Great American Bagel: A Tasty Bite For You Or Your Pup

JOLIET, IL - Thursday marked my first visit ever to the Great American Bagel shop at 1101 Essington Road. But it won't be my last. I had heard lots of people around Joliet rave about the quality of Great American Bagel. And since I try to provide you with variety in my weekly food review columns I thought I would give it a try.

I dropped by in the late afternoon Thursday and only one other person, an elderly gentleman holding a newspaper in his hand, was inside. Within about five minutes of my visit, around 10 more customers dropped by. I was shocked. I didn't realize that so many people love to eat bagels in the late afternoon.

I went with the bacon and cheese bagel and had it buttered. I don't know how healthy it was, but it was delicious. Great American Bagel knows what it's doing, and there are so many different varieties of bagels. I think next time I will go with the jalapeno cheddar or perhaps the onion bagel.

Then again, their menu also includes several specialty sandwiches, salads, soups and wraps.

Great American Bagel is open Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday from 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sunday 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. One thing worth mentioning: the people who work at Great American Bagel are extremely friendly and courteous. It's a very down-to-earth, relaxing atmosphere inside the restaurant.

One thing I did not know: Great American Bagel also has tasty treats for your dog. At one of the counters there are bagel bones available for less $1 each. I picked up one and brought it home for my 2-year-old dog, Champ, who is pictured below.

As you can tell from his photo, Champ took a liking to his bagel bone. About 90 minutes later, there was nothing left.

For more information, visit the website for Great American Bagel.