Beyond the Bagel

Went there for the first time today and asked for a ham egg and cheese. As she was cooking it I realized that they only put one egg in the sandwich (minimum should be 2) so I requested a second egg. The price for the breakfast sandwich is confusing. On the bored it reads that a egg cheese and meat is only $ 4 bucks but they charge you extra if you want deli ham. If I would have asked for Taylor ham it would have been less. All in all they are overpriced… And i ended up spending almost $ 9 bucks for a breakfast sandwich and a juice. I definitely will not be returning.

Always good and friendly service. Their jalapeño cream cheese is always a big hit. My one complaint is I usually order about six different breakfast sandwiches and they are all different, really wish they mark what each one is. Total pain to open each sandwich and then open bagel to see if it has Taylor ham or not. Other than that great.

When I first moved to Montclair over 5 years ago, this was our favorite bagel place. And for a while, it was great. Unfortunately, it seems to have changed hands a couple of times because the bagels have definitely changed. When we first started coming, the service was always friendly and the bagels were good solid bagels. Then, the bagels got big and bready and the staff was not very pleasant. The counter is nicer now, but the bagels are still bready. They’re serviceable but not my first choice in town anymore.

I’ve lived in NJ my entire life and have eaten bagels from tons of delicious bagel places, but Beyond the Bagel is by far the BEST bagels I’ve ever had! Their Taylor ham, egg, and cheese sandwiches melt in your mouth. If you’re in the Montclair area, this is the bagel place to frequent!
At times, the line can be intimidating on a weekend morning, however, they move very quickly and you’re eating your bagel in no time.

When I started to spend time in Montclair I think this may have been the only bagel option in town. It was for me anyway. I loved their bagels. There is usually a line out the door on Sundays, but they are good every day, so if you don’t want to wait, don’t go on Sunday. They make a mean breakfast bagel here and have a number of options.
Over the years it has not changed much. I had a bagel here recently, first time in 2 years, and it tasted as good as always. Now though they are too big for me and I don’t eat them often. But if you are in the area looking for a bite, this is a good place to get one. No seating. Street parking.

I’ve been living in this town for 21 years and this has been THE bagel place for my family and I. I actually haven’t been here in a long while, but I went in today and they’ve changed some things around (including adding a small television to watch while you’re waiting) but the warm service you get from a family-​run, small mom and pop business is ever present. Lines have always been almost completely out the door, but it moves steadily enough. I have never at all been anything less than pleased with their bagels. I must say, I don’t Unilocal to argue with other reviewers or whatnot like people do on facebook and YouTube and crap, but please don’t listen to David R. I’ve been coming here for most of my life and I’m pretty sure that he hasn’t. Trust these bagels. Trust this place, it’s great. But get there early! There’s a lot of demand and they are only open in the morning and noon-​ish. This is a great part of the Upper Montclair town center community of stores.

Favorite bagel place is Montclair. Great bagels. Line moves quickly, and they are pretty organized (for a bagel place). Friendly staff.
Breakfast sandwiches are terrific. Only gripe is that they don’t toast the bagels very well IMO so if you’re getting a bagel & cream cheese to take home, toast it there… much better.
Coffee is weak… recommend going to Java Love close by, epic breakfast combination.

Average bagels, at best. They don’t have the chewy crust or dense center that you find in a top-​notch, traditional bagel. Other than bagels and a few basic breakfast sandwiches, there is not much else on the menu.

Great neighborhood bagel store. Very friendly staff, quick service, excellent way to start a chilly morning! To rebut fellow Unilocaler, David R.: theoretically there may be «better» bagels somewhere in the tri-​state area. But I think that bagels are like pizzas: there are lots of different varieties and styles. To bash the ones that aren’t «classics»…well, that really doesn’t seem right to me. I think that Unilocal should be about rating the overall business. To rate this bagel store with just one star because you think it’s not offering up the ‘classic” bagel isn’t fair. The food is fresh and well presented. The place is clean and inviting, and the atmosphere is fun and friendly — and the service is a 10+. And the bagels are yummy… even if they’re not the classic style.

I’ve been getting my family’s bagels here for years — the absolute best! Freshly made, flavorful and with plenty of varieties to choose from. You cannot ask for friendlier service — a terrific neighborhood store!!!

i hate posting on Unilocal,never done it before. this is my first post ever.
felt the need to rate this because this is the best plain bagel i’ve ever had, and as a tried and true Bergen County-​er i’ve had quite a few bagels in my time. well done, montclair.
that is all.
p. s. David R.‘s review is a load of crap. to give it 1 star means he has no taste buds.

Allison and Shae,
Perfect Bagel? Amazing? Guys, guys, stop! You’re seriously misleading Unilocalers about the quality of the puffballs served up at BtB. You may think you know that makes a good bagel, but you don’t. You over-​rate this place cause you’ve never eaten the real thing. A real bagel is about 4″ in diameter with a chewy crust having a slight resistance to the bite. The inside is not light and airy, it’s somewhat dense and it’s a little less chewy than the crust, and has a subtle malt flavor.
Too many folks have purchased bagel making equipment and give it a go, but without knowledge of genuine bagel qualities, they’ll never get it right. Most of them use regular flour instead of the malted type. Also, they let the dough rise too long and don’t boil them enough (bagels are actually cooked by boiling. The oven is only to finish the crust!).
This is unfortunately true of most, if not all, current bagel joints. Eat these white-​bread characterless puff balls if you like, but don’t call them bagels. You insult the real thing.

These bagels are amazing. Crispy on the outside, super doughy on the inside, and they’re big. Honestly, these bagels are better than any bagels I’ve had in New York City since I moved here. I miss Beyond the Bagel. The (I think Greek?) staff are really friendly, and the spinach pie and other treats are delicious too.

Seriously, there’s no reviews of this place?
This place has the perfect bagel. The bagel by which all other bagels should be compared. Crunchy on the outside, doughy on the inside.
When I lived out of state and would fly back to NJ on the redeye, my first stop after getting off the plane would be Beyond the Bagel. Flying back to California, I’d bring a bag with me. My inlaws from Oregon demand these bagels when they come to visit.