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Notes: Chewish Deli leads tight race for Alexandria’s Best Bagel Shop as voting nears end

By Ryan Belmore
Poll: The best bagel shop in Alexandria (via ALXnow)
Good morning, Alexandria! Today is Saturday, June 28, the 179th day of 2025. There are 186 days left in the year.

⛈️ Today’s weather: Areas of drizzle before 8 a.m. Cloudy through mid-morning, then gradual clearing, with a high near 92. Heat index values as high as 101. Calm wind becoming southwest around six mph in the afternoon.

A chance of showers and thunderstorms tonight, mainly before 10 p.m. Partly cloudy, with a low around 74. Light and variable wind. The chance of precipitation is 30%.

🚨 You need to know

With just days remaining before voting closes on Tuesday (July 1) at 11:59 p.m., The Chewish Deli has established a commanding lead in ALXnow’s “Best Bagel Shop in Alexandria” poll. After cleaning up multiple votes from the same IP addresses, the popular eatery maintains its strong position with 46.85% support from 2,262 voters out of nearly 4,900 total participants in the survey.

Bagel Uprising trails in second place with 40.47% of the vote, securing 1,954 votes from Alexandria residents. The competition drops off significantly after the top two contenders, with Call Your Mother capturing 8.70% of the votes, and the remaining seven establishments splitting less than 4% of the total support. The poll, part of ALXnow’s annual Readers’ Choice Awards celebrating Alexandria’s favorite local businesses, allows voters to write in their preferred bagel destination, though nearly all of the 58 “Other” write-in votes have been for establishments located outside Alexandria city limits.

Alexandria’s bagel enthusiasts still have time to make their voices heard before the poll closes on July 1. Voters should note that the poll is limited to one vote per IP address, and ALXnow has and will continue to delete any votes from IP addresses that attempt to vote multiple times to ensure fair results. With establishments required to be located within Alexandria city limits, the results will crown a truly local champion in the competitive breakfast scene that serves everything from classic egg sandwiches to specialty bagels piled high with creative toppings.

The bagel shop contest is part of ALXnow’s broader Readers’ Choice Awards series, which has already seen spirited competition in other dining categories. Recent polls have crowned winners for best ice cream shop, best Mexican restaurant, best pizza in Alexandria, and best bicycle shop.

Here’s what else you should know

🗓️ This weekend in Alexandria is packed with major events, including the annual Alexandria Pride Fair at City Hall on Saturday. Plus, Port City Brewing Company is getting a very early start on Oktoberfest, a Mystical Pride Prom takes over the Torpedo Factory, and there’s a full slate of live music, workshops, and family-friendly activities across the city. Weekend Roundup

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About the Author

  • Ryan Belmore is a journalist based in Alexandria, Virginia. He served as Publisher of ALXnow from March to October 2025. He can be reached at [email protected].