Dempsey’s Burger Pub
623 Vermont St, Lawrence, KS, 66044
Dempsey’s Burger Pub Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Lawrence for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Lawrence for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Lawrence for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
623 Vermont St
Lawrence, KS, 66044 - Phone (785) 856-5460
- Website https://www.dempseyslawrence.com/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 2:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Street
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : No
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Loud
Music : Juke Box
Good For Dancing : No
Alcohol : Full Bar
Happy Hour : Yes
Best Nights : Tue, Thu, Sat
Coat Check : No
Smoking : No
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : Free
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Drive-Thru : No
Caters : No
Categories
Burgers
Burger or Hamburger is savored as the most desired fast food meal in the United States. A hamburger is basically a sandwich prepared by stuffing ground meat patty, generally beef, between two slices of a bun cut in half. Hamburger is also famous for its seasoning. Most popular condiments used in hamburgers in the United States are mustard, mayonnaise, and ketchup. Besides ground meat patty, hamburgers are also stuffed with lettuce, onions, tomato slices, pickles, and cheese.
Hamburgers are also categorized into two types in the United States. Fast food hamburger and individual hamburgers served at restaurants are two basic types of burgers served in the United States. The individual hamburgers served at restaurants are prepared using everything including lettuce, onion, tomato, and sliced pickles as well as melted cheese on the patty or crumbled on top. American restaurants also serve veggie burgers for those who don't relish meat. Cheeseburgers are also hot favorite in the United States.
McDonalds is the most popular fast food burger restaurant serving different types of burgers in the United States. On the other hand, there are several restaurants such as Burger King are famous for serving the best hamburgers in the United States. Most burger restaurants in the United States often serve hamburgers with French fries and other condiments. If you have a liking for burgers in the United States, then you won't be disappointed. You can easily find the best burger restaurants in your city on our Restaurants Listings directory. Check the reviews and ratings of the top burger restaurants and savor yourself with the best hamburger in the city.
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Reed N.
All I can say is wow wow wow! The burgers here are ridiculous in all the right ways. Cooked properly to order. Tender. Seasoned. Brioche buns that melt in your mouth. I had the Picante Burger. The pepperjack cheese had melted in nicely. The puree of peppers was rich, earthy, and had a late spice to it. The fresh jalapeños added a lot of vegetable flavor and pop (I was sweating a bit!). The banana peppers added acidity and flavor. Genius! The fire fries are among the best I have eaten. Red pepper flakes from the chili garlic oil are visible, and the crispy spuds do light up your tongue over time! The best thing about these slightly spicy fries is they go with just about all the dippers. The place was busy for a women's world cup soccer match, but our server was a sweet pea. She all over the place and handled us like a pro. :-)
(5)Laurel C.
These burgers and fries are among the best in town and the price is right. The sliders were 4 for $8 and my standard burger with cheddar was 8. Fries are 2 for a side and 4 for a basket. A side is a lot of fries. We had regular fries and sweet potato fries. They give you the option on sweet potato to have them sweet or salty. They make their own sauces and ketchup. Both the garlic aoli (which I put on my burger) and the ketchup were so delicious. Our burgers were perfectly medium well. The bun is very soft and slightly buttery. We've been in Lawrence 8 months and finally tried this place. Should have done it sooner. We'll be back. (This place and Burger Stand could be twins food wise.) Dempsey's is smaller and a little harder to find when you drive by. The trees are blocking the sign and front.)
(5)Jeanette S.
Ok it's kind of a dive but HELLO! Amazing burgers! Our table ordered bleu burger, smoked stacked, and salmon burger. All delicious! We had 2 different sides of fries with sauces and they did NOT disappoint. Truffle cream was to die for! Only disappointment was that our draft beers were warm. Our waitress Mackenzie compensated us w a discount on our bill. Score! She was very attentive and friendly. Much appreciated!!!
(4)Victoria B.
Food was great. Yummy burgers and fries. The truffle fries were great. Terrible service. We had to wait forever for our drinks to be refilled and the place was not busy. The dirty restrooms were horrible. It was 3pm in the afternoon....unacceptable.
(3)Stephanie H.
We all had great burgers and we shared a large basket of fresh cut fries. We were able to try all the dipping sauces and ALL were awesome. Great service too!
(4)Alisa S.
Hubs and I decided to stop by here after a KU basketball game because I was craving a burger. It was pretty busy on a Saturday afternoon but we managed to get seats at the bar. I had the Hot Hawaiian Kobe Burger and he had the Smoked Stacked Burger. We also ordered Truffle Fries. My burger was cooked perfectly and it was juicy and messy to eat but I enjoyed it. My husband liked his burger, too. The fries were a little burnt but they were salvaged by the dipping sauces. The garlic aioli sauce is bomb!
(4)Sam A.
Ate for the first time at Dempsey's last night. I was impressed. The bar is a great venue...just what every town needs. Great atmosphere and very good burgers/fries. I found out about Dempsey's because I asked people familiar with Lawrence about the best burgers in Lawrence. Every person put Dempsey's and The Burger Stan I even got some of the divergent history between the two joints. Could be true, could be lore...so in this review I am going to compare the two after writing about my experience last night. I wanted to watch some college basketball. Dempsey's is good for that. Get there early and you will have a great seat to watch the game. They have lots of TVs. I got there a little late. There were tables open but they did not have visibility to TVs. If they added two TVs or moved a couple, all seats would have perfect view. Time to order my burger. This place is a dive bar. A clean one but a dive bar. Dozens of beers to choose from. A nice bourbon list. When I looked at my menu for the first time I was a bit confused by the menu. In a dive bar I normally would not expect to see ingredients on the burgers such as 'micro arugula' or 'onion confiture' or menu items such as a Quinoa Burger. It seems to have a bit of a bi-polar personality. I ordered the blue cheese burger and added a side of mustard and pickles. Wow...it was really good. The burger was perfectly cooked and mildly seasoned. The blue cheese was strong and wonderful. The onion confiture was sweet and crunchy. Just delicious. The bun seemed to be a day or two old. I got the fire fries. They were good. Not horribly spicy. Not bland either. I got a side which was more than ample. I eat a lot and I left some of the fries. They had too a number of sauces they brought with the fries. All very good. If I wanted more sauce, I am certain the waitress would have brought me more. I will write a separate review on The Burger Stand on their page but here is my comparison between the two... Atmosphere: D: 90, BS 75 Burgers: D:90, BS 95 Fries: D:85, BS 95 If you spend time in Lawrence you need to try this joint out. You will not be sad or hungry leaving.
(4)Mackenzie C.
Dempsey's is a fun environment and they have great food. The Kobe beef sliders are to die for - I could eat about a hundred of them. The only reason they don't earn five stars from me is that they are a bit pricey for a burger joint, in my opinion. But the service is good, and they make everyone feel at home. I've only been there twice but I still feel like part of the family.
(4)Michael T.
This place gives a different experience than the rival burger joint down the street. Because it's a Pub, the drink specials are better and the game day atmosphere is also better. People gather here to watch anything from KU Basketball to Sporting KC to Game of Thrones. My first experience here was watching KU take down North Carolina to advance to the Final Four in 2012. Despite being swamped, the staff were making sure their tables were taken care of. Needless to say, I continued to go back. The Kobe Burgers are amazing and the options for sauces are also excellent. The fries are not the best in town but I still order them anyway! The real edge here is the Half-price menu for students. It's Tuesday night? Go to Dempsey's! There's a Final Four game? Go to Dempsey's! I have nothing else to do? Why not go to Dempsey's!
(5)Liz J.
their fries are dry and their burgers are complicated. I prefer bstand any day but I've had some good times at dempseys. good job.
(5)Chris S.
Deliciously Greasy Burgers, Cold Beer ... And Air ... Yummy Truffle Fries - Must Be Dempsey's! I was a bit reluctant to try Dempsey's after reading recent reviews by my Elite '14 brothers and sisters in Lawrence, Kansas saying that "things have gone downhill" and that the burgers are "greasy", but heck ... don't burgers and grease go hand-in-hand? I am sure glad we gave 'em a shot! Don't want to gross you out, but in preparation for two scopes being inserted into my body, one in each end so to speak, two days later and the inevitable PREPeration (H), I knew I would not have a decent meal for at least 36 hours, so a big greasy burger and basket of truffle fries sounded pretty darn good! The place is a local haunt for KU (college basketball powerhouse University of Kansas) students and this particular Tuesday night in Lawrence was no exception. With about half of their burgers being offered at half-price ($4-$5 a pop) to students, I know why they were busy. But a pub with just 5 or 6 draughts available on-tap was a bit unusual. I ordered an O'Dell (not O'Doules) IPA and at $4.50 for a British-size pint it was a good value with a strong, rich, hoppy flavor as all good IPAs do. We decided on a Mushroom, Bacon, and Swiss burger ($9), a House Burger with Bacon and Cheddar ($8.50), and a basket of Truffle Fries ($4). The fries were plentiful and awesome! Lightly salted, the hand cut fries were sprinkled with Parmesan (parmigiana in the old country) cheese, parsley, and accompanied by no less than 6 different sauces (catsup, spicy mustard, old bay and tomato coulis aioli, sweet chili aioli, truffle cream, and roasted garlic aioli ... all made from scratch). We barely made a notch in the basket, taking half home for my wife to eat the next night while I fasted in prep for the next morning's procedure under the influence of "Milk of Amnesia". As usual, on my first visit to this and many other restaurants, I ordered the simplest burger on the menu, the "House" cheeseburger ($7.50) medium-well with cheddar cheese, a big piece of butter lettuce, two thick slices of tomato, homemade dill pickle, and both grilled white (as I had asked) and raw red onion. I added bacon for an extra buck, well cooked but not too crispy. The bun was nicely toasted, looking like a "pretzel" bun even though that was not the way it was described on the menu. The burger was in-fact greasy, but perfectly so, thick, and cooked just as I had ordered it. The bun was in a bit of disarray by the time I finished, but held together until the last bite, keeping my hands relatively clean although I did go through about 20 of the rather thin napkins supplied on the table. The Bacon Mushroom Swiss Burger ($9) comes with sauteed shitake and portabello mushrooms, Gruyere and Swiss cheeses, and Applewood bacon on a toasted pretzel bun. Unfortunately, on this particular night at least, the bun was not toasted and, in-fact, was slightly cold to the touch. The burger was delicious nonetheless, an 8 ounce patty cooked to perfection with melted cheese oozing out of the side of the bun. The service was very good, especially considering the large, energetic crown consuming burgers along with mass quantities of beer. The place is a bit of a dive, plain with lots of rough wood and glass, making the room rather chilly, particularly next to the window on a cold winter night where we needed to keep our coats on during our meal. Who knows, maybe KU research indicates that beer consumption is inversely proportionate to the temperature of the room? CombatCritic Gives Dempsey's Burger Pub A Solid 7 Bombs Out of 10 ... BOMBS ARE GOOD!
(4)Janie N.
Best salmon burger I have ever had! Truffle fries were an excellent side! Ambience was bar noisy with kids having a good time.
(5)Lizzy L.
I came here Sunday noon and absolutely will be back for their truffle fries! We had wonderful service and were quickly seated. Me being clumsy dumped my entire glass of water into my friend's lap by accident....and the waitress was very helpful (and I did not feel judged for being a klutz...hah!) and brought out towels to clean up my mess. The servings were ginormous and I brought half my burger home with me because I couldn't finish it. It was still delicious. We both ordered the bacon mushroom swiss burger in a pretzel bun with a regular order of truffle fries. The fries came with 4 dipping sauces and I loved all of them, especially the garlic aioli one. They were crispy and just right and so so well flavored. The bacon mushroom swiss burger ---amaaaazing. My burger was cooked just right and the melted cheese, crispy savory bacon, and buttery mushroom were a perfect combo. Best of all it's located in downtown Lawrence and we could easily go shopping afterwards to walk off some serious food coma!
(4)Jordan H.
The food was over-priced, but at least the service was terrible. I ventured here to watch a soccer match. I realized that I wasn't going to get a table, but not because it was crowded. They just don't have that many booths. I asked the waitresses to turn on the game three times, only to find out that the bartender was refusing because he wanted to watch the Royals. After some arguing, with the bartender, who was technically working, I was able to get them to put the game on. It was across the bar where I couldn't see. I switched tables, so I could see the game. The waitresses' service was borderline contemptuous, with a quarter of an hour passing before anyone asked if I'd like another pint, or if I was doing alright. I would have let all this slide, because perhaps the bartender was such a royals fan he forgot he was at work, serving people. But the burgers here cost 10 dollars at minimum. And the beer isn't even interesting, just regular domestic and imported on tap. Nothing special or new. I ordered the bleu cheese burger, which is one of my favorite burgers, and they put sugar on the fries, and few bleu cheese crumbles. The fries' sauces were a lazy attempt at Belgian frites-style condiments, and one of then tasted gross, the red one, like sweet candy on fries with snot. How hard is it to mix a few spices with mayonnaise or hollandaise sauce? I just don't want people to go here and have such a rotten experience like I did. I worked hard all day, looking forward to the match, only to have it spoiled.
(1)Kevin O.
I have been here before and the food has always been descent. Tonight I had a cheeseburger that was supposed to be medium but ended up being raw. When I brought this to the waitstaffs attention she just said that medium is variable among the cooks. Nothing was done to fix the problem and when we were about to leave the waitress admitted that the burger was raw and to let her know sooner next time if there was a problem.
(1)H C.
Best burgers in town! Love the fries and dipping sauces. Good veggie burgers too. I always eat too much...but I guess that's not their fault.
(5)Tammy P.
I have been here a few times prior, but my last experience was just terrible. We arrive mid Afternoon, a little after 3pm. No one else is in the building except for the few people chatting at the bar, and us. The sign says "Please seat yourself" at the entrance so we grab menus and a booth. We sit for about 15 minutes. A server comes out of the kitchen and starts cleaning/bussing tables, not even acknowledging us. The people at the bar didn't even care that we had been waiting. After flagging down the waitress, who seemed to be annoyed and uninterested, we ordered our meals. 2 burgers and a basket of fries, pretty simple. Another 20 minutes go by and our food finally comes. Fries were somewhat cold and hard. One of the burgers wasn't cooked all the way through so at that point we were about to call it quits and just walk out, we even had to ask for water once our food came too. She didn't even bother to check back on us after our food was delivered or really seem to care when we pointed out that one of the burgers was a bit on the rare side. Such a waste of $30. Needless to say, I will be taking my business to Burger Stand and hope to never come back to this place again.
(1)Scott T.
Burgers and beer... a simple match made in heaven. The former owners are neighbors and friends so now that they've moved on the the Burger Stand near 8th and Mass. I'm happy to express my appreciation of a stop here for a dynamic duo of gut stuffing wonderfulness. When I'm feeling like some comfort food and a proper over-the-top caloric experience I know I can count on Dempsey's to deliver. FInding the quality just fine post-Krause... the fries an evil necessity and a good selection of beers on tap to keep me happy, particularly the O'Dell's 90 Shilling. The restaurant is appropriately divey, homey, comfortable and relaxing. Count me a fan.
(4)Taylor S.
Consistently my favorite burger place.
(5)A S.
Server liana I think was her name was super sweet. But I wouldn't call this an Irish pub. No Irish food whatsoever. Usually expect potato soup, shepards pie, and lamb stew. None of the above. Just burgers, salad, and fish and chips. The burger we got was over cooked and I could barely eat two bites. Stopped in here from a short stop off of the highway on our way back to Ok.
(2)Frank H.
Terrible service. Sat for 15 mins. With no waitress even checking on us. Two walked by us *twice*. I guess Henry Ts will continue to get my business. Wow, I guess business must be good at Dempsy (place had only a few people in it)
(1)Mia W.
My husband loves this place as they offer a burger with an egg on it. For me, I like the Burger Stand better. Over all the burgers are great, the fries are great and the sauces are really good too. The last couple times we have been there the service was really slow so I gave it four stars. I do wish they offered more beers on tap.
(4)Jerome S.
Great food, great atmosphere, great drinks...just bring back the turkey burger! Now give me truffle fries.
(5)Cassandra A.
This place sorta has a long history for only being open about five years. Needless to say they have worked out their kinks, their menu, their chefs, and have become a solid burger joint/pub to enjoy. They have the best sweet potato fries in town and for a better deals than the burger stand at the cashbah offers. The sliders are good and I personally prefer the classic burger. The chipotle ketchup is the best. The seating has more to be desired. They do have a great outdoor patio in the back for warmer days. Service is not perfect, but I will say this: tonight my fries were burnt and we told our waiter this. Not only was our order replaced but she took it off the tab. This is the first time a restaurant has not made me pay mess up on their part. Thank you dempseys! Tuesday is half price burgers for students - that made this grad student exceedingly happy. Tonight I had the best experience I had since they first opened in 2008 and I'm ecstatic. Thanks dempseys! Looking forward to even better days to come.
(4)Big Baby Jesus C.
It's not fucking rocket science who makes the best burger here between this place and burger stand--clearly it's this place. Only thing preventing me from giving them 5 stars is all of the dipping sauces for the fries were wack. I suggest smuggling in a bottle of Heinz.
(4)Graham S.
A haiku review: Damn tasty burgers And really good beers for cheap This place is awesome
(4)Chelsea B.
I grew up in Lawrence but I moved before Dempsey's opened. I'm in town for a few weeks and just had lunch here with a few coworkers. First, 1/2 off for students on Tuesdays. I love student discounts, but you don't usually see a student discount for more than 10% . Half off?!!?? OK!! The food was great, too. My coworkers and I have already decided that we'll be doing lunch here every Tuesday for the rest of summer. The truffle fries are fantastic (but it's pretty hard to mess up truffle anything), and so was my house burger. I love establishments that support local farmers and use local ingredients. However, the true test will be their veggie burgers. I was eyeing both the portobello and quinoa patty burger before I settled with the house burger, but I'm going to give both a try before the summer is up!
(4)Gaz H.
I like the place; the kitchen tries. Servers are friendly. Just a few problems keep this place from really shining (1) menu is a bit limited (2) the burgers are good, they just aren't _that_ good, and (3) the Burger Stand is just a few short blocks away and it's much better and that fact can never be too far from one's mind. I haven't tried the wings.
(3)Ryan H.
Best burger places in Lawrence. During my years at KU, I have made numerous stops here. It use to serve whole wings but since I graduated, I haven't been back in a year or so. I recently dinned and they went traditional with the wings serving them in smaller and separate pieces. Burger salad rocks as well as their egg burger. Their sweet potato fries are a little weak. All in all it's a great affordable place in Lawrence that serves great burger and wings. I think they have 3 dollar draws in their happy hour.
(4)Chris M.
I don't know yet how their food tastes. I ordered a cheeseburger and about 15 minutes later an order was physically set at the end of the bar, where all orders would be placed for pickup. I thought about asking if it was my burger, but why is that my responsibility? 15 minutes later, when the staff got off their phones long enough to realize there was a stray burger on their bar, I tell them that it may be mine. They remake the burger. I'm a student and didn't have much time. So even though they remade the burger, it was still another 15 minutes until I was able to eat it as I had to walk home. And they charged me for everything...in case you were wondering. This isn't just a Dempsey's problem, it's a Lawrence one. Customer service doesn't exist.
(1)Sarah S.
In my mind (and for a lot of others, too) Lawrence is a Two Burger Town. Sure, there are plenty of pretty good chain options out there as well (I'm looking at you, Five Guys), but there are two places in town to go if you want to try a Lawrence burger: Burger Stand and Dempsey's. Funny, because Burger Stand essentially branched off from Dempsey's, and their menus share more than a few similarities. But I digress. Having consumed more than my fair share of burgers at both places, Dempsey's is the winner for me. Here's why: 1. Better, more consistent burgers. I've had a couple of burgers at the Burger Stand that were less-than inspiring. I've never had that problem at Dempsey's. I usually stick with the House Kobe Burger, and it is drool-inducing. The meat is perfectly cooked, the toppings complement, rather than overwhelm the meat, and the bun holds its own. I also really like the Falafel Burger as well, and it's heartening to me when I find a place that does both a meat burger and a veggie burger to near perfection. My fiance has branched out a bit more, so altogether, we've probably tried about half of the menu and enjoyed all of it. 2. Better beer selection. Dempsey's is really underrated in this department. They always have a number of interesting choices on draft, including my old stand-by, Tank 7, as well as a fairly diverse bottle menu. Nothing that will blow your mind, but diversity is the key, and they also do a good job of mixing up the styles on draft. Prices are pretty comparable to what you'd pay anywhere else in town, though they do have daily drink specials. I know the Burger Stand now has their basement beer hall, but I'm not factoring it into this review because it seems almost separate from the dining side of their restaurant. 3. Better ambiance. I prefer the sports pub environment of Dempsey's, even though seating is sometimes hard to come by and it can get a bit noisy. They show a lot of soccer games at what I think is the perfect volume level - loud enough to know what's going on, but soft enough to let you hear your dining partners - and that is a major plus in my book. It's the kind of place where you feel like you can hang out for a while, watch the game, and people watch. The only knock against Dempsey's is their service. Every time we've gone in, we've been served by distracted/grumpy looking 20-something servers. We've never had overtly friendly or prompt service, and that's over a span of a couple years. To be honest though, most establishments in Lawrence seem to suffer from this problem, and I think it's probably just a college town syndrome. I'm willing to overlook this when I want my burger fix, and when I'm craving a good burger, Dempsey's is always at the top of the list.
(4)J B.
We have probably eaten our last meal at Dempsey's in Lawrence. Sadly the past three times we have been there the service has been terrible. Arrived 2 hours before the KU/OU basketball game last Monday. We knew it would be busy but thought we would have plenty of time to get a burger and fries. Our waitress was overwhelmed, was rarely seen and seemed unconcerned with her level of service. The table behind us left angry. We were a party of 7. Six of our meals finally arrived but the 7th person didn't get their food. This went unacknowledged for quite awhile until a member of our party made their way up to the bar to inquire. We were told "oh, I guess we are out of that". The person at our table then just ordered the House burger. It was not even rushed through. The rest of us had been finished eating for awhile when the House burger finally arrived. At this point it was so late the burger had to be boxed up and eaten in the car so we could make it into the game on time. And, it was mediocre at best. He only ate 1/2 and threw the rest in the trash. Very disappointing.
(1)Brian P.
Best burgers I have found in town, by far. Fries are kinda hit and miss, really good when they're good, had em kinda limp and wimpy on last visit....is a must hit when in town though.
(4)Amy V.
First of all, 1/2 burgers for students on Tuesdays. What the heck. Everything is good here. Fries, burgers? Yum.
(5)Holly G.
Dempsey's was average. First, the only table open was a booth by the door (during the winter) in which the light was out. I could barely read the menu in the dark! Had to use my phone. Our waitress was sub par, inattentive and lacked knowledge of the menu. I ordered an Irish coffee and she said "Oh I didn't know we had that!", which doesn't scream confidence. My boyfriend had to order 3 different beers before settling for a Blue Moon because they were out of so many beers. He was very disappointed because he was looking forward to trying something new! Also, our waitress couldn't tell us which ones they were out of, he would order, she would then come back in 5 minutes to say they didn't have it, only to try again and get the same results. I had the Kobe burger which was very delicious but the fries, what a disappointment! They were ROCK hard and cold. Overall, average, nothing special.
(2)Laura H.
I used to love you, Dempsey's. I loved your cute brick exterior, your cozy interior, your charming chalkboard. I even stood by you when you served me the nearly-impossible to eat quinoa burger. I thought, "hey, this tastes so good that I don't even mind all the extra work!" But then you made me sick. I ate your portabello burger and it was delicious until it wasn't anymore because I found myself on the bathroom floor wanting to DIE. Even typing this review is making me sad because I feel so betrayed by you. Maybe you can earn my trust back one day, but for now, even the thought of portabello mushrooms makes me nauseous.
(2)Jason Y.
In the past, Dempsey's was worthy of 4 stars in my opinion. Last few times visiting, I've noticed some red flags. First off, it may be time for a good cleaning and sprucing up of the joint. Starting to get a dirty musty smell when you walk in. Gone is the aroma of grilled burgers the last couple times. The other day I visited for early dinner around 3pm and only two other couples in Dempsey's. Therefore, why were the tables still dirty and in fact.........the table I was seated at was crawling with ants. This was the table next to the juke box machine and no excuse what-so-ever for this to occur. Here's the real kicker; the waitress moved me one table over and not once did anyone wipe that table down before the next guests were seated at that very table. Unreal!! Bathrooms have seen better days. Pool table area is really beat up. The booths are all starting to fall apart and peel. Let me put it bluntly, "Clean the damn restaurant"! OK, now that the rant about the appearances and the cleanliness of Dempsey's is out of the way, on to the food. I ordered the 1lb garlic chicken wings for an appetizer and was brought the hot wings instead. I let it go and didn't say a word. The wings were not that good on the recent visit either. Rubbery and just not very tasty. Again, no biggie as my main reason for eating at Dempsey's are the burgers. I went with the Kobe burger and truffle fries. I still think their truffle fries are the BEST in the city. Love, and I mean LOVE their orangish colored spicy sauce for the fries and burgers. Really good stuff. The burger, bun, and toppings were excellent as always. I'm not a huge burger eater, especially after all the "pink slim" attention the past few years. But I can tolerate a Dempsey's, Burger Stand, Culvers, Henry T, Five Guys type burger on occasion. Towards the end of my burger, I just wasn't feeling it. For some reason, it was starting to present the texture of a frozen beef patty. I know everyone claims "Kobe" burgers are the top grade and never frozen variety. Well, I'm starting to doubt if Dempsey's has fresh Kobe or frozen Kobe beef. All in all, not a bad meal. Waitress was very nice and did a great job. I not a huge service guy that nit picks waiters and waitresses to death. In the end, there are certain things to be had with Dempsey's vs Burger Stand and vice versa. Both decent choices in Lawrence Kansas.
(3)Andrew K.
Solid burger, good drinks. I liked getting a nice pour of really delicious Irish whiskey for just $5. My friends and I enjoyed the patio immensely. Our large group was well taken care of. It's easy to see why this place is an institution. I'd have to visit again to make more of an informed pronouncement on the place, but our experience was positive. If you're in the mood for burgers & drinks and you're wondering if you should go here, the answer is almost certainly yes.
(4)Nick S.
Since the Burger Stand shoved off to be their own business, Dempsey's has continued selling gourmet burgers and fries. Honestly, the best part about the place is the insanely large beer selection, which the folks running the place know about. They can tell you what an Imperial stout is, they're willing to turn you onto new stuff, and they have a regularly-changing selection of seasonals. The burgers are great - juicy, cooked to order, and tasty as anything. The basic house burger and fries go together wonderfully. Great layout, friendly bartenders, and a nice, sunny, environment. In terms of bar and grills in Lawrence, it's about the most enjoyable joint around.
(4)John G.
On paper, this place sounds great. Truffle fries, grass-fed beef, Kobe, lots of high quality fresh ingredients, they even take the completely superfluous step of making their own ketchup and mustard. Sounds like a great place for some serious, gourmet burgers. Well, unfortunately Dempsey's doesn't live up to its potential. To start with, the meat itself is good. I don't think anyone would argue that. But it lacked that rich, hefty beefy flavor that the grass-fed stuff usually has. I don't know if this was a result of being a bit overly charred (despite it's being cooked relatively to order) or what, but behind that carbonish taste there isn't much beef taste. Politically and environmentally, I appreciate the commitment to local ingredients, but from an Epicurean perspective, I couldn't really taste the difference. Add to that the fact that my Egg Burger came with an overcooked fried egg instead of an over-easy egg, and I was a bit disappointed. For the price, I was expecting a delicious patty dripping with runny egg yolk and what I got was a pretty average burger. On the other hand, the produce of the burgers was all very fresh and top-notch. The much lauded truffle fries were a letdown as well. They were greasy to the point of being soggy and, as another reviewer points out, they did not taste anything like truffles. Instead, they were bogged down with the flavor of too much grease, too much garlic, and too much parmesan cheese. The homemade mustard and homemade ketchup they came with tasted identical to the bottled stuff (though with a slightly different texture) and the alleged truffle cream sauce tasted about as much like truffles as the burger did. That is, not at all. I'm a sucker for a good burger. Hell, I'm a sucker for a mediocre burger. But it really annoys me when I overpay for the latter just because it happens to use local ingredients. I could forgive the place if the prices were about 50% lower, but as it is, Dempsey's fails to warrant the price.
(3)Katie L.
Even on graduation weekend in Lawrence, Dempsey's offered great service and food. I don't think my fiance and I could have chosen a better place to have dinner together on that particular busy weekend! Because we had never been there together we decided to share a pound of their garlic wings, Smoked Stack Burger with a side of truffle fries. Let me just say my fiance INHALED his half of the burger and immediately regretted sharing half with me. I savored it, loved every bite. The truffle fries were good as well, but not quite as flavorful as we had expected. I think we had heard in the past that Dempsey's was once owned by the chef who got The Burger Stand going.... Could be wrong, but it was that type of truffle fries that we expected -- Nevertheless, these truffle fries were good, just different. Our waiter was very helpful in choosing the selection of sauces to dip our fries in. The chile sauce and aioli butter were our favorites. The wings are also something definitely to rave about. They were SO. GOOD. They still had a bit of heat to them that was tamed by their delicious blue cheese dressing. Point blank, we will be returning again and again!! :)
(4)Zach G.
Ho-hum...nothing exciting here. I tried it in the past and thought it was OK, but decide to give it another try...nothing different, really. The service is OK, but not very friendly. Not rude by any means, but you sort of get the feeling that the staff would be happier doing...just about anything else. They get the job done efficiently enough, but don't create the most welcoming of atmospheres. So, on to the food itself - it's an average burger, honestly. I had the Smoked Stack burger, which had smoked bacon, swiss cheese, bbq sauce and lettuce. The meat wasn't anything special, nor was the bacon. The BBQ sauce (house made, supposedly) was enjoyable, but on the sweet side. The bun was tasty. I also got a side of truffle fries which tasted...more or less like most other fries. A bit better, but not quite enough to justify the price in my mind. It's a fine place, but not terribly special. I won't be rushing back, but I won't say no to going back if I am in a group that decides to head here.
(3)Brandy R.
Great burgers and truffle fries!
(4)Stephanie C.
My husband and I came here on a Sunday afternoon. The place has a really nice vibe with the exposed brick, no nonsense booths, and retro Guiness posters. Our waitress was very friendly and helpful, really great service! She even grabbed the recipe for the ketchup when I couldn't figure out what was in it (seriously, you have to try it and give it a guess!). So for the burgers...greasy, savory goodness. My husband got the bleu cheese burger, and I got the swiss and mushroom one. Both were cooked perfectly and were SO good. We got sides of regular and fire fries and we were in heaven. This will definitely be a regular place we go when we need a burger fix.
(4)Alicia R.
I love a good burger and Depsey's always delivers. Their Bleu Burger with it's onion sauce is great. They also make a good quinoa patty for the non-carnivores out there (and their salads are great as well, with a nice vinaigrette). The truth is, I go for the fries....the sweet potato fries that you can get "salty" or "sweet," with just a hint of sugar and cinnamon. They are out of this world and you get a nice-sized portion when you order them as a side (the truth is that I always order a basket and always finish them off, even if it means eating only half the burger. They have great drink specials and a nice patio.
(5)Sarah Z.
For a burger place, I absolutely love this one! Burgers are interesting and gourmet, fries are awesome, staff is friendly, atmosphere is great. A favorite place for my group of friends. The Picante Burger is very spicy and very tasty. I always get truffle fries!
(5)Brian M.
I am always down for some round ground round and after the great bruger divorce of last year I had made the "other burger joint" my usual. However after one lackluster and one piss poor performace up on Mass St. I wandered back into Dempsy's and was welcomed like the prodigal son. I have munched on the bleu and the au poive of late and really appreciated the simplicity of tastes that they provide. Yup they might not be the gastro-burger concoctions found a few blocks south, but they are solid, hearty, and pretty unpretentious. Oh yeah, great beer selection and most importantnly a staff whose beer knowledge is a little wide than 23rd St. to Boulevard Avenue.
(4)Christina M.
The thing that I always say when people ask me what I think of Dempsey's is, "Well, It's NOT the Burger Stand." (A somewhat ironic comparison, given that the Burger Stand used to be housed inside Dempsey's before moving to its new home at The Casbah. And I mean ironic in an Alanis Morissette kind of way, not in the actually ironic irony kind of way.) It probably irks the folks at here to know that they are now in direct competition with the fantastic burger-making chefs that used to pack the house every night back when they were under Dempsey's roof. Being only a couple of blocks away from the new location makes it pretty much inevitable that comparisons are going to happen, and unfortunately they mostly favor The Other One. Don't get me wrong; Dempsey's isn't terrible. They have a couple of burgers that are really pretty tasty. The quinoa burger and the portabella sandwich are both yummy, and tend to be my go-to choices when we eat there. The falafel burger, however, was disappointing. Not inedible, but pretty bland and mushy the one time I ordered it. As for the fries, they're also pretty good. One thing I do like about them, as opposed to the Burger Stand, is that you can order your sweet potato fries sweet or salty. However, the quality of the sweet potato fries just doesn't match up, and the dipping sauces that Dempsey's serves with them pretty much pale in comparison to what you can get down the street to go with your sweet and cinnamony version at the Burger Stand. I end up at Dempsey's about once a week for trivia night. (Wednesdays at nine, folks! See if you have what it takes to beat the Isotopes!) I usually do end up eating there, simply because I know I have several vegetarian options and they're going to be predictably decent. If I really disliked the food here, I'd eat before we go and not bother with their menu. I will say, though, that if there was a choice between playing trivia and eating at Dempsey's or playing and eating at the Burger Stand, there'd be no contest. (Also, a word of warning: Avoid this place like the plague on nights when Sporting Kansas City is playing, unless that's why you're coming here. It'll be full of soccer fans, about as loud as a stadium, and impossible to find seating. We learned this lesson the hard way.)
(3)Alicia R.
I first started coming here when the Burger Stand was here...for awhile I went to Casbah, but I think Dempsey's has returned to being my favorite burger place in town. They don't have duck fat fries anymore, but I think their truffle are better than Casbah (at least some days...it varies), and I like the variety of burgers available. I hope my love doesn't fade over time! The service is usually pretty good. I like the atmosphere, though it's a bit small, so getting a table can sometimes be tricky. They have a small patio out back which I didn't realize existed until recently. What I've tried (all delicious): Sliders - perfect little bites Kobe - good, but I prefer burgers with cheese Wellington - not sure I noticed the foie gras mousse, but it was tasty ...plus specials and others in the past Had a bite of a friend's quinoa, and that was good; another friend loves the Hawaiian (pretzel bun!). I am happy just thinking about it :) They also show soccer matches, if you're looking for a place to watch.
(5)Jennifer H.
I may have to stop going to Dempsey's. twice recently my burgers were much too greasy to eat; bun soaked through. Fries were just as bad.
(2)Joi B.
They had me with the truffle fries (others would argue, "they had me with the duck fat fries, but I prefer duck fat to be on my feathered friends that are, as we speak, wintering in Miami). I know. Most of you are probably gonna ignore my review, because who wants to read a review of a burger joint by a vegetarian? Whatev! The veggie burger is delish, and the aforementioned fries are scrumptious and frites style (you can choose your type of ketchup/mayo for dipping. Mmmmm there is a spicy choice!) The atmosphere is cozy-- a fine place to spend a cold evening, eating food that is gonna stick to your ribs. Drinks are reasonably priced, too. Regarding the "real meat," I was with a group of about 10 meat eating friends and they all couldn't go on enough about how phenomenal these burgers are. So, there!
(4)Tina J.
Had the fried egg burger at Dempsey's last Friday, and I've been craving another one since. I was in Lawrence last weekend with my son. I found this place on yelp and gave it a try. I am really glad I did. The burgers were fantastic---juicy and delicious. I had the truffle fries with garlic aioli. Yum. The atmosphere is great too. The prices were incredible for such high quality food. We're talking gourmet burgers and fries. We both had burgers with fries and I had a cocktail and our final cost was around $27. Great value. The only downside to our visit was the wait time. We waited nearly an hour, but it was worth it!
(4)Sean S.
My sweet lord! What a burger from this place. The size, quality and prices here are amazing! The burgers are big, so big in fact that even people of size have a hard time eating more than one. The fries are crisp and full of taste. The sauces are not watered down and complement the food rather well. The service is great (no having to stand in a twenty minute line) and the beer selection is top notch (3 dollar pints on Wed/Sat...holy spit batman) All of the ingredients are from Kansas (except the kobe..think it is from Iowa) and the atmosphere is really killer (you can take your parents here or get drunk while watching P.U., I mean KU) I didn't want to waste space by slagging the competition but I will say, try Dempseys first, then hit those other inferior places so that you know what you are truly getting (or missing ).
(5)J S.
The burger was not bad, but not as impressive as I heard. The place is super noisy, the service was good.
(3)Mathew B.
They have very poor customer service when dealing with miscalculations on bills. They overcharged my credit card and fought against righting the wrong even with evidence on the receipt, would not give the money back. It was very strange.
(1)Brian C.
Great beer selection and often has on tap what others don't. Burgers are awesome and be sure to ask for a pretzel bun. The spicy fries are amazing and a definite differentiator in this crowded field in Lawrence.
(5)Clarice W.
Nice pub atmosphere: poorly lit, loud, and sort of dingy - all the more reason to enjoy Dempsey's. There are rarely huge crowds here so the atmosphere is low-key, a nice place to just chill. The selection of beer on tap is pretty large for a Lawrence bar, and they carry numerous bottles as well. And, if you're in the mood for munchies, their duck fat and truffle fries are to die for - the perfect complement to a glass of cold beer.
(4)Mike P.
After hearing about this place from everyone in town, I finally decided to check it out. There's no doubt about it, it's a popular joint. We came in early afternoon on Friday and the restaurant was pretty full. One thing I wanted to try were the truffle fries, since I've heard so much about them & it seems like an interesting combination. I also ordered a medium Fire burger. 10 minutes later, our food is at the table. I quickly try the truffle fries. Couple things. 1- They have parmesan cheese sprinkled all over. That's fine, but it made the fries very heavy. 2- I taste no truffle (I'm fairly acquainted with truffles). I don't know if the parmesan completely masked the flavor of the truffle salt, but it was nonexistent. 3 - WOW these fries are GREASY. All fries are greasy, but these are dripping in fat in a bad way. Lightly squeezing these fries cause oil to bubble out in large amounts (perhaps they were cooked at a lower than normal temperature causing them to retain more grease). After eating about a handful I got this very heavy feeling in my stomach from all the grease and cheese. Fire burger was good. Good quality meat. Medium done. Not much to burgers other than using high quality ingredients. Overall, this place is simply OK because the food is expensive. $15 for a medium sized burger and a large portion of inedible fries. The fries are dietary suicide and I wouldn't recommend them (again, it might of been a bad batch). The burgers are good but it's no culinary epiphany. In conclusion - 5 Guys delivers more. While their burger meat is lower grade, their burgers & portions are massive. Nothing beats 15 free toppings, and hand cut fries on the spot for half the price of this place.
(3)Andrew L.
I have been here twice in the last month and found it to be a pretty good place to watch a Kansas basketball game. They have a lot of tv's throughout so you can always keep an eye on the action. The food is on par for a sports bar in my opinion, but their very friendly staff is what I believe puts it over the top. The only thing I dislike about this bar is on Wednesday night they have trivia night, so instead of playing music you have to listen to some "DJ" spouting off some impossibly hard 1970's and 1980's culture questions to college students born in the 1990's.
(4)Matt K.
So I realize after another visit this is different from the Burger Stand and they've moved. Sorry, I was confused -- I'm from out of town. Anyway, these burgers are also delicious and the lunch special is a great deal. I am giving 4 stars here instead of the 5 stars for the Burger Stand because this place isn't the original and does have less fry options. Either way, this is still a great place!
(4)Justin F.
Hands down, the best burger I've ever had. I typically hate reviews that start this way but this place was fantastic. Got to visit this fine establishment for a weekday, rainy day lunch. I ordered the #5 Smoke Burger with smoked gouda, applewood smoked bacon and chipotle-cocoa ketchup. Ordered it medium rare and actually got it medium rare. The perfection of the cooking is probably my biggest compliment for Dempsey's. The smoke burger paired perfectly with an ice-cold 1554. My co-eater ordered the falafel burger topped with pickled cauliflower and other delicious bits and claims it was amazing. It wasn't until afterward that we learned of the Truffle Fries, kinda wish one of us had ordered some. Both of us went with the sweet potato fries, which were good but paled in comparison to the burger. Service was extremely friendly and the lunch crowd was well-behaved. The Kobe burger is still calling my name, but I couldn't talk my friend into going back for dinner, so it will have to wait till' another day.
(5)Ty O.
Dempsey's is a great place to meet up with friends and relax for an evening. It can be low key or fairly busy but it seldom feels crowded -- you don't have to worry about being shoulder-to-shoulder with everyone else. There are plenty of tables and barstools around so everyone should fit. There are TVs with various sports stations on and bar games like darts and pool to play. The tap selection is nice and varied and the bottled choices extend that even further (try the San Francisco brewed Anchor Porter for something that's a little less common). The mixed drinks are pretty good as well and reasonably priced. I can't comment on the food, but there is a grill available if you need something the munch on. I really like Dempsey's and it's one of my favorite places to go out to in Lawrence. It's a relaxed atmosphere and an easy place to enjoy your evening. I highly recommend it. Review: 4 stars.
(4)graham v.
This place is awesome. I had the Egg burger with fire fries . It was the best burger I have ever had. Great tap selection , real nice pool tables and soccer on tv I may never leave.
(5)caitlin j.
If you want some great burgers in lawrence, check 'em out. They switch up the menu and also have specials (yesterday the foie fries and free-range veal burger--- free-range veal?? --hitherto thought of as an oxymoron). The Smoke burger with applewood smoked bacon, melted gouda and a savory cocoa-ketchup is fairly fabulous. With fall here, I'd say go for the sweet potato fries. You have to go to the counter to order and they call your name to pick it up but if you're cool enough they'll serve it to you at your seat. Uh-huh...
(4)Lauren F.
A couple words: Giant basket of truffle fries. Eat them. Eat them all, wash it down with a huge Kobe beef burger with deliciously colored toppings (a la purple colored onions & yellow cauliflower) with a side of house-made ketchup! Outdoor and indoor seating, endless beer choices. Dempsey's is hands down the best burger in Lawrence. Yeah, I said it.
(5)Sarah G.
I love, love, love Dempseys. It's a fantastic place with a great lunch special running right now -- $6.99 for a half pound burger, a side of fries or a salad, and a drink! At this price, this place is simply out of this world. I have heard quite a bit about the drama surrounding the Battle of the Burgers here in Lawrence, but I am definitely reaping the benefits of said battle. MMMMM, burgers.... I had a picante burger, and man oh man. I'm pretty sure my eyes rolled completely into the back of my head. My burger was cooked very well, and I was asked how I wanted it cooked, which to me is always a sign of a very nice burger joint. The atmosphere leaves a little to be desired, and man I'm getting tired of these "fastaurant" models. I'm under the gospel that if you're gonna have gourmet food, you should have a restaurant that speaks to it. This whole, order up at the bar and sit down kind of thing really bothers me-- if I wanted fast food, I would have gone to a drivethru. But the food makes this place so so so worth it. And yes, I have been to Casbah. I love Casbah too, and I find both places very tasty-- but only Dempseys has the lunch special right now, putting it at the top of my list for value in Lawrence.
(5)Mitchell N.
For such a dingy looking place, this restaurant shocked me with a friendly staff and gourmet food. The Wellington with egg was my choice and my friend had another awesome selection, the Portabella. The food was excellent (though the fries were grossly shadowed by the burgers) and the service quick and gregarious. The atmosphere seemed lively and I was pleased with the range of options and clear class. The beef was very fresh and the toppings clearly in season and local. I enjoyed it and has become a little diamond in the rough. Will return!
(4)Tonya G.
The grass fed beef burger is the bomb. Okay, we actually only ate the 'Sliders' and the truffle fries... but OMG. I thought this was the best until i went to the buger stand... this is my second choice for best burger ever... too bad is geographically unaccetpable for a more than once a month or to visit.... GO! it is very good.
(4)Diana L.
Finally made it in for the first time tonight and had a great meal. I had the House Burger and regular fries. The spicy mustard and fresh made ketchup that came with it were delicious. Our waitress kindly offered to bring us a sampling of the aiolis. I enjoyed the sweet chili the most, but also liked the truffle sauce, too. My husband had the Bleu Burger and really enjoyed it. The service was very attentive. Great experience. Can't wait to come back and try the much lauded Kobe Burger.
(4)Andrew J.
WOAH! Ok, as a Blanc devotee, I have to say I was rather shocked when the reality met the hype. Whenever I'd brag about Blanc to any of my L-town friends, they'd invariably counter, "Yeah, but have you tried DEMPSEY'S?!" Usually, their eyes would glaze over, and it would appear that their soul would momentarily depart with their body. Well, I'm happy to say that I finally had an opportunity to hop on the 10 and make my way into Lawrence to meet up with a dear friend. When she suggested grabbing lunch at Dempsey's (with that eye-glazing and soul-departing look, I might add), I couldn't have been happier. With a recent frustratingly bad trip to Prairie Village's BRGR still fresh in mind, I was eager to wash that proverbial bad taste out of my proverbial mouth. First, the place is a bar. Pure and simple. No frills, no pretensions. The tiny, tiny counter relegated to the end of the bar, the chalkboard menu and the tiny kitchen tucked around a corner were all incredibly refreshing after Kansas City's many fancy-pants burger joints. The service was incredibly friendly and helpful, and I quickly settled on the Black & Blue (due to a glowing Quick Tip from Tommy K. Thanks again!) and the duckfat fries. My friend and I headed to an open table, and our food arrived a few minutes later. OH MY GAWD. This burger was phenomenal. Dare I say, it was perfect. Beautifully cooked, crispy and seared outside and juicy inside. The creamy salty blue cheese and crunchy sweet apple chutney on top was a heavenly combination. The bun was fantastic as well, holding up well against the cheesy, juicy mess inside. Each and every bite was heaven, and I found myself wondering if I'd found my new favorite burger... The duck fat fries were delicious, though I don't know if I'd choose them again. My heart, you see, was stolen by Dempsey's truffle fries, when I tasted one that my friend had ordered. Pure heaven, drenched in truffle oil. The selection of homemade sauces was a lot of fun, too. The Parmesan-Garlic Aioli was divine, and the Cherry Pepper ketchup was quite good. It had a sweet smokiness that was quite interesting, and a good fit for the flavorful fries we'd ordered. All in all, I was very, very impressed. The prices are very reasonable for the quality of the product, and the simple, easy-going atmosphere is positively refreshing. If you find yourself in Lawrence and are hankering for a good burger, there's really no question. If you're in Kansas City, heck--it might even be a burger worth roadtrippin' for.
(5)Corey O.
I'd probably give this 3.5 stars, but i'll go ahead and allow the extra half star because the sides are pretty tasty. The burgers are good but they didnt really BLOW me away. Definitely not standard bar burgers though and who doesn't love truffle oil fries? They do gourmet burgers that are above average as far as cooking and ingredients. Would I go back? Yeah. Do I want to go here every week? Nah.
(4)Mnason M.
I got to say they make a great burger! They take your typical hamburger to a new level. Some of their menu reminds me of Blanc's style. When my party went there they had Boulevard's Tank 7 on tap which is one of my all time favorites. That made a nice surprise. I really enjoyed the Kobe burger. Very well prepared and cooked perfectly (just before medium). They make their sauces, such as ketchup and mustard, in-house. The ketchup was a little bit on the sweet side for me but still good. My biggest complaint...this place isn't very good for groups. We had 8 people so we had to split up into different booths. Second complaint was the kids there and fairly loud music. The kids was not their fault but more of the parent's. Those were some loud little ****ards. Thank God our food was ready fast to create a pleasant distraction. That way I didn't hurt some loud beepin' kids in a Irish BAR! Once again this was the parent's fault, but would have made our experience better if the kids were not screaming and running around the whole time. * GREAT food (Burgers and fries) * They had Tank 7 on tap. Yum * Needs more than one or two tables to accommodate larger parties. Careful if your group is bigger than 4 people * Please don't bring your loud kids. This is a bar! * Highly recommended and I will return. I hope to give them 5 stars one day
(4)Jennifer B.
I loved The Burger Stand at Dempsey's. When I heard that the aforementioned Burger Stand was moving to the Casbah, I was skeptical of the decision to open a competing gourmet burger restaurant in its place. Unfortunately, Dempsey's Burger Pub proved that my skepticism was well-warranted. The boy and I decided to give it a shot after some bargain hunting at the Lawrence Public Library book sale. Since it was 12:30 on a Friday, we figured it'd be packed. Wrong. At one point during lunch, we were the only people in the place. In retrospect, this should have been a tip-off. I tried hard to like the food. The truffle fries were passable, but my burger was incredibly overdone and surprisingly bland. The boy got the egg burger, which was salvaged somewhat by the moisture of the egg, but it was still very overdone. I ordered medium, and he ordered medium rare, so it's not like we're fans of overcooked meat. If these burgers cost half as much as the ones at The Burger Stand, this might be a different story. As it was, this meal just made me wish we had walked over to the Casbah.
(3)Meryl C.
This isn't just the best burger in Lawrence, it's the best burger anywhere. Or, at least, anywhere I've ever been. The hard part is deciding which burger to order. The Kobe burger with those delicious little pickled onions? The Fromage burger, smothered in, like, five kinds of cheese? The Black and Blue burger with tart Granny Smith apple chutney? And every time I go in, I think, "I've got to try one of those veggie burgers sometime...." Maybe they need to make a slider sampler platter so I can have them all! And then there are the fries. I think the chili fries are my favorite when they're in season, although the cheesy poutine fries are moan inducing also. The truffle fries are my stand-by however, and their homemade ketchup and garlic aioli make them a treat. Actually, I think I was wrong, the hard part isn't deciding what to order. The hard part is that once you've had a burger from Dempsey's, you will never be satisfied with a burger from somewhere else again!
(5)Chad S.
I'm always in the mood for a good burger - especially when said burger comes with such glowing recommendations. So it's sad to say that my first, and likely last, experience with Dempsey's was not all that I had hoped it would be. We went to Dempsey's on a weekday for lunch. It was about 12:30 and I expected the place to be busier, but maybe its location is too far away from the West Lawrence expansion to entise a larger crowd. We ordered our burgers at the counter, I had the Black & Blue, a burger with blackening spice, Maytag blue cheese and granny smith apple chutney, and Os had the Smoke Burger with applewood smoked bacon, smoked gouda cheese and chipotle-cocoa ketchup. We also ordered a side of the duck fat fries to share. We were both asked, at least twice, if medium was an acceptable doneness for our burgers - it was. Dempsey's decor is typical "Irish Pub" with a large wooden bar, several booths and an abundance of Irish beverage signs throughout. It's not exactly a place that I can see myself spending hours in, but it's decent enough ... now back to the food. Our burgers arrived quickly and the fries were excellent. They were crisp, but not burned, and had just enough salt. I can't say the duck fat flavor was overwhelmingly present, but there were certainly moments when you could taste the extra $2. But the burgers, in both cases, were terribly overcooked. Both were well done instead of medium and, had it not been for the toppings amply placed on each burger, would have been nothing more than dry tasteless charcoaled patties. In the end the fries were a winner and the burgers were forgettable. Even a completely bland, but juicy, patty would have made each of the burgers much more enjoyable. I am glad that I tried Dempsey's because it has been on my list for some time, but now I know that my occassional trips to Lawrence will not include this Vermont Street eatery.
(2)Lydia A.
The burgers are, indeed, very tasty. Best burger in the world? I dunno about that. Best in Lawrence? Possibly. What sells Dempsey's for me is the fact that for a minimal extra fee you can get your burger on a nice little bed of greens instead of a bun. And it's not a bed of iceberg lettuce, or even plain old green leaf. No way. This is a fine little Mesclun dish with some pickled vegetables tossed in. Got gluten-intolerant friends who are tired of the same old boring menu options at other restaurants? Offer to take them to Dempsey's for a burger. I bet it's been a long time since they had an offer like that.
(4)Adam S.
These burgers are possibly the best I've ever had. The fries are really good as well. I would suggest trying the lamb burger as well if you have not.
(5)Diana K.
Great great food!! No frills hamburger eating in the place, but extra frills and thrills in the food. I ate a goat burger it was delicious. Tasted the kobe burgers of my friends and a classic, and they all tasted fantastic. Worth the random trip to Lawrence to go eat it.
(4)Erik W.
The service and drink specials were good. The burgers were not to the level of the Burger Stand and the truffle fries were overcooked.
(3)Deana W.
Let's just get this out of the way for those of you who don't have time to really read the reviews, or the desire, but simply scan them for the high points. Ding, Ding, Ding! We have a winner! 1) The truffle fries are killer. They are everything a french fry should be...salty, crispy, and ridiculously flavorful from the truffle oil. They should sell these by the pail...5 gallon pail that is! I found myself licking my fingers, the basket, and searching around my plate for escapees. Sadly, none could be found. If they had been, they would have been Hoovered up immediately. 2) The sauces! Awesome, Chipotle cocoa ketchup, Parmesan and roasted garlic ailoi, habanero cactus jam...come on...that screams fine dining, and yet it looks like your typical pub, very unassuming. Anyone would be comfortable in here. Bring your Grandma, bring your friends, for crying out loud, bring me. You will forever be known as the guy/gal that knows all the cool places to eat. Be that Guy! 3) Clever burger options. This ain't no Irish pub I ever saw. Watch out Blanc! The Kobe burger, Smoke burger, Fire burger, Fromage burger, Black and Blue burger, and the Classic. They also have 2 vegetarian options: Falafel burger, and the Romesco burger. 4) Groovy toppings: truffle butter, micro-greens, pickled onions, and apple chutney. All of this, and you would think I would give it 5 stars, but alas, they over cooked my burger...1 demerit! I ought to take away a star for the hideous flavored pickle spear on my plate, however, I was really quite enamored with the rest of the meal. I will definitely be back to give them a shot at the title of "Best of my Hamburger Heaven. For now they will just have to be happy with runner up.
(4)Kelsey G.
In the Dempsey's vs The Burger Stand argument, I always vote for Dempsey's. I can give you 6 reasons why (6 for the number of days a week I could eat there...I have to give myself a day off): 1) Their bleu burger is better because it has bacon on it. 2) The truffle fries are better. They just are. Don't question it. 3) The sweet potato fries are available in sweet or salty. Go with sweet. 4) I would promise my first-born child for a bucket of the roasted garlic aioli 5) Burgers are half price on Tuesdays with a student ID. Yes, I know The Burger Stand also does this, but Dempsey's did it first so they get points for being original. 6) It's a good place to watch the game, especially if you're into soccer.
(5)Liz H.
Tried this place on a Tuesday for the half price burger deal, it was ok. I think my general problem is that I love Burger Stand so much. I ordered the falafel burger, and truffle fries. The Fries were good, maybe not quite as good as Burger Stand, but close. The burger was generally unimpressive, bun was better than I expected, the patty was undercooked and squishy in the middle. The yogurt Sauce was much too thin and slid off the burger when I picked it up to eat it. Service was excellent, I would try it again.
(3)Joe W.
Perfect Hamburgers, a little better burgers than The Burger Stand at the Casbah, mush better atmosphere. The hamburgers are large, so I like to order a slider and fries. Good news is...they have table service - makes choosing between the two easy! It is so much easier to just pop in and sit down with a waitress. The new Blue Burger with onion marmalade is awful.
(4)Cammy K.
Pros: Best burger I have ever had. Best fries I have ever eaten (I like the sweet potato fries the very best!). Cons: Terrible crowds. Music is just too damn loud...especially when combined with all the noise from the other patrons...I simply can't hear what my dining companions are saying half the time. Insufficient seating. No table service--not even for drink refills or more beer. You have to go to the bar every. single. time. you want a damn drink. ugh! But, honestly, whatevs.. I will keep coming back and bringing all of my out-of-state guests here because it's the Best Burger I Have Ever Eaten. My guests agree. Also the best sweet potato fries I have ever had! The only time I ran into trouble when bringing guests here was when I was with a group of six adults. We could not find seating at the time to accommodate all of us and ended up going to Free State Brewery instead.
(5)Kay L.
Feels like an out-of-the-way pub, but it's only one block off of the main drag, so it's pretty accessible. Good beer selection & awesome burgers! I had the Bleu burger -- no skimping on the bleu cheese (don't you hate places that give you just a few pitiful crumbs of cheese? This burger had a nice, generous layer of the stuff) and some truly awesome shallot marmalade and thick slices of bacon, which I wasn't expecting... I guess I stopped reading the menu as soon as I saw "bleu cheese," but the bacon made it even more superlative. Sorry to gush, but it really was that good. My friends ordered rare Kobe burgers, and mirable visu, they were actually rare, dark pink & juicy. Gotta love a place that cooks it as rare as requested. We were going to split a basket of fries for three of us, but couldn't decide between truffle vs. sweet potato. Here's a clue, you can order two sides for about the same price, and then everyone can share plenty of both kinds of fry deliciousness. Truly a treat.
(4)j w.
We ate there on a Tuesday for lunch and it was fairly dead. I instantly felt comfortable there, from the friendly staff to the understated bar decor - as someone already mentioned, it's not just random crap on the wall. I especially loved the thick, old scarred tables and the O'Dell's IPA wood carving behind the bar. I had the black n bleu burger and my friend had the smoke burger. Both were fantastic. Mine had an apple chutney mixed in with the blue cheese that was delicious. We both agreed they were as good or better than Blanc. Yeah, I said it. Better than Blanc. I'd have to have the burgers side by side to do a real blind taste test to be sure, but you get the idea. Absolutely in the same category. We got orders of the duck fat-fried and truffle fries. I preferred the cheaper truffle fries, though the duck fat-fried ones were interesting, just a bit too rich to eat many of. Would love to head back some night and try some of the O'Dell's on tap, one of my favorite breweries - right up there with Free State.
(5)Brett P.
Dempseys was so good. The burger was probably one of the best burgers I have had in Lawrence other then the burger stand. Compared to the burger stand though, the bar selection is so much better, stocked with anything from your typical domestics to summit and various types of Boulevard which can be surprisingly hard to find. The wait staff was pretty good, not great but good. Overall great feel of a good pub.
(4)Katherine J.
Lawrence was lacking a great Irish pub (ok, there's the Red Lyon) and Dempsey's is filling the void and quite successfully at that. Provided if you're into great food served in a casual environment. The lentil burger is amazing. I actually had to look last time I was eating it and verify that it wasn't meat because it is so amazing. Very, very tasty. I think vegan people might have a problem here as their buns are not vegan and are probably buttered as well. The sweet potato fries are quite tasty and I enjoy the homemade sauces (not all vegetarian fyi). I have heard a few complaints from people who walked in to find it packed and didn't want to wait for a table...and the fact that the music is loud (well, maybe that was just my mom). However, this is a pub....serving food - so it's take it or leave it. One caveat, don't stop frequenting Local Burger down the street! I still have lots of love for LB and consider their veggie burger very different as well as the atmosphere.
(5)Nick C.
Quite simply the most fantastic, bestest, most awesomest burger and fries you've ever had in your life. A great wooden and brick interior really sells the Irish pub vibe, as do the Jaegermeister-topped pool tables. A chalkboard menu and large wooden bar add to the great feel. Like others have said, the fry selection can't be beat, nor can the amazing range of burgers they packed into a small menu. Something for everybody from the vegetarian to the carnivore. I highly recommend the Smoke Burger, but the Black and Blue is a family staple as well. Their sauces are one of my favorite parts. No highly processed red "ketchup" from a bottle here, things like Chipotle-cocoa ketchup make my tummy yummy every time. The locally grown micro-greens are superb as are every one of their veggies I've tried. One notable exception is the pickles, which seem to be universally admonished by my circle o' compadres. Not dill, they're an odd specimen of sweetness and non-crunchiness. One other minor nitpick, seating is a bit limited and is first come, first serve, so if you go with a party any larger than you and a date, it can be a little bit difficult to find a seat, much less a choice one. If you have a group larger than 4, well, good luck. A little pricey, but this ain't your regular burger. Well worth the extra buck or two.
(5)emily e.
I'm not sure The Burger Stand necessarily needs another rave review, but that's what I have to give. I get the Classic every time. Someday I'll try something new, but it's too perfect - sweet greens, hand made ketchup, delicious bun that absorbs the juices just right and always seasoned well and cooked medium or closely thereabouts. The fries are also great! I get the side with my burger because a basket is better for 3 or more. The regular fries are good as are the truffle fries and the sweet potato fries. I too am a little uncomfortable with duck fat fries no matter how good they might be. The sweet potato fries are pretty rich and I don't need a whole side of them even so I only ordered them once. The counter service is fine - a little tricky when those in line and ordering get in the way of getting my hands on the most delicious burger evar! And who doesn't like the excitement of hearing your name called across the venue when your order is ready :) They've ruined me for other burgers - I only have eyes (and stomach) for Dempsey's burgers now. And the beer is good too!
(5)Grant H.
Best burger joint in Lawrence. Only complaint is they should take out one of the pool tables for more seating.
(5)Jenny B.
I had to go get this burger twice in the same week which shows how great it was!! This place has tried and failed so many times I was a skeptic and it took me until their 1 year anniversary to come up from KC to try it. I thought Kansas City had the best gourmet burger with Blanc so I was shocked when I tried theirs. The Mushroom Burger- Good the goat cheese gets a little lost The Black and Bleu- Amazing combo with the apple and the brioche is amazing The Smoke- Seemed a little generic but best bacon and Gouda combo ever The fries are what put this place above Blanc. I tried the regular, truffle and duck fat. The first time the duck fat were amazing however I was a little disappointed with how soggy they were the second but still delich. The sauces are what make them even more incredible. The mustard, parm and chili sauces were great! But the best is the chipotle ketchup get extra on the side! I will be back and I will be driving 45 minutes just for Dempsey's. Can't wait for their new restaurant coming in March. PS. The bartenders are great and awesome beer and good wine selection. This place isn't going anywhere!
(5)Alex C.
Excellent selection of beer and the best burgers in town. Hands down, one of the better all-around atmospheres and places in Lawrence.
(5)Mark A.
Dempsey's is one of my favorite burger joints in the area. Walking into the place you get the feel of a typical Irish Pub with the simple rustic decor, dark wood, and Guinness advertisements. Today was my third trip there and as before, they delivered. I normally get the Bleu but opted for the Au Poive. I'll probably stick to the Bleu, but still a great burger. From the beef to the bun, everything tastes quality. The sweet potato fries I get salty and they came out fresh and crispy and even the ketchup is tasty. Options for the non meat eaters as well. Good beer selection to wash it down with. Service was swift and the food came out quickly. Parking may sometimes be an issue depending on the time, but found a spot in the lot to the Northwest (around back). For all the competition from the gourmet burger joints, Dempsey's puts out a nice one.
(4)matt s.
effing glorious. whoever makes this place happen deserves a medal. Food. Amazing Food. I went in twice today. Once for a drink and burger at lunch. Then after midnight for margaritas. both pleasant experiences. impressive m/f ratio in the evening, prob more v and p. nice ;)
(5)Just A S.
Thank god for Dempsey's! Hands down, the best burger for a 50 mile radius. I love the laid-back atmosphere and the service is always friendly. I wouldn't mind seeing a bit more enthusiasm from the staff for what an awesome burger they serve up--definitely worthy of beaming pride. Let the guests know that it's an honor to work for this contemporary institution! Enthusiasm and passion carry restaurants a looooooong way. Perhaps more people would make the "long" journey from Mass St to Vermont St. if this key factor werent missing. Don't get me wrong, they get four stars from me, but with that missing ingredient--you may just shoot to the moon Dempsey's!
(4)Chris P.
As you might or might not know, the Krause's have packed up house and moved the Burger Stand to the Casbah, right next to their other establishment, Esquina. In its stead, the owners of Dempsey's have hired another chef to continue on the bar's tradition of hamburger excellence. They've also renamed the place: no longer do we go to Dempsey's Irish Pub--we go to Dempsey's Burger Pub. I really, really want to like the new menu and the new chef. Really, I do. I'm always happy when new local establishments are ... established, and happier when great ones transform themselves. With that said, after visiting the new Dempsey's, I can't give it any more than three stars. The atmosphere is the same: wooden tables, jagermeister pool tables, televisions playing baseball or association football or something else good. The food has changed, though. I ordered the Au Poivre Burger, and my friend ordered the egg burger. We both thought the same thing: the burger was too charred on the outside. While the rest of my burger was all right, the over-charred outside detracted from the burger. Equally importantly, they neglected to ask me (or my friend) a very important burger question: how I liked my burger prepared. If I go to the Burger Stand (or Blanc), I'm asked how I want my burger. Generally (with a few exceptions), I'm a fan of my animal products being cooked only so much as to not make me sick. My burgers end up coming out medium. Dempsey's didn't offer this choice: I got a well-done burger. For a supposedly gourmet burger, this is a deal-breaker. No thanks. The truffle fries are still awesome, though. The truffle cream that they serve with the fries is terribly wonderful. The beer and drink selection looks to be about the same as before. (I had to work soon after lunch, at my place of employment does not appreciate me coming in after drinks.) I do wish that they would take a page from 715 and Esquina and the Burger Stand and Blanc and offer a selection of more premium non-alcoholic beverages. (715 and the Krause establishments offer Dublin, TX Dr. Pepper and Mexican Coca-Cola, amongst other selections. Blanc offers Shatto lemonade and milk, amongst other selections.) Unless I (and the person taking my order) missed something, the non-alcoholic beverage selection at Dempsey's remains soda fountain colas and water. My hope is that Dempsey's can get the kinks worked out of the new burgers. They could turn out fantastic: they just haven't yet.
(3)Jamie K.
The bar has been here for a little while but they just started serving food. They have 5 different burgers plus a Falafel burger. They also have regular fries, truffle fries, sweet potato fries and chili fries. It is all deliciousness. I had the Classic my first time and was extremely satisfied. The man behind the food is the Sous Chef from Krause Dining...so you know it must be good. If I knew someone was going to Lawrence, I would recommend Dempsey's as a quality burger joint. The setup is real simple. You go to the bar to order and they call your name when your food is ready. They have a couple pool tables and two cork dart boards. It's a cool place. Not your run of the mill hangout. It's a little gem that is yet to be discovered. Lots of good Irish beer and whiskey.
(4)Angie D.
Most delicious sweet potato fries I have ever had in my life -- lightly crisped with a hint of sweet potato. I tried the Smoke Burger, which was tasty as well, with bacon and chipotle sauce. This is simply one of the best burgers and fries I have ever tried!
(5)Mims G.
My husband and I were very impressed by Dempsey's reviews so, the burger lovers that we are, were very excited to visit the Irish style pub. OH MY STARS!!!! This was the not only the WORST dinning experience, but the food was HORRIBLE, and our waitress was a a pure NIGHTMARE, to say the least. First and foremost, upon entering an almost empty pub at approx 7:30pm, on Wed night (3/28/12), we waited to be seated (per the posted sign-Please Wait To Be Seated), for over 5mins, as we looked at all the empty seats in the place. Finally, we were seated, and were asked for our drink order. I asked about the dark ales and that's when the trouble started. Our waitress knew nothing about the beer selection, so we just ordered soft drinks. Next, after a 30min wait, our order was presented. The meat in our burgers was not as we ordered - SEVERELY UNDER COOKED! My husband ordered well done, and received medium RARE! The so called Truffle Fries were devoid of taste, cold, and HARD!!! We had to ask for silverware ( only got a knife) and our soft drinks were NEVER refilled. Upon telling our waitress the meat was not cooked to our liking, she acted like it was our fault. We were CHARGED for burgers we didn't eat, and had to pay for our bill at the bar because the waitress never returned to our table, with the soft drink refills, that we had to ask for! We had to go else where to eat, last night! We will N E V E R ever return to Dumbo Dimwitted Dempsey's.
(1)Mike H.
I'm with Corey teetering around that 3.5 mark. The bar and decor are a couple of steps up from your average food-serving bar. I like how the place had a Guinness theme, complete with some cool ads painted on the brick walls, rather than just random crap on the walls. They have a good amount of 4 person tables that were full when we got there so we reluctantly grabbed a very small 3 person table in the middle of the aisle. Sitting in these crammed in tables you're guaranteed to get bumped into and hear "excuse me" about every 3 minutes. Thankfully we upgraded to a real table after someone left. I went the the Classic burger and the truffle fries. There are 6 different burgers on the menu. The ones I can remember are: Classic, Kobe Beef, Black and Bleu, Vegetarian, and some kind of Italian burger. There was also a small piece of paper attached to the menu board offering a fairly pricey Buffalo burger at $12.95. The burger was pretty good. Toasted buns are always nice and the burger was crisp on the outside without being overdone on the inside. The truffle fries are pretty much your standard truffle fries, although a little undercooked. They looked like they had a very good selection of beers and decent drink specials every night, including $3 Guinness on Tuesday. I would definitely like to come back sometime in the evening when I can enjoy a beer with my burger.
(4)Rich Y.
Since The Burger Stand left and got it's own place, the food here really went downhill. They kept the menu essentially the same, but the talent is clearly no longer there. The fries were soggy and the burgers had an odd taste to them. I'd like to say it was just mine, but we had six others dinning as well and they all said the same thing. Maybe they should serve Irish food since it's an Irish pub. Just a thought.
(1)Lucas H.
I have eaten burgers the world over and there is no comparison to the Burger Stand's Burgers (located within Dempsey's Irish Pub). This is fine burger dining at its best. I had the Kobe Burger with Sweet Potato Fries and a pint of Guiness. The combination of homemade roll, fresh spring greens, Sauteed onions, fresh ground Wagyu (Kobe) beef and a ridiculously decadent truffle sauce, made each bite an other-worldly experience. This had to be what CS Lewis envisioned when writing about Turkish Delight. The Sweet Potato fries, ketchup, pickle spears and roll were all hand made and unbelievable! I have been telling everyone I know about it, and got a Yelp! account for the sole purpose of preaching the Burger Stand gospel. If you are ever in Lawrence, or death row and have time for only one meal, this is it. Fully stocked bar, with International Beer and whiskey aplenty. One of Lawrence's hidden gems.
(5)Christina M.
Love this place! But if you have duck fat fries on the menu, you dont have to say much more. These burgers are to die for. I always hope that a lamb burger is on their special, but really there is not a bad burger on their menu. The restuarant itself is a little dingey and has a true "bar" feeling but dont let that fool you. If you are craving a burger, this is the place to go.
(5)Steve V.
Slightly disappointing. Made the drive to buy some Birkenstock at the footprints store and stopped in for late lunch. Truffle fries very good, well seasoned and crispy, truffle sauce made them that much better. Blue burger overcooked and dry, ordered medium, came out MW. Toppings and bun really good. Special was a roasted corn with jalapeno butter and lime, well executed and tasty. Did not live up to all the hype.
(3)A A.
I had a hard time eating my burger and didnt finish it because it tasted very bad, the fries were ok
(2)Meghan F.
The first time I went there I had to defend my food from flies...that was annoying but the burger was creative and good. The flies were a real turn off so I didnt go back for a long time. Then I went back to give it another try tonight and now I'll never go back. It was really busy and it seemed like it was seat yourself since every waitress ignored me even when I made eye contact, waved, and said hi. I found an empty booth that needed to be cleaned and sat down and finally found someone to clean it. Before this girl came over and cleaned it she greeted a family that came in and looked over at our table maybe thinking we were leaving. She came over cleaned it while we sat there then left and came back and told us there was a reserve list and that the family was before us. I asked her what the wait would be and she told me I could find some space at the bar. I decided the service wasn't acceptable and left to go somewhere else. When I got outside I decided to call and see if there was a reserve list. First time I called it kept ringing and no answer. Called again and they said the wait was 2 minutes and didn't have a reserve list. Seriously? The definition of insane is doing the same thing and expecting different results so I won't be going back.
(1)Jamee J.
Wow- Dempsey's Irish Pub, and the attached Burger Stand are fantastic! The bar is really big, with plenty of tables and spots at the bar. Very clean. The jukebox was great. The bartenders and servers were really friendly. I really want to give a shout out to THE BURGER STAND, located in this bar. The food was amazing! We all had burgers and sweet potato fries. I had the Black and Blue burger, which was amazing. They didn't ask how I wanted it cooked, but managed to get it just right anyway. My friend had the Kobe burger, which he loved. The details were just right. High quality mustard, great bread, and combined with the scrumptious sweet potato fries and a Delicious pint- I ate every bite. The prices are really reasonable, too. I'll definitely make this a regular haunt of mine. Check it out!
(5)Brian M.
I am always down for some round ground round and after the great bruger divorce of last year I had made the "other burger joint" my usual. However after one lackluster and one piss poor performace up on Mass St. I wandered back into Dempsy's and was welcomed like the prodigal son. I have munched on the bleu and the au poive of late and really appreciated the simplicity of tastes that they provide. Yup they might not be the gastro-burger concoctions found a few blocks south, but they are solid, hearty, and pretty unpretentious. Oh yeah, great beer selection and most importantnly a staff whose beer knowledge is a little wide than 23rd St. to Boulevard Avenue.
(4)Reed N.
All I can say is wow wow wow! The burgers here are ridiculous in all the right ways. Cooked properly to order. Tender. Seasoned. Brioche buns that melt in your mouth. I had the Picante Burger. The pepperjack cheese had melted in nicely. The puree of peppers was rich, earthy, and had a late spice to it. The fresh jalapeños added a lot of vegetable flavor and pop (I was sweating a bit!). The banana peppers added acidity and flavor. Genius! The fire fries are among the best I have eaten. Red pepper flakes from the chili garlic oil are visible, and the crispy spuds do light up your tongue over time! The best thing about these slightly spicy fries is they go with just about all the dippers. The place was busy for a women's world cup soccer match, but our server was a sweet pea. She all over the place and handled us like a pro. :-)
(5)Laurel C.
These burgers and fries are among the best in town and the price is right. The sliders were 4 for $8 and my standard burger with cheddar was 8. Fries are 2 for a side and 4 for a basket. A side is a lot of fries. We had regular fries and sweet potato fries. They give you the option on sweet potato to have them sweet or salty. They make their own sauces and ketchup. Both the garlic aoli (which I put on my burger) and the ketchup were so delicious. Our burgers were perfectly medium well. The bun is very soft and slightly buttery. We've been in Lawrence 8 months and finally tried this place. Should have done it sooner. We'll be back. (This place and Burger Stand could be twins food wise.) Dempsey's is smaller and a little harder to find when you drive by. The trees are blocking the sign and front.)
(5)Jeanette S.
Ok it's kind of a dive but HELLO! Amazing burgers! Our table ordered bleu burger, smoked stacked, and salmon burger. All delicious! We had 2 different sides of fries with sauces and they did NOT disappoint. Truffle cream was to die for! Only disappointment was that our draft beers were warm. Our waitress Mackenzie compensated us w a discount on our bill. Score! She was very attentive and friendly. Much appreciated!!!
(4)Victoria B.
Food was great. Yummy burgers and fries. The truffle fries were great. Terrible service. We had to wait forever for our drinks to be refilled and the place was not busy. The dirty restrooms were horrible. It was 3pm in the afternoon....unacceptable.
(3)Stephanie H.
We all had great burgers and we shared a large basket of fresh cut fries. We were able to try all the dipping sauces and ALL were awesome. Great service too!
(4)Alisa S.
Hubs and I decided to stop by here after a KU basketball game because I was craving a burger. It was pretty busy on a Saturday afternoon but we managed to get seats at the bar. I had the Hot Hawaiian Kobe Burger and he had the Smoked Stacked Burger. We also ordered Truffle Fries. My burger was cooked perfectly and it was juicy and messy to eat but I enjoyed it. My husband liked his burger, too. The fries were a little burnt but they were salvaged by the dipping sauces. The garlic aioli sauce is bomb!
(4)Sam A.
Ate for the first time at Dempsey's last night. I was impressed. The bar is a great venue...just what every town needs. Great atmosphere and very good burgers/fries. I found out about Dempsey's because I asked people familiar with Lawrence about the best burgers in Lawrence. Every person put Dempsey's and The Burger Stan I even got some of the divergent history between the two joints. Could be true, could be lore...so in this review I am going to compare the two after writing about my experience last night. I wanted to watch some college basketball. Dempsey's is good for that. Get there early and you will have a great seat to watch the game. They have lots of TVs. I got there a little late. There were tables open but they did not have visibility to TVs. If they added two TVs or moved a couple, all seats would have perfect view. Time to order my burger. This place is a dive bar. A clean one but a dive bar. Dozens of beers to choose from. A nice bourbon list. When I looked at my menu for the first time I was a bit confused by the menu. In a dive bar I normally would not expect to see ingredients on the burgers such as 'micro arugula' or 'onion confiture' or menu items such as a Quinoa Burger. It seems to have a bit of a bi-polar personality. I ordered the blue cheese burger and added a side of mustard and pickles. Wow...it was really good. The burger was perfectly cooked and mildly seasoned. The blue cheese was strong and wonderful. The onion confiture was sweet and crunchy. Just delicious. The bun seemed to be a day or two old. I got the fire fries. They were good. Not horribly spicy. Not bland either. I got a side which was more than ample. I eat a lot and I left some of the fries. They had too a number of sauces they brought with the fries. All very good. If I wanted more sauce, I am certain the waitress would have brought me more. I will write a separate review on The Burger Stand on their page but here is my comparison between the two... Atmosphere: D: 90, BS 75 Burgers: D:90, BS 95 Fries: D:85, BS 95 If you spend time in Lawrence you need to try this joint out. You will not be sad or hungry leaving.
(4)Kevin O.
I have been here before and the food has always been descent. Tonight I had a cheeseburger that was supposed to be medium but ended up being raw. When I brought this to the waitstaffs attention she just said that medium is variable among the cooks. Nothing was done to fix the problem and when we were about to leave the waitress admitted that the burger was raw and to let her know sooner next time if there was a problem.
(1)H C.
Best burgers in town! Love the fries and dipping sauces. Good veggie burgers too. I always eat too much...but I guess that's not their fault.
(5)Mackenzie C.
Dempsey's is a fun environment and they have great food. The Kobe beef sliders are to die for - I could eat about a hundred of them. The only reason they don't earn five stars from me is that they are a bit pricey for a burger joint, in my opinion. But the service is good, and they make everyone feel at home. I've only been there twice but I still feel like part of the family.
(4)Chris S.
Deliciously Greasy Burgers, Cold Beer ... And Air ... Yummy Truffle Fries - Must Be Dempsey's! I was a bit reluctant to try Dempsey's after reading recent reviews by my Elite '14 brothers and sisters in Lawrence, Kansas saying that "things have gone downhill" and that the burgers are "greasy", but heck ... don't burgers and grease go hand-in-hand? I am sure glad we gave 'em a shot! Don't want to gross you out, but in preparation for two scopes being inserted into my body, one in each end so to speak, two days later and the inevitable PREPeration (H), I knew I would not have a decent meal for at least 36 hours, so a big greasy burger and basket of truffle fries sounded pretty darn good! The place is a local haunt for KU (college basketball powerhouse University of Kansas) students and this particular Tuesday night in Lawrence was no exception. With about half of their burgers being offered at half-price ($4-$5 a pop) to students, I know why they were busy. But a pub with just 5 or 6 draughts available on-tap was a bit unusual. I ordered an O'Dell (not O'Doules) IPA and at $4.50 for a British-size pint it was a good value with a strong, rich, hoppy flavor as all good IPAs do. We decided on a Mushroom, Bacon, and Swiss burger ($9), a House Burger with Bacon and Cheddar ($8.50), and a basket of Truffle Fries ($4). The fries were plentiful and awesome! Lightly salted, the hand cut fries were sprinkled with Parmesan (parmigiana in the old country) cheese, parsley, and accompanied by no less than 6 different sauces (catsup, spicy mustard, old bay and tomato coulis aioli, sweet chili aioli, truffle cream, and roasted garlic aioli ... all made from scratch). We barely made a notch in the basket, taking half home for my wife to eat the next night while I fasted in prep for the next morning's procedure under the influence of "Milk of Amnesia". As usual, on my first visit to this and many other restaurants, I ordered the simplest burger on the menu, the "House" cheeseburger ($7.50) medium-well with cheddar cheese, a big piece of butter lettuce, two thick slices of tomato, homemade dill pickle, and both grilled white (as I had asked) and raw red onion. I added bacon for an extra buck, well cooked but not too crispy. The bun was nicely toasted, looking like a "pretzel" bun even though that was not the way it was described on the menu. The burger was in-fact greasy, but perfectly so, thick, and cooked just as I had ordered it. The bun was in a bit of disarray by the time I finished, but held together until the last bite, keeping my hands relatively clean although I did go through about 20 of the rather thin napkins supplied on the table. The Bacon Mushroom Swiss Burger ($9) comes with sauteed shitake and portabello mushrooms, Gruyere and Swiss cheeses, and Applewood bacon on a toasted pretzel bun. Unfortunately, on this particular night at least, the bun was not toasted and, in-fact, was slightly cold to the touch. The burger was delicious nonetheless, an 8 ounce patty cooked to perfection with melted cheese oozing out of the side of the bun. The service was very good, especially considering the large, energetic crown consuming burgers along with mass quantities of beer. The place is a bit of a dive, plain with lots of rough wood and glass, making the room rather chilly, particularly next to the window on a cold winter night where we needed to keep our coats on during our meal. Who knows, maybe KU research indicates that beer consumption is inversely proportionate to the temperature of the room? CombatCritic Gives Dempsey's Burger Pub A Solid 7 Bombs Out of 10 ... BOMBS ARE GOOD!
(4)Janie N.
Best salmon burger I have ever had! Truffle fries were an excellent side! Ambience was bar noisy with kids having a good time.
(5)Lizzy L.
I came here Sunday noon and absolutely will be back for their truffle fries! We had wonderful service and were quickly seated. Me being clumsy dumped my entire glass of water into my friend's lap by accident....and the waitress was very helpful (and I did not feel judged for being a klutz...hah!) and brought out towels to clean up my mess. The servings were ginormous and I brought half my burger home with me because I couldn't finish it. It was still delicious. We both ordered the bacon mushroom swiss burger in a pretzel bun with a regular order of truffle fries. The fries came with 4 dipping sauces and I loved all of them, especially the garlic aioli one. They were crispy and just right and so so well flavored. The bacon mushroom swiss burger ---amaaaazing. My burger was cooked just right and the melted cheese, crispy savory bacon, and buttery mushroom were a perfect combo. Best of all it's located in downtown Lawrence and we could easily go shopping afterwards to walk off some serious food coma!
(4)Jordan H.
The food was over-priced, but at least the service was terrible. I ventured here to watch a soccer match. I realized that I wasn't going to get a table, but not because it was crowded. They just don't have that many booths. I asked the waitresses to turn on the game three times, only to find out that the bartender was refusing because he wanted to watch the Royals. After some arguing, with the bartender, who was technically working, I was able to get them to put the game on. It was across the bar where I couldn't see. I switched tables, so I could see the game. The waitresses' service was borderline contemptuous, with a quarter of an hour passing before anyone asked if I'd like another pint, or if I was doing alright. I would have let all this slide, because perhaps the bartender was such a royals fan he forgot he was at work, serving people. But the burgers here cost 10 dollars at minimum. And the beer isn't even interesting, just regular domestic and imported on tap. Nothing special or new. I ordered the bleu cheese burger, which is one of my favorite burgers, and they put sugar on the fries, and few bleu cheese crumbles. The fries' sauces were a lazy attempt at Belgian frites-style condiments, and one of then tasted gross, the red one, like sweet candy on fries with snot. How hard is it to mix a few spices with mayonnaise or hollandaise sauce? I just don't want people to go here and have such a rotten experience like I did. I worked hard all day, looking forward to the match, only to have it spoiled.
(1)Diana L.
Finally made it in for the first time tonight and had a great meal. I had the House Burger and regular fries. The spicy mustard and fresh made ketchup that came with it were delicious. Our waitress kindly offered to bring us a sampling of the aiolis. I enjoyed the sweet chili the most, but also liked the truffle sauce, too. My husband had the Bleu Burger and really enjoyed it. The service was very attentive. Great experience. Can't wait to come back and try the much lauded Kobe Burger.
(4)Tammy P.
I have been here a few times prior, but my last experience was just terrible. We arrive mid Afternoon, a little after 3pm. No one else is in the building except for the few people chatting at the bar, and us. The sign says "Please seat yourself" at the entrance so we grab menus and a booth. We sit for about 15 minutes. A server comes out of the kitchen and starts cleaning/bussing tables, not even acknowledging us. The people at the bar didn't even care that we had been waiting. After flagging down the waitress, who seemed to be annoyed and uninterested, we ordered our meals. 2 burgers and a basket of fries, pretty simple. Another 20 minutes go by and our food finally comes. Fries were somewhat cold and hard. One of the burgers wasn't cooked all the way through so at that point we were about to call it quits and just walk out, we even had to ask for water once our food came too. She didn't even bother to check back on us after our food was delivered or really seem to care when we pointed out that one of the burgers was a bit on the rare side. Such a waste of $30. Needless to say, I will be taking my business to Burger Stand and hope to never come back to this place again.
(1)Scott T.
Burgers and beer... a simple match made in heaven. The former owners are neighbors and friends so now that they've moved on the the Burger Stand near 8th and Mass. I'm happy to express my appreciation of a stop here for a dynamic duo of gut stuffing wonderfulness. When I'm feeling like some comfort food and a proper over-the-top caloric experience I know I can count on Dempsey's to deliver. FInding the quality just fine post-Krause... the fries an evil necessity and a good selection of beers on tap to keep me happy, particularly the O'Dell's 90 Shilling. The restaurant is appropriately divey, homey, comfortable and relaxing. Count me a fan.
(4)Taylor S.
Consistently my favorite burger place.
(5)A S.
Server liana I think was her name was super sweet. But I wouldn't call this an Irish pub. No Irish food whatsoever. Usually expect potato soup, shepards pie, and lamb stew. None of the above. Just burgers, salad, and fish and chips. The burger we got was over cooked and I could barely eat two bites. Stopped in here from a short stop off of the highway on our way back to Ok.
(2)Frank H.
Terrible service. Sat for 15 mins. With no waitress even checking on us. Two walked by us *twice*. I guess Henry Ts will continue to get my business. Wow, I guess business must be good at Dempsy (place had only a few people in it)
(1)Cassandra A.
This place sorta has a long history for only being open about five years. Needless to say they have worked out their kinks, their menu, their chefs, and have become a solid burger joint/pub to enjoy. They have the best sweet potato fries in town and for a better deals than the burger stand at the cashbah offers. The sliders are good and I personally prefer the classic burger. The chipotle ketchup is the best. The seating has more to be desired. They do have a great outdoor patio in the back for warmer days. Service is not perfect, but I will say this: tonight my fries were burnt and we told our waiter this. Not only was our order replaced but she took it off the tab. This is the first time a restaurant has not made me pay mess up on their part. Thank you dempseys! Tuesday is half price burgers for students - that made this grad student exceedingly happy. Tonight I had the best experience I had since they first opened in 2008 and I'm ecstatic. Thanks dempseys! Looking forward to even better days to come.
(4)Big Baby Jesus C.
It's not fucking rocket science who makes the best burger here between this place and burger stand--clearly it's this place. Only thing preventing me from giving them 5 stars is all of the dipping sauces for the fries were wack. I suggest smuggling in a bottle of Heinz.
(4)Graham S.
A haiku review: Damn tasty burgers And really good beers for cheap This place is awesome
(4)Chelsea B.
I grew up in Lawrence but I moved before Dempsey's opened. I'm in town for a few weeks and just had lunch here with a few coworkers. First, 1/2 off for students on Tuesdays. I love student discounts, but you don't usually see a student discount for more than 10% . Half off?!!?? OK!! The food was great, too. My coworkers and I have already decided that we'll be doing lunch here every Tuesday for the rest of summer. The truffle fries are fantastic (but it's pretty hard to mess up truffle anything), and so was my house burger. I love establishments that support local farmers and use local ingredients. However, the true test will be their veggie burgers. I was eyeing both the portobello and quinoa patty burger before I settled with the house burger, but I'm going to give both a try before the summer is up!
(4)Gaz H.
I like the place; the kitchen tries. Servers are friendly. Just a few problems keep this place from really shining (1) menu is a bit limited (2) the burgers are good, they just aren't _that_ good, and (3) the Burger Stand is just a few short blocks away and it's much better and that fact can never be too far from one's mind. I haven't tried the wings.
(3)Ryan H.
Best burger places in Lawrence. During my years at KU, I have made numerous stops here. It use to serve whole wings but since I graduated, I haven't been back in a year or so. I recently dinned and they went traditional with the wings serving them in smaller and separate pieces. Burger salad rocks as well as their egg burger. Their sweet potato fries are a little weak. All in all it's a great affordable place in Lawrence that serves great burger and wings. I think they have 3 dollar draws in their happy hour.
(4)Michael T.
This place gives a different experience than the rival burger joint down the street. Because it's a Pub, the drink specials are better and the game day atmosphere is also better. People gather here to watch anything from KU Basketball to Sporting KC to Game of Thrones. My first experience here was watching KU take down North Carolina to advance to the Final Four in 2012. Despite being swamped, the staff were making sure their tables were taken care of. Needless to say, I continued to go back. The Kobe Burgers are amazing and the options for sauces are also excellent. The fries are not the best in town but I still order them anyway! The real edge here is the Half-price menu for students. It's Tuesday night? Go to Dempsey's! There's a Final Four game? Go to Dempsey's! I have nothing else to do? Why not go to Dempsey's!
(5)Liz J.
their fries are dry and their burgers are complicated. I prefer bstand any day but I've had some good times at dempseys. good job.
(5)Mia W.
My husband loves this place as they offer a burger with an egg on it. For me, I like the Burger Stand better. Over all the burgers are great, the fries are great and the sauces are really good too. The last couple times we have been there the service was really slow so I gave it four stars. I do wish they offered more beers on tap.
(4)Jerome S.
Great food, great atmosphere, great drinks...just bring back the turkey burger! Now give me truffle fries.
(5)Chris M.
I don't know yet how their food tastes. I ordered a cheeseburger and about 15 minutes later an order was physically set at the end of the bar, where all orders would be placed for pickup. I thought about asking if it was my burger, but why is that my responsibility? 15 minutes later, when the staff got off their phones long enough to realize there was a stray burger on their bar, I tell them that it may be mine. They remake the burger. I'm a student and didn't have much time. So even though they remade the burger, it was still another 15 minutes until I was able to eat it as I had to walk home. And they charged me for everything...in case you were wondering. This isn't just a Dempsey's problem, it's a Lawrence one. Customer service doesn't exist.
(1)Nick S.
Since the Burger Stand shoved off to be their own business, Dempsey's has continued selling gourmet burgers and fries. Honestly, the best part about the place is the insanely large beer selection, which the folks running the place know about. They can tell you what an Imperial stout is, they're willing to turn you onto new stuff, and they have a regularly-changing selection of seasonals. The burgers are great - juicy, cooked to order, and tasty as anything. The basic house burger and fries go together wonderfully. Great layout, friendly bartenders, and a nice, sunny, environment. In terms of bar and grills in Lawrence, it's about the most enjoyable joint around.
(4)Sarah S.
In my mind (and for a lot of others, too) Lawrence is a Two Burger Town. Sure, there are plenty of pretty good chain options out there as well (I'm looking at you, Five Guys), but there are two places in town to go if you want to try a Lawrence burger: Burger Stand and Dempsey's. Funny, because Burger Stand essentially branched off from Dempsey's, and their menus share more than a few similarities. But I digress. Having consumed more than my fair share of burgers at both places, Dempsey's is the winner for me. Here's why: 1. Better, more consistent burgers. I've had a couple of burgers at the Burger Stand that were less-than inspiring. I've never had that problem at Dempsey's. I usually stick with the House Kobe Burger, and it is drool-inducing. The meat is perfectly cooked, the toppings complement, rather than overwhelm the meat, and the bun holds its own. I also really like the Falafel Burger as well, and it's heartening to me when I find a place that does both a meat burger and a veggie burger to near perfection. My fiance has branched out a bit more, so altogether, we've probably tried about half of the menu and enjoyed all of it. 2. Better beer selection. Dempsey's is really underrated in this department. They always have a number of interesting choices on draft, including my old stand-by, Tank 7, as well as a fairly diverse bottle menu. Nothing that will blow your mind, but diversity is the key, and they also do a good job of mixing up the styles on draft. Prices are pretty comparable to what you'd pay anywhere else in town, though they do have daily drink specials. I know the Burger Stand now has their basement beer hall, but I'm not factoring it into this review because it seems almost separate from the dining side of their restaurant. 3. Better ambiance. I prefer the sports pub environment of Dempsey's, even though seating is sometimes hard to come by and it can get a bit noisy. They show a lot of soccer games at what I think is the perfect volume level - loud enough to know what's going on, but soft enough to let you hear your dining partners - and that is a major plus in my book. It's the kind of place where you feel like you can hang out for a while, watch the game, and people watch. The only knock against Dempsey's is their service. Every time we've gone in, we've been served by distracted/grumpy looking 20-something servers. We've never had overtly friendly or prompt service, and that's over a span of a couple years. To be honest though, most establishments in Lawrence seem to suffer from this problem, and I think it's probably just a college town syndrome. I'm willing to overlook this when I want my burger fix, and when I'm craving a good burger, Dempsey's is always at the top of the list.
(4)Sarah Z.
For a burger place, I absolutely love this one! Burgers are interesting and gourmet, fries are awesome, staff is friendly, atmosphere is great. A favorite place for my group of friends. The Picante Burger is very spicy and very tasty. I always get truffle fries!
(5)J B.
We have probably eaten our last meal at Dempsey's in Lawrence. Sadly the past three times we have been there the service has been terrible. Arrived 2 hours before the KU/OU basketball game last Monday. We knew it would be busy but thought we would have plenty of time to get a burger and fries. Our waitress was overwhelmed, was rarely seen and seemed unconcerned with her level of service. The table behind us left angry. We were a party of 7. Six of our meals finally arrived but the 7th person didn't get their food. This went unacknowledged for quite awhile until a member of our party made their way up to the bar to inquire. We were told "oh, I guess we are out of that". The person at our table then just ordered the House burger. It was not even rushed through. The rest of us had been finished eating for awhile when the House burger finally arrived. At this point it was so late the burger had to be boxed up and eaten in the car so we could make it into the game on time. And, it was mediocre at best. He only ate 1/2 and threw the rest in the trash. Very disappointing.
(1)Brian P.
Best burgers I have found in town, by far. Fries are kinda hit and miss, really good when they're good, had em kinda limp and wimpy on last visit....is a must hit when in town though.
(4)Amy V.
First of all, 1/2 burgers for students on Tuesdays. What the heck. Everything is good here. Fries, burgers? Yum.
(5)Holly G.
Dempsey's was average. First, the only table open was a booth by the door (during the winter) in which the light was out. I could barely read the menu in the dark! Had to use my phone. Our waitress was sub par, inattentive and lacked knowledge of the menu. I ordered an Irish coffee and she said "Oh I didn't know we had that!", which doesn't scream confidence. My boyfriend had to order 3 different beers before settling for a Blue Moon because they were out of so many beers. He was very disappointed because he was looking forward to trying something new! Also, our waitress couldn't tell us which ones they were out of, he would order, she would then come back in 5 minutes to say they didn't have it, only to try again and get the same results. I had the Kobe burger which was very delicious but the fries, what a disappointment! They were ROCK hard and cold. Overall, average, nothing special.
(2)Laura H.
I used to love you, Dempsey's. I loved your cute brick exterior, your cozy interior, your charming chalkboard. I even stood by you when you served me the nearly-impossible to eat quinoa burger. I thought, "hey, this tastes so good that I don't even mind all the extra work!" But then you made me sick. I ate your portabello burger and it was delicious until it wasn't anymore because I found myself on the bathroom floor wanting to DIE. Even typing this review is making me sad because I feel so betrayed by you. Maybe you can earn my trust back one day, but for now, even the thought of portabello mushrooms makes me nauseous.
(2)Jason Y.
In the past, Dempsey's was worthy of 4 stars in my opinion. Last few times visiting, I've noticed some red flags. First off, it may be time for a good cleaning and sprucing up of the joint. Starting to get a dirty musty smell when you walk in. Gone is the aroma of grilled burgers the last couple times. The other day I visited for early dinner around 3pm and only two other couples in Dempsey's. Therefore, why were the tables still dirty and in fact.........the table I was seated at was crawling with ants. This was the table next to the juke box machine and no excuse what-so-ever for this to occur. Here's the real kicker; the waitress moved me one table over and not once did anyone wipe that table down before the next guests were seated at that very table. Unreal!! Bathrooms have seen better days. Pool table area is really beat up. The booths are all starting to fall apart and peel. Let me put it bluntly, "Clean the damn restaurant"! OK, now that the rant about the appearances and the cleanliness of Dempsey's is out of the way, on to the food. I ordered the 1lb garlic chicken wings for an appetizer and was brought the hot wings instead. I let it go and didn't say a word. The wings were not that good on the recent visit either. Rubbery and just not very tasty. Again, no biggie as my main reason for eating at Dempsey's are the burgers. I went with the Kobe burger and truffle fries. I still think their truffle fries are the BEST in the city. Love, and I mean LOVE their orangish colored spicy sauce for the fries and burgers. Really good stuff. The burger, bun, and toppings were excellent as always. I'm not a huge burger eater, especially after all the "pink slim" attention the past few years. But I can tolerate a Dempsey's, Burger Stand, Culvers, Henry T, Five Guys type burger on occasion. Towards the end of my burger, I just wasn't feeling it. For some reason, it was starting to present the texture of a frozen beef patty. I know everyone claims "Kobe" burgers are the top grade and never frozen variety. Well, I'm starting to doubt if Dempsey's has fresh Kobe or frozen Kobe beef. All in all, not a bad meal. Waitress was very nice and did a great job. I not a huge service guy that nit picks waiters and waitresses to death. In the end, there are certain things to be had with Dempsey's vs Burger Stand and vice versa. Both decent choices in Lawrence Kansas.
(3)Andrew K.
Solid burger, good drinks. I liked getting a nice pour of really delicious Irish whiskey for just $5. My friends and I enjoyed the patio immensely. Our large group was well taken care of. It's easy to see why this place is an institution. I'd have to visit again to make more of an informed pronouncement on the place, but our experience was positive. If you're in the mood for burgers & drinks and you're wondering if you should go here, the answer is almost certainly yes.
(4)John G.
On paper, this place sounds great. Truffle fries, grass-fed beef, Kobe, lots of high quality fresh ingredients, they even take the completely superfluous step of making their own ketchup and mustard. Sounds like a great place for some serious, gourmet burgers. Well, unfortunately Dempsey's doesn't live up to its potential. To start with, the meat itself is good. I don't think anyone would argue that. But it lacked that rich, hefty beefy flavor that the grass-fed stuff usually has. I don't know if this was a result of being a bit overly charred (despite it's being cooked relatively to order) or what, but behind that carbonish taste there isn't much beef taste. Politically and environmentally, I appreciate the commitment to local ingredients, but from an Epicurean perspective, I couldn't really taste the difference. Add to that the fact that my Egg Burger came with an overcooked fried egg instead of an over-easy egg, and I was a bit disappointed. For the price, I was expecting a delicious patty dripping with runny egg yolk and what I got was a pretty average burger. On the other hand, the produce of the burgers was all very fresh and top-notch. The much lauded truffle fries were a letdown as well. They were greasy to the point of being soggy and, as another reviewer points out, they did not taste anything like truffles. Instead, they were bogged down with the flavor of too much grease, too much garlic, and too much parmesan cheese. The homemade mustard and homemade ketchup they came with tasted identical to the bottled stuff (though with a slightly different texture) and the alleged truffle cream sauce tasted about as much like truffles as the burger did. That is, not at all. I'm a sucker for a good burger. Hell, I'm a sucker for a mediocre burger. But it really annoys me when I overpay for the latter just because it happens to use local ingredients. I could forgive the place if the prices were about 50% lower, but as it is, Dempsey's fails to warrant the price.
(3)Katie L.
Even on graduation weekend in Lawrence, Dempsey's offered great service and food. I don't think my fiance and I could have chosen a better place to have dinner together on that particular busy weekend! Because we had never been there together we decided to share a pound of their garlic wings, Smoked Stack Burger with a side of truffle fries. Let me just say my fiance INHALED his half of the burger and immediately regretted sharing half with me. I savored it, loved every bite. The truffle fries were good as well, but not quite as flavorful as we had expected. I think we had heard in the past that Dempsey's was once owned by the chef who got The Burger Stand going.... Could be wrong, but it was that type of truffle fries that we expected -- Nevertheless, these truffle fries were good, just different. Our waiter was very helpful in choosing the selection of sauces to dip our fries in. The chile sauce and aioli butter were our favorites. The wings are also something definitely to rave about. They were SO. GOOD. They still had a bit of heat to them that was tamed by their delicious blue cheese dressing. Point blank, we will be returning again and again!! :)
(4)Zach G.
Ho-hum...nothing exciting here. I tried it in the past and thought it was OK, but decide to give it another try...nothing different, really. The service is OK, but not very friendly. Not rude by any means, but you sort of get the feeling that the staff would be happier doing...just about anything else. They get the job done efficiently enough, but don't create the most welcoming of atmospheres. So, on to the food itself - it's an average burger, honestly. I had the Smoked Stack burger, which had smoked bacon, swiss cheese, bbq sauce and lettuce. The meat wasn't anything special, nor was the bacon. The BBQ sauce (house made, supposedly) was enjoyable, but on the sweet side. The bun was tasty. I also got a side of truffle fries which tasted...more or less like most other fries. A bit better, but not quite enough to justify the price in my mind. It's a fine place, but not terribly special. I won't be rushing back, but I won't say no to going back if I am in a group that decides to head here.
(3)Brandy R.
Great burgers and truffle fries!
(4)Stephanie C.
My husband and I came here on a Sunday afternoon. The place has a really nice vibe with the exposed brick, no nonsense booths, and retro Guiness posters. Our waitress was very friendly and helpful, really great service! She even grabbed the recipe for the ketchup when I couldn't figure out what was in it (seriously, you have to try it and give it a guess!). So for the burgers...greasy, savory goodness. My husband got the bleu cheese burger, and I got the swiss and mushroom one. Both were cooked perfectly and were SO good. We got sides of regular and fire fries and we were in heaven. This will definitely be a regular place we go when we need a burger fix.
(4)Alicia R.
I love a good burger and Depsey's always delivers. Their Bleu Burger with it's onion sauce is great. They also make a good quinoa patty for the non-carnivores out there (and their salads are great as well, with a nice vinaigrette). The truth is, I go for the fries....the sweet potato fries that you can get "salty" or "sweet," with just a hint of sugar and cinnamon. They are out of this world and you get a nice-sized portion when you order them as a side (the truth is that I always order a basket and always finish them off, even if it means eating only half the burger. They have great drink specials and a nice patio.
(5)Christina M.
The thing that I always say when people ask me what I think of Dempsey's is, "Well, It's NOT the Burger Stand." (A somewhat ironic comparison, given that the Burger Stand used to be housed inside Dempsey's before moving to its new home at The Casbah. And I mean ironic in an Alanis Morissette kind of way, not in the actually ironic irony kind of way.) It probably irks the folks at here to know that they are now in direct competition with the fantastic burger-making chefs that used to pack the house every night back when they were under Dempsey's roof. Being only a couple of blocks away from the new location makes it pretty much inevitable that comparisons are going to happen, and unfortunately they mostly favor The Other One. Don't get me wrong; Dempsey's isn't terrible. They have a couple of burgers that are really pretty tasty. The quinoa burger and the portabella sandwich are both yummy, and tend to be my go-to choices when we eat there. The falafel burger, however, was disappointing. Not inedible, but pretty bland and mushy the one time I ordered it. As for the fries, they're also pretty good. One thing I do like about them, as opposed to the Burger Stand, is that you can order your sweet potato fries sweet or salty. However, the quality of the sweet potato fries just doesn't match up, and the dipping sauces that Dempsey's serves with them pretty much pale in comparison to what you can get down the street to go with your sweet and cinnamony version at the Burger Stand. I end up at Dempsey's about once a week for trivia night. (Wednesdays at nine, folks! See if you have what it takes to beat the Isotopes!) I usually do end up eating there, simply because I know I have several vegetarian options and they're going to be predictably decent. If I really disliked the food here, I'd eat before we go and not bother with their menu. I will say, though, that if there was a choice between playing trivia and eating at Dempsey's or playing and eating at the Burger Stand, there'd be no contest. (Also, a word of warning: Avoid this place like the plague on nights when Sporting Kansas City is playing, unless that's why you're coming here. It'll be full of soccer fans, about as loud as a stadium, and impossible to find seating. We learned this lesson the hard way.)
(3)Alicia R.
I first started coming here when the Burger Stand was here...for awhile I went to Casbah, but I think Dempsey's has returned to being my favorite burger place in town. They don't have duck fat fries anymore, but I think their truffle are better than Casbah (at least some days...it varies), and I like the variety of burgers available. I hope my love doesn't fade over time! The service is usually pretty good. I like the atmosphere, though it's a bit small, so getting a table can sometimes be tricky. They have a small patio out back which I didn't realize existed until recently. What I've tried (all delicious): Sliders - perfect little bites Kobe - good, but I prefer burgers with cheese Wellington - not sure I noticed the foie gras mousse, but it was tasty ...plus specials and others in the past Had a bite of a friend's quinoa, and that was good; another friend loves the Hawaiian (pretzel bun!). I am happy just thinking about it :) They also show soccer matches, if you're looking for a place to watch.
(5)Jennifer H.
I may have to stop going to Dempsey's. twice recently my burgers were much too greasy to eat; bun soaked through. Fries were just as bad.
(2)Joi B.
They had me with the truffle fries (others would argue, "they had me with the duck fat fries, but I prefer duck fat to be on my feathered friends that are, as we speak, wintering in Miami). I know. Most of you are probably gonna ignore my review, because who wants to read a review of a burger joint by a vegetarian? Whatev! The veggie burger is delish, and the aforementioned fries are scrumptious and frites style (you can choose your type of ketchup/mayo for dipping. Mmmmm there is a spicy choice!) The atmosphere is cozy-- a fine place to spend a cold evening, eating food that is gonna stick to your ribs. Drinks are reasonably priced, too. Regarding the "real meat," I was with a group of about 10 meat eating friends and they all couldn't go on enough about how phenomenal these burgers are. So, there!
(4)Tina J.
Had the fried egg burger at Dempsey's last Friday, and I've been craving another one since. I was in Lawrence last weekend with my son. I found this place on yelp and gave it a try. I am really glad I did. The burgers were fantastic---juicy and delicious. I had the truffle fries with garlic aioli. Yum. The atmosphere is great too. The prices were incredible for such high quality food. We're talking gourmet burgers and fries. We both had burgers with fries and I had a cocktail and our final cost was around $27. Great value. The only downside to our visit was the wait time. We waited nearly an hour, but it was worth it!
(4)Sean S.
My sweet lord! What a burger from this place. The size, quality and prices here are amazing! The burgers are big, so big in fact that even people of size have a hard time eating more than one. The fries are crisp and full of taste. The sauces are not watered down and complement the food rather well. The service is great (no having to stand in a twenty minute line) and the beer selection is top notch (3 dollar pints on Wed/Sat...holy spit batman) All of the ingredients are from Kansas (except the kobe..think it is from Iowa) and the atmosphere is really killer (you can take your parents here or get drunk while watching P.U., I mean KU) I didn't want to waste space by slagging the competition but I will say, try Dempseys first, then hit those other inferior places so that you know what you are truly getting (or missing ).
(5)J S.
The burger was not bad, but not as impressive as I heard. The place is super noisy, the service was good.
(3)Mathew B.
They have very poor customer service when dealing with miscalculations on bills. They overcharged my credit card and fought against righting the wrong even with evidence on the receipt, would not give the money back. It was very strange.
(1)Brian C.
Great beer selection and often has on tap what others don't. Burgers are awesome and be sure to ask for a pretzel bun. The spicy fries are amazing and a definite differentiator in this crowded field in Lawrence.
(5)Mike P.
After hearing about this place from everyone in town, I finally decided to check it out. There's no doubt about it, it's a popular joint. We came in early afternoon on Friday and the restaurant was pretty full. One thing I wanted to try were the truffle fries, since I've heard so much about them & it seems like an interesting combination. I also ordered a medium Fire burger. 10 minutes later, our food is at the table. I quickly try the truffle fries. Couple things. 1- They have parmesan cheese sprinkled all over. That's fine, but it made the fries very heavy. 2- I taste no truffle (I'm fairly acquainted with truffles). I don't know if the parmesan completely masked the flavor of the truffle salt, but it was nonexistent. 3 - WOW these fries are GREASY. All fries are greasy, but these are dripping in fat in a bad way. Lightly squeezing these fries cause oil to bubble out in large amounts (perhaps they were cooked at a lower than normal temperature causing them to retain more grease). After eating about a handful I got this very heavy feeling in my stomach from all the grease and cheese. Fire burger was good. Good quality meat. Medium done. Not much to burgers other than using high quality ingredients. Overall, this place is simply OK because the food is expensive. $15 for a medium sized burger and a large portion of inedible fries. The fries are dietary suicide and I wouldn't recommend them (again, it might of been a bad batch). The burgers are good but it's no culinary epiphany. In conclusion - 5 Guys delivers more. While their burger meat is lower grade, their burgers & portions are massive. Nothing beats 15 free toppings, and hand cut fries on the spot for half the price of this place.
(3)Andrew L.
I have been here twice in the last month and found it to be a pretty good place to watch a Kansas basketball game. They have a lot of tv's throughout so you can always keep an eye on the action. The food is on par for a sports bar in my opinion, but their very friendly staff is what I believe puts it over the top. The only thing I dislike about this bar is on Wednesday night they have trivia night, so instead of playing music you have to listen to some "DJ" spouting off some impossibly hard 1970's and 1980's culture questions to college students born in the 1990's.
(4)Justin F.
Hands down, the best burger I've ever had. I typically hate reviews that start this way but this place was fantastic. Got to visit this fine establishment for a weekday, rainy day lunch. I ordered the #5 Smoke Burger with smoked gouda, applewood smoked bacon and chipotle-cocoa ketchup. Ordered it medium rare and actually got it medium rare. The perfection of the cooking is probably my biggest compliment for Dempsey's. The smoke burger paired perfectly with an ice-cold 1554. My co-eater ordered the falafel burger topped with pickled cauliflower and other delicious bits and claims it was amazing. It wasn't until afterward that we learned of the Truffle Fries, kinda wish one of us had ordered some. Both of us went with the sweet potato fries, which were good but paled in comparison to the burger. Service was extremely friendly and the lunch crowd was well-behaved. The Kobe burger is still calling my name, but I couldn't talk my friend into going back for dinner, so it will have to wait till' another day.
(5)Ty O.
Dempsey's is a great place to meet up with friends and relax for an evening. It can be low key or fairly busy but it seldom feels crowded -- you don't have to worry about being shoulder-to-shoulder with everyone else. There are plenty of tables and barstools around so everyone should fit. There are TVs with various sports stations on and bar games like darts and pool to play. The tap selection is nice and varied and the bottled choices extend that even further (try the San Francisco brewed Anchor Porter for something that's a little less common). The mixed drinks are pretty good as well and reasonably priced. I can't comment on the food, but there is a grill available if you need something the munch on. I really like Dempsey's and it's one of my favorite places to go out to in Lawrence. It's a relaxed atmosphere and an easy place to enjoy your evening. I highly recommend it. Review: 4 stars.
(4)graham v.
This place is awesome. I had the Egg burger with fire fries . It was the best burger I have ever had. Great tap selection , real nice pool tables and soccer on tv I may never leave.
(5)caitlin j.
If you want some great burgers in lawrence, check 'em out. They switch up the menu and also have specials (yesterday the foie fries and free-range veal burger--- free-range veal?? --hitherto thought of as an oxymoron). The Smoke burger with applewood smoked bacon, melted gouda and a savory cocoa-ketchup is fairly fabulous. With fall here, I'd say go for the sweet potato fries. You have to go to the counter to order and they call your name to pick it up but if you're cool enough they'll serve it to you at your seat. Uh-huh...
(4)Lauren F.
A couple words: Giant basket of truffle fries. Eat them. Eat them all, wash it down with a huge Kobe beef burger with deliciously colored toppings (a la purple colored onions & yellow cauliflower) with a side of house-made ketchup! Outdoor and indoor seating, endless beer choices. Dempsey's is hands down the best burger in Lawrence. Yeah, I said it.
(5)Sarah G.
I love, love, love Dempseys. It's a fantastic place with a great lunch special running right now -- $6.99 for a half pound burger, a side of fries or a salad, and a drink! At this price, this place is simply out of this world. I have heard quite a bit about the drama surrounding the Battle of the Burgers here in Lawrence, but I am definitely reaping the benefits of said battle. MMMMM, burgers.... I had a picante burger, and man oh man. I'm pretty sure my eyes rolled completely into the back of my head. My burger was cooked very well, and I was asked how I wanted it cooked, which to me is always a sign of a very nice burger joint. The atmosphere leaves a little to be desired, and man I'm getting tired of these "fastaurant" models. I'm under the gospel that if you're gonna have gourmet food, you should have a restaurant that speaks to it. This whole, order up at the bar and sit down kind of thing really bothers me-- if I wanted fast food, I would have gone to a drivethru. But the food makes this place so so so worth it. And yes, I have been to Casbah. I love Casbah too, and I find both places very tasty-- but only Dempseys has the lunch special right now, putting it at the top of my list for value in Lawrence.
(5)Andrew J.
WOAH! Ok, as a Blanc devotee, I have to say I was rather shocked when the reality met the hype. Whenever I'd brag about Blanc to any of my L-town friends, they'd invariably counter, "Yeah, but have you tried DEMPSEY'S?!" Usually, their eyes would glaze over, and it would appear that their soul would momentarily depart with their body. Well, I'm happy to say that I finally had an opportunity to hop on the 10 and make my way into Lawrence to meet up with a dear friend. When she suggested grabbing lunch at Dempsey's (with that eye-glazing and soul-departing look, I might add), I couldn't have been happier. With a recent frustratingly bad trip to Prairie Village's BRGR still fresh in mind, I was eager to wash that proverbial bad taste out of my proverbial mouth. First, the place is a bar. Pure and simple. No frills, no pretensions. The tiny, tiny counter relegated to the end of the bar, the chalkboard menu and the tiny kitchen tucked around a corner were all incredibly refreshing after Kansas City's many fancy-pants burger joints. The service was incredibly friendly and helpful, and I quickly settled on the Black & Blue (due to a glowing Quick Tip from Tommy K. Thanks again!) and the duckfat fries. My friend and I headed to an open table, and our food arrived a few minutes later. OH MY GAWD. This burger was phenomenal. Dare I say, it was perfect. Beautifully cooked, crispy and seared outside and juicy inside. The creamy salty blue cheese and crunchy sweet apple chutney on top was a heavenly combination. The bun was fantastic as well, holding up well against the cheesy, juicy mess inside. Each and every bite was heaven, and I found myself wondering if I'd found my new favorite burger... The duck fat fries were delicious, though I don't know if I'd choose them again. My heart, you see, was stolen by Dempsey's truffle fries, when I tasted one that my friend had ordered. Pure heaven, drenched in truffle oil. The selection of homemade sauces was a lot of fun, too. The Parmesan-Garlic Aioli was divine, and the Cherry Pepper ketchup was quite good. It had a sweet smokiness that was quite interesting, and a good fit for the flavorful fries we'd ordered. All in all, I was very, very impressed. The prices are very reasonable for the quality of the product, and the simple, easy-going atmosphere is positively refreshing. If you find yourself in Lawrence and are hankering for a good burger, there's really no question. If you're in Kansas City, heck--it might even be a burger worth roadtrippin' for.
(5)Matt K.
So I realize after another visit this is different from the Burger Stand and they've moved. Sorry, I was confused -- I'm from out of town. Anyway, these burgers are also delicious and the lunch special is a great deal. I am giving 4 stars here instead of the 5 stars for the Burger Stand because this place isn't the original and does have less fry options. Either way, this is still a great place!
(4)Just A S.
Thank god for Dempsey's! Hands down, the best burger for a 50 mile radius. I love the laid-back atmosphere and the service is always friendly. I wouldn't mind seeing a bit more enthusiasm from the staff for what an awesome burger they serve up--definitely worthy of beaming pride. Let the guests know that it's an honor to work for this contemporary institution! Enthusiasm and passion carry restaurants a looooooong way. Perhaps more people would make the "long" journey from Mass St to Vermont St. if this key factor werent missing. Don't get me wrong, they get four stars from me, but with that missing ingredient--you may just shoot to the moon Dempsey's!
(4)Mnason M.
I got to say they make a great burger! They take your typical hamburger to a new level. Some of their menu reminds me of Blanc's style. When my party went there they had Boulevard's Tank 7 on tap which is one of my all time favorites. That made a nice surprise. I really enjoyed the Kobe burger. Very well prepared and cooked perfectly (just before medium). They make their sauces, such as ketchup and mustard, in-house. The ketchup was a little bit on the sweet side for me but still good. My biggest complaint...this place isn't very good for groups. We had 8 people so we had to split up into different booths. Second complaint was the kids there and fairly loud music. The kids was not their fault but more of the parent's. Those were some loud little ****ards. Thank God our food was ready fast to create a pleasant distraction. That way I didn't hurt some loud beepin' kids in a Irish BAR! Once again this was the parent's fault, but would have made our experience better if the kids were not screaming and running around the whole time. * GREAT food (Burgers and fries) * They had Tank 7 on tap. Yum * Needs more than one or two tables to accommodate larger parties. Careful if your group is bigger than 4 people * Please don't bring your loud kids. This is a bar! * Highly recommended and I will return. I hope to give them 5 stars one day
(4)Jennifer B.
I loved The Burger Stand at Dempsey's. When I heard that the aforementioned Burger Stand was moving to the Casbah, I was skeptical of the decision to open a competing gourmet burger restaurant in its place. Unfortunately, Dempsey's Burger Pub proved that my skepticism was well-warranted. The boy and I decided to give it a shot after some bargain hunting at the Lawrence Public Library book sale. Since it was 12:30 on a Friday, we figured it'd be packed. Wrong. At one point during lunch, we were the only people in the place. In retrospect, this should have been a tip-off. I tried hard to like the food. The truffle fries were passable, but my burger was incredibly overdone and surprisingly bland. The boy got the egg burger, which was salvaged somewhat by the moisture of the egg, but it was still very overdone. I ordered medium, and he ordered medium rare, so it's not like we're fans of overcooked meat. If these burgers cost half as much as the ones at The Burger Stand, this might be a different story. As it was, this meal just made me wish we had walked over to the Casbah.
(3)Meryl C.
This isn't just the best burger in Lawrence, it's the best burger anywhere. Or, at least, anywhere I've ever been. The hard part is deciding which burger to order. The Kobe burger with those delicious little pickled onions? The Fromage burger, smothered in, like, five kinds of cheese? The Black and Blue burger with tart Granny Smith apple chutney? And every time I go in, I think, "I've got to try one of those veggie burgers sometime...." Maybe they need to make a slider sampler platter so I can have them all! And then there are the fries. I think the chili fries are my favorite when they're in season, although the cheesy poutine fries are moan inducing also. The truffle fries are my stand-by however, and their homemade ketchup and garlic aioli make them a treat. Actually, I think I was wrong, the hard part isn't deciding what to order. The hard part is that once you've had a burger from Dempsey's, you will never be satisfied with a burger from somewhere else again!
(5)Chad S.
I'm always in the mood for a good burger - especially when said burger comes with such glowing recommendations. So it's sad to say that my first, and likely last, experience with Dempsey's was not all that I had hoped it would be. We went to Dempsey's on a weekday for lunch. It was about 12:30 and I expected the place to be busier, but maybe its location is too far away from the West Lawrence expansion to entise a larger crowd. We ordered our burgers at the counter, I had the Black & Blue, a burger with blackening spice, Maytag blue cheese and granny smith apple chutney, and Os had the Smoke Burger with applewood smoked bacon, smoked gouda cheese and chipotle-cocoa ketchup. We also ordered a side of the duck fat fries to share. We were both asked, at least twice, if medium was an acceptable doneness for our burgers - it was. Dempsey's decor is typical "Irish Pub" with a large wooden bar, several booths and an abundance of Irish beverage signs throughout. It's not exactly a place that I can see myself spending hours in, but it's decent enough ... now back to the food. Our burgers arrived quickly and the fries were excellent. They were crisp, but not burned, and had just enough salt. I can't say the duck fat flavor was overwhelmingly present, but there were certainly moments when you could taste the extra $2. But the burgers, in both cases, were terribly overcooked. Both were well done instead of medium and, had it not been for the toppings amply placed on each burger, would have been nothing more than dry tasteless charcoaled patties. In the end the fries were a winner and the burgers were forgettable. Even a completely bland, but juicy, patty would have made each of the burgers much more enjoyable. I am glad that I tried Dempsey's because it has been on my list for some time, but now I know that my occassional trips to Lawrence will not include this Vermont Street eatery.
(2)Lydia A.
The burgers are, indeed, very tasty. Best burger in the world? I dunno about that. Best in Lawrence? Possibly. What sells Dempsey's for me is the fact that for a minimal extra fee you can get your burger on a nice little bed of greens instead of a bun. And it's not a bed of iceberg lettuce, or even plain old green leaf. No way. This is a fine little Mesclun dish with some pickled vegetables tossed in. Got gluten-intolerant friends who are tired of the same old boring menu options at other restaurants? Offer to take them to Dempsey's for a burger. I bet it's been a long time since they had an offer like that.
(4)Adam S.
These burgers are possibly the best I've ever had. The fries are really good as well. I would suggest trying the lamb burger as well if you have not.
(5)Diana K.
Great great food!! No frills hamburger eating in the place, but extra frills and thrills in the food. I ate a goat burger it was delicious. Tasted the kobe burgers of my friends and a classic, and they all tasted fantastic. Worth the random trip to Lawrence to go eat it.
(4)Erik W.
The service and drink specials were good. The burgers were not to the level of the Burger Stand and the truffle fries were overcooked.
(3)Deana W.
Let's just get this out of the way for those of you who don't have time to really read the reviews, or the desire, but simply scan them for the high points. Ding, Ding, Ding! We have a winner! 1) The truffle fries are killer. They are everything a french fry should be...salty, crispy, and ridiculously flavorful from the truffle oil. They should sell these by the pail...5 gallon pail that is! I found myself licking my fingers, the basket, and searching around my plate for escapees. Sadly, none could be found. If they had been, they would have been Hoovered up immediately. 2) The sauces! Awesome, Chipotle cocoa ketchup, Parmesan and roasted garlic ailoi, habanero cactus jam...come on...that screams fine dining, and yet it looks like your typical pub, very unassuming. Anyone would be comfortable in here. Bring your Grandma, bring your friends, for crying out loud, bring me. You will forever be known as the guy/gal that knows all the cool places to eat. Be that Guy! 3) Clever burger options. This ain't no Irish pub I ever saw. Watch out Blanc! The Kobe burger, Smoke burger, Fire burger, Fromage burger, Black and Blue burger, and the Classic. They also have 2 vegetarian options: Falafel burger, and the Romesco burger. 4) Groovy toppings: truffle butter, micro-greens, pickled onions, and apple chutney. All of this, and you would think I would give it 5 stars, but alas, they over cooked my burger...1 demerit! I ought to take away a star for the hideous flavored pickle spear on my plate, however, I was really quite enamored with the rest of the meal. I will definitely be back to give them a shot at the title of "Best of my Hamburger Heaven. For now they will just have to be happy with runner up.
(4)Kelsey G.
In the Dempsey's vs The Burger Stand argument, I always vote for Dempsey's. I can give you 6 reasons why (6 for the number of days a week I could eat there...I have to give myself a day off): 1) Their bleu burger is better because it has bacon on it. 2) The truffle fries are better. They just are. Don't question it. 3) The sweet potato fries are available in sweet or salty. Go with sweet. 4) I would promise my first-born child for a bucket of the roasted garlic aioli 5) Burgers are half price on Tuesdays with a student ID. Yes, I know The Burger Stand also does this, but Dempsey's did it first so they get points for being original. 6) It's a good place to watch the game, especially if you're into soccer.
(5)Liz H.
Tried this place on a Tuesday for the half price burger deal, it was ok. I think my general problem is that I love Burger Stand so much. I ordered the falafel burger, and truffle fries. The Fries were good, maybe not quite as good as Burger Stand, but close. The burger was generally unimpressive, bun was better than I expected, the patty was undercooked and squishy in the middle. The yogurt Sauce was much too thin and slid off the burger when I picked it up to eat it. Service was excellent, I would try it again.
(3)Joe W.
Perfect Hamburgers, a little better burgers than The Burger Stand at the Casbah, mush better atmosphere. The hamburgers are large, so I like to order a slider and fries. Good news is...they have table service - makes choosing between the two easy! It is so much easier to just pop in and sit down with a waitress. The new Blue Burger with onion marmalade is awful.
(4)Cammy K.
Pros: Best burger I have ever had. Best fries I have ever eaten (I like the sweet potato fries the very best!). Cons: Terrible crowds. Music is just too damn loud...especially when combined with all the noise from the other patrons...I simply can't hear what my dining companions are saying half the time. Insufficient seating. No table service--not even for drink refills or more beer. You have to go to the bar every. single. time. you want a damn drink. ugh! But, honestly, whatevs.. I will keep coming back and bringing all of my out-of-state guests here because it's the Best Burger I Have Ever Eaten. My guests agree. Also the best sweet potato fries I have ever had! The only time I ran into trouble when bringing guests here was when I was with a group of six adults. We could not find seating at the time to accommodate all of us and ended up going to Free State Brewery instead.
(5)Kay L.
Feels like an out-of-the-way pub, but it's only one block off of the main drag, so it's pretty accessible. Good beer selection & awesome burgers! I had the Bleu burger -- no skimping on the bleu cheese (don't you hate places that give you just a few pitiful crumbs of cheese? This burger had a nice, generous layer of the stuff) and some truly awesome shallot marmalade and thick slices of bacon, which I wasn't expecting... I guess I stopped reading the menu as soon as I saw "bleu cheese," but the bacon made it even more superlative. Sorry to gush, but it really was that good. My friends ordered rare Kobe burgers, and mirable visu, they were actually rare, dark pink & juicy. Gotta love a place that cooks it as rare as requested. We were going to split a basket of fries for three of us, but couldn't decide between truffle vs. sweet potato. Here's a clue, you can order two sides for about the same price, and then everyone can share plenty of both kinds of fry deliciousness. Truly a treat.
(4)j w.
We ate there on a Tuesday for lunch and it was fairly dead. I instantly felt comfortable there, from the friendly staff to the understated bar decor - as someone already mentioned, it's not just random crap on the wall. I especially loved the thick, old scarred tables and the O'Dell's IPA wood carving behind the bar. I had the black n bleu burger and my friend had the smoke burger. Both were fantastic. Mine had an apple chutney mixed in with the blue cheese that was delicious. We both agreed they were as good or better than Blanc. Yeah, I said it. Better than Blanc. I'd have to have the burgers side by side to do a real blind taste test to be sure, but you get the idea. Absolutely in the same category. We got orders of the duck fat-fried and truffle fries. I preferred the cheaper truffle fries, though the duck fat-fried ones were interesting, just a bit too rich to eat many of. Would love to head back some night and try some of the O'Dell's on tap, one of my favorite breweries - right up there with Free State.
(5)Brett P.
Dempseys was so good. The burger was probably one of the best burgers I have had in Lawrence other then the burger stand. Compared to the burger stand though, the bar selection is so much better, stocked with anything from your typical domestics to summit and various types of Boulevard which can be surprisingly hard to find. The wait staff was pretty good, not great but good. Overall great feel of a good pub.
(4)Katherine J.
Lawrence was lacking a great Irish pub (ok, there's the Red Lyon) and Dempsey's is filling the void and quite successfully at that. Provided if you're into great food served in a casual environment. The lentil burger is amazing. I actually had to look last time I was eating it and verify that it wasn't meat because it is so amazing. Very, very tasty. I think vegan people might have a problem here as their buns are not vegan and are probably buttered as well. The sweet potato fries are quite tasty and I enjoy the homemade sauces (not all vegetarian fyi). I have heard a few complaints from people who walked in to find it packed and didn't want to wait for a table...and the fact that the music is loud (well, maybe that was just my mom). However, this is a pub....serving food - so it's take it or leave it. One caveat, don't stop frequenting Local Burger down the street! I still have lots of love for LB and consider their veggie burger very different as well as the atmosphere.
(5)Nick C.
Quite simply the most fantastic, bestest, most awesomest burger and fries you've ever had in your life. A great wooden and brick interior really sells the Irish pub vibe, as do the Jaegermeister-topped pool tables. A chalkboard menu and large wooden bar add to the great feel. Like others have said, the fry selection can't be beat, nor can the amazing range of burgers they packed into a small menu. Something for everybody from the vegetarian to the carnivore. I highly recommend the Smoke Burger, but the Black and Blue is a family staple as well. Their sauces are one of my favorite parts. No highly processed red "ketchup" from a bottle here, things like Chipotle-cocoa ketchup make my tummy yummy every time. The locally grown micro-greens are superb as are every one of their veggies I've tried. One notable exception is the pickles, which seem to be universally admonished by my circle o' compadres. Not dill, they're an odd specimen of sweetness and non-crunchiness. One other minor nitpick, seating is a bit limited and is first come, first serve, so if you go with a party any larger than you and a date, it can be a little bit difficult to find a seat, much less a choice one. If you have a group larger than 4, well, good luck. A little pricey, but this ain't your regular burger. Well worth the extra buck or two.
(5)emily e.
I'm not sure The Burger Stand necessarily needs another rave review, but that's what I have to give. I get the Classic every time. Someday I'll try something new, but it's too perfect - sweet greens, hand made ketchup, delicious bun that absorbs the juices just right and always seasoned well and cooked medium or closely thereabouts. The fries are also great! I get the side with my burger because a basket is better for 3 or more. The regular fries are good as are the truffle fries and the sweet potato fries. I too am a little uncomfortable with duck fat fries no matter how good they might be. The sweet potato fries are pretty rich and I don't need a whole side of them even so I only ordered them once. The counter service is fine - a little tricky when those in line and ordering get in the way of getting my hands on the most delicious burger evar! And who doesn't like the excitement of hearing your name called across the venue when your order is ready :) They've ruined me for other burgers - I only have eyes (and stomach) for Dempsey's burgers now. And the beer is good too!
(5)Grant H.
Best burger joint in Lawrence. Only complaint is they should take out one of the pool tables for more seating.
(5)Jenny B.
I had to go get this burger twice in the same week which shows how great it was!! This place has tried and failed so many times I was a skeptic and it took me until their 1 year anniversary to come up from KC to try it. I thought Kansas City had the best gourmet burger with Blanc so I was shocked when I tried theirs. The Mushroom Burger- Good the goat cheese gets a little lost The Black and Bleu- Amazing combo with the apple and the brioche is amazing The Smoke- Seemed a little generic but best bacon and Gouda combo ever The fries are what put this place above Blanc. I tried the regular, truffle and duck fat. The first time the duck fat were amazing however I was a little disappointed with how soggy they were the second but still delich. The sauces are what make them even more incredible. The mustard, parm and chili sauces were great! But the best is the chipotle ketchup get extra on the side! I will be back and I will be driving 45 minutes just for Dempsey's. Can't wait for their new restaurant coming in March. PS. The bartenders are great and awesome beer and good wine selection. This place isn't going anywhere!
(5)Alex C.
Excellent selection of beer and the best burgers in town. Hands down, one of the better all-around atmospheres and places in Lawrence.
(5)Mark A.
Dempsey's is one of my favorite burger joints in the area. Walking into the place you get the feel of a typical Irish Pub with the simple rustic decor, dark wood, and Guinness advertisements. Today was my third trip there and as before, they delivered. I normally get the Bleu but opted for the Au Poive. I'll probably stick to the Bleu, but still a great burger. From the beef to the bun, everything tastes quality. The sweet potato fries I get salty and they came out fresh and crispy and even the ketchup is tasty. Options for the non meat eaters as well. Good beer selection to wash it down with. Service was swift and the food came out quickly. Parking may sometimes be an issue depending on the time, but found a spot in the lot to the Northwest (around back). For all the competition from the gourmet burger joints, Dempsey's puts out a nice one.
(4)matt s.
effing glorious. whoever makes this place happen deserves a medal. Food. Amazing Food. I went in twice today. Once for a drink and burger at lunch. Then after midnight for margaritas. both pleasant experiences. impressive m/f ratio in the evening, prob more v and p. nice ;)
(5)Corey O.
I'd probably give this 3.5 stars, but i'll go ahead and allow the extra half star because the sides are pretty tasty. The burgers are good but they didnt really BLOW me away. Definitely not standard bar burgers though and who doesn't love truffle oil fries? They do gourmet burgers that are above average as far as cooking and ingredients. Would I go back? Yeah. Do I want to go here every week? Nah.
(4)Chris P.
As you might or might not know, the Krause's have packed up house and moved the Burger Stand to the Casbah, right next to their other establishment, Esquina. In its stead, the owners of Dempsey's have hired another chef to continue on the bar's tradition of hamburger excellence. They've also renamed the place: no longer do we go to Dempsey's Irish Pub--we go to Dempsey's Burger Pub. I really, really want to like the new menu and the new chef. Really, I do. I'm always happy when new local establishments are ... established, and happier when great ones transform themselves. With that said, after visiting the new Dempsey's, I can't give it any more than three stars. The atmosphere is the same: wooden tables, jagermeister pool tables, televisions playing baseball or association football or something else good. The food has changed, though. I ordered the Au Poivre Burger, and my friend ordered the egg burger. We both thought the same thing: the burger was too charred on the outside. While the rest of my burger was all right, the over-charred outside detracted from the burger. Equally importantly, they neglected to ask me (or my friend) a very important burger question: how I liked my burger prepared. If I go to the Burger Stand (or Blanc), I'm asked how I want my burger. Generally (with a few exceptions), I'm a fan of my animal products being cooked only so much as to not make me sick. My burgers end up coming out medium. Dempsey's didn't offer this choice: I got a well-done burger. For a supposedly gourmet burger, this is a deal-breaker. No thanks. The truffle fries are still awesome, though. The truffle cream that they serve with the fries is terribly wonderful. The beer and drink selection looks to be about the same as before. (I had to work soon after lunch, at my place of employment does not appreciate me coming in after drinks.) I do wish that they would take a page from 715 and Esquina and the Burger Stand and Blanc and offer a selection of more premium non-alcoholic beverages. (715 and the Krause establishments offer Dublin, TX Dr. Pepper and Mexican Coca-Cola, amongst other selections. Blanc offers Shatto lemonade and milk, amongst other selections.) Unless I (and the person taking my order) missed something, the non-alcoholic beverage selection at Dempsey's remains soda fountain colas and water. My hope is that Dempsey's can get the kinks worked out of the new burgers. They could turn out fantastic: they just haven't yet.
(3)Jamie K.
The bar has been here for a little while but they just started serving food. They have 5 different burgers plus a Falafel burger. They also have regular fries, truffle fries, sweet potato fries and chili fries. It is all deliciousness. I had the Classic my first time and was extremely satisfied. The man behind the food is the Sous Chef from Krause Dining...so you know it must be good. If I knew someone was going to Lawrence, I would recommend Dempsey's as a quality burger joint. The setup is real simple. You go to the bar to order and they call your name when your food is ready. They have a couple pool tables and two cork dart boards. It's a cool place. Not your run of the mill hangout. It's a little gem that is yet to be discovered. Lots of good Irish beer and whiskey.
(4)Angie D.
Most delicious sweet potato fries I have ever had in my life -- lightly crisped with a hint of sweet potato. I tried the Smoke Burger, which was tasty as well, with bacon and chipotle sauce. This is simply one of the best burgers and fries I have ever tried!
(5)Mims G.
My husband and I were very impressed by Dempsey's reviews so, the burger lovers that we are, were very excited to visit the Irish style pub. OH MY STARS!!!! This was the not only the WORST dinning experience, but the food was HORRIBLE, and our waitress was a a pure NIGHTMARE, to say the least. First and foremost, upon entering an almost empty pub at approx 7:30pm, on Wed night (3/28/12), we waited to be seated (per the posted sign-Please Wait To Be Seated), for over 5mins, as we looked at all the empty seats in the place. Finally, we were seated, and were asked for our drink order. I asked about the dark ales and that's when the trouble started. Our waitress knew nothing about the beer selection, so we just ordered soft drinks. Next, after a 30min wait, our order was presented. The meat in our burgers was not as we ordered - SEVERELY UNDER COOKED! My husband ordered well done, and received medium RARE! The so called Truffle Fries were devoid of taste, cold, and HARD!!! We had to ask for silverware ( only got a knife) and our soft drinks were NEVER refilled. Upon telling our waitress the meat was not cooked to our liking, she acted like it was our fault. We were CHARGED for burgers we didn't eat, and had to pay for our bill at the bar because the waitress never returned to our table, with the soft drink refills, that we had to ask for! We had to go else where to eat, last night! We will N E V E R ever return to Dumbo Dimwitted Dempsey's.
(1)Mike H.
I'm with Corey teetering around that 3.5 mark. The bar and decor are a couple of steps up from your average food-serving bar. I like how the place had a Guinness theme, complete with some cool ads painted on the brick walls, rather than just random crap on the walls. They have a good amount of 4 person tables that were full when we got there so we reluctantly grabbed a very small 3 person table in the middle of the aisle. Sitting in these crammed in tables you're guaranteed to get bumped into and hear "excuse me" about every 3 minutes. Thankfully we upgraded to a real table after someone left. I went the the Classic burger and the truffle fries. There are 6 different burgers on the menu. The ones I can remember are: Classic, Kobe Beef, Black and Bleu, Vegetarian, and some kind of Italian burger. There was also a small piece of paper attached to the menu board offering a fairly pricey Buffalo burger at $12.95. The burger was pretty good. Toasted buns are always nice and the burger was crisp on the outside without being overdone on the inside. The truffle fries are pretty much your standard truffle fries, although a little undercooked. They looked like they had a very good selection of beers and decent drink specials every night, including $3 Guinness on Tuesday. I would definitely like to come back sometime in the evening when I can enjoy a beer with my burger.
(4)Rich Y.
Since The Burger Stand left and got it's own place, the food here really went downhill. They kept the menu essentially the same, but the talent is clearly no longer there. The fries were soggy and the burgers had an odd taste to them. I'd like to say it was just mine, but we had six others dinning as well and they all said the same thing. Maybe they should serve Irish food since it's an Irish pub. Just a thought.
(1)Lucas H.
I have eaten burgers the world over and there is no comparison to the Burger Stand's Burgers (located within Dempsey's Irish Pub). This is fine burger dining at its best. I had the Kobe Burger with Sweet Potato Fries and a pint of Guiness. The combination of homemade roll, fresh spring greens, Sauteed onions, fresh ground Wagyu (Kobe) beef and a ridiculously decadent truffle sauce, made each bite an other-worldly experience. This had to be what CS Lewis envisioned when writing about Turkish Delight. The Sweet Potato fries, ketchup, pickle spears and roll were all hand made and unbelievable! I have been telling everyone I know about it, and got a Yelp! account for the sole purpose of preaching the Burger Stand gospel. If you are ever in Lawrence, or death row and have time for only one meal, this is it. Fully stocked bar, with International Beer and whiskey aplenty. One of Lawrence's hidden gems.
(5)Christina M.
Love this place! But if you have duck fat fries on the menu, you dont have to say much more. These burgers are to die for. I always hope that a lamb burger is on their special, but really there is not a bad burger on their menu. The restuarant itself is a little dingey and has a true "bar" feeling but dont let that fool you. If you are craving a burger, this is the place to go.
(5)Steve V.
Slightly disappointing. Made the drive to buy some Birkenstock at the footprints store and stopped in for late lunch. Truffle fries very good, well seasoned and crispy, truffle sauce made them that much better. Blue burger overcooked and dry, ordered medium, came out MW. Toppings and bun really good. Special was a roasted corn with jalapeno butter and lime, well executed and tasty. Did not live up to all the hype.
(3)A A.
I had a hard time eating my burger and didnt finish it because it tasted very bad, the fries were ok
(2)Meghan F.
The first time I went there I had to defend my food from flies...that was annoying but the burger was creative and good. The flies were a real turn off so I didnt go back for a long time. Then I went back to give it another try tonight and now I'll never go back. It was really busy and it seemed like it was seat yourself since every waitress ignored me even when I made eye contact, waved, and said hi. I found an empty booth that needed to be cleaned and sat down and finally found someone to clean it. Before this girl came over and cleaned it she greeted a family that came in and looked over at our table maybe thinking we were leaving. She came over cleaned it while we sat there then left and came back and told us there was a reserve list and that the family was before us. I asked her what the wait would be and she told me I could find some space at the bar. I decided the service wasn't acceptable and left to go somewhere else. When I got outside I decided to call and see if there was a reserve list. First time I called it kept ringing and no answer. Called again and they said the wait was 2 minutes and didn't have a reserve list. Seriously? The definition of insane is doing the same thing and expecting different results so I won't be going back.
(1)Jamee J.
Wow- Dempsey's Irish Pub, and the attached Burger Stand are fantastic! The bar is really big, with plenty of tables and spots at the bar. Very clean. The jukebox was great. The bartenders and servers were really friendly. I really want to give a shout out to THE BURGER STAND, located in this bar. The food was amazing! We all had burgers and sweet potato fries. I had the Black and Blue burger, which was amazing. They didn't ask how I wanted it cooked, but managed to get it just right anyway. My friend had the Kobe burger, which he loved. The details were just right. High quality mustard, great bread, and combined with the scrumptious sweet potato fries and a Delicious pint- I ate every bite. The prices are really reasonable, too. I'll definitely make this a regular haunt of mine. Check it out!
(5)Mitchell N.
For such a dingy looking place, this restaurant shocked me with a friendly staff and gourmet food. The Wellington with egg was my choice and my friend had another awesome selection, the Portabella. The food was excellent (though the fries were grossly shadowed by the burgers) and the service quick and gregarious. The atmosphere seemed lively and I was pleased with the range of options and clear class. The beef was very fresh and the toppings clearly in season and local. I enjoyed it and has become a little diamond in the rough. Will return!
(4)Tonya G.
The grass fed beef burger is the bomb. Okay, we actually only ate the 'Sliders' and the truffle fries... but OMG. I thought this was the best until i went to the buger stand... this is my second choice for best burger ever... too bad is geographically unaccetpable for a more than once a month or to visit.... GO! it is very good.
(4)Clarice W.
Nice pub atmosphere: poorly lit, loud, and sort of dingy - all the more reason to enjoy Dempsey's. There are rarely huge crowds here so the atmosphere is low-key, a nice place to just chill. The selection of beer on tap is pretty large for a Lawrence bar, and they carry numerous bottles as well. And, if you're in the mood for munchies, their duck fat and truffle fries are to die for - the perfect complement to a glass of cold beer.
(4)