Mary's CBD

 



Today between meetings I had the perfect opportunity to poke my head in to the latest army to enter the Sydney 'Burger Wars' - Mary's new CBD location. The dust was still settling after the Blogosphere exploded last Friday, and I finally got to see what all the fuss is about.

I haven't yet had the chance to check out the original Mary's in Newtown, and so only reputation, not expectation, preceded me. I became aware of the imminent CBD launch last month when I tentatively contacted the Newtown Locals after their stellar presence at the Newtown Festival. Kenny Graham of Mary's and spokesperson for the NL was very apologetic, but naturally a little pre-occupied setting up his latest venue. I wished him the best with his opening, and decided to have a bit of a sniff around to suss out his latest venture.

Oddly, for a modern restaurant, Mary's doesn't have much of a social media presence - sans a rather entertaining Instagram account and a Facebook location page for the Newtown venue. Mind you, the Facebook boasts over 3'600 likes, hardly something to be sniffed at. Amusingly, the reviews include one patron complaining they were called a 'cocksucker' when they drunkenly snatched someone else's half eaten burger, with a host of users coming to Mary's defence. It would seem that Mary's is a bit of a Newtown legend - and the brief glimpses online I saw were of a burger joint that was pretty laid back, didn't take crap from anyone and had a strong fan base willing to come to it's defence.

This is exactly what you get when you enter their new CBD location. Like Mr Crackles on Oxford St, Mary's is purely a take-away joint. An exposed kitchen behind the registers lets you see the prep, but also lets you see the staff having a good time. This isn't 'fast food' - slapped together by workers who aren't allowed to show expression. This is food made by people enjoying themselves, and who are more interested in doing their job well than being rushed. It's a style of service that I have seen divide a crowd. Some will see inefficiency and demand speed, others will see a refreshing break from the 'now, now, now,' attitude pushed by many food establishments. Only time will show how the majority rule.

The service was friendly, the wait time reasonable and the crew entertaining to watch. The wall art, menus and logo, all created by Sydney 'illustrator dude' Sindy Sinn, fit the vibe perfectly. Rock music is blasted throughout, and if you get bored, you can always graffiti the wall - pens provided. Mary's isn't going to be everyone's cup of tea, but they aren't going to make any apologies about it either.

Ignoring the already established reputation of Mary's, the strong 'attitude' of the place could be a turn off for some. Yet, there is something to be said about a restaurant, even a small take-away burger bar, that doesn't feel the need to bow to conformity to avoid offence. There is nothing off-putting about Mary's for those who speak the language. Tattoo sleeves are not covered here - and they are abundant on both the staff and the customers. It's an actual hard rock café, without the scent of gimmicky desperation. A family joint if 'In A Gada Da Vida' was your token kids lullaby.

The staff rock. The art rocks. The music rocks. The food? Mary's is the third burger I've had in a month from a 'Burger War' contender, and I'll be swearing my allegiance. They don't look anywhere near as pretty as the Burger Project, and aren't as experimental as Rupert and Ruby's, but they nail that classic burger taste. Neil Perry was looking for the burgers of his childhood - Mary's burgers taste as good as childhood looks in hindsight. Next time, I'll be sure to order one of their famous shakes. Yes, there will definitely be a next time.

Mary's is the kind of place I instantly fall in love with - it's clearly a venture that is all about creating a community, not a profit. Hopefully, there will be more places like Mary's to challenge the fast food empires that have controlled the concept of take-away for too long.

Mary's in the CBD is at 154 Castlereagh St, and are open from 11am til late.