Joe József Tóth started off as a dishwasher in England, and then returned home to Hungary to open one of Budapest's best burger places. Recently, he opened a second unit at Rákóczi Avenue 19 in District VIII, next to the Uránia cinema. We tried it out and were not disappointed.
When Józsi went to England, he probably did not think that he would climb the food-service ladder all the way to the top, and find work at one of the most famous places. His employment at Cipriani influenced him greatly: during his studies of six years, he lived and worked in England, Australia, and America, but learned the most about high-quality materials and presenting them in the most tasteful way at that venerable dining establishment.
But we would not be entirely fair if we did not mention the other place that highly influenced Józsi. This was a caravan in London, which might not have even had a name. However, the good burgers they sold gathered the elite of London’s taxi drivers: they faced black cabs and hungry drivers day by day. The fact got imprinted in the collective consciousness that if a place is frequently visited by taxi drivers, police officers, and paramedics, it cannot be bad.
The first unit of Black Cab opened three years ago at Mester Street 46 in District IX. They did not spend any money on marketing, yet the place operated smoothly from the first day. Józsi is a friendly guy, and in addition to the nice service, the good food assured the popularity of Black Cab from the beginning. We often took a detour on our way home just to drop by – but fortunately, with the opening of this second unit, it is now a lot easier for downtown dwellers to access their British-style burgers.
There is a serious selection of these meaty treats. We tried two kinds – both were specialties of the place. The cabbie is a perfect street food burger, and is worth every forint: in addition to the beef patty, there is some grilled bacon, English cheddar cheese, lettuce, mustard, ketchup, mayonnaise, BBQ sauce, jalapeno pepper, tomato, white onion, and pickled cucumber between the toasted buns, but we asked for a bit of grilled pineapple as well, just to invoke our memories of the London lifestyle.
Their other specialty is the salmon burger. Similarly to the beef version, it comes from excellent suppliers. The finely minced fish forms a surprisingly firm patty, which goes perfectly with the blue cheese melted on top. We have to wait a bit longer for our burgers than at other places, but as a result, the flavors somehow come together better. The bacon and the sauces, the grilled pineapple and the beef, all stand out over some of the others places’ typical flavors.
To accompany these, we chose a Black Cab salad (tomato, cucumber, lettuce, white onion, flax seeds, grated cheddar cheese, and balsamic dressing), fries prepared in peanut oil, and, of course, Gaymer’s cider and Fuller’s English ale – but we can also choose from several soft drinks imported from England.
They pay attention to the environment and joined a program bringing together green businesses, and therefore committed to a number of innovative practices. As Józsi says, even they were surprised when they realized how much garbage they produced previously.
The interior is a bit cold without the usual pictures (which will be up the walls pretty soon), but the place definitely has a unique design that reflect Józsi’s philosophy perfectly: they do not want to create gourmet burgers for restaurant prices, but simple, fast-food style meals, yet also very high-quality food. They succeeded so far: Black Cab offers delicious fare for three years, now at two locations.
