When people think of breakfast in New York City, things like brunch and Starbucks come to mind. But NYC is much more than eggs benedict and frappucinos.
We love breakfast, and more importantly we love breakfast sandwiches. They are the perfect to go meal for busy New Yorkers like us.
Hit up your local bodega, deli or bagel spot, bam bam boom, you're out of there in 3 minutes with your sandwich in your hand and your metro card in the other getting ready to swipe through a turnstile.
So without further ado, here are some of the breakfast sandwiches that you'll catch a New Yorker with on any bus or train.
1. Buttered roll
chiangtiff 1 egg, cheese, and sausuage on a roll 🍳 (I dunno why my roll looks so flat here) This is on top of the list of food to miss about New York the motivation going to 8am tax class back in the day #throwback #bestbreakfast #nycbreakfast #nomnomnom #breakfastcart #legit #collegememories
Now this is not really a sandwich, but it's close enough. If you're on a budget you can hit up any donut shop or bodega and grab a toasted one for about $1.25 with maybe a Snapple or Arizona on the side.
This is eaten throughout the five boroughs by everybody, every single day.
2. Bagels
kayychu Breakfast carts are the unsung heros of NYC. Finally found out why the lines to the cart I pass on the train every morning are so long. Splurged (food quota-wise) on sausage sgg and cheese this morning. I don't usually get cheese or sausage but hey, its #FRIDAY #fridaycheatday #spicysausage #breakfastcart #nyc #treatyoself #glorious #cheesetastic #onaroll #starving #nofilter #baskintheglory
The perfect carb, bagels are probably New Yorkers favorite breakfast food, all types, cinnamon raisin, everything bagels, onion, sesame seed, poppy seed, toasted, not toasted, cream cheese, jelly, butter.
So many kinds of bagels, and so many toppings. But chances are if you need to grab a quick something before work, you're gonna get a bagel from your favorite spot.
Great thing about bagels is that anything you drink compliments it, water, orange juice, snapple, coffee etc., and just like pizza, New Yorkers all have their favorite spots they will swear by.
3. Bacon, egg and cheese
A real NYC staple right here and our personal favorite, mostly eaten in the outer boroughs of the Bronx, Queens and Brooklyn. They do get down on these in Manhattan, but they will most likely be on a bagel. The outer boroughs stick to the this on a roll usually.
For the most part they are eaten with ketchup, sometimes a little bit of salt and pepper, and it goes great with a Snapple or an Arizona.
You may also substitute bacon for ham, Canadian bacon, sausage and in some spots Turkey bacon and sausage. Depending on what borough you're in these can range, we've bought some in the Bronx for $3.25 and some in Manhattan for about $5.
However, you can find spots in Manhattan though that sell them for cheap. These are usually eaten mostly by the younger crowd but the older generations do get down on them
,4. Lox Bagel with cream cheese
stylocharlo Trying some of New York's best #bagels 👍😍 #creamcheeselox #brooklynbagel #manhattan #newyork #bagel #waterboiled #nomnom
This is the more upscale breakfast sandwich of NYC. A little bit classier than a bacon egg and cheese on a roll, the Lox bagel is usually about 2 or 3 times more expensive than a bacon egg and cheese but it is worth it (if you go to a good spot).
A lot of the times they are eaten with cream cheese, onions, tomatoes and capers, or any variation of those ingredients. They are usually eaten in Manhattan and in small Jewish neighborhoods throughout the boroughs. Like other foods the prices can range any from $6 to $13.
It's a risky thing to eat because sometimes you can be paying top dollar for not so fresh Lox, or you can find a good spot like in Riverdale in the Bronx and get some top Lox for $7.
Lox Bagels are usually eaten with coffee, and while a lot of New Yorkers do eat them, we usually see a lot of business guys in midtown eating them mostly.
5. Egg whites on english muffins
This is for your more healthy and active New Yorker. We actually can't even find these in the Bronx, but anything's possible. Your really only ever seen them in Manhattan.
Usually eaten with turkey bacon as it is healthier (unless you're going to McDonald's, which, why?) these are more of a snack. Chances are you might be a middle aged woman who lives in midtown or in the village (kidding).
People who eat these usually grab a water because they are a lot more conscious of their bodies than the shameless bacon egg and cheese eaters. Prices range on these as well; some cheap, and some an arm and a leg.
Although New Yorkers eat way more than this for breakfast, like muffins and pastries and etc, breakfast sandwiches are a lot of people's go to meal and for good reason. They taste great, and we have the best bagels period.
Don't let jealous people from Jersey try to sell you on a taylor ham, egg and cheese either, unless you like the taste of fried sweaty processed meat on mediocre bagels. Do yourself a favor and just stick to buying bagels and breakfast sandwiches here in the city.
Check out 7 Best Breakfast Sandwiches in NYC.
[Feature Image Courtesy Yelp]