The best bagels in Miami, from old-school delis to new classics

Once upon a time, Matteson Koche took a trip out to L.A. and had a bagel epiphany when he found young dudes rolling bagels using old-school techniques. He came back to Miami and started El Bagel out of his home in 2017. Now, with a storefront on Biscayne Boulevard, he's using those same techniques to put out long fermented sourdough bagels that are deeply flavorful, perfectly chewy and, quite simply, the new standard in what a bagel can be. 

Inside one of our favorite places to breakfast our way through a hangover, All Day Cafe has a second menu of what it calls Florida-style bagels. Don’t think that means they’re stuffed with Key lime pie. Actually, they’re soft and tender inside but with a nice chew. The outside is crusty, like a New York style. They’re larger than a Montreal style. Original and pretty great, actually. One complaint: They never seem to make enough, meaning if you want a Florida-style bagel, you best get there before 10, my friend.

The twin brothers behind Toasted, Khaled and Sam Mohammed, have cloned their always-popular Brickell spot into several locations in Miami. There’s lots of varieties of bagels and toppings and schmears, meaning a visit here could always be new—even though we’re partial to a toasted sesame with lox-spiked cream cheese.

The tiny little deli in Surfside has always been about messing with the classics, like the Jewban, a Jewish-inspired version of a Cuban sandwich, or latkes with spicy tuna and sriracha cream cheese. But Josh Marcus doesn't seem to mess with the bagel, instead rolling out very excellent ones to go along with whatever new experiment he's concocting.

Far from a bagel shop, you won’t find lots of varieties or options at Zak’s—typically just a bagel, dressed up with cream cheese or turned into a sandwich. But what you’ll find with that darling little round of dough is a well-done bagel, like everything at Zak’s, made with care and attention to every step along the way. 

Available for pickup or delivery, Bagel Max’s bagels have the sweetness of a Montreal-style with all of the hefty chew of a New York variety. Hand-rolled in small batches from wild yeast and specialty flour, they're delightfully inconsistent in their shape but decidedly flavorful in their sourdough tang. 7728 Collins Ave, Miami Beach

Turmeric root grown nearby on the farm owned by husband and wife Walter Chefitz and Adena Ellenby go into the yellow-hued bagels sold on Sundays only in a Kendall farmstand. Dotted with everything spice on the outside and served with scallion cream cheese, this bagel is a $5 marvel. 13591 SW 135th Ave

This new-ish brunch mainstay in Coconut Grove from the folks behind Carbone does a very Insta-worthy thing with its bagels, serving six of them upright in a tower along with all the accouterment expected therein. It’s an extravagant bagel journey, what with its $139 price tag. But are you really going to let down your follower(s)?

You'll hear a bevy of New York accents while in line at Bagel Bar East, where the transplants have come for years now to feel like they're back in one of the boroughs. There's a dozen varieties here, and there's no skimping on the toppings—the fish platter for two could seriously use a larger plate. 

The Jewish delis of Miami Beach might largely be a thing of the past (we miss you, Wolfie Cohen’s Rascal House). But Roasters ‘N Toasters still brings us back to all the ambiance-free dining we did with Bubbe back in the day. The bagels are not some chef-y recreation but just as doughy as you remember them, best done up toasted with a scoop of white fish or sandwich style with lox and capers. Just like the old days.