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hamburger mary's
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  • hamburger mary's

    Post #1 - April 12th, 2005, 1:52 pm
    Post #1 - April 12th, 2005, 1:52 pm Post #1 - April 12th, 2005, 1:52 pm
    anyone know anything about this place? rumor is that one's coming to uptown.
  • Post #2 - April 12th, 2005, 9:21 pm
    Post #2 - April 12th, 2005, 9:21 pm Post #2 - April 12th, 2005, 9:21 pm
    Try below listed website. Kinda fancy burgers and priced
    accordingly. If your in the Uptown area try Moody's in the
    meantime for a regular 1/2#er, second meal 1/2 price with
    website coupon.

    .hamburgermarys.net

    .moodyspub.com
    5910 N. Broadway
    773 275 2696
  • Post #3 - April 12th, 2005, 11:25 pm
    Post #3 - April 12th, 2005, 11:25 pm Post #3 - April 12th, 2005, 11:25 pm
    Could this be the same Hamburger Mary's that I loved in Waikiki circa 25 years ago? They also had locations in Maui, in San Franciso, and (I think) in San Diego. I identify it so closely with the tropical setting, I'm having a tough time imagining it in Chicago. But I'd be very happy to see it here.
  • Post #4 - April 13th, 2005, 6:49 am
    Post #4 - April 13th, 2005, 6:49 am Post #4 - April 13th, 2005, 6:49 am
    if i understand correctly, it's a san diego chain, or at least there's one in san diego.
  • Post #5 - April 13th, 2005, 7:03 am
    Post #5 - April 13th, 2005, 7:03 am Post #5 - April 13th, 2005, 7:03 am
    That was a fun Google. This website gives an interesting, but somewhat santitized, history.

    More fun to read is this farewell to the San Francisco original.

    Money quote
    "topless chefs were the norm until the 1980's"
    Last edited by Ann Fisher on April 13th, 2005, 7:22 am, edited 1 time in total.
  • Post #6 - April 13th, 2005, 7:10 am
    Post #6 - April 13th, 2005, 7:10 am Post #6 - April 13th, 2005, 7:10 am
    outstanding. thanks, ann. i very much liked everything in those links.

    if i can get confirmation that the food's at least decent, i'll be very happy about their (rumored) arrival in my neighborhood. :D
  • Post #7 - April 13th, 2005, 9:16 am
    Post #7 - April 13th, 2005, 9:16 am Post #7 - April 13th, 2005, 9:16 am
    That SF spot was a great one. Back in my Grateful Dead-following days we hit it several times and always had fairly decent food and much fun there. IIRC, the big draw was that it was totally cool to "spark up" in the restaurant. Ahh, good times...sure wish I could remember more of them :wink:

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #8 - April 13th, 2005, 12:17 pm
    Post #8 - April 13th, 2005, 12:17 pm Post #8 - April 13th, 2005, 12:17 pm
    About a year ago, one opened at the edge of the heavily gay neighborhood in Dallas. The franchisee made valiant (if clumsy) efforts to draw in late night crowds: drag night, karaoke, costume contests, etc. But the place stayed empty. Eventually, they shut it down. Part of the reason may have been building-related. (Parking was plentiful, but underground, which doesn't seem worth the trouble to many Texans.) Part of it may have been that trying to sell California flamboyance in Texas is a dicey proposition. And yet another part may have been that, in my estimation, their food--while generously portioned (which is quite the norm here)--was unexceptional and priced above market. Their location was about a quarter mile from my home, yet I could find several better, cheaper burgers in the same radius.

    And there's a smoking ban in Dallas restaurants, nullifying the "big draw" Ronnie recalls from his SF haze...er, days.

    Scott
  • Post #9 - April 13th, 2005, 1:10 pm
    Post #9 - April 13th, 2005, 1:10 pm Post #9 - April 13th, 2005, 1:10 pm
    Scott--DFW wrote:And there's a smoking ban in Dallas restaurants


    Has there been any recent talk about a ban here? I googled it, and it appears the bill was proposed in '03 but died. Not trying to start arguments for/against, just curious.
  • Post #10 - April 13th, 2005, 2:40 pm
    Post #10 - April 13th, 2005, 2:40 pm Post #10 - April 13th, 2005, 2:40 pm
    I remember fondly (like Ronnie Suburban) the SF HM's. Their big selling point was fresh California cheeses in many flavors (now, they would have the tag line "artisan" They were great burgers on whole grain buns, sourdough, etc.
  • Post #11 - May 31st, 2006, 12:00 pm
    Post #11 - May 31st, 2006, 12:00 pm Post #11 - May 31st, 2006, 12:00 pm
    According to Metromix, Hamburger Mary's is now open. I think it's located
    at the corner of Balmoral and Clark.
  • Post #12 - May 31st, 2006, 12:17 pm
    Post #12 - May 31st, 2006, 12:17 pm Post #12 - May 31st, 2006, 12:17 pm
    Am I the only one for whom ______ Mary's calls up this unappetizing historical figure (and note who wrote the book)?
    Watch Sky Full of Bacon, the Chicago food HD podcast!
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  • Post #13 - May 31st, 2006, 1:05 pm
    Post #13 - May 31st, 2006, 1:05 pm Post #13 - May 31st, 2006, 1:05 pm
    Well if you were the only one, you are now no longer alone.
  • Post #14 - May 31st, 2006, 1:08 pm
    Post #14 - May 31st, 2006, 1:08 pm Post #14 - May 31st, 2006, 1:08 pm
    Am I the only one for whom ______ Mary's calls up this unappetizing historical figure (and note who wrote the book)?


    Thank you! I made precisely this observation to the Lovely Dining Companion the other evening, as we walked past it [well, the storefront that has yet to open] on our way to Ole Ole. Why on earth would anyone name a restaurant anything ending in ...Mary's? That was precisely and immediately the thought that went through my mind. And the graphic art in the window makes me even less eager; California "flamboyance" might be one take on it.

    But who knows? Name and art notwithstanding, it might turn out to be a good addition to the 'hood.
    Gypsy Boy

    "I am not a glutton--I am an explorer of food." (Erma Bombeck)
  • Post #15 - May 31st, 2006, 1:50 pm
    Post #15 - May 31st, 2006, 1:50 pm Post #15 - May 31st, 2006, 1:50 pm
    Gypsy Boy wrote: Why on earth would anyone name a restaurant anything ending in ...Mary's?
    The name actually comes from a recurring character in William S. Burroughs' novels.
  • Post #16 - May 31st, 2006, 1:56 pm
    Post #16 - May 31st, 2006, 1:56 pm Post #16 - May 31st, 2006, 1:56 pm
    The name actually comes from a recurring character in William S. Burroughs' novels.


    Interesting. Intriguing even. I'm not as familiar with Burroughs' work as I could be. But I suspect that the ".... Mary's" will remind more people of Typhoid Mary than a character in Burroughs' fiction. And, for that reason, I wondered (perhaps a tad overemphatically) why anyone would use the moniker. SF (or even Honolulu) in the 70s seems a place more likely to "get" the Burroughs reference than Andersonville in the aughts.
    Gypsy Boy

    "I am not a glutton--I am an explorer of food." (Erma Bombeck)
  • Post #17 - May 31st, 2006, 2:14 pm
    Post #17 - May 31st, 2006, 2:14 pm Post #17 - May 31st, 2006, 2:14 pm
    See, the Mary reference always reminded me of two of my favorite movies: Best in Show and Pecker. (The latter being especially full of Marys.) I suppose it helps that I first encountered this restaurant in San Francisco, and the only other one I knew about was in San Diego's Hillcrest neighborhood.
  • Post #18 - May 31st, 2006, 3:58 pm
    Post #18 - May 31st, 2006, 3:58 pm Post #18 - May 31st, 2006, 3:58 pm
    Hamburger Mary's is franchised. Here are links to the national site and the local HM: http://www.hamburgermarys.net/ and http://www.hamburgermaryschicago.com/. They are located at the northwest corner of Clark and Balmoral.
  • Post #19 - May 31st, 2006, 5:27 pm
    Post #19 - May 31st, 2006, 5:27 pm Post #19 - May 31st, 2006, 5:27 pm
    I tend to think the areas this chain opens in(and its longevity) lend themselves to prior knowledge of the restaurant itself(regardless of Burroughs and-gimme a break-"Typhoid"). It's pretty well known(for better or worse). Now whether a venerable West Coast burger joint will fly in Chicago is another question.
    Being gauche rocks, stun the bourgeoisie
  • Post #20 - May 31st, 2006, 6:05 pm
    Post #20 - May 31st, 2006, 6:05 pm Post #20 - May 31st, 2006, 6:05 pm
    I tend to go to a lot of restaurant auctions where I happened to meet the owners of Hamburger Mary's, Ashton and Ashley if memory serves. They told me that it is a franchise but it allows the franchisee a lot of freedom with menue selections, etc

    Seem like nice enough guys and I was surprised at how young they were. Hope they do well.
  • Post #21 - July 13th, 2006, 9:50 am
    Post #21 - July 13th, 2006, 9:50 am Post #21 - July 13th, 2006, 9:50 am
    I haven't gone, but have a number of friends who've been to the new location and all but one had a very negative review of the food.
  • Post #22 - July 13th, 2006, 11:05 am
    Post #22 - July 13th, 2006, 11:05 am Post #22 - July 13th, 2006, 11:05 am
    I drove by the place a few days ago and it was packed with people. Hope the food improves.
  • Post #23 - July 13th, 2006, 1:12 pm
    Post #23 - July 13th, 2006, 1:12 pm Post #23 - July 13th, 2006, 1:12 pm
    excited by the prospect of getting the sloppy mary, which i was hoping would approximate (L.A.) tommy's chilli cheeseburger, i went to HM's last week for my inaugural (and it turns out, last) visit. the burger was not only not good, it was single-handedly the worst hamburger i've ever had. the patty was cool, the cheese was not melted, and the chilli was all but flavorless. i was truly disappointed.

    i reallly wanted to like this place, but sadly they're going down as one of the very few places i won't consider going back to after a first visit.
  • Post #24 - July 13th, 2006, 1:48 pm
    Post #24 - July 13th, 2006, 1:48 pm Post #24 - July 13th, 2006, 1:48 pm
    A friend checked it out & told me not to bother with HM. Seems like that's the consensus around here, so far.

    I wasn't in any hurry anyway to check out HM. I'm a big fan of Huey's across the street, on Balmoral, for burgers, etc.
  • Post #25 - July 13th, 2006, 1:53 pm
    Post #25 - July 13th, 2006, 1:53 pm Post #25 - July 13th, 2006, 1:53 pm
    ...which is no relation to Huey's in Memphis, arguably that city's best burger joint.
  • Post #26 - July 14th, 2006, 2:20 pm
    Post #26 - July 14th, 2006, 2:20 pm Post #26 - July 14th, 2006, 2:20 pm
    kl5 wrote:See, the Mary reference always reminded me of two of my favorite movies: Best in Show and Pecker.


    Missed this thread the first time around, but wanted to chime in that this was my first thought, too. "Oh, I love fags. I call everyone Mary." God bless Martha Plimpton.
  • Post #27 - July 14th, 2006, 2:30 pm
    Post #27 - July 14th, 2006, 2:30 pm Post #27 - July 14th, 2006, 2:30 pm
    If it's at all like its counterpart in WeHo, CA, it will soon be packed every single night (if it isn't already), and in spite of the food.

    E.M.
  • Post #28 - July 14th, 2006, 2:55 pm
    Post #28 - July 14th, 2006, 2:55 pm Post #28 - July 14th, 2006, 2:55 pm
    Erik M. wrote:If it's at all like its counterpart in WeHo, CA, it will soon be packed every single night (if it isn't already), and in spite of the food.

    E.M.

    Add me to the list of folks who haven't ever seen the place when it wasn't crowded. Haven't been in but I've walked by it quite a bit this summer and, at times, there have been lines of people waiting to get in.

    I have to say, I can't profess any love for Huey's, which takes the "char" way too seriously. Burnt food is not food.
  • Post #29 - July 17th, 2006, 9:24 am
    Post #29 - July 17th, 2006, 9:24 am Post #29 - July 17th, 2006, 9:24 am
    viaChgo wrote:A friend checked it out & told me not to bother with HM. Seems like that's the consensus around here.


    haven't checked it out yet, but a friend of mine who lives in andersonville has gone there twice and says its wonderful... its sort of loungey joint... i think the big draw to the place isn't intended to be the food, but its uniqueness in a setting. though she said the food was good, i'll report back if i go soon... the place does have a huge following on the west coast, so they must do something right.
  • Post #30 - July 17th, 2006, 9:30 am
    Post #30 - July 17th, 2006, 9:30 am Post #30 - July 17th, 2006, 9:30 am
    Kampy kitsch, big burgers and faulty syllogism.

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