Lehrhaus on The Sporkful: When a Jewish Tavern Becomes a National Conversation

We’ve been called a lot of things — a tavern, a beit midrash, a restaurant, a social experiment — but now we can officially add Sporkful guest to the list.

Earlier this month, Dan Pashman, host of the James Beard Award-winning food podcast The Sporkful, came to Somerville to see what Lehrhaus is all about. The result? A full episode titled “What’s a Jewish Tavern and House of Learning?” — part field trip, part philosophy class, part dinner party.

In the episode, Dan explores how Lehrhaus blends Jewish learning, hospitality, and food culture into one experience. He walks through our dining room, peeks into the beit midrash (our house of study), and meets some of the people who’ve helped make Lehrhaus what it is today.

You’ll hear stories about:

• The “magical Jewish objects” that fill our space — from antique ritual items to pop-culture treasures

• How our menu reads like a page of Talmud, with dishes that trace the Jewish journey from Baghdad to Boston

• Why we believe a tavern can be a place of meaning and conversation, not just a place to eat

Dan also sits down with our founders to talk about the big question that drives us: What does it look like when Jewish life is built around joy, curiosity, and connection?

Being featured on The Sporkful isn’t just exciting, it’s meaningful. The show reaches a national audience of food lovers, curious minds, and seekers. Hearing Lehrhaus described as “a tavern that feeds both the body and the soul” captures exactly what we’ve been trying to create here in Boston.

It also means that people far beyond New England are now discovering that a Jewish tavern is more than a restaurant — it’s a place where ideas are on the menu, too.

🎧 Listen to The Sporkful episode here.
📍 Then come by Lehrhaus — grab dinner, stay for a class, or just have a drink and explore what a Jewish tavern and house of learning feels like in person. We’re open in Somerville, MA, serving delicious Jewish food, great drinks, amazing classes and good conversation.