Whether it’s before school, for breakfast with your family, or after a weekend sports practice, the local bagel places are popular and beloved by the students of Bernards. The casual and family-friendly atmospheres of Bagel Bin, Lil Pickles, and Bagels-4-U draw in many customers- many of which are high school students. Although they’re all local bagel places, they’re all very different.
Bagel Bin has been one of the town’s favorite local bagel shop. The Bagel Bin, located in Olcott Square, is one of the most popular and relaxed establishments in Bernardsville. Its open, airy environment gives a great view of town. In the winter, there is a perfect view of the Holiday Tree in Olcott Square. Bagel Bin’s location makes for a perfect breakfast pit-stop for students who walk to school.
They offer a variety of food and beverage choices, including breakfast sandwiches. The bagel itself is the perfect size, and the cream cheese is quality. Ellie Taylor, a 9th grader said, “It’s a good size, the bagels, so you don’t get too full.” The service is very quick, and the cost of two bagels is $3.20. Although they were a bit misshapen, they are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside- exactly how it should be.
Lil Pickles Hot Bagels & Deli is located in Pluckemin and is the only bagel shop in Bedminster. Because of this, this deli is very popular and well-known to locals. In fact, locals know the owners, making it have a family-environment. The service is very fast, which is beneficial for the rush of people who come in for breakfast, especially those going to work or school. The deli itself is small, so it does not seat too many people. They have a large selection of items consisting of both breakfast and lunch choices.
Although it was the most expensive of the three bagel shops, with two bagels being $4.00, Cassidy Reyda said, “I like it. It’s the only bagel place close to my house and they’re really good. The toasted sesame bagels with cream cheese are my favorite.” The bagels were a normal size, but are phenomenal, especially when served straight out of the oven, and in addition, the cream cheese was served generously.
Bagels-4-U, located right behind the school is very well-known to students. Because it is open from 5:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m., it’s convenient for students to go either before or after school or even for weekend sports. They offer a wide range of coffee, bagels, breakfast items, and sandwiches. Specifically, they provide a very large selection of bagel types varying from “mini bagels”, to “flagels”, to even blueberry and raspberry bagels. The price of two bagels is only $3.09. The bagel itself is a delicious, normal-sized, fluffy ball of dough.
The cream cheese is applied very generously on the bagel and sometimes even too much. The place itself was very casual and clean. Even though some of the staff can not speak English very well, they still get most orders correctly and quickly. Allie Shaw said, “They’re quick, they put a lot of cream cheese on their bagels, and they taste good!” Many students love Bagels-4-U because of their quality and convenience.
All three of these bagel places are widely known to locals- both students and adults. Whether they’re family-friendly, have quick service, or are convenient, there are many reasons why the Bernardsville area is famous for their bagels. The Bagel Bin, Lil Pickles, and Bagels-4-U are ideal selections for a delicious bagel.
