LYNNWOOD—Authentic, authentic, authentic…that is the best way to describe the food that is being served at Budapest Bistro and Schnitzel House in Lynnwood. The menu is a combination of Hungarian and German style cuisine, prepared as only owner and head chef Elizabeth Muszka can do.
Budapest Bistro, located in the southwest corner of the Safeway Shopping Center at 12926 Mukilteo Speedway, will be celebrating its 19-year anniversary on June 14 and 15 with music, entertainment, menu specials and prizes starting at 6 p.m.
The food is prepared fresh daily, and Muszka does not use preservatives in any of her food. She uses only all natural ingredients and when you take the first bite of any dish, you can taste the difference immediately in its flavor.
Muszka is from the countryside of Debrecen in Hungary and immigrated to the United States in 2000 and went on to open Budapest Bistro a few years later and learned to speak English from her customers. Prior to opening Budapest Bistro, Muszka attended ESL classes at Everett Community College.
“I learned all of the bad words in English and Spanish first,” Muszka said with an innocent smile.
During the pandemic, it was the support from her customers that kept the doors open. Muszka, holding back tears, shared how grateful she was for patrons, who became friends, brought ingredients for recipes and provided extra in their tips.
“I lost 75% of my income because of the lockdowns,” Muska says. “I am here because my regular customers supported me during the pandemic. Thank you so much!”
Muszka says she started cooking when she was just 10 years old. At that age, her grandmother came to her one day and said it was time for her to start cooking for the family. Being raised on a farm in a small village, Muszka learned to cook using fresh vegetables from the family garden and meats from the family livestock.
“I was taught by my family how to cook,” Muszka says. “I use homemade recipes that I learned to create authentic Hungarian food.”
A very popular dish you will find is the tasty Hungarian classic Beef Goulash. It is a combination of beef, onion, bell peppers and tomatoes served over house made spätzle.
The Wiener schnitzel is also a customer favorite. It is breaded, pan-fried pork cutlets served with red cabbage and German style potatoes.
The Chicken Paprikas is a delight to dig in to. Cooked to perfection, the meat falls off the bone and the spices add just a bite to make your senses come alive but is not too overwhelming.
The Hungarian cabbage rolls are cabbage leaves stuffed with a mixture of ground pork and rice cooked in sauce and served with spätzle.
Muszka says she also takes customer requests.
“If you want something special made, I will do that for you,” Muszka says. “I recommend that you call ahead of time, and I will make any special dish.”
There is so much to like about the offerings at Budapest Bistro, including some of the cooler dishes and drinks that are perfect on a hot summer day.
One is Sour Cherry Soup. It is a cold soup that is eaten like a dessert and has a powerful cherry flavor with a hint of sourness. The pomegranate iced tea and green apple lemonade are very good and would be the delight of any child.
The Hungarian style coleslaw, sauerkraut, and German potato salad are also ideal for a hot summer day. Muszka says she uses no mayonnaise in any of her salads or foods.
Muszka also bakes a large variety of homemade Hungarian and Bavarian desserts including Kremes` and Dobos cake that Muszka says is very popular in Europe. She bakes traditional European desserts with unsalted butter and uses both vanilla cream and vanilla sugar which reduces the sugar needed in her recipes.
“I use no food coloring. When I make a chocolate cake, I take a piece of chocolate, melt it and use it in the cake,” Muszka says.
For the last 19 years, Muszka says, seeing the smile on customer’s faces and learning the many different cultures of her patrons makes cooking and owning a restaurant rewarding.
To learn more about the menu or for catering options visit Budapest Bistro on Facebook or call at 425-513-9846.
Author: Mario Lotmore
