Bites Nearby: Neal's Bagel

“Life is too short, so you might as well enjoy it” …and presumably, with bagels.

For in Potomac Valley Shopping Center this is a kind of “mission statement.” Clearly, Neal’s bagels are made to be enjoyed.   

For 11 years this North Potomac landmark has been turning out the finest New York style bagels… baked fresh from scratch every day, and healthy too, containing no oils, fats, cholesterol or preservatives. In big demand are the healthiest bagels, namely the Pure Whole Wheat or Multigrain, but you can also find the standards- Onion, Plain, Sesame, Pumpernickel, Cinnamon & Raisin, Poppy, Blueberry and Everything. 

Take your bagels home in a bag, or better yet, turn your bagel into lunch. Choose one of the many fresh lunchmeats (Turkey, Pastrami, Roast Beef, Corned Beef, Salami, Ham) or select from the great variety of fresh homemade salads (Tuna, Egg, Chicken, Whitefish).

Traditional bagel lovers may prefer their bagel with one of the delicious homemade Cream Cheeses or Lox and Cream Cheese. 

Store owners, Polly and Steve Chotoo, take great pride in their product… and the old-fashioned process of hand-rolling the bagels seems to be the key, resulting in a perfect bagel that is slightly crunchy on the outside, and chewy on the inside. Polly also takes particular pride in her specialty Caribbean hot sauce (that customers have begged her to bottle and sell) and in her chopped liver recipe (that she can’t seem to make enough of, especially during Passover).

Life may be too short, but the little things like a delicious bagel every now and then certainly make life a little more worth living.

Neal’s Bagels is located at 12141 Darnestown Road in the Potomac Valley Shopping Center.  Open Mon. - Fri.  6 a.m. - 5 p.m. and Sat.- Sun. 7 a.m. - 3 p.m.