Phil's Sliders: Unpretentious Fast Food

Sliders and Chocolate Shake at newly opened Phil's Sliders

       
            Like so many of my foodie adventures, my trip to the newly opened Phil’s Sliders in Downtown Berkeley began with some requirements: Ben and I needed to find a place to eat that we could get in and out of before our date with Harry Potter in an hour, a place that was delicious enough to be worthy of this blog, and a place that was pretty enough to make it worth carrying my giant and super heavy SLR digital camera all the way to downtown Berkeley. Oh, and not to mention, I was craving burgers and something light at the same time. After a quick consultation to the almighty Yelp app on my phone, we found Phil’s Sliders, which exceeded even my most demanding expectations.

            For starters, we were offered a choice: we could either order sliders or…sliders. This limitation in meal options was hardly a drawback for me and my extremely indecisive nature that exponentially worsens the hungrier I get. After ordering 4 sliders and a chocolate milkshake to share, we took our seats and began to notice how adorable the place really was. No matter which direction I looked, I found something that pulled at my heartstrings. To my right was an exposed brick wall, that had a plaque attached to it, telling this super sweet story about the owner’s father, Phil:

“I was 12 years old and my parents Phil and Hadele were hosting one of their many parties; our big but never big enough formal dining room table crowded knee-to-knee with adults. I was sitting next to my dad, and sitting next to me was a foreign exchange student who had been brought to the party by one of my parents’ friends. She was maybe 21, the only other “kid” at the table besides me, and barely spoke a word of English. In fact, she was so quiet, looking down at her plate the whole time, it seemed like she was trying to disappear altogether. Midway through the meal, as she was reaching for a bread roll, she accidentally knocked over her glass of red wine onto the white tablecloth, the stain quickly spreading across the fabric. Everyone froze, except my father. Barely pausing between bites, my dad casually backhanded his own wine glass onto the table. Laughter filled the room and I could tell that the exchange student was relieved. I’ve never forgotten that moment…” (thanks Berkeleyside for the quote)

            To my left was a giant chalkboard that any guests were free to write on and of course, I had to do it; I drew them a pretty heart to show my appreciation. The whole place simply exuded an unpretentious and loving atmosphere that went a long way towards winning my affection.

Making my mark on the giant chalkboard.

Ben, with exposed brick backdrop.

            And my fondness for Phil’s only increased after our food arrived: four simple sliders consisting of lettuce, special sauce and grass-fed beef. Although small, these were pretty tasty in and of themselves and luckily Ben and I weren’t so hungry. But, oh my, the chocolate shake. That chocolate shake, one sip and I was hooked. It was so potent that it even got Ben and I, normally very comfortable sharers, competing over the last few sips. Next time, we’re definitely getting two. 
         
            Sooner than we knew it, our experience at Phil’s was over. We started the evening looking for something to satisfy my many food desires, and we got much more. I will definitely be returning soon for more chocolate shakes and sliders, to tackle their potato tots and homemade sodas, and of course, to appreciate their heartwarming atmosphere.

Be back soon Phil's!