Review: DMK Burger Bar

Last week, we visited the newly-opened DMK Burger Bar. A joint venture of Michael Kornick (mk) and David Morton, DMK aims to provide upscale burgers and accoutrements, made with grass-fed beef and a lot of wit and charm. While the experience had a few minor bumps, they are moving along through their opening jitters quite nicely.

DMK's menu looks the way we would design a menu - funny, clear-cut and with a very strong sense of identity. Plenty of things aren't there - for instance, their wine list had no white wines at all - only big reds. Their dessert list had nothing fancy or caramelized, just hand-made malts and home-made ice cream sandwiches. On the other hand, the variety of burgers is quite wonderful. We particularly enjoyed the plain-jane #1, with aged cheddar, bacon, red onions and barbeque sauce. The burger made with lamb, feta, olive tapenade and herb ranch looks like a winner, and our dining companion enjoyed a burger with marinated portobellos and scallions. Unlike some other fancy hamburgers, the patties aren't too thick to put into your mouth - you can remain relatively dignified while eating a DMK hamburger. Burgers cost $8.

The french fries were amazing, and a small portion costs just $2. There are a variety of options - we tried the standard, salt-and-pepper fries and also some of the Sweet Potato variety. Both were hand-cut, crisp and delicious. The malts were, as advertised, too thick to drink with a straw.

Not everything was perfect. Service was slow (as the restaurant was packed) and the cocktail offerings were not quite up to par. We were pleased to see a limited selection of quality alcohol, with North Shore products prominently displayed, but the mixtures disappointed - expensive, weak and pedestrian. They looked great on paper - hopefully, the drinks will improve. A few menu items (and 2 burgers) aren't available yet, though we're happy to see the restaurant taking a realistic approach. Rather than jumping in with both feet, DMK looks to be taking the long view - a measured, slow opening that will hopefully minimize disasters and let the staff get their bearings.

DMK Burger Bar is located at 2954 N. Sheffield Avenue.