The intel you’ve all been searching for.
If you frequent the place where Irish Twitter and deli food discourse meet, you’ll know that London business Emerald Eats are blowing up right now with London foodfluencers fawning over their chicken fillet rolls and spice bags. It’s a phenomenon that makes sense – Irish immigrants living in London have been long denied the warm embrace of our national breaded. chicken baguette and are understandably queueing around the corner to nab one. Still though, Brits insisting on referring to the rolls as “Irish street food” hasn’t failed to tickle us.
You also may have followed the noble quest we embarked on last year, to discover the best chicken fillet roll in Dublin. We scoured the county, diligently posting our findings every weekend for the masses to consume and and with the journey now firmly at an end, we thought it only fitting to compile a list of our top 5.
Chicken fillet rolls are a key component of Ireland’s culinary landscape and this quest wasn’t one we undertook lightly – we can personally vouch for each one of these tasty baguettes.
Let’s get into it:
5. Pip’s Deli, Crumlin
This local-owned deli is famous for being the home of Dublin’s best breakfast roll, and we can confirm their chicken fillet offering carries on the legacy of its pork-based cousin. With perfectly golden breadcrumbs and a soft roll cut off from a larger baguette (in our experience, a better option for ingredient distribution), this baby’s got your back if you’re on the hunt for a comforting hangover cure.
4. Declan and Donal’s Deli, Bolton Street
A spot remembered fondly by DIT alumni and possibly one of the friendliest places to get a chicken fillet roll in Dublin, this spot is a well-oiled machine at lunchtime and know their way around a tub of mayo. Enjoy a choice of plain, spicy or cajun chicken fillet, then sit back and enjoy the magic.
3. News Café, Blackrock
A mainstay of the South Dublin deli scene for almost 30 years, News Café simply can’t be bet in terms of comfort food. It’s the kind of café you don’t come across too often anymore – complimentary pringles on the side of your sambo for extra crunch, a fresh supply of chocolate bars at the till for something sweet afterwards and most importantly, lovingly assembled baguettes. Their breakfast options are always a winner too.
2. Ger’s Deli, Ballyfermot
This roll was truly something special. Something I dream about often, if I’m honest. If you were to draw a picture of your dream chicken fillet roll – perfectly seasoned with an extra slather of mayo, with thinly grated cheddar for optimum melting potential and the all-important monster sized baguette, this bad boy from Ger’s Deli is probably what you’d come up with. Big enough to feed a small family with no compromise on taste, I’d recommend this one til I’m blue in the face.
1. The Local, Ballyboggan Road, Glasnevin
At a time where I was reaching a level of chicken fatigue I didn’t know possible, this masterpiece from The Local came into my life. Succulent fillet in a soft, bouncy baguette, this roll couldn’t be bet in terms of ingredient distribution and easily earned itself the first 10/10 of the series. If you’re fan of an aul chicken fillet, you need to visit this spot as a matter of urgency.
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