Slopper
A Colorado cheeseburger smothered in chile or chili sauce.
A slopper is a cheeseburger or hamburger smothered in red chile, green chile, or chili sauce, typically served on grilled buns and often topped with freshly chopped onions and sometimes french fries. It is eaten with a fork and knife or spoon and is notably served in restaurants and taverns in the Pueblo and Colorado Springs area of Colorado, with versions found throughout the rest of Colorado and parts of the United States.
Quick Facts
- Origin area
- Pueblo, Colorado
- Earliest claimed origin period
- early to mid-1970s
- Alternative claimed origin period
- 1950s
- Possible originators
- Johnnie and Joe Greco
- Possible originator
- Herb Casebeer
Facts from the source article.
History
One writer determined that the slopper originated in Pueblo, Colorado in the early to mid-1970s. The first restaurant to serve it is undetermined; some claim Coors Tavern, others insist Star Bar. According to a version from Gray's Coors Tavern's website, the slopper originated there in the 1950s, attributed to brothers Johnnie and Joe Greco, who had previously owned the tavern. Various backstories exist for the Coors dish: one says the name came from a customer remarking that the dish looked like slop; another attributes the dish to the late Herb Casebeer, owner of Herb's Sports shop and a regular patron in the late 1950s to early 1960s.
One story says Casebeer would order a burger with chile and ask the Grecos to "just slop it all up". Juan Espinosa, a former editor of the Pueblo Chieftain, attributes the dish's origin to Casebeer being dissatisfied with the amount of chili on his chiliburger, and the Grecos responding by covering it in chili, which became a popular new serving suggestion.
More in Cuisine of the Western United States
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