You can get a bagel, butter, and coffee here for $5.95. That is the No. 1 breakfast special at Bagels & in Boynton, served until 10:30 every morning, dine in only, and it is most of the reason there is a line on Sunday. The other reason is that the bagels are still rolled by hand and kettle-boiled in house, so they come out with actual chew and a crust that crackles a little when you tear one open.

Two things before you go. They close at 2 PM every day, and they do not take credit cards. Bring cash and go early.

What You're Walking Into

This is a third-generation family shop in the Fountains of Boynton Beach Shopping Center, and it looks it. The deli case is immediately on your left when you come in, stacked with cream cheeses and smoked fish. The bagel bins are in the middle. The seating is tight, some of it is a wooden bench, and nobody has redecorated in a while. That is not a complaint, it is the whole texture of the place.

The bagel lineup runs deep: plain, poppy, sesame, onion, garlic, salt, everything, cinnamon raisin, egg, super egg onion, swirl, pumpernickel, pumpernickel raisin, rye, veggie, whole wheat, and whole wheat everything. But the thing regulars point newcomers toward is the bialy, the flatter, flour-dusted cousin of the bagel with an onion-filled dimple instead of a hole. They make them fresh daily, and they are noticeably better warm.

They built a whole section around them called Bialyini, sandwiches on their own bialy dough, each served with a side salad. The Caprese and the Cheese Melt are $10.99, the Chicken Florentine is $13.99, the Turkey Avocado is $16.99, and the Reuben version is $16.99. If you have never had a Reuben on bialy dough, that is the order that will make you text someone about it.

The Deli Side

The Overstuffed Sandwiches come with a pickle and your choice of potato, macaroni, tomato, health, or cucumber salad. Pastrami and corned beef are both $16.99, brisket is $16.99, whitefish salad is $15.99, and the Combo, which is any two meats, is also $16.99. If you want it grilled, the Reuben and the Rachel are $17.99 each, and the Reuben Trio, which stacks corned beef, pastrami, and turkey, is $18.99.

The smoked fish counter is where the appetizing crowd goes. Sliced nova or belly lox with tomato, onion, and a side salad is $15.99, or $21.99 as a full platter. There is a Smoked Fish Platter for Two at $34.95 that comes with any two fish, two bagels, and all the trimmings, which is the move if you are feeding people at home.

And get an egg cream. Theirs is $3.99, it is on the menu as their famous one, and it is the kind of thing you cannot order most places in Palm Beach County anymore.

The Insider Move

Go early, and mean it. The breakfast specials stop at 10:30 sharp and they are dine in only, so if you roll up at 10:45 wanting the $5.95 deal, you missed it. The doors close at 2 PM, which catches out anyone treating this like a normal lunch spot. Early also means the bialys are still coming out of the oven, which is the difference between good and the reason people drive here.

Buy more than you think you need. The bialys freeze well, and plenty of regulars leave with a bag for the week. And again, cash. There is no card reader waiting to surprise you at the register, so hit an ATM before you park.

What People Are Saying

The reviews are consistent on two points. First, the bialys, which one longtime reviewer calls the best in Palm Beach County. Second, that the cash-only policy annoys people right up until the food arrives. One reviewer listed every complaint they had about the place and then said they overlook all of it because the food is that good.

There is also a small but loyal Boca contingent. More than one review mentions driving over from Boca specifically for the bagels and the salads, which is not something people say about a place that is merely convenient.

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