I have eaten at Grumblefish Bagels in Lincoln City, and these are hands down some of the best bagels I have had in a long time. Pacific Grind has some serious competition. If you know how much affection we have for that Lincoln City breakfast stop, you know that is a strong recommendation. Grumblefish belongs on the breakfast list for your next trip to the Oregon Coast, especially if your idea of a good morning involves a bagel that requires a little deliberation at the counter.

There is plenty to deliberate over. Bacon and cheddar, jalapeño and cheese, an everything bagel with a generous spread, or a sandwich loaded with eggs all make a convincing case. The little yellow building at 1115 SE First Street has a dining room with wood beams, nautical decorations, and windows beside the water. You can grab something to go, but the setting gives you a reason to sit down before continuing along Highway 101.

Look for the Yellow Building Near the D River

Grumblefish occupies the former Vivian’s Restaurant, just east of Highway 101 near the D River. The exterior is easy to pick out once you know what you are looking for: yellow siding, red doors, a brick chimney, and a large Grumblefish Bagels sign above the roof. That bright paint looks especially cheerful against the gray skies Lincoln City gets so often. Use the First Street address for directions, since the business sits off the highway rather than directly along its storefront strip.

Inside, the long wooden counter and stools give the room the feel of an older coastal restaurant. Fishing nets hang against the woodwork, a ship’s wheel decorates the wall, and the bagel case sits near the ordering counter. There are tables as well as counter seats, with windows along the waterside portion of the room. The photographs show a place where breakfast in a paper-lined basket looks entirely at home.

The river view comes up in customer reviews almost as often as some of the bagel flavors. Colin Reimer praised the birdwatching from the seating area, while more recent reviewers have also singled out the view. A window table would be my choice for a slower breakfast, particularly on a morning when the weather makes the beach less inviting. The bagels are the reason to come, but a seat by the water is a welcome extra when you have time to use it.

Start With the Bagel Case

Grumblefish describes its bagels as New York style on its official Facebook page. A July 2026 customer photograph of the case shows familiar varieties including plain, sesame, poppy, salt, everything, and Asiago, alongside bacon and cheddar and jalapeño and cheddar. Labels for blueberry, cinnamon raisin, and garlic appear there too. The trays hold visibly different bagels, from smooth golden rounds to ones with thick, browned cheese on top.

That range gives you several ways to order without having to commit to a full sandwich. A plain or sesame bagel leaves more attention for the spread you choose, while an everything bagel brings its own seasoning. With bacon and cheddar or jalapeño and cheddar, you already have a more assertive starting point before anything goes between the halves. Look at the actual case when you arrive, since a photographed selection is a useful preview of the shop rather than a promise of every flavor on every visit.

Cheese lovers have particularly good reason to spend a moment here. The Asiago and cheddar-topped varieties look quite different from one another, and the jalapeño rounds have visible slices of pepper baked into the cheese. If you are ordering for two, choosing different bagels gives you more to compare than doubling up on the same combination. It also makes the decision less final, provided your breakfast companion is willing to share.

Give the Cream Cheese Some Thought

The spreads deserve a proper look before you finish ordering. Menu photographs from spring and summer 2026 say the cream cheeses are mixed in house, with combinations including roasted jalapeño and scallion, jalapeño and caramelized onion, and sun-dried tomato and basil. Plain cream cheese and hummus also appear on the board. With flavors changing between photographs, the counter menu is the place to see what the crew is mixing now.

Explore Lincoln City’s Grumblefish listing mentions bacon and cheddar with sweet chili sriracha cream cheese, along with a Parmesan pretzel and a prosciutto-and-provolone option. That bacon-and-cheddar pairing gives you something salty, cheesy, sweet, and spicy in the same order. It is an appealing direction if plain cream cheese feels too restrained for the morning you have in mind. Ask which of those specialties are available, because the tourism listing and the more recent menu photographs show different selections.

Customer orders offer a few more combinations to consider. Quinnlyn recommended jalapeño scallion cream cheese with a bacon-and-cheese bagel, while Allison described an everything bagel with jalapeño cream cheese and added bacon. Fasai S. went in a different direction with blueberry and jalapeño-caramelized onion. Those are individual customers’ choices, but they show how far you can wander from the usual plain-on-plain breakfast without ordering anything especially complicated.

If you are unsure how two strong flavors will work together, ask the person taking your order. A cheese-covered bagel with a spicy spread is a different proposition from sesame with plain cream cheese, and the people working with the ingredients can help you choose. Hummus is also worth asking about if you prefer a savory spread without cream cheese. Anyone with dietary restrictions should check the ingredients in both the bagel and the topping before settling on a combination.

The Breakfast Sandwiches Are a Substantial Order

The breakfast side of the menu begins with egg and cheese, with bacon, ham, or homemade sausage available for a more filling sandwich. A June 2026 menu photo lists egg and cheese at $9.99 and the meat version at $12.99. Prices can change, but those figures give you a more useful starting point than assuming a loaded breakfast sandwich costs the same as a bagel with a spread. Choose your bagel first, then decide how much breakfast you want inside it.

The customer photographs make the portions easy to understand. Eggs extend well beyond the edge of the bagel, cheese lies over the folded egg, and meat takes up another substantial layer. In Colin Reimer’s photograph, a broad sausage patty sits beneath an everything bagel; Daniel’s shows bacon spilling out under a jalapeño-and-cheddar top. These are the sorts of sandwiches you will probably want to sit down with, at least until you have worked out how to keep the filling in place.

Homemade sausage is one of the more interesting choices on the board. Caroline Belleci specifically praised it in her review, and other customers have photographed it as part of their breakfast orders. If bacon is your default everywhere else, Grumblefish gives you a reason to consider a different meat. An Asiago or everything bagel would keep that order firmly on the savory side, with the egg and cheese filling out the rest of the sandwich.

There is also room to keep the sandwich simpler. Egg and cheese lets the bagel remain more noticeable, especially if you have chosen one already covered in cheddar or Asiago. Adding cream cheese introduces another flavor and another rich layer, so think about whether that is what you want before automatically adding it. A substantial sandwich and a separate bagel with spread can make more sense for a pair of curious eaters than trying to fit every appealing ingredient into one order.

Lox, Lunch, and an Ambitious Surf + Turf

Lox appears on the breakfast board, and a customer photograph by Kurtis Mcdonald shows salmon laid over cream cheese, red onion, and capers on two open bagel halves. It is a good visual reference for readers who would rather have that familiar combination than bacon and eggs. The photographed June menu lists lox at $12.50. Confirm the current preparation and price when ordering, especially if you are choosing it for a particular topping.

The same board includes a Surf + Turf at $19.49, bringing together egg, a choice of meat, cheese, lox, cream cheese, onions, and capers. There is a lot going on in that sandwich, even by Grumblefish’s generous standards. It makes sense for someone who wants both the breakfast-sandwich ingredients and the salmon rather than choosing between them. If you prefer fewer competing flavors, the separate lox or egg-and-cheese options give you a more focused order.

Lunch has its own section, with turkey, ham, BLT, tuna, and Italian sandwiches listed. The Italian includes salami, prosciutto, provolone, vegetables, and pepperoncini, offering a different use for those freshly made bagels. Turkey and ham come with familiar deli additions such as lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, and condiments. The board also advertises a bag of chips with lunch sandwiches, so a later stop can cover lunch without requiring you to eat a breakfast order at noon.

An early closing time puts a limit on that lunch plan. Grumblefish’s currently listed hours end at 2 p.m., which makes it a breakfast or early-lunch destination rather than somewhere to remember after a long afternoon on the beach. If the prosciutto and provolone have caught your attention, move the meal earlier in the day. You can spend the rest of the afternoon exploring Lincoln City with lunch already taken care of.

A Bagel Shop With a Musical Connection

Grumblefish has a connection to another local business, Grumblefish Music. In a September 2026 report for Boiler Bay Beacon, Justin Werner identified the owner as Dr. Phill Mills, who grew up in New York and also owns the music store. Mills told the publication that the crew spent time developing the bagels before settling on a result he was happy with. That background helps explain the New York-style description on the shop’s own page.

Werner also reported that bagel maker and manager Tony works at the music shop, and that a guitar and occasional live music have found their way into the restaurant. The crew’s fish-themed titles include “The Admiral Fish” for Mills and “The Captain Fish” for Tony. Grumblefish supplies bagels to The Red Roof in Gleneden Beach and 1st Choice Fresh Markets as well, according to that report. You may encounter the name elsewhere on the coast before making it to the yellow building in Lincoln City.

What Customers Are Saying

When I checked Grumblefish’s Google reviews, the shop had a 4.8 rating from 199 reviews. Praise for the bagels, generous fillings, and friendly service appeared across both the featured comments and newer posts. Cassie Sanders described substantial egg-and-cheese portions in a recent review, and Octavia McAloon also noted the size of the servings. Those reports line up with what the food photographs show.

The feedback is not unanimous. Mac Gall recently described the sandwiches as too greasy and disappointing for the cost, while Megan reported a long line and a limited selection. KatZ Ziegler liked the food and staff but wished they had arrived before more varieties sold out. My own experience was excellent, and those comments still give readers a useful reason to arrive earlier and look at the current prices before ordering.

Pacific Grind Has Some Company on My Breakfast List

We have written about Pacific Grind Cafe before, and readers who already stop there will understand why another good bagel option gets my attention. Pacific Grind is down in the Taft District, while Grumblefish is near the D River. Depending on where you are staying or which end of town you plan to explore, either location can fit naturally into the day. Having another breakfast worth making time for is good news for anyone who returns to Lincoln City regularly.

My recommendation for Grumblefish comes from having eaten there and being impressed enough to put it alongside an established favorite. I would happily point another bagel lover toward it. Someone who has always ordered breakfast at Pacific Grind now has a reason to try a different counter on their next visit, and someone staying for several days has room for both. The comparison is about enthusiasm for the food, with plenty of room for people to keep their own favorite orders and loyalties.

Turn Breakfast Into a Lincoln City Morning

Grumblefish’s location leaves you close to the D River area and the central part of town. Before planning a beach stop at the wayside, check Explore Lincoln City’s welcome-center updates, since work there can affect access and facilities. You can also choose another of Lincoln City’s beach accesses if the one you intended to use is busy or affected by construction. Breakfast is an easy starting point; the rest of the morning can follow the weather and the available access.

For a nearby art stop, the Lincoln City Cultural Center sits just north of the D River in the historic Delake School building. Its galleries are currently open Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the outdoor Cultural Plaza is open from sunrise to sunset. The plaza includes public artwork, including Pete Beeman’s tall stainless-steel sculpture Poppy. A later breakfast at Grumblefish followed by the galleries makes a workable morning without a long drive between stops.

Our Oregon events calendar is another place to look when you are planning the day around breakfast. Browse the Oregon Coast listings for performances, markets, and community events that fit your dates. If you are making a weekend of it, check the calendar before choosing which morning to visit Grumblefish so you can leave time for both the meal and whatever else brought you to Lincoln City.

Before You Go

Grumblefish Bagels is at 1115 SE First Street, Lincoln City, Oregon 97367. The current Google listing shows Wednesday through Sunday hours of 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., with Monday and Tuesday closed. The shop’s official Facebook page lists its phone number as 541-364-8397. Check directly for holiday changes or a particular bagel or spread you are hoping to find.

Dine-in and takeout are both listed, and the photographed menu offers half-dozen and dozen purchases for anyone taking bagels back to a rental house or home from the coast. Call ahead if you need a larger quantity or specific flavors, especially given the reviews mentioning sold-out varieties. Bring the current address rather than relying on an older restaurant name, give yourself time to look through the case, and order breakfast while the shop is still serving.