My old man is a burger guy.
He could eat them anywhere.
I remember one time taking him out to dinner at a Mediterranean place and he ordered a burger, drawing an audible gasp out of the rest of us.
So when I saw that Little Lucharitos in Aquebogue was serving up sliders, I knew there was a market for it, even if my initial reaction was to wonder who isn’t content with the tasty Mexican treats they were already serving up.
“My kids were getting tired of tacos,” joked owner Marc LaMaina when I reached out to him about the new menu items.
The real story is that he and business partner Kevin Sage wanted to experiment with the concept of Little Lucha Burger and Chicken sliders and the Aquebogue location was a good place to experiment with it. And Lucharitos, now approaching nearly a decade since it first launched in Greenport, has never been afraid to try new things — a formula that has helped them find success.
So who was I to judge if they messed around with things other than the tacos and margaritas I’ve come to love? In fact, I figured I’d give it a try.
So here’s the scoop on what they’re offering, if you haven’t yet tried it.
The burgers come in five different styles: classic steamed burger, bacon and cheese, popper, guac and pico and black bean. While that’s mostly self-explanatory, the popper I’ll clarify is a burger with grilled onion and topped with a healthy serving of jalapeno popper filling instead. The chicken menu consists of classic, hot honey, chicken and cheese and a chicken basket (instead of the sandwich).
These can all be ordered as a box, which includes a pair of sliders and fries, lightly seasoned with a spice for $10 — a solid lunchtime takeout pricepoint. You can also just get the sliders in packs of 2 ($6), 4 ($12), 6 ($18) or 10 ($30).
The fries can be also be ordered a la carte or as cheesy fries or loaded with meat, queso, pico or sour cream and guac.
You can also choose from a range of dipping sauces, including buffalo, bourbon, avocado ranch and more for $1 each.
I ordered the classic steamed burger to get a taste of the baseline option. Now the whole slider concept might evoke thoughts of late night White Castle runs from party days past, but that’s not what they’re going for.
I’m happy to report that Little Lucharitos does a slider right. It’s not a steamed burger that tastes like it was marinated in a grease tin. It’s a restaurant quality slider that fits the Aqubogue location’s fast casual vibe.
LaMaina said the inspiration and guidance actually came from his friend Ralph Perrazzo, a noted gastropub chef, who previously owned the straightforwardly titled BBD’s Beers, Burgers, Desserts in Rocky Point — a concept he brought to Las Vegas. (I always loved that name. It’s like opening up a barber shop and calling it Hair.)
I also ordered up the popper because I’m a fat guy and I had the excuse of needing to taste a variety of options to write a more comprehensive piece. LaMaina says it’s the standout and it’s easy to see why people like it so much. All that cream cheesy goodness does a palate good.
I think, once again, Lucharitos might be on to something good and I’m excited to see how they expand the concept.
At the very least, my dad finally has something to order there.
