What happened to all the Abrakebabra franchises?

cloud493

I used to go almost every day for their 2 euro happy hour kebabs... then they put them up to 3.50 :mad:

lufties

Think Abra is bad..There's a national treasure in Limerick called the chicken hut(not sure if its still around), It was famed for its gravy chips, think the gravy was made out of the dregs and leftover oils/fat.

deadybai

lufties wrote: »

Think Abra is bad..There's a national treasure in Limerick called the chicken hut(not sure if its still around), It was famed for its gravy chips, think the gravy was made out of the dregs and leftover oils/fat.

Thats sounds unreal!

anto9

I

anto9

Is the Phibsborough one still there ?

EDDIE WATERS

anto9 wrote: »

Is the Phibsborough one still there ?

Yeah I think it is

Leslie91

Had their burger in RDS recently at a match and it was grand and euro less than the other caravan there selling burgers. Not much of a queue either.

jetsonx

Abrakebabra in 1980's was novel: Crinkle cut chips, kebabs and late opening. Then, the fast-food market in Ireland badly needed these innovations.

Then, as time passed, they never seemed to move on with the market. Still stuck in the 1980's concept of a take-away.
The Celtic Tiger masked deep underlying cracks in their business model. Then the pub trade collapsed which meant the whole adjacent late-night food market also collapsed.

If they had been smart. They should have repositioned themselves as a Bryon Burger type place.

Grandeeod

Realistically, the franchise model isn't stricked enough and quality control suffers. And there doesn't seem to be any effort made to increase daytime trade so staff motivation is on the floor simply because they only attract the late night piss heads.

anto9

flanzer wrote: »

More like Laker Airways

Showing your age ,mentionn Laker .lol

Greenmachine

Chaim Fluffy Scanner wrote: »

I used to work in westmoreland St in the 90's. Was a miracle getting out alive after a night shift between knives and drug dealers. Regularly had the drug kingpins in for a kebab.

Donny Brook is still there.

Had a brother who variously worked in the old one on o connell st and the one at the bridge on westmorland street. God I was shocked when they tore the kitchen out for the centra or whatever is there now. The kitchen was tiny about the size of one of those street carts.

Still a drug dealing blackspot. Now just at the doorway of the newsagents.

Dan_Solo

Grandeeod wrote: »

Realistically, the franchise model isn't stricked enough and quality control suffers. And there doesn't seem to be any effort made to increase daytime trade so staff motivation is on the floor simply because they only attract the late night piss heads.

Remember Des Bishop did a show a while back and he worked a few nights in an Abra, wasn't it? Said he couldn't believe seeing totally uneaten €5 plus kebabs dumped in the gutter outside the shop. Almost an hour's wages he said, just slung on the ground.
Would drive you mental I'd say.

Venus In Furs

Went to one in Cork last weekend and found the chips and taco I got pretty tasty.

Mesrine65

I like their doner kebabs & mexican tacos, especially the €3 daily deal from 12.00-20.00

Banjoxed

The first Abrakebabras opened in Upper Baggot Street and Rathmines at the same time I started to go to pubs in the early eighties.

Few things other than the love of a good woman are as sweet as a dirty big taco or doner kebab after a feed of Smithwicks.

Stevecw

TaosHum wrote: »

Still in Carlow & Kilkenny

The one in Carlow has always been really good. For some reason it's well above the usual standard you get in most of them. Some of the Abrakebabras in Dublin are horrific. Especially the attempts at Taco Fries
Then again Supermacs in Carlow is rotten and is where most trouble in that town happens while most supermacs in Dublin are pretty decent.

RobYourBuilder

Flicked me header: this current situation

cloud493

Stevecw wrote: »

The one in Carlow has always been really good. For some reason it's well above the usual standard you get in most of them. Some of the Abrakebabras in Dublin are horrific. Especially the attempts at Taco Fries
Then again Supermacs in Carlow is rotten and is where most trouble in that town happens while most supermacs in Dublin are pretty decent.

Sure I thought supermacs was meant to be better down the country than in Dublin

qt3.14

MRnotlob606 wrote: »

Abrakebabra is the ryanair of the fast-food industry.

Massively successful and expanding year on year even in the middle of a recession?

The other fella

The one in cork does frightening business on a saturday night when everyones leaving the clubs and pubs.

The urban rumour of the Chinese guy who was working there was caught using his own "home-made mayonnaise" instead of real mayonnaise turned me off it for life.

Also, the vicious assaults that happen there every weekend is a deterrent.

corner of hells

RobYourBuilder wrote: »

Never impressed, to be honest. Even for fast food, I thought that they were pretty bad. That said, I had American friends over not so long ago and they were raving about the Abrakebabra in Temple Bar. Brought one home with them any night that they ended up in town.


Iskanders and Zaytoon are pretty alright here. Got chips, a lamb kebab and a tin of orange for €9 one lunchtime not too long back.

The kebabs here in Ireland pale in comparison to those you can get in continental Europe. My ma lives nearby a lovely little Italian family owned pizzeria. Not a chain. I was in there over the summer after a Dublin game, hemming and hawwing, when the girl told us that their kebabs are good and that they make their own pitta. Their ingredients are pretty fresh, for an Irish pizzeria, so I thought I was onto a winner.

They then served it with this cold, pinkish gloop that was masquerading as chilli sauce. So close!

Wait , just hold on a minute .......did you just Say a "tin of orange " ?

The One Doctor

syklops wrote: »

There's always one.

It was shite food, to be fair.

Stevecw

cloud493 wrote: »

Sure I thought supermacs was meant to be better down the country than in Dublin

It is in every other country town I've been to. Carlow is weird like that, Supermacs is at the wrong end of town. Abrakebabra in Carlow is class, no idea why but, best Taco fries ever are in Carlow.

Grab All Association

Remember I was in Waterford City couple of years ago. Missed the last bus home to Clonmel. Talking to a girl in Masons who was trying her best to pick up someone. I had a girlfriend in Dunmore East at the time hence why I turned down her offer and I don't cheat anyway I asked her if I could stay at hers thinking she had a sofa she said yeah sure. She pops in to Abrakebabra murders a kebab in there then brings me back to hers which she shared with like 5 other people place smelt of urine cannabis and cider. Sharing a single bed with her and during the morning she threw up on me and all over my jeans. 9am that morning having to wear those clothes through the town which smelled of her place and having to go into Dunnes Stores to buy new Jeans and a hoodie. Kind of food that comes up with drink.

ongarboy

Tralee outlet still there too. I, weirdly, like their food too, but then again, probably have never been sober while eating there.

RedemptionZ

Like most I've never been sober and it was grand for a drunk guy but I also have seemingly only gone to safe ones as I've not seen or heard of assaults there, always thought that was the place of a chipper.

Drakares

When my wife came to Ireland for the first time (she's German), the tourist guide warned a bull full of tourists not to go near Abrakebabra less they get whoeful diarrhea... Over the bus speaker.. That's just how grand their rep is

JupiterKid

I wasn't aware that Abrakestabra was in decline but is it something to be lamented?

I think the Blanchardstown one is still there. It was the very first fast food chain to open in Dublin 15.

markmacken

EDDIE WATERS wrote: »

Yeah I think it is

I think it is (still in Phibsboro). I think there's one in Naas still too.

Mongfinder General

markmacken wrote: »

I think it is (still in Phibsboro). I think there's one in Naas still too.

The Abrakebabra in Phibsboro saw many a fine punch up back in the day.

suicide_circus

I'm not a man to turn up his nose at a kebab but the kebabs in abra are of such low low quality that there can be no excuse for eating one unless there is literally nowhere else open and in that case I would go for the taco fries.

anto9

suicide_circus wrote: »

I'm not a man to turn up his nose at a kebab but the kebabs in abra are of such low low quality that there can be no excuse for eating one unless there is literally nowhere else open and in that case I would go for the taco fries.

Last time i had a Kebab in the Phibsborough one (maybe 5 years ago ?) ,they put loads of sauce on ,to give it some taste i presume.It left a bad after taste .

kowloon

If you have your heart set on a kebab in Dublin Iskanders and Zaytoon make Abra look embarrassingly bad.

anto9

kowloon wrote: »

If you have your heart set on a kebab in Dublin Iskanders and Zaytoon make Abra look embarrassingly bad.

Zaytoon ,is my all time favorite for a Kebab in Dublin .

Grab All Association

I have only ever eaten two kebabs in my life. One in Abrakebabra Templemore and the other in Marios Thurles. Both were nice and filling.

tadcan

I worked in a chipper across from abra back in the 90's. One evening they got closed down because one guy bit into another guys nose. Suddenly we had a massive cue of punters, lining up for food, but come 2am sharp the owner closed the shutter and they had to go home hungry.

Mongfinder General

tadcan wrote: »

I worked in a chipper across from abra back in the 90's. One evening they got closed down because one guy bit into another guys nose. Suddenly we had a massive cue of punters, lining up for food, but come 2am sharp the owner closed the shutter and they had to go home hungry.

Know how you feel. I used to work in fast food down in Temple Bar. The later it got, the more chance you had of being over run by snarling booze hounds. The manager would nearly have to beat the ****ers back from the door at closing time.

Dtp1979

qt3.14 wrote: »

Massively successful and expanding year on year even in the middle of a recession?

Calm down Michael

Aubrey loves Joe

I must say " I'm partial to your abracadabra
I'm raptured by the joy of it all".

Realt Dearg Sec

tadcan wrote: »

One evening they got closed down because one guy bit into another guys nose.

Jesus I knew the ingredients in their kebabs were dodgy but that's still fairly shocking.

Grandeeod

The last Abcab Doner Kebab I ever had. Brought it home after a night on the beer. Slapped it on a plate and for the very first time saw what was actually inside.

BEWARE!

Doner Kebab Exposed.jpg

Mesrine65

I've eaten Shirako in Japan, Muktuk in Greenland, Hakarl in Iceland, Lutefisk in Norway, Capybara in Brazil, Cuy in Peru & Trung Vit Long in Vietnam.

Abrakebabera, not a bother

syklops

Mesrine65 wrote: »

I've eaten Shirako in Japan, Muktuk in Greenland, Hakarl in Iceland, Lutefisk in Norway, Capybara in Brazil, Cuy in Peru & Trung Vit Long in Vietnam.

Abrakebabera, not a bother

Thinly veiled "I've been out of the parish" post.

syklops

Grandeeod wrote: »

The last Abcab Doner Kebab I ever had. Brought it home after a night on the beer. Slapped it on a plate and for the very first time saw what was actually inside.

BEWARE!

Doner Kebab Exposed.jpg

Plate?

kowloon

Mesrine65 wrote: »

I've eaten Shirako in Japan, Muktuk in Greenland, Hakarl in Iceland, Lutefisk in Norway, Capybara in Brazil, Cuy in Peru & Trung Vit Long in Vietnam.

Abrakebabera, not a bother

I have… seen things you people wouldn't believe… Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched c-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate. All those… moments… will be lost in time, like tears… in… rain.

anto9

Mesrine65 wrote: »

I've eaten Shirako in Japan, Muktuk in Greenland, Hakarl in Iceland, Lutefisk in Norway, Capybara in Brazil, Cuy in Peru & Trung Vit Long in Vietnam.

Abrakebabera, not a bother

You must have also eaten Kangaroo ,to go hopping about like that .lol

ebbsy

Had a fish and chips a long time ago, ended up having to call a doctor to my house because I couldn't get out of bed I was that ill.

I would have sued them but for the fact I was bringing somebody else to court already.

MRnotlob606

Abrakebabra is the sort of place you go to eat where everywhere else is closed.

Grandeeod

syklops wrote: »

Plate?

Yeah, a plate. Didn't fancy sitting with the usual crew. Pitta bread or whatever they call it was hard and the plate experience afforded me the opportunity to finally see for myself that the thing is **** personified.

It kind of set me free and I'm glad.

Sh1tbag OToole

I can still taste the hard bits from the doner kebab I had there years ago