First Look: Hamburger Mary's in downtown St. Louis

Three years after the first incarnation in Midtown closed, Hamburger Mary’s is back with a vengeance – this time downtown. The current St. Louis location of the national chain, under new ownership, opened on Saturday, Jan. 20, at 400 Washington Ave., downtown.

With its mix of over-the-top drag performances, decor heavy on glitter and glam and menu of tasty burgers, sandwiches, beer and cocktails, the new rendition takes the Hamburger Mary’s experience to a new level.

Standard Hamburger Mary’s menu items like the classic Mary Burger are still available, but executive chef Tanya Brown, former chef-owner of The Little Dipper, and sous chef Lolo Nishibun have put together an array of original sandwiches like the Pa-Jama Party and the Kahlua pulled pork sandwich.

The nearly 10,000-square-foot space has a total of 470 seats. Roughly half the interior is dedicated to drag performances, complete with stage, runway and a 16-by-19-foot LED screen, the second largest in the city, as a backdrop. The other half has more of a neighborhood bar feel, complete with pool table and dartboards.

Hamburger Mary’s currently offers dinner service only, but will be open for lunch starting Monday, Jan. 29. Hours will be 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday and 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Thursday through Saturday.

Matt Sorrell is staff writer at Sauce Magazine.