Bagels are a dime a dozen, but it takes sampling to find good ones with their signature shine, density and chew.
We asked readers to nominate their favorites for our Taste Test. On a recent Wednesday, three testers volunteered their time to blind taste the three most-nominated bagel shops in Hampton Roads.
The bagels — the plain variety — earned points in five categories: aroma, exterior, interior, overall taste and value. Testers’ scores were added and averaged to arrive at the final score.
Here’s what they liked. Comments have been lightly edited.
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Winner
A plain bagel from Baker’s Crust Bagel. (Kendall Warner/The Virginian-Pilot)
Baker’s Crust Bagel
1624 Laskin Road, Virginia Beach; 3388 Princess Anne Road, Virginia Beach; bakerscrustbagel.com
This shop serves bagels partially boiled from Ess-a-Bagel in New York City (Manhattan, to be specific) and then baked fresh on-site. The Laskin Road location opened in 2024, and the business said on Facebook that its Landstown Commons spot opened in March.
Price: $2.75
Score: 81
What they said:
“Smells fresh, kind of nutty and kind of malty.” — Kristina
“A very good bagel, but a little too fat — about 1.5 inches.” — Steven
“The texture is exactly what I expect: dense, chewy, balanced between moist and dry. Even though it’s a plain bagel, it has flavor on its own.” — Lynette
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Second place
A plain bagel from Yorgo’s Bageldashery. (Kendall Warner/The Virginian-Pilot)
Yorgo’s Bageldashery
2123 Colonial Ave., Norfolk; yorgosbageldashery.com; 757-623-6609
Yorgo’s, in the Ghent Historic District, makes vegan bagels with 100% organic flour. The mainstay shop started selling bagels more than three decades ago in Selden Arcade, downtown, for 35 cents, The Virginian-Pilot reported.
Price: $2.25
Score: 69
What they said:
“Too dry to eat without cream cheese.” — Kristina
“If boiled longer, it would be a wonderful bagel.” — Steven
“Nice aroma with a balance of malty and sweet.” — Lynette
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Third place
A plain bagel from The Bagel Baker. (Kendall Warner/The Virginian-Pilot)
The Bagel Baker
1340 N. Great Neck Road, Virginia Beach; thebagelbaker.com; 757-965-3050
The family-owned shop has prepared preservative-free, New York-style bagels every morning since 2011.
Price: $1.99
Score: 42
What they said:
“It’s too squishy and dense inside. It sticks to my teeth too much.” — Kristina
“It’s like a dinner roll inside a bagel.” — Steven
“Pale color, which is fine, just less than ideal.” — Lynette
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The taste testers
Bagel taste-tester Kristina Pilcher. (Kendall Warner/The Virginian-Pilot)
Kristina Pilcher, 34, Norfolk
Occupation: Longshoreman
Nominated: Yorgo’s Bageldashery
On bagels: A dear friend took me to my first bagel shop years ago and I’ve been making memories with my loved ones around them ever since.
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Bagel taste-tester Steven Marsey. (Kendall Warner/The Virginian-Pilot)
Steven Marsey, 69, Virginia Beach
Occupation: Manage my real estate portfolio.
Favorite bagel: My own sesame bagel fresh out of the oven.
On bagels: It’s all about the chew. And, cinnamon raisin is not a bagel.
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Bagel taste-tester Lynette Mason. (Kendall Warner/The Virginian-Pilot)
Lynette Mason, 55, Norfolk
Occupation: Project manager
Nominated: Yorgo’s Bageldashery
On bagels: They should be denser than a slice of bread, and the outside should be firm without being crusty. Flavors are fun, but I have only one no-no: blueberries.
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Rekaya Gibson, 757-295-8809, rekaya.gibson@virginiamedia.com
