Big Nick’s: A Veteran and a Newbie’s Perspectives

Big Nick’s Burger and Pizza Joint is on 77^th and Broadway.   I have been going there for over 30 years, ever since I started at Collegiate School for Boys when I was 5.  It was at that time broken up into two parts: Big Nick’s Burger Joint on 77^th and Broadway and Big Nick’s Pizza Joint a third of a block down closer to 76^th.   They united them on 77^th at least 20 years ago.   The main thing I remember about the divided Big Nick’s is the closed circuit televisions they had in both restaurants broadcasting what was going on in the other restaurant 200 or so feet down the block.  So at Burger Joint you could watch people eating pizza at Pizza Joint and vice versa.   Even as a small child I thought this was odd.  They play Three Stooges videos on the televisions in the united Big Nick’s.  The other thing I remember about the divided years is the Collegiate Parent Patrol morning shift was in hot demand because they would have breakfast at Big Nick’s afterwards.  

It completely rocks.  They deliver 24 hours a day (although the super late delivery guys are a little weird).   I have even TWICE chosen to lease an apartment in no small part because it was in Big Nick’s delivery radius.  The menu is over 10 pages long, much of it Greek inspired as Big Nick himself (yes a real person) is Greek.   I have a couple friends who claim they have tried everything on the menu but I find this hard to believe even with 30 years in which to do it.   Everything I have had is dynamite.  (Try the Crock of French Onion soup.   Seriously.)   But I usually stay with the Pizza, Burger or Breakfast categories.   Which leads me to a key point when dining at Big Nick’s.  Be aware of what side you enter.   IF you enter the Pizza side first, the smell of garlicky cheesy pizza yumminess will deeply sway you to ordering pizza.   HOWEVER!  If you enter the older and greasier Burger side the smell will sway you towards ordering burgers.   Besides being more OG and far less ostentatious in general, the burger side has the added benefit of the walls being plastered in headshots of performers from the late seventies and early 80’s.   Performers who definitely never went anywhere.   Except for Ernie Anastos, of course.   Look for Olivia De’s photo.  One of my favorites.   Finally, slightly beware the bathroom on the Burger Side.   You have to pass through the claustrophobic dish washing room/closet, which emits a great variety of odors and levels of humidity.   The air can get a little thick if you know what I mean.

The food is so fantastic I used to have groups of people from Brooklyn come all the way uptown with me after clubbing JUST to get Big Nick’s Challah French Toast.   Case closed.

Despite growing up in Manhattan, I had never been to Big Nick’s until this past fall.  A discussion of great grilled cheese sandwiches led me to Big Nick’s.  While I don’t have a particular favorite place for grilled cheese, it is my diner meal of choice.  I mentioned to Shawn that my father and I used to have a weekly grilled cheese date, and Shawn responded with “Big Nick’s has the best grilled cheese sandwiches in New York.”  We were wandering the upper west side at the time, searching for a place to grab a bite.  The cocky way Shawn proclaimed this bit of news made me want to prove him wrong—or at least be able to question his assertion.  So I said we should go there.  He warned me that the place was a dive and something I wasn’t used to (which I took as him backing off his assertion).   I responded even more eagerly to the idea of Big Nick’s and their supposedly amazing grilled cheese, and so off we went.

We arrived and seated ourselves at one of the snug two person booths (on the Pizza Side).  The smell of grease permeated the air as I perused the menu.  Actually, grease permeated the menu itself.  Shawn, as usual, didn’t need to review the menu as he has been there so many times.  We both ordered the grilled cheese.  I swear our waitress cursed at me during our meal.  She was unfailingly polite to Shawn the entire time, however.  I have no idea what prompted the hostility towards me.  Perhaps it was my request for a knife?

And as with most things, Shawn was right.  It was hands down the BEST grilled cheese (and tomato) sandwich I have ever had.  The challah bread was a critical deciding factor, as was the perfectly melted cheese.  In fact, I often pine for that sandwich when I’m having a mediocre distant runner up at some other diner.  No doubt, another trip to Nick’s is soon to be had.