Robi Pál, and Zoltán and Attila Kaszás grew up together in a village in Nógrád and, after losing touch for a while, Robi renewed his connection with the two brothers here in Budapest. By then, he was already in the hospitality trade, representing the slowly awakening American BBQ genre in Hungary. The Kaszás brothers, despite not having roots in this kind of business, convinced Robi that they should start their own BBQ enterprise together. At that time, this type of cuisine had only appeared at various events and festivals, and lacked permanent outlets in town.
Robi had learned how to make perfect BBQ while living in the US – he even worked at one of the most emblematic BBQ places there, the Franklin Barbecue in Austin, Texas. While setting up their own restaurant, Robi and the brothers wanted to ape American traditions not only in terms of ingredients, but in their methods, too. The first Smokey Monkies opened in 2017 on Szentendrei út in Óbuda. It was an instant success, so a second arrived just two months later, on Haller utca in District IX, south Pest. A third one set up on downtown Arany János utca, appropriately on 4 July, 2018.
Meanwhile, the boys also put together an offset smoker reminiscent of an old locomotive for festival season – as they say, their primary goal was to popularise this type of food in the countryside as well. In the end, they not only attracted locals, but Will Smith and Arnold Schwarzenegger also paid a visit during their stays in Budapest.
The opening of the Király utca restaurant was scheduled for spring, postponed, then took place in early June. This outlet has a truly southern US vibe to it, with only the wooden floor missing. The wood-panelled walls are covered with pictures, quotes and colourful cartoons. The BBQ meats, just like at the other outlets, arrive twice a day from Szentendrei út, where they are prepared from 5am each day. Only fresh ingredients are used.
Signature dish at this venue is the smashed burger (1,600 HUF) is made with a technique popular in the US but less known in Hungary – the meat is not formed into a patty, but put onto the smoker in a round shape, and then flattened with a spatula while cooking. This way, the inside of the meat stays juicy, but its edges adopt a flavoursome smoked taste, increasing the experience. In addition, it’s served with double cheddar and bacon.
Besides burgers, the menu lists items similar to those at the other Smokey Monkies outlets – BBQ platters, salads, sandwiches, dips and sides such as regular potato fries, BBQ beans, mac and cheese and mustard potatoes.
Sandwiches include the classic pulled pork, but we tried the well-packed beef sandwich (small 2,000 HUF, large 2,990 HUF) – it was filled with tender beef, coleslaw and homemade BBQ sauce, with just a hint of sweetness. A light side dish does just fine with a sandwich of this size, such as the fresh vegetables with blue cheese sauce.
Among the boxes, we asked for the all-in XXL BBQ mixed dish (3,600 HUF), offering a taste of almost everything on the menu. Juicy, soft beef, lively sides and homemade sausages arrived with mustard fries, coleslaw salad and two types of homemade BBQ sauce. It’s hard to vote for a favourite, but if someone loves crumbly beef pieces, they’ll really appreciate this lean meat treat.
By the way, the recipes are all unique – from the sausage to the rubs to the garnishes.
You would think that four outlets and festival season would provide the team with plenty of work, but the three boys won’t stop. In a month, their first plaza outlet will open – and, in the busy Westend mall, in addition to BBQ meats, they will innovate with grilled dishes.
How many Smokey Monkies will later be found around town is not yet clear, but the boys don’t rule out that with the right partners, they wouldn't shy away from franchising.
Smokey Monkies
District VII. Király utca 53
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Open: Daily 11.30am-11pm
