Saint Grease Pot

Years ago it was quite a ritual. Masses of hungry drunk people would head over to Moszkva tér after the bars had closed to fill themselves with hearty, greasy fare to soak up some of the booze. The restaurant they headed to was Szent Jupát, because they knew it was cheap and they would get a bargeload of food.

Szent Jupát Étterem
II. Retek u 16, Tel: 212-2923
Open Mon-Sun, Noon-6am

Szent Jupát still exists and does a brisk business, because they still pile it on and it's not that expensive. But over a recent late afternoon meal, I realized I'd have to be drunk like back in the old days to consider going there ever again.

We hadn't eaten much and were in search of heavy food, which Szent Jupát is proud to offer, and my friend had never been there so I felt like I was letting her in on something special. The entrance to Szent Jupát is kind of like a secret: it's sort of a demure side door to the building and inside the entrance you have to step up to another door which leads you into a warm, dark room which looks like the inside of a log cabin or some kind of hunting lodge. The wall covering, booths, tables and chairs are all made of wood.

The menu is extensive with mostly very heavy fare: slabs of fried meat, half ducks and tartar beefsteak (the young couple in the booth next to us indulging in the latter). You can page through the menu forever if feeling indecisive.

I was up for goose or duck, both of which are served on huge wood platters (like most fare here) and accompanied by sautéed red cabbage and fried potato cubes. We decided to split a duck and have soups, she an erőleves (Hungarian soup broth) with an egg yolk, me a 'French' onion soup. Both were okay, but the onion soup was loaded with cream and didn't have the flavor of an awesome onion soup we'd recently eaten in Amsterdam.

But it was while we were waiting for the main course to arrive that we realized that we were truly in a 'greasy spoon'. Our feet were sticking to the floor under our booth and it wasn't just because we'd come after the lunch rush. The entire floor had not been washed in months and I spied a carpet runner that was caked with grease and dirt. The bathroom also left something to be desired, according to my dining companion.

Jó frickin' étvágyat!

The duck arrived on a wooden platter. We split the crispy critter, which was actually quite scrawny. And I think I got cheated and chose the wrong half, because I didn't find much meat on it. The red cabbage was too sweet for me, while the potatoes were okay.

So not only were we disgusted with the lack of cleanliness, but the meal was also underwhelming. The service, which is included as a service charge in the bill, was okay.

Our bill totalled HUF 4,000.