This is a small family run business so do support it for that reason. The bagels are perfection. They have a sourdough flavor that almost seems nutty. It's complex. The bagels last longer than most I purchase. I think that may be due to it being a natural sourdough. Days after purchasing I can pop one in the toaster oven (whole) and light toast. When it cools it's got a crispy exterior with a chewy interior just like it was on the first day of purchase. Yum, yum, yum.

This small bagel shop consists of an order window on the exterior and the kitchen behind that. It seems to be primary takeout only as I don't recall seeing any tables or anywhere to sit outside. Maybe they put out tables during the summer? I arrived a couple of minutes before they closed to pick up some schmear in addition to the surprise bag I ordered. The items I got in the bag were only a couple of hours from being freshly baked so I think it's still fair to rate the items I tried out the same day: Everything Bagel (Normally $3 each) - I received eight different bagels and I started with the Everything, eaten as soon as I got home. This bagel is a a bit tough to bite into with the interior chewy and dense but also kind of bready. The exterior is aesthetically dressed with plenty of everything mixture. For some reason instead of individual components falling off, it comes off in clumps. The toppings are pretty sticky to the touch, so I think they use some kind of spray or syrup to make everything stick on. I think the mixture is a little heavier on the salt vs other places. Interestingly enough, there are reviews from prior years complaining about caraway seeds and lack of salt on the bagels. There must have been a recipe change because now there is plenty of salt and no caraway. There's not really any crust on the exterior of the bagel, which means no crisp/crunch, but that could be due to getting the bagel towards the end of the day. It's very well risen with barely a hole in the center. The bagel has an interesting crevice that almost spirals through the bagel, likely from hand shaping and rolling the dough into a torus. The bagel interior has a tiny bit of sweetness and tastes like there's perhaps whole wheat mixed into the flour. It's almost a little brownish in color instead of the usually pale color from refined and bleached flour. The bagel is about average size for what you can get in Seattle. One side of the bagel is noticeably bigger than the other, but the cook seems to be pretty even throughout. (4/5) Baked Brioche Pastry (Normally $4.50) - This pastry consists of tangy sweetened blueberries embedded in a sweet almond frangipane and baked in a dense and chewy brioche. I'm not an expert at grains but the brioche has a certain flavor to it that isn't like most. Maybe a little rye or some other grain in the flour mixture. (4/5) Churro-style Brioche Donut (Normally $4.50) - This is basically a donut, nice springy and chewy inside, the size of a bagel. It's covered in cinnamon and sugar, and has that excellent fried dough taste and chew. The donut is a good sweetness level - not cloyingly sweet like most donut shops. The brioche here is much lighter and fluffier than in the pastry and doesn't have the same grain flavor. It's definitely a different dough. (5/5) Roasted Garlic Whipped Cream Cheese, 8 oz ($11.50) - This was the only item I picked up outside of the bag. I had no idea how much the schmear cost before I ordered it since they had already taken the signboards inside. I was expecting maybe $8 or $9 for 8oz, which is around how much it costs at other bagel shops in Seattle. Never did I image it would be $11.50.... I can say that while whipped, it's still pretty thick, and it has plenty of garlic flavor. It does seem to be high quality, with tender whole roasted garlic cloves mashed in. The sugars have caramelized so there's a bit of sweetness with the roasty garlic flavor. The schmear is good, but I don't know if it's 40% better than other bagel shops... (4/5) Zylberschtein's has monthly cream cheese specials - this month is a rhubarb jam cream cheese. I'd definitely return to Zylberschtein's for bagels and pastries. I might have to visit another shop for the schmear though!

All I can say is OH MY GOSH!!! So delicious, I had the sesame bagel with chive smear! I think this is my new favorite bagel spot! I love that there's parking and so easy to get to. So that's the extra topping on the proverbial bagel!! I can't wait to try the pastrami on my next visit..

Had a great pastrami bagel sandwich for breakfast today. The line shows how popular this spot is. Since I live over in West Seattle I stocked up on a half dozen for later too. Wish they had a shop in my area!

I placed my order up at the window. Displays of pastries caught my eye. Everything looked scrumptious. We didn't have to wait long for our orders to go. They have complimentary water outside and tables outside to sit down, even a covered heated area as well. I ordered the everything bagel toasted with the roast garlic schmear. Holy cow, the schmear had whole roasted garlic cloves. I was hoping for a pungent garlic flavor but it lacked the strong garlic flavor even though there were whole roasted garlic cloves. I love everything bagels even though they are so messy. I love how they give me a really hefty portion of the schmear. By the time I had ate the bagel when we got the viewpoint my bagel was cold, but it was still delicious and soft. I'm excited to try their other flavors next time. They also have seasonal flavors as well! I hear the brioche donuts are amazing.

Great menu, easy access. Unbelievable sandwiches. I had a Club sandwich Turkey, bacon, ham, Swiss, avocado, lettuce and mayo on sourdough. $17.00 My husband had a Skokie Corned beef on rye with coleslaw, Swiss and Reuben dressing. $23.00 Not sure how one person can eat that in a one sitting, but it's possible. Excellent, friendly service. Very clean. We will be back to work our way through the menu!

These are better bagels than many places in the region. Top 10 list for sure, but they just aren't consistent. The sizes vary too much, as does edge-to-edge thickness. And the bagels are on the smaller size. And I don't know what's up with the brownish color interior. Barley malt, perhaps? If I were in the area, I would stop for a bagel. But I would not drive her just for bagels again. The other baked goods I tried were not so good.

I've been wanting to try Zylberschtein's for a few years now, and finally was in the neighborhood. I went on a weekday around lunch time and it wasn't too busy, there were 2 other people in front of me in line. I originally was thinking about getting a sandwich, but I really wanted to have the bagel be the highlight so I ended up ordering a salt bagel with cream cheese and a jam filled doughnut. As they were preparing my order they came up to me and said they had ran out of salt bagels and offered me a choice of the remaining bagels. I ended up getting an onion bagel. I sat outside in their covered patio area. The doughnut was slightly sweet and rolled with sugar, it was absolutely delicious! When my bagel arrived, I bit into it and was immediately impressed with the chewiness and flavor of the bagel. The one thing I was a bit surprised about was the consistency of the cream cheese, it was a little runny in comparison to other bagel shops, however still delicious! However, the Zylberschtein's bagel may be the best quality bagel I've had in seattle so far! I was very impressed and will definitely be returning.