Pricey Sliders: Want Ketchup or Mustard With That?

With the opening of the Source, Wolfgang Puck’s new Penn Quarter restaurant, it’s clear that “sliders,” a.k.a. mini-burgers, are a trend that’s not going away. And that trend is getting pricey: Puck is charging $16 for a quartet of his Kobe-beef mini-burgers with smoked-onion marmalade and cheddar cheese. 

Here’s what about $16 will buy you in mini-burgers at other local eateries:

>Morton’s Bethesda—During happy hour, 5 to 6:30 pm weekdays, you can get 12 sirloin/rib-eye mini-burgers with cheddar ($16).

>Ugly Mug on Capitol Hill—Mini-cheeseburgers on toasted brioche with fried onion straws. 9 for $12, with money left over for a beer.

>Matchbox at DC’s Gallery Place—Nine mini-burgers on toasted brioche buns with onion straws cost $16.

>Tallula—This Arlington restaurant offers mini-burgers with black-truffle aïoli and red-onion marmalade for $3.50 each or four for $14.

>Bobby Van’s in downtown DC—Four mini-cheeseburgers with bacon are $16.

>M Bar in the Renaissance M Street Hotel—Three “BLT sliders,” with chicken, salmon, or portobello, cost $13.

This article first appeared in the December 2007 issue of Washingtonian magazine.

Kelly DiNardo