BRISKET

Revisited August 2022
Four friends celebrated their significant birthdays at Brisket Restaurant. Of all the restaurants on eLuna we chose Brisket because of the fine quality smoked meat and the good service.Two chose sandwiches and another couple shared the mixed grill platter. The sandwiches were chocked full of meat. The mixed grill could not be eaten in one sitting. I don't know how we did it but we added two desserts: the apple crumble and the pecan pie. This was an overall pleasurable experience. The food was delicious. The service was prompt and pleasant. The indoor seating area was mostly full at 7pm. It is advisable to have reservations in advance.

From the menu: Mixed grill NIS 95. Asado sandwich NIS 65. Brisket sandwich NIS 58. chips side order NIS 14. Pecan pie NIS 38.

October 2019
Brisket is a great meat restaurant located in the most unlikely place - a gas station on the highway.
Restaurants in gas stations are strictly an Israeli phenomenon. When you say "fill 'er up" do you mean the car or your stomach? In the case of Brisket, it is going to be your stomach, for sure.

If Hadera sounds too far, let me assure you that some things are worth traveling for. The smoked meat at Brisket is one of those things. Restaurant owner Ohad imported the smokers into Israel. The professional equipment combined with the professional meat chef make Brisket a unique dining experience.

Seems that we were not the only customers to travel a good few kilometers to visit this restaurant, as the staff boasted proudly. Located on highway 4, the restaurant is easy to find, and there is no meandering through small streets looking for an address. Up the highway, and you are there. Parking is plentiful and there are other shops alongside the restaurant.

Brisket has a rustic feel, with basic wooden furniture, nicely spaced tables, seating at a bar and some of the nicest down-home staff that you will run into in any restaurant. There is outdoor seating on a patio in front, facing the highway, a less than exciting view, but an option.

The menu is a simple one-pager in four sections, offering several kinds of mostly smoked meats and tofu: Starters, Salads, Sandwiches and "Litrof" (meaning to devour, as in predators) an especially appropriate word for the dishes on this menu.

My dining companion thinks that I should be on a diet - though I don't know why. So we skipped the mouth watering starters section, with smoked beef soup, a spicy chorizos dish with a horseradish-garlic sauce, and chicken wings in the same sauce. You have to save something for next time, my companion insisted, as my eyes continued downward on the menu. On to the salads.

I had to be restrained from going directly to the "Litrof" section, which lists a single (350 grams) or double (650) platter of asado, chorizos and brisket in BBQ sauce. The double platter adds ribs and chicken thighs, all this with side dishes included. You can add various meats to these platters from the menu of take-home meats, which are sold by weight. (The weight of the meat, not the weight of the customer.)

With all those delicious dishes just begging to be devoured, I was told to go for a sandwich. Brisket offers a variety of sandwiches including smoked brisket, rib meat, asado and chorizos, as well as a Sloppy Joe sandwich. Each sandwich is available in a small or large size. You know where I am going with this.

I chose the eponymous Brisket sandwich, which is smoked brisket with BBQ sauce, chipotle, aioli, on lettuce, tomato, red onion with mayo and pickles. This is a meat lover’s dream sandwich. The "warden" policing my every bite insisted that I order the small 170 gram sandwich, but I snuck in an order of fries, which were crispy and delicious. No disappointments here, the sandwich and chips made for a very tasty meal.

Brisket is a meaty meat restaurant, and as you would expect, there are very few non-meat dishes. The menu does offer a vegan salad or a sandwich with smoked tofu and/or mushrooms on a base of lettuce and tomatoes. These are flavored with a citrus vinaigrette sauce with chipotle. We chose the salad and asked them to hold the chipotle, which was not a problem. As a salad, this was light and refreshing. As a sandwich, the tofu and mushrooms are served with BBQ sauce, aioli, chipotle, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and red onion.

We topped off our meal with coffee - a burst of caffeine for the long ride home, and sweet doughy cookies. Fresh and yummy, the coffee and cookies topped off a successful meal.

Brisket offers a children’s menu, which includes a mini-sandwich of chicken or brisket with BBQ sauce, lettuce, tomato and mayo, with a side dish, a cold drink and an ice cream for dessert.

From the menu: Smoked tofu salad NIS 42; as a sandwich, 45; Small Brisket sandwich (170 gram), 55/ large (270 gram), 75; children’s menu 42; Double Litrof platter: (650 grams) 166.