"Sloppers" Are Pueblo Delicacy
In Pueblo, a burger is more than just a burger.
Smother it with the city's famous green chiles and top with raw onions and you've got a slopper, Pueblo's unique contribution to the food world.
The origin of the messy meal (most often served in a bowl, to be eaten with a spoon) is a little cloudy.
Although it is known to have originated in Pueblo, no one can agree on which restaurant was the first to serve it.
Today, a variety of Pueblo restaurants slop up sloppers, including the Hen House in Pueblo West, Romero's Cafe on the Riverwalk, and Star Bar on Spring Street.
But when the Travel Channel program Food Wars came to town in spring 2010, only two restaurants could go head to head in a slopper showdown: Gray's Coors Tavern and The Sunset Inn.
Gray's Coors serves an open face slopper with two burger patties, cheese, green chile, large pieces of pork, and optional crackers for the soupy mix.
The Sunset's supersized version tops a 3/4 pound cheeseburger on an oversized bun with the all-important green chile.
Which one is the best? The "Food Wars" competition enlisted five local judges to pick their favorite in a blind taste test, but the big winner is any adventurous foodie in Pueblo.
"This is a time to celebrate for Pueblo," said Don Gray, owner of Gray's Coors Tavern, in an interview with The Pueblo Chieftan about the competition. "It's our culture and it's a crazy thing called a slopper. . . Pueblo deserves this."
