Did you know that Closter, New Jersey is home to the best old-fashioned bagels around? In this episode of Northern Valley Vibes, we’re going to learn all about Wally’s Bagels, a great local bagel shop with so many delicious options to offer. We’ll visit the Heidenberg Plaza location to get an inside look at how Wally and his team make these delicious bagels for New Jersey residents to enjoy.
Getting Into The Bagel Business
A Wally’s bagel is one of the best I've ever had in my life. Starting with their Northvale location in 2013, Wally’s built his bagel empire to include four stores. In 1991, his first job was at a bagel store, so it was no stretch after many years in business to create a place to call his own. His buddy Angelo, who’s been in the bagel business for 40 years, makes the bagels by the old-fashioned method: hand-rolled, boiled, and then baked perfectly crisp on the outside and soft on the inside.
After the Northvale location was opened, Wally went on to open the Closter location in 2014. In 2019, a Rivervale location was opened, and a recent Norwood location was just added. Clearly, the bagel business is booming for Wally, with three locations right here in the Northern Valley.
Delicious Food At Wally’s Bagels
Wally’s has a varied menu with all the favorites, based around a fresh selection of bagels, flagels, bialys, and mini bagels. To accompany these delicious baked goods, Wally’s offers the best smoked fish in Brooklyn: nova, white fish, sable, baked salmon, pickled lox, pickled herring, herring in wine sauce, and herring in cream sauce. Menu favorites include whitefish salad, egg salad, chicken salad, the whole old-fashioned recipes, and plenty of wraps and sandwiches. Their most famous sandwich, The Flagel Bite, is made from lox, scallion cream cheese, and hot peppers and it’s delicious.
For those looking to have their office meetings catered, Wally’s Bagels offers a very popular catering menu. Customers can easily reach out via the company’s Facebook page to get prices and set up a catered breakfast or lunch. If you want to grab a fresh bagel in person, Wally’s is open 365 days a year from 5:00 am to 6:00 pm. Trust me, it’s worth it.
Come down and see Wally at any of his four locations, and make sure to stay tuned to the next episode of Northern Valley Vibes to see where I head next!