7 Chain Restaurant Burger Sliders, Ranked

What exactly makes a delicious slider? There has to be the correct ratio of meat and bread, with bun or roll sized right to fit the burger's smaller sibling. There has to be something more to it than just those two elements – cheese, perhaps, maybe some sauteed onions. Possibly a solitary pickle slice and a dab of sauce, be it ketchup or Thousand Island dressing. After that, you could just let your imagination run wild.

The exact history of the slider is a bit unclear, but one documented narrative is that they were created by the White Castle hamburger chain. As anyone who has ever had one knows, those mini burgers feature a uniquely square patty, and it made its debut at their first location in Wichita, Kansas in 1921. The origin of the name slider is also murky — some attribute it again to White Castle, where in the old days, they would make your mini burgers to order and slide it down the counter to you on a porcelain plate. Others claim it was Navy slang for any greasy burger that slid easily down your throat.

Today, the term slider refers to any mini sandwich that is served with a diminutive bun. Since the burger slider started it all, it seems right to stay in that OG lane and review the burger slider as it exists today and available through some of the nation's top chain restaurants where you are likely to find at least one location no matter where you live.

It's a little disheartening, after starting this conversation off by noting the brand's ties to slider origin lore, that today's White Castle original slider ends up lowest on the rankings. All the pieces that made this one great back in the day are still in play — meat, bun, onions, and pickle- seemingly as they have always been. It's simply a matter that, with all the advances in burger technology we have made as a society since the 1920s, this particular slider no longer wows.

The closest approximation of a White Castle classic slider (which doesn't come with cheese, although cheese is an available option) is a McDonald's hamburger. Honestly, the meat carries the same flavor, the little onions are practically identical, and the bunnage (not sure that's a word to describe buns, but it should be) has a similar texture. Hey, if you love McDonald's hamburgers, this one's for you.

National chain Sugar Factory offers a "signature" Rainbow Sliders appetizer that consists of five mini burgers served on colorful buns with American cheese, crispy onions, pickles, and (again) a "signature" Sugar Factory sauce (spoiler- looks and tastes like Thousand Island). All this and a complimentary Sugar Factory Duck! The rainbow buns follow the chain's branding, which frequently features candy-like circles of the same color sequence.

It is tempting to attribute this low ranking to the price point — upwards of $37 when you factor in tax and a (again, presumably "signature") mandatory service charge. More likely, the problem is with the dryness of the meat, the overdone crunchiness of the buns, and the absolute drowning of everything in way too much sauce on both the top and bottom of the whole affair. If the sauce is indeed signature, perhaps they should consider shorthand. At least you take home the rubber ducky.

To tell the truth, BJ's and number four ranking Cheesecake Factory could have been interchangeable. What tipped the scales in Cheesecake Factory's favor is the fact that their order came with copious amounts of lettuce and pickles, like enough for eight sliders instead of the four in the order. Everything else — meat, bun, onions, and ketchup — were pretty much identical.

All that basically means is that the sliders do not stand out by any real measure. The order sampled was a little greasy, and the bun ended up absorbing a lot of it. While ketchup and sliders typically go together famously, you may find yourself asking for an additional amount than what is on the slider. You should skip the sliders, grab any buddies that are sensitive to gluten and head over to BJ's for something else, as they are one of the 15 best chain restaurants for gluten-free dining.

Cheesecake Factory offers a stupendous variety of menu items, the best and worst of which you can learn more about here. Their Roadside Sliders seem to fall somewhere in the "meh" category if there is one. Yes, they have the two main attributes of a burger slider- meat and bun. Cheese costs extra, but the onions do not. The sauce is none other than plain old ketchup, which in itself is not a bad thing.

The real issue here is that the entire package is a tad underwhelming in the flavor department. The meat is underseasoned, and with no cheese and just ketchup, there's not much getting you all the way to the "town of flavor" (since the alternative is apparently trademarked). If texture helps the overall game plan, thank goodness there's a heaping amount of shredded lettuce and pickle slices to give a much-needed crunch to the whole shebang.

Kona Grill sliders have two things going for them that earn their place in the rankings. First, their carmelized onions are thickly sliced, sauteed whole rings that are superior to the chopped or diced variety found elsewhere. Then there is the fact that, while the sliders have Thousand Island dressing, there are additional ramekins of Thousand Island and ketchup for dipping. Sugar Factory could take a note on what to do with all the sauce they put on theirs.

On another note of comparison, the case could be made that these sliders could be considered akin to an elevated version of the good ol' original White Castle mini burgers in both shape and components. The meat is more substantial, with the caramelized onions that have already been mentioned, but also eating the sliders off of porcelain kind of harkens back to those early days in Wichita, Kansas, in the 1920s.

Chili's has long been in the chain restaurant game with its family-friendly, comfort food dining plus a fun saloon for just the grown-ups. It's only logical that they would have sliders on the menu, and they even have a jazzy moniker like Big Mouth Bites. And while the Big Mouth Bites are not listed on a ranking of every Chili's appetizer, they certainly aren't considered one of the Chili's menu items worth skipping.

Consider the slider basics, like some form of prepped onions and possibly cheese, then add bacon bits and ranch. Mileage may vary with these two additions that seem to have gotten lost on their way to the salad bar, but they do strangely work in a way that at least charts a slightly different course on the slider sea. Additionally, the buns are more like dinner rolls that are perfect for the size of the patty.

While Yard House is known primarily as an underrated chain restaurant with a seriously impressive beer collection, you can't discount the food offerings. Its menu is all over the place in a good way, featuring a variety spanning Asian to Tex-Mex to American classics, and its sliders are a perfect example of the latter being done simply and deliciously. It's a lean, mean slider with no fancy frills, but man, does it hit the spot.

Almost like a smash slider, yet not quite a steakhouse slider, the Yard House slider keeps it simple with a meat-cheese-bun combination that is well-balanced with a light application of Thousand Island dressing. In the absence of a pickle, some onions, or even a little lettuce, you really get to taste the burger. And it's a pretty beefy bite, lightly seasoned with an oh-so-slightly pinkish center. This simple approach wins the race by a yard.

When ranking the preceding restaurant chain burger sliders, several factors were considered. First and foremost was flavor- did the finished order taste good? Secondly, did the order look appetizing? Finally, was there value in the order — regardless of the price, did it feel like it was worth the money? The lower-ranked sliders didn't really register on any of these measures, those in the middle hit the mark on some, and the top three addressed all three.

Ultimately, it is arguably a subjective methodology, one where each order was tested personally, and the evaluation is subject to the expertise and/or shortcomings of the taster. By all means, readers are encouraged to go forth into the restaurant chain world and taste these sliders for themselves to determine if the shoe (or bun, rather) fits. Even better, may the readers find burger bliss in whatever shape or size they see fit.