“We like to think of ourselves as the ‘In-N-Out Burger’ of the East Coast.”
From Manhattan to Mineola, Kevin Rezvani is bringing the smashburger craze of his 7th Street Burger chain to Long Island.
The popular brand, with more than 20 locations across New York City, will open its first Nassau County spot Friday, Aug. 21, at 524 Jericho Turnpike in the former home of The Rex.
It’s the chain’s first suburban outpost. Rezvani, a New Jersey native, calls the concept “simple and affordable.”
“All we care about is having a good meal at a good price,” Rezvani told Greater Long Island. “The prices at some of those larger fast food burger chains are so expensive now.”
7th Street Burger is opening in the former home of The Rex, a former burger and lobster eatery in Mineola.
A simple menu
The menu is straightforward: a single cheeseburger or a double, a vegetarian burger and fries. Jalapeños can be added to anything.
“We don’t worry about aesthetics. We are food-based,” said Rezvani. “We want people to say ‘oh this is a good burger’ and not worry about taking pictures for Instagram.”
From couch surfing to 24 locations
Rezvani opened his first 7th Street Burger in the East Village in April 2021. At the time, he was crashing on a friend’s couch and racking up $60,000 in credit card debt to launch the business.
“For some reason, we became cool and trendy right after it opened. We hit it and it took off,” he said.
The Mineola location will be the chain’s 24th overall.
“We like to think of ourselves as the ‘In-N-Out Burger’ of the East Coast,” said Rezvani.
In addition to its NYC restaurants, 7th Street Burger has expanded to Hoboken and Washington, D.C. Rezvani says he hopes to reach 30 locations by year’s end, with more Long Island sites in the works — though he wouldn’t reveal exactly where.
“We are pretty confident people are going to love what we offer,” he said.
If you go
- 7th Street Burger, 524 Jericho Tpke, Mineola
- Open daily for lunch and dinner until midnight
Top: Exterior of 7th Street Burgers first Long Island location. (Credit: GLI/Andrew Rappaport)
