I grew up in Las Vegas with several fast food joints that don’t exist any more. The nauseating sounding Naugles, the obscenely titled Teenie Weenies, Rally’s and my favorite, Farm Basket.
Farm Basket is a down home style fast food joint, with a barn shaped building and an interior done entirely in kitschy plaids and country thingamabobs. The menu board is simply white with black letters stuck on, none of this moving picture menus here. The employees are bored and surly, as fast food employees should be.
But, oh, that fucking delicious food. Primary on the menu is the Super Clucker and Great Gobbler, a chicken/turkey sandwich, breaded and deep friend until crisp and brown, served on a white roll with miracle whip and cranberry sauce. it’s like a little mini Thanksgiving on a bun. it comes with either scrumptiously seasoned french fries or mashed potatoes with country gravy. You can get drumsticks, breasts and wings, but everyone just sticks to the sandwiches.
Or. The Clucketoes. Technically, Clucketoes are simply chicken taquitos but they go so much beyond that. They are what chicken taquitos should be. Perfectly friend and stuffed with seasoned and moist chicken. Topped with lettuce, cheese and spicy salsa. They are to die for.
I just adore how low-budg Farm Basket is. They can’t even afford drink cups with their logo on it, it’s just plain styrofoam. When I asked the girl behind the counter if I could buy a Farm Basket T-shirt, she looked at me as if I had a Clucketo sticking out of my nose.
Sadly, there is only one Farm Basket left in Las Vegas, where once there were many. I know it, too, will shortly be gone, so i make it a point to stop there whenever i am home on vacation. Keep the dream alive, and next time you go to Las Vegas, stop at the Farm Basket on Charleston and Jones for a Great Gobbler. tell ’em Julia sent ya.