American food in Zurich: burgers, fried chicken, the NFL at odd hours and a Thanksgiving turkey

Zurich will feed you beautifully, just not always the way you'd eat back home. Burgers are easy. A Sunday afternoon football game, a jar of Fluff and a 15-pound turkey take a little more planning.

The short version

• Burgers are everywhere. Zurich has a big burger scene, including New York import Black Tap near Bahnhofstrasse [1][2].
• US chains are thinner on the ground than in Germany or France. Popeyes has had a branch in Oerlikon, and Five Guys has opened elsewhere in Switzerland [3][4].
• US groceries are pricey imports. Big Swiss supermarkets and department store food halls carry some; online shops fill the gaps.
• NFL and NBA: Sunday's early games kick off in the evening here; the Super Bowl starts after midnight. Call a bar ahead to ask what's on.
• Thanksgiving is Thursday, November 26, 2026, a regular workday. Order a whole turkey early, or have one delivered cooked [5].

USD conversions use the Federal Reserve H.10 rate of October 30, 2026 (USD 1 = CHF 0.8230) [6].

Burgers, chicken and the US chains

Swiss restaurants take burgers seriously. A 2024 look at the Swiss burger market by Blick listed several homegrown chains with multiple Zurich branches, including Burgermeister, The Butcher, Holy Cow and Silberkugel [4]. If you want a solid burger near the office, you won't have to walk far.

American names in town

Taco Bell's European license holder said in 2024 that Switzerland was part of its expansion plans, but couldn't say which city would come first or when [7]. Keep an eye out.

Sticker shock

Eating out in Zurich is expensive by any American standard, and burgers are no exception. The upside is that tips are built into the price. Rounding up or adding a little for good service is nice, but the 20% habit from back home isn't expected.

American groceries

Swiss supermarkets are good at bread, cheese, chocolate and seasonal produce. They're less good at boxed mac and cheese, canned pumpkin, root beer and the exact peanut butter your kid will eat.

Where to look:

1. Big supermarkets. The largest Migros and Coop stores often have an international or "American" shelf with things like marshmallows, maple syrup and BBQ sauce. Stock varies by store.
2. Department store food halls. Zurich's upscale food halls carry specialty imports, at specialty prices.
3. Online shops. Several Swiss and European web shops sell US snacks, baking supplies and candy. Compare shipping and customs before you order a crate of Kraft Dinner.
4. Across the border. Many people in Zurich shop in Germany for lower prices. Mind the Swiss customs limits on meat and the duty-free value allowance when you come back.
5. Swaps. Lingonberry jam (Preiselbeeren) stands in for cranberry sauce; squash from the market makes good pie filling; and you'll find baking soda as Natron.

Bring your measuring cups from home or buy a kitchen scale. Swiss recipes use grams.

We haven't verified a dedicated American grocery store in Zurich that we can recommend by name. If you've found one, tell us, and tell other Americans in our community group for Americans in Switzerland.

Watching the NFL and NBA

Game times

Zurich is usually six hours ahead of New York. That puts the 1:00 p.m. ET Sunday games at 7:00 p.m. here and the late-afternoon window around 10:25 p.m. Sunday Night Football, Monday Night Football and the Super Bowl start after midnight. NBA games are mostly in the middle of the night, so many fans watch replays over breakfast. For a few weeks each spring and fall, when the US and Europe change clocks on different dates, the gap shrinks to five hours.

Where to watch

Most Zurich sports bars are built around soccer and hockey. Some show American sports, especially for the playoffs and the Super Bowl, but the lineup changes season to season. A few practical tips:

• Call or message ahead and ask whether they'll show your game, with sound. Have the kickoff time in Swiss time ready.
• Irish and English pubs are often the best bet for US sports, since they already have the satellite setup.
• Sportsbar 1904 at Seestrasse 25 says its wall-to-wall HD screens show live sports, "not just football" [8]. Its listing doesn't say whether that includes the NFL, so check first.
• Super Bowl Sunday brings one-off parties across the city. Look for them on Swiss event sites in late January.
• At home: streaming rights for the NFL and NBA in Switzerland change from season to season, so check which services carry your league before you sign up.

Finding fellow fans

Switzerland has its own American football leagues, and Zurich has fans of just about every US team. The fastest way to find the bar where Packers or Eagles fans gather this season is to ask other Americans, a few weeks before the playoffs.

Thanksgiving in Zurich

Thanksgiving falls on Thursday, November 26, 2026, and it's an ordinary workday in Switzerland. Plenty of Americans host on the Saturday instead, and invite Swiss friends who've only seen it in movies.

Getting a whole turkey

The Swiss eat turkey (Truthahn or Trute), but more often in parts. A whole bird takes planning:

1. Order early. Ask your local butcher (Metzgerei) or the meat counter at a big supermarket at least two weeks ahead. Specify whole, and give a weight.
2. Ask where it's from. Swiss turkeys are scarce and pricey; many whole birds are imported, often frozen.
3. Measure your oven first. Swiss apartment ovens are often smaller than American ones. A bird of 4 to 5 kg (9 to 11 pounds) is a safer bet than a 20-pounder.
4. Convert the temperature. A US-style 325°F roast is about 165°C on a Swiss dial. Convection (Umluft or Heissluft) settings cook faster.
5. Have a plan B. A turkey breast, a goose or a couple of chickens all work.

Let someone else cook

If your oven, your schedule or your nerves won't cooperate, Truthahn Taxi, run by the Park Hotel Zug, delivers a whole roast turkey stuffed with bread and cranberries, with gravy, arriving cooked and warm [5]. It's sold for groups of four or more at CHF 42 per person (about USD 51), with 72 hours' notice. Delivery covers the canton of Zug, and you can pick up at the hotel in Zug [5]. Add-ons include pumpkin soup, sides and apple pie [5].

Hotels and American-style restaurants in Zurich sometimes run Thanksgiving menus too. Start checking in early November, and book.

Sources

1. Tageskarte: Black Tap expands further in Switzerland (August 13, 2020)
2. MySwitzerland: Black Tap Craft Burgers & Beer Zürich
3. Blick: Marché takes over the Swiss arm of Popeyes (December 5, 2022)
4. Blick: Five Guys hat Heisshunger (March 12, 2024)
5. MySwitzerland: Truthahn Taxi, der etwas andere Caterer
6. Federal Reserve: H.10 foreign exchange rates
7. IamExpat: Taco Bell set to launch in Switzerland (May 21, 2024)
8. In Your Pocket: Sportsbar 1904, Zurich

Keep reading

• American life in Zurich
• Nightlife in Zurich
• Cost of living in Zurich vs San Francisco
• Shipping your things and pets from the US