Walking into Mike’s Burgers is a one of a kind experience, but once you sit down you’ll feel at home in a very familiar place.

That’s because Mike’s Burgers is situated inside the Palisades Center Mall in West Nyack. It’s not in a Jewish community like most kosher restaurants, it’s on the fourth floor across from a GameStop. No, it’s not some type of mall kiosk either. This is a real restaurant with waiter service and a bar.

But Mike’s Burgers didn’t start out in a mall. It started out as a restaurant in Cedarhurst in 2014. The place was instantly a huge success, but a fire in 2018 forced them to slow their roll. After reopening a block away in 2019 and regaining their momentum, ownership decided to open another location in the Palisades Center Mall.

Unfortunately, the new location in Cedarhurst was destroyed by another fire in late 2019. In the meantime, work at the mall was underway and that iteration was able to open in March 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Plans for a third version of Mike’s Burgers in Long Island were paused for seven months during the pandemic and ownership eventually decided to abandon the project completely to focus on the location in the mall.

When I was invited to Mike’s Burgers, I was lucky to know that you should park between the Target and the Barnes & Noble. The mall is big and that entrance is not only close to the restaurant horizontally, but it’s also on the fourth floor as well.

The menu at Mike’s will look pretty familiar to you as a kosher restaurant patron. It’s a fairly standard fleish place in most ways. But much like the location, there are a few things that stand out. The first is the lunch special. If you happen to be here before 3pm, you’re in for a great deal. During the day, Mike’s serves full size portions for a fraction of the price. A burger, fries, and a drink can be had for under $20 before tax and tip.

That said, if you are looking at the appetizer options, you’ll notice that the pulled BBQ brisket features strongly. If that interests you, go slightly off the beaten path and order the Brisket Hummus Plate. This is an especially great option for sharing as it comes with plenty of pita to go along with Mike’s version of a hummus basar. The brisket and grilled mushrooms work well as a hummus topping and who can say no to warm pita anyway?

For the next recommendation, I’ll advocate for the Crispy Chicken Tenders. I’m not going to tell you that these are the best of their kind I’ve ever had. They are good, but the real reason you are getting them is because Mike’s offers almost 20 dipping sauces and you need something to use as a base because it isn’t yet acceptable (despite the efforts of some people) to just drink sauces. The waiter will ask you which sauces you want and bring you a flight of four to go along with your order. You could lean spicy and get the four different hot sauces or you could try some of the more interesting choices like the truffle mayo or balsamic mayo. I’d recommend the sweet chili (always a favorite), the habanero mayo (their spiciest sauce), pesto mayo (great change of pace), and the ketchup (classic for a reason). But go out there and explore for yourself.

It should be noted that sauces are not where the endless customization stops at this restaurant. For instance, you can make your own salad with a dozen protein choices, dozens of ingredients, and plenty of dressing options. There are premium toppings for added charges, but the plethora of combinations will suffice for most people.

As the restaurant is called “Mike’s Burgers,” I suppose we should investigate the most popular section of the menu… the burgers. For me, this was a tough call, but the NYC “Bacon” & Sunny Side is the choice. The thing that really put it over the top was the fact it uses a lamb burger as the base. I love a good lamb burger and the taste came through alongside the pan-seared bacon and the egg. Even if this burger was close to impossible to hold and many napkins were needed, it was absolutely delicious.

But as much as I liked that burger, The Ribeye Club is my favorite thing here. It’s a baguette with thinly sliced chimichurri ribeye and it’s a monster. Many of the offerings at Mike’s are large portions and this is no exception. From the texture of the bread to the tender slices of beef, everything about this sandwich is perfect. I’d personally add red onions, pickled jalapeños, BBQ sauce, and pesto mayo… but that’s me. Maybe you want to add grilled mushrooms, onions, and peppers? Sounds great. I could even see adding on the non-dairy cheddar to make a kind of Philly cheesesteak. Customize it how you see fit and enjoy.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t sneak in a mention of the Dulce de Leche Milk Shake. You could order it as dessert (or with dessert, no judgement), or alongside your burger like a proper American, but either way it’ll impress you with its non-dairyness. With a very rich caramel taste, the flavor packs a real punch and the texture would stand up to scrutiny about its milk content.

So next time you’re choosing an indoor activity, remember that the Palisades Center Mall has Mike’s Burgers ready and waiting for you to grab a bite. Legitimate kosher dining in a mall?

Sounds crazy, but go taste for yourself.