Ruben Restaurant, Petach Tikva

August 2023
Ruben is an all-kosher chain of meat restaurants. Each of the 20 branches is under a different hashgacha. The Petach Tikva branch is under the hashgacha of Rabbanut Petach Tikva. There are some dishes with glatt meats available. Ask at the restaurant.

If you thought that Rubin was just a burger restaurant, we are here to set you straight. The most popular menu items are indeed the burgers in a variety of shapes and sizes. But there are also other high-end meats that you should not miss.

Ruben burgers range from the classic to the specialty concept burgers. They all come in various sizes, with single and double patties and a variety of add-ons. The classic burgers are the most basic and least expensive. You can soup these up with additional vegetables and meats.

I always go for the upscale Concept burgers, of which there are no less than ten configurations. The concept burgers are architecturally challenging multi-story burger sandwiches with each sandwich containing at least two layers. The most popular burgers seem to be the ones with the fried egg on top of the first burger. My favorite is the Double Decker Concept Burger. Open wide for this sandwich. It has a layer of steamed corned beef above the burger as well as stir-fried onions, cabbage and garlic aioli.

As you can figure, the higher end concept burgers are more expensive than the classic burgers, but you get what you pay for. We consider them a good deal compared to other restaurants that don't have as wide a selection of burgers.

At my most recent visit to Ruben Petach Tikva, I raised the ante and indulged in the Ruben Spare Rib platter. According to the manager this is the Rubens' flagship dish. I was pleasantly surprised to find such a delicious meat dish at a hamburger restaurant. There is also Asado on the bone, but the Spare Ribs was the dish of choice.

The spare ribs are smoked overnight. When you place your order, the smoked meat is placed in the oven coated in a specialty barbecue sauce, for the final touch. The oven stage takes a while, so be prepared to wait about 20 minutes for your order. But it is worth the wait.

The meat on the spare ribs is crispy and tasty, and easily comes off the bone. This is a great dish, if you don't mind a fattier cut of meat. It comes with green beans, a grilled potato, garlic slivers and some condiments. I skipped the potato in favor of their crispy crunchy French fries. There is a trick to these fries. They make them in house from fresh potatoes. They coat them with tempura and corn flour to get the crisp and crunch before frying.
Beer on tap tops off this meal that comes highly recommended.

Ruben, this temple of meat, also offers some vegetarian options for non-meat eaters. These are marked on the menu. There is a variety of soy burgers that parallel the meat burgers, so that non-meat eaters are not short changed. Veggie shnitzel is made of Portobelo mushrooms. Note that the vegetarian burgers are grilled with the meat so would be considered meaty. Chips are fried with the Schnitzel, so are also meaty.

The eLuna discount coupon is valid on the whole menu (save discounted meals) from 3pm - 7pm. There are a number of deals at other times of the day. There is a combo that includes a burger and a beer for NIS 79. The business lunch is offered from 12 noon till 4pm. Note that not all the dishes are available in the business lunch.

Night owls and those who eat really late will enjoy discounted foods on the Night Shift menu, after 11pm.
Ruben gives an extra discount to Israeli soldiers. Thumbs up.

Parties and take away at Ruben Petach Tikva: The restaurant has a covered patio that can seat up to 70 guests. There is a large free parking lot across Hashacham street with plenty of parking for everyone.

The restaurant delivers from the menu and is able to prepare platters for parties and get togethers.


From the menu:
Chicken wings starter (12 units) NIS 46.
Ruben Classic Burger 160 gr NIS 52
Good Friends Concept Burger 225 gr with goose liver NIS 116
Double Decker Burger 225 gr with corn beef NIS 74
Childrens menu (burger/schnitzel + chips) NIS 59.