Bruce’s Of Great Neck (Boca Raton)
***** Bruce’s Of Great Neck, 19575 South State Road 7, Boca Raton, Florida 33498, (561) 483-2331.
Here’s a heads up for you guys…
From 1970-2012 a guy named Bruce Zipes owned/operated a series of bakery/deli restaurants in Long Island and New York City under the name Bruce’s Bakery & Restaurant…talk about-terrific cakes, cookies, pastries, bagels, breads…
Anyway…
Jeff Eats has absolutely no idea as to why the last NY-Bruce’s closed in February 2012…what I do know, is that about four months ago, Bruce Zipes (“Bruce”) bought the Mitch’s Westside Bagels Too (reviewed 2/9/09) Boca Raton store, renaming it Bruce’s Of Great Neck. Like Mitch’s, Bruce’s Of Great Neck does breakfast/lunch 7 days a week–open 7am-3pm.
Just so we are straight, 1991 was the last time that Jeff Eats “ate” stuff from Bruce’s New York outposts. For the purposes of this column, I’m gonna assume that Mr. Zipes still knows how to bake- but then again back in ’91 Jeff Eats had a 33 inch waist and wore a 15-31 shirt.
To make a long story short, yesterday I stopped by Bruce’s Of Great Neck around 3pm just as the store was closing for the day. My sole purchase was a bakers dozen of bagels—and I gotta tell you, that the everything/garlic/onion/pumpernickle/whole wheat were -really good…I will also tell you, that Bruce’s display cases were filled with great looking cookies, cakes, pastries, rolls.
For those of you-not familiar with Bruce’s New York business–it was an extremely popular bakery/New York kosher-style deli. For the record, Jeff Eats “knows” about the baked goods–but never ate in any of the restaurants. Just so you know, Bruce’s was “famous” for its complimentry bread basket which had all kinds of rolls and pastries-that was served in the restaurant…now, not to get all nostalgic or nothing, but “think” Wolfie Cohen’s Rascal House in Sunny Isles Beach–Senior’s Restaurant in Brooklyn–Junior’s Restaurant in Brooklyn–Cooky’s Restaurant in Brooklyn and you’ll appreciate why Bruce’s had a huge New York following.
The big question: Is Zipes’ plan to make Bruce’s Of Great Neck “like” Bruce’s Bakery & Restaurant namely 1/2 bakery–1/2 deli…or is the plan to keep the “generic” bagel formula that Westside had?
Let’s wrap this one up…first, if you are confused by all of the Bruce’s here, me too!- second, you guys now know about Bruce’s Of Great Neck a new “?” in Boca Raton.
Jeff Eats has Bruce’s on his “try” list. I’ll keep you guys posted as to what’s what!
***** UPDATE: April 9, 2014…
This morning, Jeff Eats and Mrs. Jeff Eats finally got a chance to “get over” to Bruce’s for breakfast.
Real simple order… western omelet/home fries/toasted-everything bagel and an American cheese omelet/home fries/toasted onion bagel–all A-OK! When we sat down, the waitress delivered a complimentary plate of “baked goods” samples–which was a real nice touch. When leaving, we purchased a chocolate babka and I gotta tell you, the babka was off the chart–absolutely delicious. We also “took home” 1-lb. of chicken salad, 1-lb. of tuna salad -really good stuff. On prices/service–South Florida bagel store-norm. One strange thing, we also took home a mixed dozen-bagels and I gotta tell you these “13” weren’t as good as the bagels we had gotten back in December. Now nothing for nothing, they weren’t terrible or anything like that- but I can name right off the top of my head 11 Boca Raton-Delray Beach bagel joints that make better ones. Sorry, but I can’t explain why the “batches” were different. Hopefully, Bruce’s will figure this-puzzle out.
Trust Jeff Eats on this one, Bruce’s Of Great Neck is a real good (that’s assuming the bagel “puzzle” is figured out) bagel-deli!
You can check menu/prices at www.brucesofgreatneck.com
Bruce’s is open 7 days a week 7am-3pm.
jeff, no question about it bruce’s in use to make some great pastries in ny.
very familiar with the LI operation as my parents and i lived in great neck for many years,
Lived in Great Neck from 1966-2011. Very familiar with Bruce’s. Very good bakery. The deli part was also good but not as good as the bakery.
Hi Jeff, Here’s another closing of a place that you reviewed on long Island. The woodro in Hewlett is closing soon still open but not for long. Herb the owner has had it.
jeff, ate there and it still has westside’s menu. it is nothing like bruce’s in great neck. it’s just a plain old bagel store.
Not even close to what Bruce’s NY was. Decent bagels and breakfast but nothing even closely resembling the Bruce’s of old.
Jeff,
the bagels are solid.
the food is solid.
zips went with the generic 7am-3pm bagel concept.
nothing even close to the great LI Bruce’s but as far as a bagel joint goes, very good.
Thats so sad. I loved their pastries especially the 7 layer cake.
Another bagel store. Big Deal
I was there the 7 layer cake is a thing of the past.
JEFF
SORRY TO REPORT, JUST A RUN OF THE MILL BAGEL STORE.
FORGET COOKY’S, JUNIOR’S, SENIOR’S, RASCAL HOUSE NOT HAPPENING HERE.
Try it again.
It’s all remodeled and the menu revamped.
Food is best going in the area.
Bruce’s was great when he was in Roosevelt Field Flea Market.
I worked there 81-83 and there was nothing like it.
just went to a luncheon in bruces bakery and we were thriled he is in boca . the food was great and they do their baking on the premises. The cakes and cookies were excellent.
Jeff,
Know Bruce’s from wayback when on LI.
Had lunch there the other day and the table had basket of his samples of his baked goods. Just like he use to do on LI. Bruce’s does breakfast and lunch 7 days a week and the tuna salad on toasted et bagel was delicious as was my husband’s well done western with a toasted pump bagel. Bruce’s is a very nice addition to the 7am-3pm Boca arena.
I remember Bruce’s Dad’s bakery Harry’s Buttercrest before Bruce opened his own….cannot wait to try it!
We loved Harry’s Buttercrest. Had no idea that was Bruce’s father.Now that’s a name from the past!!
Absolutely LOVED Buttercrest in Baldwin. Grew up in RVC. Once I moved out of NY would always make a side stop at Buttercrest on my way to Huntington. The chiffon cake, the chocolate covered yellow layer cake….yummmmmmmm. Wish I could get a recipe for both, especially the layer cake. It was always the cake of choice for any of our birthdays! And holidays. Can anyone help???? Have a birthday coming up and would love to have my hubby make this for me:)
Tried lunch today. Chose from a very extensive menu list. Enjoyed matzo ball soup (that was almost as wonderful as the menu claimed), a chicken salad wrap and a turkey/turkey-bacon omelette. The food was good as was the service.
Con artists. Both him and his brother Jeff.. Declare bankruptcy and buy exotic cars..
hello, Is Shelly Zipes your sister ?…please tell her to e-mail Erma at bayeast14@aol.com ..thanks…..
Jeff
Bruce’s is tremendous.
His chocolate babka is habit forming.
Heads and shoulders above the same old-same old Bagel stores.
So glad this opened in Boca.
Jeff
The store is all redone. Looks great. All new signage.
Loads of bakery items.
Delicious bagels and breakfasts/lunches.
Definitely one of the best bagel/delis in s Florida.
I picked up some rug galah and other pastries and they were delicious.
That babka that someone else mentioned is amazing. I’ve been in Boca 20 years and haven’t even found one that came close to what Bruce’s makes.
Until Bruce’s showed up the only halfway decent bakeries were Flakowitz and The Boys Market. Bruce’s is better than both of them.
Jeff,
I am originally from Great Neck, NY and very familiar with Bruce’s from way back when.
Years ago Bruce’s in Great Neck was a terrific deli/bakery that did breakfast-lunch-dinner,
The other day I tried the Boca Bruce’s and its now a bakery/bagel joint open from 7am-3pm.
The baked goods are very good.
The breakfast food and lunch items are also good.
Definitely one of the better bagel joints in Boca and the surrounding area.
One complaint, the bagels are just fair. They are suppose to be hard on the outside and soft inside. The ones Bruce’s makes are like white bread. Soft. In addition they really aren’t all that tasty. Ive tried a number of them and the onion doesn’t have enough flavor, same for pumpernickel, and everything..
For the record in Boca, Bagel City South and Way Beyond Bagels are the best.
Ate breakfast there this morning.
Excellent western.
Everything bagel was just fair. Too soft on the outside.
Had a piece of Bruce’s chocolate bobka and its fabulous.
Bruce,
Make better bagels.
Will be back because of that bobka.
Ate lunch there today. Good chicken and tuna salads. I’ve had better bagels. Tried chocolate babka and ruggies and they were outstanding.
Know Bruce’s from Great Neck. His baked goods were tremendous and his food just so so. Was at Boca store and found his breakfast omelet ok and his cake and muffin samples delicious. Same pattern in Boca as NY.
Your standard Florida bagel joint.
love the food.
the comp treats were delicious.
know bruce’s from years living in great neck. ate there yesterday and enjoyed tuna salad and ff.
based on bobka reviews here,I made special trip to buy one.plunked down 9.95 and took it home.Big disappointment.maybe they were short of chocolate in their kitchen that day ? Some chocolate melted on about 30 % of top of bobka and not much inside.Listen,maybe all of you transplated northeaterners have been so bobka deprived since getting down here that you can no longer differentiate between a good bobka and a run of the mill Florida version? Supermarkets put more chocolate in their versions.Include me out.
Let me start of by saying I worked here for 3 months. It was a decent job not too hard.
But, I think its only right to give a horrible review as they treated me horribly and since they treated me horribly. I guess I will spill the beans on all their little dirty secrets.
THIS PLACE IS DISGUSTING!!! Cockroaches EVERYWHERE!! After working there for 2 weeks I felt disturbed and disgusted. My family wanted to come in, eat and check out the place I worked. I informed them that this place is disgusting and please don’t come. When I told my manager that she needs to do something about the bug problem. She said I was obnoxious. lol. I told her ok when customers start seeing bugs this place will be shut down and everybody loses their job. Her response was “Oh well”.
The sanitary level of this place is beyond horrible. The restaurant closes at 3pm. When everybody leaves they leave all the dirty dishes stacked to the ceiling at the dishwasher and wait til the next day to clean them. After working here for a little over a month the bug problem was even worse. They started showing up in the dining room. That’s when my manager finally decided it was time to take action. Normally you have to shut down a business for at least 24 hours to take care of bug problems. This place was a joke and unprofessional about it. They set off all the bug sprays and chemicals at night and reopened in the morning at 7am. The entire restaurant still smelled like bug spray in the morning. I was shocked that none of the customers complained. Oh by the way there is still cockroaches everywhere because they only sprayed in the dining room, they didn’t touch the kitchen where they all originally started.
Next, let me tell you that the prices are a JOKE!!! lol. $5 for a bagel with lox spread. Heres a hint. Buy the bagel for $1.05 and then buy the lox spread separately for $1.60 and put it on yourself. wahla you only spent $2.70 instead of $5.50 for them to put it on for you. The cans of coke are $2-3 a piece. You can go to the gas station around the corner for $0.70…
Here’s the funny part that I’m surprised none of the customers caught on maybe except a few. When the customers ask Bruce if the bakery goods were baked on premises he informs them that all bakery is baked on premises. Thats a LIE.
Bruce has me and other employees go out and buy cookies and all types of bakery from Publix down the street and then he tries to resell them at 3x even 4x the cost. I feel so sorry for the old people that come in and have no idea and spend $14.95 a pound for bakery goods. Heres an example. He buys chips ahoy for $3 a package and then resells the same cookies at $14.95 a pound. I took “1” chips ahoy cookie and weighed it on the scale. It came out to $1.65 for just 1 chips ahoy cookie. I started laughing and its not just the bakery that he scams his customers with. Its about 70% of the restaurant food.
Nothing is fresh in this restaurant. You will be really really really really lucky to eat something that was freshly made. I can’t even tell you how many customers came in and complained that the food they bought was stale, old, moldy, hard and all I could do is sit there and say I’m sorry.
Customer service – is by far the worse I experienced in all of my work history. I won’t go too detailed with information. But, I will mention that we all know you can’t walk into a restaurant 15 minutes before they close and expect great service. But, Bruces is very rude. They might as well say they close at 2:30pm instead of 3:00pm because they won’t serve anybody after 2:30 and if they do serve people after 2:30 all the ovens are shut off so your soup or anything you want is under cooked or cold.
You don’t have to take my word for it. I was just an employee what do I know?? Why don’t you go in and experience what I was talking about yourself.
Oh and good luck Bruce – you scumbag.
ITS FUNNY YOU CALLED BRUCE THAT MY GIRLFRIEND AND I WORKED FOR HIM IN ROOSEVELT FIELD AND WHEN I TOLD HER HE WAS DOWN HERE NOW SHE ALSO CALLED HIM THAT LOL
I thought something was fishy about this place.If only the gefilte could talk !
Cranky…. FYI BRUCES has been consistent in quality/service/ and most of all cleanliness each and every time I’ve been there…this establishment is deffinetely an Asset to everyone in Boca … They r lucky to have a BRUCES to dine in … U r just ANOTHER DISGRUNTLED EMPLOYEE WHO COULDNT EVEN KEEP A JOB IN A BAKERY …. Your animus remarks and your name CRANKY… say a lot about who u really r when u look in the mirror… Keep getting ur unemployment money and choking the people who really need it….GET A JOB A.HOLE… Ur name really suits you ….
Best breakfast and lunch place in Boca. Know Bruce’s from the Island and his Boca store is just as good.
$14.00 turkey sandwich was so dry that the meat crumbled. The cookies were to stale to eat. I guess they gave me the old meat and cookies since I told them I was going on a train back home. I will not EVER go back when visiting my sister in Boca.
The owner yelled at me when I called to tell him about my food.
My husband and I have eaten breakfast there 3 times and it is definitely one of the best bagel places in Boca.
One of the best bagel joints.
1) Gross Bagels – not even in the same class as PBB
2) They should clean the glass on the doors
3) Nasty help at the counter.
4) Thin woman/short hair – should put the cell phone down
5) the pastries really are very pretty BUT don’t taste good. They’re impressive to look at – however not much in the taste department
6) There are many bagel/deli places in the area. No I won’t be back.
I worked for Bruce in Roosevelt Field, and for a short time in Great Neck. Cranky could not be futher from the truth. Bruce is not rude, he cares about every item he produces, and he cares about his customers even more.
Looking at the photo at the top, it is clear to see that the cookies in the showcase are not from Publix. I was a bakery manager there for 13 years. The cookies look the same as when head baker Jimmy M. made them in the Field.
Gross bagels – essentially a roll with a hole.
Bagels are terrible.
Jeff they obviously haven’t figured out the puzzle.
Me and a buddy ate breakfast there this morning. Western was dry as could be. Scrambled eggs arrived freezing cold. Everything and plain bagel were just puffed up white bread. Coffee was decent. Service very pleasant. Won’t be back. Nothing worth running here for.
Had breakfast there.
Everything Bagel with cream cheese was garbage. Tasted like a piece of white bread. My deli omelette was very dry and was barely warm. I won’t be back.
Ive been a Bruce’s fan since it’s Great Neck Days.
You can’t beat this guy’s stuff.
Their bagels are just passable.
Their bakery items are terrific.
Curious how this place can still be open considering how crappy it is.
Some places might have bad bagels, sweet goods, service, etc. On all accounts Bruce’s is pretty awful.
Considering so many place to eat there’s not much a reason to stop here.
I have lived in Great Neck, New York now for 55 years. had gone to Bruce’s in Great Neck, New York for a long time. heard about Bruce’s coming to Boca Raton and said wait till Bruce Zipes wrecks the town. In two words Bruce’s SUCKS
Bruce’s has terrific bakery items.
They make a chocolate babka that is amazingly delicious.
All you people with negative things to say, must be competitors, because Bruce’s from Great Neck to Boca has the highest quality food, and absolutely by far the best tasting food, an attentive nice staff and great atmosphere! I wouldn’t eat anywhere else 5 STARS! Simply The Best!!!!!!!
Bruce’s is one of the best bagel joints in s Florida. Delicious breakfast and lunch food and baked goods that can’t be beat.
I love Bruce’s.
Terrific bakery counter.
Love their tuna.
Bruce raised his breakfast special price from $3.99 to $4.49 because it’s snowbird time. I saw a cockroach last time I was there. STAY AWAY FROM BRUCE’S !