Guest Blogger Review: Hamburger Mary's Bison Burgers

It's an exciting day folks! Today I have my very first guest blogger contributing to the site.

My friend and fellow health enthusiast Andrew Simon recently mentioned he was planning on trying out the ostrich and bison burgers at West Hollywood's famous haunt, Hamburger Mary's.


Being a big bison burger fan, I was excited to hear his review of the food and thought you would be too. Andrew knows a thing or two about healthy eating. In late 2009 he made a decision to start following a more nutritious diet, and has lost over 60 pounds since then!

Ostrich and bison meat are both super healthy. Ostrich has about 100 calories per 3 oz. serving and only 2 grams of fat. And a lean cut of ground Bison has around 125 calories and 2 grams of fat per 4 oz serving.

So did Mary's meet up to Andrew's nutritional expectations? Read his review below:

"I strolled into Hamburger Mary's at 8288 Santa Monica Blvd in West Hollywood a bit after noon on a Saturday. The place was mostly empty, but clearly gearing up for the evening's festivities. I was lured there by the promise of an Ostrich Burger."

"Strangely, Ostrich meat seems to be completely impossible to get for restaurants in Los Angeles these days (Fuddruckers had none, nor did The Fix Burger in Silver Lake). Unfortunately, Hamburger Mary's was not immune to this pandemic as the bartender reported that they too had no ostrich meat and, in fact, had not been able to get any for about three months. A bit disappointed, I noticed that they also had Buffalo Meat, definitely a dish that fits into my healthy diet."

"So, instead of walking away hungry and with my tail between my legs, I went for the Bison. I ordered it with sweet potato fries and paid extra for a side of their steamed veggies."


"The burger was solid. One half pound of bison meat cooked medium-rare. It was juicy and delicious but definitely nothing special. I asked that it be served on whole wheat bread instead of Hawaiian bread and they were happy to oblige. Sadly, I forgot to ask them to remove the Thousand Island dressing, so I had to push some of that to the side. Thankfully they didn't smother the burger with it, so the health factor was not lost there."

"The fries came out cooked, thankfully, in vegetable oil, but a bit soggy. They tasted fine, but the texture wasn't there. For me, a big part of a sweet potato fry is the crunch. Without the crunch, it was just a sweet potato that I would have preferred boiled, baked, or steamed."

"The veggies, as you can see, were abundant and what you would expect from steamed veggies."



"All in all Hamburger Mary's menu is replete with what I call 'faux healthy' - lean meats smothered in cheese, bacon, and/or fatty sauces. That said, you can get a reasonably healthy meal there by making some modifications."

"The chief downside to Hamburger Mary's is that this smorgasbord cost me over $20! Way too expensive for one person, even with the extra side (and no drink!). I'd suggest paying them a visit for a change of pace, but there are definitely better - and cheaper - places to get a bison burger. Without the Ostrich, Hamburger Mary's just isn't the place to "Live and Diet in L.A."

Great info Andrew, thanks!

For those of you who would like to attempt to make your own healthy bison burgers, the Hollywood Farmer's Market sells great lean ground grass-fed bison meat. Stop by on Sundays between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. at the intersection of Ivar and Selma.