It seems the philosophy at Olde World Bagels and Deli is that whatever can be placed between two pieces of bread will certainly work in sliced bagels.

Since the late 1990s, the New York-style bagels made fresh daily have drawn a crowd. It’s not unusual for lines to form before the doors open in the morning, during the noon hour  and, well, most of the time there’s a queue.

Bagel-spotlighted breakfast and lunch are served all day. Breakfast options include egg sandwiches and, of course, bagels with lox are available.

We focused on the lunch menu; there were simply more choices. However, the most important decision to make was which flavor bagel to select from among the 20 options. Yes, 20!

Besides the obligatory plain, everything, sesame and blueberry, the possibilities include several creative combinations like French toast, spinach Parmesan and cranberry orange, among many others.

Although the sandwich descriptions name a specific bagel, there was no problem requesting an alternative. There’s only an upcharge of 40 cents if choosing one of the two specialty bagels (Swiss or cheddar cheese).

We picked a veggie sandwich ($9.95), Viva la France ($10.95), Reuben ($10.95) and Long Island pastrami ($10.95). An onion bagel with cream cheese ($3.49) was ordered on a separate, return visit.

All were bursting with their components, each sandwich a reflection of its name. Viva la France had turkey, ham and Swiss on a plain bagel slathered with honey-Dijon. The sweet-mostly-tangy mustard was the flavor that tied everything together. A different cheese might have made it more French-like, but that’s only a suggestion, not a complaint.

Thankfully, the sandwiches were cut in half since they require two hands to hold. Even then, it was difficult to keep everything contained. The sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, green peppers and an over-abundance of sprouts kept slipping out of the veggie sandwich. The top half of the bagel had sunflower seeds embedded in mashed avocado and the bottom half was smeared with cream cheese. The recommended bagel was multi-grain, but I opted for jalapeno cheddar; it was difficult to identify any peppers, which was disappointing.

The Reuben and Long Island pastrami both featured the same deli meat and Swiss cheese, but it’s sauerkraut that distinguishes the former from the latter. Each was abundantly bursting with ingredients and both were equally tasty. Pumpernickel was suggested for the Reuben, but those were sold out, so we opted for Swiss; it was a nice substitute, even with the upcharge.

We really threw things off by switching the rye bagel on the Long Island pastrami for garlic. This, like the onion bagel, had a depth of flavor that wasn’t overwhelmed by the sandwich elements. Toasted specks of minced garlic covered the outside of the topside. This is a must-have for garlic lovers!

Crunchy bits of savory toasted onion on that bagel variety added all the zest needed for the slathering of cream cheese encased between the two halves.

Orders are placed at the counter and food is brought to the tables if dining in. Soup and salads are also available as accompaniments or bagel alternatives.

Olde World Bagels &Deli

Bagel sandwiches for breakfast and lunch

Location: 1670 E. Cheyenne Mountain Blvd.

Contact: 1-719-527-9651; oldeworldbagel.com 

Prices: $3.49 to $11.49

Hours: 6 a.m. to 4p.m. daily

Details: Credit cards accepted. Outdoor seating. Wi-Fi.

Favorite dishes: Veggie and Viva la France bagel sandwiches.

Other: Gluten-free and limited vegan options available; orders can be placed online.