Mary's City, Sydney CBD

Hi there you sexy thang

"Where's my Jack Daniels?!" screams out Kenny Graham just before their new venture opened up to a long queue of patrons. Each staff member did a shot of JD and it's Rock n' roll from then onwards! The almighty Mary's of Newtown does not need introduction. We all know they serve some of the best lip-smacking burgers and fried chicken in town. But what y'all need to know (if you haven't heard yet) is that the owners Jake Smyth and Kenny Graham has just extended their kingdom and opened Mary's Takeaway in the CBD.

Mary' City menu

Jake Smyth about to pour them JD shots!

It's a takeaway only joint on Castlereagh Street (behind the Sheraton) that specialises in burgers and anything else the goes well with them. They will be rocking the fries, thick shakes and their famous bacon too. There are five burgers on offer: The Mary's burger, cheeseburger, chicken burger, veggie burger and a breakfast burger. The burgers also features the soft sweet buns we've come to love. From this point on, it's about to get durrty and tasty:

Double cheeseburger with bacon

The first burger I had was a double cheeseburger with bacon ($10 for single patty cheeseburger, plus $3 for extra patty and another $3 to add bacon). Double the patty also doubles up the juiciness! The bacon adds a smoky goodness to the burger. They do a proper classic version with beef patty, American cheese, pickles, onion, ketchup, and mustard. This burger bursts with the meaty, sweet and tangy flavours I love in a cheeseburger. The patty is cooked smashed-style where a caramelised crust is created and the juiciness is well kept in the flavoursome patty. Most importantly, the cheese is melted and the bun handles the fillings well.

Chicken burger

Check out the rippled crunchy buttermilk batter!

Then there's the chicken burger ($12) which contains a Southern style boneless buttermilk fried chicken, lettuce, tomato, American cheese and Mary's sauce. I really enjoyed the contrasts of texture of the fillings but the fried chicken is the star! The buttermilk batter was extremely crunchy and the meat was amazingly succulent. The Southern-style spice mix was so potent that you could taste the balanced flavours of cayenne pepper, paprika, garlic powder, black pepper etc. It was a brilliant burger overall.

It's still the Mary's we love but minus the booze, more emphasis on burgers and is more accessible within Sydney's concrete jungle. I can't wait to try the thick shakes on my next visit!

Mary's City

154 Castlereagh Street

Sydney NSW 2000

Open everyday from 10am until late