The Reuben
Slide food cart, Capitol Square at Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. and second, roving cart
Everything on the menu at Slide is a slider, and it can be hard to choose among them. If it’s featured, try the Reuben, which is an extra-tasty version of the classic with corned beef and housemade Russian dressing.
Lamb sliders
Merchant, 121 S. Pinckney St.
Merchant may be the slider king of Madison. In this version, lamb is joined with some pork; topped with Door County cherry mustard (you can really taste the cherry), caramelized shallots, smoked gouda and mustard greens, all on a toasted pretzel bun. It’s on the steep side for a relatively diminutive burger ($14 with choice of side), but worth it.
BBQ pulled pork sliders
Vintage Spirits, 529 University Ave.
The price is right for these pulled pork sliders in a chipotle-peach sauce — three for five bucks? It’s true. It’s also exactly right that the barbecue is topped with coleslaw.