Sweet French Toast Bagels, Savory Deli Heroes
Sweet French toast bagels and savory deli heroes in Manhattan: two counters that take the same bread in opposite directions.
French Toast Bagels at a Manhattan Counter
Gourmet Bagel opens at 6:00 AM on weekdays. The shop at 874 Lexington Avenue includes enough seating to sit down for a meal. Choose a bagel with cream cheese or a chicken quesadilla when a hot platter suits your plans. Fresh juices are made in front of you. Weekend service begins at 6:30 AM. The broader deli menu includes Italian heroes, giving this compact counter a role beyond the morning bagel run.
Savory Deli Heroes Nearby
Liberty Bagels 5th Ave serves hand-rolled bagels at 16 E 58th St. Order a French toast bagel or try lemon dill lox on onion. The counter-serve shop has a few tables inside. Self-serve drinks are available to grab while waiting in the queue. Weekday service starts at 6:00 AM. On weekends, doors open at 7:00 AM. The shop closes at 5:00 PM every day.
Sweet Against Savory on the Same Bread
Gourmet Bagel and Liberty Bagels 5th Ave share a bagel foundation, but their menus branch in different directions. At Gourmet Bagel, fresh juices and smoothies sit alongside chicken quesadillas and Italian heroes, with seating for a meal inside. Liberty Bagels 5th Ave puts more emphasis on specialty bagels, from French toast to jalapeño everything, alongside fillings such as lemon dill lox on onion. Its few indoor tables complement a counter-serve setup. The distinction is deli breadth versus bagel variations.
