Sliders

[The Baron]

Everywhere I see sliders, the mini burgers these days. I always liked a big half pound of beef and don't see the attraction. Any comments?

[KevinB]

For those of us lucky enough to live in Canada, "Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle" is on tonight!

[KellyBelly]

Sliders are always White Castle's in my book. Though my husband recently tried the slider appetizer from the Cheesecake Factory, and swears by them. They do have mustard on them, which he usually does not care for.

[jfood]

I will definitely try but I have never seen this. I have been eating the same way since 1965 when they were 8-cents. I have a hard time even putting the cheese on it but with this type of praise I'll give the horse-stard a try.

[jfood]

Sliders = White Castle, full stop. All the rest are imitations and should not use the name, let them come up with their own.

That is not to say that others should not try to come up with their own versions, but please let's not make this the Hawaiian Pizza of burgers. A derivative slider MUST:

1 - Be cooked by direct heat on one side only and steamed on the other
2 - Have holes
3 - Have diced onion, ketchup and a sliver or two of pickle (maybe a slce of american cheese but not my favorite)
4 - Have a soggy-ish bun from the steaming
5 - Be served by a lady with a fish net on her hair
6 - Most importantly, be able to be consumed in 2-3 bites

So we can eliminate the GF grill, Bloomingdales, Champs, etc. and

[butterfly]

I agree wholeheartedly--except on the question of ketchup. A White Castle must, must, must have the horseradish mustard that comes in the little packets. Please try it and consider converting from ketchup (and forgive my proselytizing and close-mindedness).

[Jim Dorsch]

Catsup is not standard on sliders. I never in my life experienced a slider served with catsup until the alpha hound took me to a WC in NYC. Back home in IN, there was no such thing.

[jfood]

Geographical diversity. In NJ ketchup was the standard at White Castle, McD's, BK, Wetson's, etc. Not one place served mustard on burgers, including Sliders. Other parts of the country had, and still have, different standards

- DW from New Haven and she puts mustard on everything.
- Lived in Chi-town for 2 year and noticed mustard was a standard on all burgers even McD's. When I went to Wendy's had to ask for my burgers without mustard.
- In CT now and have to ask for nurger w/o mustard
- In PA, never a prob, always have ketchup as standard

In NJ where I grew up Hot Dogs got mustard, burgers got ketchup.

[Das Ubergeek]

"In NJ where I grew up Hot Dogs got mustard, burgers got ketchup."

Yup! Not to mention that hot dogs got sauerkraut.

[jackrugby]

White Castle Rules! The home of the original slider, all others are imposters.

A few years ago a friend of mine had been out most of the night and had a few too many adult beverages. He figured he needed something to eat so he pulled into a White Kastle drive thru window and ordered 10. When they gave him his order it was like almost $50. That's when he relized he wasn't at a White Castle, but a local place called White Tower, and their burgers were 1/2 pounders and not sliders. True Story.

[TongoRad]

Get thyself to White Manna in Hackensack, NJ for the best sliders there are. I've been ruined and can't even bring myself to crave White Castles anymore. They do it the way it should be done- real ground beef balls (not frozen God-only-knows-what patties that taste of cardboard) pressed on the grill into the sliced fresh onions and served on a firm yet soft potato roll. All of the main components have a really nice bite to them. It's one of the main reasons to even go to Hackensack, actually ;)

[The Baron]

In defense of White Castle, they use all USA grade A beef in their burgers. I know some of the folks in top managment there. They do very well in Florida supermarkets' frozen sections.

[TongoRad]

Point taken. The patty still does nothing for me, but I may have gone a bit overboard with that comment.

[Das Ubergeek]

Ditto for the White Rose System in Clark and Highland Park, NJ.

[Porkchop Express]

Also a White Manna on 1&9 in JC. . . heavenly!

[Freddie Freelance]

Its White Mana (one N) in Jersey City, but they're supposed to have been started by the same guy as White Manna, so maybe they ran out of money & cheaped out on one letter of the sign?

[ChrisOC]

Check this out:

http://www.hollyeats.com/WhiteManna.htm

[ArchitecturalPhil]

I know this post is a little old, but I'm interested in the look of White Tower restaurants and am wondering if this place you referred to is still open. Do you remember where it was?

Thanks,
Phil

[Fydeaux]

here is a picture of one that was open in Milwaukee as recently as the mid-70s.

http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/archstories/images/Milwaukee_white_800.jpg

And a link to their story:
http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/archs...

[yayadave]

These sites and your post have put me in shock. I remember White Tower from the 50's and 60's in Pittsburgh. I never realized that they were anything but a Pittsburgh chain. Gone now.

[Will Owen]

You can eat them with just one hand if you're driving, though quite frankly most of the times I've been eating these things I had no business whatsoever operating any machine more complicated than a toothbrush, and certainly not on the public roads...

It's quite a wonderful thing to come blinking into the crisp blindingly white atmosphere of a White Castle at 4 in the morning, especially when all the people you've been around for the past several hours have been sort of lurching in their movements and slurred in their speech (yourself included), and here are these kinda nerdy collegiate types being all brisk and efficient. And then you get your bag-o-burgers and get back in the car and scarf them down on the way home, and there's some more hot greasy oniony magic for you. And I am NOT going into the next day's aftermath, because I don't tell stories of that sort in public, but let me just say that the grease and the onion can prove to be amazingly persistent. Maybe even immortal...

[The Baron]

Yeah, I know about those sliders, and Sassy's Sliders over at 86th and 3rd by the movie theater, but a lot of restaurants are going this way too. Too little meat, too much bun, despite the fact they are tasty. There's nothing that beats a real Corner Bistro or David Copperfield's full size burger though.

[Matt986]

"nerdy collegiate types"? Surely you're not talking about the White Castle employees? If you are, you've obviously never been to the White Castle in my neighborhood!

[erikka]

The one is Brooklyn is more like "recently released from prison" types.

And Sassy's is one of the worst sliders out there. I'd take my chances getting shivved at WC before eating another Sassy Slider.

[flavrmeistr]

In the DC area, we used to have Little Taverns that sold little dinner-roll sized burgers they stored in a steam drawer. They are mostly gone, but I heard there are still a few operating in Baltimore. The folks working there at 2a.m. looked more like ghosts (translucent skin, pale red-rimmed eyes, utterly silent). I guess that's what decades on the graveyard shift will do to you. The burgers, incidently, were nearly indigestable.

[The Baron]

Ahh, me too! Collegiate types? You watch too many movies.

[Will Owen]

This was Louisville, Kentucky. The nerdy collegiate types were the only ones not out getting trashed and partying. They were also probably the only local people of legal age who would consent to wearing spotless white aprons and paper hats.

[Catskillgirl]

LOL! I well recall the employees at the White Castle on Fordham Road in the Bronx. A less nerdy group you cannot imagine.

Then there was the famous incident of some buddies of mine being mugged after leaving this W.C. - not of their money or expensive watches, but their sacks of sliders! At gunpoint no less. Ah, good times...

[butterfly]

I've always wondered if the women working at White Castle were requisitioned 1980s-surplus baby blue eyeshadow or if it was just a natural confluence of style. Thin little five holes squares of offal adhering lovingly to that humid bottom bun with just a thin schmeer of horseradish mustard and one (maybe two if you are lucky) pickle slices. God I miss White Castle.

P.S. When I was in high school, by best friend dated an ex-con who worked at White Castle (he still had to wear his tracking ankle bracelet and everything--White Castle to home to White Castle, that was his life). Good times...

P.P.S Little Tavern was truly foul, but I always dreamed of buying one of those little shacks when they started getting sold off.

[Bob Martinez]

I think it's time to tell this story again which I shared with you once before -
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/...

[yayadave]

Hard to believe, but they still taste good if you cook them at home on the George Foreman Grill and lose the grease.

[GoalieJeff]

Sliders are NOT mini burgers , they are something else entirely . Half pound burgers properly grilled and dressed are one of the planet's finest foods , no question . A wee slider alone is a sad thing indeed , you need at least four , or six , or even eight ( sometimes ) , all mustardy and grilled oniony and salty . Two bites , three tops , I personally eat the sour dilly pickles with my fries . I pity those who don't get the magic of the slider . Damn , I gotta go get s few right now , dammit !

[ggconcannon]

a slider is the greasy , wonderful , steamed Whie Castle "burgerette" that slides down one's gullet....little specks of onion sprinkled on top of a slightly ashy meat thing poked with manufacturing holes... a pickle figures in the mis en place...bliss... followed by guilt and the turned up noses of people who are above such cheap eats ...the bullet proof glass of the cooking area protects the cookers from the patrons. True nirvana is "In and out Burger " no bullet proof decor and real , recognizable ingredients... worth a detour anyday !!!

[Pei]

Sliders aren't as messy, you can eat three different ones with different toppings/meats, you can eat one and still have plenty of room for French fries (and/or a healthy side salad, a milkshake, or a dessert)...

They're also easier to make at home because you can put them on a good dinner roll or homemade dinner roll if you don't like storebought hamburger buns.

[Porkchop Express]

Who says you cant eat a half pound of sliders? Besides a Half pound is not very big. Sliders are much more managable and if you enjoy variety you could have bacon and cheese on one and mayo lettuce and tomato on another.

Not a bad slider if you are in manhattan http://www.popburger.com/

[erikka]

I like pop burger, I wish they weren't so damn expensive. When I saw what they were charging I laughed, set down the menu and left.

[Bob Martinez]

You've never been to a White Castle, have you?

[The Baron]

Where is David Burke's

[livetotravel]

Burke In The Box at Bloomingdale's - E 59th
http://www.ahamburgertoday.com/archives/2005/12/review_burke_ba.php

http://www.burkeinthebox.com/DBBloomi...

[livetotravel]

Well, there are sliders and then there are David Burke's CheeseBurkers - a step way above IMHO.