If your morning commute includes passing through Tuxedo and Sloatsburg, you’ve likely stopped at Jessie’s Bagels, where many have begun their day since 1993. The breakfast biz—owned by Jessie Grippo and her father, Tony—was originally housed in a small red shack-like structure until 2012, when it moved to a larger space next door, allowing the team to expand their menu to include lunch items such as burgers, paninis, salads, and wraps.
But Grippo had her eye on something even bigger—a spot where they could continue to churn out the steam-baked bagels and colossal burgers they’d become known for during the day, before switching over to a casual dinner spot where patrons could grab a drink at the bar, play pool, or listen to live music. She even had the perfect place picked out: an auto body shop right next door, where the owner was looking to retire. “We wanted to upgrade and have more than three tables but also keep the same homey feel,” says Grippo, who, along with her wife Mikenna, began imagining what their new space could become.
They called their new venture The Last Stop at Jessie’s, a play on their response when longtime customers jokingly ask them where they’re moving to next (“This really is the last stop,” says Grippo. “We aren’t relocating again.”) as well as a reflection of their well-earned status in the community. “For years we’ve been our customers’ first stop of the day, and now we can be their last stop, too.”
The couple modernized the garage’s exterior by painting it white and black and then set up their bagel shop on one side of the building while they renovated their new restaurant on the other. Reclaimed barn doors separate the bagels from the bar, and an outdoor patio with a cauldron-style fire pit adds more seating.
A trip to Montana influenced both the decor and the menu, as did their love of music. The popular Paradise City double smash burger with pepperjack and avocado is an homage to Guns ‘N Roses, and The Montana Open Sky grilled cheese combines spice-crusted beef, huckleberry jam, gouda, caramelized onions, and ginger-beer drizzle.
Before taking up residence in its current building, Jessie’s was a humble bagel shop.
They also built the rustic-chic spruce bar by hand using a Japanese woodworking technique called Shou Sugi Ban, a process which involves charring the surface of the wood to seal it. Colorful tables and chairs beckon diners to grab a seat and treat themselves to ultimate comfort cuisine such as a gigantic pretzel chain served with beer cheese; loaded tots with candied bacon, onion aioli, and crispy scallions; pulled beef sliders served on jalapeno cornbread; or French onion soup topped with a Havarti crisp croissant. (Ask about the Locals’ Only Burger, a secret menu item.) Since bagels are their roots, it’s no surprise that their brioche and English muffins are made in-house.
On select weekends, local bands and line dancing are a draw. “Our customers have been telling us that we need more bars here, because it’s nice to have that cozy spot you can go to,” says Grippo. “We want to be that for people.”
The Last Stop at Jessie’s
207 Orange Tpk, Sloatsburg
Website
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