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Bagel Buddies
Categories: Food Bagels Food Coffee & Tea Restaurants Sandwiches Bagels, Coffee & Tea, Sandwiches [Edit]
13081 Fair Lakes Shopping CtrFairfax, VA 22030
(703) 631-8700
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 6 am - 4 pm
Sat 6:30 am - 4 pm
Sun 7 am - 4 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Breakfast
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
39 reviews for Bagel Buddies
Review Highlights
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"...list of bagel and cream cheese flavors and everything is..." In 11 reviews -
"...love that they have lox, matzo ball soup, rugala and bialys." In 2 reviews -
"Try their black & white cookies if you can get them." In 3 reviews
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39 reviews in English
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Review from Angela H.
Burke, VA
2/7/2012
My favorite bagel place in the area and they have excellent veggie cream cheese!
Their sandwiches are really good as well. Pretty much everything!
Price is good and they have some pretty good desserts too! -
Review from Matt Z.
Fairfax, VA
12/14/2011 3 Check-ins Here
Fantastic local small business, offering a superb product.
They serve bagels of all types and they do it well.
They also do bagel sandwiches and a few deserts (rugelach being my favorite).
GET THERE EARLY as they run out fast and stop making bagels after the lunch-hour rush.
Best bagels in Fairfax, hands down. -
Review from De B.
Centreville, VA
4/17/2012 1 Check-in Here
This place is amazing. I come here so often they know me by order because I always get the same thing every time. Best part of it all are the bagel are fresh baked on spot. Yum!!!
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Review from Adam L.
Fairfax, VA
2/13/2012
Solid bagel spot.. Def the best in the area. Plenty of bagel types, diff cream cheeses, and specialty sandwiches. Staff is also attentive and friendly.
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Review from Ed C.
Fairfax, VA
5/22/2011 1 Check-in Here
This place has the best bagels in Fairfax. Come on the weekends, the baker who works Saturday and Sunday is the better of the two. The negative reviews seemed to be based on sandwiches, or single experiences, which in the case of the former is not their principle focus, and in the case of the latter is simply stupid.
Come early on a Saturday morning, get a couple different kinds of bagels, try their cream cheeses, of which they have many choices. You will not be disappointed. -
Review from Lis K.
Chesapeake, VA
7/25/2011 1 Check-in Here
This was a wonderful find while we were in Fairfax. While in town we were determined not to eat at chain restaurants. Being from NY/NJ I'm always looking for a great bagel and this comes pretty close to it. They are water bagels so they have the perfect crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. I had a poppy seed with cream cheese, my husband had a plain with sausage egg and cheese and my daughter had a muffin. The only complaint was that the egg was microwaved.
Excellent find, it definitely ranks up there with the best. -
Review from Neal E.
11/21/2007 1 photo
A great place for all things Bagel! One of the things I love about this place is the range of options available for cream cheese. Seems like most places offer 4-5 flavors. But Bagel Buddies has a lot more than that! I did not count, but if I had to guess - I'd say at least 20 different cream cheese options.
Today I ordered a toasted sun dried tomato bagel, with Bacon & Scallion cream cheese, and a large coffee. It was excellento! Is that a word? If not, I just made it up!
They also offer a wide selection of breakfast sandwiches, sandwiches, and a lot more!
Coffee was good and strong, there is a steady stream of folks in line at 11:30 am this morning. Lots of Moms with kids in here. There are a few outdoor tables as well.
I will return here in the future to make buddies with more bagels! -
Review from Bob W.
Chantilly, VA
3/11/2011
We've been going to Bagel Buddies since they opened back in the mid-90s.
For a bagel shop in a strip mall in the far-out suburbs, Bagel Buddies does just fine. The bagels will not make you think you're on First Ave. in Manhattan, but they are a cut above the crap bagel chains (the only bagel chain that is worth a darn is Brueggers, and they mostly vanished from this area in a franchisee dispute years ago). The egg supreme bagel is excellent.
They also have very good rugelach, which is a real plus since most store-bought rugelach are crap. (My family rugelach recipe is world-class, so my standards are very high).
The coffee is pretty good.
As a final note, they used to give you enough cream cheese on a bagel that you could just buy another plain bagel and have enough cream cheese for both, but lately they seem to be skimping on the cream cheese a bit. -
Review from Kyle C.
Herndon, VA
8/17/2008
Best bagel place in Northern VA. I love how after almost a year of not coming in for my Saturday bagel the owner still remembered me and gave me grief for not coming more often.
Try their black & white cookies if you can get them. They're very authentic and delicious! -
Review from Wayne R.
Clifton, VA
11/28/2009
Bagel Buddies is a rare find in the chain-infested dining scene in Northern Virginia. It's an actual, independent, locally owned eatery. Nearly all of my business with them is buying a dozen at a time. On the occasions when I've eaten there, I've found the sandwiches to be well made, the ingredients fresh and everything delivered as ordered.
The bagels are as close to being like those you'll find in Manhattan as you'll find around the DC area. They're better than the chains, and they make the bagels in the traditional way by boiling before baking. They're generous with the toppings or coverings or whatever it is that you call them. They're crusty on the outside, soft and chewy in the middle. Exactly what a bagel should be.
New owners have taken a little while to settle in. as a result there is some inconsistency in the size and shape of the bagels. In addition there are times that the proofing has been allowed to go on too long. But in general the bagels are reliably good, and much better than anything else in NoVa. The sandwich service reminds me a little of the Chicken Deli on 28th street in Manhattan in terms of their selections and the frantic pace.
For a sack o' bagels, this is the place to go. -
Review from A. S.
Fairfax, VA
7/8/2010
This place has rave reviews so I was expecting a lot, but it's just an average bagel place. Good bagels, but nothing spectacular.
Of course, this place makes sammies and desserts and all I got was a half-dozen bagels, so maybe I missed a lot of the appeal. But basically all I really want from a bagel place is good bagels. These were fine. They had a good crusty exterior. But other than that, what's the big deal? The garlic on the garlic bagel was bitter; this is usually the case with garlic bagels, but if that's what I want I can just go down the street to Wegman's. The granola bagel sounded interesting, but it was just a cinnamon-raisin bagel with some oats sprinkled on top. What I was really looking forward to was the sun-dried tomato bagel, but I was told they don't make those anymore. So I guess it's back to Einsten for those.
Veggie cream cheese was decent though. -
Review from Mark S.
6/28/2009
We all know bagels and breakfast foods are pretty easy to make.
However if you are just limited on time/ingredients and are craving a good morning bagel sandwich.. I highly suggest Bagel Buddies.
They are located in a small section at the end of Fair Lakes Shopping Center.. drive to the very end past BJ's and Walmart.. it's kind of hidden.
This place was sooo busy when we got there.. and while we were eating.. the line kept getitng longer.
They offer all sorts of different types of bagels and you can pretty much get any type of breakfast food on your bagel. I had the original bagel with American cheese, sausage, and egg.. and then I got a huge black and white cookie. So delicious!
You are given a number.. and you sit down and put the number on your table and then they bring you your bagels when they are done (similiar to Noodles and Co) -
Review from Mitch R.
Vienna, VA
11/17/2008
This place is fantastic!!!
Their bagels are always fresh and cooked perfectly and their selection is extensive, as is their cream cheese selection as Robert B noted. Their bagel pizza is awesome, but you probably wouldn't get that seeing as how Tony's is a only a few feet away. Also, their bagel sandwiches are great too.
The best bagel place in Northern Virginia! -
Review from Jonathan E.
Chicago, IL
3/10/2010
I've been here alot, but I write this review after my first visit to Bagel Buddies post changing ownership.
Before, I could easily say this was a 5 star bagel/deli restaurant. Sure the decor and dining room are just passable, but the bagels are outstanding, and the sandwiches always came piled high. Something has changed though, and while the bagels are still excellent the sandwiches themselves have grown a bit skinnier. The "Long Island Burger" (a lox bagel with the trimmings) in particular seems to have suffered from the recession.
As a die-hard smoked salmon lover, to see my favorite sandwich at Bagel Buddies go from being a Brooklyn-rivaling masterpiece to just another bagel with lox is enough to warrant a slide in stars. However their rugelach is better than ever, and the bagels are yes - outstanding.Listed in: Capital Idea
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Review from Sarah G.
7/29/2010 1 Check-in Here
This place is a NOVA hot spot fo sho. Be prepared to see some soccer/lax moms enjoying a bagel on a Tuesday morning while they're gossiping about the latest scandal at Chantilly HS.
The owners here are great and have kept the bagels consistently delicious. They're more New York style than D.C. style, but it's all good because, after all, this is closer to the Capitol. Also, super good motzah ball soup here! -
Review from Amy L.
Leesburg, VA
8/11/2011
The only edible bagels in NoVA. And they even have bialys! This transplanted New Yorker can't say enough about this little slice of home! I had them cater my son's bris. If you've gone there and eaten some weird wrap or funky (non-Jewish) ethnic food, you're missing the point.
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Review from Vanessa P.
Bristow, VA
5/6/2010
There's absolutely nothing wrong with this place, at all. Great food, great prices, great dessert.
The Beau had a western omelet on a plain bagel and I had a bacon, egg and cheddar on a jalapeno cheddar bagel. At first glance it doesn't look very filling or like very much food. By the end of the meal I was full (but not too full).
I really, really liked the jalapeno cheddar bagel as it didn't over power the rest of the sandwich. The Beau said he would have liked a little more kick to his -- maybe by adding hot sauce (which, IDK if they have there or not though I'm sure they do) but overall he was totally satisfied.
I ordered three rugelach to go -- a raspberry, cinnamon raisin and chocolate (listed the in the order of my favourite). They're $0.75/ea or 10 for $6 and totally worth it, especially the raspberry one, which, IMO, was the most flavourful of the three.
We can't wait to go back and try their sandwiches. You should all immediately go now (cos they close pretty early) and chow down!! -
Review from M B.
Ashburn, VA
7/20/2010 2 Check-ins Here
THANK YOU to the owners of this place for finally providing the Northern VA area with a decent bagel place. Growing up in Boca Raton, FL, I was surrounded by these types of establishments and I've missed them so much since I moved up here.
My mother found this place in Farifax one day-- and it is a kosher-style place. They have great matzo ball soup-- usually when I go, I get a cup of that along with an everything bagel with cream cheese and lox. I love that they have lox, matzo ball soup, rugala and bialys...which are so hard to find up here. They also have other things as well-- all types of sandwiche, pastries and coffee drinks. Breakfast sandwiches served all day too.
Anyone that says this place is "just average" doesn't know the definition of a good bagel place! -
Review from jeffrey d.
Arlington, VA
2/28/2010
Well, my review might be a little jaded as I've been going to bagel buddies for the past 14-15 years. I've known the original owners (new owners took over as of the middle/end of last year) since I was working at the TCBY in the same shopping center and they never let me forget it, haha.
Regarding the bagels, unless you. The main differences are that the bagels are baked fresh on site every day, the sandwiches are actually piled high and the bakery items, while limited, are very good.
The new owners have done a great job of keeping the product true to it's original form and have even updated a few of the less sightly things.
I highly recommend stopping in and grabbing some breakfast but keep in mind, the 7-11 crowd can get pretty thick at times... Especially on the weekends. -
Review from Shevonne P.
Fairfax, VA
3/21/2009
I have never tried it for breakfast, so maybe it's good for then. However, for lunch, go some place else. I went with my friend and sister for lunch. My friend had a veggie burger, sister had a tuna melt, and I had a thai chicken wrap. I also asked for a White Chocolate Mocha. First off, it took forever for them to take our orders. We should have just ran out then. After we ordered, it took another 20 minutes for them to make our sandwiches. We were probably better off going to a sit-down restaurant. After the long wait, they had forgotten my White Chocolate Mocha.
We finally left. I thought that because it took so long that it would be amazing. Ewwwww....gross. The wrap tasted more like a flavorless Vietnamese sandwich. After I talked to my sister and friend, they also said that their food was disgusting. The White Chocolate Mocha tasted like Hershey milk with a little bit of coffee.
I don't think the three of us will ever return. -
Review from Chris S.
Arlington, VA
6/19/2011 1 Check-in Here
Fast friendly good coffee cheap.
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Review from Chow N.
McLean, VA
4/23/2011
This place is probably the closest you'll get to a NY bagel. The bagels are good and the matzo ball soup is tasty also.
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Review from Judith L.
Richmond, VA
11/14/2008
I woke up this morning with a craving for a bagel... Never having had experienced this craving before, I hopped onto yelp and looked for a spot to grab a bagel from. I'm not a fan of Einstein's... and would rather attempt to make my own bagel at home (aka: make some pathetic toast) than grab a bagel from McDonalds down the street. Enter: Bagel Buddies.
I drove a couple miles and ventured into the establishment. There is a seating area to your right and a line to the counter on the left. On various signs there are ads for various types of their bagel concoctions (breakfast, lunch sandwiches, etc). When I arrived at the counter, I was a little overwhelmed. I decided to play it safe on my first visit- ordering a plain bagel with bacon and scallion cream cheese (I had never seen this flavor before)... As I waited for my bagel to be made, I grabbed an Orangina out of the fridge (which also held various types of vitamin water, teas, and juices) and took a look at the rest of their menu. They offer a ton of cream cheese (I probably couldn't name half of them for you- because I've never even heard of half of them before), baked goods (muffins, cookies, other pastry items), bagel sandwiches- for breakfast and lunch... the list goes on. A pretty extensive menu for a small bagel establishment.
I ripped off a piece of my bagel when I was driving in the car (I wouldn't wait...)... ... and half of it was gone by the time I got back to my apartment. YUM!
I will definitely be back (and be more adventurous) to Bagel Buddies! -
Review from Gurkie C.
Fairfax, VA
4/22/2008
Whenever I am in the mood for a bagel this is the first place I think of. The food is good, and the prices reasonable. Personally I like adding tomato/lettuce to my bagel sandwichs at someplace like Einsteins this inflates the price to 5 bucks, here they add 15-30 cents... The bagels are very similar to what you find in NYC. My personal favorite bit about this restaurant is their jalapeno creamcheese! soooo good.... I tend to like things on the spicy side and this gives the bagel sandwichs just a bit of a kick!
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Review from Robert B.
Merritt Island, FL
11/15/2008
This place is great! They have an exhaustive list of bagel and cream cheese flavors and everything is super fresh. Try their bagel sandwiches if it's a bit later in the morning and you are in the mood for something different. The Bleeker Street on a toasted asiago cheese bagel is simply heavenly. This place can get pretty busy on the weekends, so expect to wait a little bit. The staff is friendly and courteous, but unfortunately the small size of the kitchen/prep area doesn't allow them to operate efficiently when people pile in. As they say, "good things are worth waiting for."
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Review from Marlene S.
Alexandria, VA
6/29/2010
Went here for breakfast with my bf. They have a lot of different kinds of bagels!!! We both got breakfast bagel sandwiches. I don't remember what time we got there, but it was pretty early and this place was busy...the line was at the door. If I still lived in Fairfax, I would def. go there more often to get bagels. Their black and white cookies was really good too...mmm!!!! Ok, need to stop reviewing places when I'm starving!
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Review from R B.
Fairfax, VA
7/13/2010
My husband and I visited Bagel Buddies last month on a weekend morning. It was pretty busy and I waited in line for a really, really long time. I thought the long wait would mean that the food was super, not quite. I ordered a toasted bagel with veggie cream cheese. The bagel was loaded with cream cheese to the point where I needed to spend even more time removing most of the cream cheese. The end result was that the bagel was below average, the place was small, and the wait was too long, I wont be back.
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Review from Val C.
Fairfax, VA
10/7/2011
I've been a Bagel Buddies customer since the original owners opened in the '90s. Yes, the new ownership is different but the bagels are still the best around. I get them every week, keep in plastic bags in fridge or freezer and go for lunch a few times a month. We call it "The Mothership" for displaced New Yorkers who appreciate good food with no frills.
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Review from Irene C.
Centreville, VA
8/11/2010
I personally have never tried their bagels but I heard from a friend that their smoothies were amazing so I thought I'd give it a try.
Boy was that a MISTAKE!! :(
My heart skipped a beat when I saw what ingredients were put into the blender to make my strawberry smoothie: PRESERVED strawberries and POWDER!!! Omgsh.. Maybe it's just me b/c I have a thing against powders used for anything (esp. bubble tea lol) I held my breath and I just paid for my smoothie. I thought I'd give it a try without making a fuss.
MAYBE if the smoothie tasted good, I would overlook the powder part just this one time BUT the smoothie not only DID NOT taste like fruit but it tasted like cough medicine!! I drank one gulp and I threw it in the trash. $4 down the drain :(
I like my smoothies to be made out of fresh real fruit, milk, yogurt, etc with NO artificial food coloring or powder! If you're like me, then DO NOT go to this place for smoothies!
I will definitely be back to try their bagels/muffins, etc and perhaps some extra stars will be added!!! -
Review from Kristin D.
Herndon, VA
12/31/2009
For that authentic bagel texture and taste, this is the place.
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Review from Vinnie P.
Fairfax, VA
4/23/2008
A nice alternative to the Paneras and Einstein Bros. of suburbia, Bagel Buddies is a cozy little place with charm. They have a very wide variety of fresh-baked bagels and cream cheeses that change daily, covering the usual stuff (plain, sesame, poppy bagels) while also offering more adventurous fare (pumpkin, peanut butter bagels). They'll also cook up some bacon and eggs for a breakfast bagel sandwich, or throw on whatever veggies and meat you want to make a lunch platter. On top of that, they have a number of speciality drinks and Jewish delicacies to help round out your meal. The friendly staff and the unusual food selections give them the feel of a laidback, neighborhood deli.
Unfortunately, that charm and good food can translate to wait lines to the door on weekend mornings, and the place often runs out of seating room. Go at off hours. -
Review from Shaylee P.
Woodbridge, VA
11/21/2010
I commute to Fairfax County and even though Bagel Buddies is out of my way, I try to stop by at least once or twice a week to get my bagel fix. Their sesame bagel (I prefer sliced, not toasted) with veggie cream cheese is delicious! If you've ever had a great NYC bagel (i.e. Ess-A-Bagel =)), you'll understand my fixation for Bagel Buddies! I typically grab my bagel to go but there are plenty of tables if you prefer to dine in. I would definitely stop by more often if it didn't add another 10-15 minutes to my commute. Another item to note...they do offer lunch items and seem to offer a good variety of sandwiches and soups.
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Review from Daniel B.
Manassas, VA
Updated - 8/7/2010
Very good. Better than last visit and back to their good standards. Forgot then name of sandwich I ordered but it had chicken, cheddar, bacon, and BBQ sauce. I ordered without the bacon and on a honey wheat bagel. Didn't care for the bagel as a sandwich but as just a plain bagel it was good. The bagel just didn't work with the sandwich which was my fault. The BBQ sauce was really really good. Ordered 4 bagels to take home for breakfast. Yum! They were out if asiago cheese bagels :( otherwise they would have received 5 stars.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/1/2010
I've always been a huge fan of Bagel Buddies but today they really let me down. I don't get to… Read more »
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Review from Christine R.
Fairfax, VA
5/15/2011
I've lived in the area for years and have never been to Bagel Buddies and probably won't return. I love love love me some breakfast bagel sammies but the one I got here was probably the WORST I've ever had in my life. I'm not a picky eater either. The bagel was nothing spectacular... it's was a bagel. I'm not sure how people can say "this bagel was the best"... The only way a bagel could be terrible imo is if it's not the "flavor" you like or it's stale. Anyhow I ordered a ham, egg and cheese and this thing came out with what looked like it was made with 6 eggs. Microwaved. It was huge. I absolutely hate places that microwave their eggs too. Next the ham that was on my half dozen microwaved egg on a typical bagel was straight inedible. I mean just thinking about the way it looked, and felt in my mouth while I chewed for 10 minutes is making my stomach turn. And we waited at least 25 minutes to place our order. Totally bummed overall about my experience here. Not returning.
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Review from Jennifer W.
Purcellville, VA
10/17/2010
I was shocked to see so many positive reviews of this place. I have been to Bagel Buddies on several occasions lately and each time I was less than impressed. The bagels are average - I have gotten just as good bagels at Einstein, Manhattan, etc. No big deal. They have the regular bagel offerings.
The worst part about this place appears to be the management and service. The guy who (I think) manages the place needs to go to school to learn how to be polite and personable to customers. He is always rushing and today he almost threw my change at me - there wasn't even a line! He looks everywhere except at you and appears to be doing 10 jobs at the same time - even when there are 4 other people behind the counter. The trash was spilling over the trash can, both the coffees ran out, and they have this antiquated method of writing down your order on a carbon copy paper - even if all you order is a plain bagel! I will not be returning. -
Review from Shannon A.
South Riding, VA
5/17/2009
Mmmm delicious bagel sandwiches! I would give them 5 stars if the service wasn't so slow. They have a bunch of teens making the sandwiches and I often see them (I go 1-2x a week) moving along like turtles, sometimes even goofing off. Other than that, the bagel sandwiches are awesome. I suggest taking bagels to go and not dining in because it is very small and stuffy in there. While I'm waiting for my order to be made, I always notice a ton of crumbs scattered all over the floor. Anyway, their menu is pretty big (extensive array of bagels) and I intend to try most of them!
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Review from Bill A.
Fairfax, VA
7/27/2010
Definitely superior to Manhattan bagels and others among the very limited choices in NoVA.
Huge bagels...
The garlic, onion, and supreme bagels actually HAVE lots of garlic, onion, and...er...supreme-ies on them, as opposed to Manhattan Bagels in Fairfax, which has like...three slivers on anything on any of their bagels.
Their cream cheese is very expensive , but great quality...always fresh.
UPDATE:
1. Now they have fresh Rugelach!!! MMMMMMMMmmmmm
2. Noticed another reviewer stating the main dude here is impolite. I kind of disagree. I think he just comes across as a little NYC-like, matter-of-fact, and kind of neutral. Granted, he's definitely not the bubbliest guy to ever work a bagel counter, but I woudn't go so far as to say he's "rude," per se. I mean...he says "thank you" to me when I'm there, so I take it as a win. Makes a decent espresso, too. Besides, at least he speaks english, which is NOT the case at every single Manhattan Bagels I've been to in Fairfax County... -
Review from Andrew E.
Fairfax, VA
10/13/2008
Great Bagels but more importantly GREAT corned beef! I love the Manhattan on the Sourdough bagel! My wife really enjoys the bacon, egg and cheese breakfast bagel on any of the choices. The menu can be a little overwhelming for a newbie. For example, my wife in a rush somehow ordered a french toast bagel with strawberry cream cheese...an odd combination to say the least. Highly recommend.
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Review from vinnie t.
Lorton, VA
7/2/2009
best place for FRESH bagels. many different bagel to pick from. love the bagel sandwiches
