American food in Tel Aviv: NFL bars, groceries, turkey

Tel Aviv will feed you better than most American cities. Hummus, sabich and a beach-side shakshuka are hard to beat. But a 1 pm kickoff, a can of pumpkin and a 14-pound bird take some planning.

The short version

Mike's Place, an American-style sports bar with locations around Israel, is the classic spot for big US games [1][2].
Israel is seven hours ahead of the East Coast for most of the NFL season, so Sunday's early games kick off around 8 pm Tel Aviv time, and Sunday is a workday here.
Whole turkeys usually aren't sitting in the supermarket case. Order one from a butcher in mid-November [3].
Thanksgiving 2026 falls on Thursday, November 26, a regular workday in Israel. Plenty of Americans move the dinner to Friday night.
Kosher rules shape what's on the shelves and menus, even in secular Tel Aviv.

Sports bars for NFL and NBA nights

Back home, game day is a given. Here, you'll be looking for the one TV in the bar that isn't showing soccer.

Mike's Place is the name every American in Israel hears first. It bills itself as an American sports bar, and Secret Tel Aviv's 2026 list of where to watch sports notes that its branches often stay open late to show big US games, including basketball [1]. Its Tel Aviv branch has long been on the beach promenade on Herbert Samuel Street, with NFL, NBA Finals and hockey on the screens, burgers and loaded nachos [2]. Check the branch's social media before a big game; schedules and locations change.

Molly Bloom's on HaYarkon Street (number 100) is an Irish pub that shows soccer and rugby [1]. It isn't an NFL bar, but it's a central, English-speaking place to watch a match with friends, and it's worth asking whether they'll put your game on.

Other bars in the city show US sports on request, especially for the playoffs and the Super Bowl, but lineups change from season to season. Before a big night, ask in local English-speaking groups which bars are showing the game and whether you need to reserve.

The time-zone math

Israel runs seven hours ahead of New York for most of the NFL and NBA seasons. The gap shrinks to six hours for about a week in late October and early November because the two countries switch clocks on different dates.

US kickoff (Eastern)	Tel Aviv time	What it means
Sunday 1 pm early games	Sunday 8 pm	Easy, but Sunday is a workday here
Sunday 4:25 pm late games	Sunday 11:25 pm	A late night before Monday
Sunday Night Football, 8:20 pm	Monday 3:20 am	Most people watch the replay
Monday Night Football, 8:15 pm	Tuesday 3:15 am	Same
Super Bowl, early evening	After 1 am Monday	Plan for a short night or a vacation day

NBA games are rough too: a 7:30 pm Eastern tip-off is 2:30 am in Tel Aviv. A US streaming subscription with replays is a no-brainer, but check that the service works from Israel before you pay.

American-style food in the city

Tel Aviv's restaurant scene moves fast, and a lot of the "American food in Tel Aviv" lists online are years old. We've only named places with a recent public listing; check that they're open before you go.

Nola, an American-style café on Dizengoff Street, was written up in March 2026 for American desserts such as crack pie and s'mores cake [4].
Mike's Place covers the burgers-and-wings angle on game nights [2].

Beyond that, burgers, bagels, barbecue and brunch are all over town, often with an Israeli twist. A few things to expect:

Cheeseburgers depend on kosher status. Kosher restaurants don't mix meat and dairy, so no cheese on the burger and no milk in the coffee after a meat meal. Many Tel Aviv restaurants aren't kosher, and they'll happily serve both.
Brunch is a Friday thing. Friday is the start of the weekend, and Friday morning is prime brunch time.
Tipping. Tipping is expected at sit-down restaurants, much like back home; check whether service is already on the bill.

US groceries and kosher considerations

Israeli supermarket chains such as Shufersal, Rami Levy and Victory stock a growing range of imported goods, and the bigger branches in Tel Aviv often have an "imports" aisle. Things Americans hunt for:

Item	How easy	Tip
Peanut butter	Easy	Local and imported brands are common
Marshmallows	Easy	Sold year-round [3]; look for kosher ones with fish or no gelatin
Sweet potatoes, green beans	Easy	Sold year-round [3]
Fresh or frozen cranberries	Hard	Rarely in stores; dried cranberries cook down into sauce [3]
Canned cranberry sauce, canned pumpkin	Hit and miss	Easier in neighborhoods with many American immigrants [3]
Brown sugar, baking chips, US-style cereal	Varies	Stock up in the import aisle when you see them

The kosher factor shapes what you'll find:

Most meat in supermarkets is kosher, which means no pork in many stores and no mixing meat and dairy in kosher prepared foods. Non-kosher butchers and stores exist in Tel Aviv if you want bacon.
Passover changes the shelves. For about a week each spring, bread and many grain products disappear from kosher stores. Stock up before.
Kosher labels are in Hebrew. Look for the certification stamp and "halavi" (dairy), "basari" (meat) or "parve" (neither).

If you're bringing food from the States, check Israeli customs rules on meat, dairy and plants before you pack.

Thanksgiving in Tel Aviv

Thanksgiving falls on Thursday, November 26, 2026. In Israel, it's a normal workday, and most Israelis know the holiday mainly from TV. Americans make it work anyway [3]:

Order the turkey early. Supermarket meat counters usually sell turkey parts, not whole birds. Order a whole turkey from a butcher in mid-November and pick it up the week before [3]. The good news: if it's from a kosher butcher, it's already salted and kosher.
Measure your oven. Israeli apartment ovens are often small. A big bird may not fit; ask the butcher for a smaller one, or roast a turkey breast plus thighs.
Plan the sides. Sweet potatoes, green beans and marshmallows are easy; cranberries mean dried berries and a saucepan [3].
Pick the day. Many families move dinner to Friday night, when people are off work and Shabbat dinner is already a big meal [3]. For observant hosts, that means cooking everything before Shabbat starts.
Mix the guest list. Thanksgiving is a great way to introduce Israeli friends to American traditions, so don't be surprised when they ask for the pie recipe.

Some restaurants and community organizations host Thanksgiving dinners, and Fourth of July events pop up too. Our American life in Tel Aviv guide covers the community calendar, and the best tips on who's selling pumpkin this year usually turn up in our community group for Americans in Israel.

American food in Tel Aviv: game nights, grocery hunts and a Thanksgiving turkey