Rescue Bagels

Hands down the best bagel in the Northwest. It’s not even close.
I bought a garlic bagel, walked halfway around the block and then realized I needed more, so I came back and bought a salt bagel.
[apparently they are no more– sad]

Just tried the bacon and scallion cream cheese… holy smokes! I’ll never go back to regular cream cheese. So good!!!

This cart appears to be closed. They haven’t been open in several weeks and there are no signs on the cart.

Closed at 10:30am in the middle of the week, what’s up with that? Please fix your hours or let us know if you closed maybe?

Really frustrated — the last two times I’ve been in town I was counting on Rescue Bagels for breakfast, and they were not open. The hours on the cart and on Unilocal match. Would have five stars if not for this problem.
I love their breakfast sandwiches, the eggs are hand scrambled and their bagels are super fresh. My special request sandwich is double eggs no meat, and they had no problem with this. I hope they fix the hours thing, that 7−8am window is gold for me.

WTF? It is well past 07:30 and you are not open. What shall I do?

It’s Time, It’s Time, It’s Bagel Timeeee
This place has 7 bagel options and 7 spreads to select from. In addition they have eggs and a few other meats/​proteins you can add to your bagel.
I had the lox bagel for $ 6.50. The bagel and salmon were very fresh and had just the perfect amount of fish. The other ingredients (veggies and crème cheese) were the perfect compliment.
They do catering and credit cards.

These bagels are delicious and filling! I went simple with a sesame seed bagel and smoked salmon cream cheese but it was still incredibly flavorful and satisfying. They have some big, crazy sandwiches with meat and egg that looks great as well.

Portland has been rescued by bagel perfection. It is not a coincidence that a bagel is the same shape as the life saver flotation device thrown into the water to save you. (That worked better in my head…) I had mentioned in another review that I had found my bagel… THE bagel. Little did I know that I still hadn’t found what I was looking for but that’s only because Rescue Bagels hadn’t opened yet.
I am originally from the east coast, not NY, but I have had my share of NY bagels and nothing compares. I have a friend come to visit me from NYC and every time she does, she brings me a dozen of the best boiled bagels around. Now she doesn’t need to. Rescue knows how to make a bagel in true NY style.
I haven’t had all of the varieties but that’s only because I’m obsessed with Everything bagels. I also haven’t had the breakfast sandwiches that are offered but that’s because I can’t seem to get away from the scallion cream cheese as the only thing atop my bagel. (side note: if they are not busy, ask for your bagel with ½ smoked salmon and ½ scallion schmear — it’s a great combo!) When I really want to indulge, I go for the Lox special on a salt bagel. It’s kind of the best thing ever.
I can’t get to either location during the week so I don’t know what the lunch rush looks like. I can tell you that if you plan on going on a Saturday, get there early. These bagels sell out quickly! Watching the last bagel be purchased as you are waiting in line is not a good feeling. It’s a sad one. I speak from experience. Since then I’ve learned to buy in advance and then stick them in the freezer so I can avoid the «sold out sadness.»
Let this bagel save your life.

Unilocaled this place and saw the good reviews and found out about the good cause so we figured we would check it out. I didn’t initially know it was a food truck so when I got there I was surprised, but I was ready to eat. The guy told us there was a big morning rush so he didn’t have many bagels left. Luckily he had what I wanted. We got two sandwiches. They were good. I wouldn’t say there wasn’t anything that made them special in any way. They are prepared well and the taste was great.

Honestly… One of the best Bagel Sandwiches I’ve ever had. Better hangover cure than the whiskey I drank on the way to the cart… Kevin is my dude, definitely stop by and tell him hi.

Nice people nice story nice idea. If you like «west coast bagels», OK, you might like these. The flavor is pretty good not sweet like some (Spielman’s) and not a hockey puck (tastebud), but sorry, these aren’t even in the same ballpark as real Kosher bagels from the East Coast. So, if that’s what you were brought up on and what you want… keep movin’ on.
These bagels have a close bread-​like grain with no big holes (the pictures here illustrate this well). This makes them good for sandwich making but they are not chewy and have poor pull. The bagel squishes easily and does not spring back, more like a bread or bun and there is no real shiny crust at all. Very much like a Lender’s bagel and those are in the frozen section everywhere.

Having eaten a few bagels from coast to coast, I can attest that Rescue Bagels is in a league of its own. No need to compare them to New York et al, their chewy with a crunch anti-​hole wonders are supreme.
In my book, a good bagel does not need to be toasted, such is the quality and texture of the dough. Rescue’s seems to have enough moisture to allow ‘a hold everything… I’ll have it as is’ order. The cinnamon raisin bagel has just enough spice and fruit, and the egg & ham bagel is simply satisfying.
Wish they wouldn’t sell out so quickly, but this is a keeper.

Not only does this cart produce a damn fine breakfast sandwich on an excellent bagel, the guy who makes the bagels and staffs the cart is so adorable and earnest, you can’t possibly have less than stellar feelings about this place. When I stopped by, it was around 10:30 on a Tuesday. It was well after the morning rush, so I’m not surprised he was out of a couple kinds of bagels. I went with onion, which was nicely flavored and did not have many onion flakes on the exterior. They usually just fall off onto my sweater anyway. I can’t resist a breakfast sandwich, so I ordered egg, cheddar and sausage between them buns. A few short minutes later, I was eating that delicious sandwich in the street like an animal.
These bagels are completely peerless in Portland. They are slightly doughier than I’m used to, but that’s not a bad thing. Most bagels are too soft, too bready, they’re basically rolls. These are not at all like that. They are substantial bagels, made right, by a dedicated dude. Sign me up.

NOTE: Rescue Bagels also has a second cart near SW 10^th and Alder.
Kevin opened the cart in mid-​January 2013 and the raves started pouring in. Seven different bagel options here, from the plain to «everything.» The latter is the most popular, not surprised there. FYI, it’s about $ 14 for a dozen. The price varies on the seven different spreads (from butter to smoked salmon). I got an onion bagel with the salmon spread ($ 3.25).
It’s something about boiled-​then-​baked bagels that seems so comforting. Awesome chewiness with a slight crunch. The tiny air pockets tell me there’s some density to the bagel, yet it stays light enough such that I don’t feel entirely guilty about eating more than one.
For me, an ideal salmon spread-​to-​bagel ratio. The spread had a delicious smoked salmon flavor, awesome velvety texture from the cream cheese. If I didn’t have to be elsewhere, I’d probably be the strange guy in a hoodie who just happens to be eating a dozen bagels on the sidewalk. Both the bagel and the spread had palate-​pleasing flavor.
The bacon-​scallion spread is another eye-​grabbing option. Somehow, the smoked salmon just tugged at my wallet a bit harder because apparently this Asian needs more fish in his diet. Shocking, I know.
Breakfast sandwiches are anywhere from $ 4 to $ 5. Cheese options are cheddar and pepperjack, while meat options are bacon, sausage, and ham. The sausage, egg, and cheese sandwich is predictably one of the popular choices.
Coffee and tea also served here. Coffee is from Mudd Works Roastery in Portland. Mmm… caffeine.
I never thought I’d be giving an elite stamp of approval on a bagel food cart. But dammit, these New York-​style bagels are reasonably priced and overall flippin’ awesome. And they make me do a happy panda dance in private. Even better that I don’t have to travel roughly 3,000 miles now.

They’re Baaack. The bagels of decent quality, they are back in Portland. For Portland these bagels are 5-​star quality. It has been said before, bagels in Portland for whatever reason are pretty terrible. Well we have been rescued. These are great bagels and if you try one you will not be disappointed. They have greater texture, flavor, and quality. There is a nice selection of different cream cheeses, and the breakfast sandwich bagels are killer. These are real deal bagels, and make others pale in comparison. Its only a cart location, and hopefully this can turn into a full bagel shop. The cart location has limited hours and is not open on Sunday. Check before you go, but if you want a good bagel definitely go!

To the Rescue, indeed!
These ARE the bagels you’ve been looking for.

Holy mother of all bread products that was a damned fine morning bagel. Chewy, dense perfection. Words, for once, escape me. Go here.

Changing it to a 5. Taste tested with some Bowery Bagels, and i just really like these ones better. I just really love the doughiness and texture. But the x-​factor is the lack of a huge gaping hole in the middle; it’s really not ‘small’ when you consider there’s no hole in the center.

There has been such an emptiness and void since the Kettleman’s debacle.
That catastrophe has been resolved with the opening of the new Rescue Bagels cart.
The owner learned how to boil and then bake them while living in Manhattan.
That’s in NY City if you haven’t ever made a right turn from northbound I-​5.
What the NW is to coffee, crab, and beer, NY City is to bagels.
I drove 3 hrs north on a Saturday morning to find out if this cloud was really up to tasting like a heavenly delight.
IT IS!
This Sunday morning I served up a perfect sesame bagel, toasted and loaded up with lox and Philly while watching a quiet Pacific.
Apparently the cart sells out of his hand made bagels. The cart is strategically located in a busy business center in Portland. It closes around noon, or when sold out… so on your way into work… rekindle your relationship with the simple, yet perfect bagel. I brought a dozen back with me.
The salmon spread is also really good.
RIP Kettlemans. LONG LIVE RESCUE BAGELS!