If you’re heading to Cape Town then you’re most likely interested in trying some local food. South Africa has a rich heritage of traditional foods, from “pap” (maize meal), “walkie-talkies” (chicken feet and beaks), “smilies” (sheep’s head), “bunny chow” (curry in a breadloaf) and “koosusters” (fried, spice donuts), to name a few. Today’s recommendation is for the latest hole in the wall in the East City – BURI.
BURI opened in early August 2026 on Harrington Street, a busy city road that houses advertising agencies, outdoor purveyors and an increasingly busier bar and restaurant row. With Texas, Lunacy, Harrington’s, Surfa Rosa and Diamonds & Dust around the corner, it’s a convenient location for those seeking a lunch time meal or bar-hopping snack.
What is BURI?
BURI is a shortened title for the word “boerie“, which is frequently used to refer to a “Boerewors Roll”. “Boerewors” is an Afrikaans word, which translates to “farmers sausage”, and is a culinary staple in South Africa. Served outside hardware shops on a Saturday morning, at live rugby and football matches, on home braai’s (barbeques) or street and school fêtes, boerewors is never known as “farmer’s sausage” – even if the speaker’s first language is English.
BURI celebrates the humble boerewors roll by serving fresh “buri’s” from 10am to 10pm daily and is a great place to visit as a first time guest seeking a solid boerewors experience. Consider the “boeries” to South Africans as hotdogs are to New Yorkers.
The Magic of BURI Boerewors
One of the reasons why boerewors is so powerful is because of its distinct flavour. The unmistakable aroma of fat dripping into the embers unlocks core childhood memories for all South Africans. The thick, white smoke calls locals like wildlings as the richly flavoured scent fills the air – and BURI was no exception as the smell wafted down the road.
Signature herbs such as dhania seeds (coriander seeds/cilantro seeds), black pepper, cloves and nutmeg are vital in driving the quintessential flavour profile that is world famous. BURI collaborated with local butcher chain, Frankie Fenner Meat Merchant to create their own mix of boerewors and it was excellent, hitting all the right notes while having a decent size crumb without the inconvenient hard chewy bits (cartilage) that often make an unwanted appearance.
What To Order as a First Time Visitor
My recommendation is to order the classic so that you have a base level experience to grow from. If you’re going to be travelling up country for a safari, you’re likely to experience a braai during your visit so starting with the classic makes it an easy entry point to the boerewors “boerie” experience.
A traditional serving includes is South African mustard (a mix between French and American), tomato sauce (ketchup) and fried onions. From there, it’s no holes barred as one can get as experimental as possible – there’s no sauce this sausage can’t withstand.
BURI Menu
Here’s the full BURI menu and prices as of week one in August 2026.
What Did We Order at BURI?
While the special seemed interesting, for my first time visit I also wanted to focus on a traditional experience. I’m also gluten intolerant, but I kept the roll as they are freshly baked by a local artisan bakery – the Flour Market. And it was absolutely the right choice! Freshly, golden buns with a slightly crispy outside and super soft inside, heavenly. I have thought of this roll a LOT since our visit! I also excluded onions as they tend to repeat on me.
Hubby kept it simple – plain boerie and chips (R85+R35=R120) and indulged in the free sauce station. I tried the loaded fries (sweet chilli sauce, rocket and garlic mayo), with onion rings. The loaded fries were HUGE! Definitely a full meal or enough for 2 to share. The onion rings were charmingly crispy – again, also probably better to share.
What About the Sides?
In the province of the Western Cape, we have 2 styles of potato chips – “slap” or not. Many Capetonians like their fries barely cooked, very soft and floppy, hence they are “slap”. Others like them in the British style where they are soft in the middle and crunchy on the outside. You’re never entirely sure which style you’re going to get, but I’m happy to report that BURI’s are perfectly soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside.
Are There Halaal Options?
Traditionally, boerewors is comprised of beef mince and pork mince, however, there are also Halaal friendly options depending on who’s cooking. At BURI, pork-free wors can be requested. Having Halaal options is common for Cape Town in particularly as we have a large muslim community across the city.
A Touch oF Nostalgia
Visiting BURI isn’t only about having a taste of South African cuisine, it’s also about having the FEELING of being South Africa. Very cleverly, the chef took his childhood picture and had the linolium floors reprinted in 2026 to emulate his childhood home. While waiting to order, I was staring down at the floors and trying to figure out if the building was that old (that it still had original floors) and in doing so, he saw me and explained the effort that had been put into the decor.
This is also reflected in their “Brannas draft” on tap – a pre-mix of Brandy and Coke, another staple in South Africa – often consumed while boerewors is being braai’d.
Are there any desserts?
I selected caramelised white donuts and pecan nuts and thought one donut for R60 was a little on the costly side, however, it was actually a serving of 6 mini donuts! Great value there and so delicious. They seemed to have smoked the caramel or used the fat drippings in the sauce as the donuts literally had an under current of braai. While they were sweet, they were also slightly savoury which was so new and interesting. I know I’ll crave these again some day soon!
Are There Any Specials at BURI?
- Happy hour on drinks on tap between 4 – 6pm daily.
- Order chips with your boerie and get R5 off.
BURI – Is It Worth the Visit?
On Masterchef Australia, the original judges used to ask themselves – but would I eat it again? I have thought about BURI every single day since I visited and would absolutely visit again.
The media launch has created a frenzy on TikTok and Instagram so it may be a little tricky to get into over the next 2 weeks, but hopefully things will simmer down and allow easier access to this delicious offering. If not, you can always rely on the Tommy’s Chop Shop food truck around the corner.
Find BURI at 99 Harrington Street, District Six. Open Mondays to Saturdays from 10am to 10pm.