I'm willing to say it's partially nostalgia because I grew up on these bagels, but they are still…read morethe bagels that make me the most happy in all of Portland. In the culinary craze that's taken over the city in the past 5 years, "artisan" bagels are part of the rage. With that, everyone seems to have their own list they'll fight over 'til death. I personally still haven't tried Purple House at which some people seem ready to trade their first-born for a bagel, but my own list starting with the ones I really could care less about is Forage, Scratch, Rose (tried in via the Food CoOp or something, not in-house), Union, Mr. Bagel. I'm sure this is borderline trolling to some Portland bagel eaters, but that's where I stand. Is it the best bagel in the world? Certainly not. But man, does it hit the spot for this guy in a way that Forage never can, and saving some money is a nice added bonus.
I grew up going to the Forest Ave location most often, back in the OG Rick Hartglass days, but find that particular location a bit of a pain to get in and out of (I mean, who voluntarily wants to drive Forest Ave in general?) and the parking lot can be a zoo on weekends. They also have a ton of options there, deli sandwiches (love the sports names like the Danny Ainge), tons of breakfast sandwiches and burritos. That's all good, but it takes them a while to make those things, whereas the S. Portland location by the mall has a huge lot, and not as many options for better or for worse. I'm personally just here for the bagels, so that's my go-to.
I'm sure Bon Appetit will keep sending all the tourists to Rose Foods for an $8 bagel, but I sure hope Mr. Bagel has a loyal enough following to keep it up for a while longer.