It’s a holiday Monday at Deerpath Bagels and Burgers, and as the clock ticks from breakfast to lunch time, a steady crowd makes its way through the doors. They order a variety of bagels, egg sandwiches, smoothies, coffee drinks and fruit teas.
The first thing customers see upon walking in is a wall of fresh bagels — including common varieties as well as some less common styles like spinach and Oreo.
Schmear options include popular varieties (lox, veggie, chive) and creative ones (Nutella, mango, bacon).
As the day progresses, bagels and breakfast sandwiches remain popular choices with diners. The New Jersey special ($8.50) features egg whites, guacamole and romaine. The Trenton special ($9.50) is an egg and cheese sandwich topped with bacon and pork roll. All are served on a bagel, roll or toast.
Breakfast platters including French toast, pancakes and omelets share the breakfast spotlight.
But the beauty of a place like Deerpath Bagels and Burgers is that it has more than breakfast items on the menu.
Like burgers, for instance.
There are more than 20 varieties of burger on the Deerpath menu. The minimum cheeseburger size is a double ($12.50), and there are triples and even a quadruple burger on the menu — the Mount McKinley cheeseburger ($20). Varieties include BBQ, pork roll, Cajun, turkey, and caveman (no bun).
The menu is large, and includes everything from chicken wings to Italian hot dogs to vegan milkshakes. In fact, there is an entire vegan menu with more than 15 items on it. Reddy says that cheesesteaks ($12.50) are a top seller, as are hoagies.
There are even ice cream sundaes. Milkshakes are popular throughout the day, as are teas like the mango iced tea ($5.50), which has chunks of actual fruit in it. There is also a selection of more than 10 boba teas, all $8.
Swapna Goli and Yogesh Reddy, of Chesterfield, and Kaushal Chauhan of Robbinsville are partners in the business, which opened two years ago in Deerpath Pavilion in Hamilton.
Goli says everything at Deerpath Bagels and Burgers is made fresh. “If people think it’s taking time for their food to come out, it’s because we are making it to order. Nothing has been sitting around,” she says.
She speaks about how important it is to her to treat every customer right. “I want to give the best customer service and I want to make sure the store is clean,” she says. “I want to make sure prices are reasonable and that our customers are getting enough for their money.”
That must not come at the cost of quality, however, says Reddy. “Quality is our biggest priority. Quality and consistency. I would rather sell to one customer a hundred times than sell to a hundred customers one time.”
At the back of the restaurant is a large kitchen with a large bagel making machine where each type of bagel is made fresh each morning. At the front of the restaurant, there is a coffee-making station, fridges filled with drink choices and plenty of space for tables.
While the restaurant was consistently full with dine-in customers throughout the Memorial Day morning, Deerpath Bagels and Burgers does a brisk takeout business.
And, Goli says, top-notch catering as well. Standard catering options include bagel trays, breakfast platters, coffee boxes, muffins, donuts, and sandwich trays.
Deerpath Bagels and Burgers is located at 691 US 130, Suite A1B, with hours of operation being 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. For more information, call (609) 438-9255 or visit deerpathbagelsandburgers.com.
