It’s a Small World

It’s a small world, after all. Popularity of mini burgers and similar items has been growing for a few years now. Of course, White Castle can sit and grin, knowing it was on the mini tip since day one. Here’s a recent sampling of what the rest of the chain foodservice world is offering in miniature form:

• Applebee’s: Mini Chicken Ranchers
• Bar 12•21 at Morton’s: Miniature Prime Cheeseburger Trio and Petite Filet Mignon Sandwiches
• Bennigan’s: Burger Bites, Fried Chicken Minis and Buffalo Chicken Minis
• Bonefish Grill: Bang Bang Tacos and Crab Cake Sandwich
• Buffalo Wild Wings: Cheeseburger and Pulled Pork Slammers
• Burger King: Burger Shots
• Captain D’s Fish and Chicken Snack Smackers
• Cheeseburger in Paradise: Killer Crab Burgers, Mini-Cheeseburgers and Mini Chili Dogs
• The Cheesecake Factory: Roadside Sliders
• Chick-fil-A: Chik-n-Minis
• Chili’s Grill & Bar: Big Mouth Bites, Chicken Crisper Bites and Buffalo Chicken Crisper Bites
• Claim Jumper: Happy Hour menu Mini Tri-Tip Dips, Fish Tacos, Sicilian Pizza Rullis and Meatball Sliders
• Damon’s Grill: Angus-Kobe Mini Burgers and Southern BBQ Pork Minis
• Dave & Buster’s: Bar Burgers, California Bar Burgers, Buffalo Bar Chicks and Chipotle Grilled Bar Chicks
• Friendly’s: Slider Munchie Mania
• Jack in the Box: Mini Sirloin Burgers
• Joe’s Crab Shack: Crab Cake Sliders and Blackened Shrimp BLT Sliders
• Keg Steakhouse & Bar: Keg Sliders and Tuna Minis
• KFC Snack Wrap
• Logan’s Roadhouse: Roadies and Porkies
• McCormick & Schmick’s: Kobe Beef Sliders
• McDonald’s: Chicken Snack Wrap, testing Snack Wrap Macs (mini Big Macs in flour tortillas)
• O’Charley’s: Good Time Grillers
• Popeye’s: Delta Mini
• Quiznos: Sammies
• Ruby Tuesday: Ruby Minis, Bacon Cheddar Minis, Turkey Minis and Crab Cake Mini
• Shaw’s Crab House: Mini Crab Cake Sliders
• T.G.I. Friday’s: Chicken Parmesan and Cheddar Bacon BBQ Sliders
• Ted’s Montana Grill: Bar None Sliders
• Uno’s Chicago Grill: Burger Sliders and Crispy Chipotle Chicken Sliders
• Village Inn: Crushers
• Wendy’s: Chicken Snack Wrap

Although traditional takes on burgers, as well as chicken, pulled pork, crab cake and other sandwiches, still maintain appeal across the board, some of the most-interesting examples of minis come in via culinary-inspired sauces and flavor profiles. At Claim Jumper, the Mini Tri-Tip Dips come with Emmentaler cheese and pickled red onion. Over at Joe’s Crab Shack, the Crab Cake Sliders and Blackened Shrimp BLT Sliders (with applewood-smoked bacon) come with remoulade, while the Killer Crab Burgers at Cheeseburger in Paradise have a roasted-red-pepper aioli. And at Keg Steakhouse & Bar, the pan-seared Tuna Minis have a tangy cucumber-wasabi sauce. Mini burgers often secure individuality via bread choice (Dave & Buster’s uses Hawaiian rolls for its Bar Burgers), branded sauces (Jack Daniels barbeque on the sliders at TGI Friday’s) and specific cheeses (Tillamook Cheddar on the sliders at Claim Jumper).

In a market awash with miniature choices, little points of distinction could make a world of difference.