Slater’s 50/50

I first heard about Slater’s 50/50 from my friend Tim. He told of a burger patty that was made of 50% beef and 50% bacon. More on that later. I showed up at Slater’s prior to going to the U2 concert at Angel Stadium. I don’t find myself in Orange County that often, so I figure I should take advantage of this opportunity. The restaurant is located in a shopping center and is very unassuming. When you walk in, you are taken back by the décor of a really cool high end sports bar. Everyone there was very friendly and out going and was a really great place to hang out and check out a game.

Since I figured I wouldn’t be out there again, I had to try the 50/50 burger. As I wanted to try to keep it even, I built my own burger (very similar concept to The Counter). I selected a 1/3 pound 50/50 patty. I was not asked how I wanted it cooked, but I am assuming because it is not all one type of meat the cooking can only be done one way. The patty was definitely juicy, but I feel like it was more pork-like than burger. The bacon flavor completely overwhelmed the beef flavor. It was mostly smoky but a little too rich. I also chose the white brioche bun. As I have said before and will continue to say until something changes, brioche buns do not need to be greasy. I know they are mostly butter, but I have had very good ones and allow you to pick up your burger without feeling the need for a shower afterwards. Finally, I topped the burger with cheddar cheese, grilled onions, dill pickle chips, baby field greens and garlic aioli. The toppings were very fresh and added some nice crunch, but were mostly overshadowed by the patty.