Pot Is Legal, But There’s No Food Past 10PM; The Jackpot NV Curse

I recently returned to the Magic Valley from a long trip and stopped in Jackpot, Nevada, to get some gas. As I stood at the pump and looked down the road at the cannabis dispensary sign, I realized that any locals that get the munchies in the middle of the night are pretty much screwed unless they don't mind wandering a casino stoned.

Jackpot is delightfully stuck in the nineteen-forties. With a population of approximately 1,200, there's not a great need for a large number of commercial businesses. The community could, however, benefit from a fast-food option, particularly one that serves late into the evening and is visible from Highway 93; a Denny's would make an absolute killing.

As you know, Nevada is one of several states where recreational marijuana use is legal. Can you imagine indulging in the lifestyle, and having the closest fast-food burger 40 miles to the north in Twin Falls? It's an even more torturous drive to Wells, which is 69 miles south. Late-night cravings Monday through Thursday have to wait until the morning.

Maybe we should all get together and lobby for a twenty-four-hour diner in Jackpot. With the number of trucks and people going and returning from vacations to the west, I imagine it would take in a pretty good profit. There is a place called Nosh, but according to the Internet, they're only open two days a week.

One place you can get food is at the Desert Room, which is located inside Cactus Pete's Resort Casino. The restaurant caters to gamers and guests mainly, and isn't what I would call an atmosphere for kids. They don't have a kids menu in fact, and close at 10 P.M. with the exception of Friday and Saturday when they stay open a bit later.

I poked my head inside the restaurant really quick, and even passed something I hadn't seen in at least 30 years in the process, that being a cigarette machine. You think you're poor with the rise of gas prices. At an average of $12 per pack, it must be painful walking in the shoes of a modern-day, chain-smoking gambler.

Get our free mobile app