I actually had to google how bagels in Montreal were made because I could not believe how awesome they were after I ate here. A few years ago, I had Fairmount, and loved it, but can't really compare because of the time lapse.
I had about five bagels (yes, i realize i looked like a typical gluttonous american tourist, but i didn't have a lil bag on my waist) and found they taste great plain, which, in my opinion, is a true measure of quality.
The only thing i noticed the popeye bagels must have been fresh out of the oven because they were very warm, where the others weren't. I preferred the warm ones, but by no means didn't like the others.