EVERY South African knows a good boerie roll. The smell of boerewors on the braai, the soft white roll waiting on the side, the fried onions, the smoor, the sauces, the first bite that is messy, warm and completely worth it. It is the kind of food memory that belongs to school fairs, rugby days, Saturday braais, roadside stops, market mornings and those no fuss moments where simple food just hits the spot.
Buri has opened in Cape Town’s East City with its own take on this South African favourite.
Now open at Shop 1, 99 Harrington Street, Buri is the newest concept from Neil Swart and Anouchka Horn, the business partners behind Belly Restaurant Group, better known as BRG. The group is behind some of Cape Town’s most distinctive restaurants, including Belly of the Beast, Galjoen and Seebamboes, and is known for thoughtful food, strong concepts and hospitality that feels personal rather than predictable.
With Buri, the idea starts with one of the country’s most loved casual eats, the boerewors roll. Traditionally, it is boerewors tucked into a roll with smoor, fried onions or whatever sauce is on the table. It is humble, generous and part of everyday South African food culture.
At Buri, every part of the roll has been thought about properly. The soft white bun has been made by Flour Market specifically for Buri, created to hold the full experience while still feeling like the comforting roll everyone knows. The boerewors has also been developed especially for the restaurant, with a bespoke Buri boerewors recipe created by Frankie Fenner Meat Merchants. It gives Buri its own flavour from the start, while still keeping the spirit of the boerie roll South Africans know and love.
The menu opens with three standard Buri rolls, each one built around boerewors but given its own personality. The Classic keeps things simple with boerewors and fried onions. The Farmer leans into tradition with smoor, bringing that rich, homely tomato and onion character that belongs with a proper boerie roll. The OG brings a little more attitude, with garlic mayo, chilli chutney and rocket.
There is a sauce station, because everyone has their own way of dressing a boerie roll. Guests can finish their Buri with tomato sauce, mustard, chutney as well as homemade BBQ, peri-peri and Buri sauce, the restaurant’s signature sauce.
Once a month, Buri will introduce a Buri of the Month, giving the team space to play with different toppings, sauces and combinations, as well as showcasing different sausages such as bushpig knackwurst, venison wors, sosatie wors and playful options like skilpadjie wors. It is a reason for regulars to come back, try something new and see what the team has been dreaming up.
Drinks keep the same tongue in cheek spirit with Buri’s Adults Soda Fountain, a playful nod to the classic corner shop counter, but made for grown ups. The drinks offering keeps things lekker and easy, with brandy and Coke on tap, gin and tonic, beer and cider on tap, and the kind of uncomplicated serves that belong alongside a boerewors roll. Nothing too serious, nothing too complicated, just cold drinks, good humour and a proper reason to stay a little longer.
For those who want to go all in, Buri Loaded Fries take the same boerie roll energy and pile it high. Fries are topped with garlic mayo, chilli chutney, rocket and pieces of boerewors, creating the kind of dish that is made for sharing, or very happily not sharing at all.
Dessert keeps the fun going with soft mini doughnuts and a rotating selection of toppings. Think caramelised white chocolate and pecan nut, milk chocolate with hazelnut and Maldon salt, a Peppermint Crisp tart-inspired mini doughnut with dark chocolate and Peppermint Crisp, and mini doughnuts dusted in tonka bean sugar.
The result is not fancy for the sake of being fancy. It is a proper South African favourite, done with care, good ingredients and a bit of BRG personality.
