At Lefty’s Righteous Bagels, no ingredient is too strange. 

The restaurant uses its thin, wood-fired Montreal-style bagels as vehicles for inventive flavors — from hot honey to cacio e pepe. 

Lefty’s is located at 827 Chicago Ave., across from the Main CTA stop and just a short ride away on the Intercampus Shuttle. The shop is open Tuesday through Sunday from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. and is closed on Monday. Make sure to arrive early, because bagels will run out.

Customers can sit at the counter and watch bakers hand-make dough, then fire bagels in a large red tile oven — allowing the bagels to achieve the perfect chewy, dense interior and crispy, toasted exterior.

A large skylight runs down the center of the restaurant, giving it a warm, airy ambiance. Customers order at the counter, which stands before two wall-mounted shelves with buckets of bagels, priced at $3.25 each.

While you can go with the classic plain or everything flavor, we recommend going the adventurous route. Try flavors like Kerrygold cheddar, cinnamon sugar or giardiniera — an ode to the spicy pickled vegetable mix commonly found on Chicago-style Italian beef sandwiches.

Elevate your bagel with a hefty helping of schmear or cream cheese, with flavors ranging from cacio e pepe to honey vanilla to lemon dill.

Lefty’s offers a variety of sandwiches that take the classic “bacon, egg and cheese” to another level. Each sandwich comes with your choice of bagel and a dill pickle spear.

We ordered the RBG, which comes with fire roasted peppers, caramelized onions, pesto cream cheese and arugula. We also added a fluffy, cheesy egg for an extra $2. The onions and peppers added a sweet, acidic touch to the sandwich, which the arugula balanced out with a slightly bitter taste. We ordered our sandwich on a rosemary pink salt bagel, which was coated in coarse salt, adding a savory punch to each bite.

We also ordered the Eggy Vedder on a garlic and onion bagel. The bagel comes with egg, cheese, arugula, chipotle mayo and bacon, which we substituted for veggie sausage. The fluffy bagel paired delightfully with the firm texture of the sausage and the softness of the eggs. The chipotle mayo added a tangy kick, and the fresh arugula brightened each bite, making this bagel sandwich one we’ll be dreaming about for a while.

We washed down our bagel sandwiches with drinks from Lefty’s barista bar, which are brewed with beans from Chicago-based roaster Magnifico Coffee Roasters.

We tried the vanilla latte, which had a nutty, velvety sweetness. We also ordered the lavender coconut latte, which, if you’re a lavender lover, was an absolute treat to pair with bagels. The lavender taste balanced the sweet coconut just the perfect amount, and both flavors added to the crisp coffee flavor. Each sip was heavenly. 

If you’re looking to venture further into Evanston, head to Main Street to find your next bagel obsession at Lefty’s Righteous Bagels. Whether it’s a morning pick-me-up or a quick lunch bite you’re craving, Lefty’s is sure to leave your tummy feeling satisfied. 

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