Step away from GrubHub: Sometimes you turn off Hulu and chill out with friends in person. Consider this your guide to doing just that, with a twist. From blintzes to Kosher burgers, we’ve scoured the city for the best Boston-area restaurants serving Jewish food, broken down by occasion. Planning a second date? Recovering from a late night? Now you can nosh with confidence.
Bakey
The Vibe: Comfy-cozy; great for a quick cafe catch-up with an old friend.
This Kosher cafe from Danish-Israeli pastry superstar Uri Scheft is known for soft, succulent babka, as well as artful challah, soups, salads and sandwiches. They even offer cooking classes. There are locations in Boston, Brookline (at 2Life Communities’ Brown Family House), and Newton, plus a brand-new location in Kendall Square. Various locations, www.bakey.com
Barry’s Village Deli
The Vibe: Good for a bleary-eyed weekend brunch, sandwiches for a picnic or a little treat to bring your grandma.
A 55-year-old Waban hangout without much social media buzz, that’s the way regulars prefer it. Instead of buzz, they have blintzes: Recently, Barry’s made JewishBoston’s list of Boston’s best, in cheese or blueberry, doused in sour cream. 6 Windsor Road, Newton, www.barrysvillagedeli.com
Clover
The Vibe: A quick, healthy lunch pitstop when you didn’t think ahead to pack anything tasty, with tons of convenient locations.
Known for chickpea fritters (their extra-crunchy, smooth-inside spin on falafel) and soy BLTs, Clover pioneered the Kosher fast-casual game when they opened as an MIT food truck in 2008; now, there are more than a dozen Clovers in metro Boston, plus themed meal subscriptions and catering. Various locations, www.cloverfoodlab.com
Landwer Café
The Vibe: Family-friendly with a big menu; good for groups with eclectic tastes and when nobody can decide quite where to go, but you definitely need alcohol.
Former Israel Navy Seal Nir Caspi served from 1995-2000. Running three all-day Café Landwers in Boston and Brookline is a slightly less intense, but no less demanding, gig. (Read our JewishBoston profile from 2019.) The trio of cafes are spinoffs of a 1919 German coffeehouse in Berlin, which moved to Tel Aviv during the Nazi uprising. The shakshuka is timeless; the extensive kid’s menu is decidedly modern (and convenient). Various locations; www.landwercafe.com
Lehrhaus
The Vibe: Second date, for sure.
Events with hometown hero Alex Edelman, a Jewish romance book club and even mac-and-cheese kugel: We kvell over Lehrhaus, styled as a culinary epicenter of Judaic learning. The Kosher menu was originally designed by notable names — Michael Leviton from Area Four and Lumière, Noah Clickstein from Juliet and Naomi Levy from Maccabee Bar. Creators Rabbi Charlie Schwartz and Atlas Obscura founder Josh Foer make sure the endless library of Jewish texts are as satisfying as the food. Check out our 10 fun facts about Lehrhaus here. 425 Washington St., Somerville, www.lehr.haus
Mamaleh’s
The Vibe: The perfect, languid Sunday brunch.
No Jewish food list would be complete without this multi-location gem, serving all the staples — lox, Reubens, matzoh ball soup, chopped liver — plus merch (the Schlep tote bag is a key accessory). Of note: the newish Kibitz corner in Kendall Square, a staging area for pop-ups and private parties, plus a test kitchen. Various locations, www.mamalehs.com
Milk Street Café
The Vibe: A logical choice for downtown lunch—or when you’re glued to Netflix and don’t want to leave your couch.
A downtown Kosher lunch destination since 1981— with a cream-of-the-crop catering business — Milk Street beefed up its offerings in 2023 with KoshBurger, serving delivery dairy-free shakes and Kosher burgers and fries during select times. 50 Milk St., Boston, www.milkstreetcafe.com
Plnt Burger
The Vibe: Ideal for when you’re craving junk food but also care about cholesterol.
This Washington, D.C. export (with a menu created by “Top Chef” star Spike Mendolsohn) doles out kosher and halal meatless burgers (using Beyond Meat), hot dogs, fries and legit veggie burgers. Read all about the opening in our January 2025 snapshot — including why the BIG Burger is a staff favorite. 297 Harvard St., Brookline, www.plntburger.com
Veggie Crust
The Vibe: Kosher and creative–and, perhaps, key fuel before hitting the town.
Italian, Indian, Chinese … and Kosher? It’s all true at the Brookline branch of Veggie Crust, perhaps the only place in town where it’s possible to get penne alfredo and a side of veggie pakora. Fun fact: This eclectic spot is an all-time favorite of Kosher Boston founder Jonathan Shapiro, whose Facebook community offers Jewish eaters a place to swap tips, recs and occasionally engage in heated culinary debate. 8 Cypress St., Brookline, www.vegcrust.com
Zaftig’s
The Vibe: A welcoming, casual, comforting counterpoint to a tough morning after a long night.
So they’re not Kosher, but Zaftig’s in Brookline (almost 30 years old!) and in Natick is true to its name: Their hefty portions of potato pancakes and matzo ball soup will fatten you up—especially washed down with a chocolate egg cream. Best of all, they take reservations. 355 Harvard St., Brookline and 1298 Worcester St., Natick; www.zaftigs.com
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