Bagels from Bagel Street Grill, potentially showcasing their signature jalapeno bagel and pork roll sandwich
This past July, Plainsboro, New Jersey, experienced a touch of Flavortown magic when culinary celebrity Guy Fieri rolled into town. For fans like us, the news that the Diners, Drive-ins and Dives (Triple D) host was nearby was electrifying. Our excitement, however, took a slight detour when we discovered the chosen destination: Plainsboro’s own Bagel Street Grill. As self-proclaimed bagel aficionados in the heart of New Jersey, we had our doubts. Bagel Street Grill, while popular locally, wasn’t exactly known for its bagel mastery, especially when it came to achieving that perfect golden toast.
This news sparked a deeper question: Why the Bagel Street Grill love? It’s not like it’s the only bagel option around. The Bagel Place, a mere five-minute drive to Plainsboro Plaza, offers a reliably toasted bagel experience. Could it be that people just haven’t tasted a truly exceptional bagel? Why is Bagel Street Grill such a draw for so many, and more puzzlingly, why did Guy Fieri choose to spotlight it?
Our curiosity, and perhaps a touch of skepticism, led us back to Bagel Street Grill. We were genuinely intrigued by why Guy Fieri, known for showcasing extraordinary eateries, would feature a place we considered, well, average.
Every Triple D episode features Guy sampling a location’s signature dish. We wondered, beyond maybe a decent cup of coffee, what could Bagel Street Grill’s claim to fame possibly be?
Guy’s website described Bagel Street Grill as a “world-class bagel shop spicing up their specialty and topping things off with Jersey’s famous pork roll.” Online reviews, particularly from Google, consistently pointed to one standout item: Bagel Street Grill’s jalapeño bagels. It was clear what we had to try.
On a crisp September day in 2016, we embarked on our Bagel Street Grill mission. Our order: an egg and cheese sandwich with pork roll on a toasted plain bagel (the Guy Fieri special, as we imagined) and, of course, a toasted jalapeño bagel with cream cheese. Biting into the jalapeño bagel, we were genuinely surprised. The cream cheese distribution was on point, and the jalapeño flavor was present without being overwhelming. It was…dare we say…good? Almost perfect, until we remembered the crucial detail: we had asked for it toasted.
Examining the “toasted” side of the jalapeño bagel, we were met with a perplexing sight. It appeared toasted, sporting a light brown hue, but it was surprisingly soft. It was as if the bagel had been cosmetically toasted, merely painted with the illusion of crispness. The same story unfolded with the pork roll egg and cheese sandwich, the very item supposedly endorsed by Guy Fieri himself. The sandwich was fine, perfectly acceptable, but hardly the “Jersey’s famous pork roll” experience promised on Guy’s website. It was neither the best nor the worst breakfast sandwich we’d ever had.
Our Bagel Street Grill revisit challenged our initial assumptions, but only to a degree. The jalapeño bagel was undeniably a highlight, but the “Jersey’s famous pork roll” element left much to be desired. The mystery of Guy Fieri’s visit remains. Perhaps we’ll have to tune into Triple D to unravel the enigma of Bagel Street Grill’s Flavortown appeal.
