Lauren Drewes Daniels
Audio By Carbonatix
There ain’t no rookies at Easy Slider. And their new digs just outside Deep Ellum doesn’t give sophomore vibes (despite being their second brick and mortar). On a side street you didn’t know existed, Easy Slider is in its senior year and is ready to have a good — easy — time.
Caroline Perini and Miley Holmes founded Easy Slider with a mission to create the perfect bite and they’ve done quite well. This new location enjoys split custody between Deep Ellum and East Dallas, a mesh up of two iconic neighborhoods. It’s just celebrating one year at this new location, and, yeah, we’re made we only recently checked it out.
Lauren Drewes Daniels
Easy Slider started back in 2011 as a food truck, part of the early wave of trucks that hit the street. The gourmet sandwiches have always quelled whatever hunger pains you had. Then, in 2017 they opened a bar in Deep Ellum, a lively fun spot awash in the big party energy that Deep Ellum is known for. They closed that location in 2023, saying at the time that the spot never recovered after the pandemic.
This new space opened a year ago and is like when Dad buys his first leather recliner. It’s on a quiet side street and is a simple space with modern touches and a warm glow.
The Food
The backbone of the Easy Slider experience is still the small sandwiches. Staples like The Sweet and Lowdown — beef, bacon, goat cheese and strawberry jam — offer the perfect bite (or three). There are eight sliders total, plus a Big Smash (regular burger, chicken strips) and a patty melt.
Lauren Drewes Daniels
But the menu changes by day: that’s sort of the crux of the experience Easy Slider. Different days mean unique menus and events.
Italian Disco and Chicken Parm
On a chilly January night, we stopped in for Italian Disco, which is every Thursday. This is not an actual disco, more of a vibe.
Old Italian tunes play overhead, and old Italian films play on the TV. A chicken parm is the real pride and joy of the event, though: two breaded and fried tenderloins are topped with marinara, pesto, and mozzarella are nestled in a soft sesame seed bun. This was the best damn sandwich I’ve had in a long time and it’s only $10.
The Gravy Back
And while we’re smitten with the vibes here and that amazing sandwich, the best part of our visit was The Gravy Back, a shot of Wild Turkey 101 served with a sidecar of smooth brown gravy for 10 bucks. Slam the whiskey, then the gravy, don’t dawdle around about it, get it all down. It works! And it tastes like the after-party with your cousins on Thanksgiving.
The gravy is a velvety smooth brown variety. Nothing like the kind Mom makes with giblets and little chunks of undissolved flour. We asked about what magic they’re putting in it — it’s a simple jazzed-up instant mix. It’s perfect.
The folks at Easy Slider say that since they added it to their drink menu, it’s been the most popular drink order. The full shot menu, which should wear an ankle monitor, includes Hot Buttered Rum, Aged Rum with Spiced Butter and a Gone South, which is a Lakewood Temptress with a house-made eggnog back.
Steak Night and Happy Hour
Other events Easy Slider hosts include a steak night on the first Sunday of each month. Get a steak, salad, asparagus, tots and a dessert for $48. Call it church.
The happy hour is gracious. Wednesday through Sunday (not a typo), from 4 to 7 p.m., get $10 select boilermakers, $8 hurricanes, spaghetts and butterfield lemonade, plus $1 off drafts and wells. You can also get a $6 grilled cheese and $8 burger.
And we saved the best part for last: street parking is ample and free. Follow them on Instagram for what’s next.
