Since opening in May 2014, Piri’s has already made a name for itself and given the Berlin burger scene a shakeup. From humble beginnings selling burgers at street food events to the eventual opening of the small twenty seat restaurant on the outskirts of Görlitzer Park, Piri’s has become one of the more loved burger restaurants in Berlin; forging a reputation through winning the Berlin’s Best Burger award in October, hosting raucous block parties in summer and wowing customers with their signature Piri burger. It is this burger that has taken Piri’s to where it is today. With a seemingly simple list of ingredients – aioli, piri-piri sauce, iceberg lettuce, breaded chicken, cheese on a fresh sesame seed bun – the Piri burger has a flavour complexity greater than the sum of its parts. Inspired by the flavours of Portuguese/Australian chicken burger chains in Australia, Piri’s have created a burger unlike anything seen in Germany, which whilst remaining loyal to its Australian roots, has taken upon a unique flavour of its own. With all sauces prepared onsite from the freshest ingredients, the Piri burger has a flavour unrivaled even by the restaurants in Australia which have served as inspiration. What is somewhat surprising is the overwhelming popularity of the Piri’s beef burger. Created as something of an afterthought for the beef burger market, Piri’s Buckshot is a burger every bit as unique as the Piri burger. Not wanting to compete in an already saturated beef burger market, Piri’s have endeavoured to create a beef burger with a difference – the lack of a conventional burger patty. Instead, steak is finely diced, seared on the grill, and then smothered in sautéed red onions and cheese. When this is cooked, it becomes a crispy, juicy patty of cheesesteak. When put inside a bun with chipotle mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato, pickles and bacon, it becomes an instant classic. The overwhelming and humbling success within the first year of opening has the Piri’s team looking to expand to other parts of the city, and continue catering to the hungry hordes in Kreuzberg. With increasing participation in street food events also on the horizon, the future looks bright for Piri’s.
