Twins Team Up for Doubly Good Sliders

by Holly Madrigal

Eric Huckleberry has been cooking since he was sixteen years old. His first job was on the salad line at Outback Steakhouse, where he learned efficiency, consistency, and how to function in the kitchen. He and his twin brother Mike grew up outside Baltimore in a suburb called Middletown. From a young age they took turns making meals, often incorporating vegetables, berries, and melons from the garden out back. Their mom, who grew up on a farm, would can tomatoes and pickle vegetables, instilling a deep love of home-cooked food in the growing boys.

“Remember when we made dinner for prom?” Mike recalls as the twins laugh at the memory of serving dinner to all their friends, who were decked out in tuxedoes and gowns. After they graduated from high school, the brothers pursued different careers. Mike lived abroad, started his own contract procurement business, and landed in California in 2015. Eric got a business degree and worked both in and out of the food business before deciding to go to culinary school.

Mike always thought his brother’s food was “some of the best I’ve ever had,” and that he would love to start a business with him. Eric was up for the challenge, saying, “If you find someplace for me to cook, I’ll come out and run the kitchen.” In 2024, when Mike spotted a food truck for sale, he invited his twin to come out west—only to see it get snapped up before they could even make an offer. Not long after that, they found an empty storefront on Laurel Street just down the block from the Skunk Train. Though it was previously a retail store with no kitchen, the location was ideal and the Huckleberry brothers were motivated to do what it took to create a home for their slider shop. This meant essentially building a restaurant from scratch. The building owner and his wife supported the vision, and the team got to work.

Designing the building for a complete change-of-use is not a quick process. Even after construction, sign-offs were required from multiple city departments. During the long process, the twins were finding innovative ways to get their food in front of people, through pop-ups, farmers markets, and creative venues like gallery openings. Eric found a wealth of culinary resources to help him craft a menu that was locally based and seasonal. “You’ve heard of a food desert?” says Mike, “Well, here it is the opposite. We found farms, fishermen, suppliers—all within about forty miles.” They use Hard Head Bread brioche rolls for the sliders and Syd’s Tempeh for one of their vegetarian options. Syd actually worked through the recipe development with Eric, perfecting a toothsome yet tender tempeh. She also developed special molds to form the patties to the right size for the sliders.

Much of the protein is sourced locally or through local vendors like Caito Fisheries and Princess Seafood. For example, the Jetty Jumper has steelhead fromthe Columbia River with honey wasabi aioli and charred pineapple. The Princess includes fried oysters from the waters of Humboldt alongside hot sauce, goat cheese, and arugula. The two brothers share a love of food with bold flavors and have used this bounty of local ingredients to make a menu that goes way beyond the “burger on a bun” traditional slider.

Mike and Eric found a kindred spirit across the street in Patrick Broderick, the owner and brewer of Tall Guy Brewing. Patrick hosted Huck’s as a regular pop-up before their own location was operational. The brewery now has a kiosk where you can place your Huck’s order and sample local beers while you wait for someone to run it over to you. Nothing goes with freshly brewed beer like the Buff Chicken slider created from Buffalo Chicken with jack, pickles, and ranch. Or maybe a classic Shoreline Smokey of pulled pork, sweet chili, coleslaw and pickles.

“We want to keep this affordable but extremely high quality. Some people are reluctant until they actually try the food,” says Eric. You can find a cheap burger in Fort Bragg, but Huck’s has struck the balance of an affordable slider made with top quality ingredients and cooked with skill. The attention to detail is evident in every bite—Eric makes his pickles and sauces in-house. His favorite is the I’ll Be Your Huckleberry, which he describes as “my take on a Philly cheesesteak, but Maryland style.” The short sub roll has his specially roasted tri-tip steak with cheese sauce and pickled Fresno peppers.

You would need a heroic appetite to try all the different flavor combinations, since even one slider is the perfect amount to leave you satisfied. Eric has worked hard to make sure that, no matter which meal option you choose, all food preferences are accommodated. The Sweet Thang hasfried tofu, jalapeno agave sweet chili slaw, and hot sauce.

Eric adds, “We can do a vegan slider as well, but it takes a different bun since the brioche has eggs.” He is eager to make a slider that tempts every palate.

Huck’s is an easy choice if you are in the area for a bite. The lunch special includes any two sliders with a side for $15.Freshly fried house-made potato chips are my favorite, but you could also choose the Anytime Potatoes, fried Brussel sprouts, daily soup, or classic chili. There is a great kids’ menu with chicken tenders, mac & cheese, and a kid-sized burger.

During Huck’s grand opening on Memorial Day weekendlast year, the crew kicked out 150 orders in four hours. The winter is the slow time of year for the tourist economy, but now all those building permits are in the past. “The health inspector joked this was the cleanest restaurant he’s ever seen,” adds Mike. “It was because we really planned this out, it’s all new.”

Mike continues, “Our business model runs super close to the rail economically. We’re takeout, it’s quick, we’re not selling alcohol or coffee or those other high mark-up options.We’re just making excellent food for an affordable price.” They would love to expand, but first, the focus is getting the current operation on solid ground. While they have more big plans, for now they continue to concoct delicious, quick meals that match the adventurous spirit of the North Coast.

Huck’s Sliderhouse
139A E Laurel St, Fort Bragg
huckssliderhouse.com
Open Thu – Mon 11:00am – 9:00pm
Holly Madrigal delights in sharing what’s great about Mendocino County. She enjoys meaningful work with the Mendocino Land Trust and publishing this magazine.
photos by Nik Zvolensky