Marcus – Motor City Burger Club

Marcus Hamburgers has a long history of serving people. Lots of people. The people who make the world work, the people who get us to work, the people who make this city what it is. Marcus has long been greasing the axles of the hard-working masses who have slowly but surely built Detroit from the ground up, the folks who got the populace out of their neighborhoods and onto the highways.

At Marcus, reminders of this past are everywhere. there is a metal fan sitting on top of a fridge that likely hasn’t been moved for decades. The ceiling tiles are turning a little brown. The chevy posters which are scattered across the walls are faded by the sun. The weird ‘Marcus: We appreciate your business!’ sign above the back kitchen with poorly drawn pictures of food beckons and confuses. Every tiny piece of the diner carries itself with pride. When you enter Marcus, you feel the same way – coated in a dusty layer of something special.

Everything about Marcus screams blue collar. You know that their horse-shoe style counters are not only a brilliant innovation but totally unique to the restaurant. Ten people fit around one of these little horseshoes, and there’s 6 of them in the diner. In their heyday, there were likely more than 60 people crammed into this approximately 20×40 room, scrambling to get a hearty lunch and head back to the factory floor. The cook yelling jokes at us, coupled with the wonderfully welcoming and pleasant waitress are part of the historic fabric and the culture that permeates and resonates from this slightly dilapidated diner.

The restaurant is named after the burgers, for their distinctive rectangular shape. They are steakburgers, presumably made with ground round. The story told now is that they bought hot dog buns by mistake one day, and rather than getting new buns, they shaped their burgers to fit the buns. Of course, this tale stuck, and through ownership changes nobody knows the real story any longer (in this case, myth may be more important than truth). There are several varieties and combinations of burgers, none of them more than $3.25. They are cooked in a vat of oil, and then smothered in chili, or cheese, or nothing. They’re served on a freshly steamed hot dog bun.

The patty itself is good, not overseasoned, juicy and beefy in a lot of good ways. It doesn’t soak through the bun, but the juices definitely drip into your mouth. They are cooked all the way through, but not overcooked, and you would be crazy to ask the cook to leave it in a little less long. The american cheese blankets the burger nicely, coats every bite, and makes you appreciate the American Whey.

But if you want condiments, all of which are served on the side like an insane midwestern tapas presentation, go light. Your first instinct is to want to slather everything all over it like a hot dog. But look at it again: It’s not a hot dog. Take your time, make sure the toppings are fresh- the onions provided to us on the counter were dubious at best. Add only as necessary. And be warned, the relish in the bowl is actually sweet. You don’t really want that on your burger, do you?

The fries and onion rings are decent, but certainly didn’t blow my mind. Having said that, I gobbled up my portion pretty quickly. Sides and breakfasts are all cheap, affordable, and come in good portions of standard diner-quality food.

As for the club, we all loved the service (despite a few minor mixups). With the addition of some old friends and some new ones (12 people in total!), it is safe to say that we all had a good time. Some were into the charm that the place provided, and a couple members were excited to bring their parents. However, we did not give it very good ratings.

Minimalism is the name of the game at Marcus. Enjoy the age-old decor and feel. Go for a strip of bacon on your burger, which is thick and crunchy. Get the cheese. Go wild with the mustard. Don’t feel bad about ordering their cheap and awesome breakfasts, or their other sandwiches and sides (the menu is huge). But stray outside of those guidelines, and you may be in for a bad time.

Ratings:

Burger: 3.21

Service: 4.43

Atmosphere: 3.71

Value: 4.29

Overall Rating: 3.82

Erik: “I’m coming back for what this place stands for. “4.5 /5

Andrew: “Love the design of the counter… The waves.” 3/5

Bob: 4 “Loved it. Actual diner, not a reproduction. Pepsi products!” 4/5

Carl ‘The gangsta snarl’: 3 “Cheap, good portions.” 3/5

Frank: “Friendly waitress, cook, and crowd. Great for lunch; maybe not great for dinner. Cheap breakfast. And it’s close!” 5/5

Jeff: “Onions were crummy.” 3/5

Joe: “Location out of the way, but definitely worth the drive back.” 5/5

Megan: “Super in love with multiple plates for everything” 4/5

Phil: “Quirky with lots of history and a great Detroit working-class vibe: unpretentious and friendly. The novelty didn’t end with the patty shape. The decor- horseshoe seating, occasional record on the wall, sink outside the bathroom, all add up to a great quirky vibe. However, the mediocrity of the food leaves this place with novelty as it’s biggest selling point. Oh yeah, and it’s dirt fucking cheap. I’d go back.” 3/5

Rachel: No Comment. 2/5

Marcus Hamburgers