden and unexpected arrival, it felt like an immediate visit was part of the deal.

They officially opened their doors last Saturday, and I learned about them on Monday morning. On a lark, I decided to swing by Monday afternoon, though I didn’t have a gameplan until I walked through the front doors.

What I found was a tiny shop still in transition. There was a menu and a few placards. One extremely friendly cashier, the only employee on hand, stood in front of baskets of bagels, while cookies lined the counter window. He gave me the schpiel, explaining that they employ the rip-and-dip method that Hey Bagel customers know well. I made a game-time decision to purchase one of each flavor available that day (plain, sesame, poppy seed, everything, onion & salt, jalapeño cheddar, and pizza) as well as a selection of schmears.

I’d arrived in the afternoon, and the bagels were cold, which didn’t align with the mission statement on their website. I decided to enjoy the bagels rather than treat them as a review. I found a lot to like during my sampling, in terms of chew and flavors, though the salt one had a strange aftertaste, and the schmears were hit-and-miss.

I figured I’d give them a few more days to work out the kinks before I returned. And then I found myself with way too much free time on Wednesday, so I decided to go for it.

UPON FIRST GLANCE

This time I arrived early (9 a.m.). But again, while I wouldn’t say the bagels were cold, I also wouldn’t say they were hot and fresh. I think their “we bake all day” system was still being refined (I did see a rack of uncooked bagels ready to go next to the oven).

As for how the bagels looked, they were plump, golden, and clearly hand-rolled, so all of that seemed promising.

TOP

The plain bagel was a biggie, on par with Hey Bagel or Mt. Bagel in size. It featured a tight center and a swirling design with several textural grooves. The top was extremely blistered, with a golden-brown color and dark brown spots along one side. The top was soft and pressed inward, portending an internal airiness.

The everything bagel was similiar, with a large size and a tiny center. It also appeared to feature a wrap-around roll with a slight nub at one end. Talk about a strong seed hand; this thing was drowning in a sesame and poppy seed-forward seasoning mix. Some invariably came off as I handled it, but plenty remained. From what I could ascertain, the bagel’s coloring was golden brown throughout. The top had a firm feel thanks to the crust of seasoning, but this bagel also pressed inward.

BOTTOM

The bottom of the plain bagel was a melange of colors, with golden and dark brown spots across the surface, set off by a light brown center and sides. There were whisps of a Cornmeal Ring of Doom (CRoD). Soft but firm, the bottom crinkled in spots and even cracked as I pressed on a few spots.

The bottom of the everything bagel was a mix of colors, ranging from light to golden brown. I wasn’t able to confirm or deny any CRoD due to the seasoning’s intensity. The bottom was firm to the touch but pressed inward.

INSIDE/BITE

The plain bagel offered a tough rip, revealing a bready, sourdough aroma. The chew was substantial and doughy. I felt a slight crispness from the bite, and the bagel had a medium rebound afterward. I noted a whisp of crispiness in the chew as well. A sourdough sourness came through in the flavor, but didn’t overwhelm it. That airy interior was ever so slightly too moist, potentially from overboiling or underbaking.

The everything bagel offered a tough rip and a tough chew in a good way. It defintely made you work for it, but the flavor was well-balanced. The pops of salt in the everything mix (AS GOD INTENDED) brought out the rest of the seasoning, and I would have loved slightly more flecks in there.

The scallion cream cheese offered a nice equilibrium to the strong everything seasoning when used in the right amount. Featuring a slight tang, too much cream cheese threw off the balance. There were some crunchy scallion bits in there, which are always appreciated.

The interior of the bagel had that slight wetness, which impacted the density, but didn’t ruin the edibility. The bagel still had a medium rebound after the bite and whisps of crispness.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Overall, the plain bagel ate well but would benefit from slightly more texture. As for the everything bagel, some bites were more flavorful than others, and I would have loved a little more crispness, but it was an enjoyable experience as well. The interior moisture is an issue that can be addressed during baking, and I’ve been told the hot bagel expectation has been addressed since my visit.

There are still some kinks to work out, but this bagel has the chance to be considered among the best in Seattle once that happens. Even while picking those nits, I think it’s also deserving of a solid spot in the rankings.

Is It Good Enough For The Goys?

And just like that, the Lake City goyim has two solid bagel options within walking distance of each other: Little Rachel’s and Jaded. Throw in Zylberschtein’s, a five-minute car ride away, and Northeast Seattle suddenly has a mini bagel scene. While the other two have had time to build up loyal followings, Jaded has thrown down the gauntlet to say they deserve a shot as well.

Is It Good Enough For Northeastern Jews?

The whole rip & dip thing might still take some getting used to for traditionalists, but if you like Hey Bagel and Mt. Bagel, there’s no reason not to give Jaded a shot as well. Assuming they’ve worked out the process, it’s hard to beat the feeling of getting a warm bagel fresh out of the oven, and if they can nail that, I think it’ll put them near the top of the list for a lot of my Northeastern compatriots.

MY CURRENT SEATTLE BAGEL RANKINGS (2/1/26)

Hey Bagel (University Village) – 1st visit, 2nd visit
Backyard Bagel (Fremont) – 1st visit, 2nd visit, 3rd visit
Bagel Oasis (Ravenna) – 1st visit, 2nd visit, 3rd visit
Mt. Bagel (Madison Valley) – 1st visit, 2nd visit
Backyard Bagel (Ravenna) – 1st visit
Bloom Bistro (Georgetown) – 1st visit, 2nd visit
Sully Eats – 1st visit, 2nd visit, 3rd visit
Freshborn Bagels (Ballard) – 1st visit
Jaded Bagels (Lake City)
Little Rachel’s (Lake City) – 1st visit
Salmonberry Goods (Ballard) – 1st visit, 2nd visit, 3rd visit
Old Salt (Fremont) – 1st visit, 2nd visit, 3rd visit
Old Salt (Ballard) – 1st visit, 2nd visit
Toasted Bagels & Coffee (South Lake Union) – 1st visit
Toasted Bagels & Coffee (U District) – 1st visit
Oxbow (Montlake) – 1st visit, 2nd visit, 3rd visit
Loxsmith Bagels (West Seattle) – 1st visit
Rubinstein Bagels (Capitol Hill) – 1st visit, 2nd visit
Loxsmith Bagels (Beacon Hill) – 1st visit, 2nd visit
Midnight Bagels (U District) – 1st visit
Golden Wheat Bakery (Central District) – 1st visit
Zylberschtein’s (Pinehurst) – 1st visit, 2nd visit
Rubinstein Bagels (South Lake Union) – 1st visit
Rubinstein Bagels (Eastlake) – 1st visit
Rachel’s Bagels & Burritos (Ballard) – 1st visit, 2nd visit, 3rd visit
Macrina Bakery (Capitol Hill) – 1st visit
Westman’s (Capitol Hill) – 1st visit, 2nd visit, 3rd visit, 4th visit
Cafe Argento (Capitol Hill) – 1st visit
Eltana (Wallingford) – 1st visit
Grateful Bread (Ravenna) – 1st visit, 2nd visit
Eltana (Capitol Hill) – 1st visit, 2nd visit
Westman’s (U District) – 1st visit
Yuu Tea Cafe (Columbia City) – 1st visit
Blazing Bagels (Ravenna) – 1st visit, 2nd visit
Einstein Bros. Bagels (U Village) – 1st visit
Dingfelder’s (Capitol Hill) – 1st visit
Cafe Solstice (U District) – 1st visit
Bagelbop (Pike Place Market) – 1st visit
Tous les Jours (Capitol Hill) – 1st visit

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