Kosher Cart Spices Up Thursday Night Food Options

There are numerous Kosher eateries in the Washington Heights area to satisfy the demand stemming from the Yeshiva University students and community. All are delicious and all are affordable, but not all are unique. However, walking down Amsterdam on a Thursday night, your eyes might fall upon a food cart with bright colors and an enchanting smell emanating from its open window.

The food cart, which is known as Judd’s Memphis Kitchen, offers delicious meat options with a southern-style BBQ theme that Yehuda “Judd” Joffre, the cook and owner of the business, fashions himself. Joffre redesigned his friend and business partner’s truck and loves having it as the home of his emerging business. “The cart is a great conduit for our food and we are constantly trying to find new locations that make sense to come out to.” Joffre, who formerly worked as a real estate broker in NYC, always had a passion for food. Growing up in Memphis, his mother owned  and operated the only kosher bakery in town for over a decade and his sisters were both caterers. After catering small events in his community and support from family and friends, this past May, Yehuda set up shop (or cart) in Brooklyn, NY and jumped into the food business. Since then, Joffre and his fellow devoted chefs have been spreading around to many different locations in the city in their cart, including coming to YU’s campus on Thursday nights.

One of the things that makes the food experience with Judd’s so unique is their emphasis on providing a different type of cuisine. As an observant Jew (Joffre attended Yeshivat Mevaseret Zion for his year in Israel), he is proud to introduce new and exciting selections that the Jewish community can enjoy despite their strict dietary restrictions. Joffre related, “I want to make sure that we can get a quality kosher option to the masses wherever it is lacking.” With choices from cholent to "chili con carne” and open eyes towards incorporating new and innovative dishes into their repertoire, Judd’s Memphis Kitchen is looking towards the future of Kosher food options.

Pre-dental Junior Yoav Arjhang spoke very highly of experience at Judd’s. “I got the “100 dollar burger (actually sold for only $16)- it was one of the best burgers I’ve ever had.” He also recounted the friendly atmosphere of the workers, noting their sense of humor and care for the customer.   

So the next time you’re waltzing down Amsterdam Avenue searching for a good place to have dinner on a Thursday night, follow your nose to the silver cart reading “KOSHER” in big red lights, and try it for yourself.

Judd’s Memphis Kitchen is under the Rabbinic Supervision of Rabbi Shmuel Dovid Beck of Brooklyn.