hamburger mary's

relocated. hamburger mary's has relocated from their original crossroads restaurant to 3700 broadway. expect a new menu soon.


-----15 mar, 2010-----

fun-tastic place. we stopped in about happy hour time for a few drinks and something to eat. some of the appetizers half half price after 4 pm, and we just ordered the chicken quesadillas. the drinks were great, and the food pretty good. but what we really liked most was the "vibe" of the place. the interior is funky-fun, sort of like pee wee's playhouse might look like if it were a bar and restaurant. and the wait staff and bartenders were all super. super friendly, super funny to watch and listen to, and not bad to look at, either. prices are about where you would expect them to be,
this is first and foremost a burger/sandwich place catering to anyone, but aiming for the glbt "family." the obvious sense of playfulness and sarcasm will go a long way to win the customer over, but the food has to be at least decent to keep them coming back. in this regard hamburger mary's is on track to be a success in the crossroads district.

we had a great lunch and great service. 3 of us ordered the 1/2 birdcage sandwich with an avocado goat cheese salad. lots of food and it was delicious. one person ordered the fireball(?) hamburger. it took longer but he said it was also very good. the onion rings were awesome! real beer batter and so tasty. will be returning soon.

close down hamburger marys. my partner and i went to hambuger marys on 12/28/13 for lunch. it has been 2 years since we had been there. we decided to give this establishment another chance. our experience in the past was not good. unfortunately on 12/28/13 our experience was that of utter disgust.

there were 2 tables already seated and served when we were seated. that makes a total of 3 tables of patrons. not to busy at all. my partners ice-tea was served without ice ($2.50). my draw of beer was warm with no frosted glass ($4.50). we ordered our food and waited and waited and waited. no other customers came in. remember only 3 tables of patrons. nearly 30 minutes later our food comes out. we ordered the hambugers. the buns were not grilled as they should be. they were cold. my onion rings had a hint of heat that lasted about 30 seconds. my partners fries were served room temperature. it was a disaster!

who ever owns this establishment apparently does not have a restaurant focus. maybe you should just have a night club and give up on the food part. it is pathetic.
we will not be back and one further comment. the bill came to $34.52 something like that, i gave $40.00 to our server who said he will return with the change. instead of the change and a $5.00 doller bill he came back with the change and $1.00 bill. i advised him i gave him 2 - 20 dollar bills, and that my change should be the change and a $5.00 bill. he apologized and got me the $5.00 bill. he said the $1.00 was in the $5.00 bill slot in the register. simple mistake or trying to grab more money from the patron? your guess is as good as mine.

i did leave the $5.00 for the tip.

please patronize other establishments. request to all:

please do not patronize hamburger mary's.

a few months back we were at a hamburger mary's bearbust having a great time. normally we just pay in cash throughout the night, but since we hadn't gone to the atm, the bartenders on the upper patio suggested we open a tab. we did. at the end of the evening, i asked the bartender what our tab was and he said it was $89. when checking our bank account, we noticed that our bill, which was $89 on the receipt i signed plus tip was showing on the account twice (one at $89 and the other at $99)

we waited a day or so to see if the second charge would be removed and it wasn't. we therefore disputed the charge with the bank. it was resolved with the smaller of the two charges being refunded to our account.

today, we were at hamburger mary's. had lunch and was enjoying beers and time with friends on the patio and were approached by the two bartenders from the upper patio who suggested we open a tab. we were told that we were no longer welcomed there due to a "conflict of interest". they said this was at the direction of the manager. after repeated requests, we were never able to talk to the manager directly. in fact, it was almost as if they were trying to avoid having to get the manager.

so, i would urge everyone to check your account statement when using your credit or atm cards at hamburger mary's. particularly upstairs. i originally just chalked this up to some sort of mistake. they happen. but after being approached and "tossed out" by the two bartenders who also were involved with the disputed charge, i fear there may be something more sinister happening. i hope i am wrong, but the situation is really odd to me.

i hope we all may find some other place to enjoy time with friends.

thank you for your support.

hamburger mary's... wow, this place was interesting. there were three of us from out of town and someone from kc who suggested this place for its' unique atmosphere. well, we were in for a treat. there was a table consisting of 10 drag queens right by us and the rest of the clientele were very "happy" (not that there is anything wrong with that).
i tried the pepper jack cheese stuffed fireball burger last night and boy was it tasty. you can read the description in the menu - it did not disappoint. it was a sloppy mess, but it just fit in with the whole motif! i'm going to give this one a good, hard, 8/10.

fabulous!!. i love this place! i will say it is a bit pricey. but the atmosphere makes it worth it. the staff is always friendly and helpful. the food is always good.

just another burger joint?. hamburger mary's certainly has it's fans, as evidenced by a busy dining room the night our party went for dinner. checking for disabled access (one of our party has mobility issues) was promising, but our seating was on a raised platform which posed some challenges. the atmosphere was fun and lively, our server was attentive and patient, and the sound level for us was not an issue. on the food--nothing special and certainly overpriced for the average diner. there are many other choices for dining if you're looking to support lgbt-owned restaurants that offer better value and quality than hamburger mary's. why pay $14 for a burger that i could make at home?

the worst. i've been to hamburger mary's twice. the first time, we brought guests from out of town. none of us were impressed. the food was overpriced and mediocre.

now, my policy with restaurants is to give them another chance if the food is bad--every cook has off days.

bad service, however, will keep me away forever.

two friends and i met there this evening, just past ten o'clock. we stood at the hostess desk for over five minutes being completely ignored by the waitress (who was gathering ketchup bottles off tables, apparently in the belief that sidework is more important than greeting customers). finally we caught a busboy who had also been ignoring us, and he told us curtly, "we're closed." the sign clearly said they were open until 11 pm, but whatever.

don't worry, hamburger mary's ... we'll never bother your staff again. we'll also warn others away from you. nice going.

overpriced,loud,and over the top with the disco theme.like walking into the twilight zone..complete with neon,flashing lights,disco ball, and a bar out of times square.not a place to relax or chat.food was good but not worth the price.only thing exceptional about the food was a steak knife sticking out of the burger and a bill stuck in a ruby slipper.unfortunately, this establishment may have a relatively short run....

alas, after a long boycott of the food due to a bad decline in the food after the first year of them being open. decided to give the food another try. never again will i make that mistake again. just finished eating a $9.50 quesadilla with chicken. first of all, portion has now been cut in half, chicken was dry and cold. last i checked, the cheese in a quesadilla should be melted. instead, picked up a piece and chicken and cold shredded cheese fell out on the plate leaving me with two lukewarm plain tortillas in my hand. if the kitchen is now failing to make something simple like a quesadilla, i am scared to try anything else again. mary's kc, get your act together or your days are numbered in this town. stop putting shame to the mary's name and ripping off the people of kc. next time, i will stop at mc donalds. at least the food will be warm and i wont feel ripped off.

an old familiar face , food subpar, loud. the year 1972 ushered in liza minnelli's oscar winning performance in cabaret, " and the introduction of hamburger mary's to the soma district of san francisco where i worked as a waiter and bar tender. with humble beginnings as an eclectic late-night beer and burger joint, hamburger mary's quickly established itself as a staple in the san francisco gay & lesbian community.

you could say that mary has "gotten around" over the years, with locations up and down the west coast and as far-spanning as hawaii to tampa. the original hamburger mary's in san francisco is no longer open, and other locations have opened and closed (and some even reopened again) over the years. through it all, mary has tried to stay true to her roots and maintains the standards people have come to expect, not to mention her unforgettable smile and great figure!

from cleverly mismatched dinnerware to colorfully framed artwork hung in crooked collages across boldly painted walls, today's hamburger mary's is much like the original san francisco location. walking into any mary's is an act of stepping out of the chaos of daily life and into mary's comfortable home. each restaurant may be unique in its eclectic décor (mary can't ever seem to make up her mind)

unfortunately, i found this location to be somewhat too chaotic,understaffed and mismanaged. there was no one at the reception desk when we arrived, so we sat ourselves in the open air lounge area,away fro the loud drag queen brunch scene.the bartender/one man waiter was obviously annoyed and stressed because he had no back up and although he did his best, was surly and brusque, but not in a good way .
we ordered 4 sliders for $2.75 each because the regular cheese burger was a whopping $14.these mini burgers tasted nothing like the regular burgers and were mostly bread and a very teeny bit of meat,tasting of fillers and fat. the bloody mary was served in a glass with only the liquor and then you make your own at a bloody mary station, which i thought was a clever idea because people love theirs so differently. loved the fun women's salon hair dryer lamps over the bar and enjoyed meeting the handsome owner eric.

the old business and hamburger mary's name is now under new ownership since 2007,i guess this is why the local branch in san diego changed to mo's. the franchise system has grown to ten locations across the united states and is distinctive because they are the only national franchise actively marketing to the lgbt community.

a trip to hamburger mary's is all about the experience. and mary knows how to entertain! while each location is different, most have a patio for the warmer months and offer late-night entertainment such as maryoke, hambingo, weekend djs, and drag shows.

mary also likes to mix a good time with a good cause. one thing that sets hamburger mary's apart from other restaurants is their fervent commitment to supporting our local communities. from hosting charity bingo events and fundraisers to sponsoring local athletic leagues and theatre troops, each location does its part to give back to its surrounding neighborhood. over the years, hamburger mary's has helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars to worthwhile organizations.

"eat, drink, and be… mary!"

a companion and i decided to check out hamburger mary's tonight. at first impression, the building seemed a bit dilapidated from the outside, given that it sits in kansas city's crossroad district. we were greeted promptly and shown to booth which had an odd 6 inch step up just prior to the seat. being handicapped after hip surgery, i found it very difficult to get into the booth. once there, we found it difficult to read the menu in the dim lighting. since it was monday, i asked the waiter about the five dollar burger special. i was given to understand that the base burger was five dollars on monday rather than nine and then i can choose my toppings. apparently we had a miscommunication because i wound up paying $11 for my hamburger as did my companion. final tab for two black and blue cheese burgers and two beers apiece was $40 plus tip . i thought this was a bit high for a simple burger and a couple of beers. the burger itself, was very good. i would order it again. however, i doubt i will often come all the way in to midtown kansas city from independence for an $11 hamburger.

service?. we waited quite a while to be seated. the host approached the check-in counter three times without ever acknowledging us. the cocktail list was extensive but the air conditioning wasn't working and our over-extended server wasn't really able to tend to our table. i have been to other hamburger marys in other cities and wondered wh ythis location didn't have drag queen servers as is the "catch" of this franchise.

come for the experience. okay, let's put it out there. hamburger mary's is to fine dining as playboy is to thought provoking literature (okay... i guess for my literary analogy should be a playgirl posing as a playboy, but you get the idea). you're here because you beg to be entertained. sure the "fillers" are nice (in mary's case, food; in playboy's case, words), but in the end, it's the experience that has brought you here, and it is that which keeps you coming back. the food here is a much better than average, and the friendly service is a nice cherry on top. now that i remember, the bread pudding is pretty good too. that aside, if you think your critique on the food makes one difference on my perception of mary's then i have some life altering advice for you... try looking at what's around the words. :o

i went with a group of friends to hamburger mary's the other night, and was not quite sure what to expect of the food. i ordered a spicy black bean slider, a crab cake slider, and a side salad. i was pleasantly surprised with the size and freshness of the side salad. the spicy black bean slider left me a bit disappointed. it wasn't spicy, and in general the taste was quite lacking. the crab cake slider, however, was very tasty and moist. i would order it again any day for a fun alternative at a hamburger joint. my only issue was that the sauces that were suppose to be on both sliders were practically non-existant. i couldn't even see it on the black bean burger. i got to try the sweet potato fries which were just ok - i've had better, and the fried twinkie dessert which i didn't care for at all. the star of the evening though was the rockstar hamburger. my friend couldn't eat all of hers, so i was of course obliged to finish the last bites : ). absolutely fabulous. i will be ordering it the next time i am there. overall, it was a fun experience and i'd return for something out of the norm.