Big Bacon Hopes in Needham Heights

Café Fresh Bagel

896 Highland Ave., Needham, MA

Price: $4.50 (plus tax)

Rating: 81/100

Fullness: the way a breakfast sandwich is intended.

There were more pairs of UGG boots here than types of bagels, which is hard to imagine at this Needham Heights bagel kingdom. Café Fresh Bagel felt like I walked into something between an awkward mid-pubescent school dance and Chubby’s from Boy Meets World. Equally difficult to adjust to was the front door that was swung wide open most of the time I was there, leaving me at the mercy of the elements.

I nabbed a couple Orangina’s and placed my order with a grumpy little bird behind the counter. While waiting for my sandwich I glanced around for an open table without any luck. This place was packed to the gills and I couldn’t see any opportunities in sight. After a squawking group of hens were done hogging half the tables, my old man and I were able to squeeze a cheek and enjoy one of the finest quality breakfast sandwiches I’ve seen around.

I got my bacon, egg, and (American) cheese sandwich on a ultra fresh onion bagel with onion bits on the top and bottom. The option of provolone or Swiss was also presented to me, but Swiss is one line that I don’t cross. There was no question that the pile of eggs on there was 100% real. Maybe 2 or 3 fried eggs, which were a little browned and prepared in an omelet fashion. The bacon was a little flabby, but I guess I didn’t request it crispy so I can’t complain too much. Also, the majority of it was shifted to one side which made eating the other side a little uneventful. The sandwich was scorching hot to begin with, but the 40 MPH gusts blowing through the café took care of that issue pretty quick.

Blistering winds and high school flashbacks aside, this place was great. I obviously loved that they make their own bagels, and I definitely appreciated the omelet style approach to the breakfast sandwich. I would suggest that you always prepare bacon crispally (….sp?) unless requested otherwise and also ensure that it is equally distributed throughout the sandwich. However, these are not major issues considering the big picture of their high quality and hot ingredients.

After finishing my sandwich, it was no surprise why this place was so popular, but I think next time I’ll bring a cattle prod to avoid any table issues.