Late last year, Sly’s Sliders and Fries opened quietly at 1710 Abercorn St.
That’s between 33rd and 34th streets in the Thomas Square neighborhood. The narrow storefront was occupied a couple of years ago by Sammy Greens.
On a recent trip, someone in line in front of me didn’t know what sliders were, so I guess it’s worth saying that a slider is a small sandwich or burger on a bun.
All of Sly’s sliders are $3, and each of the nine options features unique flavor combinations. I’ve made several visits, and my favorite sliders so far are The Jerk Store, which includes Caribbean jerk chicken and pepper jack cheese, and the Banh U, Banh Mi with tempura shrimp and other items.
Sly’s also has slider dogs — small hot dogs about half the size of regular ones. I really like the sliders, but I’ve enjoyed the dogs even more.
If you asked me right now, I’d say my favorite slider dog is the Mustard Tiger, with Dijon-tiger sauce, a fried egg and American cheese. My opinion might change tomorrow.
Like the sliders, the dogs are $3 each.
Sizable servings of hand-cut fries ($2) can be augmented with a variety of toppings (50 cents to $2). I haven’t tried all the available options but so far have most enjoyed the garlic sauce, on the side.
Sly’s Sliders and Fries is open every day from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Sly’s joins a number of other casual spots in the neighborhood, including Blowin’ Smoke on Habersham Street and several restaurants on Bull Street, including Kapa Café, Butterhead Greens Café and Foxy Loxy Print Gallery and Café.
On a recent Saturday afternoon at Sly’s, there was a steady stream of customers, many of whom seemed to have walked to the cozy restaurant. I live nearby, and it’s my impression that more and more residents are walking to neighborhood destinations. I wish we kept official counts of pedestrian traffic like we do with vehicular traffic.
The northern portion of Thomas Square lacks the residential density to sustain a large number of restaurants. The establishments on Bull Street can tap into the SCAD students who have classes in Arnold Hall, but Sly’s will need to attract a more diverse clientele.
It’s certainly good news for spots like Sly’s Sliders and Fries that we’re slowly seeing some residential infill construction and that a number of formerly vacant properties have been rehabbed.
I’ll have more on those trends in an upcoming column.
City Talk appears every Sunday and Tuesday. Bill Dawers can be reached via billdawers@comcast.net. Send mail to 10 E. 32nd St., Savannah, GA 31401.