How to Hit a Slider

Those ingenious mini-burgers are crossing plates all over the metro area. 

 

Diego Zhang’s Burger Cafe

12073 E. Arapahoe Rd., Centennial; 720-496-1020; Closed Sunday  

While a multitude of Denver restaurants that have jumped on the slider bandwagon, this bright, airy and unbendingly friendly eatery is the only one that’s devoted an entire section of its menu to the bite-sized burger revolution. 

Diego Zhang’s offers more than a dozen options, including several vegetarian and gluten-free possibilities. Some, like the Urbandale, a salt-and-peppered beef burger, are excellent, while others, such as the Thai-styled Bangkok, a shrimp slider mixed with vegetables, could benefit from more assertive seasonings. Still, the hand-crafted patties, made from Red Bird Farms chicken, Niman Ranch pork, Harris Ranch beef, wild salmon and all-natural buffalo, are tucked between soft and squishy housemade rolls that arrive in generous portions at prices that won’t weaken your wallet.

The sliders reflect a global initiative, which means that the menu flaunts everything from the Havana (a vegetarian black bean burger) to the San Juan (pork jerked with Caribbean spices). Dig in and discover the world. 

Winning sliders: The best of the selections are the Centennial, a slider made from ground buffalo elevated with fire-roasted green chilies; the Mayfield, a meatloaf-style concoction of pork and beef paved with caramelized ketchup; the Denver, a medley of beef, bacon, mushrooms and onions; and the plain-Jane Urbandale. 

Queen of green: Diego Zheng’s is amazingly earth-friendly, with sustainable bamboo trappings throughout and tabletops constructed from Dakota burl, a biocomposite made from sunflower seed husks. The hats and shirts worn by the staff are made from organic cotton; organic paint covers the walls; and eco-friendly concrete composes the countertops, beverage area and bathrooms. 

Oh, so saucy: To add a bit of oomph to your sliders, Diego Zhang’s parades a well-stocked condiment bar that includes chili garlic sauce, Sriracha, sundried tomatoes, a chipotle sauce squeezed with orange, Cholula and Tobasco, barbecue sauce, A-1, chili garlic and sweet chili sauces and a variety of different mustards, including sweet, spicy and Chinese. 

Hail Venezuela: It’s not a slider, but every morning, until 10:30 a.m. (longer on the weekends), Diego Zhang’s serves delicious arepas—Venezuelan corn cakes stuffed with cheese, gene chilies and red peppers. 

Bonus points: The restaurant offers a worthwhile line-up of wines, beers, coffees and teas, plus there’s complimentary Wi-Fi if you want to while away the day working. Pick a table by the floor-to-ceiling windows for scenic breaks and catch glimpses of airplanes touching down at nearby Centennial Airport. 

 

Four more restaurants that hit a home run:

Jonesy’s EatBar 

400 E. 20th Ave.; 303-863-7473; jeatbar.com; open daily 

Why we love it: It’s more retro than a lava lamp, more comfortable than a La-Z-Boy recliner and more upbeat than Obama. Sassy sliders: Choose from mini cheeseburgers crowned with lettuce, tomato and onion, the fried shrimp po-boy with shredded cabbage and rémoulade, a tuna burger topped with Asian slaw, the hanger steak paved with horseradish, or the cream of the crop, a duo of shredded lamb sliders bolstered with blue cheese, red caramelized onions and bacon. When to go: When you’re nostalgic for American comfort. 

 

Nine75 

975 Lincoln St.; 303-975-0975; nine75-restaurant.com; closed Sunday  

Why we love it: More than just hip cocktails complemented by creative small plates, this Golden Triangle hot spot is more fun than a clown on fire, especially if you snag seats at the community table, where the lively banter often leads to giggles and guffaws. Sassy sliders: Killer Kobe beef sliders with the requisite condiments; pulled pork minis slathered with barbecue sauce and the grilled portabello mushroom sliders. When to go: When you want to prove to your date that you favor substance over style. 

 

Root Down 

1600 W. 33rd Ave.; 303-993-4200; rootdowndenver.com; closed Sunday  

Why we love it: Executive chef Ryan Leinonen (formerly of The Kitchen in Boulder) turns out clean-tasting, forward-thinking dishes in a brilliantly conceptualized space that once housed a 1950s auto garage. Sassy sliders: Buffalo sliders crested with shiitake mushroom relish and the pudgy vegetarian burgers, studded with herbs and slicked with a piquant red pepper jam. Both get brownie points for the remarkably addictive sweet potato fries that come alongside. When to go: When you can devote an entire evening to grazing through the expressive menu, a smorgasbord of inspired plates, many of which are vegetarian. 

 

The Berkshire

7352 E. 29th Ave.; 303-321-4010; theberkshirerestaurant.com; open daily 

Why we love it: It’s packed with pork-loving regulars that don’t feel remotely piggy about delving into a menu that’s preoccupied with swine, swine and more swine. Swine flight, anyone? Sassy sliders: Pork, of course, served on mini ciabbatta buns roofed with bread-and-butter pickles, slaw and tangy barbecue sauce, or the Kobe-beef sliders stacked with caramelized onions, white cheddar and …drum roll ... bacon. When to go: When you want to wallow like a pig in mud.