The Charleston East Side Has a New Kid on the Block: Eastside Bagel and they pack a killer breakfast/lunch punch
The Charleston East Side Community has a new player in the breakfast and lunch game and they have a delicious message. Jesse Warnock and Eric Mills opened Eastside Bagel with one simple mission, great, fun breakfast and lunch with a little flare. This harmonious little shop located at 8-D Line Street has a little front yard with a few chairs, tables on the sidewalk, a free library by the front steps and enough inside space for about six people. Yet, what you walk out with is much more important.
Donned with old school stickers all over the counter and walls, Simpsons framed art, Babe Ruth on the wall and a Deion Sanders Yankees card by the sugar packets, this eclectic eatery brings a twist to the Charleston scene, steamed bagels and a whole lot of smiles.
From the French Toast Bagel to the Eddie Vedger to the Caprese in the U.S.A., Eric and Jesse have created an environment and culture of neighborhood fun, great food and an inviting urban appeal.
Their Story
Long time Pals, Eric Mills and Jesse Warnock have always abided by the bagel. Yes, they have eaten their fair share of bagel sandwiches. But then, in 2018, they decided to obey the calling of the bagel by creating a bagel sandwich shop with the most delicious of bagels where everyone is welcome.
Eastside Bagel is a creative & casual eatery, serving funky steamed bagel sandwiches made from scratch. And it is a treat.
About Eastside Bagel
Charleston’s Original, one-of-a-kind, steamed bagel sandwich
Welcome to Eastside Bagel, home of Charleston’s original steamed bagel sandwich. It should be noted that this is NOT just another bagel sandwich. With menu selections inspired from childhood through more recent experiences basking in the culinary greatness that is Charleston, SC, we have created sandwiches that we love to eat and, hopefully, you will too. Originated in NYC, made famous at Oxford, Ohio’s Bagel & Deli, the magic of the steamed bagel knows very few boundaries. We’ve never tasted a more lighthearted slice of turkey or a meltier piece of cheese. And the bagel. Ah…the bagel. Soft on the inside with just the perfect texture on the outside. What we’re trying to say is that this stuff is good. And you should try it. Have a nice day.
Come out an experience Eastside Bagel, we know you will be back for more.
My girlfriend and I visited recently from Boston. We’ve been to Charleston together once before; she had lived in Charleston for a few years before we met. Anyways!
East Side Bagels is without a doubt an experience in Charleston worth the trip to the old neighborhoods on the even older part of Upper King. The Lyft drivers are worth talking to – long story – but that’s how I’d get out there if it’s a warm day.
Jesse is the Chef. Eric is the Bidness.
Where that collides is a wicked nice mix of nostalgia, a laid back attitude, and f*ckin’ ridiculously good bagel sammich.
Alright, I have the memory of a dead-elephant, but my girlfriend tells me that whatever I had, I got it “Bro-style.” Do that. I’ll remember why later and I’ll post here. I’m a forgetful man so if I haven’t posted under this just do it. I don’t know.
I suck at reading also, and I wear glasses which I forgot that day. These guys have made an entirely custom menu and it’s hand-written above their heads. I like it, it’s a personal touch but it’s hard to read. So you get in close to the counter and you talk to them while they cook so I can’t figure out if I’m being an annoying tourist from New England who hates interacting with people or I’m jealous at how genius that idea is… it’s both, it’s both.
My girlfriend has just informed me that I had the “Urban Sombrero.” She had the Big Cheesy. Look, I don’t remember what this was exactly. I mostly remember how I FELT while eating it. I drank the night before. I was in Charleston and that’s what you do. You take it easy all-day and sometimes that means drinking at 7 bars and passing out on a dock at 10:30pm, only to wake up kinda hung-over but feeling like life makes just a little more sense. Again, bad memory… but I can tell you this… after I ate that bagel sammich, I was a changed man. It was spicy, it had cheese, it was warm and the bagels grabbed up all the meat and egg and my bell-bell just yelled to my brain “YO! EVERYTHING IS GONNA BE FINE!”
I want to disclose that I know Jesse personally. I’ve met him twice before and my girlfriend knew him from the restaurant industry and they were friends. I went to Charleston one time before and we met Jesse and his wife Val and it was a grand ol’ time. I don’t know Eric, but they kept calling him “E-Z” when bringing up old stories from their early restaurant days – that pretty much flies with me as character references go. I liked these dudes*. No doubt I have a totally biased view of where you should eat because it’d be cool to me if these friends got more business. They have Yoo-Hoo. Deal with that.
I am writing this thing from the perspective of a hung-over, angry-with-my-terrible-airline-service-chip-on-my-shoulder-sox-bruins-pats fan smart-ass who works too much and needs to go to Charleston to remember why any of this is worth it. Go here. Go here and your day will go better. Stop thinking about it and point your fancy GPS towards these dudes/fools/bagelsmiths.
*(Is dudes a thing you can’t say in the south? I’m googling “dudes” 1 ssec….. whoa! it means “fool” in an old German dialect! Ok dudes does not mean “fool” in Boston. I’d say it’s this versatile label you can give just about anyone and anyways..