Mission Bagel, the Pacific Beach bagel shop that began as a food truck, has settled into a brick-and-mortar home on Garnet Avenue and is already grabbing national attention after its performance at BagelFest West. The shop tied for Rising Star and finished runner-up for Best Sandwich with its Gefilte Fish Hillel creation, a bold spin on traditional Passover flavors.
From food truck to storefront
The operation started as a food truck in May 2025 and has since moved into a permanent storefront at 1344 Garnet Ave in Pacific Beach, where Mission Bagel now turns out hand-rolled, boiled and baked bagels. According to the Times of San Diego, owner Gabe Rubin says the team wakes early to prepare dough and bakes in a deck oven to achieve a pillowy interior with a crisp crust. For customers mapping out a visit, the shop lists its hours, menu details and address on Mission Bagel.
BagelFest West honors
At the inaugural BagelFest West last Sunday in Los Angeles, Mission Bagel tied for first in the Rising Star category and took runner-up for Best Sandwich for the Gefilte Fish Hillel, according to BagelFest. The sandwich layers slices of gefilte fish with sweet Sephardic charoset, beet horseradish and a creamy schmear on an everything bagel, a combination that drew praise from judges and critics. The event sold out, drew more than 1,000 attendees and highlighted the growing respect for West Coast bagel makers, as the Los Angeles Times reported.
What to expect at the shop
Rubin told the Times of San Diego that the Gefilte Fish Hillel started as kind of a joke and surprised the BagelFest judges, and he said the sandwich will appear at the Pacific Beach counter for a limited run. FOX 5 San Diego aired video of the new storefront opening this week, featuring customers and early menu items. The Mission Bagel site also carries ordering details and up-to-date hours for anyone planning a visit.
Mission Bagel's quick rise from truck to award-winning storefront is part of a broader San Diego bagel boom that saw multiple local shops earn honors at BagelFest West, according to Axios San Diego. For now, Pacific Beach has a new go-to for hand-rolled bagels and occasional creative specials.
