Pocakos Lakatos

Pocakos Lakatos is a popular lunch-only eatery on the outskirts of Budapest. Since it takes about 25 minutes to get to from downtown by public transport, I especially recommend this place for people looking for a truly local dining experience in Budapest (I promise you'll be the only tourist here).

The restaurant revolves around Ferenc Hangos, the cheerful owner, who mans the counter in his signature white suspenders. He multitasks by plating dishes, handling payments, and shouting orders to the kitchen staff. Mr. Hangos's banter with regular customers is peppered with witty personal insults; he takes particular joy from roasting customers behind whom a sufficiently long line has formed to appreciate his verbal slap.

Most customers are blue-collar men, which might explain why packed plates of beef tripe are consumed in massive quantities. Stuffed cabbage, roast sausage, and other hearty Hungarian dishes are also popular. Pick whatever seems most appetizing of the daily specials stacked behind the glass counter, most of which are wallet-friendly.

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