Welcome to Rachel's, Seattle's best in bagels and burritos.
Like any good origin story, this one begins with an overstuffed refrigerator. We were a restaurant called Porkchop & Co., and over a seven-year run, we had grown into a local brunch hub.
At the time, weekends were a little nuts, at least up until that last one. When the stay-at-home order was announced in March 2020, our fridges were full of unsold leftover food from that final weekend of pre-COVID dining.
The next day we started slinging breakfast burritos and bagels just to stay solvent. Luis, one of our cooks, suggested burritos because of the eggs and potatoes on hand, and bagels because we had already been working on opening a bagel shop down the street (which was quickly 86’d because of the pandemic).
What started in a moment of desperation, quickly became our raison d’etre. There was no going back. By the next spring, we changed the name and started buying real baking equipment.
While many things have changed with the new direction of the business, plenty remains the same. The place is still owned by Paul and Raquel, and most of the staff has stuck around too. And even though our menu and business model have changed, our commitment to operating and serving food with integrity remains.
Rachel's Bagels & Burritos
A Manifesto
1. We believe that scratch cooking is about more than cooking. It's a scrappy way of being in the world.
2. Good food means more than dietary sustenance or culinary entertainment.
3. Our standard of success is a repeat visit.
4. We can't avoid the violence inherent to eating, but that doesn't mean that our choices don't have consequences or that we shouldn't be compelled to make better ones.
5. The experience of eating should be delicious, relaxed, pleasurable, and satisfying.
6. Profit is not the only motive. Value isn't only a category for big box stores.
7. We do business with people, not commodities.
8. We work together with respect, and we aim to grow as people and as professionals while we're here.
9. Our aesthetic: eager. Our élan: vital. Our temporality: everyday.
10. They're bagels and burritos. Let's not be too serious.
Rachel's Ingredients
At Rachel’s we’re proud of the ingredients we source for our bagels and burritos. We get a lot of questions, so we made this little guide to some of our most commonly asked-about items.
Celery Root 'Al Pastor'
We slow roast chunks of celery root and season it in the style of pork al pastor. It’s a bit spicy and a bit tart. Find it in The Chris, with eggs, potatoes, mushrooms, and queso Oaxaca.
Everything Chile Crisp
A chunky chile oil made from Szechuan peppercorns, spices, and our everything bagel sprinkles. A bit salty, a bit spicy, and a bit tongue-numbing. Try it as part of the Nick and Nora, added on to anything on the menu, or take a jar home with you.
Everything Seasoning
We make our everything seasoning in-house from a proprietary mix of sesame seeds, poppy seeds, onion, garlic, and salt. The mix is the namesake for our everything bagels (of course), but also makes an appearance as a topping for our kale Caesar salad and as a garnish for spicy house bloody mary.
Harissa
A North African spice paste heavy with chiles, preserved lemon, and caraway. We use it in one of our house-blended cream cheeses, and it really takes The Linus and Lucy to the next level.
CS Fishery Tuna
We use the best tuna around, caught and processed in Oregon by CS (Community Supported) Fishery. Their sustainable fishing practices and business model are admirable, and the fact that the tuna is the best we’ve tasted doesn’t hurt either. We use it for our tuna salad in The Linus & Lucy and it’s also available as a side or on a catering platter. We also have retail cans of CS Fishery Tuna available. Read more about them here.
Mama Lil's Peppers
A PNW staple made from vinegar-pickled goathorn peppers, they carry just the right amount of heat and spicy punch. Find them in The Thomas and Rachel’s Scramble.
Oil-Cured Olives
Oil-cured olives are cured in salt and oil rather than a water brine to make them extra rich and meaty. We use them for our Thursday bagel of the day.
PNW Wild-Caught Lox
We committed to only serving wild, locally-caught salmon as the basis of our lox. We never use farmed Atlantic salmon; the fishing practices are unsustainable and it tastes weird. Find it on The Joey Ramone and The Nino Art sandwiches, in our lox cream cheese, and as a bagel add-on.
Queso Oaxaca
A mild, stretchy cheese locally made by our friends at King's Mozzarella. Its richness makes it our favorite cheese for our breakfast burritos.
Spent Grain
The pulp left from making beer by our friends at Stoup Brewery. The grains are "spent" because they can't be used to make more beer, but they taste great and they’re rich in protein, flavor, and probiotics. You can find spent grain in our Friday bagel of the day.
Spicy Honey
Our honey is spiked with fermented garlic and chiles to add extra punch to The Kathleen & Adam and The Brandon. You can also add it to your biscuit or grab a jar to take home.
Sumac Onions
Red onions tossed in sumac and lemon for a tart flavor. Sumac is a popular Levantine spice in from berries that have been ground to a coarse powder. They’re in The Older Ben, The Brandon, and available as an add-on to your bagel.
Tarragon
A highly aromatic leafy herb with a light anise flavor. We use it as the basis for our salsa verde for our Famed Pork Belly Hash and we mix it with cream cheese for The Major Briggs.
Togarashi
Togarashi is a Japanese spice blend made from chiles, nori (dried seaweed), and sesame seeds. We use this spice mix on our Togarashi Bagel that you can get every day at Rachel's.
Za'atar
A Levantine spice mix contains sumac, hyssop, thyme, and sesame seeds. We use it every day to top one of our most popular bagels.