Seth A.
Yelp
Wow I'm pretty surprised only 91 reviews about Mark's In & Out Beefburgers. I think this place is terrific and definitely takes me back to the simpler times of old fashioned classic, burgers and shakes.
I was randomly, and I mean randomly, passing through the town of Livingston, Montana along my cross country road trip.
Coming just off Interstate 90, I had never even heard of Livingston, Montana, yet here I was hungry for a late breakfast/early lunch. It must have been around 10:50am and then I stumbled upon Mark's In and Out. There was already a line forming outside and from the appearance of Mark's, I could absolutely sense this was the place to eat in Livingston.
The outside decor of Mark's is furbished like an authentic 50's drive-thru diner. Now although the setup wasn't essentially a drive-thru, I simply parked my car along a side street and got in line.
I was craving a freshly made hamburger, some fries and a soda. Plus, I knew the prices would be affordable as well. Ya know, like every now and again...you come across places like Mark's where they're like staples of small towns. They're a vintage "mom and pop" burger joint.
Since I'm a huge fan of the Food Network's Diner's, Drive' Ins and Dives, I wondered if Guy Fieri had ever eaten here? Although I didn't see any plaques on the walls, Mark's is as deserving as you can imagine. Though...this Livingston, Montana is so under the radar and in the middle of nowhere I question if anyone or many people have ever visited this town? I was here after leaving Yellowstone National Park...so for those tourists living north of Yellowstone, they may be familiar with Livingston and Mark's.
But back to the task at hand...Mark's In & Out...
I got in line and waited for 11am when they opened. The line went fast and efficient. Maybe I stood for 10 minutes at the most. This gave me an opportunity to view the menu and take some photos, of course, lol.
Once I ordered, (btw, you can pay by credit card) I then waited for my name to be called out and was handed my food by the side window. After ordering, it took another 10 minutes for my meal to be prepared.
All their menu items are sold ala carte. For $4.19, I went with the Bacon Triplecheese. Yes that's 3 patties with bacon and cheese. In fact, Mark's even offered a Quadcheese...wow, 4 patties!
Instead off getting French fries, I changed up my routine and decided to go with Battered Mushrooms for $2.99. And finally I got a large Rootbeer for $1.89. So for my burger, mushrooms and drink it cost $10 plus I added a $2 tip. For $12...it was a fine deal. I was excited overall and had a good feeling about the food.
Mark's doesn't feature any outdoor tables and of course no indoor dining as well. This was not a problem for me as since this pandemic ever started...I had been eating in my car almost always, especially on my summer 2020 road trip.
The verdict, lol....the burger was fresh off the grill w/ melted American cheese. The bun was nice and soft and thankfully the bacon was crispy! Woohoo, you know a place is good when their bacon is top notch crispy, lol. And I received about 10 giant breaded mushrooms. I loved the mushrooms. They were quite flavorful and the outside coating was hot and crunchy right out of the fryer.
The mushrooms were a terrific change of pace from the usual old fashioned French fries. I'm really glad I decided to change it up and pick the mushrooms. In fact, if somehow I ever returned to Livingston and Mark's...I'd order the mushrooms over and over again. They were a great pairing with my burger. And the soda was just fine, hehehe.
So overall, I devoured my entire Bacon Triplecheese and all the mushrooms and root beer. I was extremely satisfied with my meal, food and experience here at Mark's. This was just the place I had been looking for and luckily happened to stumble upon while driving right through the heart of Livingston.
Finally, I had such a good experience here at Mark's. This was the ideal way to take a break from my driving and enjoy a charming, throwback diner dedicated to the 1950's. After eating at Mark's I felt refueled and recharged to continue along my cross country road trip.
Although not many tourists may pass through Livingston, Montana...I'd certainly like to give recognition to Mark's In and Out Beefburgers, especially for those folks who happen to be passing by this town of Livingston.
Mark's lived up to everything I thought it'd be and did not disappoint. Definitely make some time to eat here and spread the good word about Mark's Beefburgers.