[dropcap]L[/dropcap]ooking for a casual place for a filling meal? Haven’t made plans for dinner? Lunch with college friends? A little hungover? Going on a date? Boojum is a relaxed burrito bar which is perfect for any occasion.
Boojum arrived on high streets in 2007 as a casual Mexican restaurant. Their menu focuses on traditional Mexican dishes, tacos and their mouth watering burritos.
Boojum first originated in Philadelphia where the founders, John and Karen Blisard opened their first store which then transplanted to Ireland with the first store opening in Belfast. Boojum now has restaurants located in Dublin, Cork, Galway, Belfast and Limerick.
With nine locations in Dublin City you are sure to find a Boojum near you. With Boojum’s helpful website you know what you want to order before you even arrive.
Service is fast and simple; customise your burrito with whatever you want and enjoy. The queue moves fast because of the dedicated workers in the production line.
There’s a choice of vegetarian, chicken, chorizo, pork, chilli and beef with a choice of rice (cilantro-lime or Mexican savoury), choice of beans (black or pinto) filling and salsa, cheese and sour cream. These ingredients can be made in a burrito or a burrito bowl.
The interior is edgy and there is always a lively buzz in the restaurant. The only disadvantage to some of the restaurants is the small size which results in people having to eat out at peak times. However, this only applies to some of the Dublin locations such as the smaller Abbey Street restaurant. The service counter is often right beside the entrance therefore the queue is sometimes outside the door which isn’t ideal when it comes to Irish weather.
The interior features Mexican reference to the Day of the Dead festival which is best known for decorative skull artwork. Hanging lanterns are the main source of lighting in the restaurant with wooden benches being the most commonly used seating in Boojum restaurants. Some might think this isn’t the most comfortable however it fits in with the style of the burrito bar which is casual and relaxed.
Boojum addicts can require a loyalty card and with 10 stamps the next meal is on them. Real Boojum addicts with 40 stamps will get a main meal and a Boojum addict t-shirt.
Their website is colourful and has all the information you need for your next visit and with snippets of staff serving up burritos packed full of ingredients, it certainly is enticing.
Boojum caters for all as there are vegetarian options as you can pick exactly what you want in your burrito or burrito bowl to suit your dietary needs. All information about allergens is available on the Boojummex.com website.
Boojum mainly caters for young professionals and students because of their affordable price and student deal which is €5.75 for a burrito or burrito bowl. They recently did a Facebook competition for students only, with the prize being free Boojum for life. The Boojum team visit college campuses at the beginning of the academic year to build up a loyal fanbase.
Upon opening in Philadelphia, the founders were told to change their menu because students are only interested in unhealthy food however they stuck to their idea which has become extremely successful as burritos are quickly becoming loved by all, even picky eaters.
They maintain a prominent presence on social media as their Facebook always updates the latest news in relation to new offers and promotions such as the Pollo Pibil shredded chicken burrito which was a limited edition on sale for one month. Due to their social media presence, this was often sold out by lunch time. Their social media presence is humorous through their use of memes, but at the same time still advertises well on new deals and pop up menus.
Boojum offer delivery and a click and collect service which is extremely helpful for any gathering. They also cater for parties offering burrito party boxes for 20-150 people and individual burrito meal boxes for a party of 20-50 people where you can pick and choose the ingredients.
The Boojummex.com website is easy to navigate as the opening and closing hours for each of the nine Dublin stores is available at a click. They also have a jobs sections which shows all jobs available which will benefit students looking for flexible hours.
Separate menus for burritos, tacos, burrito bowls, salads and nachos are available to download from the website. It details the prices of different fillings very clearly and advises customers about which ingredients work best together and how much extras are.
Their website features a news section about the latest updates regarding Boojum and their future plans. This section is almost like Boojum’s very own online newspaper with interviews with staff members, how the company donates thousands to charity, donates burritos to shelters in the City and how they plan to greatly reduce their use of plastic through 2018.
Atmosphere 7/10
Food 9/10
Service 7/10
Location 10/10
Value for money 9/10
Roisin Maguire
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