Sliders have been around forever — at least it feels that way. And judging by their frequency on restaurant and bar menus across Tampa Bay, the popularity of these shrunken sandwiches isn’t fading. Not a bit.
“They’re just a fantastic menu item, and I don’t see them going away anytime soon,” Marty Duffany, brand manager for Whiskey Joe’s, told me. “They’re pretty much a staple these days.”
Is it the prospect of instantaneous satisfaction that makes them so enticing? What about the pipsqueak’s ability to morph from bite-size burger into mini-sandwich topped with pulled pork or prime rib? Could their enduring status as an easy-to-make fallback for big parties be the answer?
“I think because it’s a quick bite and easily shareable,” said Wes Singletary, head chef at Tampa-based Irish 31, where he cooks the pub and eatery’s made-to-order sliders “with love.”
Singletary agrees that sliders are as in demand as ever. Irish 31 serves up more than 200 of ’em a week, including the trademark 31 Sliders with house-made pub cheese and bacon. Blue cheese/caramelized onion and mushroom/Swiss versions are also available, each calling for fresh ground beef.
The waterfront bar and grill Whiskey Joe's — with one location off the Courtney Campbell Causeway in Tampa, another in Miami and a third opening in Port Richey at the beginning of January — offers two beef sliders: original and blue cheese, the most popular. The sliders arrive four per order, rather than three (the standard, usually), allowing the hand-pressed, 2-ounce patties to weigh in collectively like a single 8-ounce house burger.
According to Duffany, sliders have maintained their culinary appeal because of the shareability factor. He says a number of places feature them as appetizers or late-night bites because people can split an order, no problem.
“It’s not like a burger that you have to cut into four squares," he said.
Krystal, which does have a few Bay area outposts, isn’t far behind White Castle. The longtime purveyor of squared sliders is currently celebrating 85 years in business with a seven-week-long sweepstakes. While the quick-service franchise doesn’t tout itself as the inventor, chief marketing officer Jason Abelkop says Krystal, founded in 1932 and headquartered in Atlanta, was essentially established to provide a wallet-friendly dining option. These steam-cooked sliders, or “Krystals,” as they’re called, were a sign of the economic times.
“We started at a time in history where the economy was in a tough, tough spot,” Abelkop said, “so the founders were trying to find a way to offer three standards: a super-clean restaurant, really friendly staff and an inexpensive product, because people were struggling.”
Enter a smaller sandwich. Abelkop says 80 to 90 percent of customers leave with either a signature Krystal (beef patty, diced onions, mustard, dill pickle) or a cheese Krystal (with an added slice of American). The menu lists fried chicken and bacon-and-cheese sliders, too. White Castle even carries non-beefy choices, further proof that confining the squirts to the burger variation isn’t a must, especially when these two pioneers offer a variety.
How the hell did sliders get their name? I’ve heard multiple explanations for this one, but Duffany has an interesting take.
“I think ‘sliders’ probably came from somebody who wanted to share a burger and slide it over to her friend,” said the Whiskey Joe’s brand manager.
Then there’s the much-grosser theory — something about how sliders are so greasy that they “slide” right through you. Um, ew.
As my dad, an Ohioan who grew up with White Castles in Columbus and southward, put it: “You eat 13 sliders and see how you feel the next day.”
Fair enough.
I searched for a vegetarian slider — something, anything! — for this year’s Burger Issue, to no avail (anyone know where there’s one hiding?). But I think you’ll enjoy the guide to traditional and inventive sliders around town that the CL staff has complied. Plus, Restaurant Critic Jon Palmer Claridge sets the record straight with his rundown on Kobe beef and other high-end slider proteins.
And in case you’re wondering about that Slider Showdown we’re hosting for the first time alongside a bunch of competing restaurants, it all goes down Wednesday night at downtown Tampa’s The Vault. Check out the festivities.
Now, get out there and slide.
This article appears in Oct 19-26, 2017.