Slater's 50/50 (Lake Forest) - Interrupt

Date of Dining: 2/10/13 
Price: $5 per appetizer, $9-18 per burger
Location: 24356 Swartz Ave, Lake Forest, CA 92630
website

The Quick Bit

+ knowledgeable and friendly service

+ same great Slater's 50/50 brand in a new location

+ great customization of burgers

Δ some small kitchen kinks still to work out

Disclosure: I was invited to attend a preview night event for this restaurant and the food price was comp'd

I recently visited Slater's 50/50 in San Diego for the first time, and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The Slater's brand provides gourmet burgers in a casual and relaxed atmosphere along with over 100 beers on tap, specialty cocktails, and beer cocktails. It is the brainchild of owner Scott Slater and Executive Chef Brad Lyons (read more about them in my previous coverage). When I received an invitation to attend the "preview night" of the new Lake Forest branch, I thought it was a great opportunity to re-live the experience.

brand new condiments

One thing I thought would be interesting was that due to my familiarity with Slater's 50/50, I was likely to know more about the menu and concept than my server. To my delight, my server ended up being great at his job; he knew the menu very well, he was friendly, and very responsive to any request. If it wasn't for his obvious nervousness with being an opening, I would have thought he was actually a veteran server from another location.

take 2 - french fries and beer battered onion rings

Perhaps the only mishap of the night was the take 2 appetizer. It is normal to expect some kinks to any new restaurant and our appetizer seemed to have been friend long ago and died under the heat lamp. However, the bacon ketchup and pumpkin sauce were so good that they almost rescued the dish.

design it - 1/3 lb angus, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, green chile, horseradish sauce

The design it was cooked to the desired temperature, and the horseradish sauce was an absolute hit. Rather than use store-bought horseradish, it was clear that the kitchen had made their own sauce as it was kicking strong and really complemented the flavor of the beef patty. The green chile also added that great pepper flavor without the heat to add an additional dimension to the burger.

burger of  the month - "pizza burger" hawaiian - 1/3lb 50-50 angus/sausage patty, mozzarella sticks
grilled pineapple, ham, marinara sauce

I elected to try the burger of the month, as the concept of the pizza burger sounded interesting. Overall, I was really happy with the burger as it really did taste similar to pizza, except that it was much better. The flavor of the 50/50 beef/sausage patty was extremely exciting. Coupled with the sweetness of the pineapple and the crunch from the mozarella, and the entire burger was enjoyable to eat.

cococarma - toasted coconut, caramel, chocolate cookie, ice cream

The cococarma features a warm cookie topped with ice cream. Just like the other place that serves a similar dessert, this was just as delightful. If you could have a warm girl scout cookie somoa topped with ice cream, the result would be the cococarma.

Conclusion

While many new restaurants need up to 3 months to catch their stride, I truly believe Slater's 50/50 in Lake Forest will be running full speed inside a week. In the mean time, enjoy the selection of beers and exciting burgers.

With the ability to translate the great Slater's experience so quickly and seamlessly, Slater's 50/50 is awarded the bit award.