Big Nick's Burger and Pizza Joint

Lived on the UWS my entire life and have frequented Big Nicks, but my most recent experience there has turned me to never support or eat at any of Nick's eateries EVER again.

Save yourself from Big Nicks, trust me on this one! Unfortunately it took me 27 years to learn about this horrible business. . . if you are looking for late night eats, there is always Chirping Chicken, Europan and other clean, respectable establishment who treat customers appropriately.

Pros: poor customer service

Cons: Still on the UWS

I've never met a burger here that I didn't like, and it has all the ingredients a junk food junkie could ask for.

My only wish is that there was more space to move - the quarters are tight and it gets crowded. If you're picking up, there isn't much room to wait inside - you always feel like you're getting in someone's way.

That being said, I'd deal with the lack of space anytime for pretty much anything on the menu.

Pros: Great greasy food, fast friendly service, affordable prices

Cons: Cramped inside

We ordered delivery one day to our hotel. It took twice as much time as they said it would, the man only brought 2 of the 3 items we asked for. We called to ask for any compensation and the manager was very rude and spoke with an unacceptable tone. He never returned a refund for our food. The food wasn't even that great. Don't go there, the food is disgusting and the service is unacceptable.

I've been here a few times and I must say: DELICIOUS. The food is always fresh tasting [no matter what time] and it always leaves you wanting more...maybe because there is sO much to choose from!! It's a quiet spot which is great for meeting with friends and grabbing a [good] bite. They have EVERYTHING on this menu. 24 hr breakfast...all types of pizza and sandwiches...salads...seriously, everything lol. Best part is that its all Mm-mM GOOD!

Pros: delicious food at great price

Cons: location is very small [tight seating]

it is what it is... greasy greek diner taken to an american level. burgers are juicy, reasonable prices. pizza by the slice, big, foldable, hot. this is better than Nikos, which is the sister restaurant. love that it is open 23 hours a day. great place when everything else is closed.

Big Nick's has my all-time favorite cheeseburgers! I get the cheddarburger, which comes loaded with cheddar cheese, and waffle fries, which are perfectly seasoned and crunchy! The burgers are thick, juicy and seasoned to perfection!! I can't go more than a couple of weeks without this meal. Plus, Big Nick's menu is so thick that it has a table of contents!! It has everything one could possibly desire, and everything I have eaten there has been delicious!

We have been to Big Nicks many times, and I think the pizza is very good, and so are the burgers. Its pretty cheap there and you get a lot for the price, not only is it a large quantity its good food. The waiters are nice to you but wont be hovering all over you. Its a good place to go to on late nights there are open 24 hours with 24 hour delivery. Thats good service. I will keep on going there : )

Pros: Food, service, price, variety

Cons: There are none

My husband raves about the sumo burger from Big Nick's so I decided to give this place a try. After yesterday's experience, I've decided that I will never go back there again. The place was dirty and crowded. We sat outside in order to get fresh air and our server was very rude. She plopped the check on our table half-way through our meal and attempted to remove my plate while I was EATING my fries. I ordered the cheeseburger and found that it was average, at best. The bathroom is disgusting, tiny, and difficult to get to because it's located by where they wash the dishes. It was a gross place. Next time I want a burger, I would go to Jackson Hole where the food is much better and the place is cleaner.

Pros: Cheap prices

Cons: Dirty place, poor service, mediocre food

This was a let down. The cheeseburger here was a real let down. The patty tasted like it was premade and prepackage. The kind you can buy by bulk at wallmart. The fries were few and soggy. For the price this place is not worth it. There are numerous places where you can spend less and have a better meal that won't leave you hungry.

Pros: It has been around for 40 years

Cons: You can get better diner food nearby

If you can read the menu within the 5-10 minutes you're sitting there you may be one heck of a speed reader. The menu contents are extensive and full of some of the best variety a diner can offer. Except this place is mad small and way too crowded at times. The food is good and the portions are awesome.

Pros: Burgers, Menu Variety, Prices

Cons: Service (rushed), Small

The food is good, especially the pizza and there is a wide selection of everything. HOWEVER, anyone and everyone who is handling food should be wearing gloves - not, for example, scratching their scalp or wiping their mounth with their bare hand and then using that same hand to my handle food. That actually happened and it's gross and until they start wearing gloves or using tongs, I'm not going back.

Pros: Good food, wide selection

Cons: Not too clean

The burgers here are awesome and they are all made to order. Try the Texas burger with an egg on the burger, it is like steak and eggs on a bun. The service is fast, burgers are juicy and fresh. They have a huge menu, so if you don't want a burger, they have a bunch of other specials on the menu.

Pros: Burgers, price

Cons: Crowded seating indoor

My advice for Big Nick's is don't eat inside. It's cramped, greasy, and noisy, and you're right up against the stressed-out staff. The menu is ridiculous. I love variety, but it could be better organized. My friends were happy enough with their burgers, but I'm not sure Big Nick really knows what "vegan" means when he labels some menu items as such.

OK, you can find better food and service at any one of the thousands of restaurants in the city, BUT what will keep you coming back is the quirky nature and damn cheap meals. Breakfast is just fine at Nick's and all the unkown "celebrities" and meal additions that line the walls will keep you entertained between outbursts from the waitresses. Let's face it - people aren't coming back because its 5 star dining - it's the quirky style and a unique NY local style that makes it a favourite..... It's Nick's Dodgy Diner and I love it! :-)

Pros: Quirky and Entertaining Enivironment - Very Cheap!

Cons: Not 5 Star Dining, but that's not why you go there.....

Really gorgeos. Gazpacho is great on summer and buirger perfect. Nick served us with a "simpatia" and speed that make felt us at home. Baklava was perfect.

Next time we 'll be in NY we have more dinner here.

Pros: Local, speedy, Fresh and good food

Cons: it's not elegant but who cares?

i have been going here since i was a kid. it's so new york to me, what with the burger and pizza and greek food, it's like neighborhoods thrown together. big nick himself is a really good guy (he also owns nico's a block or two down) and the staff is really friendly and will remember you. it's not fancy (and frankly it's not the cleanest place in the world) but it's perfect. sweet decor - laminated quotes from restaurant reviews and photos of body builders and aspiring actors who frequent the place line the walls. the food is really good stuff, also they string twinkly lights everywhere. my favorite thing there is the spinach pie. the huge burgers are classic. the fries are thick and potato-ey. for dessert, the baklava is a sticky sweet piece of greek. when i was a kid they gave out lollipops and balloons that said, big nick is my friend.

Pros: a relaxed and warm eating experience

Big Nicks serves drek (for you out of towners, that means crap). I went only once, and will never go back. The burger meat tased weird, they probably too much bread in it. Hey Nick, how 'biut using some real meat next time? Also, it took forever to get a cold bowl of soup, which was terrible by the way. There's too many good places in NYC to waste a meal at this drek palace.

I just returned from a trip to New York and our hotel was around the corner from big nicks. we ate there and loved it so much we kept going back everything is absolutely fantastic from burgers, hotdogs, to pizza and the gyros were awesome. Anything you eat is good and doesn't cost an arm and a leg. The greatest part is big nick is always there and will ask you how your doing and whether your meal was good. the staff cut up with each other and watching them is like watching a comedy sometimes. wonderful atmosphere, busy, and small but the food is spectacular. try the port wine burger or even a big nicks hot dog with chili awesome and the cheese pizza can't be beat. yummy!!!!!!!

This place was highly rated so we checked it out. The outside tables were packed and after being seated inside I know why. The front room was basically the kitchen of a big diner. The atmosphere was one of a busy kitchen. The menu was HUGE, almost too big. Luckily we were going in for the pizza and didn't have to go through the whole menu. The pizza was good. The small size was actually quite large and fed two of us with some left over. Prices were OK.

Pros: good pizza, decent prices, quick

Cons: bad atmosphere, diner feel

My husband and I live in Denver, but try to get to NYC a couple of times a year and on our last visit we discovered Big Nick's. It is a little dive, but the burgers were awesome!!! I had the Pizza Burger and my husband had the Grecian Burger. Both were excellent. The only downside is the menu is huge, and the waitress was kind of hurrying us along to get our order, I didn't even get to read half of what was offered, so I felt pressured to MOVE IT ALONG, but otherwise a great experience.

Pros: great food, inexpensive

Cons: crowded, waitstaff rushed

I thought I'd died and gone to heaven when they served me my first sumo burger! My son is in NY attending college so he wanted to take me to his favorite dining place-Nick's. For those visiting NYC for the first time, this is a must do place. Dining out front was very nice. I have shared my menu with all my co-workers in Ohio and they are amazed at the selection and prices. Too good to pass over, we'll definitely be back. I can't describe how good the 1lb burger was. I was so impressed how well the cook prepared our meals-perfect!

Pros: atmosphere, history, food

Cons: plastic chairs, congested

The name says it all. The Menu is huge anything you can think of wanting it's there. The only thing not big is the actual restaurant...
The Burgers and Pizza are the highlights but I love the aunthetic spinich pie. You wont be soory!

Pros: Big portions, Quirkyness, Inexpensive

Cons: small

I've never seen such a long menu. Too many choices - it's overwhelming! Seriously! Well, once you make up your mind, food is terrific. Onion Soup tasted fresh, like it was made from scratch, and did not come from a can. The have the HUGEST pizza's I've ever seen!

the pizza at this place is amazing, It is always really busy there, but so worth the wait. Relatively inexpensive.

Great food in a setting heaped with personality, not posh but fun and crowded.

Pros: Good food, variety, plenty to look at

Cons: tight fit, hectic, not for dilettantes

Can you at least have someone who speaks and understands English taking delivery and take out orders?! It's a constant struggle repeating myself 10 times and yelling at the top of my lungs. The food is mediocre, burgers are ok, the pizza tastes like the box it's delivered in. The only plus is that they're 24 hours.

Great value, amazing assortment of cheap food, done well. Burgers have over 40 different toppings, pizza with numerous crusts. Chicken sandwich in a pita is delicious.

Pros: inexpensive, huge menu, quick

Cons: crowded

The burger truly is the best! Delicious! The service was quirky and the place fun. Hands-down, it's the best burger joint on the Upper West Side.

Pros: Burgers, Burgers, Burgers

Big Nick's was sooooooo delicious. I had a guacamole burger, and it was perfect. My boyfriend had a burger smothered in a wine cheese sauce; once again, PERFECT. It was neat because Big Nick was sitting right next to us at the table, and if we wanted to complain, we could have, but we didn't, because it was PERFECT! Go Big Nick's! =)

Pros: Good deal, delicious, Easy to get to

Fantastic burgers, photos of b-list celebs, and great service with a smile...I eat at Big Nicks whenever I'm on the Upper West Side around lunch time. Be careful with the sumo burger, it's HUGE.

great burger...especially after a few beers. fries were a bit spicy but the burger taste more than made up for it. i was pleasantly surprised. 1 of the best burgers in the city.

Pros: variety of food, great burger toppings, quick service

The best greasy spoon in town. Big Nick's has a good variety of cheap (for the upper west side) diner-like food. The atmosphere of the little booths with all the signed pictures on the wall is classic as well as the limited outdoor seating. The best part: open 24 hours so it's a great place to stop on your way home from the bar strip just a few blocks away.

Pros: Inexpensive, Good food, Good menu variety

Cons: Not a healthy choice

The restaurant is very smokey, extremely small and dirty. The burgers were ok, the fries too spicy. You're better off going to McDonalds.

Pros: Inexpensive

Cons: Too small, Dirty

Big Nicks is by far the best burger joint in the entire Northeast. I haven't been there in probably 4 years and nothing has even compared since then.

This place just can't be beat for the price! The burgers are top quality and available in sizes from 1/8 lb. to 1/2 pound (the Sumo). The menu offers the greatest variety of food in relation to the size of the kitchen. A GREAT burger!!

Pros: Inexpensive

Cons: Can be crowed

BIG NICK can place any ANY toppings your heart desires on your burger, it also has the infamous SUMO burger, which is one pound of beef. I had a SUMO Burger once with carmarlized onions and mushrooms, muster cheese and all the trimmings, it was great, it also comes with a huge order of fries and a large drink. I could not finish it all, but my brother polished 2 OF THEM!!!!!

Pros: Great Choice, Great Food

Cons: Small Place

This place has everything that anyone could ever want, except atmosphere.

Pros: lengthy menu, incredible variety, good pizza

Cons: tiny diner area

4am, just came from clubbing. want fat juicy burger. big nicks is open and ready to serve. great hamburgers!

Great burgers and fast delivery. If you ask, you can get waffle cut seasoned fries with your burger.

Pros: Fast delivery, Inexpensive

Big Nick's is simply heaven. They have an amazing menu which never ends, charismatic and sweet waitstaff, and lots of charisma about it in general. It's the kind of place you'll never forget. Their burgers are *EXCELLENT*, perhaps even *DIVINE*. But not to be overlooked is their 100% vegetable soup, their garlic soup, their fantastic ceasar salad.. for all of it's "dive" atmosphere, Big NIck's is really quite clean and friendly. You'll love it - I can almost guarrantee. -Ljova

Pros: inexpensive, cool vibe, great food

Cons: not too hip, too cheap, too much variety

Without a doubt one of the best burger's Ive ever had. This is my kind of place. You wont be sorry you went.

The best Vanilla milkshake in the world! Not to forget that they also have incredibly good burgers!

This place is straight ahead. What you see is what you get and what you get is a pizza that is better than most and some of the best burgers around. Don't go there to impress your date with ambience. But if your best girl thinks thrift is sexy, Score! Also try Pizza Joint Too (another restaurant by Big Nick) on Columbus and 71st.

Pros: Inexpensive, Great Pizza, Great Burgers

Cons: Small

the best. you have to get the bacon cheeseburger here. it's incredible

Every winter my husband and I go to New York for a weekend. We go shopping at Zabar's and the first place we go to is Big Nicks. They have the BEST
Pizza that I have every had!!!! The joint has character, for such a small place what a great big menu!!!! Wish I lived closer, I would be there everyday!!!!

Pros: great food, local color, inexpensive

Cons: cramped