What Is It
Definition: Open-faced hamburger smothered in green chile. Origin: Pueblo, 1950s. Variations: Single, double, triple; with cheese, with onions. How to eat: Fork required. Don't wear white.
The Slopper is Pueblo's contribution to American cuisine - an open-faced hamburger patty on a bun, completely drowned in green chile. It's messy, it's satisfying, and it's impossible to eat gracefully. That's the point.
Legend has it the dish originated in the 1950s when a patron at a local diner asked for green chile poured over his burger. The result was so good (and so sloppy) that it earned its name and became a Pueblo institution.
Anatomy of a Slopper
The base: A hamburger bun, usually split and placed open-faced on the plate
The meat: One or more beef patties (single, double, or triple slopper)
The star: Generous ladles of green chile, typically a pork-based stew with roasted Pueblo chiles
Optional additions: Cheese, onions, beans (making it a "slinger"), or extra toppings
The chile makes or breaks a slopper. Good versions use homemade green chile with chunks of pork and roasted peppers. Chain restaurants attempting sloppers often fail because they use generic green sauce.
Variations
Classic Slopper: Single patty, green chile, that's it
Double/Triple: More patties for bigger appetites
Slinger: Slopper with beans and onions added
With cheese: Melted cheese under or on top of the chile
Half and half: Half green chile, half red chile
Some places offer breakfast sloppers with eggs, or chicken versions for those avoiding beef.
How to Eat It
Accept the mess: There's no elegant way. Use a fork and knife. Pick up the bun pieces to sop up remaining chile.
Pace yourself: It's more food than it looks. A double slopper will fill most people.
Protect yourself: Napkins are essential. The green chile stains.
Sides: French fries are traditional, though they'll get soggy in the chile. Some places serve it with beans or rice.
Where to Get One
Multiple Pueblo restaurants serve sloppers, from dedicated joints to Mexican restaurants that added it to the menu. The dish is best at places that make their own green chile from scratch. Ask locals for current favorites - opinions are strong and establishments come and go.
Gray's Coors Tavern has historical claims to inventing the dish, though others dispute this. Regardless of origin, trying a few different versions is the best approach.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it spicy?
Depends on the chile. Pueblo chile is milder than Hatch, but there's still heat. Ask about spice level if you're sensitive.
Can I get a slopper outside Pueblo?
Some Denver and Colorado Springs restaurants serve versions, but they're rarely as good. It's really a Pueblo thing.
What's the difference from a smothered burrito?
The burger. A slopper uses hamburger patties on a bun, not a tortilla with fillings.
Can I eat it with my hands?
You can try, but you'll regret it. Fork and knife are standard.