Nevada’s Highway 50 earned the nickname “The Loneliest Road in America” for a reason, but Racks Bar and Grill in Ely gives travelers a very good reason to stop. 🦌
Mounted deer and elk antlers line the walls of this downtown Nevada restaurant, and behind the bar sits a secret chorizo recipe that locals and long-haul drivers alike consider one of the best-kept food secrets in the entire state.
This is how a converted century-old saloon became Ely’s most talked-about place to eat. 🌶️
How Racks Bar and Grill won Ely’s hearts
The building housing Racks Bar and Grill has been serving drinks to Ely locals since the early 1900s, when it operated as Greg’s Club, according to the restaurant’s own history.
Greg’s Club was eventually leveled in 1990 and rebuilt as Grubs Club, which ran for another 21 years before the current owners purchased it and renamed it Racks Bar and Grill in 2011.
That long lineage as a community watering hole shows in how the space feels today: casual, unpretentious, and clearly built by people who understand what a rural Nevada bar is supposed to be.
What actually built the restaurant’s reputation beyond just being the local bar, though, is one specific sandwich.
According to Travel Nevada, Racks’ chorizo sandwich has become something of a regional legend, tied directly to the deep Basque heritage that runs through northern Nevada’s food culture.
That kind of word-of-mouth reputation is rare for a small-town bar and grill, and it’s helped turn Racks into more than a local hangout; it’s become a genuine stop on the Loneliest Road itinerary for road-trippers exploring rural Nevada.
With a menu that stretches well beyond bar snacks to steaks, salmon, and house-made pastas, it’s easy to see why both longtime residents and passing travelers keep finding their way back through Racks’ doors. 🏔️
Food Highlights
- Boone and Crockett Burger: Two beef patties are stacked with American cheese, pulled pork, crispy bacon, and fresh coleslaw, all served in a sourdough bread bowl alongside golden fries.
-
Big Rack’s Burger: Two whole-muscle beef patties are topped with cheese, lettuce, onion, tomato, and a classic Thousand Island sauce for an old-fashioned double-decker build.
-
Bleu Moon Burger: A blackened, seasoned beef patty is topped with crumbled blue cheese for a smoky, tangy bite. 🍔
- Beef Dip: Deli-sliced roast beef is piled high on a hoagie roll and served with au jus for dipping and a side of fries, with optional mushrooms or melted cheese. 🥖
-
Rack’s Smoked Pulled Pork Sandwich: House-smoked pulled pork, cooked low over twelve hours, is piled onto a pretzel roll and topped with Sweet Baby Ray’s barbecue sauce. 🍖
- Chorizo Sandwich: The restaurant’s own secret-recipe chorizo is served on a fresh pretzel roll with a roasted red pepper and secret sauce, a dish so beloved it’s tied to the region’s Basque heritage. 🌶️
-
Boneless Center Cut Pork Chops: Two pork chops are served with the restaurant’s own chorizo baked beans, summer vegetables, and garlic bruschetta.
-
Nevada Cheese Steak: Deli-sliced roast beef is piled with onions, roasted red peppers, and green chilis, covered in pepper jack cheese and secret sauce on a hoagie roll.
Atmosphere
Step inside Racks Bar and Grill and the first thing you’ll notice is the antlers, mounted throughout the dining room as a tribute to Ely’s big-game hunting heritage. 🦌
The space carries the easy, unpretentious energy of a bar that’s occupied this same downtown corner for over a century, even though the current building itself is newer.
It’s a smoke-free environment that still manages to feel like a proper Nevada tavern, drawing a mix of regulars, hunters, and Highway 50 road-trippers.
Bottom Line
A secret-recipe chorizo sandwich tied to Basque heritage, whole-muscle beef burgers, house-smoked pulled pork, and over a century of history on the same corner make this Ely stop worth the detour. Add antler-lined walls and true small-town hospitality, and it’s an easy favorite. 🦌
Address:
753 Aultman St, Ely, NV 89301
📞 (775) 289-3131
🕔 Open Mon-Sat, 11 AM–9 PM; Sun, 11 AM–8 PM