Please read this before ordering with a food allergy. Perry's Bagel Cafe is a single open kitchen that bakes with wheat flour all day. We cannot guarantee that any item is free of any allergen. If you have a severe allergy, call us at (201) 261-5775 and talk to us before you order.
This page explains what we handle, what we can reasonably do, and what we cannot promise. We would rather turn an order down than let someone get hurt.
Why we cannot promise allergen-free
Bagels are boiled and baked on premises. That means wheat flour is in the air, on the counters, and on every surface in the shop, all day, every day.
Beyond flour, we work the way a small deli works. The same griddle cooks eggs, bacon, sausage, pork roll, and steak. The same slicer runs different meats and cheeses. The same toaster takes every kind of bagel. Spreads sit together in one case and share a work area.
We can change gloves, wipe a surface, and use a clean utensil on request, and we will. What we cannot do is create an allergen-free environment inside a working bakery. Anyone who tells you otherwise about a shop like ours is guessing.
Allergens present in our kitchen
The nine allergens the FDA requires to be declared are covered below. Assume every one of these is present somewhere in the shop and may come into contact with any order.
| Allergen | Where it shows up |
|---|---|
| Wheat and gluten | Present in every bagel, roll, wrap, and bread we bake and handle. Airborne flour is present throughout the shop. |
| Milk and dairy | Cream cheese, butter, cheese, and milk-based drinks are used constantly on the same surfaces and utensils. |
| Eggs | Cooked to order on the same griddle used for meats, and present in egg salad and egg bagels. |
| Fish | Nova lox, whitefish salad, lox spread, and tuna are prepared and sliced in the same deli area. |
| Tree nuts | Raisin walnut cream cheese contains walnuts and is scooped in the same spread case. |
| Peanuts | Peanut butter is served as a bagel spread. |
| Soy | Common in breads, oils, sauces, dressings, and processed deli meats. |
| Sesame | Sesame bagels and everything bagels are baked, sliced, and bagged alongside all other bagels. |
| Shellfish | Not a regular ingredient, but we cannot rule out shared supplier handling. |
About the gluten-free option
We offer gluten-free bread as a substitution on sandwiches for an extra charge. It is there for people avoiding gluten by preference or for mild sensitivity.
It is not safe for celiac disease or a wheat allergy. The bread is prepared in the same room, on the same equipment, in air that carries wheat flour. Ordering it does not make the sandwich gluten-free, and we will not tell you it does.
How to tell us about an allergy
Every item in the online order flow has a special instructions box. Put the allergy there in plain words, for example “severe peanut allergy, please change gloves.”
For anything severe, do not rely on the notes field alone. Call us at (201) 261-5775. A note can be missed on a busy morning. A conversation with the person making your sandwich cannot.
If we do not think we can fill your order safely, we will say so and refund you rather than guess.
Ingredient questions
Our deli meats and cheeses are Boar’s Head, and their published ingredient and allergen information applies to those products as supplied to us.
For anything we make in house, including our salads and spreads, call and ask. Recipes and suppliers can change, so we would rather give you a current answer over the phone than publish a list here that quietly goes stale.
The bottom line
Information on this site is provided in good faith and to the best of our knowledge, and it may change without notice. Customers with food allergies accept the risk of cross-contact inherent to a shared kitchen.
This page is not medical advice. If you are unsure, talk to your doctor, and talk to us before ordering.
Questions about this page?
Talk to a person. The fastest answer is always the counter.