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7th March 2018
04:09pm GMT
Wander around Dublin and you'll find a heap of places to eat, but just how many of them are actually unique? Carbon copy eateries are all well and good, and for the most part you know you'll get a decent feed, but for a quick meal that really stands out you'll have to look a little harder.
This is where BuJo comes in.
A casual (yet so clever) new burger joint in Sandymount, BuJo brings the humble burger to a whole new level, with the attention to detail making this simple restaurant instantly impressive.
Owner of BuJo, Michael Sheary came up with the idea for the burger restaurant after a career in hospitality, with the birth of his first daughter being the inspiring moment to create something that he could look back on with pride - and that so would she.
Long trips back and forth to the US, toying with the idea of fine dining, and BuJo was born after two years: a super chilled counter-service spot that has gourmet level grub with a casual buzz.
Being truly sustainable is a huge driving force behind everything BuJo does, and the care that went into sourcing each and every ingredient on the menu is outstanding.
Many a trip to fields and family farms across Ireland led to a custom-made mince of three pure beef muscle cuts, minced in long strands with "white gold" (what Michael calls the juicy burger fat), that allows the flames to fire up in between the burger patty for a chargrilled taste.
Brioche buns are baked in Kildare, pickles are panko crumbed and fried, and their fries are triple-cooked, skin on and finished in non-GMO (that's genetically modified to you and me) rapeseed oil. There's pints of craft beer, and wine on tap, including a yum sparkling red Lambrusco - or 'cheeseburger wine', as Michael likes to think of it.
A simple menu, with incredible results.
Well-known in Dublin's food scene, Grainne O'Keefe has been at the helm of Pichet, Bastible, the recently opened Clanbrassil House, and is one of the best young chefs in the city right now.
While Michael had the original idea and passion to get things started, Grainne came on board with BuJo to kickstart the food side and was a huge asset (she's "formidable", Michael says), pushing for the chargrilled cooking method to best bring out the flavour of the beef.
Round crispy bacon from Ballyjamesduff ensures you'll always have that perfect mouthful of bacon with every bite, and thinner patties are served two to a burger as standard, with the option of switching to just one if you want a lighter lunch.
A major recruitment drive to find the best staff in Dublin was pretty different to the usual search for restaurant workers. Many of the staff in BuJo have little to none hospitality experience, but Michael instead looked for eagerness, drive, and pure decent people.
Rather than concentrate on the usual rulebook steps of customer service, BuJo take a more emotional and hospitable approach to how they look after customers.
The result? A crew who are super sound and helpful - the gal who made my milkshake was keen for honest feedback and took genuine pleasure when I told her how good it was. The BuJo love and passion has clearly trickled through.
A long mirror tilted at exactly 87 degrees (85 was too much, 86 not quite perfect) gives every customer a view of the flames cooking the burgers in the open kitchen.
Stools along a counter offer a traditional American diner-style view of all the chef action, while a special corner booth has the best view in the whole joint.
Bold graphic designs of the waves from nearby Sandymount Strand and a rotating gallery of slick Irish prints add a stylish edge to the otherwise simple interior. The logo, a linear house, is used throughout the entire place, right down to being fire branded onto the burger buns.
Strawberry shortcake, salted caramel or chocolate chip cookie (my choice, which was SO good), are all whisked up into milkshakes using quality ice-cream from Murphy's farm in Wexford.
No trip to BuJo should be complete without one of these.
A rather trendy restaurant in a traditionally local neighbourhood, BuJo's intense focus on getting every single little ingredient and detail right has paid off.
What they want to do is simple: burgers, but better.
This is unlike any current burger place in town right now - all those little details have added up perfectly to make something that's gonna be big.
Best news? To celebrate their opening week, BuJo will be giving away 500 burgers FREE tonight if you buy fries and a drink...
BuJo can be found at 6A Sandymount Green, and will be open from 5.30pm-10pm this week, and from 12pm next week onwards.
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