By SARA CASLER
Bright colors, upbeat music and a killer burger make Hamburger Mary’s an incredible location for anyone interested in a vibrant and colorfully good time.
The eatery is located on West Church Street in the downtown district. This can be problematic, because finding parking downtown can be a nightmare. The nearest and cheapest parking, even though it was the night of the Orlando Magic basketball game, cost a whopping $10 and was strategically located six city blocks away from the establishment.
The whole place is lit up with lamps and lights with multicolored shades. The walls are painted bright pink and orange, which provide a vivacious, spirited atmosphere.
Due to its popularity, the place is packed. All the tables in sight are filled to the brim with assorted chairs and the chairs with assorted people. However, our group of 10 was seated promptly within five minutes.
For those interested in an appeTeazer, Hamburger Mary’s can supply a wide variety to fill all tastes or cravings. Their chili cheese fries ($6) are a plate of their heavenly fries topped with homemade chili, cheddar and jack cheeses and fresh, crunchy onions. If the group cannot make up its mind, please everyone with Mary’s Handbag ($13), a combination of all of Mary’s favorites: Love Me Tender chicken tenders, Mac & Cheese Balls, Hot Legs hot wings and melty mozzarella sticks.
Hamburger Mary’s is a master at its name; they specialize in anything unique and interesting that could possibly go on a burger. The Meaty Mushroom Burger ($10) is a half-pound Angus burger cooked to perfection, piled high with sauteed mushrooms, gooey cheddar and jack cheeses, and the top secret house special sauce.
For those who just want to go back to the basics, the “Mary” Burger ($9) is a classic half pound charbroiled burger served with Mary’s special sauce.
For anyone interested in a more zesty flavor, the “Spicy Mary” ($10) is a traditional Mary burger topped with Jack cheese, Mojo hot sauce, jalapenos and ranch dressing to ease the burn.
All of Hamburger Mary’s burgers are cooked to order and on the table in less than 20 minutes, served with lettuce and pickles. Tomatoes and onions are available by request, and all burgers come with a choice of a side of french fries, mashed potatoes, coleslaw or potato salad. One can add cheese to a burger or substitute a cup of soup, garden salad, fresh veggies or onion rings for an additional charge.
If a burger does not strike a fancy that night, consider one of their numerous wraps, sandwiches, salads or special-tease. Their chicken tenders ($9) are all white meat chicken, fried and topped with country gravy, served with a side of steaming mashed potatoes and fresh vegetables. Or try Mary’s pot roast ($10), a rich, slow roasted beef flank served with rosemary mashed potatoes and fresh vegetables.
After the main course, if there is a sweet tooth attack, a wide variety of desserts are available. Chocolate bread pudding ($7) is warm, luscious chocolate pudding served with rich vanilla ice cream, whipped cream and drizzled with a generous portion of warm chocolate sauce.
Hamburger Mary’s is an incredible restaurant; the combination of the funky atmosphere and the crazy foods make this burger joint a tremendous place to grab a bite to eat, but because of the nightmarish parking, they receive a rating of four stars.