Food was excellent service was great. I used to work in hospitality and very picky about my Italian food and nicks now among my new favorites read more

Located right next door to McMenamins, this was a very convenient place to have dinner during our stay. That being said, I would have been willing to drive to this place because it's that good! They have an extensive wine list featuring many of the local wineries. Food suggestions, Burrata for appetizer, Caesar salad, Rigatoni Bolognese for main!! read more

Nick's Italian Cafe - Burrata Appetizers - Italian Near Me - McMinnville, Oregon

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We booked a reservation for 5 people. When we arrived, they were closed! Never told us--just posted a sign in the window. Ridiculous!

A very modern take on an Italian cafe, but it was clean and bright. However, the place could use some serious sound damping. The walls were decorated with alternating wood pieces that looked like they'd do the trick, but alas! The place was full and extremely noisy from all the table chatter. Service was very good, overall. My server was very good at checking on us. However,the Salmon Crostini had a miniscule amount of salmon flavor and the lasagna dish I ordered was rubbery due to what I think was over cooked pasta or re-heated pasta. The sauce was cool while the pasta was hot? Anyway, my wife chose the Fusilli Primavera and we both thought it was very fresh and flavorful. In sum, it was too noisy and the food less stellar than the price. I hope they can do better should we drop by again. read more

I attended a coursework at Western Oregon College in Monmouth, Oregon. I took a three month live in experience at the college, during the summer. The weather was warmer than I am used to I. Seattle and the produce more lush. I was in an immersive deaf studies program. Back in the time, the sign language for Monmouth was dry. As no alcohol was served at all in the city limits. So, McMinnville is close by and a highly rated restaurant. Had to come and try this restaurant. A short drive, through scenic wheat fields and vegetables. Cheerfully greeted in a rather isolated and obscure location among farmland. Started out with the appetizer of the antipasto board .Italian cheese and salami , crackers with olives, pickles, mustard and jam. Lovely start. We also chose the melon with prosciutto , olive oil and balsamic vinegar.The combination of flavors was so nice. You could mix meat, cheese, jam and mustard to make unique appetizers. We spent a lovely time, enjoying the atmosphere and appetizers. Next, They have an inexpensive array of wonderful wines to offer we had the Willamette Valley shea wine cellars Homer. Such a nice pairing with our food. Next, ordered theSteak, ribeye with roasted potatoes, chanterelle reduction sauce and broccolini. And, Pan caught wild king salmon with patty pan squash, green beans, cherry tomatoes and peach and hazelnut chutney. With, Tagliatelle, with wild Oregon forged Chanterelles, thyme, white wine and olive oil effusion. Finished with fresh ricotta , breadcrumbs and parsley. The freshness of the ingredients is what really stands out. The ribeye was prepared perfectly, Especially loved the sides of roasted potatoes, chanterelles and broccolini. The steak was tender and juicy. The sides were almost better than the steak. Rarely do I wish for only sides; these were exceptional. The pan caught salmon was so good. I love seafood and especially salmon. This was perfectly cooked. It came with a peach chutney, that highlights the flavor of the salmon. Oh my, the patty pan squash/green beans/ and cherry tomato medley added a unique twist to this dish. You could take a bite of salmon and have it amplified by the vegetable mixture included in this dish. Our pasta dish was the tagliatelle. I love mushrooms, so the roasted wild Oregon Chanterelles was not to miss. Combined with ricotta, breadcrumbs and parsley, this was a lovely dish. I could eat this for every meal. A incredible combination of flavors. My mouth is craving more. My stomach is feeling full and blessed. I'm reminded of attending dinners at my grandparents. We ate until we were beyond full. My head wants to order risotto. A summer harvest pizza. Ravioli with sweet corn and mascarpone. Delicious sounding items. Too full, but have to have dessert. We had an ice cream crepe dessert. Not too heavy and lovely flavors. Really recommend coming here. A total standout of fine food, in an area with limited choices. Guaranteed a great experience, both with service and food. read more

Very good food. I can't recommend it more. The wine list is superb! All the prices are extremely fair. The atmosphere is cute and welcoming. The staff were great. read more

The food and ambience were great but the service was horrible! Upon entering a nearly empty restaurant with confirmed reservations we were told that we had no reservation. After convincing that we had the necessary reservation we were allowed to sit anywhere we wanted, but wait, we can't sit at one of the empty booths which remained empty for our entire visit. The waiter service was not any better as we were largely ignored throughout our visit. read more

One of the best in Mcminnville. Great service, I noticed that every member of the wait service took a quick glance at out table to be sure everything was just right. We had at least 5 different servers helping us with everything from refills to queries on a very busy night. The food was great, really enjoyed the grilled skirt steak, my daughter loved her pasta and breadsticks were a nice side. Highly recommend, we will definitely go back, especially as the antipasti tray looked incredible. read more

small restaurant with pleasant service but was overshadowed by drunk annoying (two couples) customers almost yelling at each other. in spite of that the home made pasta and quality ingredients put together upon your order were delicious . the menu was thoughtful and not too expansive. Good food. read more

Fantastic service and food. the Clams app with the spicy tomato broth was outstanding.

Nick's is a great place to visit whenever in the McMinnville area. Wonderful food and prompt service. I only wish on the weekends they were open a few hours earlier on the weekends. read more

Nick's Italian Cafe - Current menu copies as of April 12, 2025. - Italian Near Me - McMinnville, Oregon

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If you're in the area and want to put your inner sommelier to the test, this Italian gem is the place to do it. The wine list is phenomenal featuring both excellent local varieties and DOC-approved Italian classics and every glass feels thoughtfully chosen to match the food. The veal Parmesan was perfection, crispy on the outside and tender inside, while the gazpacho was fresh, vibrant, and unforgettable. We ended with a limoncello that transported me straight back to Tuscany. Cozy, welcoming, and full of flavor this spot deserves all the recognition it can get. read more

The new Nicks is certainly not the original Nicks. First time in with new owners, spaghetti noodles were over cooked and soggy, meatballs were slightly burnt. Bread also over cooked. I agree with another review that they need noise damping. Not sure yet how I feel about the fact I could watch the cooks in the kitchen and the one with the baseball hat was continuously touching, wiping his face. read more

Ordered a Margherita pizza to go, went into the bar to not disturb the dining room. Female brunette bartender with glasses helping only one gentlemen at the bar with one two top and an empty room acted like I was inconveniencing her by asking to pick up my pizza and sent me to the front. My Margherita pizza was a cheese pizza with huge tomato slices and a few over cooked torn basil pieces. Had no flavor did not taste wood fired the crust was far to thick overall disappointing I had hopes for the reopening will not be returning, if you can't do something that simple right. read more

Nick's Italian Cafe - Italian Near Me - McMinnville, Oregon

Everything except dessert was delicious!! Wonderful service.The decôr is nice but cold

This was hands down the best food I have had in a long time. 5 stars is not enough. The bartender, Brian, was knowledgeable about drink and menu options. I will be back!! read more

The food and service was great! The prices are very reasonable for the quality and quantity. It was the perfect date spot for us and we managed to snag a table right after opening. While we were seated we did hear them turn people away as they had to hold tables for reservations. Aka make a reservation if you have to go there. read more

Nick's Italian Cafe - Italian Near Me - McMinnville, Oregon

One of the best meals of my life, and I am fortunate enough to have traveled the world. The ravioli with sweet corn and marscapone in an amazingly delicate sauce topped with local peach slices was an unexpected delight for both the eyes and the tastebuds. read more

We really liked this cute, little restaurant when we visited. I would definitely return. The service in the bar area was so friendly and welcoming, and the food was great! read more

What a gem in Oregon Wine Country. Congratulations to the new owners who reopened this restaurant. My first visit did not disappoint. Great cocktails. Great food. Great ambiance and a remarkable team. Exceptional. professional, and friendly service. I have already booked a return to bring friends. A new favorite. read more

First time here. Remember friends telling me when I was new in McMinnville I must try the bar. Then covid and closures. Happy to finally get here. Great cocktails (thank you Nick) and good bar foods. Loved the Cesar, husband enjoyed the bolognese. We'll be back! read more

Good happy hour for food and drinks! The food at happy hour is good portions (pizza, fries and clams and others) and classic drinks were mixed right. We enjoyed a date night there. Never went to the previous place/previous owner's version so can't compare but enjoyed food and drinks there tonight. Pizza was good, it is more of a puffy/bread crust (not thin) and came with delicious garlic chili oil that was great to dip crust in. Attentive service! read more

Their pizza, over priced for the size, very salty, maybe it was the pickled onions and gorgonzola cheese combination? The crust was dry but chewy, how does that even happen? The Caesar salad had a furry anchovy on top. $50.00 for a small salad, small pizza and one cocktail, so not going back, read more

The staff were accommodating and the restaurant was inviting. My opinion is that for the price, this restaurant could be a little more generous with their portions...even being on 3rd street in McMinnville. The price also invites extra criticism. The pasta dish we ordered tasted burnt, even though it didn't look like it was. It was also dry/starchy/al dente ish but could have been better if there had been more sauce to absorb into the dry pasta. It was also saturated with micro greens that were not enough to mask the burnt flavor....still not sure where the burnt flavor came from. The pizza was ok...got tired of tasting and feeling the excess flour that was still on the crust. The steak was ok, and cooked to requested temp, but scant and basic in a space that insinuated it would be better. Would probably go back if invited, but wouldn't recommend it. read more

We went to Nick's on a Thursday night (when 3rd street is completely closed to traffic, love it) and sat outside and enjoyed a wonderful meal. We started with a bottle of Loire Cab Franc and it was absolutely delicious with the entire meal. For appetizer, we got the steamed mussels and they were to die for. The mussels were one of the biggest I've ever seen and they tasted absolutely delicious in the well balanced tomato broth. For mains, I got the tortelli stuffed with mushrooms and ricotta and my husband ordered the pork and spinach ravioli and they were both extremely delicious. We had the hardest time choosing a dessert as they all sounded amazing, and ended up going with the creme brûlée (came highly recommended by the waiter and we had seen almost every table order that), and we were not disappointed. The sugar was caramelized sugar had a nice bitterness which worked very well with the smooth vanilla custard. Overall, we loved dining at Nick's and loved the people who work here for their very honest recommendations of both food and wine. read more

Nick's Italian Cafe - Tortelli - Italian Near Me - McMinnville, Oregon

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Impossible to order from. They don't do pizzas to go so ended up ordering a couple pasta dishes to go. Items were completely wrong. Veggie dishes that had beef, etc. Expect better from a place on 3rd street. read more

My sister and I met in McMinnville over the holiday weekend to visit our father. We ate dinner out for four nights. Nick's had the best combination of quality food and service. We all loved our entrees ranging from salmon to steak to artichoke pasta. The cocktails were on point too. Our server Brian provided the best service we had while dining in McMinnville. He struck the perfect balance between professionalism, friendliness, and engagement with customers. Thank you Brian! We can't wait to have dinner at Nick's next time we are in town. read more

Great cocktails Sat in back bar Pizza for dinner Other guests has pasta Nice deserts Noise Needs art on walls read more

Nicks just reopened under new ownership in the last couple weeks. Last evening was our first time back. We have been coming to Nick's since it started around 40 years ago, having loved every meal. Not so much with this lastest meal last evening, although we wanted it to be as good as before, sadly it was definitely not. Our hope was that with the new owners, that some of Nick & his mother Georgia's original recipes would still be served. We were disappointed. First, the famous minestrone soup was inedible. It tasted like someone spilled black pepper into it and all I tasted was hot black pepper. Then, the peas and green beans in the soup had a bit of crunch to them, which was not pleasing. The minestrone just did not have that wonderful flavor that it was always famous for at Nick's. On a better note, the Caesar salad was great! There was no complimentary bread served which used to be a regular delight. The Shrimp Scampi was good. The Bolognese was lacking Italian flavor and my husband, who is Italian, said he'd give it a 5 on a scale of 1-10; just "ho-hum." There is no pinot grigio on the menu. We were told by our waitress, that they are just serving Italian wines. Well, to our knowledge pinot grigio IS ITALIAN WINE! They offer lots of chardonnay, which we do not care for. I wanted to order my favorite dish, the spinach ravioli, which was always on Nick's menu, but sadly it was not offered. At this point we "might" return, but it was not a "wow" and there are frankly better restaurants in this lovely town in which we live. Before we left, we checked out their "back room" where they serve more casual fare. Sadly the famous hamburger was no longer on the menu. read more

Very disappointing. I've been to the original Nick's several times and the reboot needs a serious boot to get it going. The famous Nick's minestrone was pathetic - only slightly better than Campbell's soup. Cesar and risotto were fine, but not stunning. Cocktails took forever to come out and then all other other dishes, soup, salad and main, arrived all at once. read more

I took my grandparents to Nick's while they were in town after a previously pleasant experience. It was during the crazy heatwave and we were grateful that they were open. They had no AC that day which was a bummer since it was 100 degrees outside, but oh well, things happen. We ordered the rigatoni, the ravioli and the sausage pizza. The pizza had a nice flavor but was cold by the time it reached the table. The ravioli was underwhelming. The worst of it, however, was the rigatoni. It was bland, overcooked, and all around awful. The sauce was barely noticeable, very watery, and unappealing. Could've done better with a jar of sauce from the grocery store. Overall, 2 stars for the pizza and the bread service before the meal. 0 for everything else. read more

Nick's Italian Cafe - Rigatoni - Italian Near Me - McMinnville, Oregon

Wife and I came in for dinner while on vacation. Nick (not the namesake) was our waiter. He helped us pick out a nice local pinot noir which we really liked. Wife ordered the parpadelle with 3 types of mushrooms. It was a bit rich for her but I loved it. I got the chicken parm which was very good but the spaghetti underneath was more than al dente (hard in spots). Caesar salad to start was good, but could have used some more dressing. Chocolate Mouse was decent but uninspired. Service was slow, which is surprising given 7 tables were full while we were there. We really wanted to like this place given its history. There is a lot of good going on here, but needs some attention. read more

We visited Nick's based on the recommendation of our concierge. It may have been built up too much. Our experience was fine. They recommended the "famous" burger and crab lasagna. Both were fine but nothing extraordinary. It did seem like a good value $100 for our meals with a bottle of wine. After visiting with other locals they indicated this used to be a much better place so maybe adjust your expectations and it will be fine. It's good but not great and there are a number of other local options in McMinnville we'll try on our next visit. read more

Pizza and pasta were delicious. The Cacio & Pepe absolutely wonderful- but the portion was quite small. This menu item definitely needs more of it with a couple of sides. read more

What a nice find on our trip to McMinnville. Very upscale Italian fare at fair prices. The restaurant is small, but here's a tip, you can sit in the bar/Italian deli next door, have a nice local glass of wine and still,order off the Nick's menu. The food is luxurious and all pasta is made by hand in house. We had the soft and pillowy ravioli gently stuffed with ground pork and spinach. Dredged in a subtle butter/sage sauce and dusted with Parmesan, the flavors were outstanding without being heavy. If pasta is not your fave, we had an amazing lemony game hen with charred broccolini. So succulent. The staff was kind and informative. Get a spot at the bar off the main bar that faces the street for great people watching. Great experience. read more

Nick's Italian Cafe - Succulent game hen with braised broccolini. Highly recommended. Your fingers will thank you. - Italian Near Me - McMinnville, Oregon

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Service at NIcks has always been hit or miss, but you could always count on the food being great. Not so much on our recent visit. Risotto for me and short ribs for her. My risotto was much more like a soup; way over cooked. The short ribs, what there were of them, were good, but only one small rib along with a mass of fat and gristle. I think this will have been on our last visit to Nicks. read more

Nice ambiance, good food, lovely attentive waitress and I would go again. Good place to bring company but add extra time to peruse the interesting stores around there. read more

Food is terribly overpriced for what you get. Service could definitely use some improvement. If you are not a rich looking white person you will be treated as second class. Save your money and go elsewhere. I would never recommend this place. It's McMinnville not Portland. Quit trying so hard. read more

Pros:friendly waiter, good drinks, tasty chocolate torte (think almond joy) and the radicchio salad was good Con:main entrees were disappointing. I had the hen which was on the dry side. The vegetable was overly charred to the point where I felt like I was eating a cigarette. I ate 1/3 of the hen and then nothing else. My partner said his pasta was so-so. Overall we could've probably made a better meal at home but it was nice to get out of the house. I have had their minestrone soup previously which was good. read more

Our first dinner back at Nick's after it is reopened. Salad was delicious crisp and fresh, pesto, pasta, flavorful, and white, and the clams and linguine were terrific. Highly recommended. read more