Baconeggandcheese
The bacon egg & cheese.
Colloquially referred to in one breath “baconeggandcheese." The concept is pretty simple.
Traditionally served on a roll, BEC can find it’s way onto any bread-like morsel. Gluten-free bagels, flour tortilla breakfast quesadillas.
But BEC is best on an Everything bagel.
What feels more New York than an incredible on-the-go breakfast sandwiched into a freshly seeded bagel? Honestly, maybe a chopped cheese. But that’s beside the point.
Here are some of the best baconeggandcheese I’ve noshed on since arriving in New York, in no order whatsoever.
Absolute Bagels
Absolute is all about the art of a simple bagel & schmear, maybe throw some lox in there. Its up to you. But nothing will ever stop me from ordering my favorite combination in existence. Bacon egg and cheese, please. The sizeable bagels have a perfectly caramelized exterior that give way to a fluffy, chewy interior. And the shop uses a sharp cheddar that provides a funkier flavor than the ultra-processed american cheese used by most. The cheddar didn’t completely melt, meaning i missed the sticky combination of gooey cheese integrating into my sandwich. But the heaps of bacon and a thick scrambled egg patty make it one of the most filling breakfast sandwiches in the entire city. Beware, though, the queue can seem quite long. Yet moves quickly. And this old school joint is cash only.
Absolute Bagels
2788 Broadway, Upper West Side
Ess-A-Bagel
Ess is the undisputed queen of New York bagels. Opened in 1976, the shop now has 3 locations throughout Midtown Manhattan and serves some of the largest bagels in the city. Each encased in expertly crispy exteriors. With options abound, this is one of the most impressive bagel operations in the city. However, the bacon egg and cheese here is purely average. The seeding itself provides immaculate flavor and texture. The inside? An afterthought. I would recommend showing up after 2 or 3, when the lines have died.
Ess-a-Bagel
831 3rd Ave, Midtown East
Tompkins Square Bagel
Tompkins Square has taken the East Village by storm since a 2011 debut. Now with a second location 2 blocks away, it’s hard to avoid this slice of perfection when in the East Village. This shop honors the traditional bagel shop exceptionally, in a more modern light. Like other expert BEC crafters, the american cheese is carefully wrapped in thin layers of carefully scrambled eggs. Grab and go to the shop’s namesake, Tompkins Square Park. Just beware the throngs of NYU students.
Tompkins Square Bagels
165 Avenue A, East Village
Modern Bread & Pastry
For an immaculately impressive interpretation of the bacon egg & cheese, head to this Upper West Side standby for gluten free bagels. This shop was recommended to me by a friend with celiac, at which point i added it to my google maps list. And completely forgot it was a gluten free bagel shop. Their bacon egg and cheese is made with extremely crispy vegan bacon and heavenly soft scrambled eggs. The bagel was impressive by regular wheat flour standards. The only thing missing from the shop was a great vibe. The gluten-free crowd on the Upper West Side reads as white and suburban as you can get in Manhattan and I ended up stuffing my face on the stoop of a brownstone around the corner.
Modern Bread & Pastry
472 Columbus Ave, Upper West Side
Fort Washington Bakery & Deli
For many, the bagel is more important than any ingredients held within. Fort Washington does just that and delivers incredible bagels that outshine their contents. This unassuming neighborhood bakery tucked into the historically glamorous Hudson Heights section of Washington Heights serves up freshly baked breads & bagels daily as well as an array of accompanying breakfast sandwiches and baked goods. I particularly love their cannoli and filled danishes. But truthfully I'm there for the ultra fluffy bagels. Order a BEC and ask for the bagel untoasted. If I had the time I would would ask for more cheese and my eggs scrambled softer. But I don’t. These are the casually fresh working class neighborhood bakery bagel of your dreams.
Fort Washington Bakery & Deli
808 W 181st St, Washington Heights
Optimum Gourmet Deli
In a neighborhood rapidly changing for the better part of the past few decades, it almost feels odd to still experience a slice of classic New York. Optimum Gourmet Deli provides exceptional sandwich options in an informal bodega set-up on Broome & Ludlow in the Lower East Side. I loved the adherence to traditional BEC standards with gooey, American cheese and the options to add a hashbrown patty. It also helps that these guys are open 24 hours in one of the densest nightlife neighborhoods in New York. End your night here.
Optimum Gourmet Deli
243 Broome St, Lower East Side
Greenberg’s
Greenberg’s is a buzzy neighborhood bagel star that anchors Bedford Avenue in the rapidly gentrifying Bed-Stuy neighborhood. Greenberg’s is known for their bacon egg and cheese, which becomes quite obvious by the acronym “BECSPK” emblazoned across the top windows. Bacon egg & cheese, salt, pepper, ketchup. Maybe some of the absolute best bagels in Brooklyn, this shop can definitely claim the best Bacon egg & cheese. The american cheese melts lovingly between folded layers of thin scrambled egg. The pros arrive early and grab their offerings on an egg everything. Or nix the BEC order and spring for the inventive shakshouka bagel if you’re feeling edgy. Greenberg’s really can do no wrong.
Greenberg’s Bagels
1065 Bedford Ave, Bed-Stuy Brooklyn
Forever Coffee Bar
An uptown coffee bar featuring Davidovich bakery bagels as well as options like flour tortillas. This is an exceptional BEC for those who want an upscale, more indulgent experience. Forever uses a sharper cheddar that is generally harder to melt and rarely pulled off properly. However, they do it right and pair it with perfectly soft scrambled eggs and bacon that doesn’t overdo the grease factor. The coffee shop also manages to turn out exceptional coffee beverages with beans from Irving Farm, making it somewhat of a pocketknife outpost for the neighborhood. The only downside? This isn’t a place you can plan on lounging for a while, at least not during the current pandemic. Nab one of the 2 tables outside or plan a walk to one of the many nearby parks.
Forever Coffee Bar
714 W 181st St, Washington Heights
Olde Brooklyn Bagel Shoppe
Incredibly fluffy bagels hold up to any amalgamation of deli creations you can imagine. This is easily one of the softest bagels I have ever consumed, with incredible air pockets and just the right amount of chew. Not to mention a righteous amount of seasoning. For me the pinnacle of deli art forms is the bacon, egg and cheese with a hashbrown added on an everything bagel. However, the shop is known for a za’atar bagel and za’atar schmear so maybe try those? Whatever you decide, dine in their outdoor set-up and take in the energy of Vanderbilt Avenue before a stroll to the Brooklyn Museum or Prospect Park.
Olde Brooklyn Bagel Shoppe
645 Vanderbilt Ave, Prospect Heights Brooklyn