Honestly Farm Kitchen Carrick on Shannon — Restaurant in County Leitrim

No.

No, no, no, No, no, NO.

NO.

I’m not having it.

This place is a fraud, a fake, and a farce.

How dare they mess with the age old tradition of rubbish lukewarm food, thrown into a grease soaked bag and given to you at the window???

The drive through is an institution in this country. A right of passage, where everyone knows what you get. Invariably, you order something “Big”, or “Mighty”, and you get a couple of meat(ish) patties thrown at a bun that definitely does NOT have a best before date, with a splodge of “secret sauce” thrown into the mix… lettuce, or cabbage, or some form of foliage might adorn the immortal bun, and a slice of cheese which I’m convinced is made on a 3d printer sits lopsided atop this abysmal creation. Fries, which even France would disown, usually accompany this “thing”, and every time anybody ever gets this, they say, aloud, “I’m never getting this again.”

But they do.

And the cycle continues.

Until today.

People of Ireland, I sit here stunned, and speechless.

Today, I found myself in the picturesque surroundings of Carrick on Shannon at lunchtime. Having had to leave early this morning, I didn’t have time for a trusty bowl of stir about, and by now I knew it.

I was akin to a Bear in Springtime. Hunger does not come close to describing what was going on inside me.

Then, I saw it. Honestly.

It looks like the Colonel shipped out, and some tree huggers with their airy-fairy notions moved in. The premise of the premises appears to be the promise of organic, locally sourced, artisan fare. In a drive through.

See, I know, as do all reasonable people, that this just isn’t possible…

…or is it?!?!

I ordered the “Dexter burger meal” at the colonels old robot, and the cheery voice told me to drive round to the window.

Well. Between leaving the ordery-thing, and arriving at the picky-up place, Gandalf himself (who obviously works in the kitchen) made time stand still. He picked some fresh spring greens, and the sweetest of sweet cherry tomatoes, made fresh brioche buns, and quite obviously freshly minced the finest Dexter beef into a 5oz patty, and cooked it to perfection… he picked some fresh potatoes and hand cut them into proper thick chips, and fried them to that fluffy centred, crispy outside sweet spot of chippy perfection, and then sprinkled with just the right amount of salt to bring out the taste.

One of Gandalfs understudies (I think it might have been Hermione) magicked this Michelin starred food into a bag in record quick time, and completed the handover with a smile.

Off to the banks of the mighty river Shannon to try out Dexters burger with me.

Mother of sweet divine Jesus, Angels cried… this food is not fit to be classed as takeaway. It was unbelievably good. The flavour of the beef was utter perfection, and the grind of the burger was big enough to let the texture of the meat shine. Everything about this burger screams quality, and combined with the hand cut fries added up to so much more than the sum of its parts.

So. I refuse to call this place a drive through, or a takeaway. I hereby let it be known that there is a new class of establishment and it is the benchmark to which everything else from here on out shall be compared to.

It is, Honestly.

Please, treat yourself to a trip here if you ever happen to be nearby, you will not be disappointed…

…Honestly

R.

ps: I ate the burger before I realised how good it was, hence no burger picture, but it...

Honestly I wasn’t sure what to expect as I thought it was just a organic food shop and not a diner. I was pleasantly surprised and enjoyed the food very much. I had a deluxe burger with chips at a cost of €15.50 and everything was top notch. My daughter had the plane chicken burger and it was literally a lump of organic chicken on a bun but she added some sauce and it went down well. Two negatives I can point out is if you have never been before it’s a bit confusing as you take a reserved sign and place it on a table then go up to the counter and tell them your table number and order. Another thing that we found annoying is we looked at the website before going in and we could view the kids menu and when we went in we could not see it displayed anywhere. We asked for what we had seen on the website and had no problems. Staff were friendly and very busy cleaning tables and the food came out very fast. Surroundings are comfortable and clean as staff try to keep up cleaning tables. It also has a drive thru and a good size car park. A little more expensive than your main stream burger joints but very tasty and you can feel good about yourself having gone organic. If you visit I’m sure you will enjoy and find something to...

What a great addition to the culinary landscape of Roscommon and Leitrim. Carraigh On Shannon is blessed to have such a top class establishment, providing delicious organic food. And a drive through as well. Excellent concept. From the friendly staff taking one’s order, to the pleasant atmosphere inside and at the outdoor tables, this restaurant is a great achievement. Considering all it takes to set-up a restaurant, creating a work flow, training staff, ensuring a supply of first class ingredients, creating a welcoming and comfortable atmosphere, hats off to the owners and creators of this excellent establishment. The food is delicious, home grown, organic, grass fed beef. Fresh salads, tempting baked treats, all organic. The addition of the small yet brimming with choice shop is great to have. The coffee is addictive and delicious. Well done to everyone involved. It is easy to sit on the side lines and find fault and be critical, yet the amount of hard work and dedication that is required to establish and function such a busy restaurant with it’s range of food choices on a day to day basis is frankly commendable. I highly recommend a visit, and I am sure once you experience the Honestly vibe you will...