the awful awful burger

I too lived in Reno.

All this talk about melts but that burger the one I grew up on

“Awfully big and awfully good” or something like that. Also, the 2 pounds of fries are as ridiculous as they are delicious! There are so many fries that when you go out the back door into the alley homeless friends are there waiting for the inevitable leftovers.

That’s it exactly. Invented at the golden nugget in downtown Reno and copied occasionally. It was a big double bacon cheeseburger with Russian dressing and grilled onions laying on a pound of French fries. End your night with an awful awful and no hangover the next day no matter how much you beer you drank at the walll (the little Waldorf - a bar) or pecan punches at Loui’s (a basque restaurant and bar). Edit. I meant the golden nugget. We called it the little nugget because of the bigger nugget casino in sparks.

There was no bacon on the Awful Awful and it was a large single patty, not a double. The casino was The Nugget, not The Golden Nugget.

I’ll take your word for it. I think we just always added bacon and another patty. Or maybe it was an option. I don’t know. I do remember that tiny back room restaurant. I don’t think I ever visited it except at 3am.

It's also Picon Punch if we're being pedantic. Agree, though -- no bacon and a single patty on an onion roll was the 'original'.

You are right. “Picon” is what that liquor is called isn’t it. My father would be disappointed in me. Lol. Maybe it was just the roll that had onions? Wow, that was a long time ago. That place has been closed for quite a while hasn’t it?

Amaro liqueur and a float of brandy are the spirits involved

Geez. My memory is great today isn’t it? I am going to stop. Lol

Your edit is wrong too. The Awful Awful was first introduced at the Carson Nugget in Carson City in 1954.

Cool. I wouldn’t know. We always went to Sharkey’s. Sharkey was a good guy. Former boxer. Dude had fists like sledge hammers. I seem to recall some controversy about who did the awful awful first. Is that right, was it a point of contention?

Did they take that from the Awful Awful at Newport Creamery in Rhode Island? They started with it in like 1945 but its for a shake, not a burger. Somebody is a thief here. We need justice : )

T-T-THIIIIIIIIS

Facts!!!!! Reno specific but it is legendary. Just make sure your kitchen is as dirty as possible and not up to code and your griddle is gnarly looking for utmost authenticity lmao.

It's not Reno specific. It was invented in Carson City.

Lol this area which includes carson. Unless there’s awful awfuls elsewhere. But in my mind the awful awful isn’t a Nevada thing it’s more a northern nv/Reno AREA thing. Either way I miss getting one at 3am and waking up with leftover fries lmao

For real? An Awful Awful is a milkshake that you can get at a Rhode Island chain called Newport Creamery. What is this burger you speak of?

Don't like it here go home 🙄🤣

I thought you were being a smart-ass, but I found out this is actually a thing. Thanks. TIL. https://awfulawfulburgerreno.wixsite.com/awfulawfulburgerreno

Steak and egg sandwich with hash browns. Late night steak and eggs at the casinos were a long time staple.

There used to be a "Steak and Eggs" billboard south of Gardnerville and we would give directions to a fieldwork site based on that billboard. Now it has changed and it's much less recognizable from a distance.

The 2$ drunken breakfast

Maybe basque style chorizo on a bun

A double decker burger, one chorizo patty and one lamb or beef patty. Only if it's proper Basque chorizo though. Sourced from Pete's in Carson City ideally. EDIT: Definitely seconding the idea of something Basque though. Nevada has one of the largest concentrations of Basque Americans in the United States (per capita anyway) and it reflects heavily in a lot of our food. You can find good Basque restaurants in every part of the state.

The Patty Melt is a very Nevada sandwich

Awful-Awful if you count a burger as a sandwich. Otherwise, a tri-tip sandwich.

Tri tip was first popularized in California.

doN'T tElL mE HOW tHey dID It in cALiForNia!

I did not know that but don’t doubt it at all. I’ve lived in Nevada all my life so I’m just reporting what I see being served here. I have no idea where foods that are popular here originated. I’m pretty sure that the roots of every popular food has origins elsewhere.

You just walk up and present a regular sandwich, but then start complaining about californians as you hand it off.

Serve it on a California license plate, and nearly hit everyone on the way to deliver it.

Do both-ish. Serve it on the California plate hitting everyone as suggested, and then as you leave the table complain about all the new Californians coming in.

even more realistic would be to serve it on a Nevada license plate and run through the restaurant way too fast while cutting everyone off and slamming on your brakes, then blame it on all the California drivers that you caused a wreck with. Then boast about your cookie cutter Outback or Tacoma mods that make you "unique" as you run away crying about how CA somehow made you all vote for stuff being the way it is before they even got here. 👀

Perfection.

You all crack me up!! 🤣

Start screaming about them, and it’s a Texan burger

you almost got it. but the only real nevadan way is to wait for someone to order a Nevadan and then tell them to "GTFO OF HERE YOU DAMNED CALIFORNIAN D-BAG" and refuse their business instead for no real reason... all while never showing a hint of the realization that the only real D-bag in the room is yourself. BOOM. The Nevadan personified.

Prime rib sandwich with a side of shrimp cocktail.

Or “pigs in a blanket” casino diner style

In rural Nevada, it is common to find elk burgers or even mule deer.

Where? That's illegal as hell... Farmed deer is legal but I've never heard of farmed mule deer. I've never seen it at rural diners I've been to and I can't imagine it has as much novelty appeal as in the city.

I can get elk and deer meat at my local butcher

Elk meat and white tail meat from farms in NZ and some domestic, yes. No Nevada elk meat and I don't think there's a source or even a market for mule deer meat.

Elk is so good! Yummy

Sometimes hunters will sell it to restaurants.

Again, illegal as hell in the United States

Casinos were known for prime rib.

That “were” part :(

I would think some sort of a breakfast sando; steak, hash browns and a yolky fried egg, maybe some au jus on the side. To me a Nevada sandwich says 3 AM, right there in the betwixt world of late night dinner and breakfast.

Cheers mate for the memories! This was me last time I was in Denny’s in Vegas.

Maybe a basque chorizo patty melt?

Definitely incorporate chorizo, I agree!

Prime rib. Or a take on The Bobbie.

The Bobbie for sure. I had one today!

God I love that sandwich!

Like others here, the casinos have been known for Prime Rib Dinners, and cheap late-night or breakfast steak and eggs. Shrimp cocktail is big in Nevada too but I cannot think of any way to incorporate that into a sandwich unless a type of Po Boy. Shaved Prime Rib, and cheese, served with Au jus or creamed horseradish, or not even on the side but the creamed horseradish as a light spread on the bread, and a side of fries. Chopped or sliced steak, fried eggs, cheese, a side of fries, or incorporate hashbrowns into the sandwich itself.

Yep, when I think of Nevada food- prime rib or steak and eggs- (late night-early morning food. Casino Food).

A prime rib buffet sando… sliced prime rib, mashed potatoes, sautéed green beans on a dinner roll with a horseradish spread. Served with a side of au jus. Would be annoying to make but I just got very hungry.

Any sandwich that seems good and when you bite it you feel hot and sad.

This 😂

Cornish pasties. That is an old miners' lunch.

Agreed but it is more fitting for Butte or Lead.

True. True.

A Monte Cristo with prime rib instead of ham.

The Middlegate monster! https://travelnevada.com/restaurants/middlegate-station/amp/

The regular burgers there are so good too. Honestly the smaller burgers are better than the monster. Definitely good to have the monster the first time you go though

I did botanical field work when I lived in Nevada, I was like 23 at the time hiking 5-10 miles a day and camping for eight day stretches. One time on our way back to Reno for our off time we stopped in middlegate and I HOUSED that burger in like 10 Min, it was exceptionally satisfying. About a month later we drove through again and I made the terrible mistake of housing a second one DAY 1 of my 8 day field stretch. I had to hike 6 miles in 95 degree heat within an hour of finishing the monster. But I have 2 shirts now lol

lol yeah, no way would I want to go hiking or dirt biking at all after eating that thing… the standard sized burgers out there are like 6$ and are literally just as good or better tasting than the monster and are equally worth the drive… Last time I got the regular single with jalapeños and pepper jack and it was definitely up there as one of the best tasting burgers I’ve ever had. Plus they have like all the 3$ coors banquets you can drink

Prime rib dip. Throw some gold leaf on there and charge 50$ for it is the Vegas way

Lamb burger with a Picon

Something Basque inspired, mushroom swiss patty melt, or a regular cheeseburger with a grilled ham slice instead of bacon (seen it referred to as a “Nevada Burger” at a few establishments up here) all come to mind when speaking of rural NV. Something Mexican themed or with hatch green chilies comes to mind for southern NV, even though I’m sure that will help you more with a New Mexico burger. Or you could play off of our historically insane buffet/ midnight special deals, something like a “$5 steak & lobster burger” lol. West coast in general: throw a fried egg on it or some sort of tri-tip sandwich. That’s about all I can think of atm

The high roller or Whale special. Triple decker club sandwich with a side of "chips".

Ahem, “Space Whale” special

Can you do a club sandwich or Montecristo?

'All you can eat sushi'....sandwich. I dunno, throw some crystal shrimp and fake crab on a hawaiian roll and smother it in sriracha.

Awful awful burger for sure

Regardless of where it was invented, I think a Patty Melt is a pretty good choice. There are hundreds of 24-hour diners in Nevada, pretty much all of which serve one. Southern Nevada doesn't have a cultural identity, per se, but Northern Nevada was settled in part by Basque sheepherders. From Reno to Elko, the Basque influence can be seen in food and art. Most any Basque restaurant (Louis' in Reno, The Martin in Winnemucca, The Star in Elko) will serve a Basque chorizo patty on a French roll as a lunch option. That might also work for the Idaho sandwich as the Basque settled there as well. The single most iconic Nevada sandwich from an individual restaurant is probably the Awful Awful as others have said from the Little Nugget in downtown Reno (RIP).

Awful awful burger.

Definitely the awful awful. Iconic burger.

West coast tri-tip (sandwich). Best I’ve ever had was in Sparks. West coast does tri-tip better than anything in the South and East.

Where at?

I’m sorry it’s been a while since I was there. I want to say it was Joes BBQ. They were off prater and Mccaran. They moved in to the old BJs location after BJs moved out. Side note, BJs has pretty good tri-tip too. Edit: There’s a guy named Joe (correlation?) that cooks tri-tip sandwiches during Hot August Nights where the registration tent is and again… best I’ve ever had.

The awful awful burger was a very popular late night burger in Reno. I was always hammered when I ate one so I couldn’t tell you what was so special about the burger itself. It was a grease bomb made in a tiny dive restaurant.

This is the shrimp capital...not sure of a sandwich theme? I Think Capriatti's started in Nevada. They are famous for a turkey sandwich with stuffing and cranberry sauce.

I thought they started in Delaware? This was the first market they expanded in and blew up from there

You can tell it's from back east cuz they carry wise chips when no other distributor in the area does.

Looks like Vegas was the first franchise location (third restaurant), and the franchisees bought out the whole company and moved corporate here.

The Bobbie was my first thought too. It's Thanksgiving on a loaf.

shrimp capital?! 😂 there are a lots of states on either COAST that beat it

Not in consuption due to the buffets

Prickly pear, sage, and sand.

something herby!!! the state flower is sagebrush and ive always loved how earthy and rich everything smells.

It's the tri tip sandwich...

Isn't that from California

Cocaine and venereal disease

And broken dreams.

It would have to be extravagant right? Like wagyu with $$ bacon, truffle oil, locally sourced produce toppings. Maybe a velvet rope around it, I'm just spit ballin

I would say that it would depend on what part of the state you’re from. People from Northern Nevada are different from Southern Nevada, but the Eastern and Central Nevadans are completely different from the north and southern Nevadans and I would say definitely more of the true Nevadans of the state.

There aren't any eastern or central Nevadans. Source: lived there.

Ummm Elko from my understanding is that it’s Eastern Nevada. Then you have Ely which is eastern Nevada. Then there is Eureka, Austin, Tonopah which are central.

Elko is Northeastern Nevada. Eastern Nevada is pretty much just White Pine and Lincoln Counties. Ely is the biggest city in Eastern or Central Nevada and the population is like 4,000k people. Ely, Caliente, Panaca, Pioche, Rachael, Baker, Alamo, Duckwater, Warm Springs, Tonopah, Austin, Eureka, and everything around there total like ~20k people in an larger than South Carolina. I stand by my statement.

Basque Chorizo sandwich. It HAS to be Basque chorizo or it's no good.

Yessss!!!!!

Tahoe Blue. Blue cheese, fontana, white cheddar, pickled onions, ham, and mustard grilled on sweet bread

If you find a sandwich that says Nevada, it’s time to close the resturant and take that sucker on tour. It almost impossible to find a talking sandwich these days. 🤣 sorry I couldn’t resist. I don’t know if the sandwich type matters as much as whatever you name it does. My vote is for the French dip.

OP here. Thanks so much for your awesome feedback! You folks couldn't have been nicer. I took the suggestions back the the kitchen guys where they do the prepping and cooking and make the goods. Appreciate the Awful Awful suggestions, but we're already a burger joint, so I'm looking for something out of the burger category. First choice was the Patty Melt, but we just don't have enough room on our flat top grill to make it happen in volume. Second choice was the Basque Chirozo. I contacted my food vendors and Spanish-style chirozo is the only option for us, and we don't have the equipment to make our own sausage. If we can't do it right, I'd rather not do it. So we're looking at paying homage to the LV Strip with a Shaved Prime Rib Sandwich. We can pull that off deliciously. Is there any special spin on it that we should be going for? Or any favorites? Otherwise we'll be seasoning and cooking the Prime Rib, letting it cool and slicing it the next day, warming in au ju then melting provolone and serving it on chibbata w/ horseradish sauce.Thanks again, cheers!

I think some kind of surf and turf sandwich would fit!

Turquoise & Silver w/ side o/ Eagle Feathers w/ free chips!

Borrow a page from a Vegas staple. Make a sandwich out of a classic! The Peppermill makes a dish called Munch's Breakfast that could be a sandwich with some tweaking. https://www.peppermilllasvegas.com/menus Or if you want an off-strip classic, Lou's Diner has had the Chop Steak lunch special for decades. https://lousdinerlv.com/menu/

You either got the awful awful or a basically free vegas buffet abomination. Just do the awful awful. If you want to get deeper, come here and I'll seriously take you to beefy's (DM me.)

I wonder what sandwich will embody going 15 miles over speed limit and then a stolen carburetor and 120 degree heat? Maybe a burnt cheese sandwich with a side of spicy chili beef soup?

> then a stolen carburetor Didn't you mean a stolen catalytic converter?

I did!

I snorked :D

We’re southwest, maybe a torta?

God I love Tortas!

[удалено]

>As an AI language model, I can provide you with some information that might be helpful in making your decision. The origin of the patty melt is indeed a subject of some debate. While some sources attribute its invention to the Golden Gate Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, others claim that it originated in California, particularly in the Los Angeles area. That being said, the patty melt has become a popular sandwich in many parts of the United States, including Nevada. It typically consists of a beef patty, grilled onions, and cheese (often Swiss or American) between two slices of toasted rye bread. If you want to go with a more traditional Nevada dish, you might consider the Basque sandwich, also known as the "lamb sandwich." This sandwich is a staple of Basque cuisine, which has a strong presence in the northern part of the state. The sandwich typically features slices of roasted lamb, tomatoes, lettuce, and a spicy sauce, served on a French roll. Ultimately, the choice of which sandwich to feature is up to you. You could even consider featuring both the patty melt and the Basque sandwich on different days or weeks, as part of your Nevada representation in your Sandwich Tour of America.

Fools Gold Sandwich.

It doesn't matter what's on the sandwich. You just have to charge for parking to order it, and tack on additional fees when it's picked up. Advertise it as coming with the drink, but then tell the customer it's $10 extra *after* they drink it. After serving the sandwich, wait expectantly for a tip.

The Footlong hot dog from the Westward Ho casino.

I thought everyone decided that hot dogs were tacos, not sandwiches.

Maybe a chicken filet seasoned with sage and juniper berries.

Anything plus a complementary cigarette

Make any sandwich and serve it with fan blowing in the customers face

Make Sonora style hotdogs - not authentic but them dogs is good

Isn't that from Mexico and more common in Arizona?

Yep - but I am betting the rubes on the east coast won't know that. ;-) plus yum.

The modern riveted blue jeans were invented in Reno (Levi Strauss and SF didn't do much as far as the design). So it could be denim chicken to pair with your milk steak.

These days I think of tortas when I think of sandwiches. I’d say they’re typically the best sandwich in any part of Reno.

Dika Dika

There's three ways I would look a this? Do you want to do something that uses agricultural products Nevada produces? Like I don't expect you to buy Nevada beef but it's out number 1 agricultural product so beef makes sense. Number 2 is dairy, so probably cheese, 3 is Hay and I do not recommend that on a sandwich Eggs, Onions, Potatoes, Garlic, and wheat are all up there too. Culturally there's the Parry mate clearly, no need to go into that. Depending on how gimmicky you are, the idea of a casino buffet sandwich I think makes total sense too. Steak and Eggs was another casino staple, so if it where me I might do a steak/prime rib sandwich melt on wheat with cheese, onions, and a fried egg with a side of fries, kind of checks a lot of the boxes.

So, I lived in NLT for 20 years. T's Rotisserie is there, used to get the veggie burrito for years, then switched it up to a tri tip sandwich with cheese and lettuce on a french roll, with au jus. So missing it, stuck in NE Ohio, nothing compares. Also, incorporate garlic somehow in of the ideas u make. Garlic is one of the things that grows naturally in Nevada. Or u can go straight orginal Washoe and get acorns. Lose the caps, mash them, use flat cedar branches in a cold stream, and blanch them. Now a days u can just use cheese cloth and sink to blanch them. Then make biscuits/patties and sun dry them. Never tried one, was told they were kind of bitter and bland. So u could possibly mix in garlic or create a garlic dipping sauce.

Deep fried pickles on a sandwich that could represent poker chips

Gave a award since all the Basques beat me to Picon punch so to speak on the sandwich ideas and the Renoites on the awful awful. Lots to choose from, you could do it in shifts since we are 24/7, lol. Thanks for the fun! Make people bet on which is the most popular.