The History of the Elvis Sandwich

Now known as “The Elvis sandwich” due to its famous fan, the combination of peanut butter, banana, and bacon between two slices of bread dates back to the 1970s — at least. The story goes that one night after a 1976 concert in Denver, Colorado, Elvis Presley and his police bodyguards went to the Colorado Mine Company for something to eat. Nick Andurlakis, then a teenage cook at the restaurant, has said that Elvis asked him what to get and he recommended the Fool’s Gold, which was made with a pound of bacon, a jar of peanut butter, and a jar of jelly all stuffed into a hollowed-out sourdough loaf. Elvis loved the sandwich so much that on whim, he once flew from Graceland to Denver on his private plane to pick some up. The restaurant’s owners met him on the tarmac with over 20 of the massive sandwiches. Elvis reportedly ate one in the hangar with Perrier and Champagne, then headed back home on his jet. (Some reports note that he brought the extras back to serve at his daughter’s birthday party.) At some point, Elvis also developed his own version of the decked-out peanut butter sandwich. (Notably, similar sandwiches have long been popular in the South.) Elvis’ version, which later became known as “The Elvis,” featured creamy peanut butter, sliced or mashed banana, and bacon between two slices of bread. Then the whole thing would be fried in a skillet. Some versions of the recipe also mention honey. Today, The Elvis (sometimes called The Velvet Elvis) is a popular offering on many sandwich shop menus all across the country and is still strongly associated with Presley.