Upstate New York Can’t Make A Decent Bacon Egg And Cheese

Let’s be brutally honest: Upstate New York cannot make a decent Bacon, Egg, and Cheese.

It’s just a fact. While Hudson Valley delis are serving up a crispy, chewy masterpiece, upstate’s BEC is emptier than the Kodak building. It’s like they lost the blueprint for breakfast somewhere on the Thruway.

In the Hudson Valley, we call it the Hard Roll, and it’s more than just a Kaiser roll you might find anywhere else. It has that perfect balance of a crispy, chewy exterior and soft, pillowy interior. It’s like the bread went to boot camp—firm on the outside but a big ol' softie on the inside.

Upstate’s so-called “hard roll” is more of a mushy mess, like it’s been left out in the rain.

I LEARNED IT FROM WATCHING YOU TIM HORTONS

Don't get me started on the superiority of Dunks and Stewarts to Tim Hortons. 

Meanwhile, Hudson Valley rolls have that perfect, crackly exterior and soft, doughy heart that could make a grown New Yorker cry. Upstate’s version? It’s like biting into a wet napkin.

The slight sheen, courtesy of the egg wash, and the crackly finish make it more than just a vehicle for breakfast—it’s an integral part of the sandwich.

It’s a struggle to find a proper hard roll outside the tri-state area, especially Upstate, where they’re more likely to hand you something that’s a dinner roll in disguise.

And let’s not even get started on the cheese. A proper BEC demands yellow American—no substitutes, no upgrades, no room for cheddar or Swiss nonsense.

Upstate delis love to play chef with fancy cheese, but the Hudson Valley keeps it classic, melty, and magical with Land O'Lakes.

Now, the wrapping. Down here, we lovingly cocoon our BECs in parchment or foil.

Up there, you’re lucky if it’s not sloppily stuffed into a plastic wrapper, as if it’s fresh off a convenience store shelf. Nothing screams “I give up” like a BEC in plastic wrap.

The verdict is in: Hudson Valley is the undisputed BEC champ.

Upstate? They’re better off flipping flapjacks and sticking to maple syrup.

Leave the real breakfast game to us, because we’ve got it on lock

The roll, the cheese, even the wrapping—it’s not just a sandwich, it’s a ritual. So, unless you’re in the Hudson Valley, you’re just eating a wannabe.

This isn’t just breakfast—it’s culture. The Hudson Valley owns the BEC, and the rest of the country can only dream of getting it right.

Try as they might, there’s no recreating this icon in Upstate New York.

Bow down to the breakfast kings because this is how it’s done!

I Do like your Rochester Garbage Plates Though.

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