September 20, 2009- The streets of Dublin were empty save for two hungry Americans with a hankering for a burger and a pint or two. All of Ireland was focused on the Gaelic Football Championship Final between Cork and Kerry. It was a great time to be in Dublin. We stopped in at the John Kehoe pub where a crowd had gathered to watch the match. As a few visiting Gallway natives tried to talk us through the game, we grew distracted and listless, and I think I even dozed off a bit. It was clear that we could no longer ignore our stomachs. It had been a long day and food was needed. BW headed off down the street as I guarded her Guinness and nursed a Jameson. She soon returned with one of the best looking burgers I have ever seen- and the taste was near sublime. She had happened upon Gourmet Burger Kitchen, and at that moment everything just fell into place. We were no longer foreigners in an unfamiliar city watching a game we couldn't begin to understand. For that moment, with a burger in hand, we were home.
GBK has a great menu with a diverse list of burger options. But if you're tired and not up for making any big decisions, keep it simple and go with the second one down,
CHEESE: 100% Irish beef, salad, mayonnaise, relish & aged cheddar.
Everything tasted fresh and of high quality. The lightly grilled sesame seed bun held together through to the very end. The not-too-thick burger was perfectly grilled through (without the option of being cooked to order), juicy, but not greasy, with crisp smooth butter lettuce leaves, an herb mayo, and perfectly melted cheddar. But for me the relish was the nice added bonus that one doesn't find often in The States. With more texture and pronounced flavors, it beats ketchup hands down.
There are a few GBK locations in Dublin and all of them look pretty great for sit-down dining too. They also serve beer & wine. BW came across the one at 5 South Anne Street, just down from the John Kehoe pub. We're not sure if it's proper to bring food into a pub in Ireland. We were the only ones to do so, but no one seemed to mind. If you're looking for a beautiful, classic Irish pub complete with a few intimate snugs, this is the place.
For more info and other locations go to gbkinfo.com
May 28th is National Hamburger Day! We celebrated last night with a few drinks followed by a trip around the corner to Burger Meister on Church Street. Despite it's thinness, this 1/4 pound Niman Ranch paddy was juicy and flavorful- and just right for us, but there are plenty of options including kicking it up to a 1/2 pounder, if you're in need of a larger bite. We ordered one "double cheese" with cheddar and one burger with a generous amount of blue cheese. The buns were classic sesame seed- warm, soft and delicious. This is the kind of burger you crave late at night - a perfect post drinks burger: simple, easy, and with a satisfying amount of grease. Burger Meister has all the fixings of a fast food joint but enough patience to grille each burger to order. Our medium-rare request was well met and greatly appreciated. And everyone there manages to stay really pleasant even when the line is out the door! It must be a west coast thing. Please say hello to Andrew if you see him!
