THE BAGEL PLACE - YOU CAN HAVE YOUR CAKE AND EAT IT TOO
As eatoutamarillo.com has been growing, I am asked what my next Joint will be. I have a list that I am working on. Some are Joints that very few have heard of, some are Joints everyone has been to. When I mention The Bagel Place, everyone’s eyes light up. “I Love The Bagel Place!” What I didn’t expect were the varying perceptions people have of it. Everyone shoehorns Bagel Place into a niche that fits their personal desires. Some people think of it as a place to grab some bagels on the way to the office in the morning. For others, they rave about the breakfast burritos, tacos and croissants. Some folks take advantage of their desserts, cookies and cakes to go or by the slice. Soup junkies say it is the best place for a bowl. Want to meet some friends over morning coffee? Gotcha covered.
For me, it is a place for one of the best sandwiches in town. Which one of their sandwiches is the best depends on my mood that day. I usually stick to the “Signature Sandwiches” side of the menu, each named after a current or former Big 12 Conference mascot. It would be very easy in this part of the story to anger all Big 12 schools by knocking their mascots. Insert Aggie and Sooner joke here. But I would like to keep my readership intact and growing. Let’s just say all of the options are delicious and move on.
I discovered The Bagel Place years ago in their original location on Western in the old Dunkin Donuts building. Side note: I find it fascinating that Amarilloans refer to places by what they used to be. “Where’s Tyler’s Barbecue?” “It’s the old Long John Silver’s on Paramount.” “Blue Sky? It’s the old Taco Cabana.” We even refer to something from 2-3 tenants ago. “The Randall County Annex moved to the old Best building.” Best hasn’t been there in 25 years. Doesn’t matter. For God Sakes, the shopping center is still named Best Plaza. Funny thing about The Bagel Place’s original location; it was a Dunkin Donuts, then The Bagel Place, and then torn down and a Dunkin Donuts was built. Circle of Life. But I digress. When I first visited The Bagel Place, I was working near their Western location. I became enamored with the Rattlesnake sandwich. It was Salsalito Turkey with spicy mustard on a garlic bagel. For years, that was my only order. When they moved to their Bell location, they revamped the menu and removed the Rattlesnake. After going through the 7 stages of grief, I accepted the loss of my sandwich and it was a great thing for my palette. I had to branch out and never looked back.
Other than utilizing The Bagel Place as a regular lunchtime Joint, we grab their lox sandwich on a regular basis for a weekend breakfast. There is nothing better than thin smoked salmon, tomatoes, capers and a schmear to set the stage for wonderful Saturday. Years ago, when you could actually take things through airport security, my wife and I took a lox sandwich on an early morning flight. We were headed for a much needed vacation, and wanted a treat to start the trip. We ordered bloody marys, busted out our sack of deliciousness, and received such hateful envy from the other passengers. “Did you bring enough for everyone?” “Marge, why didn’t you think of that?” Suckers.
THE JOINT EXPERIENCE
When you arrive at The Bagel Place, you first notice that the parking lot is full. It is always full. The drive thru is always full. There is a reason; the service is wonderful, the prices are right, and the food is damn good. Perhaps that is the reason for the diversity of the customers. When we visited, there were elderly folks, high schoolers, old grouches, younger couples, and everything in between. I think I saw an albino monk at one of the tables. I tried not to stare.
On the agenda for today, The Longhorn, The Raider and a cup of Taos Soup. The first thing you take in with all of their food is the freshness. The bagels are made on location each day. When you are planning your order, have a backup bagel plan; your garlic bagel option may be sold out for the day and you will be forced to punt. The Raider with all of its roasted peppers and guacamole smoothness is delicious, but The Longhorn is my favorite on the menu. There is something about the combination of the toasted bagel, roast beef and the herbed cream cheese creating a perfect symphony of flavors. The Taos soup is full of ground beef, beans, corn and the most savory, buttery broth you can imagine.
Go try The Bagel Place at different times of the day. Experience each niche they have to offer. Get a schmear on an early morning bagel. Get a pizza bagel. Have a latte. Get a slice of cake. Let your defenses down, just like the Big 12 does. (I had to get one jab in)
The Bagel Place is easy to find. It is the old Taco Villa on Bell, next to where the Mr. Burger used to be.
3301 Bell St
Amarillo, TX 79106
806-353-5985
Recommended Dishes
The Longhorn
Lox Sandwich
