On a brilliant June day under a bright blue sky, LBK Grill, short for “Long Branch Kosher,” opened a fast-casual restaurant concept on the boardwalk at the Wave Resort, near Pier Village in Long Branch. The busy location, just one hour from Teaneck, gives kosher travelers the chance to refresh, rehydrate and rejuvenate before or after hitting the waves. All seating is outside in front of the restaurant’s order window, surveyed by LBK Grill’s friendly servers.
“The concept was to have a kosher option for people traveling for the day or staying overnight, with a family friendly menu that can be had at the beach but also for a evening of outdoor dining,” said David Mizrahi, LBK Grill’s owner.
Mizrahi is no stranger to the kosher restaurant business. He is the owner of a shawarma restaurant, Eat-a-Pita, in Lakewood, which will soon open a second location across town, and Revolve Restaurant and Catering, a high-end boutique restaurant and catering company, also in Lakewood. “Each restaurant has a unique look and feel, but we pride ourselves on fresh, scratch-made, high-quality food, regardless of whether it’s French fries or a 24-ounce rib steak,” he said.
LBK Grill is certified kosher under the auspices of the JSOR, the Jersey Shore Orthodox Rabbinate. The food is fleishig, with chassidishe shechita. All breads are pas Yisroel. “Many of our meat items are Bet Yosef,” said Mizrahi. During the soft opening, the restaurant is open Sunday through Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.. Saturday night, the restaurant is open from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.
The food at LBK Grill is a fun, family-friendly combination of salads, tacos, wings, nachos, wraps and burgers, and also features a next-level pressed Reuben sandwich, made with slow-cooked pastrami and sauerkraut. The restaurant’s signature barbecued beef brisket is used in sandwiches, tacos, spring rolls and nachos, and is melt-in-your-mouth delicious. “It is smoked for eight hours, then finished with braising in our signature sauce,” said Mizrahi.
The house-fried and fully loaded red, white and blue nachos are topped with a crowd-pleasing blend of the signature barbecued beef, pico de gallo, jalapenos and chipotle sauce. The tacos, offered with either soft- or hard-shelled tortillas, are topped generously with fresh cilantro and pico de gallo, and are both refreshing and filling. The kids menu, complete with a grilled hot dog on a grilled bun and chicken nuggets, also features rustic skin-on French fries, a perfect salty accompaniment to a day at the beach. Desserts include “David’s chocolate chunk cookie,” the LBK brownie, mini hot cinnamon buns and homemade churros.
What are the most popular menu items? “Our hottest sellers are our tacos. They are available in chicken, pastrami or in our signature barbecued beef, and they are all available in gluten free. We also have a variety of fresh salads and wraps for those looking for a gluten-free, healthier option,” Mizrahi said.
For the many concerned about safety around a potential beach visit, Pier Village has launched full social distancing and safety guidelines, consistent with CDC and New Jersey guidelines, for the entire area and introduced protocol throughout, including increased staff for parking flow management, and additional staff around beach entry and near bathrooms to ensure mask-wearing in inside locations and appropriate social distancing outside. Restaurants and stores offer curbside pickup and have capacity limits. The Wave Resort is open for business with new safety practices and sanitation guidelines.
LBK Grill is located at 110 Ocean Avenue, Long Branch, NJ 07740. Call 732-335-6633 or visit www.LBKGrill.com. LBK Grill delivers and caters.
By Elizabeth Kratz
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