Doghouse Deli — Restaurant in Blairstown

First of all, I am not an aficionado of bagels or anything remotely related to things that NJ residents love, like Taylor Ham, but instead, am a friend of someone who has family in the area and recommended stopping in and getting a bagel while in the area to visit NYC. Let me say first that I had a famous NY bagel while in the city and wasn't impressed by all the hype of friends who insisted that the bagels in this part of the country were the best. It tasted similar to the bagels that I purchase at my local market in SC, so color me not impressed. UNTIL we were on our way out of town heading home, and we stopped at the Doghouse to grab a bagel for the trip. My expectations were not very high. But I was unprepared for the goodness that awaited me when I peered into the foil. The bagel was toasted perfectly, warm and crunchy on the outside, the inside soft and chewy with a beautiful flaky texture. The veggie cream cheese loaded with REAL veggies, not the freeze-dried soup mix variety. I couldn't stop exclaiming, "O my God.", It was the best thing I had on my entire trip to NYC and it was in a small town, mom and pop deli-bagel shop in New Jersey. I was very happy to have my original let-down of the bagel hype reversed and oh how I wish I had ordered a dozen of the everything bagels and container of cream...

Been coming on and off for 20ish years and I'm all about supporting local businesses, but its gone downhill. The eating area is more often than not dirty. Bagels are just ok. Adding flavored syrups does not a gourmet coffee bar make, but hey its nice you're trying to mix things up.

Last trip we pulled in at 11am and got bagels. I expected them to be kind of stale at this point given the time, and I was not disappointed. I ordered a plain bagel with veggie cream cheese. not toasted. The bagel was stale (as expected) but the cream cheese was soupy. it was nasty. unwrapping it the top slid off from the bottom. I went to take a bite and large soupy glops dripped on my shirt and pants. I was hungry so I took another bite anyway and proceeded to floss with a long hair in it that was not mine. That was it I was done. This was the worst in a series of declining events.

I will say no complaints about the staff and service was always quick. I don't want to take away from...

I absolutely love this place. The staff are laid back, friendly, and they make food so good I could eat here all day and never get tired of it. And honestly… I have. Breakfast, lunch, and even leftovers for dinner. If you haven’t tried them yet, you’re missing out.

For breakfast, you have to try their loaded bagels. Picture this: you’ve just woken up, you’re starving, and you bite into a toasted, buttery everything bagel stacked with Taylor ham, the fluffiest eggs you’ll ever eat, melty cheese, and the classic SPK (salt, pepper, ketchup). Heaven.

For lunch, I’m a sucker for their Reuben. I’ve tried countless versions over the past 10 years, and this is hands down the best. The rye has the perfect crunch, the meat is melt-in-your-mouth tender, and the cheese… let’s just say cheese pulls for days.

Some people are just born to cook, and you can taste it here. Take a chance and try something new… you might just...