March 2019
Israeli grill restaurants have a special place in our hearts and stomachs. Uniquely Israeli, just about everyone, residents and tourists alike, have their favorite "steakiya." Machane Yehuda and the streets surrounding it are home to several of the best grill restaurants in the city. Many of these restaurants have a long tradition, founded in the previous century and now run by second generations.
Yehudit on Haarmonit St, just at the start of Machane Yehuda, is one such restaurant.
Yehudit has been in the family for 30+ years and is a legend in Jerusalem. Mor, son of the founder of the restaurant, is now in charge.
If you have been to Yehudit Restaurant in the past, you won't recognize it. Mor has just completed a total face lift of the restaurant. The new sleek and modern design is a welcome site. There have also been some menu upgrades including high end cuts of meat and some of your favorites from Marvad Haksamim.
The Yehudit Restaurant Menu
It would not be an authentic steakiya if the meal did not start with a table full of salads and a basket of fresh warm laffa bread straight from the Tabun oven. The salads are included with your main course, but if you do not order a main course there is a charge of 39 shekels for the salads.
 Who isn't ordering a main course?
Choose standard grilled skewers or choose skewered meats from the higher end "Specials." Deliciously grilled pargit, kebab and schnitzel skewers
are among the standard offering. The highlighted choices are the Premium Entrecote steak, organ meat skewers and at the high end lamb chops. Two skewers make up a portion, and you can mix and match them.
It would not be a Jerusalem steakiya without Mixed Grill - Meurav Yerushalmi - and Yehudit is a Mixed Grill champion.
Grilled whole steaks (not skewers) are listed in a separate category that includes Rib Eye,
Entrecote, at the high end Beef Fillet Steak with goose liver.
Oh - and lest I forget - you can choose two side dishes with your main course. In a steakiya one of your choices will certainly be chips. Israelis will choose the chopped salad as the second side, but the restaurant offers
rice, salad, potatoes, or others.
Meat is king at an Israeli Steakiya. There will probably be one fish option, but for that you must ask your waiter. Non meat-eaters will do well with the table salads and a choice or two from the non-meaty starter menu. This includes humus with chickpeas, mushrooms, and pine nuts, stuffed wine leaves, a plate of hot mushrooms, grilled eggplant and cauliflower.
Desserts are not listed on the menu but if I was a betting man I would wager on malabi and baklava from the market. These are the standard desserts that never disappoint. If you have not enjoyed either, this is your opportunity.
These desserts must be eaten with a cup of authentic Turkish coffee, and nobody makes it like a steakiya. After all, some of the families that own the restaurants are in Jerusalem from Ottoman times.
Yehudit is a family restaurant. The menu offers a childrens menu of foods that kids like for just NIS 49.
There are pay for parking lots near the restaurant and around Machane Yehuda..
From the menu: Starters: NIS 19 - 36, Main courses: 2 skewers NIS 78 - 82. Special Skewers: NIS 98 - 155. Whole Steaks: NIS 125 - 210. Children's menu NIS 49. |
