Courage Bagels

"Gather ’round, boys and girls, because Courage is teaching a master class in LA bagel-making. Some insist the bagels here are Montreal-style, but they're also their own thing entirely: slightly smaller, thinner, and sweeter than the New York-style bagels found at places like Maury’s, Brooklyn Bagels, and Hank’s, and essentially closer to fancy bread that just happened to be made in a ring shape. If you opt for toppings (which you should), the bagels are served open-faced with things like thick, hand-sliced smoked salmon with cream cheese, cucumbers, heirloom tomatoes, dill, pepper, and drizzles of olive oil—which makes for thoroughly well-seasoned bagels that look and taste like works of art." - sylvio martins, arden shore, garrett snyder, cathy park

"A favorite of Gary Baum, offering a unique dining experience." - Eater Staff

"On weekends, lines stretch down the block for Courage Bagels’ hole-y creations. Ari Skye and Chris Moss started serving their smallish, crisp, fermented “Montreal and California-style” bagels from a bicycle and built a fast following for not only the carbs, but market-fresh toppings like heirloom tomatoes, cucumbers, and fresh dill. Special touches like wild salmon roe, sardines, and hand-sliced salmon make even the utilitarian bagel feel luxurious. Pro tip: Don’t sleep on the burnt everything." - Rebecca Roland, Eater Staff

"Courage Bagels makes the best bagels in Los Angeles—but perhaps you already knew that? Since opening in October 2020, this order-at-the-counter bagel shop in Virgil Village has captured the hearts of everyone we knew: New Yorkers, locals, people who avoid carbs like the plague. The small, thin, sweetish, and slightly charred bagels at Courage have been called Montreal-style, but really, they're their own thing. They're topped with a basket's worth of local produce, and are dense and crispy, releasing a sharp crack when you bite into one. Lines will be long. Order the hand-sliced smoked salmon and Run It Through The Garden, a greenhouse-like bagel that's uniquely Californian. " - brant cox, nikko duren, arden shore, sylvio martins

"If you have a working internet connection and an Instagram account, chances are, you’ve heard of Courage Bagels. This small Virgil Village bakery pumps out bagels that are (gasp) even better than the ones made in New York City. Needless to say, a trip here should be at the top of your to-do list. The order-at-the-window spot specializes in denser, crispier bagels than what you might find in New York, topped with unique ingredients like salmon roe, heirloom tomatoes, handfuls of dill, or cucumbers that taste like they were picked that morning. Lines tend to get pretty long on weekends (we’re talking hour-plus), so either come right when they open or be prepared to wait." - brant cox, nikko duren, garrett snyder, sylvio martins