Was grabbing breakfast around 116th this morning and the bodega on Lex put a microwaved egg puck on a barely toasted roll and still charged me $6.50. I know the neighborhood is changing but that’s a sin. Where are people still getting a BEC or SEC that’s actually cooked on the flat top, with the roll buttered and pressed? I’m willing to walk a few blocks, not looking for fancy. Under $6 would be ideal, under $7 realistic. Drop your spots, especially uptown.

Yeah the microwave puck has spread everywhere. I’m in Gowanus but I’m uptown for work sometimes. One spot on 1st Ave around 94th-ish, yellow awning next to the laundromat, still cracks two eggs on a flattop and does the bacon right there. Last time I went it was $5.75 and the roll was decent. Not saying it’s life changing but it’s a real sandwich.

New to this whole BEC thing but I just moved to Woodside and I think I’ve been getting the microwave puck without knowing. I didn’t realize bodegas are supposed to use the flattop? I thought only a deli with a grill did that. Also what is SEC? I’m guessing sausage egg cheese but I don’t want to embarrass myself again. Thanks for this thread, I’m taking notes.

SEC is sausage egg cheese, yes. Lower East side you can still find a few good ones but under $6 is hit or miss. The spot on Clinton near Delancey does two eggs, a real sausage patty, proper kaiser, $6.25 last week. They wrap it tight in foil so the cheese steams. Ask for the eggs fried hard and the roll scooped, helps it not turn into a gummy mess. If a spot microwaves they usually wrap it fast to hide the texture.

I've been keeping a loose mental list of places that still do a proper flat-top BEC. The real test is whether you can hear the egg hit the flattop and see them press the roll. A few still worth the walk:

• East Harlem: the spot on 106th/Park with the faded coffee sign does two eggs, buttered roll, three strips, $5.75 last month. Ask for the roll pressed with the bacon fat.
• Yorkville: the bodega next to the ticket shop around 89th/1st will do a SEC on a kaiser for $6.50, but they're consistent.
• Washington Heights: a couple Dominican-run counters do a fried egg, salami, and cheese on a hero roll for under $6; not a classic BEC but arguably better.

The price thing is real, but the bigger issue is the steam-table/pre-cooked egg. If the egg comes off a stack of pre-made rounds, it doesn't matter if the sign says $4. As for the roll, a proper BEC roll should have a little resistance outside but steam inside from the foil.

Off topic: for anyone new here juggling a weekend brunch shift, the earlier thread 'Do I list my weekend brunch shift on a resume for a real office job?' at Do I list my weekend brunch shift on a resume for a real office job? might be useful. Back to sandwiches.

Ray that list is solid. The 106th/Park spot with the faded coffee sign is exactly the kind of place I was hoping for. I asked for my roll scooped today and the guy looked at me funny but did it. Better. lost_in_queens, yes SEC is sausage egg cheese, no shame. The round form on a flattop still counts in my book, as long as the egg actually hits a hot surface.

Out in Woodhaven we’re hanging on. The Dominican spot on Jamaica Ave near the train does a fried egg, salami, and cheese on pan de agua for $5.50 and it’s pressed on the flattop until the edges get crisp. Not a traditional BEC but it hits. I don’t trust any place with pre-wrapped sandwiches in a hot case, that’s the real enemy.

In Cobble Hill the price is usually $7+ and quality still varies. There’s a place on Court St with a tiny griddle that gets the roll really crisp. I go before 8am when the grill is hot and you can hear the sizzle. If you don’t hear the sizzle, leave. That’s my rule. Cheaper spots are using pre-cooked egg rounds and they taste like damp sponge.

Thanks everyone. I went to a spot near 74th/Roosevelt and asked if they could do fried eggs not microwave. The guy said yeah and I watched him crack an egg into a little metal round on the flattop, so I think that counts. Roll was slightly sweet and soft, which I didn’t expect but honestly liked. $5.50. Is the sweet roll a Queens thing or did I accidentally get a brioche roll?

That counts. The metal ring is just a mold, it’s still a flattop. Sweet roll usually means a Portuguese roll or a brioche-y one, some Queens spots use them because they’re cheap and hold up well. I don’t hate it. If you’re by Roosevelt, the halal carts also do an egg sandwich with long hot peppers for a few bucks. Different beast but worth trying when you’re broke.

If you want to stay under $6, find the old-school two eggs and three strips specials and stick with them. Avoid heat lamps. Ray’s list is a good start. I’m still mourning a place on Ave B that did $4.50 pre-pandemic. Gone now. We should really make a shared map of real flat-top spots before they all switch to microwaves.