Where is the Best Burger in Dublin?

Foxhound38 · 13-06-2018 10:02am

brainfreeze wrote: »

The Generator in Smithfield

Also a worthy mention - very, very good in fairness.

Foxhound38 · 13-06-2018 10:11am

eldamo wrote: »

The ugly duckling which used to be in the epicurean food hall and then moved to georges st mall did an amazing burger.
The guys who ran that are now in the hill pub, i see they do a burger on their menu, if it is anything like the ugly duckling one its amazing

not too wild about bunsen, would probably prefer a wowburger,.

There is a good place operating out of a bar in a business park near clontarf, ah eastpoint business park, blockburger
only went there once, was pretty impressed, but too far out of the way to bother with regularly.

Had a really nice burger in platform 61 south william street, not a burger place, just an option on the menu, the place was cramped and a bit of a temperature nightmare, but the burger really made an impression.

still if i could have the ugly duckling burger again i would be a happy man

Very true - used to work near there and they did a serious burger. That said, the major draw if I was going there was the Po-Boy Sandwhich - unreal grub!

Pyr0 · 13-06-2018 11:06am

Foxhound38 wrote: »

Very true - used to work near there and they did a serious burger. That said, the major draw if I was going there was the Po-Boy Sandwhich - unreal grub!

The Po-Boy and the Ugly Ducking we're absolutely amazing! It's a shame the place closed down.

Shred · 13-06-2018 11:53am

Ipso wrote: »

Do you add anything to the meat?
Normally I add some chopped onion and garlic, I did an experiment with adobo (chipotle peppers in a smoky sauce) mixed through it for some extra spiciness. It turned out good.

Not to de-rail this thread but - There's endless burger recipes but the one I've found to be a real crowd pleaser is the following - 400g* of Beef mince with at least 20% fat; add a grated onion, a tablespoon of grated parmesan, a pinch of chili flakes, a tablespoon of ketchup and lots of pepper - don't overwork the meat, keep it as loose as will be managable when grilling and don't overcook obviously. Use your favourite buns, top with Applewood smoked cheese, crispy bacon and whatever else grabs your fancy. I then add a homemade bourbon BBQ sauce to finish them off.

*I used 900g for four burgers last night and pretty much kept the rest of the ingredients the same and they were delicious.

glasso wrote: »

Five guys haven't been - not going to a shopping centre just to have an over-priced burger.

There's one on George's Street now apparently.

13-06-2018 1:51pm

Shred wrote: »

Five Guys

There's one on George's Street now apparently.

you're right - don't think that it's opened yet or is it?

to be honest all the exaggerated hoopla about five guys being franchised here turns me off the whole thing - billionaire Dermot Desmond's son brings burgers to Ireland through American franchise.

It reminds me of when the first Starbucks came here - you'd swear they were bringing coffee to Ireland for the very first time. And Starbucks don't exactly have the best coffee do they?

I think that Bunsen and Wowburger are Irish so I'll stick with them.

have to say that I don't like (as other posters have mentioned) over-complicated burgers with a choice of 40 different combinations - most of the descriptions pale in the light of the first bite.

beyond cheese, bacon and the standard lettuce, onion (grilled/raw), tomato etc it's not adding anything and most often making a burger worse.

good meat + seasonings and a good bun (hard to get right) are the key things to get spot on.

Shred · 13-06-2018 2:18pm

glasso wrote: »

you're right - don't think that it's opened yet or is it?

to be honest all the exaggerated hoopla about five guys being franchised here turns me off the whole thing - billionaire Dermot Desmond's son brings burgers to Ireland through American franchise.

It reminds me of when the first Starbucks came here - you'd swear they were bringing coffee to Ireland for the very first time. And Starbucks don't exactly have the best coffee do they?

I think that Bunsen and Wowburger are Irish so I'll stick with them.

have to say that I don't like (as other posters have mentioned) over-complicated burgers with a choice of 40 different combinations - most of the descriptions pale in the light of the first bite.

beyond cheese, bacon and the standard lettuce, onion (grilled/raw), tomato etc it's not adding anything and most often making a burger worse.

good meat + seasonings and a good bun (hard to get right) are the key things to get spot on.

I haven't been in town in a few weeks but it apparently opened on May 28th.

In regards to all the other stuff, I get where you're coming from but I don't pay attention to any of that tbh; I heard it was good, tried it and liked it - end of. I will say though that their burgers are definitely not over complicated

Kinell, I'm starting to sound like a shill

Muahahaha · 13-06-2018 3:08pm

MarkY91 wrote: »

I'm up to 5 stamps in my 3rd stamp card in chili shack it's simply amazing! The chips are lovely too and their XXX sauce tops it all off at being my favourite burger meal. We're having a chili shack tonight! Surely only a matter of time until they open a branch closer to the city centre? They'll make a fortune.

Yeah I would imagine Chilli Shack are looking for a city centre shop but demand for commercial premises in good footfall areas is huge at the moment and rents are high- if they do set up in the centre then their prices will have to go up because at the moment their bacon cheeseburger and chips at 8.50 is an absolute steal.

Shred wrote: »

Not to de-rail this thread but - There's endless burger recipes but the one I've found to be a real crowd pleaser is the following - 400g* of Beef mince with at least 20% fat.

If you really wanna upgrade your home made burgers then you gotta copy what the likes of Bunsen/Wow/Chilli Shack are doing. Ive stopped using supermarket mince altogether because I discovered that youll make a far nicer burger by asking your butcher to mince you up a combination of chuck steak and short rib. Chuck is lean beef from the forequarter whilst short rib is fatty as fcuk. Tell him to aim for 30% fat, it sounds high but 30% will give you that melt in the mouth texture that you wont get by using 20% fat mince from the supermarket. Another option instead of short rib is asking for bone marrow instead, its a very fatty and flavoursome piece of meat which goes great in burgers, many butchers use it in their own burger mixes.

Use a burger press too for consistency across the patty. For sure you can hand shape but it will never be level and some parts of the patty will cook quicker than others. A burger press solves that problem. This burger press is pricey but worth the money, you can adjust the thickness of the burger to suit your preference. I love the flavour of the char on the outside of a burger so now copy Wowburger and make burgers using two patties (with a slice of cheese in between)- using two pattie equals double the char flavour, nom, nom, nom :pac:

Feisar · 13-06-2018 3:11pm

Ipso wrote: »

Do you add anything to the meat?
Normally I add some chopped onion and garlic, I did an experiment with adobo (chipotle peppers in a smoky sauce) mixed through it for some extra spiciness. It turned out good.

No, to be honest I think I've enough going on as it is.

Feisar · 13-06-2018 3:16pm

Foxhound38 wrote: »

Bunsen is the gold standard - it's absolutely perfect, it blows the competition away so thoroughly that in my opinion it's closer to the best burger in Europe than the best burger in Ireland.

Failing that, Wowburger is probably second best. Five Guys is also very tasty in fairness - a bit expensive, but tasty.

I'm not a huge fan of the likes of GBK and that - too many options, and the burgers they serve tend to emphasize pure size and a million toppings over quality ingredients and actual taste. There's no point in a burger you can't even fit into your mouth - or one dripping in BBQ sauce or with a black pudding crowbarred in to make it more Oirish for the tourists.

I'll start by saying I haven't has a Bunsen yet however Byron Burger in Cambridge is epic!

Shred · 13-06-2018 3:27pm

MarkY91 wrote: »

I'm up to 5 stamps in my 3rd stamp card in chili shack it's simply amazing! The chips are lovely too and their XXX sauce tops it all off at being my favourite burger meal. We're having a chili shack tonight! Surely only a matter of time until they open a branch closer to the city centre? They'll make a fortune.

Ah yes, that's the place where Boqueria used to be isn't it? I must give it a lash sometime.

As an aside, Boqueria had a good thing going there I thought and tried expanding by going out to the former Big Blue site in Howth but didn't last long after that, which is a shame

LirW · 13-06-2018 4:44pm

From a picky burger eater that basically thinks only a Cheeseburger is a good burger:

Another gold medal for Bunsen. Their burgers are amazing, their skinny chips are amazing, I just can't stand the unreal amount of obnoxious Yanks in there whenever I'm there. But the food is so good, that I can live with it.

Second is Box Burger in Bray for me, they do some really nice burgers and nachos too. Not mad about their loud music though that they play the whole day.

Haven't had a Wowburger yet and will probably give Chili shack a shot too.

I also think that besides its greasy reputation, Eddie Rocket's do some good burgers. Definitely better than in most places. The downside is that you need to spend time in Eddie Rocket's with bazillion children (I take my own there though, it's easy and good enough) and not a single one seem to have a toilet worthy Western society 2018 standard.

The very best burger is flipped by my lad though, you can taste the passion he puts into.

McGrath5 · 13-06-2018 4:50pm

LirW wrote: »

The very best burger is flipped by my lad though, you can taste the passion he puts into.

Which "lad" are you referring to?

LirW · 13-06-2018 4:54pm

McGrath5 wrote: »

Which "lad" are you referring to?

The guy I'm sharing my bed with :pac:

TheShow · 13-06-2018 4:56pm

Bunsen are the best I've had in a very long time and I've not had better since.
very tasty burgers with no fuss.

EagererBeaver · 13-06-2018 5:07pm

Feisar wrote: »

Foxhound38 wrote: »

Bunsen is the gold standard - it's absolutely perfect, it blows the competition away so thoroughly that in my opinion it's closer to the best burger in Europe than the best burger in Ireland.

Failing that, Wowburger is probably second best. Five Guys is also very tasty in fairness - a bit expensive, but tasty.

I'm not a huge fan of the likes of GBK and that - too many options, and the burgers they serve tend to emphasize pure size and a million toppings over quality ingredients and actual taste. There's no point in a burger you can't even fit into your mouth - or one dripping in BBQ sauce or with a black pudding crowbarred in to make it more Oirish for the tourists.

I'll start by saying I haven't has a Bunsen yet however Byron Burger in Cambridge is epic!

Byron is a big chain in the UK. They love poisoning.

Going to be home in Belfast in a few weeks and I see Bunsen have opened there. Hopefully they don't have the same queuing issues as Dublin.

valoren · 13-06-2018 5:08pm

Must try the Bunsen in Cork so.

eldamo · 13-06-2018 5:42pm

TheShow wrote: »

Bunsen are the best I've had in a very long time and I've not had better since.
very tasty burgers with no fuss.

I appreciate Bunsen's hiring policies.

I messed up the first time I went there, they cook your burger to order, I ordered rare like I would have a steak.
It was mush.
I order well done now, burgers need a bit of char.

13-06-2018 5:44pm

eldamo wrote: »

I appreciate Bunsen's hiring policies.

I messed up the first time I went there, they cook your burger to order, I ordered rare like I would have a steak.
It was mush.
I order well done now, burgers need a bit of char.

Medium is the.... Happy medium

In a place where you can trust the quality.
Would definitely not go rare or medium rare. It's not steak, it's mince.

13-06-2018 5:52pm

EagererBeaver wrote: »

Byron is a big chain in the UK. They love poisoning.

Going to be home in Belfast in a few weeks and I see Bunsen have opened there. Hopefully they don't have the same queuing issues as Dublin.

they will most likely. that's the business model - keep it full in peak times and get people through fairly quickly. you go there, they take your number and text you when you have your place. on non-peak times (e.g. mid afternoon) you would be ok probably

JohnnyFlash · 13-06-2018 5:56pm

glasso wrote: »

Medium is the.... Happy medium
In a place where you can trust the quality.
Would definitely not go rare or medium rare. It's not steak, it's mince.

Well done is also perfectly acceptable, especially with the high fat content of the mince they use there. There’s this narrative these days that ordering your beef rare is a sign of a sophisticated gourmet with class and refinement. It’s sometimes just not the right option if you want the tastiest outcome.

Was in FX Buckley’s recently and was aghast to see a table on a fixed price menu almost all insist on getting their rib-eye steak cooked rare - despite the waiter gently persuading them that medium or well done would work better for the particular cut as it allows the fat to render and for the heavy marbling to melt. Got their steaks anyway and proceeded to start muttering about how chewy it was. Can’t please some people.

EagererBeaver · 13-06-2018 6:35pm

glasso wrote: »

EagererBeaver wrote: »

Byron is a big chain in the UK. They love poisoning.

Going to be home in Belfast in a few weeks and I see Bunsen have opened there. Hopefully they don't have the same queuing issues as Dublin.

they will most likely. that's the business model - keep it full in peak times and get people through fairly quickly. you go there, they take your number and text you when you have your place. on non-peak times (e.g. mid afternoon) you would be ok probably

Entirely dependent on demand. Bunsen is an institution in Dublin. In Belfast it's a new player.

Muahahaha · 13-06-2018 7:20pm

LirW wrote: »

I also think that besides its greasy reputation, Eddie Rocket's do some good burgers. Definitely better than in most places.

I agree that Eddies can do good burgers but personally I find them inconsistent. I always sit at the counter to stay away from the hoardes of children and what Ive noticed is that the grill cooks are snowed under cooking so many different dishes from the vast menu. Because of this its not uncommon for your burger to be forgotten about, overcooked and then lashed together in a hurry. Ive often seen the cooks up to their bollix trying to prepare stacks of all day breakfasts with ten items on each plate.

The advantage the likes of Bunsen, Wow and others have over Eddies is that the only thing they sell is burgers and chips. By specialising and keeping things simple theyve really upped the quality of burgers available in Dublin.

saintsaltynuts · 13-06-2018 7:27pm

Was in Five Guys twice since it opened in George's St. and have to say I don't mind paying the extra.Really nice burger in fairness.

EagererBeaver · 13-06-2018 7:27pm

Eddie's can certainly be hit and miss, but when they get it right, a double smokestack with that sauce can be very hard to beat.

LirW · 13-06-2018 7:34pm

Muahahaha wrote: »

I agree that Eddies can do good burgers but personally I find them inconsistent. I always sit at the counter to stay away from the hoardes of children and what Ive noticed is that the grill cooks are snowed under cooking so many different dishes from the vast menu. Because of this its not uncommon for your burger to be forgotten about, overcooked and then lashed together in a hurry. Ive often seen the cooks up to their bollix trying to prepare stacks of all day breakfasts with ten items on each plate.

The advantage the likes of Bunsen, Wow and others have over Eddies is that the only thing they sell is burgers and chips. By specialising and keeping things simple theyve really upped the quality of burgers available in Dublin.

Oh yeah, I totally agree about Eddies. A good Eddies is amazing, a bad Eddies makes you run a mile, except for the milkshakes.

I do appreciate the simple concept of Bunsen and I think this is why it works so well. They sell one thing: Cheeseburgers and they do them damn well. When you go there you know what you gonna pick, a burger with or without cheese and one of the sides and a can. Simples. No fuss. I hate extensive menus anyway.

Feisar · 13-06-2018 7:41pm

EagererBeaver wrote: »

Byron is a big chain in the UK. They love poisoning.

Going to be home in Belfast in a few weeks and I see Bunsen have opened there. Hopefully they don't have the same queuing issues as Dublin.

Poisoning?

FixdePitchmark · 13-06-2018 8:09pm

I know there are lots of burger joints.

For the lower end / fast food / late night. Ricks have been doing this for a good 20 years now.

Was in Bunsen last week - and yes still very good and simple. Good to be in out an done in an hour on a night out.

With the combination of a beer or two - it still is 25 quid for a meal that at the end of the day is a simple burger. Accepting that eating and drinking at all in Dublin is nuts these days.

Anyway Bunsen very good - some of them places loose their edge when they become chains and are around for a while. Was at it a few months ago - and was before word was out. That is the best time of a new restaurant.

italodisco · 13-06-2018 8:17pm

Baffled as to how bunsen is so popular?

Basic simple 1 dimensional burger.

Hipster heaven it is, maybe that's the driving force behind all these reviews of the place.... Or the reviewers have never had a decent burger lol

yogi37 · 13-06-2018 8:20pm

I am going to go against the grain here and say that I am just not that blown away by Bunsen. The burgers are nice but I would not consider them anything like the best burgers in Dublin. I work close to the Bunsen on Camden St and prefer to get a BoBo's just a few doors up.

And their chips are not great.

FixdePitchmark · 13-06-2018 8:24pm

italodisco wrote: »

Baffled as to how bunsen is so popular?

Basic simple 1 dimensional burger.

Hipster heaven it is, maybe that's the driving force behind all these reviews of the place.... Or the reviewers have never had a decent burger lol

What are you on about - a burger is a burger and Bunsen is staying true to that fairly simple concept.

Other places try turn a burger into a meal / haute cuisine.

A burger is a burger and the fact it is just that - is fairly the opposite to hipster.

If you think a burger can have another level - you haven't eaten in real restaurants.

Where is the Best Burger in Dublin?

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