BurgerMania: How Banja Luka Helped Map the Regional Burger Scene

“At the time, it was the only restaurant of that kind in Banja Luka, primarily dedicated to burgers. It’s well known that Banja Luka is first and foremost the city of ćevapi, but I welcomed the arrival of McDonald’s because I believe every global brand is good for both the city’s image and the diversity of its food scene. Unfortunately, the restaurant closed very quickly, so I decided to explore what the burger situation in other restaurants around the city actually looked like - whether burgers existed at all, and what their quality was,” Nebojša recalls.

According to him, he initially started publishing impressions of burgers he tried in local restaurants as a hobby on his Facebook profile, which soon attracted positive reactions - first from friends, and then from other residents of Banja Luka.

“A lot of people became interested in those reviews, which genuinely surprised me. Even though I’ve spent years involved in music and many other things, I suddenly found myself being recognized around town because of burgers and the reviews I had started posting. This kind of gastro journalism is still quite underdeveloped in Banja Luka. Very few people deal with it, and when you begin, everyone assumes you must have some hidden agenda - that you work for the competition, that someone is paying you to criticize one place and praise another. In my case, none of that was true. I write because I genuinely enjoy sharing thoughts about the things that interest me in life, music, films, TV series, food, and my only goal was to honestly present my impressions and offer constructive suggestions on how something could improve,” says our interviewee.

As he explains, restaurants initially showed little reaction to his reviews, although the situation has changed significantly over time.

“To continue from what I already mentioned, I assume many people thought I had some hidden motive because criticism often appeared in my reviews. That was never my intention, but unfortunately, burgers in many restaurants in Banja Luka were often average at best, and I couldn’t ignore that. What often amazed me was how bad a burger could be in a restaurant where the rest of the food was excellent, considering that making a good burger is actually easier than preparing many other dishes. That’s when I realized many people here didn’t really understand what a burger actually is - or simply weren’t interested enough to learn. Very few had done any serious research on the topic, even though YouTube alone offers everything you need to learn about burger preparation. Many still don’t understand the difference between a burger and a pljeskavica. I’m happy that things are much better today than when I started and that restaurants serving truly excellent burgers are finally opening,” says Nebojša.

A few years after publishing his first reviews, Facebook began revealing its limitations in terms of organization and accessibility, which led Nebojša to move the content to a more permanent platform.

“At first, I thought this whole thing would end after a few reviews. But it turned out there were plenty of burgers around the city, and after more than twenty texts, I realized it was time either to stop writing about the subject altogether - because none of this had been planned - or to take the story more seriously and expand it. I chose the second option, and at the beginning of 2020, BurgerMania.rs officially launched. I transferred all the previous reviews there, and the new concept was that the blog would no longer focus only on Banja Luka but also on burgers across the region. In the texts, I try not only to describe the burger itself, but also the restaurant, its location, and the overall atmosphere, so the picture feels as authentic as possible,” Lakić explains.

Alongside reviews, the blog also features Nebojša’s homemade burger recipes, advice on various burger-related topics, and a section called Crafting, dedicated to local craft beer makers, sauce producers, and similar artisans.

“The goal is for the blog to become a reliable destination for burger lovers and fans of similar food, while craft products naturally fit into that world, so I’ll continue covering all of that in future articles. Sauces, for example, are an essential part of burgers and grilled dishes in general, and in Banja Luka alone several local hot sauce producers have emerged over the last few years. Beer is many people’s favorite drink alongside a burger, so I’ll definitely pay attention to that detail as well. Overall, BurgerMania is a hobby very close to my heart: I love good food, and I love writing, and by combining those two passions, I created a space where I can share my opinions and experiences, meet like-minded people across the region, and have fun along the way,” Lakić told HEDONIST magazine, adding that the reactions to the blog have been fantastic.

“They invite me to Novi Sad, Temerin, Zagreb, Niš… restaurant owners and chefs contact me asking me to visit and try their burgers. I’ve even been invited to help with burger preparation, and all of that genuinely makes me happy. I hope I’ll have the chance to visit as many places as possible in the coming years,” Lakić concludes.

What Makes a Great Burger?

When asked what truly makes a good burger, Nebojša explains that dedication and quality ingredients come first.

“Of course, you need to love what you do and approach burger-making with passion. Burgers are not overly complicated dishes, but they do require attention. Fresh, high-quality ingredients are essential, and beyond that, everything depends on your creativity. Experimenting with ingredients and creating different combinations is exactly what attracted me most to burgers, unlike ćevapi, where there isn’t much philosophy involved - ćevapi, flatbread, onions, and that’s it. Burgers are completely different, with no limitations except your imagination. They’re the ideal food for experimenting with flavors and combinations,” says Nebojša.

• Written by: Davorin Tomić / HEDONIST
• Originally published in HEDONIST Magazine Issue 01, 2020.