Excuse the mini-hiatus boys and girls, this has been a helluva month. I just can't even at the fact that it's March already :O!!!! This past month has been exhausting and exciting, to say the least, as I celebrate my first career woman job! I am incredibly grateful for the love and support of my nearest and nothing fills me with more joy than celebrating their wins as well. On top of all the birthdays and events, this past month I celebrated the engagement of two friends, watched 3 start jobs in their respective careers, attended a house warming and toasted to my partner's super cool new internship!
So many exciting times ahead and the only way to celebrate, naturally, is by going to eat burgers. Not just any burgers of course, but Mary's (awwww yeahhhh).
I have only ever been to Mary's CBD because the numerous occasions I've tried to come to their Newtown joint had been a fail (too big of a group, closed due to plumbing issues...). The place is loud and blasting with old school rock, suited to the whole Day of the Dead type aesthetic I guess. The bar was busy, the tables were filled and the line for dining upstairs was a short 20 min wait (quite decent considering it was dinner hour).
We ordered almost immediately after being seated, I mean, the quicker you order the faster you get your food right? Probably wrong. Soon after we ordered we saw the main waiter guy (wearing a shazzy silver tank) come up carrying a large serving tray with about 50 burgers and 30 buckets of chicken - none of them which were for us unfortunately :-(. As they cook in batches, after another 30 mins or so of waiting and growing weary, we saw the sparkle of the waiter's tank slowly crawl up the staircase. Sweet, sweet food.
Mash and Gravy $5
A classic pub/bistro type food that's hard to say no to. The mash is silky smooth, but the star is most definitely the gravy. A rich, intense beefy stock flavour that is well seasoned and just the right thick consistency (who likes runny gravy, bleh). We took it a step further by dipping the fried chicken into the gravy and mash and it was next level good - crunchy, salty, fiery, smooth - the combinations of flavours and textures was match made.
Fried Chicken (Whole Bird) $30
Fried chiggen is a must order at any restaurant, but Mary's is extra special. The crunchy batter was not too thick and full of bold flavours that made this finger licking good. A bit salty, but I didn't mind it, and it had a great spice kick. The chicken itself was juicy and moist with lots of meat and hardly any bones (win). However it was quite oily - you can really taste the oil and feel it running down your lips and fingers. But, despite that, I def know what the hype is about now.
Mary's Burger with Trashcan Bacon $14 + $4
The star we've been waiting for to arrive, drum roll please. Though claimed by many as Sydney's best burger, I did not expect much after being sadly disappointed at its CBD store. I take my first bite through the soft, sweet bun into a BAM!-Holy-Sh*t moment. The smoked, crispy bacon and then the incredible juicy, fatty patty, which was perfectly medium rare; damn, it was goooooooooodd. Together with the cheese, secret sauce and refreshing salad - it was burgasmic. If I didn't already feel my arteries clogging up, I would eat this everyday (ok, maybe every second day).
Mary's Burger with Double Meat & Cheese $14 + $3
Definitely go double meat and cheese if you're a boy with an appetite. The burgers were a decent size, but don't think they're filling if you're extra hunger (luckily we had a whole chicken on the side as well). You really can't go wrong with double meat and cheese. I love shoe string fries with burgers, they're just so easy to munch on. I would have love if it had a sauce to accompany it besides tomato or if it was better seasoned (like the chips at Grill'd), but they're fairly standard so can't complain.
Feast for the Gods
I'm waiting for the day I can justify paying $24 for a burger + bacon + double meat & cheese to try that out for size :O The first time I tried at the CBD store, Rvr compared it to a Maccas burger in it's simplicity and similarity, but Mary's def lived up to its name this visit. Sydney's best burger title is questionable, but it's definitely a top contender. The wait was long, the music was loud, but the food was a great way to celebrate the small wins in life (though I don't think my doctor's should check my cholesterol levels anytime soon).
To more celebratory breakfasts, brunches, lunches, afternoon teas, dinners and desserts!
Labels: food