In recent years Budapest has become a giant food hub with multicultural influences. It’s impossible to avoid street food, but why would you want to anyway? There’s so much to explore.
Soul Food Budapest
Wandering around the crowded streets of District VII, you’ll definitely come by Soul Food Budapest. It brings you the unique cuisine of the southern part of the United States in a colourful environment. You can’t leave without tasting the genuine Creole flavours that can hardly be found elsewhere in the city; examples include the Caribbean curry with chicken, peanuts, coconut, parsnip, and banana. We also recommend you to try the Create Your Plate offer that includes meat (BBQ wings, chicken drumstick, or fried chicken stripes), side dish (sweet potato chips, garlic bread, Creole rice with beans, or French fries), garnish (coleslaw, fresh salad, grilled sweet corn, or Creole baked beans), and sauce (among other aioli and mango-mustard). On weekdays a daily menu is available, and you can ask for home delivery every day between 11.30 AM and 9.30 PM.
1075 Budapest, Kazinczy utca 32.
EPIC Burger
There are many cool and creative restaurant names in Budapest, one of them being a downtown burger joint that labels itself EPIC. As noblesse obliges, EPIC Burger (currently operating at three locations) lives up to its name. The popular meating (sic) points present tasty burger specialties in large portions, accompanied with nice beers and cocktails to highlight the best features of this quintessential American meal. The joint’s Dohány utca location offers weekly lunch menus; the Holló utca one is known for its long list of beverages. Are you longing for a tailor-made hamburger? Build one depending on what you are craving at Corvin sétány! Gluten free, whole grain and low carb buns, and veggie burgers are also available, as well as crowd-pleaser hot dogs and salads. Plus points: service is friendly and fast, and there’s open air seating.
Tölcsibe
Just a few months after it’s been opened, Tölcsibe rocked the Hungarian street food scene like a hurricane; it took home a very prestigious honour in 2018. The winner of The Hungarian Street Food Awards has set the bar high. Filling American-style savoury waffle cones with fresh and crispy chicken, they keep sweeping us off our feet with their unique and lovable flavours. Perfect for busy people on the move, the tiny fork-less food diner is located in Wesselényi utca. It’s actually just a stone’s throw away from Kéthly Anna tér. The hungry wanderer can choose from 4 fix flavour profiles: classic spicy BBQ, cheddar cheese and jalapeno, beer-mustard-honey, American ranch dressing (combination of buttermilk, salt, garlic, onion, mustard, herbs and spices mixed into a sauce). The 5th is a surprise, it changes every 2nd month. Just in case you are still hungry (and thirsty), opt for granny’s fries, homemade cordials or Tölcsibe’s special beer selection.
1077 Budapest, Wesselényi utca 23.
Waffle Dog
Inspired by a trip to the Benelux, the capital city’s beloved eatery was brough to life by a team of dessert enthusiasts. They wanted to introduce a new version of waffles to the Hungarian snack market. At Waffle Dog, products are more than visually stunning eye candy: the harmony of flavours is just as important as presentation. Among others, the kid- and dog-friendly venue offers mouthwatering strawberry-Milka-flavoured and Kinder chocolate-infused waffle dogs with vanilla custard, as well as dreamy Túró Rudi-vanilla Poffertjes (Dutch mini pancakes), freshly prepared in front of your eyes. Get ready for the challenge of choice, because the long list of delightful options include creatively composed savoury alternatives too.
1072 Budapest, Klauzál tér 9.
Arriba Taqueria
No list of great street food would be complete without the Arriba Taqueria restaurant chain’s three downtown venues located at 21 Bartók Béla út, 25 Teréz körút, and 1/A Széna tér. First of all, everything these gourmet fast-casual restaurants provide are finely and freshly prepared. Secondly, they offer authentic burritos, tacos packed with flavours, delicious Mexican hot sandwiches (quesadilla), hellishly hot Jalapeno poppers, and heart-warming desserts such as the apple chimichanga, among others. And last but not least, they also help their guests gain insight on a different, fascinating culture. Pop into the friendly joint or order your Mexican street food favourites; one of Budapest’s most authentic places will surely satisfy you.
Buddies Burger
Everybody needs some buddies – says Buddies Burger’s official website. Sticking to this quote, their gigantic burgers are truly something our taste buds would love to establish a lasting friendship with. Being the unapologetically unique and ground-breaking hamburger joint as it is, Buddies Burger isn’t scared of walking the unknown path; from time to time they introduce completely new flavour combinations and toppings (such as fried pickles) to their returning guests who value Buddies Burger’s experimentation and creative bravery. Just take a look at their yummy food image – doesn’t it make your mouth water and your stomach grumble? Find them in two locations: 52 Magyar utca (near Kálvin tér), or 8 Somogyi Béla utca (close to Blaha Lujza tér).
Black Cab Burger
Ready to satisfy everyone’s burger hunger, Black Cab is one of the most popular eateries of its own kind located in the heart of Budapest. This unique burger joint brings a piece of England to the capital city; it offers an incomparable experience with an amazing flavour fusion that guarantees love at first bite. A modern, cosy atmosphere welcomes guests with comfortable red chairs, stylish black tables and London’s emblematic symbols on the walls displaying the double decker buses, the Tower Bridge, among others. From design to ingredient sourcing everything is done by a small circle of friends. They put their heart into the success of the restaurant. There’s special emphasis on quality and fresh ingredients, as well as on being environmentally friendly which they attempt to pursue by recycling, using led lights, bio cleaning products, no PET bottles, and so on.
Make your own burger!
Once you take a look at Black Cab’s menu you’ll immediately know it’s a gourmet burger kitchen. Their creative “make your own burger” concept means guests can build their desired burger from top to bottom. With regard to the size of the bun, the preferred meat – chicken, beef, salmon – toppings, and extras including specialties such as blue cheese, grilled pineapple and fried egg, it’s all your decision. Black Cab’s every hamburger creation is out-of-this-world juicy. The killer English sauces each burger come with are hellishly good, not to mention the light and crispy fries. You can choose from a decent list of beverages including Crabbie’s refreshing bottled ginger beer. Don’t forget to test the authentic, characterful draught beer, Fuller’s London Pride either; it comes with a burger taming bitterness. Black Cab’s monthly offers are incredibly delicious without exception, but the tempting house specials are also worth a shot. They have homemade brownies too! Big-time burger fans and street food gourmets, this place is for you.
1088 Budapest, Rákóczi út 19.
1095 Budapest, Mester utca 46.
Vaslap
Dohány utca’s area also has its fair share of street food that easily rivals competition from well-known multinational chains. There’s Vaslap, for instance, where the price of appealing burgers ranges from 1000 HUF to 2000 HUF. One of the house’s specialties is called Vaslap Burger; the bun is packed with quality ingredients: beef patty, cheddar cheese, bacon, tomato, red onion, jalapeno, onion chips, and homemade chipotle sauce. But in case you’d rather go for something tailored to your taste, create your own dream topping combination. Hamburgers are available in “protein” alternatives too which means you can go for a bunless fitness version to support your diet with. Visit Vaslap every weekday between noon and 9 PM.
1074 Budapest, Dohány utca 59.
Pizza and Beer
It’s impossible for the admirers of Budapest’s nightlife to be unfamiliar with Akácfa utca’s Pizza and Beer. Housed inside of Instant-Fogas (it is located in the heart of the well-known party district), this pizza bar has been on the street food scene for 2 years. Considering its opening hours (they are awaiting guests from 6 PM to 6 AM) it’s the perfect place to kick off the evening, or to fill your belly at after dancing the calories away. Thanks to their cooperation with Wolt and Netpincér they provide a delivery service. The only disadvantage is, you won’t be able to experience the irresistible Pizza and Beer vibes plus the cool, comic book inspired decoration. Check out their events, follow them on Facebook.
1073 Budapest, Akácfa utca 51.