Smash Burger (Berlin, Germany)

Wittenbergplatz, 10789 Berlin, Germany

 

Smash Burger (or Smash) is a stand at the Wittenbergplatz just off the famous KaDeWe, which is part of the Hauptburger chain. It serves three types of smash burgers, one type of fried chicken burger, and fries. I get the Double Fried Onion Chili Burger (€8), which is two extremely juicy smashed beef patties, thin sliced onions, jalapenos, homemade pickles and chipotle sauce on a brioche bun. Not sure where the chili comes in. But this is a very juicy and tasty burger, despite the rather minor kick.

 

VERDICT: 89/100

Excellent smash burgers and not too expensive given the location.

Merakles (Stuttgart, Germany)

Hauptstrasse 170, 70563 Stuttgart

 

Merakles is a pretty famous Greek food truck on the outskirts of Stuttgart that provides a wide range of dishes you’ll usually find at a bigger gyros restaurant: gyros, souflaki, falafel, various salads, deserts, etc. I get a Pita Gyros (€5.80) and a Lahano (€2.90). The pita is huge and has enough fries in it for a side meal. Unfortunately, everything is very salty and most of the (non-salty) tzatziki and tomato are at the bottom. The Lahano is a cabage salad, which is big and fresh.

 

VERDICT: 88/100

I’m not going to lie, I was a bit disappointed. It was good gyros but not remarkable. However, the next day I did find out that I had COVID, so maybe my taste was a bit off.

 

Würstelstand Mochael Moser (Salzburg, Austria)

Universitätsplatz, 5020 Salzburg, Austria

 

Würstelstand (Sausage Stand) Mochael Moser is one of many sausage stands at the market of the Universitätsplatz in downtown Salzburg that sells a host of different sausages to locals and tourists alike. I get the Pustakrainer (€4.30), two relatively thin sausages that have a serious kick. It comes with a “spicy” mustard and a roll. Pretty good but also very fat

 

VERDICT: 85/100

Good selection of sausages but also quite expensive.

 

Auingler Würstelstand (Linz, Austria)

Taubenmarkt, 4020 Linz, Austria

 

This is one of two sausage stands that are next to each other in the big shopping street of Linz. It is quite busy on this early evening, mostly with people drinking. They serve a broad range of sausages as well as fries and other snacks. The typical Austrian hot dog seems to be the “Bosna,” which comes in many different versions (mostly a difference of condiments).

 

I get the Original Bosna (€3.40), which is two thin sausages in a very crispy (pressed) sandwich, with mustard and onion as well as some powder that usually goes on Currywurst. The sausages are mostly very salty, not very tasty.

 

VERDICT: 72/100

Neither particularly tasty, nor particularly cheap.

Frituur ‘t Pleintje (Geel, Belgium)

Winkelomseheide 145, 2440 Geel, Belgium

 

Frituur ‘t Pleintje is a modern frietkot in the town of Geel, roughly 100 meter from another frituur. It stands out not just for its broad selection of snacks, but particularly for its vegan selection — and they fry their fries in vegetable oil.

 

I get a Small Fries (€ 2.50 or $2.80) with mayonnaise (€ 1 or $1.10) as well as a Spicy Viandel (€ 2.20 or $2.50) with Samourai (€ 1). T gets a Regular Fries with Vegan Stoofvlees (€ 8 or $9) and Pickles (1) as well as a Double Vegan Burger (€ 6.40 or $7,25). The fries are very good, although some are perhaps a bit too tough on the outside. The mayo is excellent (they don’t use the usual brands). The spicy viandel is not spicy but fortunately the samourai sauce is. T says that the vegan stoofvlees is excellent, the vegan burger a bit basic.

 

VERDICT: 92/100

Very good frituur and highly recommended for vegans!

Pylsuhúsið (Reykjavik, Iceland)

Hafnarstræti, 110 Reykjavík, Iceland

 

Pylsuhúsið is another hot dog stand, not too far from Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur and next to Hlölla Bátar. It serves hot dogs in different varieties, including bratwurst and chili dogs, as well as ice cream. I get the Icelandic Hot Dog, which was roughly $4, and very similar to BBP, but without the remoulade, I think. It was good, but not remarkable. 

 

VERDICT: 86/100
A standard Icelandic hotdog.

Hlölla Bátar (Reykjavik, Iceland)

Hafnarstræti, 110 Reykjavík, Iceland

 

Sandwich stand on popular square in downtown Reykjavik that offers “boats”, that is sandwiches (6” or 12”) with mostly warm meats, lettuce and sauce.

 

I get the 6” Bacon Boat (ISK 1050 or ~$8). The sandwich is a toasted soft grain bread with a few strips of not crispy bacon, which mostly taste salty, while the lettuce and "Hlölla sauce" (mayo or aioli)  don’t change taste much.

 

VERDICT: 80/100

Decent but not remarkable. CRazy overpriced, of course, but this is Iceland.

Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur (Reykjavik, Iceland)

 Tryggvagata, 101 Reykjavik, Iceland

Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur is the world famous hot dog stand that allegedly sells "the best hot dog in the world." A must-see touristic attraction that has been visited by celebrities from across the globe. It only serves hot dogs and sodas. I get a Hot Dog “with everything” (ISK 550 or ca. $4.40) that comes with crunchy onions, remoulade, and an odd watery brown sauce. The dog itself is really snappy and overall this is a great hot dog.

 

VERDICT: 95/100

BBP lives up to the hype. An excellent hot dog stand that is quite affordable (by Icelandic standards). Best hot dog I had in Iceland.

Kendall’s Grill (Greenville, SC)

Inside the Greenville Triumph SC stadium

Kendall's Grill has a restaurant in Greenville with a broader menu of breakfast, lunch, dinner, and sweets options, but serves burgers and hot dogs in the Legacy Early College Stadium during Greenville Triumph games. I get a Slaw Dog ($1.50), which is a small wiener with mustard, slaw, and tasty liquidy chili on a fresh bun. Very tasty!

 

85/100

Pretty good quality for stadium food. Would definitely try their brick and mortar.

Myami Bites (Greenville, SC)

 126 Augusta Street, Greenville, SC, 29601

 

Myami Bites is located in the same spot (Gather) as HenDough Chicken and Donuts, Gather, a funky collection of bars and little restaurants in downtown Greenville, SC.  offers a fairly limited menu of Cuban snacks and sandwiches. Despite the fact that I order just a sandwich, and there is just one person before me, it takes very long (ca. 15 minutes) before I finally get my food.

I get the Cuban ($11.99), which is a very thin sandwich with roasted pork, ham, pickles and mustard (I asked for no cheese), pressed to make it soft and warm inside. While it is very tender, and the pork has good taste, it is not remarkable and, obviously, overpriced.

82/100

While the quality of the Cuban sandwich is definitely good for a place outside of Miami, it is also seriously overpriced. 

 

Hot Dog Stand (Johanneshov, Sweden)

In front of Tele2 Arena, Arenaslingan 14, 121 77 Johanneshov, Sweden

 

This is a small hot dog cart, which you can find across the city. I get a Lammerkarv (SEK 45 or $5.30), which is allegedly the most spicy sausage they have. It is a long, thin sausage, partly lukewarm, and not spicy. Neither is the “spicy” chili mustard. The bun is tiny.

 

VERDICT: 74/100

Meh

Imbiss 17. Juni (Berlin, Germany)

Straße des 17. Juni, (Höhe S-Bhf Tiergarten), 10557 Berlin, Germany

 

I had seen this Imbiss (snackbar) from the train several times last year and really wanted to try it. It looked old school and it is – I’m actually somewhat disappointed it has a website.. It’s run by a really nice old man, who seems perfectly happy to run his little stand. It serves sausages, fries, hamburgers, and sodas.

 

I get a Currywurst with fries and mayo, the standard fare in Berlin. It costs €3.80, which is very good, but the quality of the sausage is very poor and the reasonably thin fries are seriously undercooked.

  

VERDICT: 55/100

I really wanted to like this place, but it was one of the worst snack experiences in Germany.

Jafaris Donuts (Stockholm, Sweden)

Drottninggatan 13A, 111 51 Stockholm, Sweden

Jalfaris Donuts seems to be a Swedish version of Dunkin’ Donuts, which also has a stand in a touristic street in downtown Stockholm. I addition to a rich variety of donuts, they also sell ice cream and churros. I get the basic version of the Churros (SEK 50 or $5.75), i.e. with cinnamon and sugar. I would say there are almost 10 sticks in the bag, which were not freshly made but still a bit warm. They are fairly flavorless and seem a bit undercooked.

 

VERDICT: 80/100

Ok, because it is rare to find churros, but there are many better sweets in Stockholm.

Pho 99 (Prague, Czech Republic)

Revoluční 655/1, 110 00 Prague, Czech Republic

 

Pho 99 is a small stand just next to at the Kotva department store in downtown Prague that offers Vietnamese food. In addition to spring rolls, pho, and Bánh Mí, they also serve burgers.

 

I get the Bánh Mí (CZK 85 or $3.50), which comes with pork. The bread is a bit too crispy and the pork a bit too salty, but overall quite tasty and the fresh cilantro and spicy sauce give it extra flavor.

 

VERDICT: 78/100

Quite expensive for Prague, but pretty authentic Bânh Mí.

Hot Dog Stand (Washington, DC)

23^rd Street, NW, in front of Foggy Bottom-GWU Metro Station, Washington, DC

This is a generic hot dog stand on the square of the Foggy Bottom-George Washington University Metro Station. It is run by an older Asian woman and serves hot dogs and the usual variety of cold snacks and drinks.

 

I get a Hot Dog ($2.50) with Chili (+$0.50). The bun is generic, the sausage is generic, the mustard is generic, and the chili, which might be somewhat original, is decent.

VERDICT: 78/100

Generic and slightly overpriced, as was to be expected.