Yeastie Boys

Welcome to the essential California guide to a true West Coast breakfast sensation: Yeastie Boys. What started as an experiment in an apartment kitchen and quickly morphed into a thriving 'bagel truck mafia' has fundamentally changed the bagel scene in Los Angeles. For California residents looking for a delicious, authentic, and fun take on the classic New York-style bagel, Yeastie Boys offers a distinctive experience that blends East Coast tradition with LA's vibrant, creative food culture. This is more than just a bagel shop; it's a personality-driven brand, known for its creative menu, use of high-quality ingredients, and a commitment to the two-day, hand-rolled bagel process. Whether you're a long-time Angeleno or just passing through the Golden State, tracking down a Yeastie Boys bagel is a rite of passage for breakfast and brunch aficionados.

Yeastie Boys was established in 2014 by founder Evan Fox, who sought to fill a perceived void in the Los Angeles bagel market. Frustrated by the lack of quality, New York-style options, Fox—who is passionate about the traditional, plump, and chewy bagel—set out to create a version that paid homage to the classics while embracing a West Coast swagger. The business model initially centered around a unique food truck concept, allowing them to bring their 'New York-Jewish style' brand and 'bodega-style classics' directly to various parts of the city. This mobile approach, supported by a strong social media presence and humorous, pop culture-inspired branding, quickly cultivated a devoted following. The operation has grown from a single truck to a fleet of trucks, cementing its status as a major player in the LA breakfast scene before expanding to include brick-and-mortar locations. Their ethos is centered on making a great, quick, daily bagel that is both a classic and refined for a modern palate.

The quality starts with the product itself. Yeastie Boys bagels are characterized by a proper New York style: plump, with a desirable chew, a hint of sweetness typically from barley malt, and a sturdy, crusty exterior that gives way to a soft, chewy middle. Crucially, the process adheres to time-honored methods, involving hand-rolling the dough and a multi-day process that includes an overnight proofing in a walk-in cooler, which allows the flavor to fully develop, followed by a proper boil and bake. This meticulous, multi-day technique ensures a superior texture and taste, steering clear of the rushed, single-day process that results in a flatter, less flavorful bagel. While they are rooted in the New York tradition, the menu offers a unique hybrid that appeals to the diverse, creative tastes of California’s food landscape. This dual-model approach, balancing the excitement and accessibility of a food truck with the permanence of a physical shop, is part of what makes the Yeastie Boys concept a quintessential California success story.

Location and Accessibility

While Yeastie Boys maintains a significant presence through its fleet of food trucks across Los Angeles, one of their notable fixed locations is situated in the charming neighborhood of Los Feliz.

Address: 2058-2086 Hillhurst Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027, USA

The storefront at 2070 Hillhurst Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90027 serves as a key access point for fans in the area. This location is nestled in the Los Feliz village, an area known for its vibrant mix of independent shops, restaurants, and residential charm, making it a convenient stop for a morning commute grab-and-go or a weekend brunch outing. Hillhurst Avenue is a well-trafficked thoroughfare in East Hollywood/Los Feliz, offering good local accessibility. Customers in the area can easily utilize the location for both pickup and delivery services through various online ordering platforms. Please note that the exact operating hours for ordering are typically in the morning to early afternoon, such as 8:00 AM to 1:40 PM, a common window for a high-demand bagel establishment. The brand’s continuing operation of multiple food trucks across LA, including regular haunts at popular coffee shops, also means that for many Californians, Yeastie Boys is a mobile, accessible treat that comes to them.

Services Offered

Yeastie Boys offers a comprehensive menu that caters to different preferences, from purists looking for a classic bagel and schmear to those seeking a fully-loaded, savory or sweet bagel sandwich. The core offering is a selection of hand-rolled, traditional bagels and a variety of house-made cream cheeses (schmears).

• Bagel Sandwiches: A highly curated selection of breakfast and brunch-style sandwiches, famous for their playful names and generous fillings. Signature options include 'Cheddy Wap,' 'The Birdman,' 'Lox Deluxe,' 'Game Over,' and the pastrami-focused 'Diss Track' and 'The Reubenstein.'
• Build Your Own Bagel (B.Y.O. Bagel): Allows customers to customize their order with a range of proteins, vegetables, and spreads, including sides like bacon, deli turkey, lox, and scrambled or fried eggs.
• Classic Bagel & Schmear: Choose your bagel and one of their house-made cream cheeses (schmears). Schmears include Plain, Scallion, Cheddar Jalapeño, and Strawberry, as well as a Vegan Roasted Bell Pepper Spread and Vegan Plain Schmear.
• Bagels by the Dozen or Half Dozen: Offers bulk purchasing of their hand-rolled bagels for home enjoyment. Flavors typically include Plain, Egg, Blueberry, Poppy, Cheddar, Sesame, and Everything.
• Schmears by the Pound: Customers can purchase half-pound or full-pound containers of their house-made cream cheese to take home.
• Sides: Includes the popular Hashbrown, which is a perfect crispy addition to any breakfast sandwich.
• Drinks: A refreshing selection of beverages such as Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice, Fresh Squeezed Strawberry Lemonade, Cold Brew, Mexican Coke, Martinelli's Apple Juice, Liquid Death Water, and an Oatmilk Dirty Chai by Badmaash.
• Mobile Food Truck Service: In addition to the physical locations, the brand operates a fleet of food trucks that service various pop-up locations, catered events, and regular spots across the greater Los Angeles area.
• Online Ordering and Delivery: Options for convenient pickup or delivery through major third-party platforms are available at the Los Feliz location.

Features / Highlights

The Yeastie Boys experience is defined by several standout features that set it apart in the competitive California food scene.

• New York-Style, Hand-Rolled Bagels: They are dedicated to the traditional, two-day process that includes hand-rolling, overnight proofing, boiling, and then baking. This commitment is what produces their signature plump, chewy interior and crispy exterior, utilizing malt sugar instead of regular sugar and containing no preservatives.
• Creative and Playful Menu Names: The brand is known for its strong personality and sense of humor, reflected in pop culture and music-referencing names for their sandwiches, such as the 'Cheddy Wap' and 'Game Over,' contributing to their cult following.
• Cult-Favorite Status and Food Truck Pioneers: Starting as Los Angeles’ first prominent bagel food truck, they achieved cult status quickly. The food truck model has been a defining feature, bringing a dynamic, mobile element to the breakfast/brunch market.
• Gourmet and Nostalgic Bagel Sandwiches: The menu strikes a balance between familiar bodega-style classics and unique, tricked-out gourmet creations, utilizing custom-made schmears and specialty ingredients like pit-smoked pastrami and a signature 'Schmutz Sauce' (a house-made garlic aioli).
• Focus on House-Made Spreads and Custom Ingredients: Beyond the bagels, the quality of their spreads is a highlight, including Scallion, Cheddar Jalapeño, and Vegan Roasted Bell Pepper spreads, ensuring a fresh and customized flavor profile for every order.
• High-Volume and Brand Collaborations: Their success has led to high-profile collaborations with major brands, such as unique bagel mashups with Taco Bell and Pizza Hut, demonstrating their creative range and significant brand recognition.

Contact Information

For residents and visitors looking to connect with the Los Feliz location:

Address: 2070 Hillhurst Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027, USA

Please note that phone numbers and specific hours for local, non-delivery-app ordering are best confirmed via a quick online search or directly at the location, as is common with food service establishments. For a comprehensive experience, look for their operating food trucks via their social media channels, which often post their daily locations.

What is Worth Choosing

For a first-time California customer, deciding what to order at Yeastie Boys can be a delightful challenge, given the array of options. The best choices are those that showcase the brand's unique blend of traditional technique and modern, playful creativity.

The Cheddy Wap is arguably their most famous and a must-try. It features a fried egg, bacon, and melted sharp cheddar on a plain hand-rolled bagel. This is their number-one most-liked item and is the perfect example of taking a classic breakfast sandwich and executing it with high-quality ingredients and a great bagel base.

For those who prefer a more traditional deli-style option, the Lox Deluxe is an excellent choice. This sandwich piles smoked salmon, house-made scallion schmear, tomato, red onion, and capers onto a sesame bagel. It’s a beautifully crafted version of the classic lox and cream cheese, highlighting their excellent, savory scallion spread.

A great savory and spicy option is the Game Over, which includes scrambled egg, bacon, tomato, and a kick from their house-made cheddar jalapeño schmear on a cheddar bagel. This is a flavorful, robust choice for those who appreciate a bit of heat with their morning meal.

If you are looking for a satisfying lunch or hearty brunch, the The Reubenstein is a top-tier choice. It features custom pit-smoked pastrami, melted Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and Russian dressing on an everything bagel, making for a robust, East Coast-inspired deli experience.

Finally, for those with vegetarian or vegan preferences, the The Mishka offers a delicious, plant-based alternative. This sandwich is generously spread with a vegan roasted bell pepper spread and stacked with tomato, red onion, and sprouts on an everything bagel, proving their menu has thoughtful options for everyone.

No matter your choice, be sure to grab a side of their perfectly crispy, golden-brown Hashbrown to complete the experience. Yeastie Boys stands out not just for the quality of its hand-rolled bagels but for the creativity and fun they infuse into every loaded, deliciously named sandwich. It's a true taste of modern California breakfast culture, rooted in a dedication to old-school bagel craftsmanship.

Yeastie Boys

2058-2086 Hillhurst Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027, USA