Ale Mary's

I'm looking for the Best Burger in Baltimore! More info and links to other reviews here.


Julie and I hit Ale Mary's in Fell's Point on Wednesday, for our fifth Best Burger in Baltimore contender.  Ale Mary's is a really cool bar, and If I lived in the area, It would definitely would be a go-to place for me. The service was good, and they didn't mind that Julie and I lingered after we had finished eating, catching up with each other.
 

Onto the food. Ale Mary's signature burger is a 1/2 lb burger on a garlic bun, you can get it with cheese (for an additional .75 cents, it comes with chips, but you have the option of adding tater tots for an additional 2, or three dollars (depending on the kind of tots you want). I ordered my burger medium rare, with American cheese (not an option on the menu, but they had some in the kitchen that they put on for me). Mine was cooked perfectly, but Julie's (which she ordered medium) was more of a medium well. We both thought that the burger was too big- We don't have a problem with big burgers- Jimmy's was that size too, but the beef was seasoned and the patty was a little thick. Julie had problems keeping her salad on top of the burger. (she puts things like lettuce and onion on hers) The meat -to - bun ratio was okay, but the bun was garlic bread style, which wasn't our favorite. I minded it a lot less than Julie did, who every time she went to take a bite said that she could smell the garlic, and not in a good way.

   

The star of the meal however, is above.  We had ordered two appetizers (we were both starving) One was their crab dip, which was good, if salty. It came with celery, bread and crackers, and a crumb top. Not the best one I've ever had, but solid.  The winner was the Crabby Tots. They're Tater tots, with cheese (three kinds) melted on top, and  a layer of crab dip ladled on. The cheese melted down, creating a crispy bottom, and the crab dip, while salty on it's own was absolutely perfect here.  Julie and I agreed that we would come back to Ale Mary's just for these.  They're fantastic. And  a day later, I'm still thinking about how great they are, and how to make them on my own, which is definitely a marker for how excellent they are.

So in conclusion, a decent burger, but definitely not among the top of the list, and Crabby Tots that make the mouth water and plans to return.