Little Nugget Diner
| Address: | 233 N Virginia St, Reno, NV 89501, USA |
| Rating: | 3.8 |
| Working: | Open 24 hours Open 24 hours Open 24 hours Open 24 hours Open 24 hours Open 24 hours Open 24 hours |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 7
DA
Darth Rad
Awful, Awful just about sums up the whole eating experience at The Nugget Diner. After reading so much hype on the Internet about how this was possibly Reno’s best burger, I had to go give it a try. What people never mention when discussing this hamburger is what you have to go through to get the thing. The Nugget Diner is basically a tiny greasy spoon stuck in the back of a small casino in the middle of downtown Reno. The Nugget is surrounded by the much larger and more glittery Harrah’s and El Dorado casinos, and so it looks old, puny, and rundown by comparison. There is no air separation between the diner and the casino, and so second hand cigarette smoke is constant. The diner itself is small, with only two hot griddles and two deep fry vats in the back doing all the cooking. Less than ten feet separate you at the counter from the two hot griddle cooks, and it is possible to see every step of your food getting cooked. This small setup was simply not designed to handle the evening crush. I waited for over an hour for my two Awful Awful hamburgers and an order of onion rings to be cooked. My clothes, my hair, everything smelled like cigarette smoke and hot griddle grease at the end. Definitely not a place I would want to return to, and definitely not a family-friendly restaurant. So, how was the Awful, Awful? It was pretty good, not the best ever certainly, but pretty good. The meat patty was large and juicy, the bun was fresh, and inside were solid leaves of lettuce and purple onion rings and tomatoes and Thousand Island dressing. All in all, though, there wasn’t much difference between this burger and bunches of griddle fried burgers from other fast food chain. The whole idea of oversized burgers was at one time a novel idea which has been overtaken by time and just about every hamburger fast food chain out there. Almost all are just griddle-fried burgers like the Awful Awful. Me, I’ll take a chargrilled Burger King Double Whopper with cheese any day over the Awful Awful. Nobody else seems to have tried to do a charcoal grill hamburger in Reno so far.
AN
Annette Silva
The price was appealing at first, but I was appauled at the uncleanliness. There is a wretched smell in the hallway from the elevator to the casion/arcade. The arcade was small and almost every game was broken. The change machines were also broken. The arcade at least SHOULD have been a non smoking zone. Our room was filthy. There were stains on the bed throw, the chairs had, what appeared to be dog hair. There was cardboard shoved under the entertainment center to keep it from wobbling, they could have at least used a wooden wedge. Their were smudges of some brown substance on the bathroom walls, the potty looked used and unclean (stuff on seat) the tub needed to be bleached. It was stained and dingy. Their was an ironing board, no iron, there was no fridge or microwave. Their was some NASTY gooey gross stuff stuck in the bottom of the waste basket in the room, so I had to set it outside...it was so gross. There were spills and spots on the floor. The pool was GREAT fun for the kids, but the little tubs needed to be drained and bleached as they too were covered in dinge and stains. The pool and fitness center staff were the best part of the trip. Overall They were so friendly and kind. Their needs to be more of a focus on cleaning...especially in the rooms. I will NOT be staying there again. The pics are quite deceptive.
MA
Matt Uhlman
Inside this dingy throwback to the 1960s exists a diner that looks even older, but rather than serving cigarettes with your burger, they bring it real! The Awful squared, the signature dish of the Nugget diner, is a simple slice of heaven, covered in cheese and delicately frolicing atop a mountain of angelic fries. The $6.50 price tag leaves you plenty of room for extras, though this beast may be tamed as it is. Its large, but really not the biggest Seating in the diner is reminiscent of where your grandparents used to dine. Additional deliciousness abounds in the BLT and the Awesome dog (yes, the Awesome dog). Well worth trying and made better by the fact that you can play some old school slots and waste a few bucks whilst enjoying the burger the place is known for.
ED
Ed Park
Only idiots think the Awful Awful burger is great. Theres a reason they call it the Awful Awful, but I guess tourists and folks who just moved to Reno havent quite figured it out. Perhaps 30 years ago, it was a great burger, but after the ownership changed, its all image and no substance. Big Eds is better, Great Basin is better, Bullys is better, Mels Diner is better, for that matter Applebees and Chilis. But as far as getting grilled food fast at a reasonable price, this place is it, and it really is a Reno establishment. I dont think theres another small casino left on Virginia downtown, so it gets credit for being a throw back to the good old days. Its a cool place, but people please, quit creaming your pants about the Awful Awful burger.
AL
ALEX CAMPBELL
Ive come here for years, and 5 years ago I probably wouldve gave it a 5. Now I cant give it more than a 2 out of 5. The prices keep going up and the quality is going down. Its smaller, sometimes the fries taste old. A lot of reviews are from drunk people and I have come drunk and sober. Place looks dirty. The older lady with the red hair that serves you has terrible service. The Asian lady with the flower tattoo on her left arm isnt much better either. They all left behind the counter at one point for almost 10 min including the cooks, the red head was talking to the bartender. I honestly may consider no longer coming her, and I used to come here every visit every day for years. Not the worst but Def not the best no more.
MI
Miles Oberstadt
As someone whos been to The Nugget in Las Vegas, let me be one of many to voice how this establishment fails to live up to its namesake. The food here may be gratuitous and available late at night, but my friends and I all ordered different things and felt horrible the next morning. The casino floor is tiny and stunk of smoke, the only bartender was rude and unapproachable. Worst of all, the mens bathroom was the worst Ive ever seen. Both the stall doors were kicked in, one of the toilet lids were smashed on the ground, the floor was wet with urine and possibly other liquids, and best of all was the graffiti which read "Burn in hell Reno" on it. Truly a memorable way to end an evening.
KA
Karol Cyrklaff
Yeah, its a dive bar at the back of a dingy casino. The tray was greasy and it wasnt the cleanest place. But the awful awful burger and that pound of fries... Definitely the reason to go here. The service was great - the cashier was friendly and even chatted with us a little. I shared the burger and fries with my girlfriend and it was absolutely enough food. Unfortunately the bun didnt hold it completely together until the end, but it was a great burger all in all. Dont have gourmet expectations because thats not the type of place this is. Do expect to have a delicious meal that you wont regret eating hours later (unless you try to eat all of it yourself...).
