Line around the corner for Wonder Bagel today, at 12 noon! If somebody is looking to make a good buck, just open another decent bagel spot around here.

I have no desire to try this place. Wonder Bagels and whatever it was called when Kenny owned the place has been satisfying my hunger for fresh hot out of the oven bagels for over 15 years.

Heads up Einstein.... Perhaps the reason the bagels taste stale is it takes some time to wrap up all the day old bagels around NY and ship them through the tunnel to Jersey? If you want fresh NY bagels ....go...to...NY

If you want New York Bagels, move to New York. Mediocre Bagel sounds about right for Jersey City.

I've been here twice since it opened. The bagels were wrinkley, dry and stale. Just gross. I could pretty much get the same bagel in the freezer section of the supermarket.

Second time I went for a sandwich. Terrible. Bread was stale, lettuce wilted and tomato seemed over ripe.

The staff was smiling though. But I won't be going back.

went today for the first time. Green Mountain Coffee?? Are you serious!? That's like what you get for free at your desk job. Super watered down. I was really hoping for a good coffee shop. It felt more like a rest stop deli. The bagel I got was fine and did the job of curbing my rumbling stomach but I was really hoping for some good coffee. Oh well...

Quote:do you want the immaculate conception in your bagel? What the hell makes a good bagel for you?

Maybe they are offering a healthier carb friendly alternative: "something like a bagel"

The Wonder Bagel down on Jersey ave. is not so bright and a bit dingy, but the one up here on Danforth is pretty clean with amazing service. This NY Bagel has got a long way to go...

Worse than Wonder Bagel, and I didn't think that was possible.

Where the hell did everyone in this thread see miso/seaweed bagels and rosemary/thyme/whole wheat bagels and all this other fancy stuff? All I saw were regular bagels.

The bagels sucked, btw. They were tough like supermarket bagels. If you're going to name yourself "something Bagel" then maybe your bagels should be better than plastic bag bagels. Don't think I'll ever bother with the place again.

NY Bagel was clean and good! They obviously are new at this and have to learn the ropes but give them a week or two to get their act together. I like Wonder Bagels as well but I just feel like its dirty. I choose NY Bagel!

Went today. It was underwhelming...the toaster blackened my bagel. So they re-did it and said that going through the toaster twice makes the bagel black. They threw a new one in and it was barely toasted. I don't get it. The service was a bit off their game. Long story, don't want to bore with the details. Maybe the bagel I get in NYC nice and toasted to perfection has spoiled me. I have to give the nod to Wonder Bagels.

Actually, it was like this--soulless robots taking way to long to put cream cheese on subpar machine made bagels that were more like rolls. I walked around the corner to get a dozen to go from Wonder Bagel, and told them they had nothing to worry about.

Finally made it there, and it was worth the wait. The miso and seaweed bagel with wasabi sesame spread was absolutely scrumptious when paired with a sencha latte. Bravo, New York Bagel Cafe, bravo.

Took a sick (hangover) day today and thought I'd see if this place could do me any good. Got the peppermint rooibos for my stomach, which worked wonders for the gurgling. The cippolini onion bagel with clarified tahini and leek paste managed to stay down as well, and I didn't have to run home right away.

I thought Hot and Toasty bagels were good, when they were fresh. The problem is, they usually didn't have enough in stock, and they weren't fresh. One of the problems with baking off premises.

Wonder Bagels still gets the nod from me for baking on premises.

Yeah, I liked the guy's story, but the bagels were super bready and a bit dry.

Hey tom_37?that Hot and Toasty Bagels on Grand is ?well?toast! It has been shuttered for a while and there is a For Rent sign on the property. I guess he didn?t get the ?zillions of hungry residents at Liberty Harbor? like he was thinking he would.

This is from and old Nov 20120 GP JCList post..didn?t know the guy was a JC fireman.

Bayonne bagel shop to open branch near Jersey City Medical Center

Friday, November 19, 2010, 4:07 PM
By Amy Sara Clark/The Jersey Journal

The owner of the future Hot and Toasty Bagels, which is slated to open in a few months at 270 Grand Street in Downtown Jersey City near Jersey City Medical Center. He was photographed on Friday, Nov. 12, 2010.


Bayonne's Hot and Toasty Bagels is opening a second store in Downtown Jersey City.

Owner Mark Venice said he's been wanting to open a second location for awhile, but has been waiting for the right location.

He found it at 270 Grand St., across the street from both Jersey City Medical Center, the light rail stop, and the zillions of hungry residents at Liberty Harbor.

"I've been after this location for 10 years," he said of the stand alone building that used to house a frame store.

Venice, who is a Jersey City firefighter who lives in Bayonne with his wife and business partner Nancy and 14-year-old son, has been working on the shop for about six months and is just waiting for some permits before he can open. He hopes to open this winter.

At first, Venice is planning to keep it simple. The store, which will be open 6 a.m. to 4 p.m., will serve only bagels, bagel sandwiches and an array of coffee drinks.

It is likely the cappuccinos and lattes will be as much of a draw as the bagels, since the store is across the street from a light rail stop, and Venice prides himself on using locally roasted coffee beans that he grinds at the store.

The bagel toppings will include 13 flavored cream cheeses, hand-mixed at the store, but also an array of cold cuts as well as tuna, chicken salad. Venice said his Bayonne customers appreciate that none of the spreads or toppings are more than two days old.

"If it's fresh, people come back," he said.

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I passed a place last night in Montclair called "The Famous New York Ray's Pizza. I wonder which of the "real Ray's" they are referencing. The ironic thing is you can probably get better bagels and pizza outside the five boroughs than in them at this point.

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Agreed. I'll probably stick to Wonder Bagels, especially since it's closer to my place.

So is that Hot and Toasty Bagel place still around, or gone for good?

"NY Bagel cafe" in TX or CO or NC, I can understand. Why here?
We already have Dukin Donuts for bagels that taste like round rolls.

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Ok, I think we get the point now....

Just got the basil pine nut bagel with parmesan cream cheese and a large yerba matte. Excellent again. I still can't believe it's actually a corporate chain! Everything is so human about the place.

The bagel I had was good. I purchased half dozen more to take home. The coffee is 10x better then Wonder Bagel. And every time I have stood in a line of 20 people to get a bagel at Wonder, I alway's thought to myself that someone needs to open another bagel shop up....and someone did.

I went in this morning. Nice place, friendly staff. Good coffee.

Feels very Newporty (Newportesque?) Happy to see that strip of Newark liven up, but when I'm craving a bagel, I will continue one block south for the real deal.

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I heard the mango huitlacoche spread is terrif. You should try that next time.

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Sounds like this place sells hotel soaps, not bagels.

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Bored eh?

I like that they have names for the different bagel and drink combos. The Marcel Proust - A Madeleine Bagel with an Iced Linden Tea - was a lovely way to start the morning.