I am a foodie, that much is for certain. Though some may object to this, eating the local food is often one of the most important reasons why I travel anywhere. I distinctly remember spending up to two hours in a bus (one way) to taste the best fried chicken Vancouver had the offer during my stay there as an exchange student, and I can proudly say that it was not even the longest time that I spend in the public transportation to “just” eat something proper. However, no matter how much I may be into eating well and locally, I also adore eating at the more universally known international brands during my travels as well. Despite their often-mediocre taste, they mostly offer a unique yet familiar experience, especially if the local menu has interesting offerings in it.
It is also fun to try what one may refer to as “mock-up” franchises during one’s travel, think of the many KFC or McDonalds lookalikes, such as Tirana Fried Chicken or Kolonat, both found in Albania’s quirky capital town. This piece right here is dedicated to what one can generally consider as American fast food and my own experiences with it during my stay in Albania. So, if you want to figure out whether eating out at the Albanian Burger King is a reasonable choice for your own trip there, read on!
KFC in Vlorë (https://goo.gl/maps/EV4KGiJcykQs55tBA)
The third day of our trip in Albania took a different turn when I woke up sick. I was not sick, per se, but it was a rather bad case of sunstroke “thanks” to the prior day’s 20km walk around Vlorë, exploring its many hills and streets, and even a bit of swimming right around noon. Though I basically “asked for it,” this unfortune was still mildly unexpected, but the surprising “rest day” allowed me to order some food to our Airbnb, which turned out to be an adventure on its own. Trying to talk to an Albanian courier in English and him replying to me in Italian was “fine” as much as it was fun and biting into the sandwiches that we ordered was heavenly! I did not expect to have such an amazing time eating a chicken burger at Albania, as they are not necessarily known for their chicken.
I picked two seemingly local options, at least ones that I did not see before in other countries’ KFCs. One was a chicken burger with a lot of bacon and cheese sauce in it, and the other was a chicken wrap with an added potato patty in it. Both were fresh and crispy, but the one thing that really got to me was their ridiculously delectable garlic sauce. It was so good that I genuinely thought about buying a few packs of it to use back home. I really do not feel like recommending already renowned franchises of anything in any of my writings, though I think it is safe to say that fried chicken lovers could have a good time if they decide to visit the Vlorë branch of KFC in Albania.
Burger King in Tirana (https://goo.gl/maps/FxUqKvNoM1Hx9gUP7)
After a positively surprising encounter with KFC in Albania, I knew that I just had to try their Burger King as well. Mind you, both meals costed around 1000 leks, which is not cheap at all for Albanian standards as the same amount can get you an entire kilo of porkchops in certain establishments. However, once you get a taste for good fast food, it is hard to be good at decision-making regarding it, hence me splurging for one of the most expensive meals I ever had in Albania, in a Burger King in Tirana. This higher pricing shows itself quite bluntly in the venue itself, as the joint was full to the brim with travellers and expats, with very few Albanians enjoying it at the time I was there.
I had the opportunity to try a relatively new burger titled as “Cheese Lovers” which came with an entire fried cheese patty on top of its regular beef patty. It would not be an exaggeration to say that it was the best burger I have ever had in a Burger King anywhere in the world. There was also a lot of fried onions in it, amplifying the taste profile significantly. The so called “Chili Cheese Burger” also got my attention, which I ended up ordering too as the pig that I am. It was quite a lot of food for just one person, but now that I look back to it, I have no regrets about the whole incident.
Sadly, Albanian Burger King does not offer such meat platters. However, it is interesting to note that this whole pile of meat (around 700 grams in total) came to about 1200 leks a day before I enjoyed some Burger King. The two burgers I shared with you, and the fries as well as the drink that came with the first burger also set me back by 1200 leks… I do not try to make any points here, just make up your own mind about it. Suffice to say that I enjoyed both meals significantly and glad that I ate at both places.
TFC: Tirana Fried Chicken (https://goo.gl/maps/Z2agY1XAwW6S8GXt5)
The positivity of this piece is becoming unruly, and it almost seems a bit too positive for my taste, therefore, let me share with you fine people what I consider to be one of the worst if not the worst meals I had in Albania. “Proper” franchises alone, I also think that it is fun to give some Western lookalike restaurants a try during my travels, as they can surprise their customers with a higher quality “mock up” of the food that they seem to try to replicate. This was not the case with the TFC, Tirana Fried Chicken, which was right next to the wonderful branch of Burger King that was mentioned above, just in the centre of Tirana. TFC is not a fried chicken restaurant to begin with, as they seem to operate both a café and a regular restaurant in a somewhat conjoined but also mildly separated outdoor seating area. Those that had “proper” meals and/or just coffee seemed rather happy, those like me who wanted to brave their own take on fried chicken were not… Not that I think KFC has the best fried chicken in the world mind you, but at least they have a standard that they try to maintain all around, and sometimes they even surpass it a bit.
Delibros – Hamburger Restaurant (https://goo.gl/maps/mB6LvXqka774atiY9)
You did not think that I would finish this piece on such a sad note, right? No sir, we do not do that around here, especially for a country that was as fulfilling for my wanderlust as Albania was. What I had in Delibros was, without a doubt, the best burger I had in Albania. Many would consider it to be the best burger in the Balkans (a huge claim to say the least, though one I cannot go against at the moment) and its numerous Google Maps reviews average out at an impressive 4.9 as of the writing of this piece. It is a superb artisanal burger joint, that much is for certain. It does lack a few small things, such as a brioche bun, and a bigger chicken patty for its chicken burger. But the mere fact that I devoured two entire burgers back-to-back without having regrets of any sort should prove just how good it all was. The best part was the fact that both burgers (with fries and a wonderful aioli on the side) came to a total of 900 leks only, 25% cheaper than Burger King whilst being 100% better on average. In fact, two can be full for that amount. So, although Delibros is in fact an artisanal little spot on the map, it does not try to be a luxurious one that the Albanians and travellers alike would have a hard time dining in. It is simply very good, very well priced, and is served by some of the nicest staff in the city. Kudos to them and their hard work!
Smash burger was the better of the bunch even if it was not “properly” smashed, as in made crispier by pressing it towards the grill. This meant that it was juicier, and it did not overcook, so I am all for it. Though smash burger purists may not like such liberties taken with the use of such a name for this style of burger.
Clearly, enjoying American style fast food in Albania is hardly an issue, and there are many good alternatives for it, international and local alike. For more local cuisine options, please go ahead and refer to THIS article of mine.