Best Burgers in Dublin: Smash to Spice Burger

The best burgers in Dublin are concentrated south of the Liffey, around Temple Bar, South William Street and the Camden Street and Wexford Street strip, with more independents north of the river in Smithfield and Stoneybatter. Look for burgers made with Irish grass-fed beef and, in the traditional chippers, for the spice burger.

The spice burger is Dublin’s own invention. Maurice Walsh, a pork butcher, developed it at the back of his shop in Glasnevin in the early 1950s: a patty of beef, onion, cereal and spices, coated in crumbs, deep-fried and served with chips. It is still on chipper menus across Ireland. At the other end of the scale, the country’s beef gives burger kitchens a strong local product. Since 2023, Irish Grass Fed Beef has been protected by the EU, and it only applies to cattle that graze at least 220 days a year.

Burgers in Dublin: key facts

• Neighbourhoods to explore: Temple Bar, South William Street, Camden Street, Wexford Street, Portobello, Rathmines, Smithfield and Stoneybatter.
• Local specialty: the spice burger, created in Glasnevin in the early 1950s and sold in chippers.
• Local beef: Irish Grass Fed Beef, a protected geographical indication since 2023.
• Currency: the euro (EUR), unlike Belfast, which uses sterling.
• Getting around: the two Luas tram lines, Dublin Bus and the DART coastal railway.

Every guide we publish on Dublin is dated and lists only venues, addresses, prices and ratings we could verify. Continue with our burger restaurant guides for other cities.