Bagels are a fixture of the New York City dining scene, but if you drive south of the five boroughs, to the city of Freehold, NJ, you'll find a family that's turned the humble round of dough so on its head, it's practically unrecognizable. Welcome to The Bagel Nook, home to the craziest bagels you've ever seen — the kind that'll make your jaw drop, your mouth water, and every other cliché you can think of.
They're called Overload bagels, as in overloaded with, well, just about everything: flavor, cream cheese, toppings — you name it. The Bagel Nook's first one, the Oreo Overload, debuted last summer, with a vanilla-chocolate swirl bagel topped with cookies-and-cream cream cheese and entire Oreo cookies. If you think that's crazy, consider everything they've come up with since. There's the Flamin' Hot Cheetos Overload, the Fruity Pebbles Overload, and the Cocoa Puffs Overload.
The madness you see ensuing in the shop is all thanks to the dedication of the family behind the joint. The Berkowitzes took over what was a struggling bagel shop as a bit of a passion project. David and his son Alex are longtime bagel lovers, and it's their never-turned-off brains that spew the outrageous ideas that end of up on the menu. Mom Stacy and daughter Jessica, on the other hand, handle the logistical side of the store. Jessica's responsible for the almost 55,000 followers The Bagel Nook's Instagram has garnered, and Stacy helped form a partnership with GoldBely, so anyone across the country can get an Overload shipped straight to their house.
Two years in, the treasure trove of insanity hasn't stopped — which is how David recently came to invent the Krispy Kreme Overload. It might be their most towering creation yet: a vanilla cream bagel topped with sweat cream cream cheese (the regular stuff mixed with whipped cream), and inside the two halves, the pièce de résistance — an entire glazed Krispy Kreme donut. As if that's not enough, the hulking sandwich is finished off with a vanilla glaze and sprinkles.
You can't really bite into it with any dignity, but The Bagel Nook isn't a pinkies-up kind of place, anyway. So don't try to cut it with a fork and knife and don't try to tear a lady-like piece apart with your fingers. Just take your 'gram, stuff a napkin down the front of your shirt, and have at it.
PIN IT FOR LATER:
Follow Delish on Instagram.
Download the Delish app.
