Show Me the Way to DMK
By Christina Whiteus 
June 30, 2010 
11 Comments
DMK Burger Bar
2954 N Sheffield Ave
(between Oakdale Ave & Wellington Ave)
Chicago, IL 60657
Tel: 773.360.8686
Website
The story of the hamburger’s rise to power starts in the city of Chicago. In the 19th century, a population explosion in Europe, coupled with a scarcity of local meat, prompted Australian farmers to begin shipping frozen beef abroad. Chicago’s expertise in industrial innovation was called upon to preserve, package, and ship the meat and the city remained the principle meatpacking center for most of the 1800s. It was at the Chicago World Fair of 1893 that the hamburger made its first public debut and changed the face of American dining forevermore.
The rest of the story: the emergence of fast food, the supremacy of McDonald’s, and the obesity, you are likely familiar with. But Chicago gourmands are noticing that the path of the hamburger may be taking on a new twist. Burgers are being paired with fancy ingredients (Panko crusted goat cheese in the Insect Warfare burger at Kuma’s Corner), presented as DIY art projects (see Counter’s 312,120 unique burger constructions), or made exorbitantly expensive ($26 for the Bad Apple’s Waygu Wednesday burger). In the interest of research, I have patronized a great many of Chicago’s burger locales, but none with as much frequency and gustatory satisfaction as DMK.
DMK is the collaborative work of David Morton (proprietor or Morton’s The Steakhouse) and Michael Kornick (founder of the popular upscale restaurant mk). DMK is priced like a diner ($8 each burger) but tastes like fine dining. The menu is innovative and the flavors comprising each burger are carefully put together, but what really makes DMK burgers special is their patty and their bun.
DMK burgers are made from grass fed beef. This is unusual. In the US 99% of beef is produced in feed lots, where cattle are spared the effort of grazing and are fed with grain and corn in their enclosures. Grazing cattle need to be rotated from field to field, requiring more land. Calves fed on grass also fatten much more slowly than their grain fed brethren. But the benefits of grass feeding are manifold. Cattle bodies are not made of the digestion of grain, and the resulting changes in the acidity of their stomachs makes them more prone to infections like E.Coli, which sometimes reach the consumer. While grain fed steers laze around in their pens, grass fed animals are outside working for their meal, making them more muscular and less fatty. (Grass fed ground beef has about 65% less saturated fat.) Their diets are also more varied, including clover, thistle, dandelions, which means by eating them, our diets are also more varied. I personally love the taste. The grass fed burger is noticeably leaner but the flavor is rich and complex. Grass fed beef cooks quickly and is sometimes described as dry, but at DMK it is seared to perfection on the outside, succulent on the inside with a lovely line of red in the center.
Now to the bun. Internet rumors attribute DMK’s perfect bun to extensive experimentation and collaboration with a local bakery. Made with potato flour and buttered generously, this has got to be the best hamburger bun I have ever had. It is airy and crunchy and never gets stuck in the roof of your mouth. It would never leave you in crumbly, sticky, meat-soaked pieces during your last few bites. No, it stays with you throughout your entire meal.
As for the individual burgers, I have tried about two thirds of the menu and they have all been A-one. My personal favorite is the Number 1. It’s a very traditional burger sporting ingredients that don’t vary significantly from the Angus Bacon and Cheeseburger at McDonald’s, yet it has such a tasty combination of sweet (from the charred balsamic red onions and BBQ sauce) and savory (deeeelicious bacon and aforementioned beef) flavors that I have to force myself to branch out when I go to DMK. Also memorable is the Number 4 with more unusual accoutrements: green chile makes the burger slightly spicy and an egg, which spills its contents onto the meat for a gooey yolk-infused texture. Number 5 features a processed favorite of mine: sea salt and vinegar chips. They lent crunch and bite to an Italian themed prosciutto, red pepper, and fontina burger I tried recently. For the vegetarians out there, DMK offers portabello and salmon options.
I will admit that not every type fries I have tried at DMK has been to my liking. Both the Amish blue cheese and the Wisconsin cheddar fries were just too cheesy for me. I prefer the crispy and healthier sweet potato fries with tangy lemon Tabasco aioli sauce. When I go, I enjoy the home made blood orange soda and the excellent, smiling, and often very lovely waitresses, who explain the concept and the food with great patience.
The food at DMK doesn’t just taste good; it makes you feel good too. Each month the restaurant contributes a portion of its profits to a different charity. The project is called 365 Days of Giving and it is remarkably understated – no note on the menu or on the bill – just a little mention on the blackboard “May/June: Make a Wish Foundation.†When I asked our waitress about it, her face lit up and she explained that the staff sits together every month, making suggestions and deciding together what cause to support. In January, DMK supported Haiti earthquake relief, donating 25% of every burger sold to the Red Cross. This year they have also contributed to the Greater Chicago Food Depository, the Chicago Healthy Schools Initiative, the Inspiration Corporation (which works to train homeless people for the workplace) and to Children’s Memorial Hospital. This month, DMK is raising $5,000 for a 15-year old Chicago girl named Vanessa through the Make a Wish Foundation of Illinois. In 2008 Vanessa was diagnosed with terminal acute lymphocytic leukemia. Vanessa’s biggest wish is to go to Italy with her mother, father and brother and to see all the museums and sites. To send her there, DMK has been contributing part of its sales and this month also held a fundraiser where they offered a patty burger, fries, and a brew (Saison du BUFF) for $20, all of which went directly to Vanessa.
The food at DMK is great and you shouldn’t need an excuse to go and go often, but if you do, their support for great causes is a good one. The tagline on their website says it all: “DMK: The Chicago Burger Bar with exceptional quality, grass fed beef, fresh baked buns, artisan cheeses + Loveâ€. It’s about time the hamburger gave back.
Photos by Christina Whiteus for Appetite for Good.
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Sounds amazing! Great article!
I might have to go eat some DMK tonight. I also like that it is in Wrigleyville and doesn’t play sports on the TV.
Yes, the Tina Turner videos they play are so much better!
Wow, sounds like we have to Chicago real soon to try out DMK. Wonderfully written review.
DMK Burger Bar is the greatest burger place in Chicago. From food to service to doing good — these guys get it!
I know, huh! I’m itching to try mk now too, but I think I’ll have to wait for a special occasion for that…
Dmk is great! They would be better if they played great music, like, perhaps, lordosis.
That’s true. Nothing like a little “Blago” to make your burger go down smoothly.
Gorgeous writing! I think I know what I’m having for dinner tonight…
Aw thanks! Do do go. Hamburgers are a quintessential American food and thus perfectly suited for consumption on July 4th weekend!
And I did…thanks for the inspiration!