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John Ascuaga's Nugget is the largest hotel-casino complex in Sparks. The 75,000-square-foot casino has five Craps tables, forty-seven gaming tables, over 1,500 slot and video machines. Gaming includes bingo, blackjack, craps, keno, poker, roulette and a full-service race and sports book. Top name entertainment is offered in the Celebrity Showroom and Rose Ballroom.
The Nugget's two 29-story hotel tower's have 1,600 guest rooms including plush rooms with Jacuzzi's. Guest rooms have cable TV, some rooms have coffeemakers and/or refrigerators. The Nugget has a Olympic-size enclosed year-round pool, 16-foot Jacuzzi, 8 bubble pools, exercise room, beauty salon, barber shop, health club, spa, 80,000 square feet of convention space, valet parking and airport transportation. Additional services with a fee include a massage, VCR's, whirlpools, valet laundry and secretarial services. Room rates $65 to $115 a night, $10 extra for each additional person sharing the room. Rates subject to change.
Restaurants: Farm House Coffee Shop - eggs, pancakes, chicken, steaks, etc. Open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Gabe's Pub & Deli is a full-service deli with hot dogs, sandwiches, desserts, over 40 domestic and premium beers. Open daily. General Store - American-style meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Open 24 hours a day. Orozko - features Mediterranean cuisine. John's Oyster Bar - has fresh seafood delicacies. Oysters, clam chowder, pan roast in a nautical setting. Open daily for lunch and dinner. The Rotisserie Buffet - large selection of lunch and dinner specialties in an European Country Inn type setting. Open daily. The Steakhouse Grill - Mahogany-broiled steaks, prime rib, pork chops, seafood and wine. Open for lunch week days, dinner daily. Trader Dick's - a Polynesian type restaurant with a 45-foot-long aquarium with over 100 fish. Open daily for dinner, brunch on Sundays. Polynesian, Oriental and American selections including fresh fish, cocktails, late-night dancing. Restaurant prices range from $5 to $29, buffets $9 to $16, Sunday brunch $12.
On the upper level of the casino-hotel is Lindsay's Arcade, a gift shop, Rails Restaurant, Victoria's Restaurant, a lounge, Sports Book and some video poker slot machines.
Adjacent to the hotel is John Ascuaga's Nugget Courtyard, 1225 Victorian Ave., a 5 story, 157 room facility in country french furnishings, free and pay movies, combo shower and baths, cable TV. Some of the rooms have balconies. Valet laundry and airport transportation are available. Room rates $65 to $79 for one or two people, $10 extra for each additional guest sharing the room. Some rooms have refrigerators.
By the Victorian Street entrance of the casino is 36-foot high "Last Chance Joe," built in 1952. "Last Chance Joe" represents the friendly atmosphere and service at the Nugget.
One of the Nugget's attractions is the "Gold Rooster" located in the hotel lobby, a 9 1/2" high, 206.3 troy ounce, 18-Karat solid Gold object valued at $140,000.00.
Golden Rooster
In May 1958, the Nugget opened the Golden Rooster Room Restaurant. Management decided that they wanted something special to identity the new restaurant and be admired by guests. After much thought it was decided that a solid gold statue of a rooster would be the perfect masterpiece to symbolize, and identify the new restaurant.
The Nugget received permission from the San Francisco Mint to make the Golden Rooster. Newman's Silver Shop in Reno, NV and Shreve's in San Francisco, CA were commissioned to make the object from a sculptor created by artist Frank Polk. Four months later the masterpiece was delivered to the Nugget and placed in a custom-made glass case near the entrance of the Golden Rooster Room Restaurant. Seven months later, the United States Treasury Department confiscated the Golden Rooster claiming that the Nugget was in violation of the Gold Reserve Act which prohibited anyone from possessing more than fifty ounces of gold.
After 18 months the Treasury department returned the Golden Rooster to the Nugget after the San Francisco Mint verified that they gave the Nugget and Shreve's permission to create the art object. In July 1960, the Treasury Department confiscated the Golden Rooster for the second time. After a two year court battle between the Treasury Department and the Nugget's lawyers, a jury of twelve men and women all agreed that the Golden Rooster was indeed an art object. The Golden Rooster was returned to the Nugget and placed back in its case at the entrance of the Golden Rooster Room Restaurant.
The Golden Rooster remained on display until 1987 when the Golden Rooster Room Restaurant was replaced by Trader Dick's Restaurant and Lounge. After sitting in storage, management decided that the Golden Rooster would be placed in the new hotel lobby after it was completed, the current location of the Golden Rooster.
