The Kosher Burger Joint: A Kosher In-N-Out Burger

Order at the kiosk, receive a text, grab your burger and dig in. That’s how simple The Kosher Burger Joint in Pico-Robertson is. At its grand opening on June 1, free burgers were given to the first 100 customers. 

Primarily targeting 18 to 20-year-olds, Israeli couple Uzi and Gal Waizman hope the restaurant becomes the hot spot for affordable yet high-quality kosher fast food. With high-tech self-order kiosks at the entrance, indoor and outdoor high-top table seating and Israeli and American music playing day in and day out, The Kosher Burger Joint welcomes all. 

“[We wanted] to bring something new to the community, something that’s more trendy, more fun, more poppin’” Gal said. “It’s something [you] can afford, but it’s also something [you] can enjoy.”

Like In-N-Out Burger, The Kosher Burger Joint values speed, quality and affordability. “In-N-Out is a huge trend in the non-kosher world, especially in LA,” Gal said. “It’s very convenient, it’s very cheap and it gives you that fast-food craving that you want [in the moment] … That’s kind of what we’re going for.”

Uzi added, “If the non-kosher food industry can do something very cheap and [succeed], maybe we can do it for the kosher community.”

“If the non-kosher food industry can do something very cheap and [succeed], maybe we can do it for the kosher community.” – Uzi Waizman

The menu is just as straightforward as the name of the restaurant and how it operates. Simplicity and ease are what the owners want to promote. From the smash and super smash burgers, made from 100% grass-fed beef, to the chicken sandwiches, sloppy joes and hand-cut fries, The Kosher Burger Joint satisfies every craving — but won’t put you over the edge. 

“The burgers are lighter,” Gal said. “The point is that you can come in between work, grab a burger and fries and you’re still good to go. You’re not exploding and wanting to go to sleep after.”

The smash burgers can be ordered with a single patty and slice of non-dairy cheese for $9, a double patty and two slices of non-dairy cheese for $11 or a triple patty and three slices of non-dairy cheese for $13. The house-made cheese ingredients include coconut milk, tapioca flour, a mix of vegetables and more. 

To take your burger to the next level, opt for a super smash burger, such as the Wild Wild West, Chicky Licky, Mamma’s Boy, Honey Bunny, Mr. President or Grilled Cheeze. The Wild Wild West, one of the most popular burgers, consists of a double smashed beef patty, Cajun onion rings, lettuce, tomato, grilled onions, pink sauce and ranch dressing. Or, you can get fried chicken with buffalo sauce, coleslaw and pickles, also known as the Chicky Licky. The Mamma’s Boy consists of a smashed beef patty topped with sloppy joe, fried egg, pink sauce, lettuce, tomato and grilled onions. 

“When you take a bite out of [the Mamma’s Boy], it reminds you of mom’s homemade cooking,” Gal said. “It’s very comforting and soft. We’ve already had [multiple] people take a bite and say, ‘OK, now I know why it’s called Mamma’s Boy.’” 

If you want to order the owner’s choice, get the Mr. President, which is just sloppy joe with BBQ sauce, mayonnaise and smoked onions. “It’s always very soft and juicy,” Uzi said. “You can never go wrong [with a sloppy joe].” 

And listen to Uzi when he said, “You don’t want to take the cheese off.” The owner knows best. 

“We [make the burgers] with the cheese because this is the whole idea of a smash burger,” he said. “[It’s] when you smash the meat [strongly] on a very, very hot flat top and then [add] the cheese. [This] melts all the fat in the patty and makes the beef crunchy.” 

Dine-in at The Kosher Burger Joint for an American Israeli fast-food experience, order at the kiosk to-go or head to the website for online ordering and delivery. 

“We’re trying to build our own ecosystem without Postmates, DoorDash, Grubhub,” Uzi said. “[We want] everything to be [managed] through our website. We want to do a lot of promotions … raffles, free burgers, [merchandise],” he added. 

*All of the meat served at The Kosher Burger Joint is Shechita Lubavitch and Beit Yosef.