Many were quick to disagree
Paul_IsItWorthIt travelled to the takeaway spot on Tower Street after years of followers urging him
A Dublin food reviewer has divided opinions online after giving a blunt verdict on a well-known Cork takeaway spot – Donatellos.
Paul_IsItWorthIt travelled to the popular restaurant on Tower Street after years of followers urging him to try the takeaway’s famous pizza baguettes – a Cork favourite loaded with meats, cheese and sauces and served alongside chips and curry sauce. However, despite the hype surrounding the takeaway, Paul admitted the experience ‘wasn’t for him.’
Opening the video outside the busy takeaway, the content creator explained that followers had been recommending the place “for years at this stage.”
He said: “I’ve never seen something like this ever in my life.”
The reviewer and his cameraman, John, made the trip to Cork specifically to try the takeaway’s famous “bag” meals, with the YouTuber visibly surprised to discover the shop was located in the middle of a residential housing estate.
“This must be absolutely loved if it’s in the housing estate,” he said while filming outside.
The pair ordered a ‘Bag Meat Feast’ for €15.50, with a side of curry sauce, and a massive baguette stuffed full of pepperoni, chicken, ham, melted cheese and barbecue sauce.
Paul went for the takeaway’s famous pizza baguettes
When the food arrived, the reviewer described it as a “beautiful monstrosity” before struggling to decide whether he actually liked it.
At one point in the video, locals and delivery drivers stopped to chat with the pair, with one passer-by recommending the takeaway’s famous “jumble box” instead.
Despite praising the atmosphere around the busy takeaway and admitting it was “obviously loved”, the Dubliner ultimately said the food itself didn’t live up to expectations.
“I usually back Cork people’s palates and agree with all the foods they love,” he said. “This one, I think, maybe if you had it in your childhood, you’d love it as nostalgia.”
The reviewer compared the flavours to frozen pizza toppings and criticised the cheese’s texture, calling it “congealed.”
“I don’t like it. I won’t lie to you,” he admitted later in the clip. “As a Dub coming down to Cork, it’s the first Cork famous meal I don’t actually like.”
He eventually scored the meal five out of ten, while still admitting the portion size was “absolutely huge.”
“There’s nothing wrong with it,” he added. “It’s just not for me.”
The review quickly sparked reaction online, with many viewers defending the takeaway and insisting he had ordered the wrong thing from the menu.
One commenter wrote: “Ah man, you got the worst one on the menu, the torpedo or chicken baguette, or the ham and cheese baguette off-menu secret item, and the garlic dip.”
Others defended the Cork favourite by pointing out its long-standing popularity among locals, while some admitted the takeaway was the kind of food people grow up loving.
Donatello’s is one of Cork’s longest-running takeaway chains, with a loyal following built over decades and multiple city-wide locations, including Mayfield and Gurranebraher. It is a proper late-night institution for pizza baguettes, loaded fries and comfort food that generations of locals swear by.