Simply Sliders Packs Big Flavor In Tiny Burgers
Early this spring, we reported that an exceedingly small new storefront called Simply Sliders was opening on 43rd St. (btw. 3rd+Lex) and we assumed they’d be selling the eponymous miniature burgers. Well, Simply Sliders is now opened and not only are they selling tiny burgers, they’re selling tiny burgers that rival any burger in Midtown (I think so, at least).
Simply Sliders has a very small, simple, five-item menu. For sliders, there’s the Classic, with angus beef, grilled onions, bacon, American cheese, and a pickle; the Kefte, with a Mediterranean-spiced beef patty, goat cheese, tomato, and arugula; and the Crispy Filet, with fried chicken breast, mustard sauce, and a pickle. For sides, there are french fries and onion rings. Each item on the menu costs $2.
Each slider is served on a toasted, orb-like bun that’s soft, but not too squishy. The Classic slider is, quite simply, a well-made bacon cheeseburger. It looks to be cooked using the smash technique, yielding a thin patty with a good crust on the meat, although my burger patty seemed to have been smashed to the point of falling apart. Even though it’s cooked well done, the patty was still tremendously juicy and flavorful. The other ingredients nicely compliment the beef, with just the right amount of bacon, pickle, and cheese (I didn’t really taste the onion, though).
The Kefte features a thicker burger. Mine was cooked medium rare. A quick internet search tells me that kefte is a Moroccan dish, usually made with ground beef or lamb and seasoned with spices like cumin, paprika, and coriander. I’m not sure what was in Simply Slider’s Kefte patty, but I saw some green flecks and the taste reminded me of a grilled meat dish I had in Bosnia. The flavors of the spiced beef and goat cheese were most prominent, and it was delicious.
The Crispy Filet was my least favorite of the bunch, but it was still good. The menu advertised it as southern-style fried chicken, but instead of buttermilk-marinated, flour coated bird, the chicken breast appeared to be breaded with panko. It was perfectly fried, juicy, and very crispy, but it lacked the flavor and peppery kick I expect from fried chicken.
Not to be outdone, the thick-cut french fries were very good as well. They could have had more crunch, but besides a few that were a bit soft, most were pleasantly crispy. The kicker, though, is that they leave the skin on, so the fries taste more like potato than just crispy, fried stuff. For $2, you get a decent-sized order that seems well-proportioned to a three slider meal.
I didn’t try the onion rings, but they looked to be coated in the same panko breading as the chicken. If they’re as crispy as the filet, they’re bound to be good.
At $2 per item, all but the hungriest Lunchers should be able to satisfy their hunger while staying within the ML limit.
Without exaggeration, these sliders, the Classic in particular, are some of the best burgers I’ve ever had. I had Shake Shack only a week ago, and I’d definitely put them in the same league (I’d even say the Classic slider was better). Ignore the inevitably long line and get thee to the tiny storefront serving tiny burgers.
Simply Sliders, 43rd St. (btw. 3rd+Lexington Ave.)
Posted by Dan at 11:15 am, May 15th, 2013 under 43rd btw. Lex+3rd, Burger, Simply Sliders.
11 Comments | RSS comments feed for this post
11 Comments
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Went there for lunch today and can say the following:
1. The burgers are pretty good. The classic was the best, followed by the Chicken and the “Kefta.” Fries were a little undercooked but flavorful.
2. The service was lousy. Took a half hour to get my order, which they messed up. The woman working the register was completely overwhelmed and not ready for the demand from both the customers and the kitchen.
3. I would recommend going there again if the service issues were resolved. Not the best burger I’ve ever had, but a solid option for Midtown East.
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A fair assessment, though I thought the kefta was head and shoulders better than the chicken.
It wasn’t very busy when I got there (the line began to form behind me, though), and it only took a few minutes for me to get my order, so I had no reason to critique the service. In their first days being open and operating in such a small space, I’d be surprised if there weren’t any problems with service. Hopefully they can get things running smoothly soon. A half an hour is a long wait for sliders.
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Dan I recommend a vasoline-coated cork (from a bottle of DuPont Saison, natch) to prevent further damage to your chocolate starfish
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The buns are too hard for these tiny burgers. The price is also too high. 2 bucks…for a slider? Save your money and go to White Castle.
The burgers were good tasting….not Shake Shack quality. If you want that, just go to SS and get a double smokeshack burger.
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How does this compare to 5 Guys being it’s right around the corner?
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I’d say the Kefta burgers were by far the best. The price is kind of high, and 3 sliders are a little smaller then a comparible $6 5 guy burger, but I think they taste on par, if not better. The fries and onion rings are also small portions for the money. It would be good if they did like a 3 slider combo and throw in a free thing of fries.
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It is not bacon on the burger. It’s some processed turkey slop. Burger is otherwise okay despite the abomination that is fake bacon.
Chicken was pretty bad. Oil seeped through fillet. Fryer may not be hot enough.
Onion rings were fair.
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Sounds like someone is weirdly obsessed with Dan’s behind…Also don’t buy bottles of Saison Dupont. They’re always skunked.
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I’ve yet to have a “skunked” bottle from Dupont; in fact, until now I had yet to hear anyone complain of lightstruck Dupont. There’s such a minimal hop presence in any classic saison that there’s precious little in the bottle that could cause skunking. Maybe if you’re predisposed to think that because it comes in a green bottle, it must automatically be skunked by the time you open it, but really, buy it from somewhere that doesn’t set it in the front window.
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I really like the burgers of simply sliders. They are really delicious and dam good flavoured.
I have enjoyed the burger last time at Jacks restaurant in New York city. These burgers really remind me of that taste and flavour once again.
Thanks
Dan must be new… setting such sky-high expectations with this crowd will only result in severe sphincter injury after the stampede is over and the reviews roll in
A silent prayer is offered for Dan’s cornhole