We imagine that, like ourselves, most of the hungry citizens of Cork city had been eagerly awaiting the opening of the West Cork Burger Company, on Washington Street, an area fast becoming Cork’s Food Quarter.
Day after day, waiting for the renovations to finish as we walked past the large, anticipating sign above the door of the restaurant, we would dream of burgers and fries, beers and shakes. Henry Hegarty and his team had made everyone in Cork into a panting Pavlovian, eager for some sort of release from our cravings.
The anticipation made us excited to finally walk through the door, into the modern, comfortable interior and, to quote the front of house, 'get shtuck in'.
And we did. A selection of craft beers on tap previewed the arrival of the classic bacon and cheese burger, served with red onion, gherkin, lettuce, hand cut chips, and the signature burger sauce, which brought almost as much character into the burger as the West Cork-bred Wagyu beef, which is the WCBC signature.
Wagyu beef is a special food we should all be very excited to see being produced in Ireland, and served in Cork, and there's no doubt that it gives a singularity to the delicious WCBC burgers.
But just as special is their Angus burger: like the Wagyu, it is perfectly cooked, and served with precision and confidence.
West Cork’s slogan is 'A place apart' and this feeling of specialness, of distinctiveness, is a feature which Henry Hegarty has successfully applied to his restaurant. The mix of good food, and a friendly atmosphere, means that we are anticipating our return with as much relish as we did the opening of the WCBC.
