Venue: Mark's Gourmet Burgers
Location: 441 Myrtle Ave, Brooklyn, NY
Date of Visit: Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Burger: Bacon Blue Burger & Smokey BBQ Bacon Cheddar Burger
Average Score: 7.0 Burger: Bacon Blue Burger & Smokey BBQ Bacon Cheddar Burger
Price Range: $$$$$
Mike: After a two-month hiatus, the Burgerlers have returned. This time, to try a relatively new addition to Fort Greene, Mark's Gourmet Burgers. Mark's menu has a variety of different "gourmet" burgers to choose from, yet they don't have a "signature" burger. So, that left the three of us to go out on our own and pick what looked good to each of us. The fan of the bacon and blue cheese combination that I am, I opted for the Bacon Blue Burger. It's a 1/3 lb. Angus beef patty (or one could go with the 1/2 lb. "Big Mark" for an additional fee) topped with crumbled Maytag blue cheese, apple wood smoked bacon, sauteed onions, tomato, and mixed greens on a mystery bun that might have been a potato roll. I ordered mine medium-rare with a side salad.
When the burger came out, it looked about right; it had all the proper ingredients and the bun appeared to be nicely toasted. When I took my first bite, I definitely felt (and heard) the crispness of the toasted bun, yet is was nice and soft on the inside. Now this was how you properly prepare a bun! I also got a mouthful of flavor from the bacon and beef. The beef was flavored nicely but was a tad over-cooked, and the bacon was...well, it was bacon, but it could have been sliced a bit thicker for additional crunch. The onions lacked any presence, but this could have been because they were intermingled with the strips of bacon; and there isn't much that can compete with the taste of bacon. This early in the game, I began to wonder where the blue cheese had gone off to; for there was only a hint of the potent flavor in the initial bites.
As I got about a third of the way through, it started to evolve into a different burger. The blue cheese really started come through, the bacon started to dwindle away, and this side of the patty was cooked rare. Now these were some pretty big problems; the meat wasn't cooked evenly and the toppings weren't evenly dispersed. I guess they take things literally at Mark's; Bacon and Blue Cheese, medium and rare. I thought the mixed greens lettuce was a nice touch, but it was a bit on the wilted side as far as freshness goes. The same might be said for the tomato. This, quite possibly, could have been due to the fact that both were stacked under the patty, which might have proven to be good, as the bun held up very well to the grease from the meat.
All in all, I thought the meat was juicy and flavorful, and the bun was nicely matched. If only they could have got the whole cooking and stacking thing right. I'm not saying it was a total loss, but I don't see myself revisiting Mark's anytime soon.
Overall Rating: 6.8
Kenny: Walking into Mark's Gourmet Burgers, you notice that this place is small and has only a few tables and a
bar. Mark’s feels more like a quick-stop
diner than a burger joint. After
settling in, I walked over to the counter to order the Smokey Barbeque Bacon Cheddar Burger medium-well with some double fried fries, and a bottle of
water. After waiting for a bit, the
burger arrived topped with Mark's own MGB barbeque sauce, two slices of bacon, a
bit of cheese, grilled onions, lettuce, and tomatoes.
The burger looked pretty good, so I dove
right in. On the first bite, I only
tasted the barbeque sauce, which was sweet and tangy, and the bacon. Soon thereafter, the patty’s flavor started to
emerge, which there was nothing special about it. While the meat was cooked perfectly, and
was pretty juicy, I don’t think they added any spices to it. This made it
come across as a bit bland; but, the barbeque sauce had enough flavor for both of them. Then, there were the onions,
which didn't add any additional flavor to the burger. Aside from the bacon, the bun seemed to be the shining star, as it was perfectly toasted. There was a little char on the bottom of it,
while the outside of the bun was soft and tasty. As my burger decreased in size, it started to become
harder to hold on to. It was
almost as if they bun and patty were on a slip-and-slide lubricated by barbeque sauce, and by the end, my patty just slipped out.
Lastly, there were the fries. I’m going to
just say skip the double-fried fries and opt for their sweet potato fries. They just weren't up to par and masked in
tons of salt. Overall, the burger was
good, but I wouldn’t go out of my way for it.
Rating 7.0
Jeff: Having recently moved back into the Clinton
Hill neighborhood, I was excited to try a place whose focus is burgers.
I ordered the Bacon Blue Burger medium and
opted for the regular 1/3lb serving versus the Big Mark rendition which
increases it to half a pound. The burger arrived in a timely manner, considering
a bit of a lunch hour rush, followed shortly by the fries. The burger looked
appetizing enough, but I was expecting more blue cheese and more bacon. Looking
at Kenny's burger made me wish I had ordered his, as his was piled high with
bacon and smothered in cheese. My first bite was very flavorful. The patty was
served more rare than medium and I think a switch up from grill to table might
have occurred as Mike ordered his bacon blue medium rare. This didn’t detract
from the burger’s taste, and I’m not that picky where this would ruin my
experience, so just keep that in mind if ordering in groups. The
seasoning of the patty was balanced, and by seasoning I mean something more
than salt and pepper. Actually, the patty was seasoned so well that I think all
I needed was the bun and patty. I completely forgot about the bacon and onions after
a couple of bites. Had the bacon been a thicker cut, or if more of it were
present, it might have made an impression; but as it was served, the patty stood
out front and center. There also wasn’t a lot of blue cheese on the burger
either. I understand that blue cheese is strong and might not be for everyone, but
for those of us who like blue cheese, there simply wasn't enough of it applied
to warrant including it in the naming of this burger. I don’t know, maybe I’m
greedy. The flavor of the patty was good, so it could be that too much of the
blue would obscure the patty, but I’d rather take some cheese off than
not have more to put on. Having the mixed greens and tomato on the bottom of the
patty is a welcomed preventative measure against bun breakdown. The bun itself
was toasted nicely on the underside while the outside of it was warm and soft.
That’s a nice combination to have.
Everything said, the beef tasted great; and
when compared to other Myrtle Ave. spots, I feel it holds its own.
Overall Rating: 7.1
