Why Is This Fast Food Restaurant the Pride of Skopje?
Lines stretch out the door at this Macedonian burger joint. But why?
Guides for North Macedonia’s capital, as scarce as they are, always mention one food stop.
After seeing the giant statue of Alexander the Great in the capital square or taking a tour through the Museum of the Macedonian Struggle, it’s a near-unanimous consensus that the best place to sate your appetite is a fast food shop outside of the city center named “Fast Food 7.”
So what’s so striking about this little burger shop?
From the outside, nothing. It’s in a laid-back neighborhood surrounded by small markets and cafes. The restaurant itself seems unremarkable, its minimal decoration and cramped interior making it an unexceptional addition to the many other schwarma and street food places that dot the city.
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The restaurant. Photo from the Fast Food 7 website.
Yet tourists and locals alike flock to Fast Food 7, likely taken with the mountainous burger-and-fry creations held by those pouring from its doors. Lines stretch far outside the restaurant from open until close, and due to the limited seating, curbs and stoops surrounding the restaurant are populated by recent customers tearing into their gargantuan sandwiches.
We’re getting ahead of ourselves. You might be thinking,
Hey, I’ve had plenty of burgers and street food in my life. What makes Fast Food 7 special?
Much like other food in North Macedonia, consuming Fast Food 7 feels almost hedonistic, like someone cracked the code of “what makes food delicious” and cranked the knobs all the way up to 11. Part of that comes in the sauces – their mayo in particular is heralded as one of the chief reasons the Skopje joint’s burgers are so delectable – but every other part of the sandwich, from the meat itself to the bun to the crispy, salty fries, is a dream to eat.
On my first trip to Fast Food 7, I made the mistake of getting a chicken sandwich. The sandwich, don’t be mistaken, was delicious, but the true Fast Food 7 experience must be had with a classic burger.
My monstrosity.
Logistically, every sandwich from Fast Food 7 is a nightmare, their ability to hold themselves together a feat of Eastern European food engineering. Eating a Fast Food 7 sandwich requires some level of jaw detachment of which humans are not currently capable, and the sauces, though delicious, pour out of every corner of the sandwich.
By the end of the meal, you’ll be left a mess, holding a grease-soaked paper wrapper wondering what the hell you’ve just done to your body.
It’s not hard to believe that fries + burger + mayo + bread = delicious. It’s a beloved, tried-and-true equation.
But something about Fast Food 7 truly is different, even if I can’t figure out exactly what it is.
Tradition may play a part – the store has been in business since 1987, a time when private businesses in Macedonia were not especially common.
The “7” in the restaurant’s title denotes that fact: the official opening date was September 7, 1987, and since then, the business has remained in the family.
As a fair warning, a burger from Fast Food 7 is not a one-day experience. You will be full from the time you eat it until possibly the end of your trip in Skopje, but more realistically for the next few mealtimes. My personal recommendation is to get the burger, but everything else on the menu is also advisable – just be ready to look like a fool while you’re eating it.
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