Not to be overly dramatic, but by the beard of Zeus, Bagels is back! Bringing it back to earth, Bagels on the Hudson has a special place in the hearts and stomachs of just about every Stevens student, young and old. When it’s two in the morning, almost everything is closed (especially on a weekday night), and you need something in your stomach, Bagels has always been there offering bagels, sandwiches, and just about anything else a college student needs at who knows when in the morning.
This comes as news to absolutely nobody, save maybe for the student studying abroad, but Bagels had been closed over the summer and into the semester for extensive renovations. Where was a student to go? Boardwalk, Torna, Cluck U all fill that need to a degree, but only to a certain extent (and only on weekend nights). Finally though, the skies cleared, the heavens opened, and Bagels on the Hudson had its grand re-opening last Wednesday. While I originally had other plans for this week’s article, the announcement of Bagels’ return changed those plans quickly.
What struck me the most about the new Bagels was the sheer extent of the renovations. Old Bagels was what some could describe as dingy, but I, being the eternal optimistic, will call it full of “character.” Post-renovation though, Bagels is a completely different animal. Brighter lights, significantly more staff, a more open floor plan following the removal of the mini-grocery’s worth of shelving, and a large board with the menu written in chalk make it seem significantly more upscale. The biggest change though, decor aside, is that the big wooden shelf full of bagels back by the refrigerator cabinets is gone, replaced by glass and steel bagel racks embedded in the counter. If one thing has been lost in the new Bagels, it’s the ability to hand-pick your own bagel (given run-ins with the health department, this may not entirely be a bad thing).
Like the decor, the menu has also expanded and taken on a life of its own. While of course they still offer every kind of bagel with fillings ranging from butter to Taylor Ham, egg, and cheese, the menu also offers more breakfast sandwiches, in addition to heroes and burgers. This being a student review, though, my party stuck mostly to the breakfast side of the menu this past Sunday night.
Before getting into some of their new offerings, a review of the classics. In short, their bagels honestly taste significantly better than before; whether that’s through a recipe change or the bagels always being fresh out of the oven when I go, there’s something much improved. They still have their same variety of bagels (yes, even chocolate chip) and different spreads. The everything bagel with cream cheese was described by a member of the group as “really really good,” as was the everything bagel with lox, which a friend called “the best thing at Bagels, save for the jalepeno cream cheese.” Getting to more hot food, the bacon, egg, and cheese was generously portioned and, even though ketchup was mistakenly added, it was still quite delicious. The sausage, egg, and cheese was met with similar fanfare.
As for some of their new offerings (or at least what hasn’t been on the menu before), a couple additions to the breakfast menu stick out. They now offer a breakfast sandwich with potato, egg, and cheese, a combination I had only ever seen at a couple of other establishments (mostly Italian). While pretty good, it wasn’t quite as filling as something so starchy could be, but good nonetheless. Going more upscale, I noticed they also now offer a steak, egg, and cheese breakfast sandwich, so I bit. While I regrettably forgot to ask for SPK (salt, pepper, ketchup), my classic blunder didn’t ruin the meal, as the sandwich was quite good; the steak was well-cooked but not tough, and everything was just plain good.
Stevens community rejoice: Bagels has made its triumphant return, and it’s better than ever. With an all-new appearance, expanded menu, and larger staff, Bagels has stepped up their game and classed up the joint; it seems all that down time for renovation seems to have been put to good use. But, for all the bright lights and glass, Bagels seems to have kept its roots quite well, always the fear after renovations in Hoboken. They are still just as oriented to the Stevens student, and the reason for their success can be best summed up by a friend’s appraisal of the sausage, egg, and cheese on a bagel: “It was everything I needed at that moment,” that moment being the middle of the night when the hunger is on. Bagels on the Hudson, welcome back.
Be First to Comment