Boca Raton & West Boca
Keeping kosher in Boca Raton
כשרות
West Boca Raton is one of the easiest places in Florida to keep kosher — markets, grills, pizza and bakeries all within a few minutes of our shul. Here is what is nearby, what the certifications mean, and how to eat well on your first Shabbat here.
This list is kept by our gabbaim and reflects what our own families use. Supervision does change hands — always look for the current certificate on the wall, and if something here is out of date please tell us so we can correct it.
Markets & groceries
Full kosher shopping — groceries, prepared foods, wine.
Aroma Market & Grill
ORBFull kosher supermarket with a meat counter, prepared foods, bakery and a grill in the back — the main stop for Shabbat shopping in West Boca.
9200 Glades Rd, Boca Raton
Boca Kosher Market
ORBGroceries, meat, wine and takeout in the Powerline plaza that holds several kosher spots.
22191 Powerline Rd, Boca Raton
Bakeries & sweets
Bread, pastry, challah for Shabbat and yom tov.
Aroma Bakery
ORBChallah, breads and pastry inside Aroma Market — order challah ahead of a yom tov.
9200 Glades Rd, Boca Raton
Restaurants & pizza
Sit-down, takeout, grills, pizza and sushi.
Boca Grill
ORBSteakhouse and Middle Eastern grill — a long-standing favourite for a meat meal out.
8903 Glades Rd, Boca Raton
Shawarma Bar
ORBIsraeli-style shawarma, laffa and salatim, quick and family friendly.
7600 W Camino Real, Boca Raton
The Grove
ORBDairy, pizza and sushi — the easy choice with children.
22191 Powerline Rd, Boca Raton
Jon's Place
ORBMeat restaurant and grill in the Powerline plaza.
22191 Powerline Rd, Boca Raton
Who certifies kosher food here
ORB — Orthodox Rabbinical Board of Broward & Palm Beach
The local agency for Boca Raton, Delray Beach and Broward. Almost every kosher establishment near us carries ORB.
ORB websiteKM — Kosher Miami (Vaad HaKashrus of Miami-Dade)
The Miami-Dade agency — you will see it on food brought up from Miami Beach and Aventura.
KM websiteOU — Orthodox Union
The national symbol on most packaged goods in any Publix or Whole Foods aisle.
OU websiteOK / Star-K / cRc — Other widely accepted national agencies
All accepted for packaged products. When in doubt, ask one of our gabbaim.
The words on the certificate
- Glatt kosher
- A stricter standard for kosher meat — the lungs are found perfectly smooth. Nearly all kosher meat sold in Boca Raton is glatt.
- Halak / Bet Yosef
- The Sephardic standard for meat, following Maran Bet Yosef. Ask specifically for halak Bet Yosef — several local markets carry it.
- Cholov Yisrael
- Dairy supervised from milking. Many Boca establishments are Cholov Yisrael and say so on the certificate.
- Pas Yisrael
- Bread and baked goods where a Jew took part in the baking.
- Parve
- Neither meat nor dairy — fish, eggs, produce, and anything made without either.
- Mehadrin
- A general term for the most stringent available supervision on a given product.
Shabbat and holidays as our guest
Congregation Bircat Shalom is a Sephardic Orthodox synagogue on Courtside Lane in West Boca Raton, minutes from the Glades Road kosher corridor. Visitors are placed with member families for Shabbat meals all through the year — write to us before Thursday and we will arrange it. See this week’s Shabbat times, the holiday calendar, or what to expect on a first visit.
For the High Holy Days, meals are handled for you: Yom Kippur at Embassy Suites includes the seudah mafseket and a full break-fast, and rooms can be reserved online.
Keeping kosher in Boca Raton — questions we get
- Which kosher certification is used in Boca Raton?
- The Orthodox Rabbinical Board of Broward and Palm Beach — ORB — certifies almost every kosher restaurant, market and bakery in Boca Raton, Delray Beach and Broward County. Nationally recognized symbols such as OU, OK, Star-K and cRc are also accepted on packaged food.
- Is there kosher food in West Boca Raton?
- Yes. The Glades Road and Powerline Road corridors in West Boca Raton hold most of the area's kosher markets, grills and bakeries, all within a short drive of Congregation Bircat Shalom on Courtside Lane.
- What does glatt kosher mean?
- Glatt kosher is a stricter standard for kosher meat, where the animal's lungs are found perfectly smooth. Nearly all kosher meat sold in Boca Raton is glatt. Sephardic families who keep halak Bet Yosef should ask specifically — several local markets carry it.
- Can I get a kosher Shabbat meal in Boca Raton as a visitor?
- Yes. Congregation Bircat Shalom, a Sephardic Orthodox synagogue at 10300A Courtside Ln, Boca Raton, FL 33428 in West Boca Raton, regularly places visitors with member families for Shabbat meals. Email the shul before Thursday and we will arrange hospitality.
- Where do I shop kosher for Passover in Boca Raton?
- The larger kosher markets along Glades Road and Powerline Road set up dedicated kosher-for-Passover aisles a few weeks before Pesach, and the national supermarkets carry certified Passover sections. Check for a Passover-specific hechsher on every item rather than the year-round one.
- Are kosher restaurants in Boca Raton open on Shabbat?
- No. Kosher establishments under ORB supervision close before candle lighting on Friday and reopen on Saturday night after habdala. Plan Shabbat food ahead, or join us at the shul and we will arrange a meal.
Stay in touch
Shabbat times and shul news, by email
Candle lighting, holiday schedules and announcements from Congregation Bircat Shalom. A few emails a month — never your details to anyone else.