Miami's El Bagel is a handcrafted haven for bagel aficionados
MIAMI - Miami- If you haven't experienced El Bagel yet, prepare to be delighted.
Conceived by Matteson Koche and Simon Caicedo, this isn't just another bagel joint, it's a culinary sensation born from Koche's personal cravings.
"When I started, I used to be an urban planner and kinda just started this to fill a void for myself. I just wanted a bagel spot that I could swing by with my girlfriend and grab a good bagel, so we had to do it ourselves," Koche said.
Indeed, they did it themselves. Their location on 6910 Biscayne Boulevard in Miami's MiMo district opened its doors in 2020 and word spread like wildfire. With limited outdoor seating, hungry customers flocked in large numbers for their hand-rolled, fresh bagel sandwiches for takeout.
"Yeah, I mean the bagels are not only made with a lot of love but a lot of labor. We got a team of bakers that get in here very early in the morning and start mixing and baking. The bagels are made fresh every morning," explained Koche.
Between their MiMo shop and a second location in Coconut Grove, El Bagel churns out about 3,000 bagels a day and almost always sells out.
"That's 1,000 orders a day. We go through hundreds of bacon, eggs, and cheeses, hundreds of locks, we sell bagels to go," Koche said.
People come in from everywhere, it's a bagel-loving community.
"It's really an amazing thing to have a place where just everyone comes by, all classes, all people because it's just an approachable product," he explained.
In the kitchen, Caicedo crafts the bagel sandwiches with care and simplicity.
"Just love and attention to what we do and care for everything that we do and how we do it," he said.
Their signature Lox Supreme boasts locally smoked salmon, tomato, cucumber, pickled onions, dill, and capers, all nestled in their extra special bagel.
"The bagels are made with a lot of love. You can kind of feel that because it is an extra special bagel," said CBS News Miami's Lisa Petrillo.
The delicious and healthy Avo Spesh, short for Avocado Special, features freshly smashed avocado, cream cheese, watermelon radish, sprouts, chives, a little bit of olive oil, and some sea salt.
Then there's the El Bagel MacDaddy, the BEC or bacon, egg, and cheese comprised of two fried eggs, a couple of slices of American cheese, and some thick-cut bacon.
"I want it to be the ultimate hangover morning sandwich. We don't sub cheeses in my personal opinion. American cheese reigns supreme," declares Koche. "These are two freshly cracked eggs, and yeah, it will cure you."
"I mean, I don't think I could even add to that, but hangover or not, this will do you good in the morning," said Petrillo.
El Bagel is open every day, except Tuesday, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at both shops.