County Farm Bagels opens in downtown Wheaton

WHEATON – Those who have a taste for homemade bagels and cream cheese can fill that craving at a new cafe in downtown Wheaton.

County Farm Bagels opened Nov. 1 at 118 N. Main St. in the space formerly occupied by PampleMousse Bakery. This is the restaurant's second location, having been located near Geneva and County Farm roads in Winfield for some 30 years.

The family-owned business takes pride in the quality of its products.

"We make our bagels from scratch," manager Jazmin Munguia said. "The cream cheeses are homemade. Pretty much everything that you see in the store is homemade. I think that makes us special. People like that. We don't use any preservatives in our bagels. Pretty much everything is organic."

Her dad, Fidel Munguia, who owns County Farm Bagels, has been making the bagels over the past 30 years, and her brother, Jacob Munguia, who is a co-owner of both stores, makes the restaurant's cream cheeses, muffins and bagel chips. Fidel Munguia took over the business 10 years ago.

Those visiting the cafe are bound to find a bagel that suits their taste. County Farm Bagels sells 21 varieties of bagels, including cinnamon crunch, French toast and jalapeno bagels.

The cafe also sells seasonal bagels and cream cheese. For example, right now the cafe is selling a white chocolate seasonal bagel with kahlua almond cream cheese.

In celebration of the fall harvest, County Farm Bagels was selling pumpkin bagels and pumpkin cream cheese. Along with bagels and cream cheese, the restaurant also sells bagel sandwiches.

One of the restaurant's most popular sandwiches is the traditional lox sandwich, which is a bagel with plain or scallion cream cheese topped with lox meat, red onion, capers and tomatoes. Customers also have the choice of having their sandwich on bread rather than on a bagel, Jazmin Munguia said.

The County Farm Bagel Boat is a sandwich stuffed with turkey, salami, ham, provolone and American cheese topped with vegetables and mayonnaise or Italian dressing.

"It's a big sandwich," she said.

County Farm Bagels isn't just about bagels, however. The cafe also sells salads and wraps, and while at the restaurant, customers can pick up deli items like tuna, chicken salad, egg salad and Fidel's Mexican salsa.

The business has been seeing a steady stream of customers.

"They love that we are part of the Wheaton community," Jazmin Munguia said.

That includes longtime customer Raza Jafri, who grew up eating the bagels at the cafe's Winfield location.

"They're fresh," he said. "They are fat and fluffy."

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If you go

What: County Farm Bagels

Where: 118 N. Main St., Wheaton

Hours: 6 a.m. to 3:30 p.m Mondays through Fridays and 6 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays

Info: countyfarmbagels.com, 331-716-7187