New Long Island burger spots: Crave in Woodmere, Smash House in Cedarhurst
The double smash burger is one of the more popular items at Crave in Woodmere. Credit: Newsday/Andi Berlin
A kosher burger spot — on every corner — that seems like a possibility these days in the Five Towns area of Nassau County, where two new smash burger joints opened.
The streets in Cedarhurst and Woodmere usually get sleepy past 10 p.m., but it was tough to find a spot at both Smash House and Crave during recent latenight visits. Both specialize in kosher cheeseburgers, a phenomenon that relies on vegan cheese substitutes.
Kosher cheeseburgers "didn't necessarily taste good before," Smash House co-owner David Mosberg said, but the newest vegan cheese can pass for the real thing.
Judging by the robust crowds at both establishments, younger members of the Five Towns community seem to be digging it.
Smash House
This Miami Beach export is dripping in '80s neon graffiti art. Together with the warehouse-style counter area and the loudspeaker ordering system, a trip to Smash House feels like eating at the snack bar at a roller rink ... but with better chicken strips.
A classic smash burger at The Smash House in Cedarhurst comes with vegan cheese. Credit: Newsday/Andi Berlin
Owned by Cendarhurst residents David Mosberg and Benjamin Haimoff, Smash House opened in August in the former home of Wok Tov, a kosher Chinese takeout spot. The menu riffs on the smash burger and chicken sandwich, along with decadences such as a "burger salad" and dirty fries topped with brisket. The smash burgers have that characteristic crunch on the edges, but the chicken Schmitzel Sando ($18) is the current favorite. Sometimes the chicken in these sandwiches tends to be overdone, but this pounded chicken culet is perfectly fried with juiciness and crunch on the edges. It is so satisfying, you don't have to keep kosher to like it.
594 Central Ave., Cedarhurst, 516-817-6274, smashhouseburgers.com. Open noon to midnight Sundays through Thursdays, closed Fridays, an hour and a half after sundown until midnight Saturdays.
Crave
Jerusalem-style smash burgers? People who have made the trip to Israel may have remember Crave, a popular burger vendor inside the Mahaneh Yehudah Market in Jerusalem. Five Towns restaurant owners Eric and Chaya Fiedler were craving that experience again, so they opened a location on Long Island. In Jerusalem,
The Israeli burger chain Crave opened its first location outside of Israel in Woodmere. Credit: Newsday/Andi Berlin
Crave is known for its American-style menu with items like animal fries (topped with cheese inspired by the In-N-Out "secret" menu). But here, the selection feels standard: burgers, Reubens, nachos and chicken tenders, all kosher.
Smash burgers are so trendy the name doesn't mean that much these days — the one here eats like a regular burger. The meat is so rare it's almost crumbly and there are no crispy edges. You can get your burger topped with vegan mozzarella, lamb "facon," pickled jalapeños and more. But the standard double smash burger ($17) is a decent bet, especially if you like nacho cheese sauce, which is what this vegan cheese resembles.
12 Irving Pl., Woodmere, 516-820-2500, instagram.com/gotcrave. Open 11:45 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday to Wednesday, 11:45 a.m. to 11:45 p.m. Thursday, 11:45 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. Friday, an hour after sundown to 11:45 p.m.
Andi Berlin is from Arizona and does not know where she is going. But when she gets there, she’ll find something beautiful and delicious that the world needs to taste.
