Pat Belew’s Gold Nugget

Before Nick’s became a Clemson fixture, Pat Belew’s Gold Nugget was the place at 104 Sloan Street. Pat Belew opened the Gold Nugget in the early 1970s, serving hearty sandwiches and drinks (an orientation-week lunch there in 1974 came with motherly advice that it was too expensive to be an everyday habit)​clemsonwiki.com. In 1975, Belew even expanded with a hot dog stand on College Ave​clemsonwiki.com. However, in 1976 Pat abruptly skipped town amid financial troubles – “blowing town owing many creditors” – and both the Gold Nugget and his hotdog stand closed down​clemsonwiki.com. That February, two Greek immigrants, Nick Vatakis and Milton Antonakos, took over the Gold Nugget space and reopened it as Nick’s Tavern & Deli​clemsonwiki.com. In a thrifty twist, they simply flipped the old Gold Nugget sign and painted “Nick’s” on the back, so behind Nick’s sign today lies the original Gold Nugget sign​clemsonwiki.com! Belew’s Gold Nugget is fondly remembered for its sandwiches and as a cozy pub of Clemson’s past. Its sudden end paved the way for Nick’s, which still carries on the spirit – and even the signage – of the Gold Nugget era​clemsonwiki.com​clemsonwiki.com.