By Diana Cercone
Who doesn’t love a good burger? How about a burger that’s tasty, juicy, handcrafted, and yet, still easy on the wallet? Now add to that a burger that’s chef-created and served in an inviting and warm atmosphere designed by a creative entrepreneur with strains of Billie Holiday, Dave Brubeck and Frank Sinatra wafting over the sound system to add to the collective vibe.
Now toss into the mix a restaurant where kids and their parents, first dates, foodies and friends can relax and enjoy the good food. Sound too good to be true? I promise you not. Because that’s exactly what Chef Mark McLean and entrepreneur and real estate investor Zachary Glover offer you at The Burgerly in New Hope.
Their restaurant has been ratcheting up rave reviews for their tantalizing burgers designed to please any palate, including pescatarian, vegetarian, vegan and kids. So on a blistery cold January day I set out to find out what makes The Burgerly a must stop for burger lovers. It didn’t take me long to find out.
Greeting me at the door is Zachary, trim and handsome at 43, with a smile as warm and inviting as the inside of The Burgerly’s cozy restaurant. Adorning the walls are photos and posters of his favorite jazz singers: Nina Simone, Billie Holiday, Miles Davis and Frank Sinatra. Facing the inviting, parchment paper-laden butcher-block tables is a mounted screen playing musical videos of the jazz greats.
Though he grew up in Newark, he says, he became attracted to the New Hope/Lambertville area years ago and rented an apartment in Lambertville in 2010. But after he and his wife had their second child, he knew he wanted to move his young family closer to their family and friends, settling in Tewksbury, NJ. But memories of New Hope/Lambertville kept pulling him back.
“New Hope has a unique energy,” Zachary says. “It draws people from all walks of life—whether from New York, Philly, or right here in town—who come to experience its charm. The people here truly appreciate quality, especially when it comes to food. They know great food when they taste it, and that makes being a part of this community all the more meaningful.”
At first, Mark, who has a thriving restaurant and catering business in New York/New Jersey, balked at the idea of opening up a restaurant here. But after more time spent in New Hope, Mark told his good friend, “Looks like we’re opening a restaurant.” That was 2021.
I caught up with Mark, 44, while he was on vacation with his wife and young daughter. Growing up in Plainfield, NJ, Mark says, he was always cooking, first for his high school friends and his mom’s Friday night dinner parties. Then for his college friends. Even as a day trader on Wall Street, he continued cooking for friends, becoming the personal chef to a few professional athletes. It didn’t take Mark long to realize his calling was in food.
And, as always, he jotted down the recipes he created. No time for culinary school, he bought the Culinary Institute of America’s (CIA) textbook, devoured it and then worked his way up in some of the area’s top restaurants. By then his personal chef and catering business exploded to a point where today he’s the chef/owner of successful corporate restaurants.
Through all he continued experimenting with herbs and seasonings. Ingredients both familiar and foreign became his forte. Mixing and blending them to create a whole new umami flavor. Like the perfect cocktail or as Aristotle said, “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”
And that’s what sets The Burgerly burgers apart from others. Mark opened The Burgerly with Gregory with the same philosophy as his other culinary ventures, “I cook a product I can be proud of.” To begin with, he says, he starts with local, high-grade ingredients from New Jersey and New York. For his beef burgers, he uses a blend of brisket, chuck and short ribs, adhering to the ratio of 80 percent lean to 20 percent fat for the perfect juicy and tasty burger. Only salt is added. Along with using top ingredients, the umami magic comes in the sauces, mops and toppings Mark creates for their burgers. Like his wine-reduction mops, burger sauce, savory onions, griddled shrooms, house sweet pickles, fried cherry peppers, amaranth and Havarti cheese. Again, the whole becomes greater than the parts.
As Mark will tell you, “I can go into depth about all the ingredients, but you don’t have to know. Just enjoy!” And that’s exactly what I did. Which brings me back to Zachary and “feeling Burgerly” just as a piping, hot order of Mark’s double-fried, seasoned potato french fries arrive. Zachary tilts the bag, sending a cascade of fries onto the parchment paper and places a dipping-size container of ketchup beside them. I quickly snag a fry. Crisp on the outside with a creamy, soft center. Mark’s coat of seasonings makes me lick my fingers. Though this was The Burgerly’s single serving of fries, I had enough to take home and reheat later (declaring them just as delicious). They also come in a sharing size, a Box ‘o’ Fires and Dam Fries. It’s their answer to the perfect poutine: a sharing size with pulled BBQ brisket, Havarti, pickled cabbage and spicy mayo. Need I say more?
Next hot from the kitchen is The Burgerly Classic Burger. Grilled to a perfect, juicy medium-rare topped with savory onions, house sweet pickles, extra sharp American cheese and special burger sauce served on a brioche bun. It’s too big to pick up whole—as with all their sandwiches—giving handhelds a whole new meaning. With a knowing smile, Zachary cuts the burger in half for me. Tucking into my first bite, the explosion of flavors trills my tastebuds as trickles of the burger sauce slide down my chin, accompanied by murmurings of gastronome delight.
And that’s just one of the burgers they offer. Mark is always tweaking and adding new ones. On this day, there are four other beef burgers, including The Wonderful We Said It. We Mean IT. It’s the Burgerly’s dressed patty, with savory onions, special burger mop, Havarti cheese, Jersey tomato, blend of local fresh greens, griddled shrooms, house Canadian bacon, sweet onion aioli, house sweet pickle and spicy Bootstrap BBQ sauce. They are not messing around!
Nor with the Salmon BLT. Refusing to use ground salmon with fillers, Mark sears a 6-oz salmon fillet then slips it into a brioche bun, topping it with house Canadian bacon, Jersey tomato, sweet onion aioli, house sweet pickle, local micro arugula and chard before finishing it with a garlic honey soy sauce. Beyond scrumptious.
If chicken is what you’re craving, they have several that should more than satisfy. But not any pounded to a thin, sorry strip but a whole boneless chicken breast. For the Classic Chicken, the chicken breast is house marinated, hand-breaded with panko before frying and finished with house sweet pickle and hot sauce aioli. Sloppy Joe aficionados need look no further than The Burgerly’s Messy Jessie. a joyous coming together of smoked BBQ brisket, house-pickled red cabbage, sweet onion aioli, American cheese, sweet pickle and a couple ‘o’ fries. Oh, my!
And if you thought hot dogs were just Jully 4th cookout fare, you need to bite into a Classic Dog, a split and griddled 1/4 lb. hot dog, dressed with savory onions and Dijon mustard or the Dam Dog, a split and griddled 1/4 lb. dog with smoked pulled BBQ brisket, pickled red cabbage, spicy mayo and micro mustard greens.
At The Burgerly, vegetarians aren’t treated as an afterthought. Which is why Mark created the Veggie Legendary with the same attention he gives to his other culinary creations. The house version of the Beyond patty comes dressed with savory onions, special burger mop and topped with Havarti cheese, spice-rubbed zucchini, griddled shrooms, blend of local, fresh greens, Jersey tomato, avocado salsa and house BBQ sauce. A vegan version is also available.
The Kids Menu is equally well-planned. From the Childish, the simplest burger they offer, to Kids Chicken tenders to Griddled Dog and Grilled Cheese to lots more in between. That goes for the regular menu as well.
So what exactly is “feeling Burgerly?”
It’s more than just a phrase, Zachary says. “It’s a craving. It’s that moment when you’re hungry for a great burger and nothing else will do. But it’s not just about food; it’s about recognizing good quality.” You can enjoy a great burger at another restaurant, he says, and still pronounce it Burgerly. It’s a term he and Mark coined to describe something that “hits the mark—something truly great.” “We loved it so much,” he says, “we built a whole restaurant around it.” Now that’s feeling Burgerly!
The Burgerly is located at 137 S. Main Street, New Hope; 215-693-1198; www.theburgerly.com.
Diana Cercone is an area freelance writer who specializes in food, art and travel.