For more than two decades, if you were within a block or so of Marczyk Fine Foods on E. Colfax on one of their Summer Burger Nights, you got “grilling envy.” You know, like when your neighbor is grilling and you stick your nose in the air and ask no one in particular “Mmmm! Who’s grilling burgers?!” Now fans of those burgers, cooked on charcoal grills in the stores’ parking lots, can get them in a permanent home, a brick-and-mortar quick-serve restaurant, Marczyk FineBurger. In addition to feeding a crowd, the intentions are still the same – serving high-quality burgers following the Marczyk commitment to know where its food comes from.
I must admit, I’ve been one of the people who had grilling envy, passing Marczyk’s, seeing the crowds and smelling that tantalizing smoke, thinking, “Dang! I’m missing another one!” as I drove past, on my way to some other dining commitment – even if it was just what was already in the works at home. And burgers are my favorite food so it’s especially sad that I hadn’t stopped to join in the fun.
Fortunately, neither newbies like me, nor the regulars, have to wait for specific Summer Burger Nights to get their fix. Marczyk FineBurger celebrated their official grand opening on November 5, after quietly building neighborhood loyalty in the short time they’ve been open. They had slipped into what had been a Wahoo Fish Taco location the Northfield neighborhood off of I-70 and Quebec. The surfboards were out and the signature Marczyk color palette was in, including a cute, farm-centric corner for kids (I wanna play!).
I already knew, from having interviewed Pete Marczyk a while back for an episode of the In Good Taste Denver Podcast, that it was hugely important to him to use really high-quality ingredients for their meats, poultry, seafood as well as everything else they carry in their markets. And where they don’t find something up to snuff, they make it themselves. The beef, for a prime example, is sourced from Niman Ranch, a network of independent American farmers and ranchers who are committed to humane animal care and raising livestock without antibiotics or added hormones.
At their Marczyk Fine Foods markets, Pete used to give skeptical customers a little taste of raw ground beef to help them understand why the flavor was different – and better. Pete recounted those days standing outside of Marczyk FineBurger just before the ribbon cutting ceremony at their Grand Opening celebration, posing with his co-owner wife and business partner brother, representatives from Niman Ranch and from one of the independent ranches Niman works with.
Inside Marczyk FineBurger
In a deviation from most counter service restaurants, and certainly burger joints, a little bit of Marczyk Fine Foods is present, across from where you order. Several coolers hold Marczyk’s own ice cream plus canned drinks, a variety of salads and other treats. Don’t want fries with your burger (make that Duck Fat Fries), you can grab a salad or bag of kettle chips. Don’t want a soft drink from the fountain machine? Grab a can of something else. Want a sweet treat? Add a housemade Rice Krispies Treat, cookie or some local candy!
The menu consists of a series of burgers like the FineBurger ($12.99) with 6 oz. Niman Ranch beef patty, ketchup, mustard, lettuce, tomato, red onion and pickles; a Junior version with 4 oz. of meat; to a Bacon & Cheese FineBurger. There are two chicken sandwiches, both with fried chicken breast and Marczyk housemade sauces (and accompaniments). Sandwich prices range from $9.99-$17.99. Upgrade any sandwich with Niman Ranch uncured applewood smoked bacon, roasted Pueblo green chilies, cheese, or sauces ($.69-$1.99). You can even beef it up more with an additional patty ($4.99 or $5.99).
Add Duck Fat French Fries for $3.99 and a drink for $2.99 or make it a combo by adding $4.49 which includes fries, potato salad or macaroni salad and a fountain drink. So, for a combo, before any upgrades, that’s a range of $14.48-$22.48.
While I really liked the sounds of the Charlie Special ($14.99) with a 6 oz Niman Ranch beef patty, green chilies, sharp cheese and Marczyk Smoky Bacon sauce, I went as “pure” as I could to be able to taste the difference Niman Ranch Beef made. While it was a very good burger, I kept tasting horseradish. Turns out, it was from Dijon mustard which, in traditional form gets that heat from mustard seeds and white wine or, in more modern versions, from actual horseradish. For me, it overpowered the flavor of the meat. When someone from the restaurant came by to check to see how I was enjoying the meal, I asked about the flavor and was told it was the Dijon. They immediately offered to make me another burger without mustard, which was very nice, but I declined (I was more than half way through at that point). So, I’ll just say, if you don’t like Dijon-style mustards, simply get it without. But if you do like Dijon, you’re gonna love this. I also realized afterward that mayo wasn’t part of the burger, something I like to add when I make burgers at home. With the richness of the cheese though, I’m not sure it would have added much anyway.
The Duck Fat Fries were great though and it took great restraint on my part to take half of them home to my fry-freak husband. They were, of course, cold by the time I got them home but that didn’t stop hubby from diving in. He remarked that he usually doesn’t like cold fries but that these were really good. Thank you, duck fat!
I’ll take my husband back to Marczyk FineBurger so he can have some fries good and hot, the way they are supposed to be. He’ll love the burgers too, just as they are, with Dijon. But I’ll just ask for mine without and we’ll both be happy.
What started on a single six-foot-charcoal-grill in the parking lot 24 years ago, all to get people to try Niman Ranch beef, grew and grew and is, finally, its own entity, providing those popular burgers year-round (with a roof over customers’ heads at that).
Marczyk FineBurger is located at 7980 E. Northfield Blvd. in Denver’s Northfield neighborhood. To learn more about Marczyk Fine Foods and their locations (including new spots within Denver International Airport and Denver Milk Market), visit their website.
-Story and photos by Courtney Drake-McDonough
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