Actually, if we're going to be picky ... a slider is Navy slang for a hamburger. Has nothing to do with size. The nickname originates for the burgers sliding across the grill during heavy seas. The nickname made it into the general public following WWII with the return of sailors to the homefront.
Here's a couple of alternatives to 5-Guys:
Elevation Burger
442 S Washington St
Falls Church VA
http://www.elevationburger.com/
Dad's Backyard Burgers
This is on Gallows road near the Lee Hwy intersection.
Both are a bit more expensive than 5-Guys and both have negative reviews.
From 2006's Washington Post best burgers:
The Childe Harold
Elevation Burger
Evening Star Cafe
Palena
The Reef
Wonderland Bar and Grill
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/cityguide/bestbets/2006/guru/front.htm#restaurant
Love Bread and Butter pickles ... great for burgers or just by themselves. My grandmother used to can them herself, but since then I haven't found a brand I don't like. Lately though I've been eating the Splenda version.
I've never had a 5 Guy's burger that I didn't like. Actually, my only complaint is the location in Tyson's Corner Mall is stingy on the fries. You don't get the cup plopped into the bag and then the fries shuvelled. Instead, you get a cup of fries. I'm guessing they're a franchise and the owner either never ate one of the orginal 5 Guys in the DC area or is just cheap. On the other hand, being in the mall they are very busy and maybe they just couldn't keep up with the fries going out so fast in such a large volume per order.
That's a good starte on a list, but this is the birthplace of the awesome 5 Guys Hamburger establishment (unfortunately it doesn't look like the 5 Guys guys have the same franchisal OCD that McDonald's Kroc had to keeping the food consistent from franchise to franchise).
There's also Elavation Burger in Falls Church which is a 5 Guy wanna-be, but with their higher prices and smaller fare (as well as french fries fried in a "healthier" olive oil) they have a long way to go.
Actually, I grew up in the west, so I had no idea about Crystal/White Castle until I was much older.
When I was in the Navy, the term 'slider' refers to all burgers, regardless of size/thickness/origin, mainly due to their tendency to 'slide' around the grill while the ship is rolling or pitching.
So, to me, when someone says 'slider', I don't think of a small burger, nor do I think of Crystal or White Castle, I just think 'hamburger', period. A 'slider' is completely non-specific.
With no White Castle here in Seattle, it's been a long long time since I was in one of their joints. Used to go to one in Queens growing up, but it's been about 20 years since I moved away from the East Coast.
"Slyder" -- wasn't he a character in Lord of the (onion) Rings?
AK, I do love me some slider action, that's for sure! They are my favorite iteration of the form.
I like BurgerBelly's note on this. Language is not static and is mostly dependent upon current usage (I was an English major with a minor in Linguistics in college, so I do know a bit about language). If you say just slider, most people with think of just a small hamburger patty on a very small bun that can be eaten in a couple of bites. The only major distinction people make is in the actual meat used. While purists may differ on opinions I think the usage of slider in something like the New York Times is accurate for their readers.
I think if you wan't to stick to the strict definition and thus the original form of sliders as the basis on which all other forms are judged then the same should be applied to burgers. In this case I could fairly say if you are going to use the same logic on burgers, and use the Charlie Nagreen or Louis Lassen standard as an eample, you will end up slashing most of your favorite burgers and end up coining a new word for them. One should not be puritanical when it comes to burgers or sliders, but instead focus on the essential factors defining them and allow for continous innovation. Try telling a billion Big Mac fans that their beloved Big Mac is not a burger, but a fancy triple decker hot sandwich.
Thanks for this. Good to know there are other folks who share my nostalgia for the premise that, at least in the food, world, words have specific referents.
I have been an avid fan of Riverside Lunch in Charlottesville for years. By far, they have the best "good ole fashion" hamburger in VA. It slipped some when they moved to their current location and it is more of a family spot now, but the burgers are still tops, the french fries are great and the beer is ice cold.
I have enjoyed most of the other burger places mentioned, except Kenney's in Lexington. I have to wonder if this is the original Kenney Burger that had a burger spot in Charlottesville and Waynesboro that are no longer there. I am going to have to check them out.
Urban Burger in Maryland is pretty good (also serve a good one at their Urban BBQ branch). Very juicy and can get it cooked medium rare!
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