Bad Ass Cafe, Dublin

On Sunday last, January the 3rd 2010, I had cause to seek a quick meal while in Dublin city center and as it had been quite some time since I had last visited the bad ass cafe, I decided stop in for a quick bite to eat with friend.

After being shown to our seats, and browsing the menu we selected on a Bruchetta and Burgers. Shortly after our starter of Bruchetta arrived, unfortunately I was shocked to realize we had just been served near frozen tomatoes on toasted garlic bread of exceptionally poor quality.

I summoned the waiter to explain that the starter was less than satisfactory given its composition. The young gentleman seemed unable to comprehend my concern, but none the less was happy to return it kitchen for replacement.

About five minutes later he returned with the very same items that we had returned minutes earlier. Only this time they had obviously been placed under the grill to defrost the near frozen tomato. Their taste was nothing short of disgusting.

Then followed what can only be described as the worst burger I have tasted in quite some time, and I include those sold by a certain large global fast food franchises.
At very least I would question the method of cooking of the burger, let alone the origin of the meat. Which I am full sure is less than pure beef. The accompanying fries and bread bap had the taste texture of what I imagine deep fried plaster board and floured and polyurethane sponge to be.

All in all the "meal" really made me feel like vomiting.

This nouscious feeling was compounded further, by receiving a bill requesting a 10% service charge, which at least caused great amusement with myself, my friend and others seated near by. Not even a "how was your meal" from the waiting staff.

To be expected I am sure, due to the serious lack of communication skills and vocabulary of the staff, not with holding my assumption that they themselves knew the unbelievable culinary atrocity that had been served would most likely receive the wrath of unhappy eaters were they to broach the subject.

€32 for 2 "burgers & 1 Bruchetta" will remind me to never suggest this establishment as place to eat to another living soul.

It’s a shame that such a simple meal can be so badly made and that service is so poor given the outlandish charges impressed by the restaurant on the unsuspecting public, most of whom I suspect are tourists to our fine city.

And if not poisoned out-right, are very unlikely to return, unless spurrened on by some culinary masochistic fetish.

I will finish my comment by expressing the shame they should feel by overseeing such an
operation and by charging the prices they do. And letting what was, in the past, quite a reasonable eatery, to slip to the depths it has.

I could use the phrase "mutton dressed as lamb" but that would be an insult to sheep.

The only “positive” take from all of this, is that I am now convinced that even in times of economic hardship and as we mourn the passing of the Celtic tiger, our “rip off republic” is still alive and kicking.

Yours Ill-fully
Mr. G Cadogan
Dublin
Ireland

Favorite Dish: The Water

Excellent menu at a very reasonable price, check out the lunctime specials especially. Beer and wine is available aswell. Book ahead at the weekends

Favorite Dish: Caesar Salad, I had it here one day during a "healthy phase" I was going through and it was the best ever. Fresh large helpings of Parmesan and huge slices of bacon topped with lettuce and the dressing, Heaven !

Bad Ass Cafe is a Dublin legend! You won't find any guidebook I think that doesn't mention that Sinead O'Connor used to work as a waitress here. Now it that so very important? I don't know. However, the food here is very good and the prices, especially during the day, are very decent. I had a filled curry pineapple pizza here once which was the biggest pizza I've ever seen and one of the tastiest, too. Unfortunately it's not on the menu anymore.

We had a lunch special here in December 2006 which included a pizza, pasta or burger dish plus a half pint or a soft drink for something like 8 EUR. It was a good deal really.

PS: Watch how the orders are transported from A to B through the restaurant! Mad!
PPS: The place is always busy but it's never hard to get a table.

Favorite Dish: The curry pineapple pizza still comes to my mind when thinking of my favourite dish. The chicken tandoori pizza I had last time was very tasty, too!

We stopped by this restaurant after a day of walking and tourism completely exhausted. It was so cold outside we felt like home. I ordered the bad ass burger and I have to say it was one of the best burgers ever for me. Nice friendly waiters and funny way to send orders to the kitchen by a complex wire system on the ceiling. It is definetely a good restaurant, with good food, reasonable priced and big portions. Very recomendable.

Favorite Dish: the bad ass hamburger (though I bet the rest of the menu is as good as this one)

We visited the BA Cafe for a quick meal on a busy saturday night. We had pre-booked a table for 16 people which was not quite ready when we arrived on time, despite me booking and re-confirming an hour before.

We ordered some beer and nachos immediately as we were on a tight schedule. The nacho's were delivered before the beer, the nacho's were OK, but nothing special, I've certainly tasted better.

We then ordered the mains from the polite waitress who spoke fairly mediocre english. 14 of the 16 meals were delivered in good time, although there was a fairly long wait between the first and 14th meal.

As for the last two... Had to ask for them again, the burger turned up very rare and the fahita's turned up after the rest of us had finished eating almost half an hour later. To mess up an order is almost understandable, to then send out undercooked food and take an age to rectify the other mistake was very annoying. In general the food (apart from the rare burger) was edible, but not particularly spectacular, it was mass produced with very little flavour.

Continued below...

Favorite Dish: However the worst thing about the evening was the waiter on a power trip yelling at one of our party in a completely unacceptable manner. The BA cafe, has the word Ass written everywhere, so if you are easily offended you wouldn't choose to visit, it was after 9 in the evening, and there were no children in the Cafe. One of our party had a drinking fine to carry out, so he duly stood on his chair to down his pint. He did admittedly drop his trousers(leaving his boxers firmly in place), which is perhaps not the best idea in a food establishment, however, the reaction from the rest of the customers seemed fairly positive, with lots of cheering coming from other tables. At this point one of the waiters litterally pulled him from the chair shouting at the top of his voice, thus was met with boo's and a groan from the rest of the customers. He then returned 5 minutes later and had a second shout at the person involved. Now I can understand that the behavior of our friend was possibly a little OTT, however the reaction was completely over the top and unwarrented.

If you want somewhere relaxed to go to eat then you may have to find somewhere else, and to be honest the food doesn't make it worth a visit anyway.

Temple Bar pretty grew up around the Bad Ass, which was here long before it became a popular tourist hangout. One of the features of the place is the rope and pulley system in place to get money to the cash room and back. This seems to work very well. Food is honest, hearty and big. The menu's make good souvenirs of a Bad Ass experience.

Favorite Dish: Burgers :-)

I cant select the theme of this bar restaurant, italian?, Mexican?, irish? They have an extensive menu, catering for all tastes: From burgers to Pasta, Pizzas or Mexican dishes, from vegetarian dishes to "Kidz Menu". Different from others pubs and restaurants in Temple Bar this looks like "so budget ".

Fantastic place to eat.Portions are incredible.Idon't think you can go wrong with anything on the menu.
Very reasonably priced for city.
Can't wait to go back!
Don't be put off by exterior nothing fancy, we didn't go in first time in Dublin,it was only when we read reviews here that we decided go give it a go.So glad we did.

Favorite Dish: should try garlic mushrooms & cheese for starter, main course we had spicy chicken pizza & beef tortilla's execellant!