Fool's Gold Loaf Was The Ultra-Sweet Sandwich Elvis Presley Loved

It's true that Elvis Presley was the King of Rock and Roll and winner of the Grammy Awards' Lifetime Achievement Award in 1971 — but his taste in food may have been even more iconic than his musical accomplishments. Krystal burgers, banana pudding, and barbecue pork pizza were just a few of Elvis' favorite treats, but the concoction that cemented his legacy as a foodie is undoubtedly the peanut butter, banana, and bacon sandwich. While it's unclear if the King literally stuffed bacon in these sandwiches or if the creation is a compilation of a few embellished memories, there is one meal that Elvis undoubtedly ate and loved: the Fool's Gold Loaf.

If he did regularly consume peanut butter-bacon-banana sandwiches, the Fool's Gold Loaf may have been the inspiration that started it all. Elvis first tried it at the Colorado Mine Company in Denver, which has since closed. The sandwich, which cost a whopping $49.95 at the time, consisted of an entire loaf of Italian bread, sliced down the middle and stuffed with margarine, an entire jar of jelly, an entire container of creamy peanut butter, and one pound of fried bacon — and the whole thing was then deep-fried. According to Nick Andurlakis, who first served this monstrosity to the King according to some accounts, the Fool's Gold Loaf was a "ginormous, artery-hardening contraption" (per The Gazette).

There are a couple different stories about who actually made Elvis' first Fool's Gold Loaf. The main one involves Andurlakis, as we mentioned, who worked at the Colorado Mine Company back in the day, which was already a hot spot for celebrities and political figures. It was well-known that the King loved comfort food, particularly the upgraded PB&J's his mom would make him as a kid. Not only did he order the Fool's Gold Loaf when he first visited the establishment, but he flew all the way back to get it on his private plane in 1976. Andurlakis may have been the one who served Elvis and his friends the sandwiches that night, as they ate them at the Stapleton International Airport. Allegedly, the venture cost the King about $16,000.

It's possible that while Andurlakis served Elvis the Fool's Gold, the Mine Company's owners (Buck and Cindy Scott) may have created the original sandwich. Either way, once he traveled back to get it in 1976, he asked them to give the recipe to his private chef so he could have the treats around whenever he wanted. After the Colorado Mine Company closed, Andurlakis continued serving these sandwiches at his Nick's Cafe in Golden Colorado, until the doors closed for good in 2022. 

Of course, if you're "all shook up" about this, and looking to try this sandwich, it's simple enough to make yourself one at home — and we've even got a recipe for you.