Bev’s Bagels
4884 Grand River Ave.
Detroit
Wednesday, Jan. 7
Remember the staff recommendation?
I’m talking about the era of the “employee picks” section at your local bookstore or at Blockbuster. It was a chance for staff to flaunt their taste, and a chance for you to stretch out and discover books or movies that were new to you.
Maybe the personal picks still exist when dining out. What wine would you recommend with this dish? What’s your favorite item on the menu? And was my therapist really right when she said I have trust issues because I’m always scared to trust the waiter because I constantly think they’re upselling me?
I’ve been rebuilding that trust and realizing the staff recommendation may be alive and well over at Bev’s Bagels, which is slinging some of my favorite bagels in Detroit city limits.
Now that is high praise for them because they are delicious but also a slap on the wrist for Detroit overall because it’s not really known as a bagel town. The “city limits” designation is important here because I didn’t forget the glory that is New York Bagel in nearby Ferndale.
I noticed a trend of customers modifying the sandwiches on the menu at Bev’s Bagels -- a common thing, sure -- but I started falling in love with Bev’s social media approach to highlighting their favorite substitutions that people were coming up with.
And then it evolved again, with this review:
The staff pick lives! And while it might seem like a simple thing, I’m celebrating it because it’s a uniquely human thing in a time when AI and algorithms attack my brain on the daily. I love the idea of being out, buying a bagel, chatting it up with the staff and therefore stumbling into a delicious upgrade to my bagel sandwich.
Of course, I had to try this particular staff rec, subbing out the spicy mayo for a chili crisp cream cheese on the tried-and-true bacon, egg and cheese combo.
Now I am fully addicted. It’s a delicious staff pick that’s worth your time, your palette and will help you reach your 2026 resolution of working out less and converting to the “body by bagel” diet full time.
Here’s to trusting the staff behind the counter to lead you to bagel utopia over at Bev’s.
