Slopper
Encyclopedia
A slopper is a cheeseburger
(or hamburger
) served smothered in red chile
or green chile or chile sauce. Sloppers generally include grilled buns and are often topped with freshly chopped onions and sometimes french fries
. Eating a slopper, using a fork and knife or fork and spoon combination is recommended.
The slopper is served in restaurants and taverns in the Pueblo
and Colorado Springs
area of Colorado
.
in the early to mid-1970s. The first restaurant to serve the slopper is undetermined. Some claim that it was first served in Gray's Coors Tavern, while others insist that it originated at Star Bar. According to a version of Gray's Coors Tavern's website, the slopper originated there in the 1950s. The same site also claims that the name slopper was derived from a comment by a customer stating that the dish looked like slop. The website attributes the creation of the slopper to brothers Johnnie and Joe Greco, who had previously owned the tavern.
Sloppers were featured in a Travel Channel
television show Food Wars
episode "Pueblo -- The Slopper" (2010). The show interviewed persons involved in restaurants which serve sloppers, as well as Juan Espinosa, a former editor of the Pueblo Chieftain
. Espinosa discussed the slopper's origin, attributing it to the Greco brothers who owned Gray's Tavern. Espinosa said that a customer of Gray's Tavern named Herb was dissatisfied with the amount of chili on his chiliburger, and to quell Herb, his burger was covered in chili (probably intended as an exaggerated and exasperated maneuver), and it became a delighted new serving suggestion.
Cheeseburger
A cheeseburger is a hamburger with cheese that has been added to it. Traditionally, the cheese is placed on top of the patty, but the burger can include many variations in structure, ingredients, and composition...
(or hamburger
Hamburger
A hamburger is a sandwich consisting of a cooked patty of ground meat usually placed inside a sliced bread roll...
) served smothered in red chile
Chili con carne
Chili con carne is a spicy stew. The name of the dish derives from the Spanish chile con carne, "chili pepper with meat". Traditional versions are made, minimally, from chili peppers, garlic, onions, and cumin, along with chopped or ground beef. Beans and tomatoes are frequently included...
or green chile or chile sauce. Sloppers generally include grilled buns and are often topped with freshly chopped onions and sometimes french fries
French fries
French fries , chips, fries, or French-fried potatoes are strips of deep-fried potato. North Americans tend to refer to any pieces of deep-fried potatoes as fries or French fries, while in the United Kingdom, Australia, Ireland and New Zealand, long, thinly cut slices of deep-fried potatoes are...
. Eating a slopper, using a fork and knife or fork and spoon combination is recommended.
The slopper is served in restaurants and taverns in the Pueblo
Pueblo, Colorado
Pueblo is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Pueblo County, Colorado, United States. The population was 106,595 in 2010 census, making it the 246th most populous city in the United States....
and Colorado Springs
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, United States. Colorado Springs is located in South-Central Colorado, in the southern portion of the state. It is situated on Fountain Creek and is located south of the Colorado...
area of Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
.
History
One writer determined that the slopper originated in Pueblo, ColoradoPueblo, Colorado
Pueblo is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Pueblo County, Colorado, United States. The population was 106,595 in 2010 census, making it the 246th most populous city in the United States....
in the early to mid-1970s. The first restaurant to serve the slopper is undetermined. Some claim that it was first served in Gray's Coors Tavern, while others insist that it originated at Star Bar. According to a version of Gray's Coors Tavern's website, the slopper originated there in the 1950s. The same site also claims that the name slopper was derived from a comment by a customer stating that the dish looked like slop. The website attributes the creation of the slopper to brothers Johnnie and Joe Greco, who had previously owned the tavern.
Sloppers were featured in a Travel Channel
Travel Channel
The Travel Channel is a satellite and cable television channel that is headquartered in Chevy Chase, Maryland, US. It features documentaries and how-to shows related to travel and leisure around the United States and throughout the world. Programming has included shows in African animal safaris,...
television show Food Wars
Food Wars
Food Wars is a weekly Travel Channel series hosted by Camille Ford that debuted on Tuesday, March 9, 2010. The show features restaurant rivalries in cities around the United States, with loyal fans cheering for one of two restaurants that serve one of the city's signature dishes...
episode "Pueblo -- The Slopper" (2010). The show interviewed persons involved in restaurants which serve sloppers, as well as Juan Espinosa, a former editor of the Pueblo Chieftain
Pueblo Chieftain
The Pueblo Chieftain is an American daily newspaper published in Pueblo, Colorado. 2006 marks its 138th year publishing.The Chieftain was established in 1868 by Dr. Michael Beshoar, the first doctor in Trinidad, Colorado. Wilbur Fisk Stone George A...
. Espinosa discussed the slopper's origin, attributing it to the Greco brothers who owned Gray's Tavern. Espinosa said that a customer of Gray's Tavern named Herb was dissatisfied with the amount of chili on his chiliburger, and to quell Herb, his burger was covered in chili (probably intended as an exaggerated and exasperated maneuver), and it became a delighted new serving suggestion.