Slaters 50/50

How's that for an attention grabber? Actually, I'd heard about Slaters from "DB from the OC" who kept on emailing me about having to check out Slaters in Anaheim Hills several times over a year ago. Sending me link after link of reviews......I had thoughts in my head that perhaps DB was a shill for Slaters and had pretty much made up my mind never to go there....I hate shills. Though after giving it some thought I believed it was rather unlikely, since DB had also sent me some pretty nasty emails after I did posts on places like The Waterfront and such. After reading through those emails I suddenly realized that DB was what I call a "meat-hugger", you know what I mean right? No commodity meat, grass fed beef only, etc, etc, etc..... Now I've been eating grass fed beef for years, we used to get it at the various local Farmer's Markets long before it became a supposed sign of status to the food god. After realizing this, I shot DB an email regarding his "sin" and hypocrisy and never heard a thing from him/her.....until a couple months back when I received an email with a link to a press release announcing Slaters 50/50 was opening a branch here at Liberty Station. And after giving it some thought, after all, this was the burger that made a "meat-hugger" go rogue......

And even though I usually wait a while after a business opens to visit, just like DB broke his meat-hugging ways, I could break this one, right? Slaters is located right around the corner from Con Pane. I didn't notice the place at first until I saw the banner....

You enter through the gated area facing the parking lot and can sit either at the bar or have a seat at the dining area. Slaters is very "sports-barish", they've got a televisions hanging everywhere, so if you have a need to watch a dozen of your favorite games at once, this might be just your thing.

They've also got a pretty good collection of beers on tap......I saw stuff by Ballast Point and Stone among the many offerings.

I was handed three menus. A breakfast menu, thus no beer, even though it must've been noon somewhere in the world, a regular menu with salads, Irish Quesadilla(?), among the various appetizers, sandwiches, and burgers, including the 50/50.....

The third item was a sheet where you could design your own burger, looking very similar to The Counter. Naturally, I decided on designing my own 50/50, to get a taste of the patty. But, if you're in the mood, you can get everything from cranberry sauce, fried pickles, to anchovies and peanut butter and jelly (hmmm sounds like a second trimester special to me...)

I also made the big mistake of ordering some sides, they range in price from $3.95 (Fries) to $5.95 for Panko Fried Mac n' Cheese (yikes!). You can order combinations of sides from two to six. I chose some beer battered onion strings and fried artichoke hearts to make a two item combination for $5.95. My mistake? Not realizing how much food this was........

The fried artichoke hearts were kind of soggy and very mild. I'd eaten a couple before a light mayo based sauce was dropped off for them at my table. It really did nothing for the 'chokes.  However, as a counter-point, the Missus loved the stuff I brought home, which was most of this.......cold and soggy and She still enjoyed them. The onion rings were better, crisp if on the greasy side. The ketchup I believe is house made, and has a strange almost bacon like flavor to them as well???? Anyway, this was enough for two people easy.....

I ordered possibly the simplest of burgers, a one-third pound 50/50, medium, with no cheese, baby greens, red onions, tomatoes, and (I couldn't help myself) garlic aioli. It soon became obvious that this place loves vertical food that's a bit top-heavy.....

I was fairly impressed when I cut my burger in half....it was medium! Hallelujah! Even places that insist on telling you that "our burgers are cooked medium, blah, blah, blah", don't seem to get it right, but this place, home of the "Peanut Butter and Jealousy" burger can? The actual patty is pretty loose and chewy. There is that background mild savory-smokey flavor associated with bacon....you know it's there, but it doesn't interfere. The brioche bun held together well.....and in the end, I only could eat half. I brought it home and the Missus ate most of the rest....She kinda liked it, so even though I still like the Counter more, I think we'll be back again soon. Maybe I'll have a bacon-infused shake so I can have a double whammy...lactose intolerance with clogged arteries....

You gotta hand it to Scott Slater, San Diego State grad and founder of Slaters. I think they've got a pretty good, albeit over-the-top-belongs-on-one-of-those-food-shows formula. Since the place had just opened I expected a bunch of mistakes, but the only one was not getting my sauces for my artichokes and I wouldn't have known if I'd never gotten it. The service looked a bit disorganized, but they were staffed really well. I could have gone without being asked how my meal was five times...three times by the same guy, but at least I got to tell them my burger was cooked to my liking. I'm pretty sure this place is going to take off fairly quickly......heck if it could make an elitist "meat-hugger" fall off the wagon..... oh, and Loren, you can stop emailing me about this place as well now, ok? Thanks for the suggestion(s).

Slaters 50/50
2750 Dewey Road
San Diego, CA 92106

Comments

[Jason]

When you mentioned "meat hugger", I imagined someone running around Vons tightly embracing packs of bacon... but i guess your definition makes more sense. :)

I do kinda feel like SD is getting gourmet burger overload though... The Counter, Smashburger, Hodads, Five guys, Burger lounge, etc... it seems like the most rapidly expanding food demographic nowadays.

[kat]

yum! gonna seek out a burger for lunch tomorrow now that I've seen this...

[Kirk]

LOL Jason! Maybe we need to call that a "hog hugger"? There seems to be a burger place opening every week...like The Habit burger in Mission Valley, sheesh....I wonder what the saturation point is?

Hi Kat - I hope you get a good one!

[nhb]

I ain't missing much here in regards to burgers. Big'z Burger Joint is my joint and don't forget the over easy egg.

[mikew]

Wow I wonder if this is the cause for a noticeable decline in Five Guys Burger crowds. Will give it a try and hope it is better than another recent opening The Habit

[Kirk]

Hi Bill - I'm glad you're at least able to get some good burgers where you're at!

Hi Mike - It could be; though I really didn't think much of Five Guys burgers. I'm wondering how many burger places we have per capita in San Diego now?

[Janfrederick]

As long as In-n-Out doesn't close, I'll be happy. ;)

[Jason]

Eventually... much like the Boba Boom of the early 2000's, the Fanatic Froyo of the mid 2000's, and now the Burger Blast of the 2010's... there will be a burger place in every mall, strip mall, and busy street in San Diego.

I'll put this in writing now... but i bet the next trend in the coming years will be the upscale cafeteria dining, a la Urban Plates. Maybe that would be a good place to do a post, or their neighbor Taverna Blue (which i found funny since apparently the owner of the Daphnes chain wanted to prove that he actually knew how to cook good greek food, so he opened Taverna Blue).

[fool for food]

Kirk,
That location had been a Sports Bar, so it looks like they didn't have to remodel too much.

The whole 50 percent bacon thing makes me think of a new use for the big bag of bacon bits that Costco sells.

Along with the flood of new burger joints, we also have the revival of the individual Boll Weevils.

[Kirk]

Hi Jan - Same here.....

Hi Jason - OK, we've got that one documented! Remind me of this when it happens, ok? ;o)

Hi FFF - Burgers, burgers, everywhere......

[Loren]

Love this place, ironic I managed to send you this just before you posted it on your website. I'll mention one thing you missed - vampire dip. Wonderful garlic, cheese & artichoke dip which is actually outstanding on a 50/50 burger. I've loved this place since I first went to the one in anaheim

[Kirk]

Hi Loren - Yes, that was some great timing! I'll try that when we go back. Thanks for the recommendation.

[JeffB]

I ate at the OC location a few months back and I ordered the 50/50 build your own burger with grilled onions, pickles, baby greens, brioche bun, garlic aoili and ANCHOVIES! I have to say the anchovies made a very good burger...out-of-this-world. You have to try this next time you are there. Really, really good!

[Kirk]

Hi JeffB - OK, I'll add that to my "build the burger list". Thanks for the suggestion!