Courage Bagels — Restaurant in Los Angeles

TLDR: The hype is worth the long lines. Best 'Montreal style' bagel in LA?

In 90+ degrees heat on a Sunday, in a somewhat rough neighborhood, lies Courage bagels. Or a hole in the wall where you order, and sit outside on the sidewalk (they have some outdoor chairs and tables).

There were misters connected to buckets of water to cool the outdoor.

The line on a Sunday at 1.30 pm was short (5 mins wait), and the counter person was helpful in me making a choice. With 50 kinds of bagel combinations, you feel the pressure to make a selection. Luckily they allow for 'half' sandwiches that reduce your risk of a dud.

I asked for the best and was recommended everything bagel that was slightly burnt (yes that is an option) with smoked salmon, onion, capers, dill and cream cheese. I decided to not go plant based and go with the flow. Half a bagel 'sandwich' was around $13/$14 with tip.

It took 5 minutes and someone walks out, shouts out your name, and you claim your to-go container (that's the default).

The bagel is fresh, warm and smells great. Unlike many bagels that are dense, this one is light, almost like some of the insides are scooped out. The outside is crispy, with the 'everything' seasoning slightly burnt, giving it a caramel'ish taste. The smoked fish is unusually fresh and complements the light spread of cream cheese. With the onion, capers, dill, pickle, you have a perfect combination of a crisp bagel and the gooeyness of the cream cheese. What's clear is they have not skimped on the quality of the ingredients. This bagel was fresh and light. If I can complain, perhaps a bit too light, as half is unlikely to satisfy your appetite. Luckily I was on a food tour, with plenty of food to follow, but you may want to order 2 halves, esp. the one I did not try but they are famous for the one with sardines.

Many other guests had ordered drinks (coffee, hot chocolate) and most folks had ordered sandwiches, as opposed to just bagels with cream cheese. For the vegetarians, they have cashew cream cheese and veggie sandwich, along with veggie toppings to make your own creation.

This is a scene. You pay a price, in time (long lines) and in $$, but like an experience, you get what you pay for. Since Sunday, I have only craved their bagel 4 times, so looks like I'll be back.

Tip: Document coffee in Koreatown is 2 miles away and a great pit stop to get excellent coffee.

Tip: Easy street parking, free on Sundays, metered...

I woke up one morning on a mission. After weeks of stalking Courage Bagels on Instagram and seeing one of my absolute favorite humans, Luenell (spelled L-U-E-N-E-L-L, thank you very much), sitting there enjoying what looked like the crunchiest, most seductive salmon bagel known to man, I cracked. The craving had been building. The time had come.

I drove down, found the infamous line (because of course there’s a line), and took my place like a devoted carb disciple. I waited a solid 30 minutes, and let me tell you, not a single second of that wait was in vain.

I ordered the Burnt Everything Bagel, and baby, it was everything. That thing came out looking like it had been to war and came back victorious. Crisped to perfection, loaded with flavor, and carrying the kind of texture that makes you question all previous bagel choices in your life. I didn’t just order one. I ordered four. Maybe five. I blacked out somewhere between “I’ll take another one of those” and “just give me everything again.”

I couldn’t even start the car. I sat there in the parking lot like some wild animal, tearing into my bagel with the intensity of someone who just found food after wandering the desert. It was that serious.

Courage Bagels is not a bagel shop. It’s a culinary altar. The crowd is beautifully diverse, the ingredients are fresh, and the presentation is flawless. It's giving Brooklyn energy with California confidence. This place has found its niche and protected it like a national treasure.

And let me just say, unless the original owners are going to be personally supervising and inspecting every future bagel like it’s a newborn baby, they better not open a second location. Some things are too sacred to franchise.

So thank you, Courage Bagels, for having the nerve to serve a Burnt Everything Bagel that changed my life and for giving me the courage to stand in line and wait for a flavor revelation. I will absolutely be back. Next time, I’m coming with a folding chair, a good book,...

Yummy bagels, long line, tough parking. 70 minute wait on Saturday at 11am to get bagels (45 minutes spent waiting after ordering).

5/5 Bagels - I got them all whole with the burnt everything bagel + plain cream cheese and I wouldn't have it any other way

Roe! - |4/5| - I wouldn't order just this or eat a whole one. The salmon roe is salty by nature and needs a different half that isn't so umami (cream cheese tomato or run the garden). If you love smoked salmon bagels and want to try something a little different this is the way to go.

Cream cheese tomato - |5/5| - I didn't expect to like this one as much as I did. I usually love a lox bagel but this one did it for me. The sweetness of the tomatoes + the salt/pepper/lemon was so simple yet just enough. Love the olive oil.

Simply delicious - |4/5| - It's like a simplified lox bagel. It left me wanting to try the hand sliced smoked salmon bagel to see how tomato + onion would make it more whole in flavor. Comes with 2 tiny crunchy pickles or cornichons(?)

5/5 Service - They aren't rude like some reviews say. While ordering, they will ask you if you'd like to tip which might be awkward for some. Otherwise, they will bring your food/drink to you. They have umbrellas for people waiting in the sun and a water dispenser for you to get water whenever you like. I heard them offering the party next to us to remake their drink because it had been sitting for awhile when they were attempting to find the party. They're thoughtful and do a good job with distributing everyone's order given the small space and large number of customers.

5/5 Ambiance - Very rustic and quick paced. Plenty of tables outside. With the wait, you'll be guaranteed to find a table before you get your food.

Difficult Parking - Some metered parking on Virgil. Mostly residential parking and lots of people emergency...