Out of This World Food: Mercury Burger Bar in Detroit, Michigan

By ALYSSA DORCHAK, Guest Writer   –   The Michigan Journal

When I travel down Michigan Avenue’s brick-paved road, it signals one thing — Corktown Detroit — home to popular restaurants like Slows Bar BBQ, Gold Cash Gold, and Bobcat Bonnie’s. But this weekend I was due for a treat meal and my heart, and stomach, were set on Mercury Burger Bar.

Mercury is a small, upbeat diner mastering the art of creative, hand-pressed burgers, hand-cut fries, tater tots, and shakes.

Walking into the restaurant I was hit with the aroma of fresh grilled burgers and it got my appetite going. Customers can choose to dine in red and black upholstered booths that line the outskirts of the diner, stainless steel tables and chairs, or at the bar in which the restaurant centers around. The restaurant is cozy and a little limited on space, but the service is great so you don’t have to worry about waiting too long to grab a seat.

Aside from the great atmosphere, the burgers are Mercury Burger Bar’s specialty. They offer a wide variety of burgers. Whether you like to stick with traditional burgers with the usual fixings or you like to be adventurous and try burgers packed with flavorful ingredient combinations, this diner has something for everyone. Some of their popular burgers include The Local, a burger topped with pulled BBQ pork, cheddar cheese, slaw, pickles and Dreamland BBQ sauce and the Topor Burger, accompanied by Corktown’s own “Topors” Hungarian hot peppers, grilled onions, cheddar, fried egg, hot sauce, burger sauce and crispy onion straws.

If traditional burgers aren’t your thing, there are turkey and black bean burger options as well or you can opt for a grilled cheese, a classic Reuben, or a buffalo chicken sandwich. Salad options are on the menu also.

When it came down to selecting my burger of choice, after looking over the menu for about 15 minutes, I finally made my decision. I went with the Southwest Detroit burger. This was by far the best burger I have ever had. On a burger bun, there was the burger patty itself, topped with a chorizo slider (spiced Mexican pork sausage), jalapenos, muenster cheese, tortilla strips, fresh avocado and zanahorias, which are pickled, spiced carrots. The flavors and spices of the meat were perfectly paired with the smooth, milky flavor of the cheese and the heat from the jalapenos gave the burger a little bit of spicy flare. The added crunch from the tortilla strips made for a nice texture as well. All of the ingredients meshed well with one another, making for a well-rounded, delicious tasting burger.

What is a burger without a set of fries? Now I’m a sweet potato lover, so of course I selected the sweet potato fries. They were perfectly fried — a little crunch on the outside, but soft on the inside. Simple, yet satisfying.

Mercury Burger Bar also offers seasoned and garlic fries. They make specialty fries such as poutine (French fries with cheese curds and light brown gravy on top), chili cheese fries and bacon fries. One item that caught my eye and I’ll have to try the next time I visit is their Tater Tachos, which are tots covered with cheese sauce, crumbled bacon, jalapenos, salsa, and cilantro sour cream.

Another thing that I have to go back for is one of their shakes. They have classic flavors like vanilla, chocolate and strawberry, but they also have a Faygo Orange Creamsicle, Boston Coolers and their Hummer (kahlua, dark rum, and vanilla ice cream) round out the sweets portion of their menu.

If you’re ever craving the American classic combo of burger and fries, with a rich and sweet shake, make Mercury Burger Bar your number one destination. For unique, quality tasting burgers this is the place to go.

Mercury Burger Bar is located at 2136 Michigan Ave. in Corktown Detroit.