CRAFT SLIDERS + BEER

Hoppen Hierarchy:★★★

District: Downtown

Creative Sliders and Local Beers

Perfect For: Lunch; Casual Dining; Takeout; Vegan Options

Standout Dishes: Hot Chicken Slider; Al Pastor Slider; Onion Rings; Tots; Craft Slider

For much of my life, I didn’t understand the popularity of sliders. If I desired a burger, I wanted a massive, juicy patty that required two hands and sent juice running down my arms upon first bite. Why sacrifice all the wonderful, gluttonous aspects of a burger for a smaller version?

Then I went to Craft Sliders + Beer and the purpose of the slider was revealed to me.

Burgers represent a difficult conundrum in restaurants. The concept itself is a blank canvas: you can use a variety of different meat blends and buns, not to mention an endless litany of sauces, veggies, and toppings. A burger can be whatever you want to make it, and creative chefs come up with some great stuff. Most burger restaurants I eat at have at least 3-4 menu options I’m dying to try; but, because of their size, I’m restricted to one. No mater how much I enjoy my meal, the ordering FOMO is real.

Sliders eliminate that problem, and Craft has capitalized on the idea.

The Craft menu features sliders with burger patties, chicken (both grilled and fried), marinated pork, and vegan options. The creativity of the chefs is on full display, as each has a few items that make it truly unique. The sliders are about 4 inches in diameter, and while I’ve noticed most diners ordering two and a side, I’d recommend three if you have a big appetite.

The burgers feature a smashed patty comprised of Craft’s special beef blend. The beef itself is well-seasoned, though it tends to get hidden a bit by the other elements of the burgers. This isn’t necessarily a knock; the salty bacon and nutty havarti cheese make the Craft Slider a winner, while the bacon tomato jam on the Blue Slider brings a nice sweetness alongside the cooling blue cheese aioli. The beef sliders are delicious, but I somewhat wish the excellent beef was allowed to shine more.

This minor complaint doesn’t arise with Craft’s other proteins. The fried chicken is the star of the Hot Chicken sandwich, which pairs a perfectly crispy chicken breast with a mild hot sauce, tangy herb aioli, and acidic pickles. The grilled, marinated chicken on the Hang Time Slider brings a sweetness that acts in tandem with the pineapple chutney and partners with the salty ham and Swiss American cheese.

And the tangy, succulent pork on the Al Pastor Slider is an absolute home run, especially when accented by pineapple and a fresh salsa verde.

Craft even does justice to meatless options, including the Vegan Slider. The shredded jackfruit gives this sandwich a pulled-pork type of feel with a little more bite, and the jackfruit absorbs the flavor of the sweet BBQ sauce, and the slaw adds an acidic bite and crunch.

While Craft’s sliders are the highlight, don’t sleep on the sides. The onion rings are large enough to orbit Saturn, and these crispy, salty treats pair perfectly with the creamy Craft sauce. The fries contain more potato than the typical restaurant offering and are well-salted, while the tots evoke all the nostalgic feelings of getting tater tots in middle school: greasy, salty, and fatty in all the right ways.

Craft has taught me that sliders deserve their place in the burger world. What they lack in heft and visual appeal they more than make up for in ability to customize and sample.

Thanks to craft, my mind has been changed. All hail the slider.