Dallas' Drag Queen Burger Spot Has Closed

Hamburger Mary's in Dallas has closed. The independently owned chain was known for drag shows, lively events, upscale bar fare, and strong connections to the LGBTQ+ community.

The Dallas restaurant opened in 2023 in the Cedar Springs neighborhood, in the height of the great drag-queen inquisition. The politics simmered down a bit, but not so much those queens. 

Dallas Voice broke the news of the closure on Monday and spoke to co-owner Donald Smith, who took ownership of the venue early this year. Smith told Dallas Voice they "tried to make it work, but just couldn't."

Hamburger Mary's started in 1972 in San Francisco and became known as "an open-air bar for open-minded people." Big burgers were served alongside over-the-top divas. HamBingo Mary's and MaryOke-Karaoke became signature events.

There are now nine Hamburger Mary's restaurants across the country.

Interestingly, according to social media, Hamburger Mary's was selling out their Queeriosity Dating Game Show and brunch just two weeks ago.

Lee Daugherty, who owns the nearby Alexandre's (a top 100 bar) posted on Facebook that the owners of Hamburger Mary's did a decent job getting business to the place, but were up against a complicated and expensive lease.

"The property is/has been in litigation so no one has leases," Daugherty explained on a post. "When the new Wall Street based fund took over they jacked retail rents up $6-7k a month in what's probably a move to push everyone out."

Daugherty says that there are four vacancies in the building right now with no listings.

Empty spaces and buildings are bad for neighborhoods, so here's hoping that gets sorted out sooner rather than later.