A Fireball Bagel? Freehold Bagel Shop Says You'll Love It

FREEHOLD, NJ — For some, a bagel is only a bagel if it's plain, loaded with lox and slathered in cream cheese.

But there are those who thumb their noses at traditionalists, favoring combinations like French toast or pumpkin spice.

Then there's the Bagel Nook in Freehold, which takes bagels places no one ever thought to go. They have Oreo bagels and Cinnamon Toast Crunch bagels. There's the Dorito Overload and the Elvis Overload (peanut butter swirl cream cheese, bacon and banana slices on a French toast bagel — really!).

And now, in a world dominated by pumpkin spice everything, there's the new Fireball bagel. It's been featured by the food website Delish, as well as in Cosmopolitan magazine.

Alex Berkowitz, one of owners of the family business that opened two years ago, said the Fireball bagel was created in response to a request from a local DJ, who asked for it for his birthday, and it has simply taken off.

"We try all different kinds of combinations," he said, and there's rarely a customer request that they refuse. "We're here for our customers. We love putting a smile on people's faces."

Berkowitz said the Fireball bagel does just that. It's not a simple cinnamon bagel; "You get the whole combination," he said. "There's the cinnamon, the whiskey, the heat, you get it all." There's a Fireball-infused cream cheese to go with it, but he also says it is tasty on with pork roll, egg and cheese.

The Bagel Nook ships bagels, but said in a Facebook post that the Fireball bagels are not available for shipping, so you'll have to stop by their shop at 51 Village Center Dr. in Freehold to try them for yourself.

Photo by Alex Berkowitz, used with permission