Mary's

UPDATE: MAY 18, 2020 — The inner west's rock 'n' roll burger joint has reopened for dine-in customers, with up to ten people allowed inside at a time. Takeaway is also available seven days a week from 12–9pm.

Jake Smyth and Kenny Graham are very busy men, having launched three wildly successful venues in Sydney since 2013, the most recent being the resurrections of The Unicorn and the Lansdowne Hotel. Now firmly referred to as "the Mary's guys", their wildly popular, rock 'n' roll burger joint — that started it all — hasn't lost one bit of its appeal.

Tucked-away down Newtown's Mary Street, the bar is undoubtedly cool, with light fixtures made from Jack Daniel bottles to the big, chunky, wooden table in the far-right corner. It's clear a great deal of time and effort has gone into gutting what once was and tailoring it to suit Newtown's aesthetic. Judging from the diversity of the crowd, and much like the suburb itself, everyone and anyone is welcome.

But the joint is known more for its Maccas style burgers than anything else — you can thank ex-Tetsuya's chef Luke Powell for these. Although, he's since left the bar to open his own spot, LP's Quality Meats. You'll hear a lot of people rave about them and we must admit they go down nicely.

There are only three to choose from and they all come served with chips. For meat eaters, the Mary's is it — think cheeseburger with salad and Mary's special sauce. Otherwise, the veg burger offers up a mushroom alternative with the same toppings. The fried chicken is a must if you're a fried chicken fan (aka a human), especially if you top it all off with the ice cream sanga.

For booze, you've got a wine list compiled by a genuine love of the drop, good local beers on tap and an ever-growing cocktail list to boot. A local favourite through-and-through, we can't imagine Mary's popularity waning anytime soon.