Danny Cowan and Wayne Hansen, childhood friends, opened the Old School Bagel Cafe back in August of 2007. Cowan, who worked at a popular Stillwater bagel shop for many years before it closed, was no stranger to the bagel business. He has been making them for more than 20 years and knew that OKC was in desperate need of a true New York-Style Deli serving traditional bagels.
The bagels Danny & Wayne serve are on par with ANY deli you visit in New York City, which makes them unique here in Oklahoma. Each bagel is hand rolled, and after rising, is given a “bath” in a large vat of water. This immersion is what creates the hard, chewy texture on the outside of the bagel that makes them true “New York-Style”. They serve more than 20 varieties of bagels, including plain, salt, sesame, onion, garlic, french toast, as well as seasonal varieties. (Right now they are offering pumpkin – sounds odd, but tastes great!)
Breakfast bagels (egg, cheese and ham or bacon) are a popular quick on-the-go choice, but they offer about a dozen specialty sandwiches too. I’ve tried most of the sandwich creations, and one of my favorites is the Sooner Club which has turkey, ham, Swiss cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato and onions. I normally have it made on an Everything bagel for the extra added flavors. But if those options don’t suit your taste buds, feel free to create your own. The Old School Bagel Cafe can create sandwiches with ham, turkey, pastrami, salami, corned beef, as well as a variety of cheeses and garnishes. They are made-to-order and come with a pickle spear on the side.
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- Pizza Bagel
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- No New York in the name…. but the bagels are the same!
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- Turkey & Swiss Bagel
As an added bonus, Old School Bagel Cafe also serves up gourmet coffees from Lavazza, touted as Italy’s favorite coffee. Try a Latte, Cappuccino, Espresso or traditional American-style to go with your bagel. And with the free WiFi, the cafe is a popular hangout for students (you will often find them with research papers sprawled across a table and a laptop in tow ).
Prices range from $3.99 for a pizza bagel to $5.99 for a specialty bagel, so you can have an entire meal for less than $9 (chips and drink included). If bagels aren’t exactly your thing, try one of their signature muffins or the excellent cinnamon rolls.
Next time you are in North OKC, visit Old School Bagel Cafe at 10946 North May Avenue.
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