Editor’s note: A version of this story was first published in 2022 and has been updated.
Jan. 15 is National Bagel Day, but isn’t that every day in New Jersey?
The American love affair with bagels gets stronger every year. About 202.7 million Americans ate bagels in 2020; the number is expected to hit 205.3 million in 2024. About 10 million bagels are eaten every day. The nationwide are blueberry, cinnamon raisin, everything, asiago and rainbow. Blueberry? These can’t be normal people ordering. Our Jeremy Schneider ranked all 23 bagel flavors that matter, and ranked the everything bagel as No. 1.
Bagels, low in fiber, high in sodium and carbs, are not exactly good for you. If you switch from a regular bagel to a mini-bagel every day, according to one health web site, you can lose 24 pounds in a year! We don’t care — can we have extra cream cheese on our cinnamon raisin please?
New York proclaims itself bagel capital of America and pizza capital of America and deli capital of America and capital of every other food ad nauseam, but us food guys Pete and Jeremy are here to state no one takes a back seat to New Jersey when it comes to bagels. This list condenses our considerable bagel eating experience. As you can see, we tried every imaginable bagel and spread (Pete took one for the team and tried the maple whiskey spread at one shop).
We discovered that our Jersey bagel makers are not exactly a modest crew. “America’s finest hand made bagels,” proclaimed one. “America’s finest hand rolled bagels since 1988,” crowed another. That ain’t nothing, countered another bagel shop, which sells “the world’s finest bagels.”
So who makes New Jersey’s best bagels? Read on, and don’t forget the schmear.
51. Boonton Bagels and Gourmet Deli, Boonton
Rumor has it the bagels here are boiled in New York water. We’d knock them for the New Jersey betrayal, but whatever they’re doing at Boonton Bagels is working. These bagels are excellent texturally, and the toppings are top-notch — especially the Taylor ham, egg and cheese. (JS)
50. Boxcar Bagels & Deli, Bogota
No frills and no credit cards at Boxcar, the cash-only joint that serves big, crusty bagels (they’re still fluffy on the inside, don’t worry). The shop got its name because, you guessed it, it’s right by a railroad. They serve all the classics, but their onion bagel was one of the best I had at any spot for this story. (JS)
49. B&G Bagels, Ramsey
B&G has locations in Waldwick and Ho-Ho-Kus, but the Ramsey outpost is the place to go. The bagels themselves are obviously excellent, and the menu stretches far beyond that. Omelettes, breakfast quesadillas, even avocado toast for the Millennials! Their “super charge” breakfast sandwiches are excellent for a big appetite. The “loaded” comes with sausage, Taylor ham, scrambled eggs, home fries and American cheese. (JS)
48. Muheisen’s Bagel & Deli, Washington (Warren Co.)
Warren County’s best bagels can be found in neighborhood favorite Muheisen’s. Twenty-plus bagels and 16 spreads are on the menu. They’re best known for their French toast bagel; it’s sweet and rich. My favorite: the super-sticky super cinnamon. (PG)
47. Caeser’s Bagels & Deli, Hamilton Township
Blueberry chip bagels? I had never heard of such a thing before I went to Caeser’s, a Central Jersey stalwart. Can’t say I’m a fan of the bagel, which has crunchy sweet blueberry pieces on the exterior and interior of the bagel. But their bacon, egg and cheese on an everything was strong, and their “Belly Buster” with pork roll, bacon, eggs, potato, cheese, hot sauce and ketchup had me wishing I had a second stomach. (JS)
46. Kettleman’s Bagels, Somerset
Kettleman’s is located…
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