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 to google what "sliders" mean. It's not commonly used word worldwide.
Try the cheeseburger available as a midflight snack on Cathay long-hauls. Somehow the fries turn out perfect and not stale!
As always the comments bring out the worst in people and all over a burger.
Hey @TravelinPenis, are you gonna blame Trump because AA's sliders and fries aren't that Great?
Is there a doctor in the house, John has a stick or maybe a penis up his arse that needs removing
John blames Biden (sorry, John refers to it as 'the AutoPen') when he stubs his toe. Either that, or Obama... He has 'ODS' after all (Obama Derangement Syndrome)... which, when said aloud, sounds like the word 'odious,' you know, like how John often acts.
I had this meal two weeks ago. It was disgusting. Full stop!
I knew the author was American when I saw them use the word 'but'. This word does not lend itself so easily to the American accent and takes away from what they are trying to communicate. Americans should use words such as although, however or except more often. My mother died in 1989 and every time I hear an American use this word I'm reminded of her making fun of how Americans say it. I...
I knew the author was American when I saw them use the word 'but'. This word does not lend itself so easily to the American accent and takes away from what they are trying to communicate. Americans should use words such as although, however or except more often. My mother died in 1989 and every time I hear an American use this word I'm reminded of her making fun of how Americans say it. I don't fly on planes or see or hear them flying anywhere near me. Airports & many of things associated with the aircraft industry are so very annoying and this includes the odd needs of plane passengers.
This is such an odd comment: telling an American how to use American English from someone commenting on an airline blog who doesn't fly on planes, never sees or hears planes and in fact finds planes annoying and cares nothing for the needs of passengers.
Can more people "heart" this comment for how exquisitely unhinged it is? Reading a website dedicated to airline travel when you "don't fly on planes or see or hear them"? Taking the time to comment when "Airports & many of the things associated with the aircraft industry are so very annoying"? Commenting on an American author's use of his native language? This is all so delightfully dumb I wish I could like it more.
Guys... I'm pretty sure Phase is just doing 'rage-bait'... *but* I'm not sure.
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.
Ha! I totally get the peer pressure part — everyone raves about the sliders, so you almost feel obligated to try them. But honestly, airline food can be such a gamble. I had those same American Airlines sliders and fries once, and they were a huge letdown — soggy fries, odd texture on the meat, and that lingering ‘why did I do this to myself’ feeling. Funny thing is, Delta seems to have cracked the...
Ha! I totally get the peer pressure part — everyone raves about the sliders, so you almost feel obligated to try them. But honestly, airline food can be such a gamble. I had those same American Airlines sliders and fries once, and they were a huge letdown — soggy fries, odd texture on the meat, and that lingering ‘why did I do this to myself’ feeling. Funny thing is, Delta seems to have cracked the code with their Shake Shack burger. I had it recently too, and it was surprisingly solid! The chips instead of fries were a smart move — they actually stay crisp at altitude. Goes to show, not all in-flight meals are created equal!
Confirming no ability to pre-order the AA burger at the moment. I tried on an upcoming domestic F leg the other day and it wasn’t an option.
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?
From what I remember, they heat the burger separately in a tray and the cabin crew actually takes the time to build the burger prior to serving.
Apparently from this photo, the burger is already "prebuilt" and just jam it in the oven.
And assemble(d) was the word I was looking for. ♂️
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.
Use an adblocker/browser with a built-in adblocker. I use Vivaldi & don't see any pop-up ads at all
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.
Sorry. No.
Please don’t make generalisation about “we as a society”. This is not how “we” work.
We compare things to what they are supposed to be. If you order a slider and it served on a hard bread with little meat and stale fried, it is not satisfying. At all.
I don’t think people give a free thumbs up to anything as long as it’s sugary and fatty. Most people would...
Sorry. No.
Please don’t make generalisation about “we as a society”. This is not how “we” work.
We compare things to what they are supposed to be. If you order a slider and it served on a hard bread with little meat and stale fried, it is not satisfying. At all.
I don’t think people give a free thumbs up to anything as long as it’s sugary and fatty. Most people would compare that to what they would consider a “good” dish that meets that description and go from there. And yes - there is such a thing as bad ice-cream (often served on planes) or a bad cake (ditto)
They’re awful. Overcooked. Yucko.
Delta’s partnership with ShackShack is better because it’s hard to mess those up.
United’s cheeseburgers were just fine, so second place.
I tried it recently too but I didn’t get it on a tray/plate no side salad and no dessert. All I got was a small white box. Would definitely not recommend it
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. :-)
Is Shake shack the standard for burgers? I hope not. I've tried them, and thought they were very greasy and just "okay." Nothing to ever go back for. Also, pretty expensive for what they were.
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
Well, it took a little while, but apparently you did. Blamed the victim, began the character-assassination smear-campaign. Yikes. If I were Delta, I'd learn from the Dr. Dao mishap, and settle that one, quickly.
@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
I would ignore everything that has come out of Andrew M’s mouth. “Guess what, I have a PhD in a relevant field as well” presumably means ‘I work for a large food corporation pushing ultra-processed junk like this’, hence the assertion that only calories matter and all calories are created equal. Particularly ironic here is the reference to ‘1980 diet science’ when there is now an emerging body of evidence that Andrew M’s views are...
I would ignore everything that has come out of Andrew M’s mouth. “Guess what, I have a PhD in a relevant field as well” presumably means ‘I work for a large food corporation pushing ultra-processed junk like this’, hence the assertion that only calories matter and all calories are created equal. Particularly ironic here is the reference to ‘1980 diet science’ when there is now an emerging body of evidence that Andrew M’s views are likely wrong and will probably look equally outdated in ten years time.
My advice is avoid eating ultra-processed junk like this and then maybe you won’t die over four years earlier than peers in equivalent rich countries as Americans currently do.
Are you allergic to science and data?
"99% of people don't need to worry about sodium" --> CDC: Nearly all Americans consume too much sodium. More than 90% of children and 89% of adults consume too much sodium (https://www.aha.org/news/headline/2016-01-07-cdc-nearly-all-americans-consume-too-much-sodium).
"Saturated fat might matter if you are already in the danger zone but most healthy people don't have to worry about it." --> just 34% of U.S. adults (age 20 and over) met the recommendation of...
Are you allergic to science and data?
"99% of people don't need to worry about sodium" --> CDC: Nearly all Americans consume too much sodium. More than 90% of children and 89% of adults consume too much sodium (https://www.aha.org/news/headline/2016-01-07-cdc-nearly-all-americans-consume-too-much-sodium).
"Saturated fat might matter if you are already in the danger zone but most healthy people don't have to worry about it." --> just 34% of U.S. adults (age 20 and over) met the recommendation of consuming less than 10% of their daily calories from saturated fat. This implies that 66% of U.S. adults are eating too much saturated fat, by that benchmark. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK588575/)
Sorry, I should have clarified my previous comment was directed at Andrew M (not at Gen Yinjing Youguan).
There is nothing negative about fat or sodium. They are part of an essential healthy diet
To @ Gen Yinjing Youguan.
I have to agree with the comment from @Andre M above. Most MDs are clueless and full of crap when it comes to understanding science. As for MD/Ph.Ds they are even worse as they are neither clinicians nor are they scientists. Looking thru a microscope in a path lab for year and getting a free Ph.D while doing a half hearted MD is biggest scam on earth.
Wake up....
To @ Gen Yinjing Youguan.
I have to agree with the comment from @Andre M above. Most MDs are clueless and full of crap when it comes to understanding science. As for MD/Ph.Ds they are even worse as they are neither clinicians nor are they scientists. Looking thru a microscope in a path lab for year and getting a free Ph.D while doing a half hearted MD is biggest scam on earth.
Wake up. Cardio doesn’t make you lose weight. It will certainly tone you. You lose weight by calories and calories only. Yes processed stuff and fat may not be good for you day in and day out but eating it occasionally is akin to drinking moderately or smoking cigars occasionally.
If you want to live as a hermit be my guest but if you get run over by a bus then you lost out on that one life extolling your MD/Ph.D which real docs or real scientist know it’s useless and is dumb as shit!
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 do you know how much cardio it takes just to burn 100 calories? 100 calories is a latte.
*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.
100% agree. Ice cream is the king of desserts. Amex is the king of premium cards. Charles is the king of England.
Spittin' mad-facts this mornin' ... on this... the day of CRS's Armageddon... *salute to the loss of the broad 3x travel category*
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!
I keep a wooden fork and spoon in my console from the KFC drive thru. I suggest smuggling a mini spice rack on board for fussy eaters.
Phase, *but* that's not practical...