Slider Vibes is creating a buzz Downtown with its quick bites, shots and shakes.
“The menu is very simple, with about a dozen items,” co-owner David Ondik says. “It’s a fast-casual concept with a cool bar feel.”
The restaurant at 22 Market Square is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday and specializes in small sandwiches. There are four varieties of chicken sliders (fried, Nashville hot, barbecue and Buffalo), two burger offerings and a pulled pork option. Not a meat eater? Order a plant-based Impossible patty or a fried macaroni and cheese ball on a bun. Pair them with a side of fries, macaroni and cheese or coleslaw.
From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday, you can get any two sliders, a side of fries and a canned Coke product for $8.99. A $25 Party Box, which includes 10 sliders, is available for takeout only.
The drink menu boasts 15 shots, including the Big Ben Bomb, a mix of Crown Royal, peach schnapps, Red Bull and edible glitter. Slider Vibes also sells ice cream shots served in miniature cones with whipped cream and sprinkles on top.
You can create your own three-shot flight or order one of the combo suggestions.
Milkshakes, available in vanilla, chocolate, strawberry and cookies-and-cream, can be spiked with an assortment of booze from the full-service bar. If you’re not into sweets and shots, there’s beer on draft and in bottles and cans.
Located in the former Sienna on the Square space, Slider Vibes is sandwiched between The Yard and Nicholas Coffee & Tea Co. and has indoor and outdoor seating for about 50 people. Once the neighboring coffee shop closes at 3 p.m., Slider Vibes puts out more tables and chairs to accommodate their guests.
Ondik, along with his business partners Michael Allen and Nirav Patel, also runs LowKey Taco, Coach’s Bottleshop & Grille and The Yard’s four locations throughout Pittsburgh.
Ondik says they’re doing well despite the pandemic and plan to open more locations of The Yard to dish out more gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches. The friends, who dabbled in business and finance before opening eateries, will also soon take over the former NOLA on the Square site with a different concept.
Ondik is hopeful office workers will once again fill Downtown and flock to the new spots.
“We’ve had opportunities to open new spaces across Western Pennsylvania, but we wanted to be in Market Square,” he says. “It’s the heart of the city.”