Just walked by. Looks like they might be opening today.

New York Bagel
217 Newark Avenue
Jersey City, NJ 07302
(201) 433-3388
 
http://www.nybagelcafe.com/524/

I was positive this was going to be a soulless corporate experience (the URL is just the store number?), but Jesus, I was wrong. The Kona with rice milk was unbelievable. Best coffee I've ever had outside of Switzerland. The whole grain rosemary-thyme bagel with sundried tomota artichoke hummus was delicious. I might just go here every day, forever.

I realize it is a chain, but part of my soul died when I saw that the store's name is New York Bagel Cafe. And whole grain rosemary-thyme bagel with sundried tomato artichoke hummus? And a Kona with rice milk? Whatever happened to a poppy seed bagel with a schmear and a cup of coffee? What is this world coming to?

However, to step back a bit, I am all for fierce competition in the bagel realm. I am glad they are open, and I can't wait to try this place and give my verdict. I probably won't be ordering an oat-apple-mint bagel with Nutella and crème fraîche, I'll probably stick to the regular. . . .

They were handing out a coupon for a free small coffee with any purchase.

The bagel place went up pretty quickly

Went there this morning. Free coffee was pretty good. The bagel was on par with what the place on Grand St was selling. It seemed a bit stale. Prices were good. People were friendly, I told the cashier they needed to put out a tip jar, and she looked at me like I had three heads.
I peaked into the back and didn't see a bagel boiler machine, but they could be like H&H and deliver from the main bakery.
I don't like the name.
Wonder Bagel doesn't need to worry.

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I agree. While the prices are decent, the quality of the bagels leaves much to be desired. Extremely dry and stale tasting. Did I mention dry?

I went again today. Got the ginger bagel with citrus hoisin spread and a side of pickled veggies. It was amazing. I didn't think the bagel was dry at all.

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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.

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Bored eh?

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Sounds like this place sells hotel soaps, not bagels.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

"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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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?

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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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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

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...