י״ב אייר ה׳תשפ״ו | April 29, 2026
Lakewood Resturant Mix-Up Ends with Frum Kids Eating Treif
A troubling incident in the Lakewood–Toms River area has raised major concern after three young children mistakenly ate non-kosher food due to confusion between two similarly named restaurants.
A troubling incident in the Lakewood–Toms River area has raised major concern after three young children mistakenly ate non-kosher food due to confusion between two similarly named restaurants.
According to a report by CBN, the incident unfolded while the children’s parents were out of town. A frum babysitter ordered dinner through Uber Eats, intending to order from a kosher restaurant. When the food arrived, the three children sat down to eat. One of the children, an 8-year-old, reportedly went over to a cousin’s home and joined the other two children for the meal.
“Three frum children sat down and ate treif,” said a source who spoke with the family. “Only later on, when the older sister came home, did she realize what had happened.”
The confusion appears to have stemmed from the similarity between “Smash House Burgers,” a newly opened kosher establishment in Toms River that opened just the week before, and “Smashburger,” a non-kosher chain.
The kosher restaurant, which recently opened in the area, offers items that had not previously been widely available locally, including kosher versions of cheeseburgers.
According to the report, the kosher establishment was not clearly labeled as “kosher” on Uber Eats, unlike many other eateries, making it even easier to confuse with the non-kosher chain.
Many described the broader concern, with one commentator noting that “the Lakewood area was introduced to a food item that has never been offered locally, and within a week a terrible michshol happened.”
The incident has since sparked widespread discussion within the community, with many weighing in on responsibility and next steps.
Some have raised concerns about the types of items being offered, which are similar to non kosher foods. Others focused on additional practical solutions to prevent similar incidents, including ensuring clearer labeling on delivery platforms.
“Clearly mark yourself as kosher on Uber Eats,” one online commenter urged. “Every kosher eatery says ‘Kosher’ on Uber Eats, but Smash House Burger does not, so it can easily be mixed up with the treif Smashburger – and that’s most likely what happened to this poor frum baby sister,” he added.
At the same time, some pushed back against placing blame on any single party. As one community member put it, “Is it the babysitter’s fault? Is it the store? Is it the children? Everyone is pointing fingers, but if these were your children you would be talking very differently.”
“The leaders of Lakewood and Toms River need to move quickly, along with the owners of this food establishment, to make sure this can’t happen again,” he added.
Following the publication of this story, the kosher restaurant renamed itself on Uber Eats as Smash House Kosher. This will help someone who is comparing both restaurants, but not one who is looking just at the unkosher one.
COMMENTS
In Lakewood the main Hashgocha allows by pizza deliveries, etc. for the non-Jewish driver to keep rolls of Hashgocha tape in his car and before he makes the delivery he puts on tape-IS THAT CALLED A CHOISUM?
The Lakewood Hashgocha commonly has Shabbos affairs with no Mashgiach or Jew present at all.
They even had recently at a high end Shabbos Sheva Brochos, the worker realized they forgot to make schnitzel for the day meal, so he went on Shabbos took his own set of keys and made fresh schnitzel on Shabbos, it was all verified via the cameras.
This terrible incident shows us how important the nuanced of Halacha are.
In general every kosher establishment doubles seals food delivered. If the seal is broken it becomes forbidden to eat.
This came an issue for us a while back. When after shopping at a local supermarket and requesting delivery. When delivered – The meats did not have any seals. When we brought this up with the manager he spoke to a Rav, and they started sealing all the meat packaging. Thus ensuring everyone’s eating Halachikly kosher meat… remember that even meats in your refrigerator can become a problem if no ones around when cleaning help or the like is alone!
Even those of us who live in frum communities need to educate our children to look for The hashgacha on any item we purchase. Even in a local kosher establishment.
Ask your LOR about cleaning help and meat in your fridge. It happened and I was so concerned. Our Rav said, in my own house it’s not a problem
Same problem in crown heights. There are 2 restaurants called ‘kingston pizza’ one kosher one not. What makes it worse is that if you call up the non kosher one they will tell you it’s kosher and they even know all the yeshiva addresses to offer you delivery making them sound ligit
A yungerman after his Chasunah went to Eretz Yisroel to learn for a few years. He asked the Yeshivas Mashgiach, what kashrus he should use in Eretz Yisroel as he’s originally from Lakewood. “If You ate from the local Hashgocha”? so be mehadar and eat Rabanut Mehadrin.
Is it by coincidence that their name is so similar to the other one? It was a disaster waiting to happen, and the finally-added Kosher is not enough to avoid another Michshol R”L.