In Traverse City, a young baker once sold out of bagels at the farmers market by 8 or 9 in the morning. Today his shop still runs on the same rule: when the last bagel is gone, the day is done.
That kind of devotion to fresh dough shows up all over Michigan. One Detroit-area family has been rolling bagels since 1921, a Dearborn couple bakes theirs inside a car dealership, and a Marquette shop has fed the Upper Peninsula’s early risers for nearly three decades.
The best chewy, seed-crusted rounds in the state tend to vanish while the rest of the day is still getting started. From Detroit to the Upper Peninsula, these ten shops are worth an early alarm.
1. Bubbie’s Bagels
A 1 PM closing time sounds pretty generous until you learn the bagels can disappear well before it. When Bubbie’s Bagels sells out, the shop is done for the day, so treat this Traverse City stop like a morning appointment.
The bagels here are boiled and then baked, the old-school way. That method gives you a crisp crust with a chewy, fluffy inside, which is exactly what a proper bagel should deliver.
Lox lovers, pay close attention. Orders can arrive with Nova lox, cream cheese, salty capers, and pickled onions, so you get to build each bite yourself. Smoked whitefish salad is another favorite and makes a fine souvenir for your fridge back home.
Founder Sam Brickman started out selling bagels at the Traverse City farmers market in 2019, where he often sold out by 8 or 9 a.m. The shop name honors his grandmother, whose Friday-night baking inspired the whole business.
The shop is closed on Tuesdays, opens at 7 AM on the other weekdays, and starts at 8 AM on weekends. A free parking lot makes an early grab easy before a full day exploring northern Michigan, so don’t hit snooze.
Address: 1215 E Front St, Traverse City, MI 49686
2. Bagel Factory
No fancy lattes, no elaborate sandwiches, just a case full of bagels and a long list of cream cheeses. Southfield’s Bagel Factory keeps its focus exactly where it belongs.
The strip-mall shop near Telegraph and 12 Mile roads turns out a wide variety of flavors, with poppy, onion, and rye lined up in the display.
A salt bagel toasted with jalapeño cream cheese is a standout order, salty and spicy in all the right ways. Flavored cream cheese makes it easy to mix things up from one visit to the next.
This is a takeout-only operation with no dine-in seating, so plan to eat in the car or carry your bag home. A free parking lot sits right outside.
Hours run 7 AM to 3 PM Monday through Saturday, with Sunday closing an hour earlier at 2 PM. Since the best flavors tend to go first, an early stop is the smartest move.
Address: 24551 W 12 Mile Rd, Southfield, MI 48034
3. Detroit Bagel Factory
Opening at 6 AM seven days a week takes serious commitment, and this Livonia shop has kept the ovens busy for more than half a century. That’s decades of early alarms, and the bagels still sell out fast.
The secret is small batches. Detroit Bagel Factory bakes in rounds and sells them fresh, often just hours or even minutes after they leave the oven.
Choosing a flavor might be the hardest part of your morning. The list runs from Pumpernickel and Poppy to Jalapeno Mozzarella, Asiago, Chocolate Chip, Cinnamon Sugar, and crunchy Salt Sticks.
Pair any bagel with homemade whipped cream cheese, like Scallion, Garlic and Onion, Veggie, Blueberry, Jalapeno, or Lox Spread. Most bagels are vegan except the Asiago and Mozzarella, and the shop offers vegan cream cheeses too.
Mark your calendar for Tuesday, when Bagel Tuesday brings 13 bagels for a special price. Holiday bagels add extra fun, including green ones for St. Patrick’s Day.
Address: 18760 Middlebelt Rd, Livonia, MI 48152
4. Terra Bagels
Cookie Butter schmear is a real thing in Grand Rapids, and it’s every bit as fun as it sounds. Terra Bagels offers more than 15 homemade schmears, which makes deciding at the counter a pleasant kind of problem.
The flavor list stretches far beyond plain. You’ll find Huckleberry, Harissa, Pimento Cheese, Smoked Whitefish, Mushroom and Goat Cheese, and Artichoke and Kale.
Bagels get boiled and baked fresh daily, with Dukkah, Sea Salt, Italian Herbs and Cheese, and Jalapeño Cheddar in the rotation. Gluten-free bagels are on the menu too, but they can go low early.
Sandwich fans should look at the Pastrami, stacked with smoked pastrami, scrambled eggs, pickles, and pimento schmear on pumpernickel. The Eastown sandwich piles avocado, hummus, beets, and sprouts on a gluten-free bagel.
The team behind Eastown’s Terra restaurant opened this shop a few doors away in September 2020, bringing the same farm-to-table approach to bagels. A second location now operates downtown, and weekend mornings bring the biggest crowds at both.
Address: 1413 Lake Dr SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49506
5. Third Street Bagel
Up in Marquette, the jalapeño cheddar bagels have a habit of vanishing quickly. If spicy and cheesy is your thing, Third Street Bagel rewards the early birds of the Upper Peninsula.
The doors open at 6:30 AM on weekdays and 7 AM on weekends. That early start gives you a fighting chance before the most popular flavors run dry.
Breakfast sandwiches are the main event for plenty of hungry visitors. One favorite stacks eggs, turkey, provolone, and cream cheese. A bagel with Nutella and strawberries tastes like dessert pretending to be breakfast, and it’s a popular way to start the day.
Owner Christal Silta has kept this downtown Marquette shop going since the mid-1990s, and a 2023 renovation added a salad station without changing the bagels regulars love.
If you’d rather stay a while, the shop offers dine-in seating, free Wi-Fi, and a clean, welcoming atmosphere. Weekends get busy from morning into the afternoon, while Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons are calmer.
Address: 429 N 3rd St, Marquette, MI 49855
6. Eastside Bagel
Michigan cherry almond cream cheese might be the most local schmear on this whole list. You’ll find it at Eastside Bagel, the St. Clair Shores shop that Tasting Table named the best bagel shop in Michigan.
That kind of title brings crowds, and the shelves feel it. Show up late and you might find only one or two flavors left, which is a tough way to start your day.
The bagels are New York-style, boiled and then baked for a chewy bite with real flavor and texture. Besides the cherry almond, cream cheese choices include scallion, lox, sun-dried tomato, and garlic and chive.
Things get creative at lunchtime. The fusion sandwiches include a Chicken Caesar on a parmesan bagel and Hickory Smoked Brisket on an everything bagel.
This place has been serving New York-style bagels in St. Clair Shores for about three decades. Doors open at 6 AM on weekdays, 7 AM Saturday, and 8 AM Sunday, and online ordering for pickup is the best way to skip the gamble on empty bins.
Address: 21601 Harper Ave, St Clair Shores, MI 48080
7. Bev’s Bagels
Spicy furikake on a bagel is exactly the kind of twist that makes Detroit food fun. Bev’s Bagels pairs it with za’atar, pumpernickel everything, and a classic salt stick, so your order can travel the globe.
Founder Max Sussman started Bev’s as an Ann Arbor pop-up before opening this Core City shop on Grand River Avenue in 2025. It caught on so quickly that a second location in downtown Ann Arbor followed in 2026.
The shop builds its bagels from organic ingredients, and the fish is wild-caught. Those choices show up in sandwiches with names that will make you grin, like Salmons in the Stream, plus a Pink Turkey Club and a build-your-own option.
Leave room for dessert. Miso caramelized banana bread, a chocolate babka knot, rugelach, and cinnamon rolls all compete for attention.
Popular flavors can sell out, and pre-ordering online is the easiest way to lock in your favorites, especially on busy weekend mornings.
Address: 4884 Grand River Ave, Detroit, MI 48208
8. Brazen Bagels
Breakfast while your car gets serviced sounds like a dream, and in Dearborn it’s real. Brazen Bagels sits inside the parts and service department of Village Ford, so some customers grab a bagel while they wait on their oil change.
Husband-and-wife team Jacob and Megan Anson run the show. The dough is rolled a day ahead, cold-proofed, boiled in a vintage kettle, and baked, giving each bagel a chewy, crunchy texture.
Everything bagels are a popular pick and can sell out, but the garlic and salt bagels make terrific backup plans. Hot Pastrami, Turkey Pastrami, and Nova Lox sandwiches round out the deli side.
Save a little room for Meg’s Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookie, baked by Megan herself. A bagel for breakfast and a cookie for later makes for a well-planned morning.
The shop is open weekdays from 7:30 AM to 2 PM and closed on weekends, so an early weekday visit is the safest bet.
Address: 23403 Kean St, Dearborn, MI 48124
9. Bo’s Bagels
A bagel shop with sister locations in Harlem and Washington Heights landed just steps from the University of Michigan campus in 2024. Bo’s Bagels brings a taste of New York to South University Avenue.
Husband-and-wife owners Andrew Martinez and Ashley Dikos named the shop after their kids, Brody and Olivia. Dikos is a University of Michigan alum, so the Ann Arbor location feels like a homecoming.
The bagels come thick and chewy, with everything and za’atar among the favorites. Sandwiches range from a classic lox bagel to tuna salad and a hearty pastrami, egg, and cheese.
Cream cheese options include sundried tomato and veggie, with vegan spreads for plant-based eaters. Muffin flavors change daily, and a cookie dough spread adds a sweet twist.
Self-order kiosks keep the line moving, which helps when students pour in between classes.
Address: 1116 S University Ave, Suite D, Ann Arbor, MI 48104
10. New York Bagel
Few food businesses anywhere can claim more than a century of history, but New York Bagel started on Detroit’s Hastings Street in 1921. Today the family is in its fourth generation, with Phil Goldsmith, great-grandson of founder Morris, leading the business.
The Ferndale shop on Woodward Avenue is the flagship and the production hub. Every bagel is hand-mixed, rolled, and kettle-boiled there before heading out fresh to the other locations.
As a full-service deli, Ferndale goes well beyond a bag of bagels. Classic egg sandwiches cover the breakfast rush, while lox-topped bagels make a lunch worth lingering over.
For many metro Detroit families, a stop here is a Sunday tradition, and the shop doubles as a neighborhood staple on busy holiday weekends.
Doors open daily at 6 AM and close at 3 PM, so an early visit gives you the best pick of the morning’s batch.
Address: 23316 Woodward Ave, Ferndale, MI 48220