Last month, we attended a media preview of the new San Marcos location of Slater’s 50/50, where we sampled new menu items with beer pairings and met the owner and executive chef. Mr. K was particularly excited. As I’ve mentioned in the past, he really loves Slater’s.
The restaurant has some unique decor, including a giant mural with owner Scott Slater enjoying a beer with some pigs.
Deconstructed Guacamole (paired with Ritual Brewing Monk’s Lunch)
Each dish was accompanied with a beer pairing. The new San Marcos location has 102 beers on tap. The first new dish we previewed was the deconstructed guacamole. This reminded me of a refreshing avocado salad, sprinkled with Tapatio sauce for some heat. It tasted light and I loved the large avocado slices that were the star of the dish. The chips the dish was paired with were particularly interesting. They were airy and flaky, unlike most tortilla chips.
Vampire Dip (paired with Legacy Founding Fathers Nut Brown Ale)
Next we went to a popular menu classic and one of my personal favorites. The vampire dip is a rich and garlicky cheese dip, accompanied by crunchy pita chips and bread, and served in a bread bowl.
Loo-siana ‘Gator Mac n Cheese (paired with Deschutes Hop Henge Experimental IPA)
The creamy macaroni and cheese is sprinkled with crisped up breadcrumbs. I did feel like the gamey sausage got a little lost in the pasta dish.
Turkey Leg French Dip (paired with Societe The Harlot)
This comfort dish is served with a whole turkey leg bone. The grilled bread sandwich is paired with a thick soup reminiscent of cream of mushroom, perfect for dipping.
Peanut Butter and Jealousy (paired with Pizza Port San Clemente Dusk Til Dawn)
Another return to a Slater’s classic. I’ve always been curious about this one but was afraid to try it. To my surprise, I liked it. The creamy peanut butter heightened the flavors of the patty and the jelly added just a touch of sweetness.
California Burrito Burger (paired with New English Dragoon)
This was one of my favorite new items of the night. The clever burger mimics all the flavors of a California burrito, including a carne asada beef patty and complete with thick-cut crunchy fries. My one issue was that the burger patty was spicy and I usually don’t add any hot sauce to my burritos.
Bacon Brownie (Modern Times Monster’s Park)
I’ve never had any desserts at Slater’s because I’m always too full. This bacon brownie was over-the-top rich. Two layers of dense and fudgy brownies, frosted with ganache, and studded with generous pieces of bacon sandwiched in the middle and on top.
We had a good time at the media preview. I’m excited to go back and try the new menu items on my own. And I also liked getting to meet the owner and hear how he started his successful restaurant chain. I was particularly surprised to find out how young he is. He’s around the same age as me and he has seven successful restaurants. It made me feel like I need to do more with my life!
Disclaimer: As indicated above, this was a media preview dinner. I was not further compensated for this review and all my opinions are my own.
Slater’s 50/50
110 Knoll Road
San Marcos, CA 92069
https://slaters5050.com/
I keep hearing that about the peanut butter burger! No one expects to like it but its actually quite good. Hmm might have to give it a try!
It takes a little getting used to, but I liked it!
I need to go there just for dessert, because that always happens to me, too. The best thing I’ve gotten from them is the buffalo chicken mac n cheese.
Ooh I’ve never had the buffalo mac n cheese!
Were the chips served with the guacamole flour tortilla chips? Those are the only kind I’ve had that were flaky. I’d be tempted to eat the deconstructed guac as a salad!
I’m glad they’ve opened a location in San Marcos – we tend to be up there more often than the Point Loma area, so maybe we’ll get to visit Slater’s more often!
You know, that totally makes sense. They didnt say but I was wondering why it was so flaky. I’ve never had flour tortilla chips, but I’m betting that’s what they were. The San Marcos location is quite nice! I also though the deconstructed guac could work well as a salad.