Athens Bagel Company

By Zach Jones

In a small-town famous for its diverse food selection, Athens Bagel Company brings you that authentic northeastern style bagel that I have missed oh so much.

Located on N Jackson St, Athens, Ga is this hidden gem of a bagel shop. As you walk in you will either remember or be introduced to what a small family owned northeastern bagel shop looks and feels like. The bagels reminded me of Sunday mornings when my father would drive down the block in Phillipsburg, NJ to the local bagel shop to get a baker’s dozen.

I first had to try the constant in any bagel shop which is an everything bagel with plain cream cheese. There is just nothing better. It has that large puffy yet crunchy texture that every quality northeastern bagel has. This comes from boiling the bagel before baking it. The cream cheese is great, but plain cream cheese is too hard to screw up so we will not go much further into that.  The bagel checks all the boxes with a fresh taste and texture that is unmatched anywhere in the south.

Athens Bagel Co also has a wide variety of options for anyone who wants more than just the classic plain cream cheese. They’ve got great classic combos such as cream cheese with lox or with chives too. Though where they really hit it out of the park is the out of the norm cream cheese spreads. The two that I found to be the best was a jalapeño cream cheese on a jalapeño cheddar bagel and the wild snickerdoodle cream cheese spread on a cinnamon raisin bagel.

One other bagel shop staple that Athens Bagel does a great job with is the hot bagel breakfast sandwiches. Their sausage egg and cheese bagels are one to write home about. The bagel is what makes it great, but the meat and cheese is nothing to sleep on.

One of the best things about Athens Bagel is its fair prices. Two bagels and cream cheese only cost you about five dollars and some change. They’ve also got the hardware to back up why they are such a great breakfast spot. They have won Athens Banner Herald’s “Best Bagel” from 2013-2015, “Best Breakfast” from 2014-2015, and “Best Business Lunch” in 2014.

The vibe of the bagel shop is one that reminds you of a classic bagel shop with a college town twist. They have the baskets of bagels behind the counter to see what is available, and a simple menu that is written on a blackboard. Though they’ve also got a huge projector TV and rather than the people who own the place at the cashier it is usually college students.

This bagel shop is hands down the best in Athens. It is so good that the famous Jittery Joe’s even sell their bagels in their coffee shops. Comparing Athens Bagel Co. to the Einstein Bagel Shop right around the corner isn’t even fair. Athens Bagel beats them at freshness, prices and even how fast the line moves. I suggest you get out there and try the best bagel in Athens. Although, you may want to get up early to make sure you don’t miss out on that perfect everything bagel.