If you've ever driven into the city just for a 7th Street burger, you can stop. 7th Street Burger opened on Central Park Avenue in Yonkers in early November.
It's the chain's first spot in Westchester.
Where It Started
The first 7th Street Burger opened in 2021 at 91 East 7th Street in Manhattan's East Village. That's where the name comes from. It was started by two friends, Kevin Rezvani and Paras Jain.
The idea was simple and it spread fast. The company's own store finder lists 36 open shops, with more on the way. They run from Boston down through New Jersey, Philadelphia, Maryland and Washington, D.C.
What a Smashburger Is
A regular burger is a thick patty cooked slowly so it stays juicy. A smashburger works the other way.
The cook drops a ball of ground beef on a very hot flat grill. Then they press it down hard with a heavy tool. The patty gets thin, and the edges turn brown and crispy. That crunchy edge is the whole point. The style is popular enough that Merriam-Webster has an entry for it: a patty pressed thin onto a hot pan or griddle as it starts to cook.
Look at the slide with the rows of patties. You can see the cheese melting right on the grill.
A Menu That Fits on One Hand
Most burger places have a long menu. 7th Street keeps it short on purpose.
Its menu page lists a cheeseburger, a double cheeseburger, a single or double Impossible cheeseburger, and crispy fries. The Impossible burger is made from plants, so vegetarians can eat here too. A single cheeseburger is 495 calories, if you're counting. A double is 819. The fries are listed as gluten-free and cooked in canola oil, though the menu warns it can't promise there's no cross-contact in the kitchen.
Co-founder Kevin Rezvani summed it up for Westchester Magazine this summer. He described the business as three guys on the grill and three items on the menu.
Why Yonkers Waited
Until now, Westchester didn't have one. The closest location was in the Bronx, on East 149th Street. The company's new Yonkers page still lists that Bronx shop first under nearby locations.
The City of Yonkers first posted about the Central Avenue spot back in July, when it was still hiring its crew. Anyone who has tried to park on Central Ave on a Saturday knows why a burger shop wants to be there.
Where to Find It
The new spot is at 2270 Central Park Avenue. That's the busy stretch of Central Ave where people already run errands every weekend. The company says it's open all day and late into the night. You can eat there, pick up or get delivery.
And Central Ave Isn't Done
There's more coming to the same road. Trader Joe's still lists its store at 2482 Central Park Avenue as "Coming Soon" on its own website. There's no opening date yet, so we'll tell you when there is.
Over at Ridge Hill, Wayfair plans to open a 114,000 square foot store in early 2027.
For now, there's a smashburger waiting on Central Ave. Single or double is up to you.
Follow @TheYonkersCollective for more Yonkers stories, and read Not Upstate at thenineonefour.com.
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