Several weeks ago I posted a raving review of Terrace Bagels (and I stand by that review) but I felt a nagging inside me that insisted I had no right to post such a deliciously positive review without having tried The Bagel Hole, which is also touted as Brooklyn's best bagel place. Nearly every bagel article I have read gives kudos to both places, deeming them the reigning kings of this niche in Kings County, and hardcore fans would go as far as saying their kingdom expands through all five boroughs. To say that The Bagel Hole and Terrace Bagels are direct competition, or that they're feuding hole-in-the-wall joints, would be hyperbole. After patronizing both, I think they go for different audiences.
As you can undoubtedly tell by the title of this post, I am in the Terrace Bagels camp. The Bagel Hole is more of a throw-back to how the classic bagels of yesteryear were made. They are smaller, slightly crunchier on the outside, and a bit more dense on the inside. My sesame seed bagel was good, but not my ideal bagel. I guess it just comes down to preference. One interesting fact, and case-in-point of how The Bagel Hole targets that nostalgic "yesteryear" demographic: they don't toast! Not a big deal, but c'mon...
