Foodie Finds for $5 New York – the Bacon, Egg, and Cheese
Pizza can no longer hold the seat of power as New York’s go-to fast food. The crown has been passed (at least between the hours of 5am and noon) to the glorious Bacon, Egg, and Cheese. There isn’t just one way to make it – there are thousands. I can walk into 8 different bodegas on the same block and they will all make it differently.
I came to know and love the gift that is the bacon, egg, and cheese while I was a student in New York. For around $3 and 5 minutes I could get a protein filled meal no matter where I was in the city. Every bodega, deli, cafe, etc. can make you a B.E.C. I might be showing favoritism, but my go-to place for a B.E.C is Alan’s, right across the street from my school. It was only a minute walk from my dorm, so I was there a minimum of three times a week.
My bacon, egg, and cheese order sounded a little like this:
“Yeah can I get a bacon egg and cheese on a poppy seed roll with muenster salt pepper and hot sauce please” (all said in about 3 seconds flat).
Alan’s
I came to know and love the gift that is the bacon, egg, and cheese while I was a student in New York. For around $3 and 5 minutes I could get a protein filled meal no matter where I was in the city. Every bodega, deli, cafe, etc. can make you a B.E.C. I might be showing favoritism, but my go-to place for a B.E.C is Alan’s, right across the street from my school. It was only a minute walk from my dorm, so I was there a minimum of three times a week.
My bacon, egg, and cheese order sounded a little like this:
“Yeah can I get a bacon egg and cheese on a poppy seed roll with muenster salt pepper and hot sauce please” (all said in about 3 seconds flat).
Sometimes I would feel a little adventurous and get a hash brown added in or double cheese. You can even do the unthinkable and get SAUSAGE on a bacon, egg, and cheese.
A simple B.E.C at Alan’s will run you $3 plus tax. If you are a student from one of the surrounding universities you don’t have to pay tax (woohoo).
REX
Not all bacon, egg, and cheeses are the same. $3 is standard. I’ve seen them for $2.50, but just assume $3. A little down the street from Alan’s is REX. REX is quite a step up from bodega food. REX is a little coffee shop/cafe with excellent coffee (which is about $5, so technically it follows the rules of Foodie Finds for $5), and they also have INCREDIBLE sandwiches. The sandwiches are a little over the spending limit and a half of a cuban costs about $6 and you get a pickle.
Their breakfast sandwiches are gourmet. Top notch. Worth the splurge. You start with a flat fee of $3.50 for 2 eggs on a homemade brioche bun, then you add on the toppings (for an additional cost, of course). My go-to is chorizo, cheese, and salsa verde, and hot sauce, which all adds up to $6.50. I like it fancy, and I pay the price. If you just want a simple bacon, egg, and cheese, it’ll still cost you $6.00, but it is a damn good sandwich. Note: it is hard to find a seat at REX because there are literally like 8 seats. Luckily you are only a five minute walk from Central Park where you can find a bench and watch the weirdos (jk i luv u new york).
Best Bagel & Coffee
You know that scene in Elf where Will Ferrell surprises Zooey Deschanel by bringing her to World’s Best Cup of Coffee? Well, this place is up there when it comes to bagels. Best Bagel & Coffee is right by Penn Station and the old Macy’s, so if you are in the area doing touristy stuff and need a bite, head over for a bacon, egg, and cheese.
Best Bagel & Coffee is huge inside and the ordering system is a little overwhelming, if there is a line. You have to go all the way to the back right to place your order with the kitchen, they give you a receipt, then you bring the receipt back up to the front counter and pay for it. There is also limited seating, not because of the size of the place but because it is always packed with people.
I ordered a normal bacon, egg, and cheese here on an everything bagel and it was amazing. I also ordered a fancy cream cheese and lox bagel here and it was amazing. I also ordered a pastrami sandwich on a rye bagel for lunch one time and it was amazing. You get the picture – the bagels are amazing.
A simple B.E.C. is $5.50, and the bagels are enormous and chewy. Of course, if you don’t want meat or cheese the price lowers.
If you ever visit New York City, I recommend trying a different B.E.C. place every morning for breakfast. There are too many combinations to try and not enough time. If you fall in love with NYC bagels and you know you’ll face separation anxiety when you get back home, don’t worry. There is always a way to pack food in a suitcase, trust me. I once brought two pounds of butter from Paris back to California in my carry on suitcase. You should have seen the customs guy’s face when I claimed butter, yes, butter, can I please leave sir? I froze it before I packed it so it is technically a solid right now.
If you have the forethought, bring a few gallon sized ziplock bags with you to New York and fill them with bagels on your last day in the city. Squeeze out all of the air, pack them away, and head back home. Once home, pre-slice all of the bagels and then freeze them. The pre-slicing will make it a lot easier when you want to toast it in the morning. The frozen bagels should last a month or two before getting too freezer burned.