I couldn’t help myself. After all that I’ve heard about American Airlines’ “all-American sliders and fries,” I finally ordered them. Were they what I was expecting? Well, sort of…
In this post:
American’s very popular first class sliders & fries
I’m not going to get on my soapbox here (okay, maybe I will), but I have a general system I follow when it comes to ordering airplane food. I typically try to avoid ordering things that don’t reheat well, given the obvious logistical challenges of preparing airplane food.
Sometimes airlines like to get creative with the food they serve in premium cabins, and earlier this year, American introduced sliders and fries as an option in domestic first class, only for pre-order. Now, I must admit, I’m not a huge burger person in the first place, but it seems that serving good sliders and fries on a plane would be especially challenging, given how they have to be reheated.
Nonetheless, American has been serving these sliders and fries in first class for quite a while now. Several months back, they apparently became so popular that American had to temporarily suspend them, as catering facilities reportedly had a hard time keeping up with demand. It’s a wild world we live in, eh?
It seems this became a larger than life thing, so I couldn’t help myself. How could I not order the thing that everyone else is ordering? I was even more intrigued because I heard some people raving about the sliders and fries, and others saying they were disgusting.
American’s sliders & fries were exactly what I was expecting
I finally did it, and tried American’s sliders and fries. Admittedly I had very low expectations, but they were exactly what I was expecting:
- The pretzel buns on which the meat was served weren’t exactly fresh or soft, but instead, were quite hard
- The fries of course weren’t crisp, but to my surprise, they also weren’t terribly soggy; instead, they were a bit more tasteless than I was expecting, and almost just tasted like slightly stale potatoes
- There wasn’t actually much meat, but it was fine; it’s not like you’re expecting amazing quality meat on American, or anything
- Side note — as an almost lazy vegetarian, I actually quite liked the side salad!
So yeah, the sliders and fries basically tasted exactly how I was expecting. They were quite satisfying and reasonably tasty, but then again, what fried and carb filled dish isn’t?
I tend to think this is one of those areas where we collectively do a bad job as a society with how we categorize and describe food. Sure, most things that have a lot of carbs, or sugar, or whatever, are also rather tasty… right? I mean, I’d love to devour a bag of Oreos, or a 2,000 calorie ice cream sundae.
The sliders and fries are certainly a comfort food that’s easy to chew on and to not complain about. I guess the way I view, if I’m going to indulge in something, I’d rather it be something legitimately great, rather than falling in the category of “well, it’s fried, so of course it’s not bad tasting.”
Let me put it this way — if I were served this on the ground, I wouldn’t be impressed. And I think most people being honest with themselves would agree. But of course we lower our standards a bit on planes, and for good reason.
Bottom line
I finally tried American Airlines’ first class sliders and fries, given that they’re apparently very popular with travelers. I wondered how good sliders and fries could be on a plane, given that airplane meals are prepared many hours in advance, and are then reheated.
So yeah, the dish was as expected. Were the sliders and fries of comparable quality to what one would hope for on the ground? I’d say no. Is fried stuff and bread pretty tasty, even if it’s subpar? I’d say yes.
If you’ve had American’s sliders & fries, what’s your take?
I had this meal two weeks ago. It was disgusting. Full stop!
I ordered the sliders just on a whim (for the reasons Ben is saying) for a flight next week.
I'm going to change it tomorrow. But not the Salmon/grains bowl which has been around since the beginning of the jet age.
For what it's worth, Cathay Pacific serves up pretty decent cheeseburgers on most of their long-haul flights, on soft brioche buns and with fries that are almost legit. Perhaps there is a special oven in their galleys that makes it possible?
Or perhaps Cathay employs cabin crew who give a shit?
I bet the popularity has to do with burgers and fries being a 'reliable' food. If you're ordering a grilled steak or something and it's not good, it's absolutely terrible. Burgers and fries are pretty easy to prepare, they hold up well at every stage of the supply chain, and can be more engineered to the modern taste buds than most foods.
I can’t even read the comments on your blog anymore. You have so many ads interrupting, it’s glitchy and frustrating AF.
On the bright side you're not really missing much in the comment section
betterbub, au contraire mon frère…
So, why don't I have this problem?
I don't have the problem either. I have a certain browser extension.
More evidence white people can’t do food.
Absolutely revolting and third world.
@BZ Third world countries do the best food, actually! They know how to use seasoning….
I have a theory that regions that experienced widespread poverty more recently were forced to innovate and be more creative with food more recently, meaning they are more 'efficient' with their food (more taste per 'food'). The US was too wealthy for too long to need any creativity in their food
You are so right. Italian and French food really s◇ck.
It really makes for a great picture - and that is what this is all about
Apparently Shake Shack isn't sharing their recipe w/ anyone. :-)
Tim, Delta’s got the best burgers in the sky, so far. Hands down.
Tim,
if you're still going to Shake Shack for your burgers.
Newsflash -- it's 2025. Those were cute in 2018.
Ben's review stands right next to 1990's commentary.
You do lose it when DL wins at a game someone else started.
I really don't. But it's nice to see you monitoring comments to reply to me, as usual.
But if you think Shake Shack is cool, they haven't been for about 7 years. Heads up buddy. Nobody said AA's no-name sliders were an extra brand of cool, but Shake Shack hasn't been "viral" or cool for years now. But I'm glad Delta found themselves an old-news soggy crinkle cut fry. It's very on brand for them.
Tim, since we’re talkin’ food and Delta, any comment on the incident with Nightshade recently… see VFTW and LALF…
Tim, I do appreciate most of your comments and opinions. However, I will say the best burger in the sky is on SQ or CX.
Vinod, true, SQ is excellent, but, I was thinking more-so US carriers and domestic First meals. Like, it’s sorta apples and oranges if we’re gonna bring Asian carriers to the mix. I’d take EK F caviar over Delta, every day.
1990
if I wanted to comment on the nightshade incident, I would have done so.
yes, DL's competitive set is US carriers.
Max,
you do realize you replied to my comment? Your sense of reality is, once again, deeply disoriented.
and, 2, you do realize DL serves chips, not fries, w/ the shake shake burger?
and, 3, there are 24 time zones in the world. not everyone is always in one of the 4 for the continental US
@Ben, wait until DL comes up with an Andrés'd version of it and you'll say "what a moment!" again ;)
They already have the Shake Shack partnership. In fairness, it's supposed to be significantly better than the AA sliders. I'm still not ordering a burger on a flight any time soon...
The reason this shit is popular on AA is AA is popular with uneducated backwater residents of the south where a proper diet is not culturally recognized.
There’s a reason the Delta One Lounge JFK, Polaris EWR all serve plant based foods high in fiber, antioxidants, and nutrients. Lean proteins like chicken and turkey are also on offer. Educated high end premium passengers who care about their health and wellness fly out of DL hub JFK and UA hub EWR.
As opposed to all the Delta passengers flying through Atlanta, Detroit, and Minneapolis?? You are about as unhinged as Tim.
Reason there’s no delta one lounge at ATL, DTW or MSP is the low profitability of passengers flying through there
DL's DTW and MSP hubs are infinitely more profitable than either AA or UA at ORD right now.
There's something to be said for dominating an airport so you don't have to worry about the pesky competition.
Polaris Lounges also have absolutely glutinous burgers and they are freaking delicious, even in the cultural paragon that is Newark, New Jersey
Will, best Portuguese food outside of Porto is Newark’s Ironbound. If you know, you know.
Stop eating this shit. Fried foods are high in saturated fats which increase cholesterol and raise your risk of cardiac episodes. Please avoid this. AA and other airlines make it easy now to choose whole and plant-based foods that hew to Mediterranean-style diets which demonstrably improve health outcomes.
Calories are not the issue. Calories can be burned off with a nice cardio workout. Fat, sodium, added sugars and other shit cannot. A workout is not a license to eat whatever.
What are you talking about? A calorie is a calorie. It doesn't matter where it comes from. The problem with foods like this is that they are very calorie dense but not that filling, as compared to vegetables which are the opposite.
Andrew are you dense? Not talking about calories but about fat, sodium, other negative things.
Please reread my post
If you still can’t parse what I’m on about, try enrolling in remedial reading comprehension
99% of people don't need to worry about sodium. Fat is irrelevant, caring about it is 1980s diet science. The main thing humans have to worry about is the number of calories they eat. Saturated fat might matter if you are already in the danger zone but most healthy people don't have to worry about it. You are relying on outdated junk nutritional science.
Lol I am an MD/PhD but feel free to spread dangerous misinformation I guess?
Eat healthy
Guess what, I have a PhD in a relevant field as well. Most MDs I know have really bad ideas about diet. I guess they don't teach nutritional science in med school.
Of course physicians learn nutrition in med school. They learn it at molecular level. The claim that "doctors don't learn about nutrition" is a lie that's usually spread by quackz like naturopaths and chiropractors.
More the point, that slider and fries is rubbish, calorie-dense and nutrient-poor. If you enjoy this type of dish as an occasional treat, that's fine. If you're eating like this several times a week, you're asking for trouble, and you know it.
“… I am an MD/PhD..,”
The reason you’re so full of crap is that you eat so much of it, right out of your mom’s toilet, one presumes.
Good grief, you’re not only dishonest, you’re pathetic.
While I'm hoping no one here gets their nutritional advice from Andrew M, nor Gen, nor myself, there is something to be said about quality rather than just quantity. Well, if your only concern is weight gain/loss, sure, the calorie amount may be the most important. However, there are myriad positive and negative effects on our whole body depending on the source/quality of the nutrients we consume. Some foods will make you feel hungry faster,...
While I'm hoping no one here gets their nutritional advice from Andrew M, nor Gen, nor myself, there is something to be said about quality rather than just quantity. Well, if your only concern is weight gain/loss, sure, the calorie amount may be the most important. However, there are myriad positive and negative effects on our whole body depending on the source/quality of the nutrients we consume. Some foods will make you feel hungry faster, cause faster glucose spikes, etc. Again, NO ONE should be taking health advice from comments on a travel blog, even if they claim they have the degrees
There is nothing negative about fat or sodium. They are part of an essential healthy diet
The type of fat is absolutely relevant. For example, every gram of trans-fat consumed is a gram too much. The claim that a calorie is a calorie just isn’t correct. A carb (or worse yet sugar) heavy diet is terrible, even if you somehow control your calorie intake. There are many studies that support this.
*Lol I am an MD/PhD but feel free to spread dangerous misinformation I guess?" LOL, you are person with no success, but you love to pretend to be what? Idiot lawyers, high-paid executives, or whatever. You are neither interesting or funny. This is pretty much what your mom has been saying since you started living in her basement.
Can they rotate out that cheesecake thing already??? That has to be the most inoffensive “well I guess I just had dessert” dessert I’ve ever eaten.
This meal would be low on my list. Agree with your philosophy. If I’m not getting the cold salmon/grains thing or the AVML, I’d probably go with the enchiladas if I wanted comfort food because they reheat well. I like a good burger from time to time, but this...
Can they rotate out that cheesecake thing already??? That has to be the most inoffensive “well I guess I just had dessert” dessert I’ve ever eaten.
This meal would be low on my list. Agree with your philosophy. If I’m not getting the cold salmon/grains thing or the AVML, I’d probably go with the enchiladas if I wanted comfort food because they reheat well. I like a good burger from time to time, but this is not that. Most appealing thing on that tray was the salad. Short rib reheats well with Mac and cheese and is a crowd pleaser, of course.
Best desserts in the sky are the sundaes, like on Flagship, Polaris, DeltaOne.
At least they didn't serve you a side of bread with it!
But in all seriousness, I don't think I can stomach something greasy like that on a flight. While I've had my share of a burger and chips (fries) on CX, it wasn't as greasy. And the ketchup was in a mini glass bottle which I prefer over a packet.
Those burgers in CX FC are freakin’ awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!11!!!!
No shame in a one and done
Oof. Jags started out so strong… now 4-3. Jacksonville… one and done. 904. Duuuval.
I had them on a TUS/DFW/PBI flight back in August. They were horrible. It's the worst thing I have ever been served on a plane in years.
I also had the Delta Shake Shack Burger on a recent flight and it was above expectation. Instead of fries (which I think are impossible to do on a plane) they server nice crisp potato chips. The burger was good sized and it was quite tasty.
You can eat it all without cutlery. Perfect solution for airline security officers.
This brings an image of passengers shoving a fistful of salad into their face. Pretty sure I wouldn’t eat the salad or cheesecake without a fork. ;)
Well, I keep a knife and fork in the car, and use it when I go to burger joints!