WildWich Gets to Burgering

The restaurant business has been trashed and thrashed free of its more easy-going ways. Dining has become a challenge. And for operators? A cardiac test in persistence. Closures, furloughs, lay-offs, and an outright decimated industry are left in the dust of the Corona-storm. We are a resilient bunch, but these challenges are constantly moving targets. Some owners have done well, some have not done well at all, and others are just, well, done. What’s a cook to do?

Mike Stanley has been hit and knocked down. Again. And again. Up like some charcoal-fueled flaming phoenix, Stanley, the head and heart behind the WildWich food truck, has flirted with and teased successful runs, near ruin, and the latest stretch of really good burgering. As a mobile vendor, the WildWich truck eked out a loyal following. Solid food, like the Jolly Mon and iconic T-Rex, were Stanley’s crowd pleasers, with devotees claiming some of the best sandwich builds in the area. Mobile service accolades led to a brick-and-mortar location in 2016, but the retail space on Delaware Avenue was an early victim as COVID-19 threw muck and mire at operations that couldn’t shoulder the drop in business. The space simply couldn’t hold its footing. Adding insult to injury, the WildWich food truck was struck and demolished. 

Stanley found himself neck-deep in the mustard and unable to catch up. The grace was gone from the owner/operator’s dining operations: a truck that isn’t rolling is some devil for the food truck business. So, a reimagined concept was aswirl as this kitchen veteran smashed burgers on the griddle into the rolling success of Slam Burger. 

With the blessing and borrowed mobile kitchen of Manuel Aguinaga from Ole Tapas, Stanley the burger phoenix soared. Slam Burger is all over the meal-on-a-bun scene. With “home” in an unlikely space – the parking lot of Mattress Firm – its residency is a Shangri La for devotees.

Far from those big, dry gut busters, the slim patties that Stanley skids across the flat-top grill are reminiscent of classic diner-style burgers more than the hefty abominations that dot menus elsewhere. “Food is the most meaningful experience you can have without another person,” opines Stanley. That commitment to memorable dining oozes from the food. An array of sauces to dress the burgers, including a smoky chipotle-mango, is just one of the knowing details this kitchen veteran dishes to guests. Homemade pickles and fun burger toppings like “frizzles” and fresh jalapenos are the touches that set these burgers on fire.