American food in Dublin: burgers, tacos, college football and a Thanksgiving turkey

Dublin eats well, and Irish butter, beef and brown bread will spoil you. But when you want a double cheeseburger at 9 p.m., or a pumpkin pie in late November, it helps to know where to look. Here's what we could confirm, and where you'll need to ask around.

The short version

• Five Guys has four Dublin restaurants: South Great George's Street, Dundrum Town Center, Liffey Valley and Swords Pavilions [1].
• Taco Bell is here too, with Dublin locations in Blanchardstown and Glasnevin, and a Swords location listed as opening November 3 [2].
• Captain America's Cookhouse in Blanchardstown serves American classics like burgers, wings and ribs [3].
• College football comes to Dublin most Augusts: in 2026, North Carolina beat TCU 15-10 at Aviva Stadium, and Wisconsin plays Pittsburgh there on August 28, 2027 [4].
• Thanksgiving isn't a holiday here, so order your turkey from a butcher well ahead of the fourth Thursday of November.

USD conversions in this guide use the Federal Reserve H.10 rate of October 30, 2026 (EUR 1 = USD 1.1163) [7].

US chains and American-style restaurants

The familiar fast-food giants are easy to find. The fun part is the newer arrivals and the local spins on American diners.

Taco Bell's Irish rollout leans on Applegreen gas stations outside the city, so check its locations page before you drive somewhere with high hopes [2]. Krispy Kreme also runs an Irish site with a shop finder, if you need a dozen glazed for the office.

A word on Mexican food: Dublin has plenty of burrito bars, but Tex-Mex and regional Mexican cooking as you'd find it in Texas or California is harder to come by. Expats who cook at home often stock up on dried chiles and masa from specialist shops or online.

US groceries: what's easy, what's hard

Irish supermarkets carry more American-adjacent products than you'd expect: peanut butter, maple syrup, tortillas and a few US cereals usually turn up in the bigger stores, sometimes in a "world foods" aisle. The specific brand you grew up with may not, and imported items can bring sticker shock.

Things Americans commonly hunt for:

• canned pumpkin, graham crackers, and chocolate chips in US sizes
• Jif and other US peanut butters, Kraft Mac & Cheese, Pop-Tarts
• root beer, ranch dressing and US hot sauces
• Mexican ingredients like dried chiles, masa harina and tomatillos

We couldn't verify a dedicated American import store in Dublin that we were comfortable naming, so we're not listing one. Candy and snack shops come and go. Ask in the community group for current favorites, and check online UK and Irish shops that specialize in US food.

Pro tip: when friends visit from the States, ask for one suitcase of essentials. It's an expat tradition. Check Irish customs rules first, though, because meat and dairy products from outside the EU generally can't come in, so the beef jerky stays home.

Watching the NFL, NBA and college sports

Ireland has caught the NFL bug. Croke Park hosted the league's first regular-season game in Dublin on September 28, 2025, when the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Minnesota Vikings 24-21 in front of 74,512 people [6]. No Dublin game is on the 2026 international schedule [6].

For regular Sundays, plenty of Dublin pubs show NFL games, especially the 1 p.m. Eastern slate, which kicks off at 6 p.m. Irish time. We couldn't verify a current list of NFL-friendly bars, so we're not naming any. Ways to find yours:

1. Ask the bar staff. Big Dublin pubs with multiple screens will often put on a game if you ask early, especially if you bring friends.
2. Check the bar's social media on Thursday or Friday for which games they'll show.
3. Watch for watch parties. Super Bowl Sunday parties run late, since kickoff is usually after 11 p.m. Irish time, and Monday is a work day here.
4. NBA fans, brace yourselves: most games tip off in the middle of the night Irish time, so it's mostly an app-and-highlights life.

The Aer Lingus College Football Classic

The Aer Lingus College Football Classic brings a Division I game to Dublin's Aviva Stadium at the end of most summers, and thousands of fans fly in from the States [4]. Recent games:

If you live in Dublin, this is your best shot at a real tailgate atmosphere. Expect the pubs near the stadium to go full college town for the weekend. Buy tickets early.

Thanksgiving in Dublin

The fourth Thursday of November is a regular workday in Ireland, so plan around it. Some families move the big meal to Saturday.

Getting a turkey

Turkey is a Christmas tradition in Ireland, so butchers and supermarkets are well stocked in December. In November, you're early, and a whole bird may need to be ordered.

• Order from a butcher two to three weeks ahead. Say when you need it and how many people you're feeding.
• Check your oven. Irish ovens are often smaller than American ones. Measure before you order a 20-pound (9 kg) bird. A 12-pound (5.5 kg) turkey is safer in many Dublin apartments.
• Temperatures: recipes from home use °F. A typical 325°F roast is about 165°C, and Irish fan ovens often run hotter, so drop it a little more.
• The sides: canned pumpkin, cranberry sauce and French's fried onions are the usual pain points. Buy them in October before they vanish, or have them brought from the States.

Eating out

Some Dublin restaurants with an American angle run Thanksgiving specials, but menus change every year, so we're not naming any. Call ahead in early November, and book: the US multinational crowd in Dublin is big, and tables go fast.

Get the latest Thanksgiving tips and game-day plans from our community group for Americans in Ireland.

Sources

1. Five Guys Ireland: restaurant locations
2. Taco Bell Ireland: locations
3. Captain America's Cookhouse
4. Aer Lingus College Football Classic
5. Eddie Rocket's
6. Wikipedia: NFL International Series
7. Federal Reserve: H.10 foreign exchange rates
8. Wikipedia: Aer Lingus College Football Classic

Keep reading

• American life in Dublin
• Nightlife in Dublin
• GAA and Irish sports for Americans
• Shipping your things and pets from the US