Search Results for 'Fast food'

The first branch of the American Bites franchise in Ireland opens in Athlone today.

Having spent some time working in NUI Galway, I can justifiably lend my voice to those who say that the food available on campus is generally not that good. Sure, the pizza in the college bar is tasty enough, but it does not really count as a vegetable as the American government would have us believe. The Gourmet Tart Co used to supply the university with its freshly-made sandwiches, but these seem to be no longer available this year, replaced by a lesser sandwich to fill the gap. It is not, I am sure, because students don’t care what they eat — in fact a growing number of them are revolting against the banal food on offer.

Mr Waffle has been popular from day one. Located on a very busy intersection, the flagship shop on Newcastle Road is convenient for both the university and the hospital. Both fine institutions, it's fair to say, but somewhat notorious for the poor quality food available to workers, students, and inmates. However, Mr Waffle's wide selection of crepes, sandwiches, quesadillas, and salads has saved many of them from a joyless lunch break.

The Kings’ Head and Malt House Restaurant have just joined one of the more exclusive food clubs in Ireland – Good Food Ireland. It is not an easy club to get into either - you have to jump through a fair amount of hoops before you get one of these coveted stickers for your front door. And they're in good company too, with Kai, Aniar and Renvyle House also on the GFI list.

There is a stereotypical gender divide in food. Man food is slabs of meat, scotch eggs, big fry-ups, and anything wrapped in bacon. Women prefer yoghurt, quiche, cupcakes, and chocolate, preferably not all on the same plate. Whatever the truth of these clichés, most menus and venues lean more into one camp than the other. Kelly's was always a man's place to my mind, with burgers, pints, and the football on the telly. But Kelly's bar is fond of change. It is fair, I think, to say that Kelly's has had more re-inventions than Kerry Katona. The latest change the team have made is a new menu that just might be the most gender neutral menu in town.

New research from Bord Bia has revealed that supporting local businesses is a key consideration for members of the public when eating out, which may go part of the way to explaining why there is nearly always something of a queue up the stairs for a coveted seat in this small, but perfectly formed, cafe on Spencer Street in Castlebar. With the same research showing that over two thirds of the population rated the use of Irish and local produce as important when eating out for a meal, if you venture over the border to Mayo, Rua's impeccable pedigree of the origin of all elements on the plates delivers. And then some.

Salthill Traditional Fish and Chips has done it again, this time in Galway city. Its new store in Forster Street, close to the tourist office, has all the traditional fish and chip offerings people have come to love in Salthill.

Have you ever really thought about what goes into the plate of food that is brought to your table in a restaurant? If you think about it, a large proportion of it comes down to the chef. It all starts at the back door of the restaurant, where products are unloaded every morning. Depending on the time of the year, chefs experiment, create, and make menus that are fresh, exciting, and appealing to customers all year round. Strawberries and fresh salad greens have come and gone, game and autumnal fruits are featuring now. If you do not have a good chef, then you do not have a good restaurant.

Fast food chain McDonald's is to create 700 new jobs in Ireland over the next three years in a €20 million investment. Ballina has been selected as one location for one of 12 new restaurants to be opened throughout the country.

Cafe Express is situated in a prime bit of Galway retail space, in Abrakebabra's old location on Eyre Square. The previous menu of doner kebab, chip butty, 'special' pink sauce, and the ever popular taco fries (imagine an Irish version of the French Canadian 'poutine') has been pushed aside for something completely different. While Abrakebabra surely has its fans, Cafe Express, it has to be said, is a vast improvement and a welcome addition to Eyre Square. On the corner, this is fast becoming the coffee destination for city centre workers commuting from the outskirts and tourists on sightseeing excursions. With the trains, buses and taxis all feeding into the square, the Lavazza sign over this door acts like a beacon that draws coffee lovers like moths to a flame, and it's certainly hard to fault their real Italian-style coffee.