DETROIT – We are on the hunt for the very best hamburger in Metro Detroit.
Like you, we’re sick of these “top 10 burgers” lists put out by every news organization and their mother. That’s why Carmichael Cruz and I, Cassidy Johncox, are putting our arteries at risk as we taste our way through the burgers of Southeast Michigan.
Together, we’re going to try every burger we possibly can to narrow down the best of the best of Metro Detroit. And we’re taking you along for the ride.
We’ve visited spots like Miller’s Bar, Redcoat Tavern, Shamrock Pub and more. Now, we’re stopping at Mercury Burger Bar in Detroit’s Corktown neighborhood.
Next stop: Mercury Burger Bar, Detroit
I mean, they have “burger” in their name. Of course we’re stopping at Mercury Burger Bar in Detroit’s Corktown neighborhood, just west of Downtown Detroit.
The grill has been around for a decade or so, serving up burgers and sandwiches -- your traditional pub fare. It’s got a retro, cozy vibe.
Carmichael and I sat down at a booth in the corner and ordered our burgers. We both got “classic” cheeseburgers, though he ordered their “burger sauce” on the side. We also got sweet potato fries, just for fun.
The burgers came with red onion, pickles, lettuce, and a tomato slice. They cost $9.50 each, before tax. The sauce cost an extra 50 cents.
We were served and attached little microphones to our shirts so we could record our reactions while eating. To spare you from the gross chewing sounds, we’ve written out the conversation for you to read.
Here’s how it went.
Chewing the fat
Cassidy: Pre-burger snacking. I really like these sweet potato fries.
Carmichael: We’re here for the burger!
Carmichael: Visually: There’s cheese wrapped all the way around the patty. That is crazy.
Cassidy: That is what I call a cheeseburger. It’s the perfect size, too.
Carmichael: This is very promising. The bun looks toasty and golden.
Cassidy: Already happy that the raw onion is red. If you’re gonna do a raw onion ...
In unison: ... it should be red.
Carmichael’s burger sauce came on the side, so he could try it both ways. I dipped a French fry in it -- it was mustardy and horseradish-y. I didn’t think it was right for a burger, personally.
We take our first bites, sans sauce.
Carmichael: It is cheddar-y. That’s the first impression I get.
Cassidy: I got the tomato and the pickle right away. I need to take a few more bites.
We bite. We chew.
Cassidy: Yep. Cheddar.
Carmichael: Mmmm. This doesn’t feel too greasy to me.
Cassidy: It feels a little greasy, but ... maybe it’s actually just buttery? Hmm.
Carmichael: I’m not getting too much drippage, though, even with all the cheese. Which is good.
Cassidy: The bun is nice and crispy on the edges. When you get a buttery, crispy edge with the burger and cheese, it’s really good.
Carmichael: The bun bites down well, too.
Cassidy: Yes. And you’re right: Cheese is the dominant flavor. You should definitely be able to taste the cheese in a cheeseburger.
Carmichael: Yes. I. Love. Cheese.
Cassidy: I like the thickness of the meat. I asked for medium, but it’s not really pink at all. Looks. Yours isn’t either. But it’s still good.
Carmichael: I normally order double burgers, but I wouldn’t need to here. This is the perfect patty size.
Cassidy: Proportion is important to me, and I’m telling you, this is all perfectly proportioned.
Carmichael: Sings. Perfectly portioned in every way. Headline: It’s giving “Mary Poppins.”
Cassidy: The “Mary Poppins” burger!
Cassidy: I still feel like it’s missing something, though.
Carmichael: Yes! I do too.
Cassidy: I think it’s missing some acid, for sure.
Carmichael: Yeah, I think a sauce would’ve helped in that way. Not particularly the sauce I got, though.
Cassidy: Agreed. The pickles are a good flavor on their own, but they’re not the sharpest pickles we’ve had, which I think could’ve also helped. When you do get a good piece of raw onion, it overpowers pretty much everything else.
Cassidy: Overall, I think there’s a brightness missing.
Carmichael: I do think the meat’s seasoned well, especially with all the cheese. But it’s missing a little pop or zing, and it would be up there.
Cassidy: My bun is really soggy at the end.
Carmichael: Mine wasn’t bad. We’ve definitely had messier burgers.
Cassidy: Agreed.
Overall rating
As we taste more and more burgers, our ratings may change in the future. Until our final results are published, all of our ratings will be considered preliminary. Still, we have established a baseline, and where the burgers fall on our grading scale is becoming clearer and clearer.
For Mercury Bar: This was one of the better burgers we’ve had! There wasn’t anything particularly wrong with it, per se, but we’re being more meticulous, and it just wasn’t the perfection we’re searching for. In all, a really decent burger that we’d have again.
Our ratings are as follows (on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the best):
- Carmichael’s rating: 7.1
- Cassidy’s rating: 7.7
Check out our average ratings and the current burger rankings below.
Find all Burger Breakdowns here
Why are we doing this?
After trying countless hamburgers in our lives, we are on the hunt for the very best burger Metro Detroit has to offer. We’re selecting restaurants from viewer submissions, the most common “top burger” lists, and from our own lists, and tasting them all to see which is really the greatest.
When asking viewers where the best Metro Detroit burger is, we received over 600 responses. While we can’t try 600 burgers (I don’t think we’d survive), we’re going to get through as many as we can.
In short, we’re on the hunt for the moment when we can say: “Now, that’s the best burger I’ve ever had,” and we’re reporting on what we find. We’re both huge lovers of food, cooking, and the social scene, and we’re frequently trying new food and places throughout Southeast Michigan.
This journey will take us to many different restaurants that cater to different budgets. While we can’t get to every Metro Detroit restaurant and burger, we aren’t excluding any specific type of establishment from our search -- save for chains that aren’t specifically local.
As we hunt for the very best burger around, we will stop in at some dives, some higher-end spots, and everything in between. Our criteria will be the same for everyone, and we won’t be rating the more expensive burgers higher for any reason -- they’ll be graded for their quality and value just the same.
Have a spot you think we absolutely have to try? Let us know in an email or in the comments below, and we may add it to our list! Again, we’re avoiding chains, unless they’re local.