Get Your Motor Running: Thunder Road Café’s Wild Opening Week!

When Thunder Road Café first roared onto Fleet Street in July 1995, Dublin had never seen anything quite like it. Part biker haven, part rock 'n' roll diner, our café quickly became known as the “hippest and hottest” spot in Temple Bar—a mashup of Hard Rock Café vibes and Planet Hollywood glitz.

In this Irish Times throwback, journalist Alison O'Connor takes us through those lively early days, from the 8,000 sq ft of bold American-inspired decor (complete with cow-fur walls!) to the staff's table-dancing energy whenever the Village People hit the screen. Thunder Road Café has always been a place of big personalities, loud music, and serious fun—not a spot for a quiet dinner but perfect for an unforgettable night out.

Yes, there were a few teething problems—misunderstood fajitas and one too many “Is everything okay?” check-ins from staff—but it all added to the charm of a place finding its footing. Over the years, we’ve fine-tuned our style, but that unapologetic, lively spirit has never changed.

As we celebrate our 30th anniversary, we're looking back on these wild, rockin' beginnings. If you were here during those first days or remember boogying on the tables, we’d love to hear your memories in the comments!

🏍️ Read the full original article below and take a trip back to our roaring debut!

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Irish Times Saturday July 1, 1995

Alison O'Connor visited the new ThunderRoad Café on Fleet Street, a motorcycle-themed restaurant which is a cross between the Hard Rock Café and Planet Hollywood

Dublin's Temple Bar now has more than 40 restaurants and the number is rising almost by the week. A new and rather different establishment opened its doors to the public last week - the ThunderRoad Café.

The owners boast that it is Dublin's "hippest and hottest" and unlike anything that has been seen in Dublin. It's true. "Get your motor running at the ThunderRoad” they advise. 

It's the Hard Rock Café and Planet Hollywood all rolled into one. First impression is the sheer size of the 8,000 sq ft establishment, which occupies most of the ground floor of the new multi-storey car park on Fleet Street.

The decor is a mix of mod-American with a few kitsch touches, such as the wall-to-wall, black-and-white,

Fake Friesian cow design fur which adorns the walls as you walk in. Seating is provided by directors' chairs with the names of all the greats on the back. Clearly the management is expecting the volume of people that frequents places such as the Hard Rock cafés, as the restaurant appears to be set up to cater for long queues.

Motorbike fans will be in heaven here; a custom motorcycle theme runs throughout and on display are ten different bikes, including the 125cc world championship bike, and a Harley Davidson parked at the door.

We visited ThunderRoad on its second night. Like any new restaurant there were glitches. Eleven inquiries from staff about how we were enjoying the meal - half of those before we even began eating — was overkill. But we made allowances as they were friendly and obviously concerned about the return custom. Overall the food was tasty but we had one or two complaints, including the order of beet fajitas wha plain of dump or steak, as a plain steak, served on a bed of onions. It was accompanied by a taco and not, as traditionally served, with a soft floury pancake. The salad was unimpressive. We were also a bit put out to be able to count quickly the small number of fries on the plate — 10 in all.

A quick chat with our friendly American waitress (who asked at the start if she could "come visit and take our orders") confirmed that she too was confused by this version of the Mexican dish.

"I was puzzled when I saw them last night, but I thought that was the way you served them here in Ire-land." she said, inviting us to fill in a comment card.

We did and the manager, who had been over to the table so often we were almost on first-name terms, offered free dessert.  You can't get much better than that, so in the spirit of friendliness which pervades the ThunderRoad Café, we accepted. ThunderRoad is not the place for a quiet, intimate dinner for two. It's loud and brash.

TV screens show a constant stream of video collages, including motorbike races, home movies, and clips from the 1960s cult movie Girl on a Motorbike showing a young and very spaced-out Marianne Faithful gripping the motorbike pillion between her thighs as She attempts to get herself killed on a motorway. The lighting is set to match the music and fades or flares according to the tune.

A highlight of the evening was when that wonderfully camp 1980s group, the Village People, came on the video screen. Suddenly the staff began dancing and clapping and urging the customers to leave their seats and dance on the tables- which they did. Even the most staid-looking suffering from the few usual of the diners got up and boogied. Those who didn't wish to climb all the way to the table-top and used the director's chair as an excuse for not being able to get up and dance, were given hard seats by the persuasive staff. It was all over very quickly, but great fun.

The restaurant is owned by Paddy Shovlin and Paddy Gallagher who own Blakes restaurants in Stillorgan and Santry. They have clearly recognised a gap in the market. The venue is suffering from the few usual teething problems, but it's worth a visit and the food is tasty, if pricey for what it is. A burger, for example, costs £7.95. 

As you leave, check out the Harley-Davidson shop attached to the restaurant. In the best tradition of memorabilia outlets it is extremely expensive, with denims selling for around £90, sweatshirts for a little less and leather jackets for over £500. Clearly rich tourists are the target market here.

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Don't forget, we’d love to hear your memories in the comments!