6 Excellent Sausage Shops in Budapest

Part butcher shop, part ready-to-eat meat paradise, Pinczi hús-hentesáru is an iconic sausage shop in Budapest exhibiting a fast-disappearing side of the city. This low-priced, bare-bones lunch destination, which opened in 1991, specializes in meat dishes that have traditionally been dear to Hungarian stomachs. No matter the time of day, Pinczi swarms with customers who're a cross-section of local residents, with a noticeable concentration of middle-aged men carrying protruding bellies.

Best of all here is the roasted pork belly; crispy on the outside, with a layer of soft fat yielding to a tender meat. My go-to order is a paprika-laced sausage with a slice of said pork belly paired with sauerkraut and a slice of bread. All of this rarely comes out to be more than €6. You'll either have to eat standing at the high-top tables or find a seat on the busy street outside overlooking the Nyugati Railway Terminal.

"A field of dreams, a landscape of braised and fried and cured delights," said the late Anthony Bourdain of Belvárosi Disznótoros after a 2015 visit. This wallet-friendly self-service sausage shop in Budapest's downtown does serve a wide array of ready-made and to-be-prepared traditional meat dishes. Think paprika and blood sausage, grilled pork chop, wild boar stew, and schnitzel. I usually go for a simple and delicious cooked sausage with a side of mustard and a slice of bread (there's no seating, only high-top tables and standing counters).

A line of office workers often forms at midday; while waiting, cast a glance at the vast Neoclassical building across the street, which, including the lovely park behind it, used to be home to one the wealthiest Hungarian aristocratic families (Károlyi) before WWI; today, it houses the Petőfi Literary Museum. Note: Belvárosi Disznótoros has two locations, but this one, in Károlyi Street, is more comfortable.

This neighborhood institution, which opened in 1969, is still mainly a butcher shop but the longest lines form at midday before the steam table containing mounds of freshly made meats. The atmosphere is part of the charm here: senior neighborhood residents often drop by to pick up whatever they dreamed up to cook that day, while students from the nearby University of Technology wolf down low-priced porcine delicacies.

Although you’re here for the sausages – especially good is the liver sausage – don’t sleep on the tender roasted pork ribs, and the chicken, both the whole grilled birds and breaded cutlets. As do other patrons, order a side of sauerkraut and start munching away at one of the high-top tables. That's a real Budapest lunch experience. Once here, you can find other interesting things to do in this enjoyable Buda neighborhood.

Húsimádó, which translates to "meat lover," is a beloved neighborhood butcher shop in Budapest's Újlipótváros neighborhood. The place is piled so high with bricks of fatback and rows of smoked salami that they block the view of the other side of the counter. The main draw here is the ready-made sausages: paprika-laced, liver, and blood varieties. I also enjoy the fried chicken liver with pork belly, sauerkraut, and a thick slice of crusty bread to mop up the meat juices. Try to go at midday, when a constant stream of regulars drift into this adorable bastion of meat.

This butcher shop (hentes) next to the entrance of the Bosnyák Market isn't the best sausage vendor in Budapest, but it surely offers a local experience. If you decide to trek out to Zugló, a residential neighborhood a bit outside the city center, try going on a Saturday morning when the farmers' market is bursting with locals and with fresh produce.

Once you’re done in the market, drop by the butcher shop for juicy, freshly made pork knuckles or roasted sausages. All you need is a dollop of mustard and a thick slice of bread for this rustic lunch treat that will set you back by about €5. Don't wait for one of the high-top tables to clear; instead, make it a communal meal by standing elbow-to-elbow with locals.