DALLAS — A top-rated Dallas bagel shop, Starship Bagel, has earned the "Schmear of the Year" award by way of its tasty basil schmear at the 2024 New York BagelFest.
In addition to this award, the popular North Texas bagel shop also placed second in both the "Best Bagel" and "Best Beyond the Boroughs" categories.
In the No. 1 spot was New York's Utopia Bagels, which has always served as a benchmark for Starship Bagel, according to its owner.
"Utopia has always been an inspiration to us," the Owner of Starship Bagel Oren Salomon said. "When we were starting and figuring things out, we would watch their videos on repeat. To share a podium with them is a huge honor. The top schmear and second best bagel is a pretty respectable combination. I think we represented well, and Bagelfest still recognizes us as the best bagel you can find outside of New York."
In 2023, Starship Bagel won the "Best Bagel" category at BagelFest -- but despite not being able to go back-to-back, there's still a great sense of pride in the shop.
"A huge thank you to our amazing team and all of you for the support," Starship Bagel said in a Facebook post. "We couldn't have done it without you!"
Earlier this year, Starship Bagel opened its third location in North Texas at 6859 Arapaho Road. Its other locations are in Downtown Dallas at 1520 Elm Street #107 and in Lewisville at 1108 West Main St.