Serendipitous South County Bagels

By Dave Lieberman Tue., Jan. 4 2011 at 10:30 AM

Dave Lieberman

Dave Lieberman

During some culinary exploration in South County last week, I pulled in to a ghastly new-OC type plaza on El Toro Road and smelled . . . bagels. Real bagels. Good bagels. I thought I'd been hallucinating because OC's bagel scene is pretty dire.

Dave Lieberman

I was pretty surprised, then, when I walked into Bagel Shack and got a poppy-seed bagel with cream cheese. Great crust; a little spongy inside, but a bite of a raisin bagel I bought for a friend didn't have that problem. Now, H&H they're not; they're not Ess-A-Bagel either, and they're not even Bagel Nosh (the Santa Monica bagelry owned by a family from New Jersey), but these were a cut above most other bagels in Orange County.

Next thing you know, there'll be great pastrami down there. (Is there? IS THERE?)

Keep surprising me, South OC.

The Bagel Shack, 777 S. El Camino Real, San Clemente, (949) 388-0745; 23653 El Toro Rd., Lake Forest, (949) 305-2034; 31876 Del Obispo Rd., Ste. 1, San Juan Capistrano, (949) 488-8023; thebagelshack.com.

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The Bagel Shack

777 S. El Camino Real, San Clemente, CA

Category: Restaurant

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nycinoc

Bagel Nosh opened a place out here? I had no idea.As for h&h, there shipping costs have increased dramatically (something like $40.00 for a few dozen bagels) so I've written them off and now just order from Zabar's (free shipping)

Dave Lieberman

The problem with Zabar's is that the bagels come stuck to each other and they don't really compare to fresh. Still not bad, though.

Bagel Nosh is on Wilshire and 17th in Santa Monica. If I recall aright, they're the same people who used to run the Bagel Nosh in the Woodbridge Center mall.

Guest

Pastrami:Kosher Bite Deli & Meat MarketSte H, 23595 Moulton Parkway, Laguna Hills, CA 92653 (949) 770-1818

Niyazpirani

Love the spinach parmesan bagel at I Heart Bagels.

Niyazpirani

1) This place only serves food in foam containers. One bagel, one container. It's terrible for the environment and it steams the bagel, creating a chewier-than-usual texture. FAIL. 2) I hear they make bagel burgers if you ask them too. Jus' sayin'.

But, as far as taste ... yeah, these are pretty legit if you eat them in house.

Dave Lieberman

Huh? Mine came wrapped in paper in a paper sack. Maybe they got a clue.

Kerri

love the shout-out to Ess-a-Bagel! I lived across the street from it in NYC, and I miss it every Sunday morning! Thanks for the tip on Bagel Shack.

Johnny

Bagels and Brew

Jeff Overley

Thanks Dave, I actually included this in our weekend dining guide (along with Bagel Me!) for this coming Saturday, based on Yelp reviews, so good to have your blessing.

Josh

Been there, not that good. Try "I Heart Bagels" they have one in Mission Viejo, one in Laguna and another one in South OC I think (Dana Point maybe), far superior. Heck Brueggers is actually very good as well.

Dave Lieberman

Yikes. Brueggers is not at all my taste—they're like doughy pieces of round bread, at least the one in RSM on Antonio and Coto de Caza. I'll look up I Heart Bagels.