Bagels & Beans
342 Chestnut St, Union, NJ
Crema's Take
“This Union institution has built a devoted local following over more than a decade with genuinely fresh bagels and solid breakfast sandwiches, though recent visits suggest quality consistency has slipped with smaller portions. The tight, no-frills counter setup rewards regulars who know the rhythm and what to order, making it less welcoming for first-timers navigating without menus or clear pricing. Get there early on weekends if you want to snag their best bagels, but come with realistic expectations about what you're paying for these days.”
What to expect
Google Reviews
I’ve been coming here for about 13 years since I moved to this side of town and used to swear by them but I’m done supporting I used to go 3-4x a week and get the same item so I knew exactly what the charge was. When I went on a busy Saturday morning I pointed out they charged me nearly double and they argued with me until I left. Next weekend comes and they give me $7 back bc they rang up the wrong items… as I pointed out and was argued with for a week prior. This incident was with a younger red haired teenager. Next issue was the half schemer of CC on my bagel. I ask for extra and have no problem paying for extra but the miserable owner just likes to argue with people? I was so confused as Jaime and the others who work early am always do it no problem but as soon as the owner came back from heart surgery and started working again I can’t seem to get what I want. Then yesterday I went to pick up my medications at Union Pharmacy next door. It was around 12:50. I got new prescription insurance so while the pharmacy was updating it I figured let me walk over and pick up a half dozen bagels to freeze. I didn’t even want anything on them. Just put in the bag and check me out. Instead I was met by a teenage black girl, rolling her eyes and giving me the nastiest attitude tell me they’re closed and the grill is off… 1. The door was open as if they’re open for customers still and 2. Before I walked in I asked the young kid stocking the drinks if they were open / ok to come in and then got met by this miserable girl. I’ll take the extra 5 min drive to Bagels 4 U in Kenilworth. Better bagels, portion sizes and better service
Came here to write a review about the portion sizes, but it seems as others beat me to it. I was shocked to see I only received two razor thin slices of Taylor ham and a sausage patty the size of a McDonald’s single cheese burger. Very upsetting for the price we paid.
This is our go to for fresh bagels anytime. On the weekend, you should get there early. Is their bagel sandwiches and other food is very good quality. The boss runs his business very well and services is top notch. Highly recommended.
I really wanted to like Bagel & Beans, a 14-year old local business, but a couple of things totally turned me off once we picked-up our bagels and drove off. If you are here for a standard bagel and cream cheese - go for it! The bagels are top-notch and they put a healthy amount of cream cheese stuffing. I wanted an everything bagel with jalapeno cream cheese. The folks manning the store are unaware that their jalapenos used in the jalapeno cream cheese are pickled and not fresh when we had called to confirm. Also, they failed to inform us on the phone that the jalapeno cream cheese is actually jalapeno CHEDDAR cream cheese - the absolute worst kind IMO. We only found out when we unwrapped the bagels at our destination. The kids running the store were lovely and so helpful.
As a first time person here- it was hard to navigate around the place to order. It’s not a place that accommodates to new comers. I felt like everyone knew what they want, there’s no menus, no pricing, just a bagel shop, chips, and spreads all displayed. They did have some advertising in the front for a cowboy wrap and some protein wrap- but I was confused, was that the only thing they offered? I ended up copying and pasting what someone else ordered and had a sausage egg and cheese with salt pepper ketchup on a plain bagel. The bagel was pretty damn good, it was soft and dense- wasn’t overbearing and was great. Everything in the sandwich was just perfect.