Tiny Dancer’s Tiny Sliders are the Best I’ve Ever Eaten.

The closure of the Arches back in 2015 hit a lot of Glaswegians pretty hard. Our city also lags behind so many others when it comes to street food. Platform has recently revived the much loved Arches space. It may not be a nightclub and it may not technically be street food since it’s located indoors, but it’s a phenomenal addition to the city’s food scene, with a huge variety of food to choose from and a super-stylish space to eat it in.

Platform features everything from burgers and curries to vegan grub and coffee. There’s even an ice cream taco stall. Each vendor is also housed in stalls which sort of resemble old-school arcade machines. There’s plenty of tables, scattered between the vendors and dedicated seating areas throughout. It looks seriously cool too.

I was here for Tiny Dancers. Not exactly a name you’d associate with burgers, but I’d heard a lot about their sliders. That’s pretty much all that they sell here, but what sets them apart is their focus on quality. The menu is extremely transparent, with the description of each slider detailing exactly where the meat has come from. Everything right down to the locally-produced buns are detailed. The beef is all grass-fed and sourced locally by Cranstons Butchers in Pollockshields for Tiny Dancers. The staff are eager to tell the customers about the quality of what’s on offer – clearly extremely passionate about what’s being served. It’s a refreshing start to the experience right from the moment you walk up to the stall.

There’s three sliders on offer at £4 each or you can go for the trio which includes fries all for £12.

We visited on a Saturday afternoon and as expected, the place was heaving. We quickly grabbed a space on top of a nearby barrel (there wasn’t a single free table) and sat our food down. With the first bite; however, I didn’t care that I didn’t have anywhere to sit.

The Gochujang, bursting with juices and a rich, smokey flavour that seemed to stick to my fingers long after I’d eaten, was simply stunning. It’s quite common for sliders to be treated like an afterthought on menus, or something that’s only served as a kids’ option – but these were in a different league. The juices kept flowing from this small slider with each bite and there was so much going on. The intensity of the beef really cut through the strong cheddar to provide a lovely balance the ever so slight spicy kick of the Gochujang sauce really finished it off with a nice added layer of complexity. This was the first slider that I ate and I almost wished that I’d ordered three of them, just to break down the flavours a little more.

It was easily the best slider I’ve ever eaten. The small brioche buns were perfectly toasted and stood up to all of the toppings packed in to one slider. No soggy brioche bottoms here.

The classic burger impressed too, with perfectly cooked and crisp bacon. It was a nice change of pace after the bold flavours of the Gochujang slider, yet still memorable enough to leave me wanting more. It was better than a lot of classic, full-size cheeseburgers that I’ve tasted recently.

I love blue cheese, but it can often overpower a burger. You need to nail the other toppings and get the balance just right for it to work. Thankfully, there was nothing to worry about here. The blue cheese was indeed strong, but the same excellent beef from the other sliders complimented it as opposed to being swallowed by it. The pear and rocket topping really cut into the strong blue cheese and delivered a sharp, tangy finish too. Until now, I’d never eaten pear on a burger, but this was a perfect combination of flavours.

Each trio of sliders was served with a portion of rosemary fries. These were crispy and well-cooked. Quality-wise, I had no issues but I’d have preferred a bit more rosemary. If I hadn’t read the menu before ordering, I’d have just though that they were regular fries. They still tasted good; however, so this was a very minor issue.

It’s so refreshing to see sliders taken seriously. The love and care put into making these really shines through from the first bite. I love how upfront they are about the quality and where everything is sourced from. The passion really shines through from the moment you place your order. Not only are these the best sliders I’ve ever eaten, but the Gochujang; in particular, was a thing of beauty and one of the best burgers I’ve eaten in a long time.

Platform is open every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 12pm-10pm. Don’t miss out on Tiny Dancers.

Price: £12 (fries included)

THE JUICY BITS

+ The best sliders I’ve ever tasted.
+ Extremely juicy.
+ Great variety of flavours across the three burgers.
+ Locally sourced, grass-fed beef. Great quality.
– The rosemary fries could have used a little more rosemary. If I hadn’t read the menu first, I’d have thought that they were plain fries. They still tasted very good, though!

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Tiny Dancers Sliders at Platform Glasgow.
The Arches
253 Argyle Street
Glasgow
G2 8DL
Website: www.facebook.com/PLATFORMgla/

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