BAGELS in New York: Moonrise Bagels

I really should learn my lesson and not be sucked in by the newest gimmick in the food world. It almost always sets me up for disappointment.

But Moonrise Bagels, which is the hottest new bagel opening in the city and has garnered the predictable long lines and social media hysteria, is something I had to try. If I’m going to even pretend I am plugged into the bagel scene in NYC, I’ve got to see what this is all about.

This upstate New York-based chain tried to solve the problem of bagel sandwiches not staying together and encompassing each bite. So they decided to bake the bagel around the filling. These are stuffed bagels that come with a variety of filling options and a dipping sauce on the side.

I am super old fashioned and don’t think bagels are for making sandwiches (unless it involves smoked salmon), so I am immediately not the customer base here. But I can certainly appreciate a good breakfast sandwich and am always happy to try out a new bagel concoction.

Thanks to some very cold weather, I lucked out with a modest line and quickly had my stuffed BEC bagel.

Despite its good looks and aggressive everything season, as soon as I picked up the overly large soft and moist specimen, I knew that this was not actually a bagel. It reminded me a bit of Auntie Anne’s pretzels and I quickly envisioned Moonrise Bagels at shopping malls and train stations around the country.

Let’s get the bad news out of the way. This is definitely not a New York bagel. It does not have the crisp exterior or chewy pull that you should get from one that has been properly made. It’s slightly wet and sort of falls apart once you rip into it, which I found surprising. It feels like this has been steamed (rather than boiled) at some point in its life.

I will say that there is plenty of egg and cheese filling, although it does seem rather skimpy on the bacon. The flavor here was ok – I especially liked their creamy and tangy House Mooney Sauce, which I would have been happy dipping in just about anything.

Is it worth trying? I guess so. But if you’re looking for a great new take on a bagel, I can’t say this is it – despite what the influencers say.