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As I was driving down Aultman Street, which the main street in Ely, Nevada, looking for a place to eat, I noticed Silver State Restaurant's colorful sign, which uses the same colors as those "Welcome to Nevada" signs that you see erected at the state line, except Silver State's sign as different, as near the bottom of the sign there was the line, "Try our Elk Burger." Like a moth to a flame, I was drawn to Silver State Restaurant, as I'd never experienced an elk burger, and I was curious to give an elk burger a try.
Left: Silver State Restaurant wasn't busy when I parked my car in front of the place. Right: Silver State's sign; note the "Try our elk burger" which drew me to the restaurant. Silver State Restaurant is typical of a small-town cafe, located along Main Street, that purely caters to local tastes. I'm a huge fan of locally owned and operated, one-of-a-kind restaurants, and Silver State fits this profile, as its unique to Ely. When you enter the restaurant, you're instantly transported to the 1970's, as the restaurant features brown vinyl upholstery, faux-wood formica on the booths, wood paneling, and vintage ceiling fans. Silver State really caters to the seasonal hunting crowd, as White Pine County is a mule deer hunter's paradise, so they have the walls of the restaurant adorned with many photos, pictures and plaques that cater to the many hunters that visit Ely, during deer season.
Photo: I'm sitting at the counter, along with the only other patron at the time, who is enjoying a cup of coffee, as the waitress starts to prepare my elk burger. Notice the hunter-friendly decor; a vegan , Sierra Clubber or a member of Greenpeace would faint if they dared to walk into this restaurant So I walked into the restaurant, and was immediately greeted by friendly waitress Janet, who presented me with a menu and asked me what I wanted to drink. At four in the afternoon, coffee sounded good, so I ordered a cup of coffee and told her that I just wanted to fast-forward to an elk burger, and skip the menu. With a grin she asked me if I was a hunter, and I said that I wasn't, as I was just a hungry traveler. She told me that was a good thing, as elk aren't in season until early fall and my visit was in March; well I wasn't visiting Ely to shoot an elk, just to eat a piece of an elk, placed on a bun, garnished with onion, lettuce, mayonnaise, ketchup and mustard, and eaten like a hamburger. At the price of $6.95, and elk burger won't break the bank.
Photo: Silver State Restaurant features pure 1970's era decor, complete with faux wood paneling. After a short wait of only about 10 minutes, as I'd barely finished my first cup of coffee, my elk burger arrived, along with a huge order of fries on the side. My elk burger was garnished with lettuce slices, sliced red onion, and a slice of tomato. The burger was already coated with mayonnaise, as per my request, and I added ketchup and mustard from the squeeze bottles of the condiments, conveniently placed on the breakfast counter.
Photo: Elk burgers are prepared, not born, and our friendly waitress is in the process of getting an elk burger ready for me. OK, I know you're dying to ask the question, "What does an elk burger taste like?" After enjoying an elk burger, at Silver State Restaurant, I can comment on the taste of an elk burger: It tastes no different than an ordinary hamburger! Blasphemy prevails, I know, but sorry... as I just can't taste the difference between an elk burger and a regular hamburger. Maybe I should have ordered an elk cheeseburger, which Silver State Restaurant displays on their menu? Whatever the differences, Silver State serves a delicious burger, and when you're visiting Ely, Nevada, you should pay them a visit.
Photo: OK kids, here it is, fries and an elk burger. The lettuce hides the mustard and mayonnaise that I had applied to the burger, but the fries were crispy and not greasy, and the elk burger was delicious. However, elk tastes like hamburger, which was a small disappointment to me. Silver State Restaurant Copyright(c) 2007 eRench Productions, Inc. All rights reserved. This site has been on the web since December 22, 2002. Web page design has been created by eRench Productions, Inc., website design, custom photography and more...
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