It's all these reasons and more that make Surf Sliders -- the new seafood and burger bar in Delray Beach -- a great place to do lunch, dinner and drinks.
Simply slide into Sliders at the corner of A1A and Atlantic Ave. the next time you're jonsin' for a good burger or seafood session. The place is the very definition of laid-back and beach-breezy, just oozing SoFlo cool -- complete with indoor/outdoor dining, a half-in, half-out bar, ocean views and plenty of people watching.
The interior space is casual-comfy, from the booths with plenty of eye-catching decor, to the flat screen tv's at every corner, and walls festooned with surfer posters or big, bold colorful fish.
The staff is made up of bubbly bartenders and polite servers, all friendly and service prompt. It's emblematic of other eateries from veteran restaurateur Jim Taube, whose stellar lineup includes fine dining area establishment Cool'a Fish Bar in Palm Beach Gardens, and more casual fish and steak eateries like Ke'e Grill in Boca, or Jetty's in Jupiter.
The idea: offer the same quality food as his upscale joints, but at a fraction of the price, says Vignone. The only thing you may feel jipped by: lack of a larger menu.
Sliders focuses on burgers, fish and chicken (sandwiches, to be precise). Even sides are limited: fries, slaw or salad. There are several appetizers, as well, but with prices equal to entree-sized orders, it's all about preference.
Still, while it's short on options, it's also the best money can buy -- and every plate rings in at less than $15. Just don't look for any sliders on the menu...despite the name, there aren't any!
Doesn't much matter, though, with several burger choices creatively constructed with specialty toppings, like the Crispy Onion burger ($11.95), a house favorite served with your choice of house made slaw or fries (regular or sweet potato).
The grilled Mahi, fresh grouper and seared ahi tuna sandwiches are also top notch selections, the fish itself brought in fresh several times a week. And with happy hour all day, every day (yeah, you read that right), there can't be a better way to start out an evening with a 2-for-1 margarita.
We paired ours with a creatively prepared appetizer, the crispy ahi tuna roll (served in a fried spring roll shell with a wasabi dipping sauce for $10.95), while chatting with General Manager Jamie Vignone. He gave us the scoop on what this Surf Sliding thing is all about.
Here is what he had to say:
Clean Plate Charlie: When did you open?
We've been open for a little over a year as of December. And business has been good. It's a great location, and our food is top of the line.
The owner has a few other establishments in the area that echo the same theme. What is it that sets Surf Sliders apart from Taube's other restaurants?
Our specialty is seafood, like most of the owner's restaurants, but we are the most casual. He wanted to do a "burger bar," and Surf Sliders is it. But just because we're casual doesn't mean we lack quality. The piece of fish you get served here is going to be the same piece of fish you'll get at any of our upscale establishments.
You must go through a lot of mahi-mahi. How often does your fish come in?
We get fresh fish in anywhere from three to five days a week.
Surf Sliders makes me think of burger sliders, but I don't see any on the menu...
[For those who aren't familiar with the term], surf sliding is just another word for surfing -- you "slide" across the waves. We had [sliders] when we first opened, but they didn't take off the way the regular burgers did, so we stopped doing them. Since we opened, the menu you see today sort of evolved itself.
What's your most popular dish?
The Bacon Cheddar Burger and the Crispy Onion Burger are pretty popular. Our fish sandwiches are what we're really known for, though. The grouper sandwich is the best around.
I hear you have a good deal when it comes to parking -- tell me more.
We give anyone who brings in a valet ticket $5 towards the $10 fee. Just show us your ticket, and we'll pay half.
Sounds like a deal for sure. All that's left to do is slide on down to Delray and get our surf on.
SURF SLIDERS
6 South Ocean Blvd.
Delray Beach, FL 33483
(561) 276-2227
