4/13/2022

Nugget Casino Buffet Reno

© RGJ File An Awful Awful burger, a beloved Reno tradition, from the diner in the Little Nugget casino in downtown Reno. The burger take its name, so the saying goes, from being 'awful big and awful good.'

It's Awful Awful hard to say good-bye.

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We head to Reno for a quick trip to Test the Best buffets! We do three buffets in three nights (DO NOT RECOMMEND DOING THIS) and find out which is the best! Reno casino The Nugget has been putting a lot of money into restoring it. The amphitheater was a nice touch and is a great concert venue.

Rick Heaney, owner of the Little Nugget casino in downtown Reno, just announced he is closing the property, which means the Nugget Diner inside will be shutting, which means the Awful Awful burger the Nugget Diner showcases will be no more.

'We told our employees yesterday that we were going to close at the end of the month because of the economic impossibility to stay open, and that we would be able to give them a severance check if they would stay with us until the end,' Heaney wrote in an emotional email to @RGJTaste.

'They all elected to stay.'

Heaney added that he was 'emotionally spent' and could not speak further on the decision right now.

In his announcement, Heaney wrote the 'worldwide COVID-19 pandemic . . . made it clear that the Little Nugget could not survive the winter months,' given the restrictions on casinos, the cancellation of special events and the drop in visitors.

The downtown Nugget will close on July 30.

Previous Coverage: Why the Awful Awful burger (and Old Reno) matter now more than ever

A brawny bad boy on a bed of fries

Nugget Casino Buffet Reno© Johnathan L. Wright/RGJ Locals take the rear entrance lying off Fulton Alley to get their Awful Awful fix at the Little Nugget diner in downtown Reno.

The half-pound Awful Awful, so named because it's 'awful big and awful good,' has been served in various incarnations in Northern Nevada for nearly 70 years, but the version at the downtown Nugget has long been considered the standard by many.

The burger patty takes its place on a lightly toasted bun, is dressed in house sauce and traditional trimmings, then cushioned in a basket atop a pound of fries.

@RGJTaste celebrated the Awful Awful as part of an Old Reno that must be preserved even as publicists and public officials promote a New Reno.

As I wrote in that column:

'I loved the motley crew of customers in the Little Nugget diner; the back door from a scruffy alley; the hustle of the cooks; the smoke of the grill; the jaw-stretching burger itself, a 3 a.m. booze-sponge layering red onion, lettuce, tomato, cheese, and a half-pound of charbroiled beef, its juices coursing down my hands and onto a drift of fries.'

The burger has been served in different versions

As my colleague Marcella Corona related in a 2017 article, the Awful Awful burger arrived in Northern Nevada in 1952 with casino pioneer Dick Graves, who had served it in a restaurant he owned in Idaho.

Graves and his business partners opened Nugget casinos in Reno, Sparks and Carson City, all of which would serve the house take on the Awful Awful burger over the years. When the Reno Nugget closes at the end of the month, only the Carson Nugget will still serve a version of the burger.

(Baldini's Casino, which also once offered a version, no longer does.)

Heaney purchased the Reno Nugget in 1989 from Jim Kelley, a business partner of Graves.

Atmosphere was also on the Diner menu

© Scott Sady Back in the day, Audrene Coker, front, and Terry McDonald try to get their mouths around the famed Awful Awful burger served by the Nugget Diner in the Little Nugget casino in downtown Reno.

In 2004, brand new to the Reno Gazette Journal, I decided to review a beloved Reno mainstay, the Nugget Diner, a small, slightly shabby spot that, it would turn out years later, was too small for social distancing.

Shabby, I discovered, merely provided the occasion for atmosphere. As I wrote at the time:

The line moves quickly, surprising you, and you nervously scan the menu, unsure of what to order. You hope you can do it — place your order with staccato efficiency — like the folks ahead of you are doing.

You hope you don't embarrass yourself like you did at the famous fried chicken place in Louisville, where you fumbled your order for thighs and peach cobbler, earning the scorn and pity of strangers at 2 a.m.

You order — it goes smoothly! — and you take a seat at one of the counters, which faces the cooking line, a gang of four guys who somehow manage, simultaneously, to pour your iced tea and make change and flip patties on the grill and prep vegetables and speak Spanish and English and find you a knife.

You know you will never, ever be as skilled at anything as these men are at making lunch.

See what others are reading in Reno restaurant news:

The Awful Awful burger startles you. For $3.50, you're not expecting this behemoth . . .The burger gets better with every bite, and with two bites left, enough of its juices have seeped into the bun to make the final morsels soft and smoky without being soggy.

In 2010, the Awful Awful from the Reno Nugget and its cousin from the Sparks Nugget battled on the Travel Channel show 'Food Wars.' Reno won.

There are eight days until July 30, just enough time to drop by the Nugget Diner, order a burger, open your mouth Awful wide, get your fingers Awful juicy and create some Awful tasty memories for the long years ahead.

____________

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Johnathan L. Wright is the food and drink editor of RGJ Media, part of the USA Today Network. Join @RGJTaste on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

This article originally appeared on Reno Gazette Journal: Awful Awful burger ends in downtown Reno as Nugget Diner closes because of COVID-19

1100 Nugget Avenue,NV 89431Reno

Nugget Casino Buffet Reno Menu

Overview
Nugget casino buffet reno buffet

This Sparks casino hotel is located in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. This resort features a casino, a nightclub and 8 restaurants and bars.

Free WiFi is provided in each guest room at Nugget Casino Resort. Rooms include a cable TV with in-room movies. The spacious private bathrooms are equipped with hairdryers. Room service is also available.

The casino at Nugget Casino Resort offers 24-hour gaming, including blackjack, roulette, craps, specialty table games and a Poker Room, as well as Keno, a new Bingo Hall, a full-service Sports Book, slots and video poker.

Nugget Casino Resort offers guests an indoor pool, a hot tub, 8 individual bubble pools and a gym. The Skywalk Arcade, located in the hotel, provides a variety of games and a large gift shop is located on site.

Reno-Tahoe International Airport is 10 minutes’ drive from Nugget Casino Resort.

Rooms: 5

When would you like to stay?

Facilities of Nugget Casino Resort

General

  • WiFi in all areas

Activities

  • Golf course (within 2 miles)
  • Skiing
  • Hiking
  • Ski storage
  • Bingo

Food & Drink

  • Restaurant
  • Bar
  • Vending machine (drinks)
  • Vending machine (snacks)

Pool and Spa

  • Fitness center
  • Indoor pool
  • Swimming pool

Front Desk Services

  • 24-hour front desk
  • Currency exchange
  • Tour desk
  • Ticket service
  • Baggage storage
  • ATM on site

Common Areas

  • Terrace
  • Game room

Entertainment & Family Services

  • Casino

Business Facilities

  • Meeting/Banquet facilities
  • Business center
  • Fax/Photocopying

Shops

  • Gift shop
  • Shops (on site)
  • Convenience store (on site)

Miscellaneous

  • Non-smoking rooms
  • Facilities for disabled guests
  • Family rooms
  • Elevator
  • Heating
  • Air conditioning
  • Designated smoking area

Safety & security

  • Safe
  • 24-hour security
  • Smoke alarms
  • Fire extinguishers

Safety features

  • Staff follow all safety protocols as directed by local authorities
  • Process in place to check health of guests

Physical distancing

  • Physical distancing rules followed
  • Screens or physical barriers between staff and guests in appropriate areas

Cleanliness & disinfection

  • Use of cleaning chemicals that are effective against coronavirus
  • Linens, towels, and laundry washed in accordance with local authority guidelines
  • Guest accommodation disinfected between stays

Food & drink safety

Nugget Casino Buffet Reno Casino

Reno
  • Physical distancing in dining areas
  • All plates, cutlery, glasses, and other tableware sanitized

Internet

WiFi is available in all areas and is free of charge.

Parking

Free private parking is available on site (reservation is not needed).

Policies of Nugget Casino Resort

These are general hotel policies for Nugget Casino Resort. As they may vary per room type, please also check the room conditions.

Check-in

From 15:00 hours

Check-out

Until 11:00 hours

Cancellation / Prepayment

Cancellation and prepayment policies vary according to property type.

Children and Extra Beds

There is no capacity for extra beds in the room.

The maximum number of total guests in a room is 6.

There is no capacity for cribs in the room.

Pets

Pets are not allowed.

Accepted credit cards

  • Mastercard
  • Visa
  • Discover
  • American Express

The property reserves the right to pre-authorize credit cards prior to arrival.

Hotel information

John Ascuaga's Nugget is a state-of-the-art hotel featuring an excellent number of services provided for guests convenience and entertainment.
The Nugget's casino is equipped with a variety of table and card games, slot machines, bingo and sports betting.
The hotel is also home to some of the largest convention and banquet facilities in the Reno area as well as a fitness center, gift shop and a business center.

Food & beverage

The Nugget offers guests a variety of dining options, including 8 restaurants and a number of on-site bars and nightclubs.
The Steakhouse Grill serves a variety of fresh seafood and delicious steaks. Open for lunch Monday through Friday 11:30am until 2pm and everyday for dinner.
Trader Dick's combines Polynesian and American cuisine in an island-like atmosphere, complete with a giant saltwater fish tank.
Restaurante Orozko serves a unique menu of American cuisine with a Mediterranean inspiration. Open Tuesday through Saturday 5pm until 9pm.
The popular restaurant chain, John's Oyster Bar, is also located on site, serving a variety of seafood favorites.
The Rotisserie Buffet combines French country atmosphere with a gourmet food buffet. The restaurant features daily menu themes and is open daily for lunch and dinner.
Rosie's Café offers a very diverse menu with something for everyone. The cafe is open 24-hours a day.
The Noodle Hut features Asian and Italian inspired pasta dishes. Open daily from 11am until 9pm.
Gabe's Pub and Deli offers a large variety of deli and dessert favorites. The deli boasts the convenience of a fast food restaurant with the quality of a fine-dining establishment.

Area information

Aside from the excitement of the casino, there are a number of area attractions surrounding the Nugget hotel. Numerous golf courses, ski trails, and fishing options are available.
Guests can also travel to Lake Tahoe, Pyramid Lake or the Truckee River, located within an hour's drive from the hotel.

Important Information

Guests must be a minimum of 21 years of age to check in to the hotel.
The resort fee includes unlimited access to:
- WiFi
- The health club
- The pool

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