Slidin' Thru

Slidin' Thru owner Ric describes his 'Slider Truck' as 'Vegas’ first and only premier mobile restaurant, serving gourmet sliders made from the freshest ingredients.' Using social networking platforms like Twitter and Facebook he is able to let his customers know where he'll be parking for lunch that day, or if there has been a last minute change to the schedule because he's been booted from his post. His truck has already become the talk of the town and he's only been open since Spring, so plan on a line when you come. His colorful comic strip ride is fun to look at while you wait, but if you try to stay out of the sun when its 100 degrees out, I'd suggest coming after summer. At one point Ian and I had been semi serious about starting our own food truck, but the realization we would be in a confined space with limited AC and a flat top in the middle of summer stopped us dead in our tracks. I give Ric and his crew major points for facing this challenge, so I suppose the least we can do is wait a few minutes for a few of his tasty creations.

The day I faced the heat I tried the Pep Pep, the Yaya, and the Pulled Porkie, of which the latter was my favorite. The pork was tender and not shredded to death, and the tangy, spicy barbecue sauce bathed it well. The caramelized jalapeno was a nice touch. The Pep Pep was good but ordinary, something like an In-n-Out Burger with a special sauce moving more in the direction of tartar than Russian. The Yaya, a Greek inspired slider with feta, red onion, tomato, and taziki felt healthier than it was on account of the sharpness from the white wine vinaigrette dressing the lettuce. The flavors are great, but perhaps lamb for the meat instead of angus would have been better.

I can understand the constraints on using more expensive proteins, however, because his sliders are very affordable. You can get one for $3, two for $5, or three for $7. I would be willing to try any of his other sliders, but next time will pass on the limp sweet potato fries, $3. They're tossed with cinnamon and sugar, which I believe would make for a better seasoning if the sugar were replaced with salt. The sweet potatoes offer all the sugar you need, and if that's still not enough then you can munch on the whimsical fun pack of skittles Ric puts alongside your sliders.

It seems the young people starting unique food businesses in Vegas are favoring burgers. I'd much rather have these businesses than not, but it would be great if someone could come out with something a little different. Hopefully this is just the beginning of the food truck trend in Vegas and the next mobile chefs will explore other possibilities for fun, fast food. I have no doubt that Slidin' Thru will be able to hold onto the burger market for years to come, but there is still plenty of room for mobile catering growth. I look forward to seeing what kind of food truck comes next!

Today's Food Ratings:

Pulled Porkie: 8.5

Yaya: 8

Pep Pep: 7

Sweet Potato Fries: 5.5

Would I go back? ABSOLUTELY (BUT PROBABLY NOT UNTIL THE WEATHER COOLS DOWN)




Pulled Porkie

Yaya

Pep Pep