Now Serving: Clark Burger

Hoping you had a wonderful 4th of July Holiday, filled with many cookouts, charcoal cooked burgers, adult beverages, and explosions in the sky. Especially the burger, which is an american staple. Quite possibly just a north american staple in general. I saw one of my favorite mexican food joints add a chorizo burger to the menu, as well as the following restaurant, which welcomes an American classic with some Canadian flare. 

Senator theatre to the left (not pictured)
Photo credit: Emma Patti Harris, Baltimore Sun

This week, smack in the middle of Canada Day and Independence Day, I found myself along York road, and stopped into Clark Burger. Right next to the historic Senator Theater (literally close enough to be part of their sidewalk premire murals), this small counter has been introducing poutine to the Charm City masses, as well as slinging some of the city's most respected burgers. They also recently opened a 2nd location in Harbor Eat/Fells Point, another testament to their local credibility.

Them curds tho...

Now, I did mention poutine. I realize this may be a foreign term to some of you. Poutine is gravy fries covered in cheese curds. Maryland, we already embrace the gravy fries, so putting cheese on top is just the next logical progression. Clark takes things a step further, and offers variations, including their "loaded" with bacon, green onion, shredded cheddar and sour creme, or the "Alouette" with brisket, spicy mustard and pickle. Poutine I really feel is where Clark gets it's identity, but that's not what I'm here to talk about. If this was "Baltimore Poutine Blog", it would just be a single post about this place. On to the burger...

Clark Burger serves all their beef at 1/3lb beef blend, using certified angus beef, never frozen, antibotic free, and claims a juicy well done. Also give you a double beef option for a few dollars more. I order from the counter the "Clark Burger". While some of their options might have been a little more my speed, I do appreciate when a joint has a signature burger. Theirs comes with sharp white cheddar, smoked bacon, red onion, shredded lettuce, pickles and CB sauce (pub sauce). Oddly omitted was tomato, which is fine. Also omitted, as a personal choice, was the red onion, which belongs in the trashcan instead of my plate. Also, had to get that poutine.

Canadian Titans

Number is called to pick up my tray while the un-official Canadian National Anthem , The 2112 Overture by Rush plays over the speaker. (This really happened, I can't make this up). Burger Patty is nestled with bacon, cheese, and a copious amount of shredded lettuce on top (Truly looks like more than it really is, never once was my brain tricked into thinking this was a salad). Bottom is some thick cut pickles that really sneak their way into your bite. Sweet and crispy, like a pickpocket dipping into your tastebuds. The burger never touches the bun, sufficiently pillowed on both ends. CB sauce dribbled on the bottom of the soft, but cold bun.

Alternate angle. #nofilter

To keep in Canadian terms, this burger is a power play goal. It did earn a qucik trip to the penalty box, as the bun did start to fall apart midway through (a light toasting could have fixed this, or putting the pub sauce on top), but the highlights of the thick, high quality beef, the marriage of the cheddar and bacon, and the surprise pickle chip goodness makes this a burger worth going out of your way for, or enticing enough to try some of their other specialty burgers. They claim on their website they make all their sauces in house, which is quite an achievement, and really needs to be tested on a future visit.


And that poutine is out of sight.



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