A Love Letter to The American Hamburger
On a sunny June day in Dublin, the smell of fried onions and beef paired with the slinky sound of disco flowed down the Liffey from the CHQ Building. To anyone not in the know, this wasn’t just a food stall, it was more than that, this was a celebration of the craft of making burgers. America’s greatest Burger scholar was in Dublin in collaboration with Dublin favourite, Dash Burger, giving anyone lucky enough to attend a masterclass in what makes burgers great.
Who is George Motz?
Motz is more than a chef, he’s a storyteller. Each burger carries love, years of experience, and the joy of simplicity, something that’s been lost underneath a mountain of brioche buns, various forms of aioli, and the ever-suffocating presence of truffle oil.
For over 20 years he’s travelled across the U.S., documenting the simple American hamburger through tiny burger joints in small towns, and interviews with 3rd generation grillmasters. His ethos is simple; celebrate the roots of the hamburger, not reinvent them. He honours the history of the American burger and it’s diversity across the country, understating it’s many forms and not focusing on the perfect burger. Following his journey, he opened Hamburger America in New York. Not just a restaurant, but a tribute to the classic, American luncheonette. A simple menu of sizziling beef, pickles, mustard, American cheese, and a deep commitment to honouring tradition.
Dash Burger: Dublin’s Best Smash
Motz’s collaboration with Dash Burger felt natural, like he belonged in Dublin City. Dash burger came out of the shadows of lockdown in 2020, and exploded into Dublin with just one mission: bring the true smash burger to Ireland. With a menu that celebrates Irish beef their burgers are messy, nostalgic, and mirror a sense of ‘true Americana’.
Barry Wallace is the captain of the ship, he’s turned his reverence for burgers into a Dublin cult classic, making the collaboration with Motz all the more sweeter.
A One-Day Love Affair with Americana
On the 21st of June, the CHQ courtyard turned into Burger City. No frills, just Motz with his team and the Dash Burger team slinging out Oklahoma Style Fried Onion burgers with Irish craft beers and cocktails to go alongside. Motz was at the helm, smashing burgers with crispy edges alongside beautifully fragrant fried onions and melty American cheese while taking the time to laugh with fans and take the odd selfie.
What could have been perceived as another Instagram friendly food event to most, was a pilgrimage for those lucky enough to attend. Motz has long championed Irish beef and on this day, celebrated it through an American lens. On the day Motz and his team slung out over 600 burgers in one day, a testament to the Irish respect of good food.
There’s love in how Motz and Dash Burger respect each other - both believe in the power of storytelling in food, and both reject the new and next over-polishing of simple food, and lean into the real and the classic. Sometimes the most radical thing you can do in a city looking for the next big thing, is fall back on simplicity.
This one-day love affair was more than a fan’s dream, it was a love letter to the hamburger and it’s simple joy. Dublin got a taste of Americana, a taste of how good food tells a perfect story; and this story was loud, joyous, and filled with fried onions.
Images taken by Mason Scallan @ CHQ Building, Dublin.