What’s on offer?
The food market at Herbert Park in Dublin 4 is always busy when the sun shines. It is mostly hot food stalls, so it’s a great place for a stroll and a bit of lunch with friends. All of the food trucks are busy at 2pm when I arrive, but I think the prize for the longest line goes to Burger Cartel. It could be the aroma of the sizzling burgers, or maybe, like me, they saw the FX Buckley steak frites on Instagram.
I think it’s the longest I’ve ever waited for food, and by the time I reach the top, the steak frites have sold out.
Stephen Hanlon is the chef behind Burger Cartel, which opened in 2019 in a repurposed truck. He now has a second unit, after adding a black and gold trailer called Steakation during Covid.
He offers six different types of burgers, hand-cut chips with a variety of toppings, and steak frites. All his meat comes from FX Buckley, which is name-checked on the truck. This is not a spot for vegetarians.
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What did we order?
The Cartel and The Dirty Cop burgers, and pepper, Parmesan and crispy onion fries.
How was the service?
Stephen was apologetic about the delay, he said they had been short-staffed. There were three people working flat out in the truck.
Was the food nice?
These are very good burgers. That aroma that I could smell, well it very much transferred to the burger which was nicely charred and had plenty of that tasty Maillard reaction in the meat. The Dirty Cop had crispy bacon and barbecue sauce and all the toppings which included lettuce and sliced tomato. The Cartel was my favourite, with American cheddar, crispy onions and a delicious pepper sauce. The fries were loaded with this sauce, which I mopped up, and sprinkled with very fine crispy onions and micro-planed Parmesan.
What about the packaging?
The burgers are wrapped in paper and the fries come in a cardboard box that is compostable. Herbert Park is pretty poor when it comes to bins, so bring a bag for your rubbish and dispose of it at home.
What did it cost?
€31.50 for lunch for two people: The Cartel, €12; The Dirty Cop, €12; and pepper, Parmesan and crispy onion fries, €7.50.
Where does it deliver?
Takeaway only, Wednesday at Spencer Dock; Thursday, Steakation at Merrion Square, and Sunday at Herbert Park. Check Instagram for times.
Would I order it again?
Yes, but I’d be sure to get there early so that I could order the steak frites.
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