Editor’s Note: Sioux Sundries has permanently closed since the publication of this article.
We’re of the opinion that if you’re going to do something, you might as well go big or go home. This massive burger embodies that philosophy: it’s an astonishing 32 ounces of beef, and it’s a true Nebraska classic.
The story of this massive burger begins in Harrison, at a general store called Sioux Sundries.
By Ammodramus [Public domain], from Wikimedia Commons In the early 1970s, according to the story, local rancher Bill Coffee complained to Sioux Sundries owner Delores Wasserburger that his ranch hands weren’t getting full on her standard burgers. In response, Wasserburger invented a burger that would never fail to fill up even the hungriest of patrons, and she named it after the rancher who inspired it. Folks came from miles around to enjoy the Coffee Burger for more than 40 years, and the burger was so popular that it attracted media attention from across the state and around the nation.
After Delores died in 2004 and Sioux Sundries shut down, the Coffee Burger was no longer made.
TripAdvisor/Tim G It was nothing but a fond Nebraskan memory for a decade, until the owners of High Plains Homestead got the blessing of Delores’ family to begin making the burger at their restaurant, the Drifter Cookshack. The replica old-west town/B&B/restaurant is the perfect new home for this legendary burger.
And the revived Coffee Burger is every bit as impressive as the original.
High Plains Homestead Those brave enough to order the Coffee Burger will get two 1-pound beef patties, six slices of American cheese, pickles, onion, lettuce, and tomatoes on a regular-size bun. It comes with chips and another side, just in case all of that that wasn’t enough to fill you up.
This woman’s face is the appropriate response to the Coffee Burger.
TripAdvisor/Theresa B Even if you’re prepared for a big burger, you might be surprised as just HOW big the Coffee Burger really is. You’ll probably want to have a friend help you out with this, unless you’ve got the biggest of appetites.
The Coffee Burger now has a permanent place on the Drifter Cookshack menu.
High Plains Homestead The huge sandwich will set you back $22, which is really quite reasonable when you consider just how much food you’re getting. And it’s not just a meal - it’s a piece of western Nebraska history.
You can find the High Plains Homestead/Drifter Cookshack on Sand Creek Rd, 16 miles northwest of Crawford. You can check out its website here for more information and to book a stay on the property (because you’re going to need a place to sleep off that two pounds of beef, right?).
By Ammodramus [Public domain], from Wikimedia Commons
In the early 1970s, according to the story, local rancher Bill Coffee complained to Sioux Sundries owner Delores Wasserburger that his ranch hands weren’t getting full on her standard burgers. In response, Wasserburger invented a burger that would never fail to fill up even the hungriest of patrons, and she named it after the rancher who inspired it. Folks came from miles around to enjoy the Coffee Burger for more than 40 years, and the burger was so popular that it attracted media attention from across the state and around the nation.
TripAdvisor/Tim G
It was nothing but a fond Nebraskan memory for a decade, until the owners of High Plains Homestead got the blessing of Delores’ family to begin making the burger at their restaurant, the Drifter Cookshack. The replica old-west town/B&B/restaurant is the perfect new home for this legendary burger.
High Plains Homestead
Those brave enough to order the Coffee Burger will get two 1-pound beef patties, six slices of American cheese, pickles, onion, lettuce, and tomatoes on a regular-size bun. It comes with chips and another side, just in case all of that that wasn’t enough to fill you up.
TripAdvisor/Theresa B
Even if you’re prepared for a big burger, you might be surprised as just HOW big the Coffee Burger really is. You’ll probably want to have a friend help you out with this, unless you’ve got the biggest of appetites.
The huge sandwich will set you back $22, which is really quite reasonable when you consider just how much food you’re getting. And it’s not just a meal - it’s a piece of western Nebraska history.
It’s just down the road from Toadstool Geologic Park and Hudson-Meng Bison Bonebed, both of which are fantastic places to visit when you’re in the area.
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