The Gourmet Burger Company, Ranelagh Restaurants

The burger has undergone a bit of a Renaissance in the last few years. The day’s of the horrible frozen burger and soggy bun have been left behind by the new generation of Burger restaurant, where organic beef is served with sour dough buns. The Gourmet Burger Company is leading the way.

The Gourmet Burger Co is located in Ranelagh Village, at the Sandford Road end, almost directly across from Eatery 120. It occupies a building that has been a restaurant for as long as I can remember, it was a KFC in the eighties, and has undergone numerous changes since, but this one is a winner. The décor is dark wood and leather seats, with cool and calming greens on the walls, and the ubiquitous g logo, made of two cartoon buns with eyes which brands everything from the menus to the walls to the little boxes they use for the people who ordered too many chicken wings to bring them home!

The menu is straightforward, starters and sides include baby back ribs, chicken wings, with a choice of sauces, original and suicidal. The sauce is imported directly from the Anchor bar in New York, and it is pretty good it has to be said. There are also a choice of salads and of course home made fries. But here it is really all about the burgers and there is a wide choice available, from classic, with cheese to the more exotic combinations; The Vegas - Sweet Peppers, Wild Rocket Salad, Parmesan Cheese & Caesar Mayonnaise. Flamenco - Spanish Chorizo Sausage, Sweet Peppers, Baby Spinach Salad & Relish and the Retro- with Crispy Bacon, Lettuce, Beef Tomato, Grilled Pineapple and Relish. They also are the only restaurant in Ireland serving a Kobe beef burger, with mixed leaves and mirin dressing, all for €39.95. Gerard went along with daughter Abi for a Saturday Lunch recently.

The chicken wings are great, I had the suicidal while Abigail more sensibly had the original. Both generous bowls had the wings sitting a top fresh gem lettuce leaves, and batons of celery and carrot, all served with a homemade mayo dip. The wings were great, the sauce wasn’t too bitter, I have noticed lately that some places are seriously overdoing the vinegar in the sauce. For the main event, Abi picked the Junior, which is still a large quarter pounder, while I picked the Parma, an 8oz organic burger served with buffalo mozzarella and pesto, with Parma ham. A side order of fries and two of their pink French lemonades completed the order. The burgers are really good, succulent and juicy, and the sour dough buns are excellent. The fries could be the best I ever had, and Abigail gave the restaurant and the meal ten out of ten.