I’ve written before about how much I enjoy visiting restaurants in the Mamilla Mall. There’s always parking available, even on a Thursday night, in the Mamilla parking lot. Stores are open late, and there’s always a crowd around. It’s just a fun place to be.
Joy Grill House has been open for 12 years, an eternity in restaurant time. The menu specializes in meat and has 13 appetizers (NIS 26-62) and 15 main courses (NIS 76-186).
We came on the last night of Hanukkah, and the restaurant was jammed. People at the door who didn’t have a reservation were turned away.
Manager Kobi Museri said the meat came from the Golan Heights, Argentina and Poland. The hechsher is mehadrin Beit Yosef, meaning the restaurant attracts a religious crowd. When we arrived, a haredi family was celebrating the birthday of one of their kids. The schnitzel that the kids were eating looked delicious.
For our first appetizer, we tried the beef carpaccio (NIS 64). While my son said that it was not sliced as thinly as he would have liked, the olive oil and balsamic vinegar were good, and the mini-foccacia was fresh and hot.
We also tried the asado buns (NIS 62), which were an order of two steamed bao buns with asado and chili aioli. While the overall dish was good, the meat itself was a little bland.
For our main courses, I couldn’t resist the most expensive dish on the menu, the filet mignon medallions (NIS 186). The meat was very good, although the chef had a fairly heavy hand with the pepper, and it was cooked closer to medium than the medium rare I ordered. It was served with sweet potato ravioli, which made for an interesting side.
My son ordered the entrecôte steak (NIS 174), which was also good although also slightly overcooked. If you want medium rare, make sure the server knows what you really mean by that.
For my vegan friend Estelle, there are a few choices, including eggplant carpaccio (NIS 48), a veggie burger (NIS 78) and mushroom risotto (NIS 88). There are also two fish dishes
The restaurant has a very good wine list. The house wine is the Shiloh Shor, a very nice cabernet sauvignon, and we enjoyed a glass with our steaks.
Overall, a good choice, especially if the mehadrin kashrut is important to you. The restaurant has several private rooms for events, and delivery is available via Wolt.
Joy Grill House13 Sderot MamillaSunday to Thursday, 12 noon to midnight; Friday, 12 noon until two hours before Shabbat; Saturday, from 1.5 hours after Shabbat until midnight.Tel: (02) 502-0555Kashrut: Mehadrin Beit YosefThe writer was a guest of the restaurant.