LAZ wrote:Does "medium plus" mean you have a choice of "medium," "medium-well" or "well done" or that you have no choice at all?

I take it there is no chance of medium-rare?

No choice at all, I'm pretty sure from the way the (non)choice was presented to us. The burgers come one way re doneness, was my strong impression from the waitress.

Now, having said that (as Larry David might say): Ordinarily I might think this was a bad thing. I don't order my burgers medium-plus. I like them rare or medium-rare, and only once in a while will I go to medium, but never beyond that. At DMK, knowing their system before we went, I was prepared to go with the flow and see how good a medium-plus burger made from excellent meat and cooked with skill could be. The answer was, very good. Juicy, full of flavor, all the things I normally think only a pinker burger can be. I couldn't have enjoyed it more if it had been medium-rare.

that was my take on it as well.

a lot of people order their burgers med-rare because they want them to stay juicy and the general consensus is that if cooked past medium, a burger won't be juicy. which is almost always true.

except in cases where the meat is really fresh. really fresh meat stays juicy even cooked well done. of course, it's possible to dry it out if its left to cook forever, but if cooked just through, so that there's no pink left inside, the meat (if it's really fresh) will still be juicy.

I enjoyed DMK, with the highlight being the Death & Company Whirling Tiger, a fantastic cocktail made with bourbon and fresh apple, ginger and lemon. I also enjoyed a couple of pints of Half Acre's Daisy Cutter on tap. The beer and liquor lists at DMK may not be the biggest in town, but they have some carefully chosen, high quality stuff.

The food at DMK wasn't awful. Burger was tasty enough, but not as juicy or beefy-tasting as I'd have preferred. Others have raved about the fries at DMK, but the ones I had were limp and seemed slightly undercooked.

Kennyz wrote:I enjoyed DMK, with the highlight being the Death & Company Whirling Tiger, a fantastic cocktail made with bourbon and fresh apple, ginger and lemon. I also enjoyed a couple of pints of Half Acre's Daisy Cutter on tap. The beer and liquor lists at DMK may not be the biggest in town, but they have some carefully chosen, high quality stuff.

The food at DMK wasn't awful. Burger was tasty enough, but not as juicy or beefy-tasting as I'd have preferred. Others have raved about the fries at DMK, but the ones I had were limp and seemed slightly undercooked.

Chili rubbed onion strings dude...you blew it. Seriously, they were really good! Which burger did you have? The #10 was lamby (is that a word?) and juicy!

boudreaulicious wrote:

Kennyz wrote:I enjoyed DMK, with the highlight being the Death & Company Whirling Tiger, a fantastic cocktail made with bourbon and fresh apple, ginger and lemon. I also enjoyed a couple of pints of Half Acre's Daisy Cutter on tap. The beer and liquor lists at DMK may not be the biggest in town, but they have some carefully chosen, high quality stuff.

The food at DMK wasn't awful. Burger was tasty enough, but not as juicy or beefy-tasting as I'd have preferred. Others have raved about the fries at DMK, but the ones I had were limp and seemed slightly undercooked.

Chili rubbed onion strings dude...you blew it. Seriously, they were really good! Which burger did you have? The #10 was lamby (is that a word?) and juicy!

Onion strings next time. I think I had #4. The one with peppers, an egg, cheese and crispy bacon. I think there was a beef patty too.

Kennyz wrote:I think I had #4. The one with peppers, an egg, cheese and crispy bacon. I think there was a beef patty too.

But do you mean as in, "The beef patty was so small (or tasteless) that it was overwhelmed by the other ingredients"? I realize that your take on the burger itself was not as positive as mine (although you do say in your earlier post that you found it "tasty enough"), but to me one of the things DMK does right is that despite the number of toppings it puts on a burger, the proportion of these toppings relative to the meat is carefully measured ("measured" in the sense of restrained, controlled, from a subjective point of view--I have no idea if they actually measure anything or not) so that they complement the burger instead of overwhelming it.

riddlemay wrote:

Kennyz wrote:I think I had #4. The one with peppers, an egg, cheese and crispy bacon. I think there was a beef patty too.

But do you mean as in, "The beef patty was so small (or tasteless) that it was overwhelmed by the other ingredients"? I realize that your take on the burger itself was not as positive as mine (although you do say in your earlier post that you found it "tasty enough"), but to me one of the things DMK does right is that despite the number of toppings it puts on a burger, the proportion of these toppings relative to the meat is carefully measured ("measured" in the sense of restrained, controlled, from a subjective point of view--I have no idea if they actually measure anything or not) so that they complement the burger instead of overwhelming it.

i hadn't seen your earlier post when I ate there last week but that's exactly what I thought when I ate it--how nice that the burger wasn't overwhelmed with "stuff"--just complimented by it...

riddlemay wrote:

Kennyz wrote:I think I had #4. The one with peppers, an egg, cheese and crispy bacon. I think there was a beef patty too.

But do you mean as in, "The beef patty was so small (or tasteless) that it was overwhelmed by the other ingredients"? I realize that your take on the burger itself was not as positive as mine (although you do say in your earlier post that you found it "tasty enough"), but to me one of the things DMK does right is that despite the number of toppings it puts on a burger, the proportion of these toppings relative to the meat is carefully measured ("measured" in the sense of restrained, controlled, from a subjective point of view--I have no idea if they actually measure anything or not) so that they complement the burger instead of overwhelming it.

I mean that the toppings stood out to me more than the beef. My favorite burgers are the ones that leave lingering, fatty, juicy beefiness in my mouth. DMK didn't do that for me. I'd just as soon have a pepper/ egg/ bacon sandwich.

Had lunch here today and must admit I was very impressed. Very good beer selection, had a Stone IPA (not usually a huge IPA drinker but really like the offering from Stone) and a Half Acre Daisy Cutter. For food had the #4 (described above) and a small order of the Parmesan Truffle fries. Was worried from previous reviews about the size of the burger but I felt that the meat to bun to topping ratio was spot on. Fries were cooked perfectly. Somehow the fried egg spread beautifully over the burger and the bun without running all over the plate (put me in the fried egg on burger fan category). Good bacon, pepper jack cheese could of had a little bit more flavor.

I could see making this a halfway frequent lunch place. Plentiful parking outside, Three Amigos on the TV's, and a mix of music right up my alley (Wilco, Stripes) not at a deafening level. I doubt I'd ever head over for dinner as I'm sure it gets quite loud and crowded but for a rainy afternoon it was a great way to eat, drink, and relax. Service was right-on, everyone seemed extremely friendly which sometimes can be rare when a restaurant is pretty empty at lunch.

I still say these burgers would be better if you didn't have to eat them medium well.

We had lunch here last Friday. Once again, I thought the burger with the roasted Hatch green chili was good but that medium well meat really prevents it from soaring. On the very positive side, one of Friday's specials was gravy fries, and I'm always happy to have a culinary reminder of my New Jersey roots.

We ate at DMK last night. I liked the burgers, though the DH thought that he'd like a little bit more variety in the toppings (ala Kuma or Bad Apple). There didn't seem to be too much topping for the burger. I did think that the bun was too big, though it was tasty. The fries we had were crispy and tasty. We got Parmesan Truffle, Sweet Potato and the Onion strings. I think we liked the onion strings best, and the sweets second. The parm/truff were fine, but the truffle was only in the mayo. I would have preferred to skip the mayo and had the truffle right in/on the fries. The mayo that came with the sweets didn't add anything for me, and my mom said she didn't like it.

The beer selection was nice, with a decent variety on tap (but why have Arrogant Bastard in bottles???).

It was really loud, both the music and the crowd - it was pretty full by the time we left. Perhaps the crowd was noisy to be heard over the music, there weren't many of those huge groups who shout to be heard from one side of the table to another.

Our server seemed very attentive, professional and friendly. She said they normally did the burgers medium, but if we wanted them more done she could do that. I think it is probably just too thin a patty for doing any less than medium. No margin for error. My burger came medium, as did the DH's.

I would go back, but not at any prime time where I had to wait. We happened to get there around 5:30 on Sunday and there was no wait.

DMK is a great "late lunch when I don't have to go back to work" kind of place for me--it's quiet, the fact that the food is on the lighter side is a good thing and the burger/beer combo is satisfying. Not sure I'd enjoy it for dinner for all the reasons Leek noted above.

Kennyz wrote:The food at DMK wasn't awful. Burger was tasty enough, but not as juicy or beefy-tasting as I'd have preferred.

I agree - except our fries were on the other end of the spectrum from what Kenny described and I quite liked them. It's neither surprising nor outrageous that this place is offering $8 burgers with $3 fries in the neighborhood it's in - but there is much better to be had elsewhere, much cheaper. We tried the portobello mushroom also - I understand why they're deep-frying it, but felt it unnecessary; I'd have preferred grilled or pan-seared. I will say that I was offended by the bacon, which was more like a chewy slab of ham jerky than bacon and had no business topping a burger.

I got the impression that this is the sort of like the chef equivalent of DKNY. They just take a bunch of high-end ingredients and shuffle them around in several different combinations, rather than offering a thoughtful approach to a food that a chef holds in high regard.

We wemt today. DH had the lamb burger and I had the #12 veggie.

This is the best house made veggie burger I've ever tasted. I liked seeing the white beans and the rice inside. It didn't fall apart, (well just a wee bit) and it didn't taste like griddled oats ( the primary problem I have with house made veggie burgers.)


We didn't have a wait around 1:30 pm, but it filled up after us. Our server was fine but I think the entire kitchen must have gone on break around the time our order was placed. Our food didn't come for close to half an hour. In fact no one, that we could see in the front of the house, had any food, except the gent who came in after us and ordered a salad.

We split a vanilla milkshake, well I had a few sips. It was a tad too sweet and as much as I don't like whipped cream, it looked naked when it arrived without any.

The straws were too small. DH said the shake was clearly intended for porn stars.

I would go if I was meeting someone in the area, it is not a destination for me.

Tried DMK Burger Bar for lunch today, and I'm still dreaming about those fries...

I had the #4 burger with roasted green chile, fried egg, bacon, and jack cheese. I really liked this burger. I like the soft yet sturdy bun they use. It has more substance than those spongy buns some fast food restaurants use. The size of the patty was fine for me (my friend ordered his burger with an additional patty and was very happy) and was nice and crispy on the edges. The egg was runny. Yay. And I liked the bit of heat from the chile. I would order this burger again. My friend's #1 burger with aged cheddar, charred balsamic red onions, bacon, and bbq sauce was also great. Hmm...might get that one next time. The french fries were awesome!!! We had the Wisconsin cheddar scallion, Parmesan with truffle cream, and sweet potato with lemon Tobasco aioli. My favorites were the Parmesan with truffle cream and sweet potato with lemon Tobasco aioli. These fries along with their dipping sauces deserve a nomination for best fries in Chicago. We still demolished the Wisconsin scallion fries, which means these fries were fantastic as well haha

The fried pickles and fried okra were forgettable. The batter fell off many of the pieces. Oh well.

I believe they open at 11:30am everyday. They started taking names for tables around 12:30pm. Our server was knowledgeable, patient, and efficient. Despite being packed, the food came out quickly after we ordered.


#4 burger.


#1 burger.


French fries and misc.


Parmesan fries with truffle cream.


Sweet potato fries with lemon Tobasco aioli.

I make a stop at DMK about twice a month. I'm not going to argue that their burgers are the best, but seeing as how Edzo's closes late afternoon and Kuma's has (at least) an hour wait daily, I've never had an issue grabbing a table at DMK.

Currently, they have a Ron Santo burger available every Cubs homegame.

A beautiful burger with a grass-fed beef patty, Italian beef, fontina cheese, giardiniera and au jus. Though I've eaten their burgers at least a dozen times, this is easily my favorite.

Ordering fries, we went with our favorites:
Wisconsin Cheddar & Scallion


Parmesan, Truffle Cream

Not a single complaint as far as their fries are concerned.

This visit, we had a dessert (which we normally do not do seeing as how we're filled to the brim)

A gargantuan ice cream sandwich - So big that I wasn't able to finish!

I don't have a lot more to say. DMK is a favorite of ours. Anytime I desire a late night burger, DMK is my go to.

(due to the large number of pictures, some pictures here are posted in a lower resolutions; larger sizes are on my website, though everything else is the same)


In the fast food area, I am more of a hot dog person than a burger person. However, lately I keep craving a good juicy burger with the perfect fries on the side, and I know exactly who to blame for these cravings; DMK. We haven been visiting DMK quite often lately as it is a great spot for a good burger, crunchy fries and cold beers in hot summer days in Chicago. You can only have burgers one way at DMK, their way. Very few substitution are allowed and all burgers are cooked to medium. Somehow the medium burgers are all very flavorful ad juicy, probably due to the grass fed, naturally grown meat that they use.



No. 11: Grass-fed Lamb, Sheep’s Milk Feta, Olive Tapenade, Greek Salad, Tzatziki
They have a wide variety of burgers as well. My favorite of all of them is the lamb burger. Tapenade/feta/lamb and the slightest hint of good tzatziki is a combination that I find very hard to resist. The flavors go so well together and result in a delicious burger.



No. 4: Roasted Hatch Green Chile, Fried Farm Egg, Sonoma Jack, Smoked Bacon
The second best is the roasted hatch green chile/fried egg/Sonoma jack/smoked bacon combination. Somehow, rather magically, the creamy yolk managed to spread throughout the burger without the slightest drop being wasted on the plate. The rest of the burgers I tried were all good but with some minor flaws and not quite as satisfying as the previous two.



No. 7: The Big DMK – Triple Decker, Special Sauce
The Big DMK is a little too big and the meat was a little too well done. It lacked the balance of cheese and other ingredients offered by the other burgers.



No. 10: Turkey, Smoked Swiss, Tomato, Arugula, Dijonnaise and a Fried Farm Egg
The turkey was good, but the sage in it a little too strong and it overwhelmed the other flavors in the dish.



No. 6: Marinated Portobello, Blue Brie, Griddled Scallions, Dijonnaise
The portobello/brie burger for which I had very high hopes and expectations was the one that let me down the most. I do like a juicy medium rare burger and I also do realize that good meat doesn’t need to be medium rare to be good, but the burger that came was a little too much on the well done side. The sides of the burger were a little too dry and unseasoned for me. The charred green onions would have been a nice touch if it had been easier to bite them off, which it wasn’t. Instead I ended up with big chunks of green onion in your mouth. Also the portobello/brie burger was not as cheesy or saucy as the other burgers at DMK can be.



No. 14: Fresh Salmon, Ginger & Scallion, Asian Slaw, Red Thai Curry Sauce
The salmon burger was delicious. It is a nice break from beef burgers and an excellent option for whoever is not a big fan of beef.The description however was not true to the burger. The asian flavors I was expecting based on the description were too subtle and soft compared to the strong salmon flavor of the burger.



Fries with Parmesan, Truffle Cream
Fried sins offered at DMK are impossible to resist. The parmesan/truffle fries are definitely my favorite. Salty, crunchy and musky, they are the perfect side to any good burger.The house made ketchup is unique and different. A good choice if you are going for more traditional flavors that still have a kick.



Fries with Amis Blue and Smoked Bacon
The amish blue/smoked bacon fries also had the potential of being good if only the sauce had been on the side. Maybe this is just my opinion, but only beef or other meat jus should be allowed to take the wonderful crispiness out of fries. The fries got soggy and soft under the creamy sauce and not as good as they were initially when they reached the table.



Fried Okra and Dill Pickles
The fried okra and pickles were a guilty pleasure but the herbed ranch was not a good complement and was a let down compared to the other sauces served at this restaurant. However, I must add I dont like ranch, my dinning companion seemed to like the sauce.


I will still go back to DMK as it is still my favorite spot to get a burger in Chicago, but I will not be a faithful customer as soon as I discover another place that is more consistent with their burgers or will cook their burgers on the rarer side! However, for now, if summer in Chicago lasts much longer, I might have to change my screen name.

My friends and I ate here for the first time on Friday, and I was reminded of a few observations made previously on this thread. First, the beef often gets lost in the toppings and condiments, but not in a bad way; the smoked bacon, cheddar and balsamic onions on my #1 were almost good enough to be their own sandwich, and were fully sympathetic to the meat, even if the meat flavor did not jump out. Two, the service was exceptional, which is ironic, because as the early meal began it wasn't looking so hot; we couldn't find our server and were in a bit of a hurry. But then she showed up, very sweet and apologetic, and everyone was happy. But then she sent out an amuse (!) of a sort of guacamole gazpacho, which was pleasant. And then she also sent out a plate of the truffle fries, compliments of her, and frequently checked in on us after that.

Keep in mind, we never ever complained! Consider us three newly minted fans already looking for an excuse to go back. Oh, and my friend's peanut butter shake looked incredible.

Went in for the first time this evening. I was alone, so didn't try a huge range. All in all, they did a lot of things that made me really want to like them more than I did.
It was early and there were only maybe 2 other tables. Staff was friendly and knowledgeable. My waitress was both so competent and so relaxed about it that she managed the dreaded "have you dined with us before/let me explain the menu" routine without my cringing or wanting to commit mayhem, which is my usual response to that scenario.
As a middle-aged person trying half-heartedly to watch both portion size and red meat consumption, I like that they do the "diner style" 5oz. burger and offer a small or large fries portion. I like to treat myself to a good burger on occasion, but even then don't really want a 10oz. monstrosity with a pound of fries sending me into a coma. I like that all the burgers are $8, just keeping things simple. For those of younger and more vigorous appetite, you can double down with an extra patty, so I think the menu works nicely that way.
Very nice, thoughtfully selected beer and whiskey list as well.
The iced tea was rather over-hyped in the menu copy with "custom blended" "infused" tea leaves from 3 different countries and "Egyptian" lemon all adding up to not that much, really. But the comp. refill made it at least a decent value.
I had the #1 burger with aged cheddar, balsamic red onions and bacon. When it arrived, I was already happy with the service and the space, and the pricing, so it took me a while to notice that the burger itself wasn't all that much.
Loved the bun. Perfectly soft for soaking up juice (except that there wasn't any juice), but strong enough not to fall apart, and the right size to contain burger and toppings and allow for actual picking up.
The burger arrived still pink in the middle, as promised (which, with a patty that thin, seems like a real achievement to me).
Still...I'm not a beef maven, so perhaps it's the whole grass-fed thing, but to me this burger---as appealing as it looked, lacked the luxurious greasiness of some of my go-to burgers (Jury's, Athenian Room, Flubadub Chub), as well as char. flavor and what I think of as "beefiness." It was so lean, it almost tasted mealy. Meanwhile, I didn't get any real cheddary tang from the cheese, nor pronounced salty, smoky bite from the bacon. The ingredients were all there, but somehow not singing. They were dumb.
Same trouble with the fries. I got the straight salt and pepper version because I love potato flavor and tend not to like a lot of stuff on top.
As with the burger, the plate looked great. Deep golden color on all the fries. Then I started eating and...not crispy. It was like some kind of optical illusion. I seemed to be looking at beautifully browned fries, but biting into pillowy nothing.
The "house" ketchup was a bit spicy and I liked it, as I did the creamy slaw which had some nice vinegar zing, and somewhat thickly shredded cabbage for good crunch.
So, in the end: liked the concept, the space, the pricing, and the service. But neither the burger nor the fries stacked up. Given that it seems to be a place into which much thought and effort has been expended, this made me sad. I would go back to dig a bit deeper into the menu, but with some real trepidation.

About a month ago, a couple of friends and I had lunch at DMK on a Friday afternoon. We'd never been and knew we'd never have the patience to wait in the evenings. It was a perfect spot for us to catch up and have some good grub. Our server was great -- attentive yet relaxed. Drinks were delivered promptly and we got down to the food. I had the lamb burger, which was fantastic. Cooked perfectly, wonderful blends of flavors with the toppings. Friend 1 went with the #1 and the kitchen accomodated her request to use her own gluten-free bun. Friend 2 had a turkey burger but I can't remember which version. We all enjoyed the burgers and thought the size was perfect. One small order each of plain fries and sweet potato fries allowed us to try both. We really liked the sweet potato fries. I had inquired about the coleslaw but didn't order it. The server sent out some on the house for us, for which we were grateful. That was great coleslaw. It was really a nice way to spend a couple of hours with friends.

The DMK Burger Bar in Lombard/Oak Brook is just as awesome as the one in Lakeview. Monday-Friday from 3-5pm and 9pm-close they have a $10 special: choice of burger, small sea salt and pepper fries, and choice of beer on tap. The space is smaller than the one in Chicago. No communal tables. Smaller bar area. Like the Chicago location, it can get loud in the evenings.




The Big DMK.


#6 burger topped with marinated portobello, blue brie, griddled scallions, and dijonnaise.




I really like both of their mac & cheese options. This one came with gruyere, bacon, and charred balsamic red onions beneath the spiral noodles.

Tried the tiny DMK Burger and Fish Evanston outpost today when there was a long line at Al's Deli across the street. It's under the Noyes L stop.
Couldn't see any reason to try a burger, since Edzo's is just a few blocks away and has lower prices. Ended up trying the "Crabby Patty," a crabcake sandwich. The interior of the crabcake was mushy with lots of filler, and what little crab flavor there was got overwhelmed by the condiments. At $11 this was a poor value. I again thought of Edzo's while sipping on the peanut butter shake. Very tasty, but the cup was only three-fourths full. For 75 cents more I can get twice as much shake at Edzo's and equally good flavor.
This DMK has four beef burger options plus turkey and veggie burgers.
http://www.dmkrestaurants.com/wp-conten ... Menu-1.pdf

I've been to DMK Burger & Fish in Evanston and I liked it a lot. Their burgers sound appealing, and their specials even more so. The day I went, I had a special of a coconut curry shrimp burger (i.e. with a patty made from shrimp, no beef, as pictured here). It was excellent, as was my shake and the salad my companion had. The only downside is that it is indeed a small place, with limited seating at communal high-top counters; at lunchtime it's possible you won't be able to find seating, but you can do carry-out (Tallmadge Park, next to the Piven Theater, is close by if it's a nice day), and you can phone ahead with your carry-out order to avoid waiting.

Nothing against Edzo's, which is consistently great, but DMK is just a different place, with a very different menu, including seafood and salad options you won't find at Edzo's. The prices reflect those differences, and there are a few exaggerations in the previous post (they are 0.9 mile and two el stops apart, not "a few blocks", and the shake sizes are similar, maybe slightly bigger at Edzo's but definitely NOT twice as big even with the leftover from the metal cup).

If I just want a great burger, fries, and shake, Edzo's is a great choice. If I want something a little different and/or if I happen to find myself on Noyes (as I do from time to time), DMK Burger & Fish is a great choice as well.

DMK Burger & Fish
815 Noyes Street
Evanston, IL 60201
847.424.8226
dmkburgerfish.com

DMK Burger Bar, the Chicago-based concept by Michael Kornick and David Morton, is launching a franchise expansion plan that could result in DMK Burger Bars spreading from coast to coast.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/dining/ct ... story.html

It appears this place has closed without any notice or announcement. Does anyone have any official information? Email's get bounced back. No updates on social media since March and nobody answers phones.

Super bummed I can't have the best milkshake ever this year (Toasted Marshmallow)

Here's the message/greeting when you go to DMK Restaurants' web page. So I don't think you have to treat it as permanent yet. Probably safe to assume they've updated the through date as this has gone on.

AT DMK, IT'S OUR TOP PRIORITY TO PROVIDE EVERY GUEST AND EMPLOYEE WITH THE BEST POSSIBLE CARE.
As part of our ongoing effort to slow down the transmission of COVID-19, and in compliance with the Illinois Governor's announcement, DMK will temporarily close all of our locations, effective March 16, 2020 until July 29, 2020

We'd like to send a heartfelt thank you for everyone's support during this time. We are all in this together. Please stay safe and healthy.

With Hospitality, Love & Respect, The DMK Team

You're right, they did update -- until Monday, the message said "through 7/20". We walk by DMK and Fish Bar frequently and have been surprised that there's no notice on the doors to either.

Thanks. I didn't see that update last time I checked. There is hope !

DMK Burger Bar reopens; Fish Bar will open Friday

https://www.chicagotribune.com/coronavi ... story.html

Legendary Chicago Chef Michael Kornick No Longer With DMK
https://chicago.eater.com/2021/8/2/2260 ... r-with-dmk