A different kind of sausage sizzle is breathing new life into a sleepy western suburbs main street.

What was once a wasteland on Spotswood’s sleepy main street now buzzes on Saturday mornings with lines of people following their noses to grilled Balkan sausages, served from a small window under a red and white awning.

Stan’s Grill opened in mid-October and specializes in cevapi – skinless sausages similar to kofte – served in flatbread. Owners Stash Kwas and Steph Angelevska took a trip to Macedonia and northern Greece in 2018 to visit the villages where their families were from and ate at several street stands grilling cevapi and other meats, a local staple in Balkan countries like Serbia, Bosnia, Croatia and Macedonia.

“We say it’s the equivalent of the Balkan sausage sizzle,” says Kwas.

Five years later, the two left their corporate jobs, opened a Macedonian pastry shop called Maznik in 2022, then saw an opening, literally, in Maznik’s yard, where they now park in a space two meters by two. one meter trailer that lights up the street with its bold red and white paint.

“Our passion is to bring this food, that I grew up with… to Melbourne. We want people to try it, feel it and have that immersive experience that I know so well,” says Angelevska.

A grill is at the heart of the takeout operation, adding smoky flavor to pork and beef sausages, patties known as pljeskavica and soft pita bread called briefly charred lepinja.

Stan’s menu is very focused, with only three sandwiches and three burgers. The former is anchored by cevapi sausages served with pickled cabbage and fresh white onion, the latter is house-made beef patties spiced with paprika and listed as “reserve” patties due to the hidden provolone cheese inside. the interior.

Three different sauces give each product its own identity. There’s tomato sauce and mustard, a mild ajvar (Macedonian pepper relish), and a hotter version with “chaos sauce”: paprika and chili flakes mixed with feta and sour cream to the balance.

Second and third generation Australians whose families have emigrated from the region flock to the caravan, alongside others who have tried cevapi during their journey.

The cevapi and all sauces, including ajvar, are made in house. A plant-based burger is also available.

Future plans include more styles of cevapi and platters of different grilled meats. For now, Kwas and Angelevska have their work cut out for them keeping up with these lineups.

Open Thursday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

83 Hudsons Road, Spotswood, stansgrill.com.au