Photographs by Barry A. Kaplan
Segev Burgers
Rehov Shikma 6, near the Shuk
Phone 02 591-0771
Hours: Sunday, Monday, Tuesday- 11 a.m. to 12 midnight
Wednesday - 11 a.m. to 1 a.m.
Friday - 11 a.m. to 1 hour before Shabbat begins
Saturday evening - 1 hour after Shabbat ends to last customer
Kashrut - Rabbanut Yerushalayim
Meat - Chalack Bet Yosef
Nissim Segev has been a butcher in Talpiot on Yad Harutzim for 25 years. He is one of the only butchers in the country who ages his meat longer than three months.
In 2017, he opened "Hamburgers Segev" at Yad Harutzim 4. (See below.)
The first week of January, he opened the second Segev Burgers with his wife, Sharon, as manager, near Machaneh Yehudah.
"My husband received so many compliments, he decided to give people the experience to taste the meat when it comes directly from the butcher to the grill," said Sharone, our hostess at the new restaurant, on a week night evening recently, a few weeks after it opened.
"We wanted to grow," said Sharona. "In Machaneh Yehudah, you have tourists from inside the country and from outside the country," so this is why they renovated the place vacated by "Jacko's Street," off Agrippas and at the foot of Machaneh Yehudah's Eshkol hill.
Outside are tables and chairs.
Inside, wrought iron frames the balcony with 7 tables with chairs on one side and benches on the other, seating 14 people in all.
Down a few steps is the order counter where people line up to give their order and receive a buzzer when it is ready. This area has 4 high stools and tables and a bar with 3 stools.
A brickwall above the tables on one side is decorated with wooden plaques.
On the English-language menu you can find:
the Classic, with French fries and a drink for NIS 53;
2 Segevs for kids, NIS 44;
Not hamburgers, which includes 2 salads at NIS39 and NIS45 and 4 sandwiches (NIS29-49).
There are also 5 Specials (NIS50-69).
Segev's Kingdom offers 4 different cuts straight from the butcher with fries and a salad (NIS40-49 per 100 grams).
Sweet potato fries (NIS 15) and onion rings (NIS18) are available sides.
For tasting, Sharone started us with The Classic Segev, a huge hamburger with French fries, in a unique concave cut, with lettuce, tomato, pickle and red onion (NIS 53).
Depending on which hamburger you order French Fries, sweet potato fries or onion rings come overflowing in a cute silver metal miniature basket like a frying basket.
Next was Smoked Segev, smoked goose breast (like beef fry), fried egg, hamburger, tomato, lettuce, pickles and purple onion (NIS55). The meat was done perfectly and you could taste each part. The egg adds to the flavor.
Did I say two can share one of these hamburgers or eat half and take half home as they are 2 1/2 inches high! Each hamburger is 200 grams.
Among the available condiments are: garlic mayonnaise, catsup, chimichurri, sweet chili, pesto and barbeque sauce.
Our final tasting was the 250-gram Entrecote (NIS40 per 100 grams) served on a wood cutting board with fries and an Israeli chopped salad in a copper bowl. This steak was done to perfection, tender and succulent and easily the best steak this author has eaten in Jerusalem!
Beer for NIS20 and soft drinks at NIS 10 are also available.
When the market has very large onions available, both Segev Hamburgers' Restaurants will offers the first "blooming onion" in Jerusalem, which required special equipment available only in the US.The "blooming onion" is a large onion, cut to resemble a flower, battered and deep fried. It originated in the US in 1988 as a feature of the Outback Steakhouse chain.
Across town down the alley by the Spiegel Film School at Harutzim 4, on the right, up some steps is the original Segev Hamburger Butcher Shop and restaurant. The butcher shop has the aging cabinet and ready-to buy meat, poultry and fish, shelves of condiments and a cabinet of wine.
Daughter, Amit, who manages this restaurant, was our hostess. This restaurant is open Sunday through Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.; Thursday, 11 a.m. to12 midnight; closed Friday; Saturday evening, 1 hour after Shabbat ends to 12 midnight.
Besides their height, you will savor the high-quality meat used and want to keep coming back whenever you want a really good hamburger. We know we will go back again!
*This is a lit sign on the entry wall of the Shikma restaurant.
The author and the photographer were guests of the restaurant.
