Mary's had a little burger

A little burger is drawing the hipster, rockabilly and hospitality crowds in hordes to a back street bar in Newtown.

Mary’s, on Mary Street just off the main road of King Street, comes to life courtesy of a couple of guys with Porteño and Bodega pedigrees – so it’s no surprise that it’s packed out within its first weeks of opening.

Burgers and chips at Mary's, Mary Street, Newtown

Featuring a succinct menu of burgers and fried chicken, Mary’s has already had rapturous reviews and many a tweet about its city-conquering burgers.

The bar has bottle beers, wines, a select few cocktails, and beers on tap including Newtown’s own Young Henry’s brews, of which the cloudy cider is the non-sweet cider drinker’s pick on a Sunday lunch.

The bar and upstairs at Mary's

The airy space hosts two newly renovated levels and maintains a hall feel and sound, with a kitchen nestled next to the ground floor bar. There’s table service in the upstairs section, while on the ground floor orders are taken at the bar and delivered to seated diners.

Fried chicken - half bird

Comprising about half of the entire menu, the irresistible fried chicken comes in half or whole bird options, and also a Larry Bird option which is apparently two whole chickens in pieces.

Deep fried to a dark brown hue, the various cuts of the half chicken came heavily seasoned but not spicy, making it great mates for Tabasco sauce (from mini Jack Daniels condiment bottles) and a schooner or three.

Each part of the chicken was impressively juicy inside, even the boneless breast piece and while the coating wasn't super crunchy, it was lifted with a squeeze of lime out of one of our drinks. Napkins were entirely necessary, even if you had to get them yourself from a pile near the kitchen.

Mary's Burger with hand cut chips

A short but noticeable time later, plastic baskets arrived with our burger and fried potato options. Unwrapping the burger from its paper wrap, the soft, glossy-sheened bun was the first surprise – like an Asian bakery bun but not as sweet.

The Mary’s Burger has cheese, lettuce, tomato and a special sauce – not unlike a famous fast food chain’s signature burger, even in taste. The meat pattie is on the thin side and was slightly taken over by the creamy ‘special sauce’.

Burgers come with the option of fries or hand cut chips; the latter of which are thicker, skin-on chips just the way I like.

Shroom burger with fries

I opted for the vegetarian Shroom burger which came unexpectedly as a single, slippery, juicy, buttery, grilled field mushroom in place of a pattie.

It was certainly not the lesser vego option, with some great flavour encased in the shiny bun, also with lettuce and ‘special sauce’. The super salty fries can be toned down with lashings of Heinz tomato ketchup.

I'm yet to try the Cheeseburger, add-on 'trashcan bacon' or the Mash & Gravy, but this is no light eating – come prepared for, essentially, fast food done better, with booze in a space full of character (and I don't mean Ronald).

Aside from some delays in food (which can probably be put down to the venue's early days), the too-cool-but-still-friendly vibe, concentrated menu and the amazing space at Mary’s is on the money, making it the place to be at the moment. And everywhere that Mary went, the sheep were sure to go.