the nook

Fantastic burgers and great fries. It's worth the wait and/or hassle. Basic food done very well. Not much else needs to be said.

We were in the area for a basketball game and it just so happened the Nook was right across the street. That, combined with the recommendation of everyone that I know in the area, led us to have lunch at the Nook. This place was featured on the Food Network a few years ago and once you eat here, you'll understand why. The place itself is nothing special. There's a bar on the ground floor with a limited number of tables. There were literally people waiting outside to be called for a table. They also have a "downstairs" area. There are bowling alleys and another small bar and more seating. After about a 30 minute wait, that's where we were seated. They have other items on the menu but there really is no choice... you go to the Nook for the burgers. And let me tell you, you will NOT be disappointed. The Juicy Nookie, as they call it, is a burger stuffed with melted cheese. Wow. Order it. Heck, order two! It was amazing! And the fries and sweet potato fries are awesome too. Our waitress was super friendly and helpful. Once we got in the door, the food came out quickly. If you're in the area, take the time to stop here for a burger. You will not be disappointed.

My sister, sister-in-law, and I went for lunch. My sister and I were first time visitors to the Twin Cities. We had been told that a "Jucy Lucy" was a Twin City Treat. So my sweet sister-in-law took us to the Nook for lunch. It was crowded and we had to wait a bit for a table, but it was worth the wait.Upstairs, the restaurant/bar was a long narrow room in an old building with a lot of character, and neat posters and stuff. Kinda crowded, but a nice crowded. We were surprised when we were taken to our table to see a bowling alley down stairs! Very old school place.Our waitress knew the menu like the back of her hand. The Jucy Lucy is a stuffed burger. But there were so many to choose from. We all got something different and shared bites. Everything was delicious. The Nook had great burgers, great atmosphere, and you should check it out. It is a fun place! And there are dollar bills stuck all over the ceiling with tooth picks! LOL Great fun.

After our wedding the following morning we were craving a burger. No better way to cure this craving then to get a jucy Lucy, we had some nachos which were very good along with a Paul Molitor Burger which was outstanding. We will be back for sure, and love stopping here. If you want a great burger make sure to go here!

The burgers here are most likely some of the best in the twin cities. There is also an old fashion bowling alley in the basement which I recommend exploring. There will most likely be a bit of a wait for the scrumptious food, however It is well worth it. Not sure why it is filed under the nightlife section, it's more of a restaurant.

The Nook is an 'off the beaten path' restaurant. With its old-fashioned 8-lane bowling alley and Famous Juicy Nookie, it is one of the best restaurants in all of Minnesota.

We decided to come here last Friday after a long week. We arrived at the right time because when we left there was a line out the door.Let me say that the SERVICE was AWESOME! We had a super waiter that just knew when to show up and he was able to anticipate our needs. Great job.The place was cute and the upper level was full so we sat near the bowling alley.. it was quaint, clean and relaxing.Now for the food. Humm... I'm a super picky burger eater so I thought the food was good but NOT oustanding. The hubby had a jucy lucy type burger and I had the reindeer burger. We have 2 for one appetizers and they were yummy. The maple bacon cheese curds were the best ever and will be what I remember from this place! The fries were hand cut and good. I just don't eat a ton of fried food so I was super full when we left and that made me feel icky. Would we go back? Maybe , if we are in the area but we won't go out of our way to go there just because.It was a fun evening.

Got in right away, great service & my burger was excellent! Old fashioned cut French fries were delicious!

The restaurant has been showcased on food channels and in papers so I assumed it was going to be a great place. I guess I should never assume. After a 20 min wait we were seated downstairs next to the bowling lanes. This was pretty cool and gave the place a different dimension. Our waiter John K came finally over 8 minutes later and took our drink order. We waited close to another 10 minutes for our two beers. When we received our beers we then placed an order for an appetizer of wings, and two burgers for our main. One order was to to have grilled onions and sweet potato fries and the other burger was ordered plain and with regular fries. We noticed the couple who sat down after us across the aisle received an order of wings quickly from their server. We continued to wait and wait and wait. When we received our wings they were not the flavor we ordered. When asked if we could please receive the flavor that we ordered John told us that the kitchen was really busy and that was not possible but he could bring us a side of the sauce that was suppose to be on the wings. In the mean time, we come to find that the couple across the aisle from us had received the wings we ordered and we received theirs. Their server was extremely apologetic to them and brought them their correct order of wings in a to-go container. With being seated over an hour ago we finally received our main order of burgers. Well, the burgers were not as we ordered them and either were the fries. My burger was ordered with grilled onions. I had 1 sliver of a grilled onion. When I showed this and the fact that the fry order was screwed up he returned to the kitchen. He never came out and when he did he avoided our table. Finally our meals were getting cold and decided to eat even though they were not as ordered. When John finally brought the check we had been there for over 2 hrs. We were billed for everything even though we did not receive the correct order on anything except for our drinks. When asked to speak with a manager we were told they were too busy.

It wasn't a fancy burger - not like one a artisanal burger with onion straws and goat cheese and poached pear or anything. Just a good, solid burger, expertly done, served with crispy fries.And oh sweet lord do they do it well.The flagship Juicy Nookie does raise the question: why isn't EVERYTHING in the world stuffed with molten cheese?!?My wife, who unfortunately answers that question with "because some people are lactose intolerant" had a regular burger which she said reminded her of the burgers he dad would grill up during the summer. Given we were a long ways from summer, that's high praise indeed.

I found this place by accident while looking for a restaurant within walking distance from Circus Juventas, where I volunteer. I thought I'd found the Next.Best.Thing, but I guess millions of people already beat me too it, thanks to Food Network :). That's probably the best thing about this place: despite being famous, it's still a great place to eat with reasonable prices, excellent food & service, and wait times no more excessive than you'd expect from a small, highly rated St. Paul restaurant. Triple B Burger and Leprechaun Legs make for an excellent meal. I wish they took reservations for large groups. They do a good job of getting your food out even when busy, and the servers are all very friendly and helpful. The bowling alley in the basement is fun. Sign a dollar bill and tack it to the ceiling!I eat here fairly regularly, especially in May and August during the circus shows, and I've never had a bad meal.

Great burgers. Period. The service was wonderful and our waiter took the time to warn us how to eat one of these spectacular burgers. Warned because the cheese inside the burger is steaming hot and will squirt your buddy if not careful. Loved the onion rings which had amazing breading. You must stop here while in town.

We were in town for one night and a friend recommended The Nook. We walked in to a PACKED place but the wait was only about 20 minutes. The menu is a good size with a big variety of burgers. The food was just as good as we were expecting and the service was okay. Considering how busy the place was they did a decent job serving. It's a great place to eat, have a few drinks, and watch a game.

I was in town travelling on business last week and the sales rep I was working with brought me here for lunch. He raved about their juicy lucy style burgers and said the place came highly reccommended by Guy Fieri. Well, I was not disappointed.I ordered "Guys Big Bite" which was a juicy nookie stuffed with pepperjack cheese and then topped with bacon, roast beef, and cheddar. OMG it was delicious! Lots of napkins were needed as this monster never stopped dripping. The fries that are served with it are also perfect!Atmosphere is awesome resembling that small home-town corner bar feeling where all are welcome. Service was fantastic as well.The only thing that is missing is an appetite. You definitely need to bring your own!

The place is really quaint, clean and super welcoming. Ordered the juicy burger special and it was delish. My hubby loved his order of Spanish chorizo burger more. I love the historical factor that an ol bowling alley is downstairs