Budapest – District XI (Zing Burger & Co)

In my attempts to visit as many places in District XI as possible, I decided to see what this rather on-trend Hungarian burger chain was like. It’s located at the Etele Plaza and I went there as it was so hot outside that I was craving air conditioning. The chain has been going since 2013 when they started with a food truck (they got their first restaurant in 2014) and there are around ten outlets in Budapest now and they’re growing throughout Hungary following their decision to start franchising.

This is the view from my table.

I was pleased to see that there was a kiosk to order from, which might sound very British, but they are a lot easier to use when trying to explore the menu at a fast food location. I went for the chicken burger, fries, onion rings and a Dr. Pepper. There’s an extra charge for sauces, but luckily I had several in my bag from the UK and so that saved a little money. The prices were towards the higher end of the scale for Hungary, but it is located in a posh shopping centre, although the cost of £9 didn’t feel unreasonable. As I ordered via a kiosk there was minimal engagement possible from team members, although the service seemed friendly.

The chicken burger was decent, although the roll doesn’t look very decadent (although they are made specially for the chain), with the chicken being tender and having a richness of flavour to it. The onion rings were pretty standard and the fries were firm on the exterior and fluffy on the inside, but otherwise unremarkable. The Dr. Pepper was excellent, but that’s always the case, although I don’t tend to drink fizzy drinks very much any more.

I thought that it was all pleasant enough and they seem to be attracting a generally younger crowd judging by the other customers. The on-line reviews are broadly positive and the quality seems high, so I imagine that they’ll be plenty more of these venues popping up around the country over the next few years. I should though, for the sake of completeness, try one of their beef burgers next time to see just how decadent and exciting they are.