Mars Bar's Expanded Eatery Eclipses Dive Bar Eats

Mars Bar & Cafe is blasting off from its dive bar roots. In March, the Madison Avenue watering hole expanded to include a 3,000-square-foot dining room and a patio with a full-service bar featuring a new gastropub menu with a Mediterranean fare. Luckily, the cozy atmosphere and astronomical gyros survived the transition. “It’s an institution,” says owner George Gountis. “We didn’t want to take away from the original feel.” Here are three hot takes.

French Burger ($12)
This half-pound beef burger from Lakewood’s TJ Butcher’s Block gets a serious decadent upgrade with creamy brie, red onion-marmalade confit and house-made garlic truffle aioli, all on a Fluffy Duck Cafe bun. “The seasoning is light because I want people to taste the meat,” says Gountis. “Everything else is just an accent.”

George’s Original Gyro ($8)
Gyros still anchor the menu with chicken, pork and vegan seitan options, but the original lamb and beef blend served with tomato, red onion and tzatziki sauce, made from scratch by Gountis’ mother, outshines the rest. “Everyone knows us for the in-house tzatziki,” he says. “I bring my mom the milk, and she strains it herself to make the fresh yogurt sauce.”

The Nightmare Panini ($14)
Don’t let the name fool you — this massive sandwich is a dream to behold with a split hot dog, gyro meat, salami, provolone, house-made garlic-oregano sauce, pickles and fresh-cut fries stacked inside a hoagie bun. “Our paninis are more of our Italian take on street food,” says Gountis. “We press it all down to melt the cheese and serve it hot.”