Stitch and Bear

A long-running Irish blog with reviews of the best restaurants in Dublin and throughout Ireland. Some wine and cocktails thrown in for good measure!

Sunday, January 19, 2014

[Review] Aussie BBQ, Rathgar, Dublin 6

Last summer, I ate my way through a fair amount of Dublin's burgers in my research to find Dublin's Best Burger. Back then I promised that I would no longer hold back when I encountered a burger that I felt should be best avoided. Since then, I've only spoken out about one offender (at House bar on Leeson Street) but that's probably also because I'm being selective. I don't order burgers in many places any more simply because I think that place won't produce a good burger, and there's no point in wasting my time, money and simple enjoyment. I'm just not into masochism. 

One name that popped up time and time again on my radar was Aussie BBQ. This started out as  "Ireland's Only Authentic Barbecue Restaurant" on South Richmond Street and the menu certainly has some exotic items like crocodile and kangaroo steak. I did sample their burger during the course of my taste testing, but a bog standard bun and weak patty doomed them to a non-ranking in my results. 

But clearly things are going OK in the land of Australian barbecuing in Dublin as Aussie BBQ have opened a second outlet right in the heart of Rathgar. And one night, Himself had a hankering for a burger. Not a gourmet, posh burger but a proper burger. The kind that often accompanies several pints and the need to line your stomach. And so dear reader, we walked to Rathgar to check out Aussie BBQ. 
The Brizzy Burger
His Brizzy Burger (€6.00) is described was described as a half-pounder with chili relish, jack cheese, jalapeƱo peppers and the usual trimmings. To be honest, it looked just like a regular old chipper van burger with it's un-toasted, pasty white Bundy-type bun, but it hit the spot. A portion of Boomerang fries, double cooked apparently, were exceptionally good (€3.00). I am quite partial to leaving a bit of skin on fries and these didn't disappoint, especially as they appeared to be dusted with Aromat, or something similar. 

Disclaimer:  I love Aromat. Who cares that MSG is a primary ingredient? It's delicious stuff and takes me right back to memories of late-night cooking with my father. Long live Aromat, and especially its cousin, Meat Aromat which is great on a cheese toastie.

Boomerang Fries
I had chosen the Original Meat Box which is a half-pounder, corn-fed chicken fillet and your choice of organic pork sausage or pulled pork (€9.00). It arrived on a paper-lined wooden board, with a very disturbing looking dollop of sauce on top of the pulled pork. To be brutally honest, the look of the sauce nearly deterred me from trying it at all. Overall, the chicken fillet was the best thing on the board. Simply cooked, it was uncomplicated. The burger was grainy in texture and the taste reminded me of a Findus pancake from the poverty days of the 80s. I sometimes buy a particular type of food for my dwarf hamsters than contains dried meal worms, and this burger made me think of that. The dubious sauce on the pulled pork turned out to taste quite nice, which was required as the pork itself appeared to have been sitting around for a while. 
The Original Meat Box
You could argue that Aussie BBQ is just a fast food joint, but they do claim themselves to be an Australian Barbecue venue. You could argue that the prices are low, and I couldn't disagree with that. But that's about as far as I can go, bar those exceptional fries. Aussie BBQ is probably best suited to fulfill the post-pub stagger home. Don't expect any more than that. 

Aussie BBQ, 9 Orwell Road, Rathgar, Dublin 6
Tel: +353 (01) 412 5555
URL: aussiebbq.ie
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3 comments

Jen said...

Glad to see a review of the Aussie BBQ. On a recent placement in a nearby healthcare facility, a number of us descended on the place for lunch. While the pittas were reasonably good, we were all left quite queasy when one of our group ordered a hot dog which was entirely raw at the end nestled in the bottom of the bag to be discovered once he had eaten 60-70% of it. I wouldn't be returning in a hurry.

Anonymous said...

Interesting...! As an Australian who has lived in Dublin I really enjoy your blog. This restaurant, however...! While we do love a barbecue, the truth is Australians don't know anything about BBQ technique. It's sausages, steak, prawns and MAYBE some mushrooms on the hotplate - there is nothing like pulled pork in Australian food culture (That's entirely an American BBQ thing). Anyway just curious to note!

Sarah Hanrahan said...

I just found your blog & am delighted, I myself live in Dublin & eat out about 5 times a week, I am always looking for the latest places to try so I humped to follow you straight away :) I completly agree with you about Aussie BBQ, I think the burgers are average at best. On the other hand, I only recently made it down to bobo's and was very impressed with their burgers... absolutly gorgeous

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