Hungary’s street food scene has generally traditionally been limited to
the lángos, palacsinta, and kürtöskalács variety. But the international
trend for pop-up food experiences from mobile devices has sped its way
into Budapest. Still in their first years of operation, trucks selling
gourmet burgers or Mexican comfort food are now feeding office workers
and the late-night party crowd throughout the city. As these mobile food
vendors set off on a roll, offering a variety of wallet-friendly eats
and drinks—from gourmet burgers to innovative cheese and pasta dishes—we
take a look at some of the city’s best.

Zing Burger (Király utca 13, Budapest 1075, +36 70 639 7917)

All trends begin somewhere, and Zing Burger can lay claim not only to
jump-starting Budapest’s food truck craze, but also the rush to
elevated street food. The massive queue of hungry revelers snaking from
the side of this black-and-orange truck is a testament to the
fingerlickingly-delicious burger menu that the young crew have been
serving for years. Just like at Ring, their brick-and-mortar post run by
Ádám Susánszky, this mobile eatery is serious about
its ingredients—think juicy beef patties, original home-made sauces, and
round, hearty buns. And they continue to raise the bar with new burger
concoctions on a regular basis. There are multiple vendors, but their
main distribution spot is at Gozsdu Udvar and at the food court Karaván
in the Jewish district, while they roll out to music festivals
throughout the summer.

BITE Food Truck (Teréz körút 62, Budapest 1062, +36 30 690 2185)

A bit of a departure from the other food-focused carts, BITE Food
Truck is the on-the-roll outlet of the bakery with the same name that is
stationed on the side of the WestEnd shopping center near the Nyugati
Square. Unlike typical food trucks, this curbside kitchen comes complete
with baking facilities as they aim to deliver premium and innovative
bakery products of guaranteed high quality. Pretzels come with cheese,
bacon or sausage fillings. There are cinnamon rolls topped with
mascarpone, and kakaós csiga filled with raisins—and these are just the
breakfast options. More substantial meal options include the pulled-pork
sandwiches and omelette wraps, which go well with the fruity yogurts
and freshly-squeezed juices.

Pasta Station (Kazinczy utca 18, Budapest 1076, +36 20 989 7810)

Finding Budapest’s gourmet pasta mobile takes some work; the Fiat
Ducato-turned-mobile kitchen operates in locations all over the city
(although a good jumping off point is at the Karaván food court or near
the Design Terminal at Erzsébet Square). But this black-and-yellow van
still has a strong following, thanks to its inventive, nearly
daily-changing menu featuring a range of home-made pastas, sandwiches,
and soups. Bestsellers are the spicy garlic pasta and the creamy liver
in red wine sauce pasta, as well as the BBQ sandwich stuffed with slices
of grill pork loins, grilled cheese, and mushrooms.

Berlin Canteen (Kazinczy utca 18, Budapest 1076, +36 30 343 9656)

Foot-long grilled German sausages are a sure-fire recipe for success
for hungry partiers in the Jewish district, which is why it’s no
surprise that Berlin Canteen has been making such a splash. Stationed in
the Karaván food court, the currywurst and bratwurst get the most local
love, but we also recommend the fries and sandwiches … filling and
completely delicious.

Lángos Máshogy (Kazinczy utca 18, Budapest 1076, +36 30 343 9656)

Brand new to the mobile food scene is Lángos Máshogy (or “Lángos
Differently)”, which as its name suggests is a haute homage to the cult,
yet humble lángos. It’s technically a shipping container and not a food
truck, set up in the Karaván food court, this newcomer is the
brainchild of Gábor Almási who aims to raise the lángos bar with not
only exceptional dough, but also with a great new selection of toppings
and fillings (think sausage, goose crackling, and gouda cheese). The
final product may be on the small side (but think of it as a good reason
to order two different varieties), but all things considered, it’s
better than most served in the city.

Paneer (Kazinczy utca 18,  Budapest 1076, +36 30 343 9656)

Grilled cheeses are the driving force behind this mobile purveyor of
must-try treats which feed the city’s meat-free eaters inside the
Karaván food court. Beware: the irresistible scent of these grilled or
breaded cheesy delicacies—ranging from smoked gomolya to cheddar,
emmental to mozzarella—will trigger a primordial drool reaction from
even the most carnivorous eaters. Go all out and order the grilled
cheese sandwich with sun-dried tomatoes, onion chips, and jalapenos …
 and wash it all down with a slice of cheese cake.

Magic Burger (Alíz utca 8, Budapest 1116, +36 1 426 4968)

You wouldn’t expect to find culinary bliss in a parking lot of a
Tesco shopping center in the out-of-way district of Újbuda. Yet there it
is, an unassuming bastion of big-portioned burgers that is worthy of
the mobile kitchen’s “magic” title. The quarter-pounders here not only
satisfy those with big appetites, but also diners with selective taste
buds. The choice is huge: nine types of meat, four types of home-made
buns, and sixteen toppings (besides the seasonal offerings which now
include goose-liver burgers). Saddle up with a side of onion rings and a
bowl of coleslaw, and enjoy comfort food at its finest, and most
filling.