CuriosiD: What’s with all the white tile burger joints in metro Detroit?

In this episode, we dig into the savory history of the area’s tiny, white slider-serving diners.

At one point Detroit had dozens of the white-clad slider spots, but now only about a dozen remain.
Photo credit: Kane Bergstrom, WDET

In this episode of CuriosiD, we answer the question:

“Why are there so many white, similar looking slider joints in metro Detroit?“

The Short Answer

Introduced by German immigrants, the hamburger was popular with the working class from the late 19th century through the early 1900s. But a series of stories about gross conditions in the Chicago meat packing industry turned many off to the quick, affordable food. Then in Wichita, Kan., the first White Castle opened in 1921. Serving up the tiny, greasy griddle-fried burger with some onions and adding a pickle turned into a huge success. That spurred imitators across the country — and the trend boomed in Detroit after World War II. At one point Detroit had dozens of the white-clad slider spots, but now only about a dozen remain.