Bagels on Fire

What is Bagels on Fire? Anchored along Queen Street East in The Beach, Bagels on Fire is an unpretentious counter-service staple turning out proper Montreal-style rounds directly from an on-site wood-burning oven. The compact shop smells intoxicatingly of hardwood smoke and toasted sesame, keeping things bare-bones with high-top bar seating for just around nine people. It functions predominantly as a bustling grab-and-go hub that brings genuine Montreal bakery traditions to Toronto's east end.

Bagels on Fire Menu & What to Order Hand-rolled, poached in honey water, and blistered over hardwood embers, these bagels deliver the requisite dense chew, subtle sweetness, and seeded crust, with sesame and 'everything' leading the pack. For a proper sit-down feast on the go, order the Loaded Montreal Smoked Meat bagel sandwich stacked high with peppery brisket and mustard, or opt for the classic Salmon Lox layered with red onions, capers, and house-blended cream cheeses. A molten Tuna Melt and crisp bacon breakfast sandwiches round out the savoury lineup, best paired with a mug of dark-roast Kicking Horse drip coffee.

Know Before You Go With fewer than ten stools inside, your best bet is ordering for takeout and walking a couple of blocks south to the boardwalk. Weekend mornings see steady, snaking queues out the front door, though the counter staff operates with sharp, no-nonsense efficiency. The shop opens bright and early at 6:00 a.m. Monday through Saturday (7:00 a.m. on Sundays) on a strictly walk-in basis, directly accessible via the 501 Queen streetcar.