Photo by Tina Eshleman
A grilled burger just might be the perfect thing to eat when you're outdoors on a summery afternoon. So it's not surprising that Slideways Mobile Bistro attracted a steady line at the RVA Earth Day event in late April.
These aren't the frozen, pre-fab patties and crumbly white rolls you often encounter at street vendors. Slideways doesn't make their own rolls (yet), but the ones they buy are pretty darn good, especially after they're buttered and toasted on the grill. The rounded slider patties are formed with ground beef that's seasoned with salt, pepper, sautéed onions, fresh garlic, Worcestershire sauce and Dijon mustard. The version I ordered, "Black and Blue," included blue cheese crumbles and was topped with grilled onions and chili aïoli. It made for a flavor-packed combo (though in an apparent order mix-up, the burger was also topped with American cheese).
We went back the next day, when Slideways was at Strangeways Brewing, and I tried the Buffalo chicken slider, which was tasty, but I was really eyeing my daughter's bacon-mac-and-cheese burger. We shared the $10 meal, which included two sliders and fries — freshly cut on site. Flavored with a mix of seasonings, they were a bit crispier (and better) the second time we tried them.
At press time, owner Garrett Walker was getting ready to expand the menu and open a stationary location, Slideways Bistro, at 317 N. Second St. in mid-May. You can also find the truck at South of the James and My Manakin markets, as well as various food truck courts.
