On First Street in Troy sits a bustling little restaurant, with every seat occupied all the way down to the seats at the bar. It’s a frigid Saturday afternoon in March and I’ve just walked into Slidin’ Dirty, hungry and ready to chow down on some delicious little burgers.
This visit was not my first taste of Slidin’ Dirty but it was by first time sitting down in the restaurant. My first bite was actually in early June, from the food truck, when I attended the Cider and Sliders event at Nine Pine in Albany. The Cider and Sliders event is a tradition I hope continues into summer ’17. It’s the perfect combination of Nine Pin hard cider, Slidin’ Dirty’s food, and Dutch Udder ice cream on a warm summer evening. At first I was not sure what to try from the Slidin’ Dirty food truck. There are quite a few options and combinations you can choose from. For example are you looking to try something more adventurous like 2013 Albany Slider Slam Winner The Dirty Ninja or something more classic like The Old Faithful. I opted for the classic Old Faithful (a slider with cheddar, arugula, tomato, red onion, pickles, dirty secret slider sauce) and The Dirty Dog (which was a hot dog no longer on the Slidin’ Dirty menu).
My second taste of Slidin’ Dirty was at the 2017 Albany Wine and Dine for the Arts Slider Slam where the Dirty Yankee was a standout among the many sliders tasted that night. Like most sliders from Slidin’ Dirty it’s a miracle that all the ingredients can fit on one little bun. Loaded up with house made sauerkraut, New York State National Pastrami, provolone, fried onion, and dirty secret slider sauce, the Dirty Yankee was another solid indicator that it was time to get myself to the restaurant.
Finally sitting down to a table in the lively Troy location I was poised with the question: Do I go for the Dirty Duo (a combination of 2), the Dirty Trio (a combination of 3) or go crazy and try tacos?! I opted for the Dirty Duo and an appetizer of Fravos. I’m sure you’re wondering what Fravos are. They’re avocado fries. Yup, you read that right. Fried avocados dipped in a chipotle sauce. Perhaps frying avocados negates the healthy fats that they are praised for, but regardless, they were tasty. For my sliders I opted for the Dirty Hottie (pepperjack, arugula, tomato, red onion, jalapeno, avocado, chipotle cream) and the Dirty Cubano (Nine Pin braised pulled pork, prosciutto, provolone, pickles, sriracha mustard). My lunch date for the afternoon opted for the Dirty Trio, also trying the Dirty Hottie, the Old Faithful, and the Dirty Hangover (cheddar, bacon, fried egg, arugula, chipotle cream).
Overall our experience as far as the food was fantastic, though due to the busy Saturday lunch rush there was a bit of a long wait for our food. I had some regret when it came to only trying two sliders, I could’ve definitely went for one more. But overall the tiny little sliders are full of flavor and not overwhelmingly expensive for the quality of ingredients they’re made with. We had one beer, a half order of Fravos, and a total of 5 sliders and the meal came out to be just around $33. Not bad for an afternoon out.
The restaurant also serves sliders of the sea, with crabcake and shrimp po’boy sliders to name a few, as well as mac and cheese, tacos, salads, and milk shakes for dessert. The sliders come with a few different meat options including beef, chicken, and black bean veggie patties as well, so there really is something for everyone. Since I work in Schenectady, I am anxiously awaiting the new locations opening on State Street this year, as I can already predict many lunch break visits. If you haven’t already tried Slidin’ Dirty, I highly recommend that you do. You can visit their website here or check them out on Instagram as well.
What’s the most interesting ingredient you’ve ever had on a burger? Let me know in the comments!
As always, see you on Instagram 🙂