Bagel Caboose has served breakfast from an old railroad caboose on State Road in Kittery since 1995. It's the last car of the train, the one the crew rode in, and now it's where the coffee gets poured.
You can't miss it from the road. That's sort of the point.
The bagels are baked fresh each day. The cream cheese spreads are mixed in house in small batches, from scallion to maple walnut to pumpkin when the leaves turn.
The sandwiches go by name: The North Ender, The Iron Horse, The Big Iron and Eggs Benewich.
Weekday mornings bring the regulars, the contractors and the commuters headed over the bridges to Portsmouth. Weekends bring families, beach traffic and anyone who saw a red caboose and had to stop.
Kids watch the train. Grown-ups watch the line move. Everyone leaves with a bag.
Counter, kitchen and bake shifts start before the sun and wrap up after the 1 PM close. If you like a fast line and a quiet afternoon, say hello and the shop will call you back.
