Nic's Grill

[kukblue1]

Went Friday night before the Thunder Game. Got there about 6:05 wasn't sure he was open kind of dark but people in there. By 6:30 it was full but no line. We left at 6:45 and others next to us ready to leave and no one was coming in. Nic was working and asked him how it was going. He said Friday nights are pretty good and Saturday lunch was really good. I Image with the OU OSU game at 3pm last Saturday he wasn't all that busy. That being said if you want to try it Friday and Saturday late would be good times to go. I think might get busier once word gets around he is open Friday night.

[Pete]

I went by last night (Saturday) at 7PM and the place was completely closed.

Have they changed their hours again? Last I knew they were open to 8PM on Saturdays.

[kukblue1]

I saw a post on their facebook page saying there was still time to come (Saturday) open until 2 so i guess it's just back to 11-2 on Saturday?

[shawnw]

Unfortunate in a sense. But on the plus side, if they end up closing, we have a nicely rehabed building that can maybe get another nice restaurant in it that will make better use of the nice real estate. That said, if they can hang on until the Monarch is open, they'll probably get healthy lunch business from there.

[Pete]

Unfortunate in a sense. But on the plus side, if they end up closing, we have a nicely rehabed building that can maybe get another nice restaurant in it that will make better use of the nice real estate. That said, if they can hang on until the Monarch is open, they'll probably get healthy lunch business from there.

Reminder this thread is about Nic's Grill on Penn.

It is Nic's Diner that is in Midtown.

[soonermike81]

I bet they’re stretched a little thin between the two locations. Trying their hardest to how their midtown location after pumping so much cash into while maintaining their cash cow on penn. I went by a couple of months ago at lunchtime in the middle of the week and they were closed. No sign to explain anything. A little frustrating but I feel bad for them. Hard to swallow that their new location may not ever be as successful as the original.

[rayvaflav]

I would like to think that I'm the one that discovered Nic's on Penn back is the 2000's but I know that's not true, but I did discover it in my small world and alert my friends and coworkers to it, so much so that my one friend drives down from Guthrie and gets a spot at the counter every Thursday, it's been going on for years. I haven't been there in awhile. I made it down last week and Nic/Justin asked me "No fries like usual, right Bubba ?". The last time that I was there was pre-pandemic, that's 3 1/2 years ago and Nic still remembered my order. Now that's some serious memory and some seriously personal service !

[Shortsyeararound]

Drove by today at 12 and there was no line. I almost stopped. Almost.

[Head]

My 9 year old grandson loves burgers and eats like a horse. He recently spent a couple of nights in the hospital with an intestinal virus, so I'm going to take him and my son (his dad) to Nic's for being so brave. He's never been there, and I can't wait to see his expression when he sees one with "cheese and everything". I've heard that Nic isn't always there anymore. Does he have a rotation that might land him there on certain days? Not too big of a deal, but I'd like the kid to get the treatment I've always gotten there.

[CitySooner]

My 9 year old grandson loves burgers and eats like a horse. He recently spent a couple of nights in the hospital with an intestinal virus, so I'm going to take him and my son (his dad) to Nic's for being so brave. He's never been there, and I can't wait to see his expression when he sees one with "cheese and everything". I've heard that Nic isn't always there anymore. Does he have a rotation that might land him there on certain days? Not too big of a deal, but I'd like the kid to get the treatment I've always gotten there.

He doesn't have a schedule really, but I will say Nic has been there more lately. I probably went 4+ years without seeing him there, but he has been there two out the past three times I went. Javon is great and will take care of you if Nic isn't around.

[Roger S]

Nic(Justin) had/has an amazing memory.... When he still served breakfast he knew my breakfast and lunch orders and if I was there on chicken day he knew I wanted chicken and not a burger.

I've not been in there in about 4 years but I bet if I walked in tomorrow he'd say "Cheese and onions, mayo only, Bubba?".

[BoulderSooner]

Nic(Justin) had/has an amazing memory.... When he still served breakfast he knew my breakfast and lunch orders and if I was there on chicken day he knew I wanted chicken and not a burger.

I've not been in there in about 4 years but I bet if I walked in tomorrow he'd say "Cheese and onions, mayo only, Bubba?".

i don't think one can adequately describe how great the breakfast was at the original location back in the day ..

[Roger S]

i don't think one can adequately describe how great the breakfast was at the original location back in the day ..

Agreed.... I'm pretty sure he had some kind of magical ham hidden in the back... He would see me walk in and walk to the back with a knife and come out with freshly sliced chunks of ham and fry them up.

It was my go to breakfast spot during the week. I would be there 3-5 times a week.

[BoulderSooner]

Agreed.... I'm pretty sure he had some kind of magical ham hidden in the back... He would see me walk in and walk to the back with a knife and come out with freshly sliced chunks of ham and fry them up.

It was my go to breakfast spot during the week. I would be there 3-5 times a week.

i was a once or twice a week for about a 3 year period ..

[onthestrip]

i was a once or twice a week for about a 3 year period ..

God bless your arteries.

That breakfast was amazing, I know it was a lot of work and hard to serve many people at a time but that western omelet, hasbrowns and texas toast all cooked right in front of you was so good. Hated it when he stopped.

[Plutonic Panda]

i don't think one can adequately describe how great the breakfast was at the original location back in the day ..

Was this at the current location on Penn?

[BoulderSooner]

Was this at the current location on Penn?

yes

[Plutonic Panda]

yes

Wow I would have like to have tried that. His onion burgers are amazing. Might just be the best burger I’ve ever had.

[John1744]

https://thefooddoodfeed.substack.com...now-in-history

Nic's Place closed yesterday for good so they can put their focus back on Nic's Grill and bringing breakfast back and looks like they have some plans for the house to the north of the Grill.

[Pete]

^

That sucks but I'm sure someone will take over that space.

The basement bar is one of the best spots in town.

[BoulderSooner]

^

That sucks but I'm sure someone will take over that space.

The basement bar is one of the best spots in town.

yes it is ..

[warreng88]

I ate there three times and it the upstairs area always seemed out of place. You had waiters in white shirt and tie, nice white table clothes and eating a big, drippy (delicious, I might add) burger on it. I ate at the bar downstairs once and it seemed to make more sense.

[WhoRepsTheLurker]

My wife and I ate there about two weeks ago on a Friday evening and it was dead upstairs and downstairs. We both left pretty disappointed with the food quality, though the cheese curds were the only thing that brought our experience up.

[citywokchinesefood]

The space needs to embrace the speakeasy concept a bit better. The downstairs bar has a great vibe, the upstairs section feels more like retail/office space. In a perfect world I would love to see a gift shop/art gallery/office space upstairs, and the restaurant concept housed completely downstairs. The kitchen location is a hurdle to servicing volume, but the space is so cool it has been criminally underutilized since the location opened.

[PhiAlpha]

The space needs to embrace the speakeasy concept a bit better. The downstairs bar has a great vibe, the upstairs section feels more like retail/office space. In a perfect world I would love to see a gift shop/art gallery/office space upstairs, and the restaurant concept housed completely downstairs. The kitchen location is a hurdle to servicing volume, but the space is so cool it has been criminally underutilized since the location opened.

Fully agree. Go all in on the speakeasy deal vs just being a bar in the basement of a burger restaurant. Make the cocktails/drinks first priority and serve a limited menu. Really needs to be a separate “concept” than whatever restaurant/business is on the ground level.