Update 6/26: what a roller coaster. I think this is the final descent. Arrived to go see a high school Classmate's band play on the skydeck and was greeted by a sign $10 cover by the elevator. So, if you had no cash-better go out and get cash. $10 cover on Wed night??? This was the venues charge not the bands. The restaurant was empty. Not surprised as it was a Wednesday but the last few times we were there, the food went downhill since Nick moved away. They lost several great bartenders too. The common denominator is a very micro managing, overbearing, unfriendly owner. The venue is fantastic upstairs and down, BUT this needs to be sold to a passionate, dedicated, business savvy restaurateur. Someone PLEASE save this place and buy it out. We miss you Danielle and Nick!!! We miss Megan and Kayla! For the record-go support Junkyard Fieldtrip band. Amazing!!!!! read more

See all

Customer service is 2 out of 5 Had to ask 3 times to get a soda took about 45 min Dinner w 15 people started at 6, 3 servers helping and another bringing food in, 4 orders were wrong , 1 never came and was told what they orderd they didnt have, we got dinner salads at 710 and half of them were wrong dressings, appetizers at 740, dinner at 820 at which point we were ready to just leave, 2 of the servers were asking if we needed anything every 10 min like drink refills? No we need the actual food I wanted to say. We were told 3 times food is on its way out. All in all it was decent steak, undercooked from what I orderd but I didnt mind 2 and half hours after I orderd it I was ready to eat a bread basket. Dinner ended at 855 and my ass was numb and back was sore from a 3 hour steak dinner w 4 servers working. It was simple food orders theres like 10 items on the menu nothing real complicated. I think there was 1 or 2 other tables being served other than us w maybe 4 people total. Bar was empty, good luck! read more

Unfortunately the only positive I can say is a friendly hostess. We were sat immediately on a Saturday night with incredibly slow service. My coke was watered down. After our food finally arrived our burger and beef on weck were overcooked. The beef on weck was soggy and making all the chips soggy. We ordered a basket of fries since the meals only come with chips. The fries were overcooked and completely hard. We felt horrible for the food runners who had to run up and down the stairs outside all night. The rooftop would be more successful as a bar only read more

Nick's Chophouse - Beef on Weck - Wine Bars Near Me - Canandaigua, New York

Should've read the reviews ! I hate leaving negative reviews but I was so disappointed in this restaurant.. My wife and I arrived for a long awaited anniversary meal without the kids. Reservations are easy and parking close by. Building itself has weird vibe with sky deck at the top with DJ pumping and restaurant ground floor that tries to be upscale but instead is not quite clean and sloppily finished with slapdash construction, broken light fixtures, poor paint and uneven lighting . Cheesy glowing menus. First , the positives- friendly waitstaff and reasonably prompt service. As a former waiter and food service worker I pay attention to these types of things. Drinks were good and appropriately priced. Salads were good as was my bisque. Now the bad. My wife's French onion soup was the worst we've ever tried . Inedible- tasting like eating pepper right from the jar. I've been to hundreds of steak dinners including some of the best in NY, Chicago and Vegas over my life and this was likely the worst steak I've ever had at a sit down restaurant. Thin, poor quality cut and not cooked to temperature. The old Ponderosa (for those who remember this) had better quality. The chef should be ashamed to serve this. Au gratin potatoes served as if from high school cafeteria left overs with extra salt. My wife's mahi mahi at least reasonably well plated but seasoning was way off. Desert was no better. "Molten" lava cake small, very little filling. Trader Joes that we heat up in the toaster oven tastes and looks better. Overall an embarrassing dinner for a restaurant that bills itself as a "chophouse ". The bill for my wife and I for dinner, dessert, 2 drinks each was almost $200 before tip. Save yourself and get better food , ambience and half the price by going to longhorns . read more

See all

Had been to Nicks before but not in several years. First of all, I made a reservation 2 days ahead and asked for a table in the lounge area. Was told no problem. Upon arrival, we were told there were no lounge tables available, no explanation. We then asked for a booth and were given the last available "half booth" ( so what is the point of making a reservation?). We did not complain. There are several items on the menu with no price stated, and it is awkward to have to ask, but we did ask some prices as you kind of like to know what you're paying! Duh. Hubby got filet mignon $65 and it was good, but only the size of a tennis ball at most. I got scallops $45 for only 4 of them.Medium sized . Really? In Canandaigua?? The garlic mashed were good, but warm, not hot. Server did not appear again soon enough to let her know. Also, I could have sworn she told us that soup or salad was included with our meals, but when the bill came there was a charge for each. Again it is awkward to have to quibble about an issue like that; we just paid the bill as it was . It should be clearly stated on the menu what is included! All in all, a disappointing experience that cost $175 plus tip. We aren't planning to go back. read more

Have been going to Nick's for years. We only live in Canandaigua half the year so it had been a good amount of time since our last visit. Our bartender Rachel was attentive and gave us great dirty martinis with blue cheese olives which is one of the reasons we go there to begin with. I ordered a wedge salad as I had in the past. It was disappointing at best. Lettuce was ice cold (good), but the blue cheese dressing was clumpy and negligible - had to ask for more. The worst part was the bacon. It used to be real bacon, cut up nicely and put on the side. What I got was obviously bacon bits from a jar, awful to say the least. My husband ordered the beef on weck - was over done on a soggy bun with soggy fries to match. Found out after talking to people there that Nick has been gone from the establishment since last summer and someone else not to be named is now running the place. Huge disappointment, since Nick was always up top, and in front of the service to make sure everything was perfect. Won't go again now that we know he's no longer there to ensure the service was great. A once great dining establishment is no more. Don't waste your money. read more

The staff and hostess were outstanding. we both had a garden salad with 3 or pieces of lettuce, had to cut the vegetables down to bite size. I had two croutons on top. I had the Salmon on a very thin layer of of Asian coleslaw, the salmon was outstanding but there was a shortage of coleslaw. My boyfriend ordered the 12 oz Ribeye, it was not a butchers cut Ribeye and not cooked to order.The Ribeye was 49.00 $ . we will not be back. read more

Walking up to the restaurant I thought we were in for a treat because it smelled so good! We went as a party of 8 and got seated in the front room that looked like it had blue sheets on the windows. Heavy dust was visible in the room. It took our waitress 20 minutes to take our drink order once we were seated. When she brought our drinks out we ordered appetizers and our meals because we didn't want to let too much time pass. Everyone who ordered a steak was disappointed. My son's ribeye was thin and over cooked. My husband ordered a ribeye, but a New York strip got placed in front of him. He wanted medium rare, but it came out medium. My mother's filet was supposed to be medium rare and it came out well done. It went back to the kitchen and it never came back until we had all finished our meals. My daughter's boyfriend's meal got passed back and forth to my son's girlfriend because the waitress was sure if it was a stuffed chicken breast or not. My daughter's duck was over cooked. The drinks were good and we needed them! Desserts were good too, but too many came out to the table. The house took my mother's meal off the bill, but it was a hugely disappointing experience. A steak house that can't time a steak right is outrageous. The cuts were not what I expected for the price either. I assumed that maybe this was their first weekend open for the season, but from the other reviews this is just how they roll. read more

Great place and ambiance for a summer evening. In upstate NY we had some 80 degrees plus weather last week. My husband and I decided to sit on the rooftop patio and have a drink and dinner. Bar service was phenomenal. I had a buffalo chicken wrap - honestly the cheese and blue cheese tasted funky. My husband had the turkey wrap and said it was great. We will be back. read more

See all

Cozy atmosphere and quality steaks. A great selection of cocktails, wines, and beer. Something on the menu to satisfy everyone at our table. Great value too. read more

See all

Sweet and spicy bowl from sky deck . Live band, great atmosphere and reasonably priced. read more

Nick's Chophouse - Sweet and spicy bowl from Sky Deck - Wine Bars Near Me - Canandaigua, New York

I hate leaving reviews and I usually never write them, however our experience this evening at Nick's Chophouse was unbelievable.We sat down at our table and one of the women brought over a tray with waters. She was not in a uniform so I'm assuming the manager? As she was handing out the water 3 out of the 4 waters were dropped onto the table and my husbands lap. He was completely soaked through. This woman brought him a dirty kitchen towel to dry off his pants. We were not offered another table. And no real apology. We stayed calm and decided to stay to have our meal as we usually love eating there and we were out with friends. After we finished our meals I noted that nothing had been taken off the check. I got up and went to the woman that spilled on my husband and asked that his meal be comp-ed at least. She said she would ask Nick. She brought us back our check and said they would give us a dessert or an after dinner drink, I said that we didn't want that. So she handed me my original check. I was shocked....the manager never came out to apologize or check on us. I just felt this was handled extremely poorly and I and very disappointed that one of my previously favorite restaurants has been ruined...we will not be coming back. read more

Salad wow tasty Love the deck bar Came downstairs met Michael what a great bartender Food and drink fabulous Had a fun time read more

Giving a 4 star because the Food was delicious but maintenance is lacking. Inside is run down. The awnings outside the entrance are dirty. Very friendly waitress read more

See all

Was a decent dinner but that was it-decent. Back lit menus are a nice touch. Nothing was outstanding from service to food. Ate at the other steakhouse in town within the same week and would choose them again before Nick's. read more

We've always had wonderful service and food. Our favorite place to get a great steak with baked potato and wonderful service. Also a fantastic espresso martini. Ambiance is nice and feels like a good neighborhood ambiance. We go there for celebrations and just to enjoy a lovely dinner. read more

Bazaar approach to customer service at the Sky bar. We were seated and it took 30 mins to get our drink order taken, when we asked if we could also put in our food order our waitress said no because she had other tables to greet? It was another 30 minutes until our food order was actually taken. Another hour until our food actually came out. Tables around us were seated, fed and paying bills before we even received our appetizers. We understand these restaurants get busy especially on a nice summer Friday but the manager refused to speak to us and hid behind the bar. He kept sending a man over who never took accountability for the poor service just kept trying to engage with my (very hungry) kids. Nothing was done to try and rectify the 3 hour ordeal so would probably avoid this place if you want anything more than a beer at the bar. read more

Went to Nick's for my MILs birthday in hopes of a really good steak. Everything except the steak and main dish was delicious. Apps, soup, drinks, and service are 5 stars. I ordered a surf and turf with ribeye and lobster. The steak was thin, fine I can deal, but also saltier than my margarita! There was no flavor aside from that. The lobster was just lobster, served with melted butter. The potato au gratin was salty and not as creamy as i have had them at most other places. My BIL had to send his food back twice, the first time for being blue rare when he ordered medium rare and the second because it was so salty he couldn't enjoy it. After eating two bites of his steak he sent it back and the owner would not remove only HIS meal from the bill since he didn't eat it. When asked about a manager a man came out (not the owner) and was extremely rude, saying that we had to be exaggerating because they don't even salt their steaks. For a place that calls itself a steakhouse, they take zero pride in the cuts or the preparation of their meat. read more

Do not go to this place. Zero customer service. We waited well over 1.5 hours for our food. Quality of the food was fine, but the service was that of of McDonalds. Even after speaking to the manger, nothing improved. They continued to seat tables without having the staff to fill this tables. We order the bacon wrapped filet, however, the bacon was barley cooked. White fat all over. The filet was seasoned very well but again it wasn't done to the standards as set in the menu. I recommend going other places until the management gets their act together. read more

We had a reservation for 8:30 and were seated close to that time, seating our large party together instead of two tables, which was appreciated. We ordered right away. Our server was great. After we got our meals, however, we were rushed to finish. We asked about dessert and were told that we couldn't order because the kitchen was closed. We paid the bill and tipped the waitress generously as it wasn't her fault, however, it was shocking that we were suddenly served and rushed out. There was no delay on our part. Never experienced this before. Probably won't go back. Food was pretty good although some of the portions were very small and again, seemed rushed. read more

Friend and I went to the deck upstairs, had to pay a cover while an hour before music started ,,, I ordered a Cuban, came with chips ,, and a basket of fries. He order one of there " tuna bowl" . My chips were burnt and no seasoning. Fries came out over cooked and black. I sent them back. I knew the frier oil had not been changed, they brought me another basket that looked exactly like the first basket ,,, TERRIBLE!! The owner stood at the bar never came to talk to us or ask how he could help. Cuban was ok. When I asked for an itemized bill, I was handed it with no pen to sign. As we left the owner demanded we walk out and that we were problematic. All we wanted was GOOD FOOD. Which was not available at this restaurant. Stay away from this business, they serve terrible food and don't care about the patrons read more

Horrible experience. Our waitress Kayla was very inattentive. My mother in laws steak was 80% fat 20% meat. When brought to her attention she was rude and said " all of them have beem coming out this way" my advice to you is to do better. The bartender and bus boy were phenomenal. Unfortunately 2 people cannnot keep a whole restaraunt full of customers happy. This will be our last visit here. read more

Nick's Chophouse - Wine Bars Near Me - Canandaigua, New York

I wish there was an option to give 0 stars but at least the hostess put an effort in. The star is for her and the steak exclusively. Never once in my years of eating at this establishment, or anywhere else in Canandaigua for that matter, have I had such a terrible experience. A complete waste of time and money, nonetheless on a night that was supposed to be for celebration. Would've been better off at a chain steakhouse. My top complaints are that: we got there at 7:00 and didn't get our appetizer until 8:00, yet we got our entrees at 8:05, we didn't get a single drink refill not even a second water, and the entire time we sat at our table our dirty dishes sat with us un-bussed. I have lived in Canandaigua my entire life and came to Nick's last night to celebrate my birthday. I've come here several times over the years for special occasions. I placed a reservation for my significant other and I days in advance. When we arrived, despite having this reservation, we were asked if a high top table would be okay. I shouldn't have said it would be, but I did. Considering this table ended up being right next to the door though, we soon changed our minds. When we asked our alleged server if we could be moved she immediately shut down the request, insisting the clear tables right before our eyes "were reserved" and "would be filled in ten minutes". I found that kind of strange considering we had a reservation, where was this sense of keeping things reserved when we came in? However, I will say the hostess I fore-mentioned was able to move us to a better table without any further comment. Very thankful for her noticing such because her making this change and the steaks were genuinely the only thing about the night that were alright. Things only got worse with our server though. We ordered an appetizer and our entrees. We got our salads and bread pretty timely after that. Our appetizer might as well have never came though. It took at least 60 minutes for low quality crab cakes that we would've been better off staying home and making ourselves. Honestly would've saved a lot of time, money, and unhappiness if we did so. My further criticisms are as follows. The "bread" was two small, stale, cold rolls. The butter couldn't even redeem them. It was also cold, and since it was whipped it wouldn't spread. On the side of our entrees my significant other and I ordered a baked potato and french fries. The baked potato was so bland and dry, it made me feel bad for anyone who might order the twice-baked potato. The french fries were far from the quality you would expect from a restaurant that charges about $50-70 per person. They were more like something you would find at a carnival or Mcdonald's. Moreover, our server didn't do much service. She would come to our table to ask us how things were, then neglect the dirty plates right before her, and the empty glasses in need of a refill as well. You can guess I'm never coming back but in retrospect I wish I chose a different restaurant altogether. Hopefully this review will help save another (young?) couple. (That is, giving them the benefit of the doubt and assuming our age was why we were neglected). Some birthday date with my significant other. He's not even from Canandaigua, I was trying to show him the finer dining in the area. The last thing I have to say is that if I didn't have plans following my dinner I would've asked to speak to the manager, which is something I have never done before and would normally be too scared to even think of doing. read more

The service was pretty good. The girl who was assisting our server was killer, always on the move my water glass was never empty, and my cocktail was good. I ordered a steak medium, it was closer th bleu than medium, I should have sent it back. My fiancee ordered a steak medium rare, his was closer to well done. We prdered a dessert too which was good but definitely a mass produced and not made in house. TLDR: Service is good, drink good, food not good. Go for a drink or skip the place all together read more

We were staying in town during the pandemic (right after the shutdown..), so like the Rochester visit, this was a tough trip. Great visuals, great hiking around the Lake...but we made the best of things and did take out from Nicks. Prior time here was excellent...so we got salmon and ahi tuna, which we carried back to our Bed and Breakfast. I felt really bad for the cook...was 15 minutes late on the order, but he explained he had to lay off his entire waitstaff the prior day due to the health situation. He was clearly running around like a whirling dervish. When it's active..it's a very cozy eatery with plenty of regional beers and fairly priced. Leans upperscale...but it's the type of eatery where you'd hear Steely Dan but the food isn't Marty McGilicuddy Pubbygrubby. read more

Went for the first time on the "SkyDeck", which, has a totally different menu than the downstairs portion... which is weird. They say "it's due to food integrity, carrying it up stairs or the elevator", though it's ONLY 3 stories at most. Secondly, their drinks menu are largely Pre-Mixed drinks... not a big deal. UNLESS THEY MAKE IT WRONG. They served two drinks that were pre made with wrong ingredients! (So thankful the waitress was a sweetheart) but then the bartender tried to charge us the full drink order. It was unreal. Thirdly, I ordered a Medium burger and the burger was too thin and too under cooked. For a steak spot, the burger was about the size of a McDouble. And it was seared on each side. But after the issue with the drink, It was all TOO much. Also, side portion was TINY. Lastly, they offered the Menu with a QR code. They DID offer a physical version, but I refuse to use your QR Code. Altogether, it was not a great experience. And I most likely will never go back, unless they change some things! read more

I've been coming to Nicks for the past couple years, and it is by far one of my favorite places to go out. I've had the duck, lamb, ahi tuna, and my go to is the filet without the bacon. They always get our orders right, the food is always amazing. We have never had a problem here. Drinks and service are also very good. I highly recommend stopping in and trying it! read more

We went for drinks but I def would not recommend..the coffee was beyond burnt. My friend ordered the Bushwacker martini which had to be sent back because it had a "consistency" which seemed to be something that had curdled in the drink, that the bartender said they pre-mix??? The waitress was very nice and apologetic though. read more

The service was fantastic the atmosphere was great scallops were good as was the prime rib, the cheesy potatoes left a lot to be desired Will definitely go back read more

Suckage, in every way humanly imagined since the beginning of recorded history. The steak was so bad, that a deep-fried platypus anus would have been preferable. read more

Food was served without plates for sharing which we asked for. Food dropped behind diners chairs by waitstaff and not cleaned up, overall unwelcome experience read more

We had wonderful service. We were seated in the bar area, which I don't recommend because the elevator dumps the drunks from the roof bar in this area, and they disrupt your dinner as they leave. The soups and salads were dicious. Our steaks were way too salty for us but cooked to a perfect medium rare. My wife loved the Creme Brule. read more

My husband and I went here for our 2nd year anniversary. The staff was welcoming. Laughed with us. Recommended items, was very attentive. The food was fabulous!, I can not give it more then 5 stars!. It was a delightful experience. We had there French onion soup and it was not like any other we have ever had, and we have tried many! We had the caramary it was prepared in a bread crumb and it was delicious. We ordered a two steaks. Mine was huge and thick! Cooked to perfection. My husband had NY strip and that was so very tasty, and again a large proportion. Plus 2 sides! The sale was all fresh greens, which I am not on! The frys are like nothing I ever experienced before! The drinks came in a timely manner and boy did they have a kick! recommendations, this is a must visit restaurant! Nick Chop House! I forgot to mention the warm fresh rolls and I loved the Jazz music! I hopeyou to go again and I hope this place stays open!! read more

Nick's Chophouse - Onion soup - Wine Bars Near Me - Canandaigua, New York

See all

We went here for my fathers birthday. My dad and I both had the prime rib which was excellent. My girlfriend had the tuna which was also cooked well. The restaurant is smaller inside than I expected but it's cozy. I liked the meal and I would return again. read more

Really bad first impression. Found a bug in my cocktail. We weren't served food for over an hour after we ordered. My accompaniment was wrong. My sons main dish was incomplete, and the rest of it arrived 15 minutes after everything else. After good reviews by locals, this was underwhelming. read more

Wonderful service and great food with absolutely massive portions (honestly could have shared the wedge salad). The prime New York strip was actually a prime cut of beef and was perfectly cooked to medium rare. The only drawbacks were the overly sweet Manhattan cocktail (with well bourbon...bleh!) and the dated decor (place could do with a good facelift). I'd absolutely go back! read more

The atmosphere was nice being outdoors with the music and sunset but the food was not great at all. We had wings and mahi mahi bites. We don't come to New York often so we get really excited about wings when we do. These were some of the worst wings I have ever had. We asked for well done but I don't think they were fully cooked. The hostess was great though. She made the night very enjoyable. read more

Had dinner at the bar at Nick's last night. I ordered the blackened shrimp that was served on a bed of garlic risotto. I have to say that this might have been the best risotto I've ever had, and I've had a LOT of risotto! The shrimp was also delicious with just the right amount of seasoning and cooked perfectly. My friend ordered the wedge salad with a side of creamed spinach. If you think creamed spinach doesn't sound very exciting, that's because you haven't had Nick's. It's amazing! Can't wait to go back, especially since the rooftop deck will be opening in a few weeks. It was a perfect evening! read more

We made a reservation for 2 at 6:30 on New Years Eve. We were seated promptly and the service seemed friendly. We heard a big long list of specials and then were left to peruse the menu. We didn't have a drink list at our table so we eventually were brought one. When we weren't sure what we wanted when our waitress asked immediately, we ended up waiting about 20 minutes just to get a drink. By that time, we were ready to order. We started with the crab cakes, which was one large crab cake for $11. It tasted good but seemed like a steep price for one crab cake. I ordered the special surf and turf which was prime rib and snow crab legs for $40. The meal was okay. The jus was super salty and I mostly ate the prime rib without it. The crab was lukewarm at best. My boyfriend ordered the ribeye, which was cooked to his liking, but DRY. The main issue we had was the wait time. We waited a good 40 minutes after our salads, which came after the crab cakes. Our waitress came over and apologized when she noticed me checking my watch. As far as the restaurant goes, it left me feeling a little confused about the ambience. A steakhouse is generally a classier establishment, but the way the staff was dressed didn't necessarily line up with what I might anticipate. For spending over $100 for an okay meal, I probably won't be heading back. read more

Nick's Chophouse - NYE surf and turf. - Wine Bars Near Me - Canandaigua, New York

If you go, have a backup restaurant! I really wanted to give a positive review here. Our 1st visit to Nick's in early Dec 2019 was terrific - friendly staff, great drinks, excellent prime rib, classy but relaxed atmosphere. My fiancée and I liked it so much, we made reservations for their fixed-menu New Year's Eve dinner three weeks later. Unfortunately, when we arrived for our 8:30p reservation, it was one disappointment after another. We were told at the door that we'd better order our wine fast, since some bottles were running out. Hey, it happens. No problem so far. Upon being seated, our server broke the news that one of the main entrees on the fixed menu had run out (lobster). Frustrating, but oh well. Then, before our shrimp appetizer arrived, we were told IT had run out too -- and were offered the bruschetta option instead. (Honestly, why would anyone order bruschetta if the other appetizer is shrimp -- of COURSE it's going to be the more popular choice and the restaurant should have stocked way more!). Then, the friggin' lettuce for the salad was running out! How could they be running out of EVERYTHING? Didn't they get enough food to cover all the reservations for this "chef's menu evening" they'd advertised? Well, it turns out they might well have...but then they started taking walk-ins that night to ensure a packed house. Trouble is, more people came in off the street than they were prepared to handle. So even though we'd made a reservation and committed ourselves to Nick's for NYE, because it wasn't early enough in the evening, we got screwed. After waiting 45 min for anything other than a roll and drinks to arrive, we'd had enough. We paid the poor, apologetic server, assuring her it was clearly management's fault, and left. At least 3 parties at tables around ours were preparing to do the same. And not a manager in sight to try to reassure the guests. Too late on New Year's Eve to go anywhere else (even the grocery store had closed), we opted for takeout from a nearby pizza parlor. I sent a Facebook message directly to Nick's Chophouse, giving them an opportunity to explain and encourage us to give them another chance. But so far, they've been unresponsive to me. Not a good sign... Other Yelp reviewers have mentioned similar frustrations from New Year's Eve at Nick's. In a town as small as Canandaigua, where word of mouth and reputation are everything, Nick's is going to have a tough time surviving unless they get their customer service act together. read more