I LIVED in LA for most of 2003. I paid the rent by working in what I usually tell people was the 'entertainment industry.'

The reality was I sold advertising web space to resting actors keen to give their on-line presence a push. I wasn't quite doing lunch with Hollywood big-hitters, but at least I was getting to know some of the best fast-food diners in Tinsel town. During my tenure as a dotcom go-getter, I developed a fleeting affair with high-quality fast food.

For a city obsessed with healthy living and eating, Los Angelenos like their hamburgers thick, juicy and fully loaded. I became a regular patron of fast food Meccas such as In-NOut Burger and, my own personal favourite, the bravely-named Fatburger. These are places where you can get a 100% beef hamburger made to order using top-quality, fresh ingredients. Don't get me wrong, Wolfgang Puck's Spago and the CalAsian temple of Traxx were regular haunts too, when I could afford them. Returning to Ireland that winter, I was rudely reminded of the difference between the hamburger experience here and that of LA when I grabbed a flaccid cheeseburger on the way out of Dublin airport. Plastic cheese, a dried up old flap of 'beef ' with a few slices of gherkin and a slather of ketchup is an insult to what a hamburger can be when given just a little more love and attention.

Because the hamburgers we've become used to in Ireland are usually junk food . . . products of the franchised limbs of global corporations who make money out of selling unhealthy food to unhealthy people . . . maybe we're right to think badly of places serving hamburger and fries combos with a smile. But, let's not throw the baby out with the bath water . . .a good-quality hamburger can be a beautiful and relatively healthy thing. Two places attempting such have opened recently in Ireland. Bobo's on Camden Street in Dublin and Real Gourmet burger in Dun Laoghaire which, up until a few months ago, also had a branch in Portlaoise. When I phoned up to ask why the Portlaoise branch had closed, I was told that "the premises just weren't suitable". So for foodies in Laois, I'm afraid it's now basically a tossup between Quizno's or Castle Durrow. Go figure that one out.

Bobos Gourmet Irish Burgers is a small diner with a menu that sounds in parts like it could have been dreamed up by a pair of teenagers with the munchies: 'Crisps in a Bowl (Burger Bites, Chipsticks, Snax)'; 'Coke Float (Vanilla ice cream swims in coke)'; 'Selection of Jacobs Biscuits (Bourbon Creams, Mikado. . . all your favourites)' and so on. The rest of the menu is a reasonably creative selection of hamburgers and sides. We went for the 7.95 'Danny' (all of the burgers have Irish names) Cashel Blue cheese, cream cheese, beef tomato, rocket, black pepper, and Bobos special relish. My Burger Buddy had the 8.20 'Seanie', a vegetarian option featuring Portabello mushroom, roast peppers, rocket, red onion and red pesto. We ordered a portion of the 3.95 'Proper Hand-Cut Chips' too.

Both burgers were good. Fresh baps, tasty fillings (although there could have been a little more relish on the 'Danny') and a reasonable enough, yet frustratingly non-organic, beef patty. The chips were very disappointing. Dry, pale and stunningly bland, a heavy dousing with salt and vinegar did little to enliven them. Milkshakes were okay, although the chocolate malt I ordered tasted decidedly malt-free.

The next day we visited Real Gourmet Burger. The interior is all straight lines, hard surfaces and uniformed staff. A kid-friendly place, you may be waiting a while for a table.

For us it was an hour, which I felt was a bit much, but it's a popular place so I can't really argue with that.

Once inside, service was fast and friendly.

For comparative purposes, I ordered the 'Blue Cheese' burger: melted Cashel blue cheese served with blue cheese mayo on the side at 8.50. BB had 'Mediterranean Lamb' which was complimented with slices of buffalo mozzarella, a drizzle of pesto, torn basil and tomato relish ( 8.95). The '100 % organic' meat was superb as were the fillings in both hamburgers. The bap on mine broke into three pieces once I gripped it though, not as fresh as it could have been, a bit dry. Again, chips ( 3.00) were a disappointment. This time the flavour was excellent but they were really quite soggy. Pay more attention to the fryers chef!

I have heard wildly varying accounts of experiences in both these restaurants from 'never again' to 'freakin' A!' but nobody wants to gamble on whether they get a good meal or not, so consistency will be a determining factor in whether or not these places succeed. So, Slow Food Ireland, no need to worry just yet, but do keep an eye on the market, as some like it fast.

REAL* GOURMET BURGER The Pavilion Dun Laoghaire County Dublin Telephone: 01 2846568

BOBOS 22 Wexford Street Dublin 2 Telephone: 01 4005750 Bobos Bap 4/5 Filling 3/5 Patty 2.5/5 (Why isn't it organic! ? ) Chips 1/5 Value 4/5 Overall 2.5/5
V Real* Gourmet Burger Bap 3/5 Filling 4/5 Patty 4/5 Chips 2/5 Value 4/5 Overall 3.5/5