The Nook
| Address: | 492 Hamline Ave S, St Paul, MN 55116, USA |
| Phone: | +1 651-698-4347 |
| Site: | crnook.com |
| Rating: | 4.6 |
| Working: | 11AM–1AM 11AM–1AM 11AM–1AM 11AM–1AM 11AM–2AM 11AM–2AM 11AM–1AM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 10
MA
Mark Williams
Talk about overrated. You have to wait about 30 minutes for a burger and fries here! Yes, that is for their "Juicy Lucy" burger with cheese in the center. One good bite and all the cheese will ooze out leaving an empty cavity...... From the puddle of cheese I guess you can dip your burger into it?! Anyway, a 1/3 lb burger with seasoned fries was NOT worth it. Apparently there is another serving area besides the main bar, which is nothing more than an old time corner bar that used to be prevalent in St. Paul. No dedicated parking, so you have to park on the side streets and you have to wait to be seated. Yes, you read that right. In what would be an ordinary corner dive bar you have to wait to be seated!?!? Why the slow service?? I counted about four or five guys in the kitchen. Go to Smashburger for a better experience. I went during an off-peak time and it took 30 minutes for a burger and fries?? For the $10 bucks the "Jucy Lucy" costs you, you can get a LOT of food at a fast food burger joint. 10 Burger King cheese burgers anyone??
AU
Austin Ross
I honestly dont think theres a better burger joint in Minnesota. Every burger Ive had there has been absolutely delicious. They have a decent selection of beers on tap and a few options for fry sides. My personal favorite are the waffle fries. Staff there is great and friendly. A lot of the times your cook will bring out your meal rather than the server and it makes it feel like they actually care about what your eating. In the basement they even have a bowling alley. If you eat down there the noise it makes is pretty insignificant. And theres dollar bills plastered everywhere in the dining area. Theyre definitely fun to look at. The only gripe I have is this place is BUSY. Usually parking within a block is no problem, but inside its always packed around dinner time. Its odd if you dont have to wait. Definitely well worth it.
JU
Justin Rice
This is by far one of the best burgers Ive ever had..... Ive eaten here multiple times and have always had a good experience. If youre looking to grab a quick burger with friends make sure you allow 30-45 minutes at a "not peak time." If you were thinking about going around 4:50-6pm you can most certainly count on waiting awhile since this place has about 10-12 tables and there is always a bunch of people waiting to get a table. For Example: I went to the nook on a Thursday night at 4:40pm and got a table right away but when I finally left at 5:45pm there was already 10-15 people waiting for a table. Also, the fries are incredible as well, both the standard and waffle fries. If youre going to eat here make sure you bring an appetite since the burgers are quite large.
ER
Eric C
Been here twice within a month. Some of the best burgers in the cities for a reasonable price. Fries/sides are great and drink prices are reasonable although not a huge selection of beer. Atmosphere is much better upstairs with plenty of light and an open room. Second time sat in the basement where theres a bowling alley. The basement is much more cramped with literally thousands of dollars bills hanging on the walls and ceiling. It gave the basement a much more grungy feel and I would request to wait for upstairs if youre not a fan of dive bars. If youre looking for a great burger or a Juicy Lucy made delicious (rather than arguing about who invented it) this is the place to be. Not a ton of seating so try to go at non-peak times unless you are willing to wait.
SA
Salem Mahmoud
I can write you a novel about how much I love The Nook, but Ill keep this as short as I can. The burgers are not only novel and inventive; they do them correctly. Every burger Ive tried has been juicy, flavorful, and tender. I generally do not like fresh cut fries, because they are not crispy, but the vinegar soak they do gives them that extra crispiness and flavor no one has. The service staff is not only quick to hop on anything you want or need, but they do it with a smile on their face and actually seem like they like their jobs (which is pretty rare in food service lately). I honestly cant begin to fathom how anyone could say this isnt the best place in the state for burgers.
RI
Rick M
I went to the Nook on Hamline a couple days ago with some out of town friends before the Cure concert . I have ti be honest it was not goo that night. I also realize everyone can have a bad night in any industry so this could be an anomaly. My friends said lets go and have a burger and a beer so I suggested the Nook because the last time I went there is was great. the things The beer I ordered was just colder than room temperature. The burger bun was stale, and the cheese inside the burger was the same as the nacho cheese you get from a gas station. I will mark it off as a bad night and I will go back but this night was not good. My friends were not satisfied on this visit
RY
Ryan Whitesparks
What to say about this place that hasnt been said? Great burgers. Bowling downstairs too! An ice cream parlor next door if you want to double down on some American pastime where you can also get one of their specialty crafted "phosphates." The service is average and you can expect to wait, and the parking situation isnt great either, but its all about the burgers and wings here and its worth the effort. Youll always hear about the burgers from friends and co-workers, but the wings have won a lot of awards as well. Burgers, beer, bowling, ice cream (nextdoor at Coldfront;) what more can a red-blooded American ask for?
AL
Alicia Carleo
The atmosphere here is always really neat- I recommend trying to eat downstairs if you can! The dollar bills stuck to every surface inside the subway car are a sight to behold. I guess the place has been on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives as well. Try the original Juicy Nookie - its darn good. The cheese curds are nothing to shake a stick at either. At peak times or holidays there can be a bit of a wait, and dont expect to loiter after your meal... They will (gently) try and get you moving. Also, asking for artificial sweetener seemed to be a really tough thing-I guess they dont have any downstairs.
BR
brittany baker
Today was my first time at The Nook. We started off with some beers (quite a large selection) and cheese curds. These beer battered curds were THE BEST I have had this side of the Mississippi river. Then came the stuffed burgers... I cannot stress the overwhelming amount of cheese they managed to stuff inside one patty! My burger had a cavern of cheese! The meat they use for the burgers is very good as well. It melts in your mouth. I think they cut their own fries too. Out of all the stuffed burgers in the TC area, The Nook is definitely second best. (I only say that because Matts is original)
DU
Dustin Lode
As a resident of Iowa I come to Minnesota every so often to visit friends, go to the Mall of America, and just this year visit Valley Fair. I always make it a point to make my way to The Nook, their burgers are the best I have ever had, by far, it makes my mouth water just thinking about them. You must try the juicy nookie or I get the Paul molitor because of the stuffed pepper jack cheese, they give me the chills when I take that first bite! Fantastic destination that is worth the wait every time.
