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| - Bagels Forever is a great little Madison secret for those on a budget. Bagels are 45 cents each and are made fresh in the BF headquarters behind the bagel shop, as evidenced by the smell of blueberry, cinnamon, and everything bagel that wafts over University Avenue on certain days. I always gravitate towards the sesame and (w)hole wheat bagels, but I love the cinnamon raisin too. Other notable flavors include maple cinnamon, cranberry oat, salt, egg, and pumpernickel. My colleague tells me that their bagels are some of the closest you'll get to New York bagels, as they're boiled. If I ever visit NYC someday, I'll know what bagels to compare them to. However, I wouldn't recommend the lox here-the one time I had it, I found it mushy and flavorless.
What I really, truly love about this place are the cheap sandwiches. Cheaper than Einstein's or Panera, and better than a fast food joint. $2.35 will buy you a hot, toasted breakfast sandwich with a protein (bacon, sausage, Canadian bacon, you name it), egg, and cheese on a delicious bagel, wrapped in foil. Their lunch sandwiches are in the $2-3 range, made with Boar's Head meats and cheeses and come with a dill pickle spear.
To go with your food, Bagels Forever sells cans of (Dr. Brown's!) soda, chips, their own cream cheese, milk, butter, half and half, etc, so they're handy if you live nearby. I also get their sliced deli meat to go. What's great about this place is that they seem to sell their food at wholesale prices. It's kind of a throwback to buy a Coke for 52 cents plus tax.
Decor looks like it hasn't changed since the place opened, there are no tables, and the lines can get long at breakfast time, but don't let that stop you. If you're on the way to campus, stop in and try this place out.
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