I just happened to notice “The Elvis” while perusing the menu one afternoon at Tops Bar-B-Q & Burgers.
The description reads, “Creamy peanut butter, applewood bacon, & Tops delicious banana pudding between two pearl sugar waffle halves.”
Say what?
It also read, “Available All Day.” This isn’t just a breakfast item.
This little sandwich, which sounds perfect for the Elvis commemorative festivities coming up in August, sounded intriguing. It’s not exactly what the King probably had in his kitchen at Graceland, but it sure sounded like something he’d enjoy — fit for The King.
There’s a photograph of Elvis outside at a table at one of the Tops locations. It looks like it was taken in the 1950s, which makes sense because Tops opened in 1952.
I was all shook up. So, I ordered The Elvis along with some Brim’s plain potato chips and a sweet tea.
The Elvis, to me, looks a little bigger than a conventional breakfast sandwich like a sausage and biscuit. But there’s a lot there. I just picked it apart with my hands and ate every savory morsel. I thought about ordering another, but one delicious sandwich was enough.
I asked Tops executive Hunter Brown to give me some history on the little sandwich.
“We started looking at different avenues for our pearl infused sugar waffle,” Brown says, “‘Cause it’s such a good product. We just wanted to get this into customers’ hands.”
It’s the only breakfast item they serve all day, “Considering it’s kind of a dessert.”
The Elvis is “a throwback” to Elvis’s favorite sandwich, Brown says. That’s the famous grilled peanut butter and banana sandwich. As far as I know Elvis’s sandwich was on bread instead of a waffle. And I don’t believe he had banana pudding on it.
“There’s no secret that Elvis Presley was a huge Tops fan,” Brown says. “He ate primarily at the Union location since it’s been open since the mid ’60s.”
Part of that location is designated The Elvis Room. “You go in there and it’s got memorabilia and pictures.”
The Tops sandwich sounds a little over the top, but I thought it was great. “We’re very generous, but also aware of the amount we put on it so it’s not overkill.”
Now Tops needs to introduce a chicken tender, which they can call “Love Me Chicken Tender.”