The McDonald's Breakfast Bagel Conspiracy

I spent several months in Cleveland, Ohio back in 1999. Now, in general, I really didn't like the city (except for Lake Erie, cardinals, fireflies, the Cleveland Library System, and the city parks). But I really learned to love bagels there. There were several bagel sandwich places, and I still crave a Leonardo da Veggie sandwich on a fresh salt bagel. Delicioso, trust me.

So anyway, while I was there, McDonald's introduced these nifty new Breakfast Bagels - I was hooked. I had previously hated McDonald's breakfasts, and always frequented Burger King for their croissants (if I was eating fast food breakfasts). Well, when I came back to the Pacific Northwest, nobody seemed to have a clue what a Breakfast Bagel was (and good bagels are still impossible to find over here, let along a good salt bagel sandwich).

Not too much later, however, and this part of the country caught on at last. Once again I was happily eating McDonald's Spanish Omelet Bagels.

A year or so ago, however, the local store decided that the Spanish Omelet Bagel wasn't selling well enough, and pulled it from their menu. I was devastated and complained loudly. I could still drive 40 miles to a neighboring town, and they had Spanish Omelet Bagels, so why didn't my local neighborhood McDonald's!?

Because they were idiots, I decided.

Well, one of the girls convinced me to try the Steak Bagel - I reluctantly did so, and was surprised to find I liked it. It was no Spanish Omelet Bagel, let me tell you, but it was still good. So I've grown accustomed to the Steak Bagels, and had accepted that this was The Way Life Is and I shouldn't fight it.

Today, because a thunderstorm was threatening my home computer, I took my laptop to McDonald's about 8:30 a.m., expecting to have a reasonably yummy Steak Bagel.

But it was not to be.

My local McDonald's has now discontinued the Steak Bagel.

*sigh*

I'm sure I can still get it 40 miles from here, or at any other McDonald's in the entire civilized world. But the 24-hour McDonald's that's only a mile from my house? Not a chance. Both the Spanish and Steak bagels are still listed on the McDonald's web site, so it's only my local McDonald's that seems to think they're not worth selling.

Lamers.

So now I'm down to the relatively dry and unenjoyable Bacon Breakfast Bagel - which, oddly enough, is not listed on the McDonald's web site. Go figure.

Next thing you know I'll be back at Burger King eating croissants.

Either that or I'm moving back to Cleveland.