The Borek Shop

Stumbled upon this little place right around lunch time and very glad I did!
The choice is quite reasonably priced (3 $) and the spinach&cheese delicious!
Great value for money and fresh of the oven!
Worth searching and waiting for!

Baked fresh on premises, what a bargain! Is invariably one of the first stalls to visit when frequenting the market.

Despite the price increase from $ 2.50 to $ 3 for boreks (highway robbery I tell you!), there’s always a line at this Queen Vic Market institution.
Healthier options are also available — $ 3 for lentil or falafel rolls. But if you’re looking for a superior hangover food, the bready boreks get my vote over the near-​by McDonalds. Choose from spinach & ricotta, chicken & vegetable, or potato filling.
Just remember — Boreks is located inside the deli section of the market and is only open during market hours.
The ladies behind the counter sling carbs at a furious pace. So have your order and your cash ready.

There are days when carbs are required. Today was that day. This is hands down one of the best and cheapest lunches in Melbourne.
Line up and be decisive, there is no time for second guessing yourself.
Carb comalicious.

I was ready to absorb the carb-​loaded assault missile that is Queen Vic Market’s infamous Borek. I had cash, I knew exactly what I wanted, I was prepared for the largely confused crowds and the urgent and emphatic «what do you wants» and such. So I confidently strode to the front and barked back my order as politely as possible:
Me: One potato and spicy veg, please.
Lady: 9 dollars.
Me: (internally: That’s funny. I was practically slapped in the face with the multiple $ 3 signs hung everywhere.) One potato and spicy veg?
Lady: 9 dollars! (Plopped down my Borek on top of a pile of others)
Me: (look of confusion)
Lady: (eyes of death and spicy veg staring into my soul)
I handed her a $ 10. She handed me $ 1. Transaction over. And the expensive borek was delicious. Heed the locals’ advice — ask for whatever’s hottest, bring exactly $ 3 change and don’t miss this stall.

I feel a little guilty only giving three stars when everyone else has reviewed the stand with such love and enthusiasm. Don’t get me wrong, the spicy lamb was delicious, and at $ 3 it was such a steal.
But the ricotta one was… meh. I actually wouldn’t order that again. There was a bit of wait for them to heat up the ricotta one (like… say, 2 – 3 minutes?) that may sound insignificant, but when you’ve got another borek in hand, and the plan was to rush off to a hungry friend in hospital, the wait can get a bit antsy.
Also. Okay, it’s a stand. You buy, you eat and walk at the same time. But no carriers? At all? For people who want to share the borek goodness with people further away? Awww. :(

I work opposite the QVM. When I first started, I made myself a note saying, no matter how good it is. You. Cannot. Have. A. Borek. Every. Single. Day.

If I were forced to eat a borek every day for the rest of my life, well, that would be quite alright.
No visit to Vic Market is complete without trying one of these delightfully simple savory pastries. Whipped up on the spot and hot from the oven, you have your choice of boreks in spicy lamb, potato, or spinach & cheese (my fav). This is the best lunch $ 2.50 can buy! [Edit: Borek prices have been raised to $ 3 since the initial draft of this review.]
They also serve wraps and an assortment of other pastries, but boreks are the signature item.
Wander inside Queen Victoria Market and you can’t miss Boreks; it’ll be the stall with 20 people waiting for the next batch out of the oven.

The boreks are fantastically warm and filling and only three dollars a pop. I love the spicy lamb especially. I often pick one up on the way home from gym. Good source of protein and carbs, well that’s my excuse anyway!
Beware the queue is long, but it does flow quickly. The lady behind the counter is a borek veteran and her officious yet friendly serving style will ensure your cravings are attended to in no time.
I also love the fresh falafel and cabbage rolls. This place is a real diamond among the many Victoria Market gems.

Pre-​breakfast we ventured through the Queen Victoria Markets and thankfully the early morning crowd had subsided and the mid-​morning wanders were only just getting started, still, there was a commotion that caught my attention.
«Lamb.» «Spinach and Cheese.» «That’s three dollars,» I could hear being yelled and that is when I met Boreks. People huddled by this stall ordering their Borek-​hit (a flat bread baked with hot fillings) in quick succession. These stall-​holders mean business and I suspect, like Seinfeld’s Soup Nazi, there is a strict ordering process of quickly mentioning the flavour Borek you want (spiced-​lamb, spinach and cheese, or vegetarian) and promptly hand your money over before moving to one side for that first delicious scent of the carb-​heaven that awaits you.
Fresh, steaming hot and oh so tasty — Boreks, when Melbourne and I next meet so will you and I. You’re worth the deal with the glutard gods.

Place which keeps my lunch budget manageable.
My favorite is Lamb Borek, followed by cigars. Real cigars, you ask? Well, No. They are sort of thinner boreks with cheese stuffing and sooo good. Sadly most of the time, they are either out of stock or not just there.
And for sweet tooth, try their baklava. Yumm.

The prices have finally gone up. Now a Borek will set you back… a whole $ 3.
THREE DOLLARS!
Tell me where else can you can get a hot, fresh out of the oven, carb fix stuffed with spinach and cheese big enough to satisfy the most grumbling of stomach holes or largest of hangovers?
Join the queue and get swept along for the ride. Order quickly, have your money ready and then get pushed out of the way by the hungry crowds behind you. Trust me, this may be the best thing you stick in your gob all week. Well worth it.

If you are near the Vic Market you are bound by the laws of Melbourne to eat a borek. They never disappoint. The spicy lamb ones are tasty — but you will get garlic breath. The cheese and spinach ones are great too. I think they are like $ 2.50 each. During lunch hours you might have to wait a few mins for them to come out of the oven as they sell out so fast. Never mind as it just means they are hot and fresh.

I dream about eating a Borek. I remember walking through the Market Place and seeing this stall completely packed. I said to myself? What is going on here? I stood there for a while watching these ladies selling Borek after Borek… it was like watching a finely tuned machine.
I was a little intimidated because I was not quite sure what I was about to buy. I purchased a Borek and then went out to Elizabeth Street to find a table to eat it. I happened to get a lamb Borek. It kind of looks like a long piece of baked bread. As I sat down, I took a bite of the Borek and I was instantly in love. How could something taste this good? I needed a second one to make sure it was not a fluke. The second one was as good as the first one. I had found something special but I wasn’t alone, as was evident by the long lines here. I feel a little sorry for the other food vendors because they are busy but not like this place.
I remember dragging my wife here on one of my trips because I had to see her reaction to trying into one of these. She was in heaven too… in fact, we had to come back another day to have another one. I was not complaining at all. I could eat these all day long. I also introduced this place to my coworkers who live in Melbourne. I was so sad to learn that they had no idea what the Borek was. It was fun to see them bite in and look at me and say, «Wow you are right! That is so good!»
The ladies that work here are on auto-pilot…they hand out Borek’s and take your money… the line keeps moving and the trays of Borek seem endless. In fact, I wonder if they have ever run out at all.
The price is also really good too. For $ 2.50 you can get a Borek, so why not buy two… don’t waste your time in line for a second one. Just have it ready to go. The sad part is I remember when it use to be $ 1. That was really a good deal.
This place is a long way from Chicago but I think I would buy an airline ticket to fly here and get one or two. These things are so delicious and I hope one day to find them closer to my home!!!

Never had a Borek? Well these guys have a good philosophy, they will let you try some because they know you’ll want to buy some. And at $ 2.50 a pop, it’s hardly a huge risk. They also sell falafel and a range of Turkish salads. Here’s a cheeky tip: If you’re having a few friends over, or need to bring a plate to a BBQ or event, then load up on a few Boreks and slice them up into portions, place on a plate and you’re done. You can even buy them the day before and heat them up in the oven, not the microwave.

The Borek shop at the Queen Vic Market is incredibly popular, and with good reason. The boreks are SO delicious! They’re always fresh and a steel at $ 2.50 a pop. The store also sells a killer zucchini fritter pita roll, which is seriously flavour-​town, and a broad bean salad that tastes so much better than you ever thought a bean salad could be.
There’s always a decent queue, but the service is fast, so it’s worth the wait!

If you’re heading to the Queen Victoria Market for lunch or a snack, there are loads of options, but none as cheap, warm, filling and tasty as a borek.
It’s not exactly a secret, either. At any time of day, the space in front of Boreks is crammed with people waiting their turn to quickly yell their order («two spinach, one lamb!») at one of the serious-​faced ladies who work there. Those ladies are efficient and have no time for you if you don’t know what you want — hesitate and you’ll be passed over. And then where will you be? Without a borek. Sad face.
Like a long pizza roll, the boreks are soft and doughy, filled with spinach and cheese, spicy potato or lamb, and from $ 2.50 are an absolute steal. For me, one isn’t quite enough for lunch, but two is too much, so I usually split a second with a mate and take them out to the seats on the Elizabeth St side of the markets to scoff them down, or simply sit on the cement in the sun near the Maccas. A real Melbourne moment.