A Pueblo Slopper Stop at Gray’s Coors Tavern

At Gray’s Coors Tavern, a burger does not necessarily arrive as a burger in the usual handheld sense. The local signature is the slopper: an open-faced burger covered in chile, cheese and onions, a knife-and-fork plate that puts Pueblo’s affection for green chile right in the middle of lunch or dinner.

Gray’s is closely associated with the slopper in Pueblo, and plenty of people make the tavern a destination specifically to try one. It is a dish with the pleasant lack of fuss of a tavern meal, but it is not a small order. The burger, chile and potatoes turn a basic craving into a satisfyingly sprawling plate.

The usual starting point is a choice between a single patty and a double. Green chile is the familiar choice, joined by cheese and onions, while red chile is another option for diners who want to take the dish in a different direction.

Whole-potato fries can come alongside the slopper or be piled right on top, which is a fine distinction until the chile starts flowing across the plate. Fries are also available smothered with chile on their own. A single-patty version is a sensible way to approach the dish if the full double sounds more like a challenge than a meal.

Lettuce, tomato and onion can be added beyond the traditional toppings. That gives the plate a little more burger-joint character, though the central question remains the chile. Its heat can register differently from diner to diner, and an extra bowl of green chile for the table is available when one serving simply is not enough.

Chili cheese fries with onions are a natural companion to a slopper, especially when the table is sharing. The portion is substantial enough to pass around, and it doubles down on the tavern’s preferred combination of potatoes, cheese and chile.

The broader menu keeps the meal from becoming a one-dish proposition. Mexican food, burgers, tacos, nachos and sandwiches all have a place here, along with fried sides for the table. It is useful when one person has arrived with slopper plans and somebody else is more interested in a BLT or a basket of onion rings.

The onion rings have their own following: batter-coated, crisp at the outside and fluffy within, with ranch dip on the side. Fried pickles are another easy bar-table order. These are the sorts of items that keep a group nibbling while the main plates are on their way.

A cold Coors served in a frosted mug is woven into the Gray’s routine almost as firmly as the slopper. The mug is commonly called a schooner, or “skooner,” and it has the simple appeal of an old tavern tradition that has no need for tinkering.

The bar is a natural place to settle in with one, but a schooner works just as well at a booth while tackling chile-covered fries. Beer and green chile may not be a subtle pairing, but subtle is not the assignment here.

Gray’s has the straightforward character of a local tavern: a bar, booths, indoor dining and plenty of sports history and memorabilia around the setting. The room offers more to look at than a generic restaurant wall, and the sports-focused atmosphere gives the meal a casual, lived-in backdrop.

Seating can take several forms, from booths and counter seats to bar stools and tables outside. That makes the tavern workable for a solo lunch, a couple stopping in for burgers and beer, or a larger family group dividing up sides before the sloppers arrive.

Now and then, a first slopper order can get a little in-house recognition, with a bell and a group acknowledgment. It is a small bit of ceremony for a dish that Pueblo diners tend to take seriously, even when the tone remains thoroughly relaxed.

Outdoor dining is available on an open porch or patio decorated with fairy lights. Tables have been arranged with comfortable space between them, offering a change of scene from the bar and the memorabilia-filled interior.

The patio suits a meal that may take a while to work through. A slopper is not rushed food, particularly with fries on the plate and a frosted mug nearby. It is equally useful for a round of tacos, nachos and shared fried sides when a group has gone in several menu directions.

Lunch periods can bring a wait for seating or food, depending on the day and time. Reservation needs also vary, so the rhythm is not the same for every visit.

Parking is free, though finding a space can be easier at some times than others. Inside, one notably thoughtful everyday touch is the women’s restroom, where courtesy tampons are kept available.

For a first visit, the single-patty green chile slopper with fries offers the direct Pueblo introduction. Add a schooner if a frosted Coors mug sounds right, or put the chili cheese fries in the middle of the table and let everyone have a forkful.