As with other international cuisine, the United States has numerous Hungarian cuisines restaurants where you can find the best in Hungarian dishes to satisfy your craving. Hungarian restaurants are usually family owned and operated with deep ties to the “old country.” But establishments serving an authentic Goulash can be hard to find. Based on our research, there are less than 500 Hungarian inspired restaurants in the Unites States at the time of writing.

For anyone opening up a new Hungarian restaurant, take time to carefully consider the name. Traditional names that referencing major cities like Budapest or Gyor will always be popular and accurately explain the cuisine that’s served. But a more creative name, can help you appeal to adventurous Millennials. If you’re looking a Hungarian restaurant name, here are the best suggestions based on our research.

Hungarian Restaurant Name Ideas

Inside a Hungarian restaurant.

Hungarian restaurants have always steered toward tradition. The names are often inspired coming from cities, landmarks, or language of the country. If you’re looking for a Hungarian restaurant name with a touch of the “old country” here are some quality options.

  • Aszú Restaurant
  • Bábel Restaurant
  • Borbíróság Restaurant
  • BorKonyha
  • Börze
  • Búsuló Juhász
  • Cávéháze
  • Csalogány
  • Ellátó Kert
  • Fülemüle
  • Gettó Gulyás
  • Gyergyó Árpi
  • Halászbástya
  • Horgásztanya
  • Hunyadi Kisvendéglő
  • Il Étterem
  • Il Kisvendéglő
  • Hungarian Diner
  • Károly
  • Kazinczy’s
  • Kempinski’s
  • Kert Mozi
  • Öreghalász Étterem
  • Pozsonyi Kisvendéglő
  • Regős Vendéglő
  • Sípos Halászkert
  • Tüköry Étterem

Modern Hungarian Restaurant Name Ideas

A modern Hungarian restaurant.

Modernization of Hungarian restaurants has had some appeal to the younger masses and the Millennials, and the names have taken a turn into more modern times as well. So here are some modernized names you can use for a Hungarian Restaurant in the 21st century.

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  • Bock Bistro
  • Buda Castle
  • Buda Side
  • Budapest Restaurant
  • Are You Hungary?
  • Budapest Stock
  • The Hungary Man Buffet
  • Café Erzsébet
  • Café Gerbeaud
  • Café Hungaria
  • Café Kőfaragó
  • Café Kör
  • Café Szófia
  • Grandio
  • Gundel
  • Goulash Junction
  • Gypsy’s
  • Kéhli Restaurant
  • Kispiac Bistro
  • Get that Goulash
  • Menza Restaurant
  • Paprika Restaurant
  • Fisherman’s Soup House
  • Paulay Ede
  • Ruszwurm
  • Sisi Cávé
  • Szamos Resto
  • Szimpla Kert
  • Passion for Paprikas
  • Love in Langos
  • The Bastion
  • The Buda Castle
  • The Danube

Funny Hungarian Restaurant Name Ideas

Get ready to giggle!

Making the name fun or funny can help to make the atmosphere more lively, not that the Hungarian dining experience is not already filled with fun and laughter. But it can help you to make your restaurant more memorable to the non-Hungarians among your clientele. So try some of these funnier names for your restaurant branding.

  • Belgrád rakpart
  • Bihari János
  • Bistro Lángos
  • Deák Ferenc
  • Fiery Paprikas
  • Fire of Hungary
  • Goulash Garden
  • Hearty Hungarian Kitchen
  • Home of Goulash
  • Hunyadi Restaurant
  • King Corvinus
  • Lángos Palace
  • Lecsó & Lángos
  • Magyar
  • Nagy Diófa
  • Paprikas Palace
  • Paprikash
  • The Hungarian Hearth
  • The Hungary Gypsy
  • The Hungry Huszar
  • Gypsy Hearts Café
  • Hessian Café
  • RU Hungary?
  • Hungary Home
  • Hungary for Budapest
  • Buda Hauz Resto

Popular Dishes in Hungary

Goulash made in a black kettle.

A reflection of the typical continental climate of Hungary, the cuisine is a mix of countryside fare, masses of meats and vegetables, and influenced by all of its neighbors over the centuries. Paprika features boldly in many dishes, and the flavors will make your mouth water for more. So here are our selection of the top dishes for a great Hungarian restaurant menu.

  • Bécsi Schnitzel
  • Beef stew (marha pörkölt)
  • Brassói
  • Cabbage stew in tomato sauce (paradicsomos káposzta)
  • Csikós tokány
  • Cured sausage (Kolbász)
  • Foie gras (libamáj)
  • Green Pea Pottage
  • Gulyás (goulash)
  • Halászlé (fisherman’s soup)
  • Hurka & Kolbász (sausages)
  • Lecsó (vegetable stew)
  • Meggyleves (sour cherry soup)
  • Paprikás
  • Paprikás Csirke (chicken paprikash)
  • Pörkölt (meat stew)
  • Potato Casserole
  • Rakott Krumpli (layered potato casserole)
  • Szalámi (salami)
  • Szeged Fish Soup
  • Töltött Káposzta (stuffed cabbage)
  • Töltött Paprika (stuffed pepper)
  • Túrós Csusza (cheese noodles)
  • Turós Tejfölös Pasta
  • Újházi chicken soup
  • Zöldborsó Főzelék

Popular Hungarian Appetizers

Appetizers.

Appetizers are not really a popular thing in Hungarian cuisine, but there are a few that will make your mouth water and settle that grumbling belly while you wait for the main course. Mostly consisting of a variety of soups, here are the top appetizers you can expect for your Hungarian dining experience.

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  • Aszalt Szilva Radvansky Modra
  • Borsóleves
  • Bread smeared with lard (zsíroskenyér)
  • Caraway Sauerkraut
  • Derelye
  • Frankfurti Leves
  • Fried fatback (töpörtyű & pörc)
  • Gesztenyepüré (chestnut purée)
  • Grízgaluska
  • Hideg Megleves
  • Hungarian Szalonna
  • Jókai bableves
  • Kifli (crescent bread)
  • Kolbászos Lencseleves
  • Körözött
  • Liptauer
  • Liver Dumplings
  • Magyaros Bableves
  • Májgombóc
  • Orja Leves
  • Rántott Sajt (fried cheese)
  • Sajtos Pogácsa (cheese puffs)
  • Spaetzle (Little Dumplings)
  • Szegfűgomba
  • Szilvalekvár
  • Túrógombóc (sweet cheese dumplings)

Popular Hungarian Desserts

Colorfule Hungarian desserts.

As with appetizers, desserts and pastries in Hungary do not get the recognition that is afforded the main dishes and snacks. But they really should, because desserts and cakes in Hungary are some of the sweetest and tempting in the world. To help quench those sugar cravings, these delicious desserts could grace any great Hungarian restaurant menu.

  • Bejgli (spiral strudel)
  • Dobostorta (Dobos cake)
  • Flódni (layered pastry)
  • Hortobágyi Pancake
  • Kakaós Csiga
  • Kakaós Csiga (chocolate snail)
  • Körözött (cheese spread)
  • Kürtőskalács (chimney cake)
  • Lángos (fried dough)
  • Madártej (bird’s milk)
  • Nokedli (dumplings)
  • Palacsinta (crépes)
  • Pogácsa (biscuits)
  • Rétes (Hungarian strudel)
  • Somlói Galuska (Somloi trifle)
  • Sonkatekercs
  • Szaloncukor (parlour candy)
  • Szilvas Gomboc
  • Túró Rudi (sweet cheese-filled chocolate bar)
  • Túrós Batyu

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are only 1.396 million Americans of Hungarian descent living in the United States. This may not come as a surprise since there are less than 10 million residents in Hungry in 2019. The country has been declining in population since the 1990s.

As a result of this smaller population base, you don’t see as many Hungarian restaurants as you do other cultural fare like Vietnamese cuisine as an example. For comparison purposes, there are 1.3+ million Vietnamese people that immigrated directly from Vietnam to the United States. Many of these immigrants have moved to hubs in Southern California where they started restaurants and other small businesses. You can find Vietnamese food options in just about every city now.

Some of the most popular places for people of Hungarian heritage to live is California and Wisconsin. If you plan to open a restaurant serving this cuisine, these are parts of the nation you’ll want to investigate further.

Filled with culture, music, folk art, literature, and the traditional culinary delights of Budapest, Hungarian, there’s a lot to like with this concept. But it’s also a food item that’s not as well known to diners in the United States. The challenge will be to help prospective customers in your area understand and get excited about trying a cuisine that could be new.

You may also want to consider menu innovation. Sometimes combining a well-known food with the flavors of a lesser known meal can drive interest among diners. Some ideas include a Hungarian taco or Hungarian hamburger. This approach mixes something new with a food item that’s well known and understood. We’ve seen this technique work time and time again with Asian and Indian fusion menus.

If you’re serious about opening a Hungarian restaurant, don’t forget to join our 45,000 person strong food business community for free. When you sign up you’ll get a new case study with revenue numbers delivered to your inbox each week.

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