F.X.Buckley Parkgate Street
This week my lunch companion and I decided to visit, F.X. Buckley a Dublin food institution. F.X. Buckley started off 6 generations ago as butchers and by the 1980s they diversified by opening their first steakhouse. Thirty three years later, they now own five steakhouses and three bars which are attached to steakhouses. We visited the restaurant above Ryan’s in Parkgate Street which they bought in 2005.
Ryan’s is a landmark Victorian pub with an F.X. Buckley Steakhouse upstairs. Upon entering the entrance I was not sure if I was in the right place. As there was a sign by the twisty stairs saying, ladies. After climbing the stairs I knew I was in the right place, as the décor reminded me of their Pembroke Street restaurant which I have been to.
The impressive lunch menu has all courses priced individually or two courses for €17.50, and three courses for €22.50. As with most restaurants that offer steak on the menu, there is a supplement that you pay for the two steak offerings on the menu. I decided to go for the main course and a dessert and my lunch companion went for three courses. He started with the Foie Gras and Duck Liver Pate with toasted brioche and spiced apple chutney. For our main course and dessert, we both went with the F.X. Buckley Burger and the selections of ice cream.
The prime beef burger comes on a brioche bun with tomato, lettuce, melted cheese, smoked bacon and gherkin. The beef dripping chips that came with it were tasty. Being a fussy eater, my burger did not come with lettuce or gherkin. I had asked if it came with mayo as most burgers tend to. Upon been told that it did, I asked for no mayo. Ordering food as a fussy eater can be tricky. Mentioning that you are allergic to something that you would not like to have with your meal, is worth doing. This guarantees that the restaurant will give you exactly what you ordered.
The burger came with two small beef patties and a perfectly toasted brioche bun. The melted cheese and smoked bacon perfectly suited the burger, and the double patties were easy to handle as they were not oversized. I had my burger cooked well done. The burger was one of the tastiest that I have had in a long time. It’s all down to F.X. Buckley having a great beef supplier.
Our deserts, the selections of ice creams came with three scoops of ice cream in three flavours that change daily. Chocolate, rum raisin and strawberry were the three flavours we could choose from. Our ice creams had one scoop of strawberry and two scoops of rum raisin. It tasted divine and I would happily have them again.
The Parkgate Street F.X. Buckley restaurant that we visited is the cheapest one in their portfolio and the only one offering two and three course lunches. Getting here is very easy as it is close to the Heuston and Museum LUAS stops. The service was excellent and complimented the wonderful food. I would definitely come here again.
F.X. Buckley, 28 Parkgate Street, Dublin 8.
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