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I have been on a mission to find the best burger in Lebanon. For the past couple of months, I've been in and out of restaurants, fast food chains, and local burger joints among others places tasting and reviewing one burger after the other without success. I leave unsatisfied every time I walk out a place…some are too thick, some are too dry, some are too small, while others are too fatty and most importantly none, with the exception of BRGR Co and Frosty Palace, use fresh ground meat…
Just a few handful of burgers satisfy my craving around town and follow, what is in my opinion - to say the least - the international standard for a decent burger. Because of this, most of my reviews have been negative. I've been feeling bad, to tell you the truth. Critiquing does not mean I am criticizing diners and restaurants that believe that creating a burger is a simple operation, but it means I am merely evaluating what I am tasting...
It’s either one of two things:
I may be appreciating food differently than others or seriously no one knows how a burger should be made. And like most things in life, we unfortunately accept what’s offered, and go for mediocre commercial quality. A pure coincidence - to confirm that everything happens for a reason - led me to Marky's, a little snack down by the Mkalles roundabout. A few know about Marky's, yes - not Maki the sushi restaurant - Marky's brands itself as a Philly joint serving American sandwiches and burgers.
Lets go straight to the point – straight to the star of this post: The burger, Marky's special Big Boy Burger. The top of the line deserves its name:
A big piece of creation that fulfills your eyes and activates all your senses even before touching it. Ten distinct layers of colors fill this round piece of art with the freshest ingredients, some of which are imported from the US, while others are freshly produced in-house on a daily basis:
- Lettuce
- Tomato
- American pickles
- Hotdog
- Eggs
- Swiss cheese
- Ground beef
- Mayonnaise
- Ketchup
- Bun
Ten premium high quality ingredients layered one on top of the other like a castle of cards. Clean and clear, ready to be devoured in seconds.
A thin layer of bread, especially created for Marky's by a local bakery, is covered with a layer of mayonnaise. Under is a clean green leaf of European lettuce, a 2mm tomato slice, three homemade American pickles slices, a hotdog opened in half and grilled to become hot and enjoyable, an egg fried as is, all supported by the beef. Softening the lower bun is a thin layer of BBQ sauce. It may be more expensive than others, since a burger is often served with fries for the same price… I think for 18,000L.L paid at Marky's you will be eating a real treat.
Unique on all levels:
- A thick 12cm burger, so perfect that it can be pressed with your fingers to the adequate eatable thickness of three fingers without spilling a single drop
- Homemade, yes homemade in-house by Mark himself sweet American pickles
- Fresh vegetables, cut thin adding just the right flavor
- Swiss cheese, lighter and tastier than cheddar cheese
- Fried, non oily eggs
- Premium ground beef
- The bun, not produced by Prunelle like almost all diners in town, is good. Covered with sesame and containing enough yeast to be light, it melts under your palate without blocking the taste buds.
Two thumbs up: non chewy, non spongy, not dry but fresh and tasty
The patty: How many times have I expressed by disgust towards this commercial machine that manufactures frozen pieces of meat that look greyish and squeak like caoutchouc? How many times have I reminded restaurant owners that ground beef should crumble under your teeth and not break like a piece of steak? How many times have I written about tiny little pieces of fat that slide under your teeth and make the meat taste like rubber.. at Marky's that's not the case.
- Marky's meat combines four different kinds of beef, mixed and cut on a daily basis and left to rest in the fridge. These are never frozen
- 150g only that looks like a 220g because it’s a load full of beef and not fat
- Balls of meat are hand pressed on the grill just once and left to cook without further pressing
Finally, a burger I loved and enjoyed and urge all of you to pass by and try and hopefully learn from. No more pressed and frozen meat, no more fat, no more cheap lettuce, no more raw onions, no more thick tomato slices, no more Worcester sauce, no more commercial flavors and synthetic additives… Dear Mark, I send you a round of applause. Marky’s Philly Joint: Endless Surprises of Professionalism and Taste
