As a native of culinary melting pot Malaysia and the daughter of a restaurateur, UG student Natalie Voo knows her food. Every other week, she reviews Groningen’s student-friendly dining scene. This time: The Dog’s Bollocks.
After a summer of stuffing my face with all the good food, what better way to keep the streak alive than… you guessed it, more food! And can we just take a moment to appreciate the brilliance of an Irish pub called The Dog’s Bollocks?
When we rocked up, there was just one lone, super-friendly Irish guy running the show. Service was quick, warm, and full of good vibes. Sure, he forgot our appetizer, but hey, everyone makes mistakes and he was super apologetic about it. We were also too busy stuffing our faces with burgers anyway.
Meat lover’s dream
We went for The Smoker and the Chicken Burger. The Smoker came out swinging with this absurdly thick beef patty, slathered in a sweet, slightly smoky sauce, accompanied with fatty slabs of bacon. Basically, a meat lover’s dream. The Chicken Burger, though? Meh. It had two patties and a sauce that was allegedly spicy. I’ve got a long history of chicken burger disappointments, and this one was no exception—crispy? Not really. And the sriracha mayo? More mayo than sriracha really. Overall, flavor was MIA.
But the real plot twist? The fries stole the show. We got regular fries and splurged an extra 1.25 euros to upgrade one of the burgers to curly fries, but here’s the kicker: the regular fries were better! The way they were shaped made them perfectly crispy in that magical way fries should be. Honestly, I’m ready to declare them the best fries in all of Groningen!
Epic start
The barbecue chicken wings were so tender I’m convinced they must’ve had a spa day in a sous-vide bath. Sauce was sticky, sweet, and a perfect match for the generous sprinkle of fresh herbs. And for 8 euros, they didn’t skimp on the wings either—plenty to go around and every bit as tasty as you’d hope.
I usually approach pub food with caution, as it can be hit or miss. The Dog’s Bollocks totally delivered. Decent burgers, great fries, and yummy wings that definitely made me reconsider my stance on pub grub. I’d say this was a pretty epic start to my food adventures this academic year!
The Dog’s Bollocks, Oude Boteringestraat 17
An Irish pub serving classic pub food and a wide range of beers. For two people we spent €48.50.
Ratings
Food: 8.2/10
Presentation: 8/10
Service: 8/10
Ambience: 8.5/10