Nick’s Has Sold Sliders by the Bag in Brookings, South Dakota Since 1929

Nick's Hamburger Shop at 427 Main Avenue in Brookings opened on November 2, 1929, Hobo Day weekend at South Dakota State University. The original price was a nickel a burger.

The 1932 building that houses it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Brookings Commercial Historic District. The red barstools, horseshoe counter, absence of a deep fryer, and secret mustard relish recipe have been maintained across nearly 100 years of continuous operation.

The South Dakota Standard has called Nick's 'one of the most beloved businesses in Brookings' and 'a point of local pride' alongside the SDSU Campanile and the First Lutheran Church. It made Only In Your State's best burger selections.

Current owner Dick Fergen has kept every tradition intact, including the eating challenge: set a new record above 25.5 burgers in a single sitting and eat for free. The record has stood for decades.

What to Order

Sliders made from fresh, never-frozen ground beef on baked-daily buns with ketchup, mustard, pickles, onions, cheese, or the house mustard relish.

The record for burgers eaten in a single sitting is 25.5, set by an SDSU student. When original owner Nick Fergen ripped up the bill, the challenge was born.

Homemade pie and cinnamon caramel rolls at breakfast. Milkshakes are hand-dipped. The motto is Buy 'Em by the Bag, which regulars take seriously. For more on the food scene nearby, see South Dakota diners that have fed locals for generations.

Almost 100 Years of the Same Burger

Harold and Gladys Nikalson opened the grill on Hobo Day 1929. Their son Nick Jr. took over in 1947, the year the restaurant sold 4,450 burgers in a single Hobo Day.

The business has passed through five more owners since, each one receiving the original family recipes and maintaining the approach that has sustained Nick's across nearly a century.

The original price of a nickel per burger in 1929 puts Nick's in a specific historical context. The Great Depression was starting. The Hobo Day crowd needed an affordable meal. Harold and Gladys Nikalson built a restaurant around exactly that need, and the affordability principle has stayed in the restaurant's DNA.

The National Register of Historic Places listing for the 1932 building means Nick's is formally recognized as part of Brookings' architectural heritage. The building itself is worth seeing even before you sit down to order.

The original price of a nickel per burger in 1929 puts Nick's in a specific historical context. The Great Depression was beginning. Harold and Gladys Nikalson built a restaurant around feeding a community that needed an affordable meal, and that affordability principle has stayed in the restaurant's DNA.

The National Register of Historic Places listing for the 1932 building means Nick's is formally recognized as part of Brookings' architectural heritage. The building itself is worth noting even before you sit down to order. For more of the state's dining history, see where to eat in Brookings.

Plan Your Visit

Nick's Hamburger Shop is at 427 Main Avenue in Brookings. Hours run Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Closed Sunday.

Call (605) 692-4324. Steps from the SDSU campus and the Brookings Historic District. While you're planning the trip, check out historic South Dakota restaurants still worth visiting.