BOELUS — Gold Nugget of Boelus finished runner up in the third annual Tournament of Taste, hosted by Central Nebraska Today.com.
The Tournament of Taste featured 64 different central Nebraska restaurants and eateries that had been nominated by residents through a vote.
A bracket was set up and those businesses with the higher number of votes moved ahead. In the end, the tournament came down to Gold Nugget of Boelus versus The Corn Krib of Belgrade, with The Corn Krib being named the 2026 “Chompion.
During the tournament, Gold Nugget faced off against Rath’s Café, The Den, The Opera House, Plainsman Steakhouse and Winchesters.
Boelus, is a village in Howard County with a population of 181. Boelus was originally called Howard City, and under the latter name was established in 1885.
The origin of the name Boelus is unclear. According to some sources, Boelus was likely named from the Belus River, while another source states Boelus got its name by conjoining the surnames Boesen and Larson, and the United States.
A full bracket was presented to Blake Suntych, who operates Gold Nugget with his father, Randy Suntych, on Monday, April 20.
Gold Nugget is located on 615 Delaware St. and is open Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 5 p.m. to p.m.
Gold Nugget has a long history in Boelus and was operated by Dick and Beth Whitefoot in the 1980s and 1990s. A 1991 issue of the Grand Island Independent details how CBS News anchor Charles Kuralt visited the steakhouse in 1983.
A letter Kuralt wrote to the Whitefoots stated, “Well that was a night to remember, even if I am having trouble remembering it. All I am sure is that we did something awful to your stock of steak and bourbon and everything tasted wonderful.”
The location would shut down for several years and the community would purchase the building in 2002. Gold Nugget reopened and was operated until it was purchased by Randy Suntych in October 2024.
Blake said he has worked at Gold Nugget for eight years and started when he was 13. He attended Centura Public School and is attending college while still working at the bar and grill.
Gold Nugget is known for their steak dinners, the menu includes New York cuts, Sirloin, Ribeye, flatiron and hamburger steak. They also have a prime rib special every Friday evening.
Other menu items include the staples, hamburgers, patty melts, grilled chicken sandwiches and grilled cheese sandwiches. They also have chicken and seafood options including Hawaiian chicken, salmon, walleye, and shrimp is served up several different ways.
Anyone at sitting at the bar can brush up on local history as the bar top is covered in newspaper clippings, pictures and other historical tidbits.
When asked about the Tournament of Taste, Blake said they learned they were nominated on the first day of voting. As they progressed through the bracket, Gold Nugget would update the day they were up for voting.
Blake said that many regulars would come in and tell him they had voted, he even began to see new faces the further Gold Nugget made it in the tournament. The Boleus community Facebook page even helped getting the word out about voting.
When asked what he would say to those who voted for Gold Nugget, Blake said “thank you to everyone who voted for us and the people that supported us.”
The Gold Nugget posts near daily updates on their Facebook page.
