When the new Holy Schnitzel kosher restaurant opened in Roseland, in close proximity to West Orange and Livingston, it wasn’t just a “nice thing” for frum Jews in the area. It was a sign that the observant Jewish community there had reached a significant new plateau, by being able to support a well-sought-out dining out option.
Holy Schnitzel is a popular kosher restaurant that opened in Staten Island in 2009, was purchased by brothers Eric and Tamir Shabat in April 2019 and has grown within the past year to encompass an outpost in Boro Park (opened in October 2021) and now one in Roseland (opened in late December 2021).
As Eric Shabat explained, the secret to Holy Schnitzel’s success lies in the fact that it offers “a great family atmosphere, while not breaking the bank.” He added that families of all different sizes can dine there, enjoy a large selection of meat dishes (with some vegetarian options too), and find the experience very “price friendly.”
Holy Schnitzel offers a wide array of familiar and unusual starters, such as chicken wings, chicken fingers, falafel and hummus platters, as well as popcorn chicken, kosher bacon jalapeño fries and loaded brisket fries. Main dishes include three varieties of sliders, three varieties of chicken sandwiches, seven varieties of “Holy Choice” sandwiches, five types of wraps, four types of burgers, a “create your own salad” with a variety of toppings and meats to choose from and a build-your-own-rice-bowl option. The restaurant also offers five lunch specials that include a main dish, a side and a beverage, which range in cost from $12 to $18.
Why Roseland? Shabat stated that he and his brother chose to locate the restaurant in Roseland because it borders the Jewish communities of West Orange and Livingston, and is close to a major highway (Rt. 280), which makes it easily accessible to members of other nearby Jewish communities such as Elizabeth, Hillside and Morristown. It doesn’t hurt that it is a five-minute drive from Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy/Rae Kushner Yeshiva High School, located in neighboring Livingston, and is already a prime lunch and take-out option for the school community.
A look at the list of establishments supervised by the Va’ad HaRabbonim of MetroWest demonstrates the wisdom of the Shabat brothers’ choice of location, as they cleverly situated the restaurant in a corner of Essex County where no other kosher restaurants currently exist.
Shabat described the Va’ad HaRabbonim of MetroWest as “very, very supportive,” and thanked Rabbi Teichman and Rabbi Leff (“great people!”) for all the time, effort and guidance they provided to help the restaurant secure the Va’ad’s certification.
He also noted that “several people” in the community were looking for a new restaurant for the area and had reached out to them. He stated that, despite the challenges of opening during the pandemic, many local community members were “super happy” to see the new restaurant and stated that they felt it was the “missing piece of the community,” as Jewish residents had been longing for a reliable fleishig restaurant to anchor the area.
Shabat especially praised the community rabbis for their consistent encouragement.
“We are very excited to welcome Holy Schnitzel to our community,” said Rabbi Eliezer Zwickler, spiritual leader of Congregation AABJ&D in West Orange. “Not only is the food fresh and delicious, the ambience and service give our community a refreshing place to have lunch with a friend, or get dinner for the family. We wish Eric and his team much hatzlacha and want them to know that we are very grateful and supportive of their presence in our community.”
Rabbi James Proops of Synagogue of the Suburban Torah Center in Livingston, said, ““There has been great anticipation about the arrival of Holy Schnitzel to the area and it is proving a tremendous addition to our community. Having a great meat option, together with our other local food choices, continues to add to the growing vibrancy and attraction of the Livingston Jewish community.”
The Jewish Link visited Holy Schnitzel on Sunday, February 6, and met many customers who were eager to offer their praise of the restaurant.
“Our meal was great and everyone was happy,” said Chaya Spalter of Montvale, who came with her husband, Rabbi Yossi, and their five children. “It’s always important for our community to have dining options like this. And we need to support our kosher establishments.”
Simone Braverman came with her husband and their grandson, Jared Pomarlen, from Wayne. She said: “The service is excellent, the bathrooms are very clean and the food is quite good.” Jared added that his meal was “delicious” and all the flavors went well
together.
Chaye Kaye of Morristown came with her family of nine and said: “The food is great, and the service is very good.” She reported that she and her family have already been there five times and they look forward to coming again.
Holy Schnitzel is located at 39 Eisenhower Parkway in Roseland, and is under the strict supervision of the Va’ad HaRabbonim of MetroWest. Their hours of operation are Sunday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. and Fridays, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. They can be reached at 862-822-4659, online at holyschnitzewl.com or by email at [email protected].
Harry Glazer welcomes feedback on this news story and suggestions of other new kosher restaurants to review. He can be reached at [email protected].
