The aroma of freshly ground and grilled meat.
It was the first thing I noticed as I approached Slick’s, the newly built burger joint on East Main Street. I’d nearly driven past the building, a gray aluminum structure that blends into the scenery a bit too well. But there was no missing the incredible aroma. It triggered a salivary response before I was even through the door.
My sense of smell engaged, I stepped inside, and my eyes went to work. The high ceiling gives the dining area breathing room, while the exposed pipes and pod bay doors behind the bar make the restaurant look like it was built for another purpose – even though the owners, Rob Peterson and Eric Taslimi, raised it from the ground up before opening earlier this month.
I liked the long strings of Edison-style light bulbs hanging over the diners, though. They give the place a slightly festive touch. I also dug the old signs that cover the walls. You know the kind I mean – colorful, rusty, and advertising products and services that no longer exist.
My eyes were scanning the rest of the room when they spotted something in the rear of the room and stopped dead in their tracks.
Most restaurants either disappear into a kitchen or feature an open cooking area. Slick’s combines both approaches by prepping their food in a 41-foot metal trailer that sits inside the restaurant. Its polished, silvery exterior gives Slick’s a very cool visual vibe.
Having captured my eyes, Slick’s worked on my ears next. Light rock was playing in the background at just the right volume to add atmosphere without drowning out conversation. And a steady murmur of voices was coming out of the trailer as the staff worked to feed their customers. But there was another sound – and it made my mouth water all over again:
The sizzle of freshly ground meat hitting the grill.
I was hungry, and determined to get that goodness into me as quickly as possible, so I headed to the order counter, located just outside the trailer, under a giant menu. That was when I realized I had a decision to make before getting any goodness in me, as Slick’s offers a solid selection of burgers.
You can, of course, build your own from freshly
ground (it bears repeating a third time – Slick’s meats are never frozen and are house ground) beef, lamb, turkey, or chicken. The beef begins as certified black angus choice cuts, and come in single, double (UTC Double Moc), and triple (Tricky Dick Triple Slick) portions. The turkey is whole grain fed, de-boned, and also ground on site. The lamb is infused with a special house seasoning. Add-ons include caramelized onions, portabella mushrooms, Benton’s bacon, fried eggs, slaw, and more, while the buns are freshly baked at nearby Neidlov’s. (Has your salivary response been triggered yet?) A veggie burger is available as well.
While Peterson and Eric Taslimi have gone the extra mile to ensure they sell a great tasting build-your-own burger, they couldn’t be considered expert burger crafters without coming up with a few creations of their own. And that’s where I hit a brick wall in the decision-making process. Do I get the Bacon N’ Blue? The BBQ? The Shroom N’ Swiss? The Sweet N’ Sassy? Or the Pittsburg (which comes topped with fries, cheese, and slaw)?
I actually opted for my favorite: lettuce, onions, and mustard cooked medium rare. When I was asked if I wanted a pound or a half-pound patty, I thought about how I tend to over shop when I go to the grocery store hungry, and settled for the latter. After adding house cut truffle fries and a sweet, fizzy Coke to my order, I was good to go.
Eight minutes later, a tattooed girl brought me my food, and it was time to engage my taste buds. All I can say is, “Wow.”
You know how important the first bite of a restaurant’s food is, right? Like a first kiss, it determines your future relationship with the establishment. If there’s no spark, you won’t want another, but if there’s magic, you’ll be back for seconds. As I bit into the tender meat, and as the juices slid down my chin and dripped onto the napkin I’d wisely tucked into my t-shirt, I envisioned a lifetime of burger heaven at Slick’s. You can taste the freshness in every ingredient, and that, plus their cook’s skill at the grill, makes for a terrific meal.
Chattanooga has more than its share of places to get a good burger. But you can add one more spot to get a great burger to a short list: Slick’s. These guys are doin’ it right.
To see more photos, pick up a copy of the Hamilton County Herald.
By David Laprad
The aroma of freshly ground and grilled meat.
It was the first thing I noticed as I approached Slick’s, the newly built burger joint on East Main Street. I’d nearly driven past the building, a gray aluminum structure that blends into the scenery a bit too well. But there was no missing the incredible aroma. It triggered a salivary response before I was even through the door.
My sense of smell engaged, I stepped inside, and my eyes went to work. The high ceiling gives the dining area breathing room, while the exposed pipes and pod bay doors behind the bar make the restaurant look like it was built for another purpose – even though the owners, Rob Peterson and Eric Taslimi, raised it from the ground up before opening earlier this month.
I liked the long strings of Edison-style light bulbs hanging over the diners, though. They give the place a slightly festive touch. I also dug the old signs that cover the walls. You know the kind I mean – colorful, rusty, and advertising products and services that no longer exist.
My eyes were scanning the rest of the room when they spotted something in the rear of the room and stopped dead in their tracks.
Most restaurants either disappear into a kitchen or feature an open cooking area. Slick’s combines both approaches by prepping their food in a 41-foot metal trailer that sits inside the restaurant. Its polished, silvery exterior gives Slick’s a very cool visual vibe.
Having captured my eyes, Slick’s worked on my ears next. Light rock was playing in the background at just the right volume to add atmosphere without drowning out conversation. And a steady murmur of voices was coming out of the trailer as the staff worked to feed their customers. But there was another sound – and it made my mouth water all over again:
The sizzle of freshly ground meat hitting the grill.
I was hungry, and determined to get that goodness into me as quickly as possible, so I headed to the order counter, located just outside the trailer, under a giant menu. That was when I realized I had a decision to make before getting any goodness in me, as Slick’s offers a solid selection of burgers.
You can, of course, build your own from freshly
ground (it bears repeating a third time – Slick’s meats are never frozen and are house ground) beef, lamb, turkey, or chicken. The beef begins as certified black angus choice cuts, and come in single, double (UTC Double Moc), and triple (Tricky Dick Triple Slick) portions. The turkey is whole grain fed, de-boned, and also ground on site. The lamb is infused with a special house seasoning. Add-ons include caramelized onions, portabella mushrooms, Benton’s bacon, fried eggs, slaw, and more, while the buns are freshly baked at nearby Neidlov’s. (Has your salivary response been triggered yet?) A veggie burger is available as well.
While Peterson and Eric Taslimi have gone the extra mile to ensure they sell a great tasting build-your-own burger, they couldn’t be considered expert burger crafters without coming up with a few creations of their own. And that’s where I hit a brick wall in the decision-making process. Do I get the Bacon N’ Blue? The BBQ? The Shroom N’ Swiss? The Sweet N’ Sassy? Or the Pittsburg (which comes topped with fries, cheese, and slaw)?
I actually opted for my favorite: lettuce, onions, and mustard cooked medium rare. When I was asked if I wanted a pound or a half-pound patty, I thought about how I tend to over shop when I go to the grocery store hungry, and settled for the latter. After adding house cut truffle fries and a sweet, fizzy Coke to my order, I was good to go.
Eight minutes later, a tattooed girl brought me my food, and it was time to engage my taste buds. All I can say is, “Wow.”
You know how important the first bite of a restaurant’s food is, right? Like a first kiss, it determines your future relationship with the establishment. If there’s no spark, you won’t want another, but if there’s magic, you’ll be back for seconds. As I bit into the tender meat, and as the juices slid down my chin and dripped onto the napkin I’d wisely tucked into my t-shirt, I envisioned a lifetime of burger heaven at Slick’s. You can taste the freshness in every ingredient, and that, plus their cook’s skill at the grill, makes for a terrific meal.
Chattanooga has more than its share of places to get a good burger. But you can add one more spot to get a great burger to a short list: Slick’s. These guys are doin’ it right. v