59 Causeway Drive Bagels and Coffee — Restaurant in Ocean Isle Beach

This has been our new go-to breakfast shop while vacationing in OIB every summer. I’m originally from northern NJ, so we know good bagels; these are definitely the closest thing I’ve ever come to authentic NY/NJ bagels in this area, complete with the option for “schmear”. (It was funny, a guy in front of me asked “what’s schmear?” I couldn’t help but giggle.)

My kids love the donuts, especially if you happen to catch them right out of the kitchen—nice and warm, like a Krispie Kreme. The cinnamon rolls are the size of your face, certainly large enough to share with another.

I ordered, no surprise, an everything bagel with egg, cheese, and Taylor ham (aka pork roll if you’re from south Jersey). I couldn’t decide between a schmear or a sandwich, but when I saw Taylor ham I knew I had to opt for the latter. So happy they had that option here, and they sliced it nice and thin. The bagel is massive, a little on the salty side (I prefer more “stink” than salt), but very delicious. It was a little light on the egg, perhaps compared to the bagel size. If they filled it more, it would have rivaled some of the best I’ve had.

I ordered two 20-ounce iced coffees (their largest size) to go. Based on other reviews, I got the brown sugar vanilla iced latte and I tried one of their seasonal specialties: the Honey Bee latte made with golden blossom honey and cardamom. It was a little sweet, but great unique flavor. They even drew a cute little bed on my lid! Likewise, the brown sugar vanilla latte lives up to the hype. My husband loved it!

We managed to get there during a brief lull in the morning rush so only waited a few minutes before placing an order. Very friendly, hard working young staff. Donuts were handed to us right away, then a few minutes for the iced coffees and maybe 5-10 minutes for the breakfast sandwiches. They’re short staffed like every business during this time, so lines can get a bit long when things get hoppin, but it’s a cute place inside and out so we didn’t mind the wait and the great food/drink is totally worth it.

One minor suggestion: post some prices! It’s a bit of a mystery because the overhead boards don’t have a single price listed, and you either have to wait until you get to the register to see the laminated menus with prices or just be surprised when you get your final tally. They have an on-screen checkout where you insert your card, add the tip, and sign with...

Let me tell you, while I give this place five stars, it isn't without a fair amount of trepidation. Let me explain, this place will ruin all other food for you, I'm not joking, once you have tried an Asiago Bagel with egg, cheese, and country ham, it is a life changing experience. I used to think that food was just something you ate because your body needed fuel, I didn't know it could feed your soul as well. I'm not entirely convinced that the chefs who prepare the food didn't make a deal with the devil in order to make such wonderful food. These bagels are what wars are fought over, I say this without an ounce of irony these bagels could fix the problems in the middle east. Before you think, "well now that's just overkill a bagel can't do that." I challenge, nay invite you to try just one bagel. If you aren't willing to die for these bagels then you have no sense of taste. I am a changed man, and the worst part is I don't live near the beach, though on Wednesday afternoon I may try to get an extended lunch break just so that I can make the eight hour trip down to Ocean Isle and eat a bagel. They are that good. So go on ahead and try the bagels, but do so with your eyes wide open, they will change your life. As Charlie Day reminds us, "For the better one would hope, but what is good for the scorpion is bad for the frog." You will not be the same after you eat this bagel. They have other food there too, the people I was with said it was good, I don't know, but what I do know is that while I have never tried Methanpehtimine, there is no way it is as addictive as...

Not impressed. They obviously have a great location, in line with the two causeway anchors, but they don't measure up. My sandwich was somewhat tasteless and built on stale bun and meats were not a good taste. The condiments were blobbed on at different spots on the sandwich so my last bite was were all the mustard was placed?? just didn't get it. They also handed me the dirtiest, torn and disgusting $5.00 bill in my change. I can see a restaurant needed to accept a bill like that to square the cost of the meal, but most quality restaurants, would put nasty tender aside, place it in an envelope with their cash deposit so the bank can take it out of circulation, that's what I did with it. This is what happens when poorly trained youth work in a grown up business. It is not that they mean to poorly build sandwiches from marginal ingredients, they are just doing with what they have and have never considered that things could be different. Training would help, and empathy, for the customer. Don't pout, be glad I did this review, learn from it. Always work on your presentation and taste so people will want to come back. that's the whole idea with this Island, getting people to come back. Good luck this season. Will they say nothing and never come in again? Or will they come back because you left a great experience...