Image: Egg, Bacon, Cheese and Honey
Updated: December 2022
Current Status: The beloved bagel shop somehow came out of the pandemic with another more locations. They are open for counter service.
Summary:
Cuisine: Sandwiches/Salads
Locations:
Petworth: 3301 Georgia Ave NW, Washington, DC 20010
Georgetown: 3428 O Street NW, Washington, DC 20007
Barrack’s Row: 701 8th St SE, Washington, DC 20003
14th Street: 1471 P St NW, Washington, DC 20005
West End: 1143 New Hampshire Ave NW, Washington, DC 20037
Website: https://www.callyourmotherdeli.com/
Reservations: Walk-in
Before Times Write-up:
First Visit: February 2020
This low-key, self-described “Jew-ish” deli in Petworth makes really good bagels. For D.C., that is reason alone for people to line up for blocks on weekend mornings to order at the counter for stay-in or take out. It is open daily from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm. They serve a few other items other than bagels, but it is bagels you come for.
The bagels are made in a wood-fired oven (they have the sister pizza restaurant Timber Pizza Co.). Bagel options are plain, sesame, everything, za’atar and chocolate. The cream cheese options for the bagels are herb, candied salmon, and a fruit choice. You can go breakfast bagel sandwich with smoked salmon, or “egg, bacon and cheese” (four times as expensive as the NYC option and four times as good with a hint of honey), or other items like pastrami, veggies (cucumber, tomatoes, greens), and extras (capers, onions, peppers, pickles). There are more lunch-sandwich things for your bagel like hummus, tuna salad, turkey or pizza toppings for that time of day. That is a laundry list, but the point is the choices are thoughtful, well-sourced, and may create cravings for various bagel combinations in some circumstances. The only drawback is that some are so stuffed that they overwhelm the flavor and texture of the bagel.
The coffee is good and help-your-self. We’ve been told there are also babkas, latkes, and nostalgic black & whites, but we looked past them to the pile of bagels coming out of the kitchen. There is one long communal table and rocking chairs along the window-facing ledge so you can look out on to Georgia Avenue while eating your bagel.
A second location is back on track for Georgetown after a fear of great bagels caused some hiccups. A third one is on the way for Barrack’s Row, where they are more welcoming of bagels. We think this place is worth taking a walk, even if that walk is a couple miles. When the aforementioned craving hits, it may seem worth it just to get a really good…(wait – what do they do? Oh yes!) bagel.
Rating: Worth Taking a Walk
Locations:
Petworth: 3301 Georgia Ave NW, Washington, DC 20010
Georgetown: 3428 O Street NW Washington, DC 20007
Barrack’s Row: 701 8th St SE, Washington, DC 20003
Website: https://www.callyourmotherdeli.com/
Reservations: Walk-in
Other Critics/Voices:
Washington Post: No review from Tom or Tim yet, but Emily Codik gives them high marks on the bagels.
Washingtonian: #84 in 2020. Cheap Eats in 2019.
Lori (Been There Eaten That): Posted at Jewish Food Experience.
Eater.com: One of 16 Best New Restaurants in America (2019).
Bon Appetit: Top 50 Best New Restaurants in America (2019). So strange that the Post has not done more coverage to match the national attention. Then again, the Post did do this sweet story by Jane Black for Valentine’s Day about the owners.
