“Bringing Back the Buri” is a clever slogan, but after spending the morning at Buri’s opening on Harrington Street, I realised it’s about far more than a catchy tagline.
There are few things more unmistakably South African than a boerie roll. Whether it’s at a rugby match, a school sports day, a Saturday braai or a roadside stall, it’s one of those meals woven into our collective memory. It’s simple, comforting and, when it’s done well, almost impossible to beat.
So, when Belly Restaurant Group, the team behind Belly of the Beast, Galjoen and Seebamboes, announced they were opening an eatery dedicated almost entirely to the humble boerie roll, I was intrigued. Could one of Cape Town’s most celebrated restaurant groups elevate something so familiar without losing what made it special in the first place?
After spending the morning at Buri’s opening, I think they have.
On a cold Cape Town morning, we hadn’t even reached the front door before the smell of charcoal found us. It drifted out onto Harrington Street in that unmistakable way only a real braai can.
The team welcomed us warmly, the atmosphere was relaxed and inviting, and despite it being a brand-new opening, there was an immediate sense that this was a place built around hospitality rather than hype.
Before the food, though, there was one drink I simply couldn’t ignore: the Brannas Draught. Buri’s take on the classic brandy and Coke is exactly the sort of playful idea that fits the eatery perfectly. It’s familiar, refreshing and just different enough to make you wonder why nobody thought of putting it on tap before.
I started with the boeries straight away: the Special. I’ll avoid giving away too much because half the fun is asking your “Boerie Master” what’s on offer, but mine featured a warthog sausage paired with tangy pickles, crispy curry leaves and onion rings. It was adventurous without ever becoming complicated. The toppings were excellent, but the meat remained the undisputed hero of the meal, exactly as it should be.
Next came the O.G., topped with garlic mayonnaise, chilli chutney and fresh rocket. If the Special showcased Buri’s creativity, the O.G. proved just how satisfying a classic combination can be when every ingredient is given the attention it deserves.
The custom boerewors, developed with Frankie Fenner Meat Merchants, deserves special mention. It’s coarse enough to remind you you’re eating a proper wors, with enough bite to keep every mouthful interesting, but without those oversized coriander seeds that inevitably seem to wedge themselves in your teeth. The coriander flavour is still very much there, simply woven through the meat rather than interrupting it. Most importantly, it’s cooked beautifully. Juicy from beginning to end, it needs no drowning in sauce to compensate for dryness, unlike so many boerie rolls we’ve all had over the years.
The buns are equally impressive. Baked specially for Buri by Flour Market, they reminded me of the rolls traditionally used for lobster rolls. Toasted on both sides, they develop a buttery caramelisation that adds flavour while giving them enough structure to hold everything together without falling apart. Soft enough to bite through easily and sturdy enough to survive until the final bite, they’re exactly what a boerie roll should be.
Alongside the rolls came a basket of thick-cut chips that quickly became one of the highlights of the meal. Double-fried, they’re deeply crisp on the outside while remaining fluffy inside. They’re the sort of chips that make you keep reaching back into the basket long after you’ve told yourself you’re finished. Even the beer-battered onion rings feel like something you’ve known your whole life, simply done better.
Then there are the sauces.
It’s easy to think of sauces as an afterthought, but at Buri they’re anything but.
The peri-peri sauce is outstanding. Fruity, vibrant and packed with flavour, it delivers just enough heat to make you break a slight sweat without ever overwhelming the food beneath it. Balanced, confident and dangerously addictive, it’s one of the best peri-peri sauces I’ve had.
Then there’s the barbecue sauce. Honestly, I couldn’t get enough of it.
Built more like a traditional brown sauce than an overly sweet American-style barbecue sauce, it layers molasses, vinegar, Kashmiri chilli and smoked paprika into something deeply savoury with a wonderful spicy tang running through it. Rich in umami and bold without becoming heavy, it had me finding excuses to dip absolutely everything into it.
One of my favourite details, though, isn’t something you’ll find on the menu.
Mounted on the wall is a photograph of co-owner Neil Swart as a child, sitting on the floor of his family home. Look down and you’ll notice that same floor pattern has been recreated beneath your feet inside the eatery. It’s an incredibly thoughtful touch that quietly tells you everything you need to know about where Buri comes from. This isn’t nostalgia manufactured by a marketing team. It’s personal.
That feeling continues right through to dessert.
Behind the counter, a mesmerising little machine cuts, shapes, flips and fries miniature doughnuts in an endless conveyor belt of deliciousness. Watching them emerge fresh before being topped is part of the experience.
The toppings strike the same balance as everything else at Buri: familiar favourites, refined just enough to feel special. The dark chocolate and Peppermint Crisp version tastes instantly recognisable to any South African. The tonka bean sugar offers something reminiscent of a classic sugared doughnut, but with a subtle vanilla-like depth that feels surprisingly sophisticated. My favourite, however, was the caramelised white chocolate and pecan, where the nuttiness tempers the sweetness beautifully without sacrificing any indulgence.
It would have been easy for Buri to overcomplicate one of South Africa’s simplest meals, to deconstruct it, reinvent it or turn it into something unrecognisable. Instead, it does something far more difficult.
Buri understands that nostalgia isn’t something to improve upon. It’s something to respect.
As I left, I couldn’t shake one thought.
Buri feels like running into a childhood friend you haven’t seen in years. They’re older now, more refined and a little more worldly, but beneath it all they’re still unmistakably the person you remember. That’s what Buri has done with the boerie roll. It doesn’t replace the memories that come with it; it just reminds you why you loved them in the first place.
Whether you’re grabbing a quick lunch, meeting friends after work, or craving a proper boerie roll, Buri is well worth the stop.
It doesn’t just bring back the boerie. It reminds you why it never really left.
Find Buri
Address: Shop 1, 99 Harrington Street, Cape Town
Happy Hour: Daily from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm (half-price drinks on tap)
Telephone: 066 177 9842
Website: www.buri.co.za