Maryland gets plenty of credit for steamed crabs and Old Bay, but the morning crowd has another obsession. From the suburbs outside DC to a beach town on the Atlantic, bagel shops across the state are hand-rolling, baking, and stacking sandwiches that hold their own against the big-city classics.
Some are tiny counters with no seats, while others come with dog-themed decor or a giant whiteboard full of fun facts. Here are seven spots worth setting an alarm for, especially before the weekend lines form.
1. The Bagelry, Silver Spring, MD
Some of the best breakfasts come from shops that skip the fuss entirely. The Bagelry in Silver Spring is a no-frills, counter-serve spot built around one job: fresh bagels, and lots of them.
The menu is bigger than the room suggests. Beyond a wide lineup of bagel flavors and spreads, the deli side turns out chicken salad, corned beef, and whitefish salad, plus a stacked sandwich called the Bagelry Club…