Central Perk and Bagel Co

I just visited here for the first time in a while. I am a Hamilton resident but live across town so don’t make it here that often. That’s seriously going to change. I forgot how incredibly delicious these bagels are until I ordered my cheddar bagel, New York style (butter and cream cheese). You see, I am from North Jersey and we are very picky about our bagels and pizza. This place is so delicious, you would think it was straight out of New York or North Jersey. The atmosphere is great, there’s a chalkboard and TV to keep the little ones occupied, and the food is outstanding. The selection is unbelievable. From chocolate chip, to jalapeño cheddar, to French toast bagels, there is something for everyone. Try the cinnamon sugar butter smear… it’s out of this world!

These are not bagels, they are Rolls!!!
The place is not very clean behind the counter and service is just ok.

Disliked everything about this place from the start. Self-​serve bagels (where kids are sticking their hands in and touching multiple bagels), microwaved eggs and meat and bland coffee are all things that should never be associated with a jersey bagel spot. I usually trust Unilocal to steer me right, but I will never be coming back again.

First time in. Six people behind the counter. And no one said hello. Rang me up and never said a word place was dead. Felt and looked dirty.

I have been here twice; first thing I noticed was the big selection of bagels! I just had to try the jalapeño bagel (w/​cheddar), and it was nice and cheesy with that tang of the jalapeño in it. Next day I had a French toast bagel which was sweet and sticky but pretty good. It was still hot! Overall nice service, nothing fancy at all but definitely worth trying out for tasty bagels

Good bagel shops seem to be a rare find these days. Central Perk is a large bagel shop, but the space is poorly utilized. The tables are set up in a way that makes maneuvering around difficult without bumping into someone. They also waste a lot of space with their kids section which is limited to some plastic kiddy tables and a chalkboard wall and the lounge section which is simply a couch and coffee table. I am by no means against either one of those areas, but I am against the way they are executed.
The ordering and paying process is a much better operation. They offer self serve bagels for grab and go customers and even offer a grab and go register. My last visit I was extremely disappointed with my order. I decided to order a Porkroll, egg and cheese sandwich instead of my usual pork roll and cheese sandwich. I was looking forward to that fried egg sandwiched between slices of pork roll and melted cheese only to be given a sanwich that consisted of some sort of processed egg, it looked like it was a pre made egg that was sliced and it tasted pretty bad. To top that off my coffee was like warm at best. I would come back for bagels, but I won’t be back for a breakfast sandwich anytime soon.

Great bagels but apparent cream cheese shortage? Opened bagel when I got home and thought maybe I forgot to ask for cream cheese. Upon further inspection I observed there was indeed cream cheese! Don’t be cheap on the cream cheese guys!

My imported Hamilton honey brought us a bag for a snowed in South Jersey weekend.
I am a sweet tooth — I had the French toast and chocolate chip.
The French toast was amaaaaaazing! Strangely sticky and crunchy w sugar! Absolutely delicious!
The chocolate chip was really good too!
Better than my beloved Sharkey’s in my area, sad to say!
Bagelicious!!!

I’ve known about and passed by this shop many times without ever stopping in to try their“rounders”(TM registered to Gerald S) Today was different, with the threat of a snow storm looming large, I decided to do the sensible thing and buy a dozen.
My first few impressions pointed to imminent fandom. 1) This places is big, plenty of chairs and tables and I imagine it is easy to check out at busy times. 2) Self serve bagels, now you can dig out the perfect specimen (s) and bag them yourself. 3) Great selection of flavors, perhaps the best in this area based on my research and preferences. At a glance I would say at least 15, but possibly more. 4) Classic rock on the radio further enhanced the experience.
I love savory bagels a bit more than the sweeter varieties, here there are good choices for both. I chose 3 different cheesy ones. So far I’ve only tried the jalapeño and cheddar. This was a light and fluffy white dough, but went well with the ample cheese and pepper slices. I would get these anytime. For the sweet ones I just got 2 types, chocolate chip and French toast. If you decide to try a FT, be prepared to sticky up your hands. This is not the bagel for your drive to work unless it is completely wrapped up. But that almost defeats the syrupy and sugary (coarse natural sugar on top) goodness. This one was egg dough based I believe and riddled with cinnamony goodness. The dough was dense, and the outside was crunchy even under the syrup. This may have been the best sweet bagel I’ve ever had.
I see that other reviews took stars off for service. This was not an issue today. The cashier who waited on me was very nice, and the manager or owner was at the counter as well. When I commented that this was my first visit and the selection looked very good, he quickly brought over a few of his personal favorites gratis. After trying most if not all of this area’s other shops, I have now found my preferred store. Pro tip: look in the micro local papers for coupons. 4.5 pinnacle of French toast bagel Unilocal

Ordered a Jalapeño Cheddar Bagel with Cream Cheese To-​go for breakfast. The Bagel is huge and Only one will be enough if you’re eating it for breakfast (along with Coffee, which is also good). The Cream cheese filling on the bagel is also huge. This place didn’t disappoint.

GREAT bagels … and that is what you come for. Cream cheese spreads are perfect. Owners could not be more accommodating. We come a little bit of a distance — with bagel places in our area — come because the coffee is fabulous (just what we like) and the bagels are wonderful. Terrific selection, try –em all. Love this place. Not fancy, just what you want to hang out or not but have what you came for. LS

First time getting bagels here. A huge selection with choices such as cinnamon crunch, cheddar jalapeño, very berry, and so many more. It’s self serve for the bagels so you get a pick at which one you want!
I ended up getting a French toast bagel, a jalapeño cheddar, and another French toast with lite cream cheese. The total was all under $ 5, which is a really reasonable price.
The French toast bagel was so good. My sister was very satisfied with the amount of cream cheese on her bagel as well.
Definitely would come back again!

Really good bagels and you have to have the vegetable cream cheese. Also good place for lunch sandwiches.

Was not a fan across the board. Bagels were overpriced ($ 1 each) for the below-​average quality and customer service was virtually nonexistent.
I ordered a dozen, so sampled several (asiago cheese, everything, poppy, salt, sesame, etc.) and was impressed by none of them. Bagels were dry and borderline stale and some of them left an unpleasant aftertaste in my mouth. The exact taste was hard to pin down, but possibly the result of cheap oils used in the baking process.
I was also very off-​put by the poor customer service, which has also been noted in other reviews. The high-​school kids working the counter were downright surly and served up some serious attitude (complete with condescending tone and eye-​rolling) when I asked simple questions about the availability of certain bagels, price, and whether they accepted credit cards. I realize the employees of the day might not have loved working at Central Perk, but that is no excuse for treating paying customers rudely.
Though others seem to like the place, one bad experience was enough for me. I have not been back to Central Perk since and have no intention to return in the future. Do yourself a favor and visit one of the other excellent bagel shops in the area instead.

I absolutely love this place. Been going here for years and everything is good. They have a wide range of bagels which are all amaze balls! My favorite it the jalapeño cheddar. One of their popular choices is the cashew chicken. I am a freak for chicken salad and this is just an extra twist. And again amazeballs !!

Do the bagels taste good? Sure. Have I had better? most definately.
The customer service leaves a LOT to be desired, rude and impolite to this customer. The bagels taste alright, but the price is astronomical. $ 12 a dozen without cream cheese/​butter. From now on, I will drive the extra 10 minutes to Bordentown Bagels for better quality, taste, price, and customer service.

I cannot stress how much I love this place. It’s an equal balance between awesome bagels and awesome people. You’ll never go anywhere else again!

Better than average bagels and very good coffee are the draws to Central Perk and Bagel Company.
I rolled up on a weekday morning. Two EMT’s sat outside at a table sipping coffee between drags on their cigs, and another small group was inside at one of the tables. Other than that, the place was empty. Clearly, I had come at a good time.
The high school staff was friendly, if a bit disorganized as to who was going to do what. Nevertheless, I received what I ordered within minutes. The Onion Bagel was fresh, with a nice firm skin. The inner «bread» was a bit too dense and lacked the air pockets that makes for the lighter consistency that is ideal for a rounder. Still, the taste was good, despite the extra chewiness. I appreciated the heavy dose of baked onion flakes topping the creation. They really added the right taste and extra crunch.
I am not a cream cheese guy, but the smear of butter with a couple of slices of fresh Swiss, was the way I wanted it.
Had the bagel been the right body texture Central Perks would have jumped to the head of the local class for my weekly bagel fix. As it is, it is very similar to the nearby Bagels and Cream shop as being solid, if not perfect, choices.
When time permits, I will still return to Bagel Train in Yardley, Pa., for my favorite bagel experience in the vicinity.

Paid over $ 8.50 for two DISGUSTING fake plastic kids Play Doh looking microwaved egg/​sausage/​cheese bagel sandwiches!
Eggs went in the garbage when I got home.
For the expensive price you charge at least serve me REAL eggs and cook the damn sausage too!
If I wanted microwaved fake eggs I could of went to 7 – 11 next door or even the wawa across the street. Or even better the Burger King! At least these places wont rip me off!
You got 2 stars cause the bagel itself was the only thing good.
Will never return again.

I have never had an issue with customer service here. The bagels are awesome! The coffee is a little strong. When my youngest was in preschool we would come here about once a week for lunch, she loves the chalkboard there for the kids. And we like it for PTA breakfast meetings too.
I’m not sure what the problem is with customer service, the owner has been nothing but kind and from what I understand is very active in the community, he enjoys helping groups do their fundraising. The only thing I can surmise is the people writing the bad reviews are not from
Hamilton.