Content creator Paul_IsItWorthIt visited highly recommended pubs in Dublin, Belfast and Cork to rate their carveries, with a restaurant in the Rebel County stealing the show
Paul ordered a roast at Murphy’s Rock Bar in Cork (Image: Paul_IsItWorthIt /YouTube)
A determined foodie on a quest to discover Ireland and Northern Ireland’s finest roast dinner has visited highly praised establishments across Dublin, Belfast and Cork – scoring each carvery out of ten.
The content creator, who goes by Paul_IsItWorthIt, refused to let his Dublin roots sway his judgement and proudly brands himself as the “most honest food reviewer” in Ireland.
This reputation faced its ultimate challenge in a recent video series, where one food establishment stood head and shoulders above the rest, while another proved to be a major letdown.
Cork – Murphy’s Rock Bar (7.7)
Since revealing to his 17,400 followers that he was embarking on a mission to locate the ultimate carvery, Paul’s comment sections have been inundated with suggestions to visit Murphy’s Rock Bar in Ballincolly.
Paul stood outside Murphy’s Rock Bar in Cork (Image: Paul_IsItWorthIt /YouTube)
Upon reaching his destination following the lengthy journey from Dublin, he remarked: “This is meant to be, we put out the Batman sign, this could be the best carvery in Ireland. That’s what we’ve been told. Literally all the comments, everyone from Cork just says go here, nowhere else. Forget about the rest, just come to Murphy’s Rock.”
He continued: “I’ve got huge expectations, and I looked up some of the reviews, and it says the portions are massive.”
Despite having advance warning that he wouldn’t leave feeling peckish, when his meal was served, he exclaimed: “Oh my God… this plate is stacked.”
After surveying what lay before him, he remarked: “That looks amazing. Huge. That’s too big. That’s too big a portion for me if I was to complain. Like too big a portion.”
Looks great to us (Image: Paul_IsItWorthIt /YouTube)
Paul and cameraman John turned up at 2pm, just an hour before the carvery shut, meaning only ham was on offer rather than turkey as well.
That said, he described the meat as “spectacular”, though he wasn’t quite as impressed with the roast potatoes, noting how the lack of crispiness was disappointing.
He also felt €19 for the carvery was a bit steep, but conceded it was possibly the finest ham he’d ever had.
Wrapping up with a score out of ten, he remarked: “It had really good things but then it had really average things as well. So what score would I give it? And the price was pretty expensive… I had some really high and really low points so I am going to go 7.7 out of 10.”
Dublin – Clonsilla Inn (7.5)
Dublin secured second place, but only by a whisker!
Paul in his home city of Dublin
Paul described the Clonsilla Inn, located in, you guessed it, Clonsilla, as “Dublin’s most talked about carvery” and he could see why after sampling one particular dish.
This time round, both turkey and ham roast were available, and before tucking in, Paul commented: “This is meant to be incredible… spectacular some will say. This place has been serving up carveries for over 50 years. We have seen videos, the gravy looks almost like tar, it looks beautiful, nice and thick… tar in a nice way!”
He also remarked it was “meant to be one of the best carveries in Ireland” and as he dipped a roast potato into the much-anticipated gravy, he commented: “That gravy is thick, rich, salty and just the perfect consistency. That gravy is amazing, you can tell that’s coming from the juices off the meat. That’s no packet gravy.”
A dinner to remember (Image: Paul_IsItWorthIt/Youtube)
The mashed potatoes also earned high praise, though he noted his meat was “slightly dry” compared to what he’d had in Cork – but added that a generous helping of gravy would easily solve that issue.
The bill came to €16.95, which he described as fairly standard, and delivering his final assessment, he said: “I thought the meat was slightly dry if I’m being honest. I thought the gravy was one of the best I’ve had and that actually helped because I just poured the gravy on everything.
“The mash was beautiful. The veg was nice and sweet. The roasties were average. They were ok. So with all that being said, €17 is about average, I’m giving this place a slightly above average score, price, taste, experience, a 7.5 out of ten.”
Belfast – The Morning Star Bar and Restaurant (4.2)
Sadly, while Paul was reasonably pleased with his meals in Cork and Dublin, his Belfast carvery experience fell somewhat short.
Where things began to go wrong on his series (Image: Paul_IsItWorthIt/Youtube)
Being less acquainted with Northern Ireland, Paul turned to ChatGPT for recommendations on the best carvery in Belfast, and it pointed him towards The Morning Star, an establishment that’s been serving customers since 1810.
What caught him off guard, though, was how affordable it was, as he remarked: “How much did this cost? £8.95! One of the cheaper options. Does it look appetising? Not particularly to me.”
While appearances can sometimes mislead, Paul’s initial concerns about the meal were quickly confirmed.
He described the mash as “lukewarm” and said the roast potatoes tasted predominantly of “grease”, though he did concede the pork was “decent”.
Things took an uncomfortable turn when a welcoming manager approached, praising the dish as excellent value. Recognising the affordability, Paul responded: “Value for money you can’t get better than this one, 100%. It’s the cheapest one we’ve got. It’s usually about 18 to 20 euro.”
He gave it a brutally low score (Image: Paul_IsItWorthIt/Youtube)
While he appreciated both the reasonable pricing and the warmth of the staff, Paul ultimately had to deliver his candid assessment following the meal.
He concluded: “I’m giving this 4.2 out of ten. I think that’s fair and honest. The roasties weren’t to my taste, the mash was not warm, the pork was decent, the veg unappetising and the gravy was just stock gravy. So 4.2 was my score. Price, taste experience, price is great, the experience was great and the food was below par.”