In the early days of legal cannabis in Washington, some of the most eager to pop into new recreational stores were gray-haired patrons who hadn't partaken since their youth, or who were attracted by the idea of edibles and pain-relieving creams.
That was definitely the case for what's now the second location of THE GREEN NUGGET, located in Pullman. Right next to a popular dinner spot, the cannabis store used to get mostly older regulars, says manager Cheyenne McDaniel, who's worked at the location since it opened in 2015.
"But now with the student discount, we have a ton of younger people coming in," McDaniel says.
Every day, students and faculty with a university ID (it doesn't matter which university) can get 25 percent off.
For the younger regulars, that's a bonus as they seek out cheap ounces of flower and dabs, McDaniel says.
When Green Nugget staff received the news that Inlander readers voted them Best Retail Cannabis Shop on the Palouse, they couldn't contain their excitement, taking a minute to cheer and whoop before coming back to the phone.
Based in Spokane, the Green Nugget bought the Pullman store in April last year, and the store got a full remodel. There's a new subway tile backsplash, a larger showroom floor, and some Coug-friendly crimson and black decor, says marketing director Martina Graves.
"Our flagship is the Spokane store, and Pullman is a lot different, it's got a lot more of a hometown feel," Graves says. "There's a really strong loyalty base — they love the strong customer service and have been seeing the same budtenders for years."
Whether you've got the munchies or not, when Inlander readers aren't hitting up the Palouse's Best Burger at COUGAR COUNTRY DRIVE IN, they might be hankering for their favorite sushi at RED BENTO, with locations in both Moscow and Pullman.
The deep-fried sushi rolls seem to be a fan favorite, says Eric Driscoll, the general manager of Red Bento's Moscow location in the Palouse Empire Mall.
"Any one of those gets ordered all the time, but the 007 roll and the kamikaze roll are the most popular," Driscoll says.
The 007 is a deep fried spicy salmon roll with avocado, cream cheese, yami sauce (kewpie mayo and sriracha) and eel sauce drizzled on top. The kamikaze is the same, but with spicy tuna.
The Moscow location also offers lunch and dinner bento boxes, as well as dinner combos of other popular Asian dishes. Driscoll says customers are often surprised by just how large the servings are.
"I generally can eat a lot of food. I find the lunch bentos satisfying for me, and I'm an average build 22-year-old guy," Driscoll says. "But the bento dinner is really big even for me. I have a hard time putting it all away."
Meanwhile, for those who live and travel through the rolling hills off State Route 27, HURD MERCANTILE AND COMPANY remains readers' favorite place to get gifts on the Palouse.
Those taking a day trip or traveling to a Washington State University football game are also known to stop in for some delicious barbecue at the PALOUSE CABOOSE in the town of Palouse.
Voted readers' favorite happy hour, The Palouse Caboose has been "smoking stuff out back since 2015," with offerings of smoked brisket, pulled pork, smoked chicken and turkey, and sometimes ribs and homemade sausages.
Owner Kim Rundle, who opened the popular restaurant with her husband, Eric Wilkerson, says it's common to see out-of-town guests who are in the area to tailgate as well as local farmers who might ride up on a horse or tractor to get some food.
"Palouse is super friendly, everybody's super nice in the town," Rundle says. "It's the kind of place you can drive into town and people will wave at you even if they don't know you."
With a popular patio and a garage door that's opened to let in the fresh air in the warmer months, the Palouse Caboose regularly hosts concerts and is family friendly, with a mini caboose out front for kids to play on, Rundle says.
Specials include 12-ounce Keystone cans for just a buck all the time, and a daily $1 discount on any alcoholic beverage between 3 and 6 pm. On Fridays and Saturdays, the restaurant offers two-for-$6 deals on well drinks, domestic beers, White Claws and 12-ounce microbrews from 8 pm to close (around 10 pm during the cold months and more like midnight during the summer).
"It's kind of a bedroom community for people who work at the university and Schweitzer [Engineering], so we try to keep our cocktails classy and our beers locally sourced. They like their microbrews as well as the farmers like their Keystone," Rundle says. "I live in Moscow and commute to Palouse every day, and you feel like you're home when you're there."
BEST BURGERS
1st PLACE: Cougar Country Drive, Pullman
2nd PLACE: The Coug, Pullman
3rd PLACE: Humble Burger, Moscow
BEST HAPPY HOUR
1st PLACE: The Palouse Caboose, Palouse
2nd PLACE (tie): My Office Bar & Grill, Pullman; The Coug, Pullman
BEST GIFTS
1st PLACE: Hurd Mercantile & Company Rockford
2nd PLACE: Neill's Flowers and Gifts, Pullman
3rd PLACE (tie): HOME, Lifestyle, Gifts and Decor, Spangle; The Red Barn, Latah
BEST RETAIL
CANNABIS SHOP
1st PLACE: The Green Nugget, Pullman
2nd PLACE: Piece of Mind Cannabis, Pullman
3rd PLACE: Floyd's Cannabis Co., Pullman
BEST SUSHI
1st PLACE: Red Bento
Moscow and Pullman
2nd PLACE: Tokyo Seoul, Pullman
