by “The Food Guy” – Food Blogger / Restaurant Critic for Vero Vine
--> Join the conversation in Vero Beach Foodie and 43,500 very active members right now! <--
My next tasting experience takes me to downtown Vero, just off of 14th avenue to a little place called the Beach Bum Bagel Cafe. Before I visit any restaurant to do a review, I’m curious how others rate it, so I read a lot of reviews about them from different sources. Everything that I’ve read about this place, they seem to get very positive reviews and have quite the loyal following that comes back and visits them on a regular basis. Celebrating 8 years in business, owners George and Julie must definitely be doing something right. With so many breakfast and lunch places in and around Vero, let’s jump in and see why this place does so well.
I’ve driven by this place a few times, and never knew it was there. They are located on the south side of the Hibiscus building, and unless you are specifically looking for them, you may pass right on by. Parking is located on the street around the building. We quickly found a spot across the street near Pocahontas Park. As you approach the front entrance, they have a wonderful outdoor patio with lots of seating available. There are ceiling fans to keep you cool in the hot summer months. Upon entry into the building, there are two booths on the far right that use a surfboard shaped table along with a few other tables for your convenience. The counter where you place your order is on the left and George is usually at the ready waiting to serve you.
Now on to the food! Let’s jump right in and see what I had to eat!
Chef Salad – ($7.75) – With all of the reviews I do, some people have the misconception that I must weigh 400 lbs from eating all of this good food! When I’m not reviewing restaurants, I do follow the low carb diet, so this was a welcome addition to the menu at a bagel shop. The chef salad has rolled up ham, turkey and cheese, fresh romaine lettuce, chopped carrots, tomatoes, celery, and green peppers. Everything was very fresh and crisp, tomatoes were sweet, and the ranch dressing was quite tasty.
Sunrise Sandwich – ($3.95) – Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day, so I was looking forward to trying this one. You get your choice of having it made on a bagel, biscuit, croissant, or into a wrap, so we chose the Asiago Cheese bagel. It had sausage, egg, American cheese on the Asiago bagel. The bagel was lightly toasted and very fresh, the eggs were perfectly cooked, the sausage had a mild zesty flavor. The only problem with it was that I had to share it with someone and could not keep it all for myself!
Avocado BLT – ($7.50) – That sandwich is definitely stacked up HIGH! It’s made with white bread, avocado, bacon, lettuce, and tomato. Served alongside were chips and a pickle. The bacon was perfectly cooked, the tomatoes were sweet, and the lettuce was nice and crispy. A well put together classic sandwich that was exceptionally good and very fresh tasting.
Loaded Philly – ($6.75) – This is not something that I expected to see on the menu at a bagel place, but since they service lunch too, it’s definitely a nice option. The bun was lightly toasted and filled with chopped beef, peppers and onions, mushrooms, and lots of cheese mixed in. The meat was tender, the onions and mushrooms were finely diced and seasoned perfectly, and the cheese definitely gave it a punch of flavor. The French fries were salty and crispy, just the way I like them.
In Conclusion:
The more of these locally owned restaurants that I visit, the more impressed I am with them instead of the big name brand places that have similar offerings. Those restaurants are more concerned with quantity than quality, so if they lose a few customers over a bad experience, no sweat off their backs because they have a large corporation to back them up. These local shops have everything riding on their success because this is what pays the bills, so they definitely work harder to make sure you are satisfied each and every time you visit them. Case and point here, George and Julie work hard every day to bring an exceptional experience to each customer, every single time you visit them, and you can definitely taste the difference.
Have you tried Beach Bum Bagel Cafe? What has your experience been with them? Sound off in the comments below and let me know your thoughts, or feel free to email me at thefoodguy@verovine.com with your questions or comments.
Atmosphere – 4 Forks
Service – 4 Forks
Food – 4 Forks
Rating Scale Legend:
1 to 5 Forks – 1 Bad to 5 Excellent
| Wednesday | 6AM–3PM |
| Thursday | 6AM–3PM |
| Friday | 6AM–3PM |
| Saturday | 7AM–1PM |
| Sunday | Closed |
| Monday | 6AM–3PM |
| Tuesday | 6AM–3PM |
- The 2019 GOLDEN FORK Awards - February 5, 2020
- The Wave Kitchen & Bar – Restaurant Review – Nov 2019 - December 4, 2019
- Italian Cousin – Restaurant Review - November 13, 2019