Hank’s Bagelry

13 Beatty Avenue
Armadale, VIC 3143
https://www.hanksbagelry.com.au/

I feel very strongly about my bagels. Maybe not as strongly as a New Yorker, but I’ve eaten enough catered hospital lunches that I now have a spiel I force everyone to listen to whenever the hospital tries to pass off round bread as a bagel. So I was very excited when I read that Hank’s Bagelry is apparently the real deal. Unfortunately, the round bread strikes again. But unlike the horrors of the hospital, the offerings at Hank’s are delicious, bread or bagel. Embellished with friendly service in an idyllic neighbourhood, Hank’s is a quaint little local lunch spot. I would recommend it, even if it’s not a bagel.

Rating: 12.5/20 – Hank’s sandwichery (and haberdashery, maybe?)
Yum: brisket bagel – it’s like a Philly cheesesteak.
Cute: their mr men-styled mascot.

Though they have everything from crumbed halloumi to harissa roasted pumpkin, they also have classic fillings such as Salmon Cured with Beetroot and Gin ($17), on an everything bagel of course. The buttery salmon is well-suited to the dill-flecked cream cheese, and the peppery rocket adds a balancing bite.

The Beef Brisket ($17), which goes best with the onion bagel, may not be traditional, but it is really really good. Modelled after a Philly cheesesteak, the freshly sizzled beef comes tossed with smoky capsicum and caramelised onion. Topped with an oozy slice of American cheese and creamy jalapeno aioli, this is messy, meaty, and utterly delicious.

To drink, there’s your usual café bevs, but you can also get some Filter Coffee ($2 hot, $2.7 iced) for cheap if you order a bagel. All I’ll say is that it reinforced why espresso is the superior way to brew. On the sugary end, there are Milkshakes ($10), which comes in Biscoff, Malteser, and Nutella. The Malteser one was delicious, super thick with just the right balance of sweetness and cocoa. Definitely makes lunch extra indulgent.