Fish burgers are generally regarded as the embarrassing uncle of fast food outlets. They’re what losers, who have no business being in a burger joint in the first place, opt for. Meanwhile, the rest of the party shifts awkwardly and pretends not to notice.
I know, because I am that fish burger. In fact, I love them. I’ve even called into McDonalds to get their plasticine Fillet-o-Fish burger. There, I said it.
Eddie Rocket’s do a reasonable fish burger: the Moby Dick comes in at €6.95 but it’s quite insubstantial compared to their big hot chunks of cow.
Still, Eddie’s Moby Dick beats Bobo’s tragic offering hands-down. This “Gourmet Irish Burger” joint – let the gourmet burger debate begin again – on Dublin’s Camden St. is generally as good as any other I’ve been to. Their chips are very nice indeed and I like the casual atmosphere of the place, while I think their meat burgers are great – very well assembled and with good quality cuts.
However! Recently, I very tentatively ordered their “Finn McCool” offering, described on their online menu as a “finger lickin’ good fish finger burger with tartare/ tomato sauce, beef tomato, red onion, and iceberg lettuce.” It was so appalling that I was offended. Coming in at €7.95, the fish fingers weren’t even fillets. They seemed to consist of batter with a microscopic amount of creepy minced, brown fish. Ugh. The bun also contained, completely inappropriately, some mushy peas: the gastronomic equivalent of a beef burger with roast potatoes and Yorkshire puddings stuffed into the bun. And tartare sauce and tomato sauce have no business mixing together in polite company.
I reckon this is right up there with some of the most puzzling things I’ve ever seen on any menu. Some of you may say I deserve everything I get for ordering a fish burger in the first place. I note your point, but I counter that Bobo’s have no business serving a fish burger at all if they’re not willing to do it properly. They are, in fact, really easy to make. There’s no excuse for this.