Nic's Grill OKC: Justin Nicholas's Onion Burger

Nic’s Grill in Oklahoma City is a cash-only lunch counter at 1201 N Pennsylvania Ave, where founder and owner Justin “Nic” Nicholas has worked the flat-top since the mid-1990s. People line up for one thing: a half-pound burger cooked with grilled onions, usually ordered with cheese, with curly fries hand-cranked to order on the side. Guy Fieri put it on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, and in 2014 Tripadvisor ranked it No. 2 among the top 10 burger joints in the U.S. The room holds about 15 people. Bring cash, expect a line, and call 405-524-0999 to confirm the hours before you drive over.

My short version: Nic’s is the thick, juicy branch of the Oklahoma onion burger family, not the thin El Reno smash, and if that is the burger you want, it is worth the wait. This is a profile built from dated published sources, not a review visit, so it carries no Burger Breton rating. The sources are listed at the end.

Nic’s Grill Oklahoma City at a glance: address, payment, seating

Nic’s Grill sits at 1201 N Pennsylvania Ave, Oklahoma City, OK 73107, takes cash only and seats about 15 people at a counter and a few small tables.

Nic’s Grill Oklahoma City at a glance: 1201 N Pennsylvania Ave, OK 73107, phone 405-524-0999, cash only, about 15 seats (nine stools and three two-person tables), owner and grill cook Justin “Nic” Nicholas, half-pound onion cheeseburger and curly fries. Checked November 2, 2026 (Table: Burger Breton, original work, CC BY 4.0, data from TravelOK, VisitOKC, Food Network and 405 Magazine (checked 2026-11-02))

Even the seat count moves around. Some listings say 11, others 16 or 17. TravelOK and VisitOKC break it down as nine stools plus three two-person tables, which is where my “about 15” comes from.

Map of Nic’s Grill at 1201 N Pennsylvania Ave (N Penn), Oklahoma City, OK 73107 (iframe 800×450) (Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL, https://www.openstreetmap.org/copyright (marker geocoded via Nominatim at 35.4809, -97.5482))

Nic’s Grill hours: why the sources disagree

The published hours for Nic’s Grill disagree, so the only reliable check is the restaurant’s phone line, 405-524-0999.

Here is what each source says, as of November 2, 2026:

• TravelOK: Monday to Friday, 10:30 am to 2 pm, and Saturday, 11 am to 3 pm.
• Flavortown USA: weekdays, 7 am to 2 pm.
• The Lost Ogle (April 2025): describes a Saturday visit at 11 am.
• The owners (May 2024): said breakfast would return by June 1, 2024.

The gap comes down to breakfast. A 7 am opening implies a breakfast service; a 10:30 am opening does not. With no official website, there is no owners’ page to check the listings against, so I am not printing a single schedule. Call ahead, especially for Saturday or breakfast.

Nic’s Grill hours by source: TravelOK lists Monday to Friday 10:30 am to 2 pm and Saturday 11 am to 3 pm, while Flavortown USA lists weekdays 7 am to 2 pm. The gap is breakfast, so call 405-524-0999 before you go (Chart: Burger Breton, original work, CC BY 4.0, data from TravelOK and Flavortown USA (checked 2026-11-02). Horizontal bar chart of opening hours per day and source; to generate)

Who owns Nic’s Grill? Justin “Nic” Nicholas

Justin “Nic” Nicholas founded Nic’s Grill, owns it and works its flat-top himself, according to Food Network and Oklahoma Today. The restaurant takes its name from his nickname.

His roots go beyond burgers. The Oklahoma Gazette reported in 2019 that Nicholas grew up around Mennonite meat-pie traditions near Chickasha, southwest of the city, a background that later shaped the hand pies of his food truck.

Regulars know the counter by one line. When you order, the call is “Cheese and everything?” Say yes unless you have a reason not to. It is the house order.

His partner: Jovon Bunkley

Jovon Bunkley partnered with Nicholas on Nic’s Place, the Midtown diner they opened in 2016. The Lost Ogle’s April 2025 revisit names “Nic and Jovon” as the owners of Nic’s Grill too. No primary source confirms that Bunkley co-owns the original counter, so treat it as reported, not settled.

Cameron Benson, the cook who first ate there at 10

Cameron Benson, a former Nic’s Place manager, first ate at Nic’s Grill when he was 10, the Oklahoma Gazette reported in 2019. That year he ran the new food truck, and 405 Magazine reported he also worked the grill when Nicholas was at the diner or on the truck. His role is documented for 2019 only. I could not confirm what he does today.

The Nic’s Grill burger: how Justin Nicholas cooks it

The Nic’s Grill burger is a thick half-pound patty from a proprietary beef-and-fat blend, flipped once, topped with American cheese mid-cook and served with grilled onions on a toasted bun.

Nicholas walked Oklahoma Today through his method in May 2020:

1. The blend. A proprietary mix of beef and fat. He does not publish the ratio.
2. The form. Each patty is scooped and shaped gently, without overworking the meat.
3. The first side. The patty cooks untouched until it is about 40% done.
4. The flip. He turns it once and presses with care, not force.
5. The cheese. American cheese goes on halfway through the cook.
6. Onions and buns. Buns toast on the griddle while the onions sauté.

His own summary: “it’s about the temperature, it’s about the grind, it’s about the touch.” And on style: “I make them more like they did in the ’50s.”

How Justin Nicholas cooks the Nic’s Grill onion burger in six steps: proprietary beef-and-fat blend, gentle scoop and form, untouched until about 40% done, one flip with a light press, American cheese mid-cook, buns toasted while the onions sauté (Diagram: Burger Breton, original work, CC BY 4.0, based on Oklahoma Today, “Char Trek” (May 2020). Six-panel step illustration with a thick half-pound patty; to generate, no sourced file exists)

The curly fries

The fries at Nic’s Grill are curly, hand-cranked and cooked to order, according to Food Network and 405 Magazine: potatoes spiraled at the counter, not poured from a freezer bag.

A basket of curly fries, the side Nic’s Grill hand-cranks and fries to order. Illustrative photo, not taken at Nic’s Grill. (5184×3456) (Photo: Hungry Dudes, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Curly\_fries\_(6932415251).jpg (needs original photo of the Nic’s Grill fries))

Daily specials

Nic’s Grill has also served weekday plate specials. Food Network and OKMag listed pork chops on Tuesday, fried chicken and meatloaf on Friday, and chicken fried steak. Those reports date from 2014 and earlier, and I could not confirm the current rotation, so ask at the counter.

Is Nic’s Grill a real Oklahoma onion burger?

Yes and no: Nic’s cooks its onions with the burger like every OKC onion burger joint, but its patty is a thick half-pound round pressed only once, not the thin El Reno smash.

The fried onion burger was born in El Reno, on Route 66, in the 1920s, when cooks pressed cheap onions into small patties to stretch the beef. During the Depression it earned the nickname “Depression Burger”. Our Oklahoma City burger guide tells that story, and our history of the hamburger puts it in context.

Downtown El Reno, Oklahoma, on S. Bickford Avenue with its heritage trolley tracks (May 31, 2014): the Route 66 town where the fried onion burger was born in the 1920s, about 30 miles west of Nic’s Grill. (2047×1365) (Photo: katsrcool, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Downtown\_El\_Reno\_Oklahoma\_5-31-2014.jpg)

Roadfood puts it plainly: Nic’s serves half-pound rounds pressed down only once. That is a different burger from the El Reno original.

El Reno fried onion burger vs. the Nic’s Grill onion burger: thin smashed patty with onions pressed in vs. a thick half-pound round flipped once, with onions grilled alongside (Table: Burger Breton, original work, CC BY 4.0, data from Roadfood and Oklahoma Today (checked 2026-11-02))

My take: these are two different burgers, and ranking one above the other misses the point. Want the pure El Reno smash, onions fused into a crisp, lacy patty? Drive the 30 miles west. Want a thick diner burger that drips? Nic’s is the pick. Roadfood calls it “Oklahoma’s juiciest onion burger”, and a half-pound patty flipped once with a light press keeps its juice in a way a smashed one cannot.

Is Nic’s Grill the best onion burger in OKC?

For the thick style, Nic’s Grill is the onion burger to beat in OKC, and no other counter in the city matches its record: a national TV feature, a national Tripadvisor ranking and a place on VisitOKC’s onion burger list.

• National TV. Guy Fieri featured Nic’s Grill on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Flavortown USA dates the episode to July 2009.
• National ranking. In 2014, Tripadvisor ranked Nic’s Grill No. 2 among the top 10 burger joints in the U.S., News9 reported on July 1, 2014.
• Local lists. VisitOKC includes Nic’s in its “Iconic Eats: Onion Burger Edition”.

VisitOKC’s list also names MOB Grill (in Parlor OKC, Automobile Alley), S&B Burger Joint, The Garage, Tucker’s Onion Burgers (Uptown 23rd), Bunny’s and Burger Punk. If you want a thin smash without leaving the city, start there. Nic’s is the outlier on that list: the thickest patty and the smallest room.

Nic’s Grill history: from the lunch counter to Nic’s Place and back

Nic’s Grill has been on N Penn since the mid-1990s, expanded to a Midtown diner and a food truck after 2016, then refocused on the original counter in 2024.

The founding year is not settled. Some sources say 1995, others 1997. Without an interview or a state business record to confirm it, “mid-1990s” is the honest answer.

• Before Nic’s: the building was a 22-by-22-foot lunch counter. Food Network names the earlier café Marcia’s Sister’s Café. It is the only source to give that name.
• Mid-1990s: Justin Nicholas opens Nic’s Grill at 1201 N Pennsylvania Ave.
• July 2009: the Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives episode airs, per Flavortown USA.
• July 2014: Tripadvisor ranks Nic’s No. 2 among the top 10 U.S. burger joints.
• 2016: Nicholas and partner Jovon Bunkley open Nic’s Place Diner & Lounge at 1116 N Robinson Ave in Midtown.
• December 2018: a Nic’s food truck launches with puff-pastry hand pies, waffle chips and cinnamon rolls, run by Cameron Benson.
• May 11, 2024: Nic’s Place closes for good. The owners refocus on Nic’s Grill.
• April 2025: The Lost Ogle revisits Nic’s Grill and finds it still operating on N Penn.

Nic’s Grill timeline: N Penn counter opens in the mid-1990s, Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives in July 2009, No. 2 on Tripadvisor’s U.S. top 10 in July 2014, Nic’s Place opens in Midtown in 2016, food truck in December 2018, Nic’s Place closes May 11, 2024, The Lost Ogle revisit in April 2025 (Chart: Burger Breton, original work, CC BY 4.0, data from Food Network, Flavortown USA, News9, Oklahoma Gazette, The Food Dood Feed and The Lost Ogle (checked 2026-11-02). Horizontal timeline on desktop, stacked vertically on mobile; to generate)

What happened to Nic’s Place in Midtown?

Nic’s Place Diner & Lounge closed for good on May 11, 2024. The owners blamed post-pandemic changes in guest habits, along with labor, food and rent costs, The Food Dood Feed reported on May 12, 2024, and said they would put their energy back into Nic’s Grill.

In 2024 the owners also floated a deli, Depression-burger and cinnamon-roll concept in the building next door. I found no confirmation that it opened, and the food truck’s current status is unknown too.

Planning a visit to Nic’s Grill OKC

Bring cash, call 405-524-0999 to confirm the hours and expect to wait for one of about 15 seats.

• Cash only. No card payments, per TravelOK and 405 Magazine.
• Call first. Hours differ across listings, and breakfast and Saturday service are not confirmed.
• The wait. No source gives a typical wait time. With about 15 seats and one grill, count on a line at lunch.
• Prices. I could not verify a current price, and the last published one dates from 2013, so I am not printing it. Bring more cash than you think you need.

Making it a Route 66 burger trip

Nic’s Grill pairs naturally with El Reno, about 30 miles (50 km) west on Route 66. Eat a thick Nic’s cheeseburger in the city, then a thin smash in El Reno, and the difference between the two styles stops being theory. Oklahoma City is also home to Sonic’s headquarters: read our Sonic brand profile or make a Sonic Jalapeño Double Cheeseburger copycat at home.

Route 66 onion burger trip: Nic’s Grill on N Penn in Oklahoma City (marker) and El Reno, birthplace of the fried onion burger, about 30 miles (50 km) west (iframe 800×450) (Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL, https://www.openstreetmap.org/copyright (marker geocoded via Nominatim at 35.4809, -97.5482))

Driving south on I-35? Our guide to the best burgers in Dallas picks up where Oklahoma leaves off. For a Southern chef’s take on the onion burger, read about the John T. Burger at Hog & Hominy in Memphis.

How this profile was reported

I built this profile from published sources, all checked on November 2, 2026. Nic’s Grill has no official website or confirmed social account, so its phone line is the only direct way to verify facts with the restaurant. I did not rate it: a Burger Breton rating requires a dated visit. I left out celebrity visits reported only by secondary sources, and a 2013 article that named a different owner, since it contradicts every other source.

Sources: Food Network, TravelOK, Oklahoma Today, “Char Trek” (May 2020), 405 Magazine (June 3, 2019), Oklahoma Gazette (Feb. 6, 2019), The Food Dood Feed (May 12, 2024), The Lost Ogle (April 1, 2025), News9 (July 1, 2014), OKMag (May 22, 2014), VisitOKC, Roadfood, Flavortown USA.

Nic’s Grill FAQ

Who owns Nic’s Grill in Oklahoma City?

Justin “Nic” Nicholas founded Nic’s Grill, owns it and cooks on its grill. The restaurant is named after his nickname. The Lost Ogle named Jovon Bunkley as a co-owner in 2025, but no primary source confirms it.

Is Nic’s Grill cash only?

Yes. TravelOK and 405 Magazine both list Nic’s Grill as cash only.

What are Nic’s Grill’s hours, and is it open on Saturday?

Sources conflict. TravelOK lists Monday to Friday, 10:30 am to 2 pm, and Saturday, 11 am to 3 pm. Flavortown USA lists weekdays from 7 am to 2 pm. Call 405-524-0999 before you go.

How long is the wait at Nic’s Grill?

No source gives a typical wait. The counter seats only about 15 people and has one grill, so plan for a line at lunch and call ahead to check the hours.

What should I order at Nic’s Grill?

The half-pound onion burger with cheese. Say yes to “Cheese and everything?” and add the hand-cranked curly fries.

Was Nic’s Grill on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives?

Yes. Guy Fieri featured Nic’s Grill on Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Flavortown USA dates the episode to July 2009.

Is the Nic’s Grill burger a real Oklahoma onion burger?

It is an onion burger, but not the El Reno kind. Nic’s serves a thick half-pound patty, pressed once, with grilled onions. The El Reno original is a thin patty smashed with onions pressed into the beef.

What happened to Nic’s Place in Midtown?

Nic’s Place Diner & Lounge, at 1116 N Robinson Ave, closed for good on May 11, 2024. The owners cited post-pandemic changes in guest habits, along with labor, food and rent costs.

Does Nic’s Grill serve breakfast?

It is not confirmed. The owners said breakfast would return by June 1, 2024, and one listing shows a 7 am opening. Call 405-524-0999 to check.

How much does a burger at Nic’s Grill cost?

I could not verify a current price. The last published prices are years out of date. Bring enough cash, since cards are not accepted.