Best Sliders in the U.S.

Once the territory of greasy diners and fast food chains, "sliders" originally referred to thin mini-burgers in squishy potato buns. While purists can still find this classic version, America's obsession with haute comfort food has inspired chefs to adopt the term for any shrunken sandwich. Now, buzzy ingredients like pork belly or ahi tuna stand in for ground beef, and condiments might include miso aioli over ketchup or house-made kimchi in place of grilled onions.

A humble roadside burger chainlet founded in the 1940s, Telway sells mini-burgers topped with grilled onions for just $1. 820 Michigan Ave.; 313-843-2146

At Saltwater in Detroit’s MGM Grand Casino, celebrity chef Michael Mina serves a twist on the Vietnamese street sandwich: A baby bánh mì of breaded sea bass, pickled veggies, and cilantro on a tiny bun (pictured). mgmgranddetroit.com

Chef Frank Bonnano honed his skills during stints at The French Laundry and Gramercy Tavern, but he turns his attention to humbler dishes at Lou’s Foodbar. To make pulled pork sliders, Bonnano rubs pork shoulder with ginger, chipotle, and mustard; he then hickory smokes the meat for 12 hours and mounds it on top of slightly sweet house-made Portuguese buns. lousfoodbar.com

Patrons line up at Shopsin's lunch counter in the Essex Street Market for the experience; eccentric proprietor Kenny Shopsin is a legendary grump. (His house rules prevent diners at one table from ordering the same dish on his 900-item menu.) Among the most desirable options are the "Tiger Paws," three tiny buttery egg sandwiches that come with melted American cheese. shopsins.com

For other unique riffs, The Dutch's Andrew Carmellini (Food & Wine Best New Chef 2000) pairs cornmeal-crusted fried oysters with pickled okra tartar sauce on brioche rolls. Joey Campanaro sells nearly 1,000 meatball sliders a week on fresh garlic buns at the Little Owl. thelittleowlnyc.com; thedutchnyc.com

In addition to a Midwestern-heavy selection of beers, Kuma's Corner in Chicago’s Avondale neighborhood offers dozens of different burgers, plus a slider section that features a Sriracha-spiced Buffalo chicken tender topped with bacon, blue cheese, and frizzled onions. kumascorner.com

Mana Food Bar’s eclectic vegetarian menu includes beloved brown-rice-and-mushroom burger sliders with spicy mayo that recall White Castle minis — for non-meat-eaters who squint a bit. manafoodbar.com

Iron Chef Jose Garces emphasizes the best products from American farmers at his pale wood–covered tavern, JG Domestic. Garces's bar snack menu includes smoked Berkshire pork with local Honeycrisp apple slaw on Parker House rolls. jgdomestic.com

A gastropub from Louisville Beer Store owners Lori Beck and Tyler Trotter, Holy Grale pairs indie brews such as Dogfish Head with substantial bar snacks like sliders. Indiana’s third-generation Fiedler Family Farms supplies the beef for mini cheeseburgers topped with local cheddar and house-smoked bacon; short rib sliders feature house-made kimchi on a pretzel bun. holygralelouisville.com

Cocktail enthusiasts come to The Alembic in Haight-Ashbury for its innovative mixology program starring old- and new-school cocktails like the Southern Exposure, with Junípero gin, mint, lime, and fresh celery juice. The food menu is similarly creative. Beef tongue sliders are topped with fried green tomatoes and wild arugula — fixings delicious enough that vegetarians often place orders sans tongue. alembicbar.com

White Mana diner in Jersey City is a historical landmark — a portion of the building served as an example of a "diner of the future" at the 1939 World’s Fair. There were originally five diners in the chain, but now just the Jersey City and Hackensack outposts remain, both known for simple beef burger sliders with grilled onions and grease-absorbing potato rolls. Jersey City: 470 Tonnele Ave.; 201-963-1441; Hackensack: 358 River St.; 201- 342-0914

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