When Jerusalem-born Maher "Max" Eljergawi took over the whitewashed cottage at 18th Street and State Avenue (the former Westheight Coffee Shop) and turned it into a combination smoothie salon and burger palace, he thought he'd make his name selling four kinds of Philly cheesesteaks. But his namesake 1-pound "Big Max" burger is what the locals talk about, because it's more than a mouthful. In fact, the $7.50 burger is almost too heavy to lift out of its plastic basket. "I have to warn customers that it's an awfully big ol' thing," says waitress Kathy Murphy. "It's two 8-ounce beef patties, two slices of cheese, grilled onions, sautéed mushrooms, lettuce, tomato and pickles." Most customers who take on the Big Max don't finish it in one sitting. "They either take half of it home or they split it with someone," Murphy says. It's especially good washed down with a Strango, a smoothie made from strawberry and mango juices.
