Tacos or bagels? Why choose when Brooklyn Boy Bagels has decided you can – and should – have both.
Despite being crowned Best Bagels in Asia Pacific (and landing third in the world) at the 2024 New York BagelFest, the Marrickville-born bagel institution isn’t resting on its laurels. Instead, it’s doing what any self-respecting carb champion would do: throwing a taco into the mix and seeing what happens. Enter the Birria Bagel – proof that Brooklyn Boy Bagels is still very much in its bagel-innovation era.
Here’s the deal. Slow-cooked beef, guajillo and ancho chillies, onion and coriander, all packed into a fresh, chewy bagel that’s already doing plenty of heavy lifting on its own. But, the real showstopper sits on the side: a rich beef consomme loaded with what the team is calling “secreto spices,” made purely for dunking. Think of it as birria’s greatest hits, just reformatted for maximum bagel compatibility.
The etiquette here is simple – both hands, dip, devour, repeat. No forks, no shame, no regrets.
While you can build your Birria Bagel on any base, insiders (read: Brooklyn Boy Bagels founder Michael Shafran himself) say the Cheese & Jalapeno is the move. With a mozzarella and parmesan crust and a slow-building jalapeño kick, it’s less “safe choice” and more “why would you order anything else.” A match made in Mexico, as they say.
It’s the kind of left-field release you’d expect from a team backed by serious bagel pedigree – founder Michael Shafran, a former food journalist turned bagel obsessive, has previously flown Brooklyn Boy Bagels’ recipes to New York BagelFest and gone toe-to-toe with the world’s best. That same sense of “why not” energy is clearly still driving the menu today.
The Birria Bagel sits alongside the brand’s well-loved line-up – the 72-Hour Plain Bagel, Tiger Bagel and Smoked Malt & Freekeh Bagel – plus a schmear selection that gets weirder (in the best way) by the day, including Shichimi Butter, Tim Tam Cream Cheese, Bacon Bourbon & Maple Cream Cheese and house-made Labne.
The Birria Bagel ($25) is available now at both the Marrickville and Surry Hills locations — but only for a limited time, so don’t dawdle on this one. Grab it, dunk it, and prepare to rethink everything you thought you knew about Monday morning carbs.
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