Honestly, I don't know who it was who originally told me about Nick's Hamburger Shop in Brookings, SD. All I know is that Nick's is literally a statewide institution in South Dakota. And it was billed as a must-visit. I was driving between Fargo and Sioux Falls last fall and I had time to stop in to Nick's to try a Nickburger.
Nick's Hamburger Shop has a long and storied history. In 1929, Gladys and Harold Nikalson (right) opened the door to their little 20-seat hamburger shop in downtown Brookings. The method of cooking their burgers was called "tank-frying". It's similar to the style that 2 Mits Burgers in Elkader, IA uses to cook their burgers - cooking them on a grill with water.
The Nickburgers were a huge hit with the townspeople and the students at South Dakota State University located just blocks from the downtown area in Brookings. The burgers were five cents each for the first 12 years Nick's was in existence, and people would pay for their burgers by placing coins in a tin can on the front counter as there was no cash register at Nick's.
When Nick went off to World War II, his son, Nick, Jr., began his career at Nick's Hamburger Shop. Nick, Jr. eventually took over for his parents in 1947 and began to take Nick's to new levels of success. Suddenly, business was booming as people would line up to buy Nickburgers by the sack full.
In 1975, Nick, Jr. retired and he was bought out by Duane Larson, a long-time employee of Nick's. Larson carried on the tradition of serving the Nickburgers on wax paper and selling them by the sack.
When Larson was getting ready to retire in 2004, a local colorful character by the name of Dick Fergen bought Nick's. Fergen was literally raised on Nickburgers as he was a native of Brookings and attended South Dakota State. While Fergen says he has "big plans" for Nick's, he's committed to upholding the integrity of the burgers that have literally been the same since 1929.
Many former students continue to come back to Nick's for a number of years long after they've graduated from SDSU. For many people in South Dakota, Nick's Hamburger Shop is truly a destination. In fact, Nick's is so famous, there is a book about the place (left).
I got into Brookings around the noon hour and tried to make my way to the corner of 5th and Main in the downtown area (see map). I was then surprised to see that Main Ave. was literally torn up, undergoing some major renovation and improvement. I had to sort of find my way around the construction and was able to park on 5th St. just on the north side of Nick's building.
My second surprise came as I walked up to Nick's front door. They were closed. As I looked in the window, it appeared they were undergoing a massive renovation. Then I noticed a small sign - they were open next door, albeit serving Nickburgers out of a small trailer in the empty lot next to the building on the south side. They had a number of picnic tables set up and there was a good sized line of people at the order window, and a number of people milling about waiting for their finished burgers.
At the time, I didn't know Nickburgers were small - about the half the size of most hamburgers. Only after reading about Nick's after I ate there, I then realized that's the reason why some people buy 'em by the sack.
There isn't much on the menu at Nick's - burgers, chips, homemade pie, drinks and shakes. You have your choice of a single or double hamburger, or a single or double cheeseburger. I waited in line for a couple minutes, then ordered a double cheeseburger with everything. I passed on Nick's famous homemade pickle relish, which uses the original recipe Harold Nikalson came up with in the 30's.
As I waited for my Nickburger, more and more people began to come up to the small trailer to order burgers. One was a family of four where the dad had been a former student at SDSU and he wanted to stop and treat his family to Nickburgers.
After about 10 minutes, my double cheeseburger showed up at the window (you could tell I was a Nick's virgin as everyone else - including women - were getting two, three or four burgers). I took a seat at one of the picnic tables and chomped into the double cheese Nickburger. It was moist, flavorful, juicy - all the great adjectives that go with the taste of a very good burger.
The double Nickburger didn't last long. It was very, very good. I wanted to get another one, but the line had now stretched 10 to 12 people deep, with a like number of people who were waiting for their burgers. I thought, "No, I'll just head down the road and come back some other day.
And I will be back. I need to eat in the new and improved Nick's at some point in the future. The trip between Fargo and Sioux Falls is long and boring. But a nice little short stop in Brookings to go to Nick's Hamburger Shop really breaks up the monotony.
Hey! Brookings native here, and current student. It was so nice to read this and learn so much about the burger shop I ate at so much as I grew up. Even though I see Nick’s every day, I never understood what a pillar of the community it really is, and I love that they’ve stayed the same for almost a hundred years. I hope that you’re able to stop in again soon and enjoy a few burgers (always get at least two!). Next time you’re in town. I hope you enjoy my childhood favorite, the pineapple sundae.
Posted by: Kat | June 18, 2023 at 05:46 AM