Stephen Siegel has always loved eating at Bagelmania, a popular Jewish delicatessen that has delighted locals since 1989. But the developer known for Siegel Suites did not want to buy the restaurant.
Then one Sunday he went to pay for his meal and the owners begged him to take him over so they could retire. At first he refused, but the idea stayed true to him. “I remember standing in the shower that evening and thinking, ‘These are great bagels, maybe I can do something with them,'” says Siegel. “I like fixing things and growing things and building things. So, here we are again. “
He bought Bagelmania in 2018 and started reinventing the brand, eventually replacing the Eastside location near Twain and Swenson for a larger building between the Strip and the Las Vegas Convention Center. (A satellite spot also opened at McCarran Airport’s A gates.)
A stack of black and white biscuits at Siegel’s Bagelmania
Known today as Siegel’s Bagelmania, the 10,000 square foot main restaurant in the former Somerset shopping center draws tourists, locals and convention attendees. A giant bagel sculpture greets hungry guests in the parking lot, and the exterior of the building lists the menu in fun sans serif signage: smoked fish, kosher dogs, corned beef, cocktails, black and white cookies, matzo ball soup, and of course bagels and smears.
The interior is a vision of mid-mod styling and old Vegas nostalgia. Guests can choose between the 200-seater dining room or the deli counter, which also includes offerings from Pinkbox Donuts, another local brand from the Siegel group.
Siegel and Senior Vice President Michael Crandall have extensively revised the menu, but left the recipe for cooked bagels unchanged. “I think we have the best bagel on the west coast,” says Siegel. In July, Weekly Bagelmania readers voted Best of Vegas Best Breakfast Spot in its annual edition of Best of Vegas.
In the tradition of the best delicatessen shops, Bagelmania offers a deliberately extensive menu that requires multiple visits to sample even a portion of the options. Rye bread, cookies, pastries, and salads are all made in-house. Beginners might consider starting out simply with one of the indulgent bagelwiches ($ 10-16). The Hebrew School ($ 16) includes Nova smoked salmon, fried eggs, and a hash brown cake. Or they could go for a classic spicy pastrami, egg salad, or white fish salad sandwich ($ 12-16). Burgers, hot dogs, soups, salads, shakes and more complete the offer.
In addition to a full bar, Bagelmania has just opened gaming. It is planned to slowly increase the hours to include dinner and possibly the late night. And as busy as Siegel could be making Pinkbox nationally, he’s hoping to open a few more Bagelmania locations next year.
SIEGEL’S BAGELMANIA 252 Convention Center Drive, 702-369-3322. Daily, 6 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
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