Burger Fest 2024: The Burger Lover’s Dream Event

I love a good juicy burger as much as the next person and I always silently aim to find the right one for me.

I have gone from ones with fried eggs inside to ones with pickles or black bread on top and bottom, just for the sake of something unique. I am all in for a twisted burger, because I like to indulge myself to a different taste in something so common and simple in my mind as a burger.
It’s amazing how many versions of something relatively basic exist and you can find then all in Burger Fest 2024, in Athens.

Location

For the last ten years, Burger Fest is one yummy feast for all burger enthusiasts. It has become an anticipated event for all of those who want to discover more places where good burgers get crafted. Athens is a rather large city, as you may know, and it’s hard to find good quality places to grab a burger around town. Sure, there are few fast food restaurants widely known like Pax with amazing smash burgers or Tsiken, that specializes in chicken burgers and appetizers. But, it was this special event that gathered most vendors, each year with more participants, giving us an insight on flavors we didn’t know we wanted until we tasted them.

Burger Fest takes place each year at Gazi, more specifically at the Old Amaxostasio of OSY. It’s right at the city center, very easy to find it and with multiple parking spaces around if you go there by car. There is also public transportation with a stop right outside the building.

There is a three euros fee at the entrance and a guy that checks your ticket once inside. The place/building is large with two long rows of kiosks on each side, showcasing various vendors. On the left side you will find all the burger aisle and on the right you will be able to find kiosks with refreshments and desserts, because who doesn’t want a sweet bite after a burger? In the middle, you will be able to choose your seat from the multiple rows of large pick nick type of tables, along with the alternate choice of some standing barrels, serving also as tables. The cocktails and beers also served there is a good excuse for you to sit around one of those barrels and enjoy your time with your partner or your friends.

Honestly, the whole decoration and vibes is so good. Minimal to a point, but very nice with music blasting through the speakers and artists performing so you can eat and listen to your favorite music. It’s like a little party going on!

A Subtle Feast

The whole idea is for you to walk around the place, see the kiosks, talk with a few chefs or managers there if you get the chance (they are very friendly), see their menus and the available burgers and buy what you like. Note that not all burgers are available, due to the small size of the kiosks and the small kitchen. You can find stuff like chicken fingers or french fries as well, just subtle burger appropriate appetizers to go with your burgers.

To be honest, it is quite different from Athens Street Food Festival in comparison to the portions at least. A burger is a very fulfilling lunch or dinner, the bread makes all the work of stuffing you up, which means that it’s quite difficult to try more than two. I am not a very strong eater, if I say so myself, but I do steal a bite from my partner from time to time. We opted for two burgers and an appetizer of chicken nuggets of some sort, which was amazing.

One of the burgers was made from bao buns, which is what made it so special. The bread was so warm, fluffy, very nice to the feel and blended with the chicken in between. We got this burger from hurryup.athens and it was the best choice, since I never had a bao bun burger before. The most interesting part about this burger is that the bun takes it’s slightly blonde color from slightly burning the top with a blowtorch. The woman who did mine was so skillful and careful, you could see the concentration on her face and it wasn’t just because she was handling fire.

The second burger was from RnD and it was inspired by Crete. Yes, the well known Greek island with its many special dishes and unique island-grown ingredients has inspired the super burger Sifis. The highlight of this burger is the flavor of tsikoudia, a Cretan drink that’s been cooked right into the burger. The taste is rich, it explodes in your mouth and is so worth it. The juicy burger is completing the already top of the notch flavor.

Food festivals are always such a nice experience for me and not just because of the food. I honestly believe that, maybe it’s because food is involved, people are always friendlier and nicer there. They are eager to share stories and bites with you, tell you their own favorite fast food spots you should try and give you advice. It’s an opportunity of food and bonding and as a certified introvert, it’s a challenging outing that is worth every year of me attending.

You can find every bit of information about the Burgerfest festival at their official page: https://burgerfest.gr/