Pearl's Bagels — Restaurant in Washington

This is a famous bagel spot in dc, and just like other famous food spots, it's not up to bar. (honestly, dc has a lower standard when it comes to food than other metropolitans that it's just pathetic).

So, the food: $2 bagel handmade, seems innocent. Well, just because it's handmade doesn't equal to good taste: the flour it uses is below average (so make sure you avoid their plain or sesame bagels the non-flavored ones in general), the yeast/ dough ratio is too low yielding a jelly texture, the shell is not crunchy. In sum, it fails in all 3 aspects of a bagel. But to be fair, as a bagel not a sandwich, it's not bad, slightly average above I'd say. 3 stars for the salty bagels, 2 for the rest.

It's the sandwich that took things further to the wrong direction. Other than ingredients being fresh, there's nothing to it. Cutting the open from the belt already exposed the weakness: dry. In a few minutes, the bagel tastes like a room temperature costco ciabatta. I got a egg and cream cheese, and a lox classic = $18 without tax! Yup, $14 for the ingredients. But the most frustrating thing about the sandwich is the cream cheese: they spread only one side of the bagel, and 3 quarters of it at the center (look at other reviewer's photos). I have to spread the cream cheese with my tongue when I eat it, not to mention the cream cheese is all over my mouth! I mean come on guys!

Long line, take out, no service or atmosphere to speak of. So yeah, save some money and get a better bagel sandwich at...

1/13/23 First try. Probably a local favorite but overrated to me. Service was so-so. Staff was talking amongst themselves mostly. Small and impersonal space. Tried the classic lox onion bagel with carrot lox (smaller than Instagram pics, good but micro greens overpowering the carrot lox and the onions were too charred so the bagel tasted burnt). Also tried the egg & cheese, regrettably with an everything bagel (should’ve chosen the Cin-raisin or plain) as it overpowered the flavors. The bagels were tough and dry by lunchtime. Drove 40mins with frustrating parking so I expected more than I received. Presentation was sloppy and substantially less than what’s pictured on Instagram which is how I discovered Pearls. Disappointed. Why did I deserve that bagel pictured below.

1-17-23 Response to response: I am from California and although clearly you enjoy catching the bus I have never and would never to visit this establishment. Your response is a reflection of the food you serve and I will most certainly initiate a refund. Best wishes in business as they do come and go quickly.

—update:

Just refunded you. I’d hope you’d update your review to at least say we take complaints seriously and rethink trashing a small local business with only one location. We are trying our best and not going to please everyone. But we’ll at least try to make any one star experience a...

Ordered 2 BEC on everything and an everything toasted with scallion cream cheese. The scallion cream cheese one saved Pearl's for us, and is why I gave 2 instead of 1 star. The BEC bagels were SO BLAND. The bacon was far too thick and so chewy, way too thick. The amount of egg was crazy, it was so thick and overtook. Egg itself is not super flavorful and it overpowered the bagel with bland. Cheese fine whatever. But at least the toasted bagel with the scallion cream cheese was good- the cream cheese had a solid amount of chive and scallion, which is usually a big complaint of mine (for other bagel joints) is the scallions are too far and few between! So I liked this quite a bit. Also- the everything bagels I think were too overloaded with the everything seasoning- hence, they weren't toasted enough because staff is (rightfully) afraid burning them and causing a burnt/bitter bagel. There was a bit too much for me and I would have preferred a harder toast. Overall, this place strikes me as more of an Instagram tourist spot than a spot where people who like good bagels and bagel sandwiches would actually go. Like i said the cream cheese saved, but didn't make it worth the value or time spent getting there, waiting in line and...