April 22, 2022 - Aa breakdown of the Split fast food scene with go-to tips for the best grilled chicken, ćevapi, burek, and sandwiches in the city.

Split like any city in Croatia has a lot of fast food places that serve street food and are adored by both the locals and the foreigners. But still, I have this thesis that Splićani have a unique relationship with their fast foods.

People from Split aka Splićani adore food but are always in a hurry since they try to fit 15 hours in a 12-hour day. So it is not a coincidence that this form of food preparation is very common in our everyday life.  There is a rumour that once you cross the Sveti Rok tunnel, you cannot order a boiled egg as a topping in most fast food places. I cannot imagine a world without boiled eggs as a topping. 

I will try to divide the Split fast food scene into the following categories: best grilled chicken, best čevapi, best burek, and best sandwich since these are the most preferred meals.

Best grilled chicken

This meal is extremely popular in Split, and it is usually less frequent in other parts of the country. You get a flatbread or tortilla with grilled chicken fillet in it and you choose the toppings (vegetables, sauces, etc.). This quick and tasty meal is best at Kaleta, Šešula, Ježurko and Bili Pivac. Kaleta is plain and simple but certainly one of the most popular ones, because of their freshly baked flatbreads and perfectly seasoned chicken.  Šešula offers some innovative combinations such as chicken and shrimps, chicken with prosciutto and Parmigiano, and chicken with asparagus and bacon, all served inside a flatbread. Ježurko is famed for its "čarobna" (translates into magical) which is deep-fried chicken breast filled with cheese and ham served in a bread bun. And last but not least is Bili Pivac, which is not technically in Split but on the outskirts of it, in the suburb of Strožanac. Bili Pivac offers 8 different chicken dishes called “Travel around the world in 8 chicken sandwiches” which include Italiano, Americano, Curry, Mexican fire, Dalmatinac, Gyros, Slavonac, and Gorgonzola. The fact that Splićani travel outside of the city just to eat their chicken speaks volumes about them.

Best ćevapi

Ćevapi is a traditional grilled meat dish that originates from Bosnia and Herzegovina but is widely represented across the Balkan region. Ćevap is grilled minced meat rolled like a small sausage and it is served inside a flatbread with toppings which include “ajvar” (roasted pepper and eggplant spread),  “kajmak” (clotted cream-like product), and onions. It is worth mentioning that Ćevapi are usually served in sit-down restaurants, but in Split, they are often eaten on the go.

The best čevapi in Split are the following Gyros, Densi, Ba!će, Lozo, and Kantun Paulina. Everyone in Split has their favourite place to eat čevapi and each one has its own style so I would simply recommend trying them all.

Best burek

Burek is a traditional dish originating from Turkey, but again very popular in Croatia. It is a savory pastry filled with cheese, meat, and other combinations. We can distinguish between two types of burek, the traditional one baked in a round baking tin and cut into triangles and the other one which is rolled in a spiral and more commonly called pita. The triangle one can be found in every bakery as part of their usual offering but there is also ST-Burek which is specialized in burek. On the other hand, Burek Pita Jelo and Moja jedina Pita are specialized in making spiral burek and they offer a larger variety of fillings besides the regular meat and cheese, such as pumpkin, leeks, spinach, and other combinations.

Best sandwich

I don't know if this is a thing in other parts of Croatia or in other parts of the world, but Splićani have a love for sandwiches. Every fast food in Split has a sandwich as part of its offer and it is usually the most modest meal but at the same time one of the most popular, especially among the younger generation. In Split, a sandwich is called "topli" which translates to warm, but it is actually a toasted sandwich with ham, cheese, and toppings. I would recommend Loza, Medeni, Popaj, and Sedmica for this type of fast food.

The absolute king of un-toasted freshly made sandwiches is Rizzo sandwich bar. Rizzo deserves a special sub-category among sandwiches since it is praised for its freshly baked bread and aa delicious variety of ingredients.

Needless to say, the Split fast food scene is very specific since every food facility that offers the aforementioned meals is considered fast food and there is simply a bunch of those. Fast foods are changing as time goes by, but these meals are sure to stay for a long time while offering fast, simple, and on-the-go meals for locals as well as tourists. 

Locations:

Pizzeria Kaleta Ul. Zrinsko Frankopanska 9

Bili Pivac (Jurasova ul. 970, 21312 Podstrana)

Fast Food Šešula (Paraćeva 19)

Fast Food Ježurko (Ul. Domovinskog rata 66)

Gyros travnički ćevap (Ul. Domovinskog rata 57)

Fast Food Den-si (https://goo.gl/maps/sawiVR3oFNb4hAjk6)

Ba!će (Križeva ulica 1)

Fast Food Lozo (Vukovarska ul. 48)

Kantun Paulina (Matošića ul. 1)

ST-Burek (Domaldova ul. 13) 

Burek Pita Jelo (Put Plokita 87)

Moja jedina Pita  (Ul. Tolstojeva 32)

Fast Food Medeni (multiple locations)

Fast Food Popaj (multiple locations)

Fast Food Best - Sedmica (Domovinskog rata 22)

Rizzo sandwich bar  (multiple locations)

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