The Upper East Side has a new kosher burger spot, and it comes with serious culinary credentials behind it. Shmash opened on Lexington Avenue in late February, bringing smash burgers to a neighborhood that has been quietly rebuilding its kosher dining scene. The concept is simple on the surface, but the execution runs considerably deeper than your average burger joint.
Fine Dining Technique Meets the Smash Burger
Executive Chef Guy Kairi spent two decades working in fine dining before deciding he just wanted to make a great burger. The result is Shmash, a kosher meat restaurant built around the smash burger format but with the kind of kitchen discipline you don’t usually find at a counter-service spot. The beef is dry-aged on-site, the custom blend is ground fresh daily in-house, and the milkshakes are spun from house-made dairy-free ice cream. This is not a smash burger operation cutting corners.
What’s on the Menu
The burger lineup starts with the straightforward Shmash, a single smash patty with vegan cheddar and the house special shmear, and works up to the Black Label Shmash, a double patty loaded with lamb bacon, caramelized onions, and tomato. The West Coast brings double patties, lamb bacon, avocado, and jalapeño mayo. There’s also a dry-aged grilled burger for anyone who prefers a classic preparation over the smash style.
Schnitzel gets equal billing on the menu. The Ribeye Schnitzel, a thin-cut breaded ribeye with Korean spicy shmear, is the standout, available both as a sandwich and as a full plate with hand-cut fries. Loaded fries with lamb bacon, caramelized onions, vegan cheddar, and mixed mushrooms round out the menu as a shareable side worth ordering.
Delivery and Pickup Only
Shmash operates as a delivery and pickup ghost kitchen concept, so there’s no sit-down dining. Orders go through their online ordering system.
A Familiar Address Gets a New Life
Shmash operates as a ghost kitchen out of the Rothschild TLV kitchen on Lexington Avenue. Rothschild TLV is still very much open, and Shmash runs alongside it as a delivery and pickup-only concept. If you’re in the neighborhood, there’s no walk-in counter for Shmash, but the burgers and schnitzel are coming out of the same well-run OU-certified kitchen. Orders go through their online ordering system or by phone.
Shmash is located at 1129 Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10075. Hours are Sunday through Thursday, 12 PM to 10 PM. Closed Friday and Saturday. Kosher certification is under the OU. Delivery and pickup only.
Order online at shmashnyc.com or by phone at 917-335-4464.
Looking for kosher restaurants near you? Download the KosherNearMe app at YeahThatsKosher.com/app.
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