BREAKFAST AT CAROLINA BAGEL CO. AND DELI

Bagels Plus, across from the Post Office on Glenburnie Road, used to be the place to go in New Bern.  Great food, fast service, fresh bagels and delicious baked goods drew in the crowds day after day until their unexpected closing due to the owner's death.  The crowd shifted to Carolina Bagel, just down the road a bit, where a repeat performance was going on.

Specials are posted on a board that greets you upon entering.

Freshly baked muffins and other pastries peek out from a glass case to entice you.

And then, of course, there are those bagels.  So many different kinds of bagels, all delicious.

The shop is small, but they've made good use of the limited space by using small, but adequate, tables.

And, just like Bagels Plus used to, Carolina Bagel draws them in, day after day.  The working crowd, the retired crowd -- they all come here to get the reasonably priced eats.

We decided to try breakfast.  Though I wanted to sink my teeth into a luscious  muffin, I was a good pre-diabetic and ordered 1 egg with whole-wheat toast, plus a cup of decaf.

Guy ordered the Carolina Breakfast with over-easy eggs, home fries, ham, white toast and tomato juice.

Our table wobbled annoyingly, and my coffee spilled.  Luckily, the server brings refills so that you never have to worry about running out of joe.  It's just straight coffee, no gourmet blends, but it's hot and it's good.  Not too weak, not too strong, just the way I like it.  How delighted I was to see an egg arrive with no grease!

Guy said his eggs were cooked perfectly, the ham was good and not too thin, but he didn't like his potatoes.
They were overcooked, not hot and just not tasty.

Interestingly, Carolina Bagel uses ceramic cups for their coffee and regular plates, but plastic forks and knives.  It wasn't a bad breakfast, but there were some issues:  a wobbly table, home fries that were inedible and plastic forks and knives.

For folks in a hurry, this could be a good choice.  Definitely for those who eat high-carb foods, this is a good choice.  But for folks like us, who are looking for a specific breakfast, this is not a good choice.   Guy has to have his spuds, and we want to eat on regular plates with regular forks and knives.  But there's no denying that the price is right:  $10.51 for two breakfasts is not bad.  And, regardless of what we think, people will keep right on coming to Carolina Bagel to get more of what they're serving up.