FXB restaurant on Pembroke Street is the original Dublin steakhouse, first opening their doors at the tail end of the eighties. It is entirely possible that there are no other Dublin restaurants that were open on their first day which are still with us, or if they are, not in the same form. It is highly unusual for a restaurant to last this long, but consistency, well prepared food, good ingredients and value for money are essential, so FXB’s are certainly doing something right.
The FXB restaurants grew from the FXB Buckley chain of butcher shop, so needless to say steak features heavily on the menu. There were a couple on dining options, an all-day value menu at 29.95 and the A La Carte. To give you a flavour on what’s on offer, starters include two soups, four salads, including a Waldorf and Caesar, or seared scallops, Wexford mussels, and chicken liver and pistachio pate or pan fried prawns. The main courses feature the ubiquitous steak in a variety of cuts, sizes and cooking styles, along with an option to choose your own size and pay by the ounce. They are all served with scallion mash, French fries or salad, and a choice of sauce, including peppercorn and béarnaise.
For those forgoing the red meat, options include a catch of the day, grilled sea bass, roast leg of lamb, chicken supreme or ham hock glazed with cider vinegar. There is a vegetarian option as well; on this evening a creamy roast vegetable and goat’s cheese pie.
As is increasingly the case, the value menu was a shorter version of the main one, offering the same dishes, just less choice. I had no trouble picking a starter of Wexford mussels and a 10 oz dry aged rib eye steak served with chunky chips from the value menu while Peter chose the grilled black pudding, and Aoife the duo of pates, with the two of them sharing the Chateaubriand for the main event, all from the a la carte.
Starters arrived fairly promptly, my mussels in a white wine and cream sauce, with some nice toasted bread for dipping was a very nicely balanced dish, while Aoife’s pates were creamy and tasty, and Peter’s black pudding was spicy and moist and came with a parsnip puree and red wine jus. A good start across the board.
The main courses were, to the fair, all beef, and while my steak was juicy, tender and perfectly cooked, it is not unreasonable to expect at least that in a steak and seafood restaurant. However, if a steak is easy-peasy, Chateaubriand requires some skill, and Peter and Aoife’s Chateaubriand was fabulous. Perfectly pink in the centre, the dish was cooked to perfection and the embarrassment of riches it was served with – Fries, Mash, Market Vegetables, Wild Mushrooms, Onions, Béarnaise Sauce & Garlic Butter – made this the star of the show, and for any of you reading this who love beef this is the one for you, provided you can find a committed carnivore to share it with.
After all this food, and having tasted from the star myself, we could only manage a shared chocolate cake and ice cream along with coffee.
FXB’s has a fine pedigree, and still does exactly what it says on the tin. Friendly and courteous service throughout the evening made this a very enjoyable meal, and it won’t be so long until we go back again. This is definitely one to try, or if you have let the acquaintance lapse, perhaps it is time to go visit an old friend.
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