Unearth The Voyage
Some restaurants earn their reputation over decades, one order at a time. There is a small burger joint tucked into a corner of southern Ohio that has been flipping sliders since 1975, and the locals treat it like a closely guarded treasure.
The menu is simple, the prices are shockingly low, and the food tastes exactly the way it did nearly 50 years ago. If you have ever wondered what a truly timeless American diner feels like, this place answers that question in the most delicious way possible.
A Southern Ohio Institution on Rhodes Avenue
At 3800 Rhodes Ave in New Boston, Hickie’s Hamburger Inn sits on a stretch of road that locals know by heart. The building itself has a humble, no-frills exterior that tells you exactly what kind of place this is before you ever open the door.
New Boston is a small community in Scioto County in southern Ohio, and this diner has become one of its most recognizable landmarks. The structure was once an old gas station and ice cream shop before the Hickman family transformed it into the slider haven it is today.
That history gives the building a layered, lived-in character that no amount of interior design can replicate. The address is easy to find, parking is tight, so keep that in mind when you pull up, and the hours run Tuesday through Saturday from 10 AM to 6 PM.
Nearly Five Decades of the Same Great Recipe
Opening in 1975 and never looking back, Hickie’s Hamburger Inn has built a legacy that spans generations of loyal customers in southern Ohio. The fact that the recipe has not changed is not an accident; it is a deliberate choice that keeps people coming back year after year.
Families who grew up eating here now bring their own children, passing down the tradition like a favorite story. The consistency is almost remarkable in an era when restaurants reinvent themselves constantly to chase trends.
There is something deeply reassuring about tasting a burger today that tastes exactly the way it did 20 years ago, or even 40 years ago. That kind of reliability is rare, and the regulars here know it.
The loyalty this place commands is not built on marketing; it is built on the same honest, unchanged food served every single week.
The Slider That Started It All
The double cheeseburger slider at Hickie’s is the kind of food that makes you stop mid-bite and appreciate what you are eating. The patties are tender and juicy, cooked just right, and the combination of mustard, diced onions, pickle, and cheese is simple in the best possible way.
One trick that regulars swear by is asking for the buns to be dipped, which means the center of the bun touches the grill and soaks up a little extra flavor. It sounds like a small thing, but it genuinely changes the experience.
Two double cheeseburger sliders with a side of fries and a drink can come in well under $15, which feels almost unreal by today’s standards. The value here is not just good; it borders on extraordinary.
These sliders are the reason people drive across county lines just for lunch.
Hot Dogs and Footers Worth the Drive
Beyond the burgers, the hot dogs at Hickie’s hold their own as a serious reason to visit. The cheese coney and the foot-long footer with hot dog sauce, onions, and mustard have their own fan base among regulars who know exactly what they want the moment they walk in.
The hot dog sauce is a regional specialty, a refined version of chili made without beans, and it carries a distinct flavor that sets it apart from standard chili dogs you find elsewhere. It is a local twist that reflects the food culture of southern Ohio in a very specific and satisfying way.
First-timers are often surprised by how much personality a simple hot dog can have when it is made with care and local tradition behind it. The footer is a must-try, especially if you want the full Hickie’s experience beyond just the sliders.
Fries and Gravy, a Local Obsession
French fries drenched in brown gravy might not be on every diner menu in Ohio, but at Hickie’s, it is practically a rite of passage. The gravy is thick, savory, and the kind of topping that turns a simple side dish into something you think about on the drive home.
This combination has been described as a regional poutine of sorts, though locals would probably bristle at that comparison and insist their version stands entirely on its own. The fries themselves are cooked well, with a satisfying texture that holds up under the gravy without turning to mush.
For anyone visiting for the first time, ordering fries without the gravy option feels like leaving money on the table. It is one of those small, specific details that separates a good diner experience from a truly memorable one.
Do not skip this side dish.
The Bean Soup That Earns Its Own Reputation
Not every diner can make people rave about bean soup, but Hickie’s manages it with ease. The homemade soup beans here are the kind of dish that reminds you of a grandmother’s kitchen, slow-cooked and full of the sort of depth that only comes from real ingredients and time.
It is a comfort food that fits perfectly into the overall character of the restaurant, unpretentious, filling, and made with genuine care. The soup beans have developed a following that is almost as dedicated as the burger crowd, which says a great deal about their quality.
On a cold Ohio afternoon, a bowl of this soup alongside a slider and some gravy fries is about as satisfying as a meal gets. It is a reminder that diners like this are not just about burgers; they are about feeding people in a way that actually feels good.
Prices That Feel Like a Time Warp
Three cheeseburgers, fries, and drinks for under $20 including a tip is a combination that feels almost impossible to find in the current restaurant landscape. At Hickie’s, that is simply a regular Tuesday lunch.
The pricing structure here has stayed remarkably accessible over the years, which is a huge part of why the community continues to support it so strongly.
Two double cheeseburger sliders with fries and a drink for around $13 is the kind of value that makes you want to tell everyone you know. It is the sort of meal that leaves your wallet intact and your stomach very happy at the same time.
The low prices are not a sign of corner-cutting; the food quality makes that clear immediately. It is more a reflection of a business philosophy that prioritizes feeding the community over maximizing profit, and that philosophy has earned enormous goodwill over five decades.
The Atmosphere Inside: Cozy, Crowded, and Full of Character
The inside of Hickie’s is small, genuinely small, with counter seating and a handful of tables that fill up fast during peak hours. The walls are decorated with local high school sports memorabilia, old photographs, and historical artifacts that give the space a deeply personal feel.
Photos from Glenwood High School teams and local community figures line the walls, making it feel less like a restaurant and more like a community living room where food happens to be served. The energy on a busy Saturday is lively and warm, with the kind of background noise that makes a place feel alive.
The seating is not the most spacious option in the world, and larger groups may find it a bit of a squeeze. But that snug atmosphere is part of what makes the experience feel authentic rather than manufactured.
Cozy is the right word for it.
A Former Gas Station Turned Beloved Diner
Before the Hickman family turned it into a burger institution, the building at 3800 Rhodes Ave had a previous life as a gas station and ice cream shop. That origin story adds an interesting layer to what is already a compelling history, and it explains some of the quirky layout inside.
The transformation from fuel stop to food destination is the kind of local origin story that makes a place feel genuinely rooted in its community. The building did not start as a restaurant, but it became one, and over time it became one of the most beloved ones in all of Scioto County.
Knowing that history while sitting at the counter makes the experience richer. You are not just eating a burger; you are sitting inside a building that has served the New Boston community in multiple forms over many decades.
That kind of continuity is worth appreciating.
When to Visit and What to Expect
Hickie’s is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 AM to 6 PM, and it is closed on Sunday and Monday. That schedule is worth noting before you plan a visit, especially if you are traveling from out of town and working around a weekend itinerary.
Saturdays at lunch tend to be the busiest time, with a line of loyal regulars and curious newcomers filling the small space quickly. A wait is common and expected, so arriving a little earlier in the day or mid-week can mean shorter waits without sacrificing any of the food quality.
Parking is notably tight, so be cautious when opening your car door in the lot. The wait and the parking challenge are minor inconveniences compared to what you get on the other side of the door.
Plan accordingly, bring a little patience, and the payoff is absolutely worth it.
The Menu Board: Simple, Classic, and Exactly Right
There are no laminated multi-page menus at Hickie’s. The menu is displayed on a small board on the wall, and it covers exactly what this diner is built around: burgers, hot dogs, fries, soup, and drinks.
The simplicity of it is refreshing in an age of overwhelming menu options.
The Big Yogi is one menu item that regulars specifically highlight as a must-try, and the vegetable soup and coleslaw round out the offerings for those who want something alongside their main. Every item on the board has been there long enough to earn its place.
There is a certain confidence in a restaurant that keeps its menu tight and focused. Hickie’s knows what it does well, and it does not try to be everything to everyone.
That clarity of purpose is a big reason why the food quality has stayed so consistent for so long.
Generational Loyalty That Speaks Volumes
Few restaurants can honestly say that grandparents, parents, and children have all eaten the same meal in the same booth over the span of decades. At Hickie’s, that is not a marketing claim; it is just the reality of how this place fits into the fabric of New Boston life.
Parents who grew up eating here now bring their own kids to share the same experience, and that cycle of tradition is one of the most genuine compliments a restaurant can receive. The food tastes the same as it always has, and that sameness is exactly the point.
There are not many places left in America where a family can genuinely say they have been coming here for 30 or 40 years and the burger still tastes just as good. Hickie’s is one of those rare places, and that makes it worth protecting, visiting, and celebrating.
Vegetable Soup and Coleslaw: The Underrated Extras
The vegetable soup at Hickie’s quietly holds its own alongside the more famous menu items. It is hearty, homemade-tasting, and the kind of soup that fills you up without feeling heavy, which makes it a solid choice alongside a slider or two.
The coleslaw is another underrated addition that rounds out a meal nicely. It is creamy and simple, the way coleslaw should be, without unnecessary extras that distract from the clean, classic flavor.
Both sides reflect the same philosophy as the rest of the menu: keep it straightforward and do it well.
These extras are easy to overlook when the burgers are calling your name, but first-time visitors who add them to their order tend to be pleasantly surprised. The full Hickie’s experience is about more than just the sliders, and the sides make a strong case for being part of that conversation.
What Makes This Place a Regional Landmark
People travel from across Scioto County and beyond specifically to eat at Hickie’s, and that kind of draw is not something a restaurant earns by accident. The combination of consistent food, honest prices, and deep community ties has turned a small diner on Rhodes Ave into something much larger in the regional imagination.
The diner has been featured in conversations about the best burger joints in Ohio, and its reputation has spread well beyond New Boston through word of mouth alone. No flashy advertising campaign drove that recognition; satisfied customers did the work over 50 years of good meals.
Regional landmarks like this one matter because they anchor communities to their own history and identity. Hickie’s is not just a place to eat; it is a place that tells the story of New Boston, one slider at a time, and that story has been going strong since 1975.
A Final Word on Why Hickie’s Still Matters
In a food landscape dominated by chain restaurants and fast-casual concepts, a place like Hickie’s Hamburger Inn feels increasingly rare and increasingly important. It has survived for five decades not by changing with every trend but by holding firm to what it does best.
The sliders are still made the same way. The soup beans are still homemade.
The fries still come with gravy if you ask for it. The prices still make you do a double-take.
None of that happened by luck; it happened because the people behind this diner care about what they are serving and who they are serving it to.
Whether you are a lifelong New Boston resident or a first-time visitor passing through southern Ohio, a stop at Hickie’s is the kind of meal that sticks with you long after the drive home. Some things genuinely do get better with time, and this is one of them.
