BudDog, operating as a family business in a fiery-red food truck since April, offers a selection that diverges from the traditional hot dogs found in American baseball stadiums and IKEA, particularly because of its high-quality sausages. Instead of the traditional frankfurters (called “virsli” in Hungarian), they use a variety of “kolbász” – a Central European sausage. Nevertheless, guests who prefer the classic version can get an ordinary hot dog, as well.
The owners adore Budapest, which is reflected in the customized design of the BudDog truck portraying a silhouette of the Magyar metropolis skyline, centered by an image of the city’s iconic Liberation Monument by the Citadel atop Gellért Hill – only instead of a palm frond, she holds a giant hot dog aloft.
The main selection consists of three kinds of hot dogs made with kolbász: the white, lightly spiced Bavarian; the classic Hungarian sausage with paprika; and a real specialty, duck sausage. There is also a grain-based sausage on the menu hung on the side of the truck, so that vegetarians can enjoy a BudDog, as well. For toppings, a huge range of options awaits, ranging from the usual mustard and ketchup to delicacies like pesto or eggplant cream.
The primary inventor and creator of these new-wave weenies is Balázs, the former chef of Buddha-Bar, who has some more wild ideas in store for this summer: one edible innovation will be the “lecsó” hot dog in the ever-changing “current dog” offer, featuring a spreadable topping similar to Hungary’s most popular summertime pepper-based stew. As for the rest of the season, the BudDog truck will go on a brief countrywide tour and park at various festivals, from Kapolcs and Szeged to Bánki Lake. But don’t worry – even while the food truck is away from its station in the capital, these special hot dogs will still be available at Rombusz Terrace.
There are few places specializing in hot dogs in Budapest, and BudDog is one of even fewer frankfurter-focused food trucks. Furthermore, in accordance with current culinary trends, both the buns and the sausages are gluten-free, so almost anyone can feel free to chow down on these liberally loaded hot dogs. We are not exaggerating – each portion is packed with tasty toppings, and eating one without spilling everything requires great skill, so we would not recommend munching on your order while walking, or while on a first date.
We tasted three variations, and liked the one with duck sausage the best, especially because of its sweet-and-sour pairing. It comes with baby spinach, sprouts, grilled onions, and most importantly, orange mustard, with the latter topping providing the essential flavor.
When enjoyed amid the good-time summer spirit of party people hanging out at Rombusz, the luscious links of BudDog provide the fuel for an entire evening out in one central spot.
Regarding the prices, they’re quite fair when considering the quality provided by
BudDog: the cheapest version, called the “Klasszik” – with paprika sausage, ketchup, mustard and sautéed onions – costs 790 forints, while the most expensive option with the aforementioned duck sausage costs 1,490 forints. As a side dish, we can order hash browns, French fries, and one of our favorite drinks of this summer, sodas made with homemade minty elderberry syrup.
BudDog (closed)
Address:
1092 Budapest, 10-12 Ráday Street
