Poppy’s Bagels & More (Facebook)
2921 Providence Rd. (map it!)
Charlotte, NC 28211
(704) 366-8146
Open Mon-Fri, 6a-3p; Sat & Sun, 7a-3p
Accepts cash & debit/credit
Vegetarian/vegan/gluten free? Y/N/N
Kid-friendly? Y
Visited: Sunday, July 19, 2015 at 8:30 a.m.
When we’re traveling, there’s always a certain pressure to pick THE perfect breakfast place. This pressure is all self-applied. With limited time, I want to try and find the right spot that represents a city – just the right eatery, something off the beaten path, beloved of locals, the place not necessarily featured in all the official literature. It’s an exercise in futility, really, because no single restaurant can fully represent a city’s dining scene, especially a city the size of Charlotte. Eventually I just need to pick a place that fits the moment: good for our group, not completely out of our way, but still something talked about by locals. So on a stopover in Charlotte (read about our visit here), I did my searching and the next morning we started at Poppy’s Bagels & More.
Maybe Poppy’s isn’t the perfect place for Charlotte – it’s proudly a bit of New York City – but it turns out I needn’t have worried.
Cases in point…
Poppy’s reminds me of a lot of places I’ve discovered (Block’s or Sammy’s Bagels in Columbus, The Bagel Baker in Virginia Beach) created by New York expats who missed the taste of true New York kettle-boiled bagels, and solved the problem by opening their own shops.
In my experience, when these shops are good, the people will come. I mean, who can turn down a fresh everything bagel with lox, cream cheese, capers, and tomato?
Despite the pressure I put on myself to find the “perfect” place for breakfast, I usually find myself happy with our choice. There are plenty more places to explore in Charlotte, sure, but we were perfectly happy at Poppy’s. Our boys devoured these little platters with bagels, potatoes, eggs, and sausage.
I loved the special eggs benedict bagel sandwich, with eggs, ham, and a nice bit of hollandaise.
We even snagged a warm blintz with cherries.
The place was hopping from the moment we arrived to the moment we left. Individuals, families, they were all there. Always a good sign that you’ve made a good choice.
Poppy’s produces some solid New York-style bagels, the location is sizable (even though it’s a little hard to find from the street), and it seems to be a frequented community hub. If you’re in Charlotte and looking for bagels, this is your place!
