It’s a gray, rainy Saturday morning and yet, just an hour ago, I found myself standing in an out-the-door line waiting for an egg and cheese on an asiago bagel. This wasn’t just any bagel sandwich — it was a Davis Square Donuts & Bagels bagel sandwich.
What made all those people willingly stand in the rain for a bagel? Well, obviously, the shop’s responsible compliance with COVID-19 guidelines played a role. The entire process — from waiting in line, to ordering, to getting your hot bagel — was systematic. Customers waited outside until they were called in to place their order. Then, customers were directed back outside to wait for their order until a worker happily delivered them a fresh bagel sandwich (or donut). Despite these restrictions, every worker, from the cashier to those on the egg-flipping and bagel-toasting teams, seemed happy to serve customers.
While waiting for my bagel outside, I noticed that 6 feet away from me stood a mother holding her preschool-aged child’s hand. The child was dressed in pink rain boots, a pink winter coat and, of course, a pink mask! This must have caught the cashier’s eye because, a minute later, she cleared a space in the shop (where indoor seating used to be) to allow the mother and child to wait in the warmth. Davis Square Donuts & Bagels’ customer service alone has led me to support this small, local business through the uncertainties of the pandemic.
Besides being a COVID-19-friendly, local business with great customer service, Davis Square Donuts & Bagels serves some fantastic breakfast. The eggs are fried fresh to order; none of that pre-cooked or microwaved stuff ends up on your sandwich. The options of cheese you can add to your bagel range from the classic cheddar, to the bougie feta, to the adventurous ghost pepper. And iconically, their bagels are huge! So, in summary, waiting for 10 minutes in the rain was well worth it.
Now on to my favorite part: What do I order?
Best sandwich: I keep it classic (and affordable) with an egg and cheese on an asiago bagel ($5.75), or, if I’m feeling inspired from all that reading in my Intro to Nutrition class, an egg white and cheese on their wheat everything bagel ($6.50).
What I want to try next: I’ve never tried one of their donuts, which are bigger than my face, but their strawberry shortcake donut with cream imported from Greece is next on my list!
How I finesse the menu: I can never decide between egg and cheese or cream cheese on my bagel. With this tip, I don’t have to! Since the bagels are so large, I eat my sandwiches open-faced; the ratio is just better that way. With the leftover half of the bagel, I spread on cream cheese (which is free from Dewick-MacPhie Dining Center). The final product: the best of both worlds for the cost of one!
