Posted by Robyn Lee, September 10, 2009 at 2:00 PM
Clicking into the AHT inbox, here's a recent recommendation we received.
[Photograph: David Gerrard]
Dear AHT,
A few days ago I was fortunate enough to be visiting Dublin in Ireland and decided to make a trip to an establishment I have heard a lot about: Jo'Burger. Located in the student quarter of the city, its graffiti-covered walls, tight communal seating, and loud music may not appeal to everyone, but the quality of their burgers is certainly good enough to unite all.
After perusing the diverse number of opportunities on the menu, I opted for a beef burger with smoked Applewood cheese, fresh apple, and JoBurger relish with a side of sweet potato fries. A short wait and a sup on some peculiarly pleasant organic cola later and my prize arrived—sizeable, succulent and enveloped in a delectably fresh bun.
Cooked to preferential perfection and juicy, but not dripping, the burger was one of the best I've experienced in a while. The trademark JoBurger relish combined with sweet slices of fresh apple complemented the well-seasoned patty and cheese beautifully. I had trouble trying to fit it all into my mouth, but after completing the seemingly impossible, I felt truly rewarded and my taste buds danced happily in thanks. The bun was almost as ambrosial as the burger and when I'd consumed all the meat, I satisfied myself by using it to mop up all the remaining morsels of relish. Both me and my girlfriend left feeling full, satisfied, and a little regretful that we would not be able to visit again in the near future.
Although the service wasn't exactly ground-breaking, the prices rather high (although this is typical for Ireland and not solely a JoBurger shortcoming), and the music perhaps a little too loud, the burgers were delicious enough to convert me. If I were a Dublin native, I would certainly add JoBurger to my list of regular haunts.
I was studying abroad last fall in Germany, and hadn't really had the opportunity to eat a good burger in almost 5 months when I tried JoBurger. Just one day before I was taking a weekend trip to Dublin, the Dubliner magazine came out naming JoBurger the best restaurant in Dublin. Naturally I was ecstatic about it, and actually convinced the 7 other people I was going there with to find JoBurger and eat it for our first meal there. So after an early morning, lunch at the airport, and a few hours getting into Dublin and checked into the hostel, we found a bus that would take us there and headed out.
To be honest, I really wasn't blown away by it. We ordered 8 different burgers, and they all come on this bun that really kind of wrecks it. It is way too crusty and the burgers themselves are about 3 times taller than they are wide, making eating a challenge. The sides were about average, and everything, even by Irish/Dublin standards, cost just a little bit too much.
While I wouldn't recommend against it, it definitely didn't fill my burger crave, and that's saying a lot given it had been almost half a year since having a worthwhile burger. If you happen to be in the Rathmines area, or are planning on eating at a random restaurant in Temple Bar, I would say give it a try, but I wouldn't book a flight just to try it.
I hate how people complain about prices in Dublin, there's a lot of cheap places, you just have to look for them. Jo'burger has that scenster quality that makes it an invitation to overcharge. Their burgers are absolutely average in every way, apart from the bun which is too soft and falls to bits. And one issue that I and several of my friends (I'm from Ireland and live in Dublin) have noted is a rather inexcusable one: the waiting staff are remarkably ignorant and unfriendly. This is particularly glaring when in Ireland, where waitrons are typically friendly and chatty. But in Jo'Burger everyone acts like their 6-feet up their own hole.
If you want a good burger, Irish style (Jo'burger as the name suggests is the baby of a South African with a South African topping menu), I advise anyone with the time, presence or inclination to try Bóbó's on Wexford Street. Good, juicy Irish beef or beef/pork burgers, stacked high with delicious Irish condiments and cheeses, served in a bright environment by friendly staff. Much better than the showy nonsense in Jo'Burger, though at a sizeable price (it's in the art's quarter of the Southside). Still, for a truly Irish take on the gourmet burger, it comes higher than recommended.
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2 Comments:
I was studying abroad last fall in Germany, and hadn't really had the opportunity to eat a good burger in almost 5 months when I tried JoBurger. Just one day before I was taking a weekend trip to Dublin, the Dubliner magazine came out naming JoBurger the best restaurant in Dublin. Naturally I was ecstatic about it, and actually convinced the 7 other people I was going there with to find JoBurger and eat it for our first meal there. So after an early morning, lunch at the airport, and a few hours getting into Dublin and checked into the hostel, we found a bus that would take us there and headed out.
To be honest, I really wasn't blown away by it. We ordered 8 different burgers, and they all come on this bun that really kind of wrecks it. It is way too crusty and the burgers themselves are about 3 times taller than they are wide, making eating a challenge. The sides were about average, and everything, even by Irish/Dublin standards, cost just a little bit too much.
While I wouldn't recommend against it, it definitely didn't fill my burger crave, and that's saying a lot given it had been almost half a year since having a worthwhile burger. If you happen to be in the Rathmines area, or are planning on eating at a random restaurant in Temple Bar, I would say give it a try, but I wouldn't book a flight just to try it.
P.S. I have a bunch of hi-rez pictures of
diearzte2 at 10:06PM on 09/10/09
I hate how people complain about prices in Dublin, there's a lot of cheap places, you just have to look for them. Jo'burger has that scenster quality that makes it an invitation to overcharge. Their burgers are absolutely average in every way, apart from the bun which is too soft and falls to bits. And one issue that I and several of my friends (I'm from Ireland and live in Dublin) have noted is a rather inexcusable one: the waiting staff are remarkably ignorant and unfriendly. This is particularly glaring when in Ireland, where waitrons are typically friendly and chatty. But in Jo'Burger everyone acts like their 6-feet up their own hole.
If you want a good burger, Irish style (Jo'burger as the name suggests is the baby of a South African with a South African topping menu), I advise anyone with the time, presence or inclination to try Bóbó's on Wexford Street. Good, juicy Irish beef or beef/pork burgers, stacked high with delicious Irish condiments and cheeses, served in a bright environment by friendly staff. Much better than the showy nonsense in Jo'Burger, though at a sizeable price (it's in the art's quarter of the Southside). Still, for a truly Irish take on the gourmet burger, it comes higher than recommended.
DonBuri at 8:45AM on 09/11/09