Is Casper & Runyon's Nook Still Open? Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives Update

Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, Season 14, Episode 9 Aired June 11, 2012

Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives featured Casper & Runyon's Nook in the 'Serious Sandwiches' episode (aired 2012-06-11), where Guy Fieri sampled the bar's freshly made hamburgers and hand-cut fries. The Highland Park tavern, known locally simply as 'The Nook,' has operated at 492 S Hamline Avenue since 1938 under a string of names including Wally's Nook and Mickey's Nook before the Casper and Runyon families took over. According to the restaurant's own website, crnook.com, the Casper and Runyon families have now run the bar for 20 years, continuing to serve its signature hamburgers and homemade french fries. A Yelp listing for the address, updated July 2026, shows the Nook still operating Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Food Paradise, Season 4, Episode 2 Aired 2012

The 2012 episode "Hamburger Paradise 2: The Double-Decker" featured Casper & Runyon's Nook, a neighborhood bar and grill in St. Paul known for the Juicy Nookie, its take on the Twin Cities' stuffed-cheese "Jucy Lucy" style burger, with cheese baked directly into the beef patty rather than added on top. The Nook, as the business now brands itself, operates near Hamline University in the Hamline-Midway area of St. Paul. A check of the bar's website on 2026-09-08 found it live and functioning, listing a current food and drink menu and a working online-ordering link, and Google Places lists the business as operational, indicating the Nook continues to serve its Hamline Avenue location under its shortened, current name.