My friend A. recently told me about the best hamburger in Sofia.
Now you can’t tell me something like this and not grab my attention.
The best hamburger in Sofia?! We live in a kufte and kabache loving country. Heck, in Bulgaria beef is by far the least popular of the the three big meats: beef, chicken and pork. So I figured that best must be relative. It’s the best hamburger in Sofia because well, we’re in Sofia.
Brown Bakery
The first time we went to Brown Bakery in Mladost we failed to get a hamburger. Apparently the kitchen was closed. Interesting problem for a, um, restaurant. Don’t get me started on this problem. I think it’s enough to say: these things happen here and leave it at that. So we had a drink and headed over to a different restaurant for dinner. And I found myself hamburger-less.
Of course, ever since, I’ve been thinking about hamburgers.
This week, we decided to take-two on the hamburgers. A. was determined to call the Brown Bakery and to confirm that the kitchen was actually open. Only the phone numbers on the Brown Bakery’s website aren’t correct so the line rang and rang and no one ever picked up. Kind of makes you wonder how they’re running a restaurant but that’s probably also something I shouldn’t spend a lot of time thinking about.
So, we met up and headed over Brown Bakery in Mladost 1 on Yerusalim 6. The restaurant was open but at 7pm we were one of maybe three tables. The place was pretty empty. A. double checked to make sure the kitchen was open and serving hamburgers. I wasn’t close enough to hear what exactly he asked but the girl he asked asked looked at him incredulously–as if asking was a ridiculous question. Given our first experience it wasn’t.
My Brown Bakery Hamburger
This time around we didn’t even get menus. Who are we fooling? We’re clearly ordering hamburgers.
By the time my hamburger arrived I was starving. That’s the problem with being a teacher and eating lunch at 11:15 am. By 7:30 pm you’re crazy hungry.
It looked delicious (but then again, anything you’d put in front of me would have). Looks can be deceiving but as it turned out, not in this case. This is one tasty hamburger. It’s huge and the bun was a little too toasty but it’s a more than acceptable when it comes to hamburgers.
Brown Bakery: the fork I never touched
After all of the hype and lead up to this hamburger, I was pleasantly surprised. It was juicy and flavorful. The french fries appeared to be homemade and the ketchup and mayonnaise on the side didn’t seem to be one of the many cheap Bulgarian brands. Here’s the one thing, I suspect that the hamburger is a blend of beef and pork meat. I don’t know this for sure but it didn’t taste like pure beef to me. This said, I now can confirm that this is the best hamburger in Mladost.
I don’t know if I feel comfortable arguing this is best hamburger in Sofia. I mean, I haven’t been to that many restaurants in Sofia nor have I eaten that many hamburgers while in Bulgaria. So, I’ll leave that argument to my friend A. As a Bulgarian, I think he probably has a better handle on the hamburger-scene in Sofia than I do.
(Oh and sorry for the less than stellar photos.)
Try Pala Burger (they have one small “бургераджийница” in Studentski grad, near Winter pallace). Order “плескавица”
they might not have standard US burger feel&look, but are one of best burgers in town (if not The best)
@Роберт Иванов Hummm I know and love “плескавица.” I wouldn’t say it’s a hamburger exactly but it’s tasty. I’ll definitely check out Pala Burger. Speaking of pleskavitsa, the NYT ran an article about the dish last winter titled “The Balkan Burger Unites all Factions.”
Hi Karolinka,
).
). Its not a big portion and it costs like 5.50 lv, but it’s pretty much the closest thing to a traditional US burger, that I’ve had here (not counting the junk at McD’s and BK)
My name is Cvetan (Цветан) and its nice to meet you!
I was doing a google search for “the best burger in Sofia” and I saw your site.
I have had a craving for a great burger for over a year now (since the last time I was in the US – I went to college in VA, also my mom lives in IL, so I visit often) and I have been on something like a “quest” to find a really good, traditional hamburger here in Sofia!
I live in Mladost and it’s funny, but I didn’t know about this bakery place, however your article intrigued me and I will try and visit it asap.
In the meantime, I thought that I would share my burger findings with you and your readers, I actually have only one decent place so far, called “бар на края на Вселената” (http://www.vselenata.com). They have one location in downtown Sofia and one in the “Student’s town” (they also have one in Mladost, but they don’t serve burgers there!!!
That burger is 100% beef and they serve it with something, that can be described as an omelette patty and really good wedged, crispy potatoes with honey mustard sauce (they are deeeeeeeelicious
Another place (unconfirmed yet, by me personally at least) is a bar called Flannigans, located in the Radisson hotel, right across from the Parliament (Народното Събрание).
A couple of US basketball players (playing for one of the teams here in Sofia) highly recommended the burgers there and from what I see on google – other people seem to be confirming this and I am actually about to check them out this week!
I really am on a “hunt” for a really good burger and if you get any more chance encounters like this one with the “Brown Bakery”, I would appreciate hearing about it! I will make sure that I follow this article and if you are interested I will share my experiences as well!
Again – nice to meet you (I actually read some of the other articles on your site, your story is cool) and thanks for the burger info!!
@Cvetan Thanks for the comment!! I am not sure that I’ll ever find the same kind of hamburger that my dAd makes but here’s a little more to add to the mix. I read this review of a hamburger on this Peace Corps Volunteer’s blog about a 17 leva hamburger. She claims it’s well worth it. I don’t know. That seems a little crazy. But maybe it’s worth checking out. It’s at Concept Cafe and Restaurant (12 Ivan Vazov Street).