Backyard Bagel - Fremont — Restaurant in Seattle

I'd heard this bagel spot was good, but it was so much more than that - just absolutely incredible

I got the Ballard Lox sandwich - which is a pretty standard bagel & lox, coming with capers, a dill cream cheese schmear, red onions, and a couple cucumbers. Every part of this bagel sandwich is truly outstanding, but I have to start with the bagel itself

This bagel was pretty much perfect. It was crispy on the outside - producing a sound when knocking on either side. It wasn't overly hard or anything - but just the right amount to give a firm texture when biting in - that was the case on both sides. On the contrary, the inside was incredibly fluffy and soft. It was the opposite of chewy - everything felt so light and easy to eat. A lot of times, in a bagel sandwich, the bagel can be on the harder & chewy side, to hold in the ingredients. This was not the case here at all - as the bagel would've been amazing just by itself. The variation of bagel I got was the everything bagel - and I'm pleased to report that the seeds and toppings were incredible - and very plentiful. While there were a few gaps on the top, the bottom was especially densely packed with these. One thing that they got right with the bagel was the seasonings. The salt level was literally perfect - enough that you could taste it but not enough that it became too salty. Perfect stuff The bagels here weren't toasted, and i didn't ever feel like they needed to be

All that being said, my absolute favorite part of the bagel was the lox. This was easily the best lox I've ever had in a bagel. It was so addicting that I would've eaten an entire container of just the lox by itself if such a creation existed. It's hard for me to describe how good it was. The texture was incredibly smooth - not a single bump or deviation. It was so tender, tasted very fresh, and again had great salt levels. It was practically melt-in-your-mouth level, which is not something I usually say about fish. It also didn't taste super fishy at all

Another very underrated part of the sandwich was the dill cream cheese spread. This was on both sides of the bagel, and super thick throughout. It was dense, fatty, and creamy. There was a mild, but not overpowering pickle flavor - but what truly made the whole sandwich great was how well the cream cheese paired with the lox to produce an outstanding flavor combination.

Maybe my only nitpick was I wasn't a huge fan of the cucumbers on this sandwich. Also, the pickled red onions tasted amazing, but they were really only on a small portion of my bagel (only the first half)

The portion size is pretty good sized - around 150g per half bagel sandwich, or about 300g in total. It's something that will leave you quite full after finishing. The other nice thing is that it's easy to take around - since the bagel isn't hot - I brought this back home, which took 30 minutes, and the quality was still amazing. For $16, it's a bit on the expensive side, but nothing too crazy

Overall, this is the best bagel sandwich I've ever had...

I’ve enjoyed their bagels before from the Ballard farmers market, so I was ecstatic to hear they were opening their own store. I visited on Friday at 7:45 AM, and there was already a line out the door. Unfortunately, the line moved slowly, and it was particularly cold that morning. It definitely won’t be pleasant when it rains since there’s not much space inside to wait.

When I finally got to the front, I saw why the line was slow: there were only two menus posted, one on a small piece of paper at the entrance and another at the front of the line. It would be nice if the menu were displayed on the wall or door so we could look at it while waiting. The menu mentioned asking about seasonal bagel flavors and schmear, which would be better posted somewhere or on their Instagram instead of having to ask. I already knew what I wanted, but this was likely causing the backup. Ordering a dozen bagels felt like a hassle. The employee had trouble catching my order, and while they considered writing it down, another employee suggested grabbing the bagels as I listed them. Although efficient, it would be nicer to tell the cashier my order and have another employee bag them up.

Now, onto the bagels—they were all amazing. I ordered every flavor except the plain bagel. The cheddar jalapeno and poppy salt were my favorites, with perfect texture and saltiness. I also had the salmon lox bagel on an everything bagel, which was excellent. The caper schmear was amazing, and I wish I had picked some up. The coffee, however, was disappointing, and I would skip it next time. I’m looking forward to trying their Cali Crisp next.

The interior is cute and spacious, with tables inside and outside for dining. I wish I lived closer so I could visit more often, but I will...

TL;DR - Flavorful, pillowy hot bagels and Stamp Act coffee (espresso, drip, cold brew). Come early and be prepared to wait. Three outdoor tables to eat with puppers. 🥯☕🐕‍🦺

Third time's a charm! ✨ We tried coming here two weekends in a row after they opened but kept coming too late (⚠️they sold out of bagels before noon and they close shop once the bagels are gone). Today we came with a vengeance right before opening, and there was already a 10-person line! They move fairly quickly, but since there's a constant line, you will have to wait a bit for your food and drinks. It is counter-service so at least there's no wait for tables. There is indoor seating and three 2-3 person tables just off the sidewalk (dogs allowed at the outdoor tables 🐶).

We got 2 Everything bagels 🥯 to-go (they will slice in half if you ask) and 2 cortados for dine-in (outside with the pup). They serve Stamp Act coffee 🙌☕ which was nicely prepared. We took the bagels home (I'm partial to Tillamook cream cheese..) and though still warm, we decided to lightly toast them. They were very fluffy and chewy, slightly sweet (in a good way), and generously topped with seeds (Everything bagels: poppyseeds, toasted sesame seeds, raw sesame seeds, garlic chips). Bagels cost $3 a piece, with a discount if you order larger quantities (i.e., 6 or 12 bagels).

Super excited to have this gem in the neighborhood. Looking forward to more weekends having bagels in our backyard at Backyard...