EVENT – Burger Biting at The Generator with Zomato*

Cookie FM Nirina The Generator #ZomatoMeetup

(Photo by Generator Hostel Dublin)

Cookie FM Rating – 2.5/5

Last week on Wednesday evening (February 24), I was invited to attend another #ZomatoMeetup, for a casual & chill dinner event at The Generator, Smithfield. I was looking forward to this meetup as one of my best friends was also attending, but also that I would get to meet some more food lovers, which is always fun! Located in the heart of Smithfield, this hostel hosts a fast-food café & restaurant, that boasts topping burger lists across the county, notably at #3 in ‘The Top 10 Burgers to Eat in Dublin’ by Lovin Dublin. The meetup event was organised by Aisling Byrne of Zomato, and her very cool colleagues Rob McDonald & Finvola Sweeney also joined the party, alongside a big group of foodie bloggers & enthusiasts. We were welcomed by Mark Ward, the events coordinator, and then introduced to The Generator Head Chef Alex who gave us a run through of their burger styles and an insight into their many award accolades!

Zomato is a brilliant social media platform & smartphone app that allows foodies to search for restaurants wherever you may be, check-in, tag fellow users, post photo and reviews for the Zomato community to discover honest opinions. Join here or download the app here for iPhone/Windows Phone / Android

The menu features all different types of burgers, of different meats and toppings, each of which recommends a specific drink to have with your chosen meal. I opted for the Beefeater Burger, as it was the burger the Generator is known for and you can’t go wrong ordering the classic. Although the menu recommends a beer, I opted for one of the evening’s cocktail; the Perfect Storm, made with spiced rum, bitters, lime and ginger beer, which was delicious! When the burgers arrived, they did look pretty good although there was a bit of a mix up of whose is whose. My burger came in between a toasted bun, with double jack cheddar cheese, sautéed onions, pickles, and a combination of ketchup, mustard & retro sauce and served with rustic-style fries. The burger did taste nice and the toppings work well with the beef, however I found my bun to be overly toasted and my portion of chips didn’t reflect what everyone else was served, which I wasn’t too happy about.

I hate to say it, but unfortunately I wasn’t overly impressed with the burger. I was expecting to eat one of the top three burgers in Dublin, it just didn’t cut it for me. Perhaps, because for me it’s about so much more than just the beef patty. This is not to say the burger wasn’t good, but I found the beef was just too plain so it just fell short of the high expectations I was told about. I would like to go back and give the Generator a second chance, and taste their other burgers so I shan’t write it off just yet. All that said, the service was attentive & friendly, and Mark even gave us a quick tour of the hostel, showing us two types of rooms the Generator Hostel offers. You’ll notice myself and some of the bloggers jumped at the chance of a photo opp in the jacuzzi! The hostel prices are reasonable, especially for groups, so I would recommend staying here if you’re out for a big party or visiting Dublin.