The Nook has been a St. Paul institution since 1938 — which means it was already a 62-year-old neighborhood landmark when Ted Casper and Mike Runyon bought it in 2000 at age 20. The two co-owners, whose fathers are best friends, took the keys and turned an already beloved burger joint into one of the most recognized in the Twin Cities. It appeared in Season 2, Episode 12 of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives — “Burgers, Rings and Fries,” aired January 21, 2008 — and Guy Fieri declared it “off the hook.” In honor of the visit, the owners created a burger called Guy’s Big Bite. Guy returned in 2011 after a kitchen fire gutted the place, filming a second segment as a gesture of sympathy and support. The Nook rebuilt and came back stronger.
Quick Facts
Restaurant: The Nook (Casper and Runyon’s Nook)
City: St. Paul, Minnesota
Cuisine: Burgers / Pub Food
DDD Season: 2
DDD Episode: 12
Episode Title: Burgers, Rings and Fries
Original Air Date: January 21, 2008
Address: 492 Hamline Ave. S., St. Paul, MN 55116
Phone: 651-698-4347
Website: https://www.crnook.com/
Status: Open
About The Nook
The Nook sits across the street from Cretin-Derham Hall High School — where Joe Mauer played baseball — in a compact brick building with a green awning. Inside there are nine tables, a lunch counter, and a downstairs bowling alley with operational 1950s lanes. The space is small, warm, and decorated with the kind of humble family photos and vintage memorabilia that accumulate over 85 years of operation.
The beef is certified ground chuck from Upper Midwest ranches — Iowa, the Dakotas, Minnesota — with The Nook’s own proprietary blend of ground beef and spices that, as Runyon notes, “no one else in the world has.” Buns come in fresh daily. Fries are hand-cut. The holly trinity of the burger, as the owners put it, is fresh bun, fresh meat, fresh fries — and they hold to it.
After the 2010 kitchen fire, Casper and Runyon paid all their employees to stick around using business interruption insurance rather than laying them off — a detail that says everything about how they run the place.
What to Eat at The Nook
The Juicy Nookie is the signature — a Juicy Lucy-style burger with molten cheese stuffed inside the patty, served on a fresh bakery bun. The Guy’s Big Bite — created in honor of the DDD visit — is a pepper jack-stuffed burger with bacon, topped with roast beef and cheddar. The Spanish Fly is a 50/50 blend of beef and Spanish-spiced pork stuffed with queso. The Hand-Cut French Fries are the side that completes the meal, and the Fried Honey Cheese Curds are the appetizer worth adding to any order.
Plan Your Visit
Check the website for current hours and wait times. Weekend waits can run an hour or more. The bowling lanes downstairs are worth checking out while you wait.
Address: 492 Hamline Ave. S., St. Paul, MN 55116
Phone: 651-698-4347
Website: https://www.crnook.com/
Status: Open
Triple D Essentials
The Nook’s Juicy Lucy is Minnesota’s answer to the great American burger debate. If you want to make stuffed burgers at home, start with Guy Fieri’s first Triple D cookbook — it’s full of this kind of technique. And Guy Fieri’s Flavortown Dry Rub Variety Pack is the seasoning foundation for anyone serious about their backyard burger game.
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The Nook appeared in Season 2, Episode 12 of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, “Burgers, Rings and Fries,” originally aired January 21, 2008. Guy Fieri returned to film a second segment in 2011 following a kitchen fire.