TLDR: A lively, bright spot near the ocean, perfect for lunch and cocktails on a sunny day in Laguna. The food is high quality, the ambiance is inviting, but expect a wait due to the restaurant's small size. With an almost-ocean view, Nick's offers a great atmosphere for a casual yet elevated meal. The space is limited, with about a dozen bar seats and various tables, so plan ahead if you're coming during peak hours. The Food: -Baby Back Ribs, $35, 4/5: Fall-off-the-bone tender with a well-balanced, savory barbecue sauce. Served with thick-cut fries and a well-dressed side salad, making this a complete and satisfying meal. A solid choice if you're craving that all-American BBQ vibe. -Buttermilk Fried Chicken, $26, 5/5: Served boneless as stated on the menu, which may surprise some but doesn't take away from the dish. The breading is crisp and perfectly seasoned. The whipped mashed potatoes complement the chicken beautifully. The roasted corn on the cob felt unnecessary, and the biscuit was a bit tough, but the fried chicken itself is excellent. -Nick's Bloody Mary, $14, 5/5: A robust, well-made Bloody Mary that hits all the right notes. Served with a fried blue cheese olive--a nice touch, though mine was cold, making the breading less enjoyable. If you want extra olives, they cost extra, so be aware. Service was adequate, but the restaurant stays consistently busy, which is expected given its prime location, inviting ambiance, and high-quality food. Would I Return? Likely. The food is fantastic, and the location is hard to beat if you're coming off a walk in Laguna Beach. Just be prepared for a wait. read more

Such a special restaurant. Solid food - AMAZING service - great ambiance - without a doubt our fav spot in town.

First time here, made reservation thru Open table, probably need it since this place is a bit small than I thought. Ambiance is nice, open kitchen concept. I tried their breakfast menu and the portion is pretty big, ask for their salsa because it's pretty good. Service is attentive and they offer coffee refills. Will come back next week! read more

Nick's Laguna Beach - American Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

***Late Post**** Back in January, while in Laguna, we found this jewel and it did not disappoint! We couldn't find the parking lot so settled for street parking which is meter parking. The establishment is small but charming. There's an outdoor seating area in addition to the bar and table seating. Our server was excellent!! He was very friendly, attentive and made good food suggestions. The food portions aren't large but good enough that you will not leave here feeling hungry, believe me! We didn't have room to order dessert, lol. The prices are decent but not on the lower side but it's worth every penny . We had the asparagus fries and deviled eggs for starters. Based on reviews, in my opinion, the deviled eggs were just good. For the life of me, I can't remember what my husband had because I could not forget about the dish I had. Guys, it was soooo delish!! The short rib was so tender and melted in my mouth and the veggies were cooked perfect and sauce was so ono!! If you are ever in Laguna and looking for a place to eat, checkout out this place! read more

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I had the fried chicken and it was literally the best chicken I've ever had. Soooooo good!! read more

Celebrated my birthday amazing food, beautiful views very close to the beach. Francisco was amazing. Service was incredible. The Chilean Seabass was delectable. Got a delicious chocolate cake and a card signed by all of the servers and staff as thank you for celebrating my birthday there 10 out of 10 read more

Always delicious food! We had the asparagus fries (superb!) , chicken piccata (also amazing) and the steak and baked potato. It's a tough area to find parking but South of Nick's has valet parking and is very close. This is one of our go-tos for special occasions. Friendly service and great food-what more could you ask for? read more

Nick's Laguna Beach - Chicken Piccata - American Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

This restaurant reminded my daughter and I of a place we used to eat at all the time in Manhattan, New York! As we walked in, it was rather noisy on a Sunday, especially since it's the first beautiful day we Southern Californians have had in at least a month! Everybody was out having a good time in Laguna Beach... we were fortunate to get a table in the back where it wasn't noisy and enjoyed an incredibly delicious lunch! I had a cheeseburger and if you knew me, you would know that I rarely have red meat, but that doesn't mean I don't love it! A perfect repast and fairly priced. My daughter had a thai salad that also was delicious! Great place ... great vibes and we left fully satiated. We then walked around this gorgeous, tony and upscale town. I have to say that Laguna Beach is kept immaculate and the town is clean and offers so many wonderful window shopping experiences! With all my years living here, I've never really explored Laguna Beach and the beauty is still very vividly in my mind. Wow.! Although it's 55 miles away from my home I would definitely go back on a day trip. It's just that beautiful.! read more

We did it again! One week vacation in Newport and Laguna and we went twice to Nick's because we love their menu and food so much. We ordered favorites and once again the cioppino, kale and quinoa salad, Chilean sea bass, buttermilk fried chicken and asparagus fries were outstanding and delicious. Service from Rebekah was friendly and caring and she was our person for both of our meals! Nick's is consistently a vibrant place to be, while at the same time comfortable and relaxing. It tends to be loud as the acoustics aren't great and so many guests are busily talking, so sit close to each other! read more

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We had the best dinner at Nick's! Totally recommend a patio table at sunset! The food was amazing and the service was perfect! Also, the manager stopped by to check on our meal and we had a great conversation with him too! Oh, don't forget to order the butter cake for dessert! It's divine! read more

Food and service were outstanding (Thank you Rebecca). I had the petit filet special which included soup and salad. Perfect portion size for me. Hubby had boneless fried chicken which was a huge portion - but it was so good, he finished it all. Nick's has a lively atmosphere and yet we were able to carry on a conversation without shouting. We will be back! read more

Nick's Laguna Beach - The Petit Filet special and the fried chicken with gravy in background. ) I'm not a very good photographer!!!) - American Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

Came here to say for back to back meals because the little lady could not get enough of the prime rib sandwich Honestly, could eat it a couple times a week. Just fantastic sandwich The service is top notch and you can tell they do everything well here. The first night, I got the fresh halibut sandwich it was great(not as good as the prime rib though) Good job Nicky read more

Nick's Laguna Beach - American Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

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Food is great, Ambience is great, Service is great, Vib is great! What else would you want. Make reservation because it gets really crowded, no matter what day of the week. Thank you Management, Charles read more

Breakfast at Nick's This Morning! We hadn't been to Nick's in quite a while, so this morning we decided to switch it up and forgo our usual local spot. We were greeted and seated right away--great start! While waiting for our food, a server offered a Natalie's carrot muffin, and wow--it was absolutely delicious! When our meals arrived, though, there were a few hiccups. I didn't receive the condiments I had requested, and it took around five minutes for them to arrive. By then, my hash browns had gone cold. I was excited to dive into my omelet, but unfortunately, it lacked flavor and was filled with large chunks of avocado. Once I got to the center, I realized it wasn't fully cooked. Then, while pouring coffee, the server accidentally spilled some, which ended up dripping onto my blouse. That moment really took the wind out of my sails. Thankfully, a kind manager stopped by to check in, and I shared what had happened. She was very understanding and generously comped $30 from our bill, which I really appreciated. Having worked in the industry myself, I know things happen--and I also know Nick's is known for high standards. I truly believe this was just one of those off days we all have. A few suggestions from someone who's been there: Consider placing avocado on top of the omelet instead of inside, especially if it's in big chunks. The coffee pots might need replacing--several servers were having trouble with spills. Cups with a wider lip could help avoid future accidents. On a bright note, my husband had the chicken and waffles and absolutely loved them! We'll definitely be back--this experience doesn't change how much we enjoy Nick's. Thanks again for your hospitality and for tolerating me ! read more

What??? Insane food, amazing Thai Chicken salad and Blackened Mahi Mahi fish sandwich!!!! If you want a party in your mouth with fresh food come here! 5 plus 100 stars!!! read more

Nick's Laguna Beach - Fish sandwich - American Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

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Nick's Laguna Beach is serving some of the best upscale American food. Definitely check them out and book a reservation. Service: The service here is phenomenal, always top tier. The staff are very knowledgeable about the menu and they provide great recommendations. They know when to check in without being aggressive and I love it. Ambiance: The restaurant itself is quite small and packed since it's in Laguna Beach. The dim lighting and elegant interior makes it great place to celebrate something or have a nice dinner with the girls. It's quite loud since it's very packed but it's not a big deal. Food Consensus: My favorite dish is the Pan Seared Chilean Sea Bass. It's buttery and usually just melts in your mouth, an absolute treat. The Butter Cake is to die for. I would definitely recommend getting it as dessert. It's warm, rich, sweet, somewhat citrusy because of the fruit and man, it's just amazing. I'm normally not a big fan of American food but they do it well here. I would recommend Nicks! read more

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Our first but my son is a regular. I had the petite bistro and it was good. Everything was delish except the fish sandwich. Huge and dry. Cocktails were good. Excellent service and clean place and bathroom. Will go back next to me we visit Laguna Beach read more

I had a great time coming to Nick's with my family for my sister's birthday. We were seated immediately and our waiter (name started with an A?) was very attentive, polite, and friendly. The food was genuinely amazing. We absolutely loved the buttermilk fried chicken and everything else we tried. My issue was towards the end of our night. The portions are filling and so we were waiting to be asked if we needed boxes. We clearly had lots of food leftover and were excited to eat them the next day. A busser who we had not interacted with before came to our table and took my girlfriend's plate, which had two pieces of filet mignon as well as a portion of baked potato. The filet is standard ~6oz so this was relatively a lot of meat leftover, and which my girlfriend had explicitly saved. As soon as I saw the busser grab the plate I asked for it to be boxed and to receive boxes for the rest of our meals; four boxes for the five of us at dinner. She nodded and smiled but did not return with the plate and simply dropped off a few boxes at the side of the table. This was a very frustrating experience because from my family and I's perspective, the busser clearly came with the intention of having the leftover steak for herself. The busser did not remove a single other item from the table during either of the two times that we had ever seen her that night; first when she took the plate and second when she dropped off the boxes. I'm not sure why it was assumed we did not want a box for the steak and how the busser decided to reach *across* the table for that plate specifically out of all of the plates on the table, mine being completely empty and on the edge of the pathway and easiest to grab? After we boxed our food it was the waiter who cleared the rest of dishes promptly afterwards, not the busser. I really liked Nick's. The food was absolutely delicious, the drinks were great, and the ambiance is charming. This interaction unfortunately left a really bad taste in my mouth, lowering my overall rating. read more

The food was very good. Ordered a cheeseburger with fries on the side. The bacon deviled eggs were nice. I ordered the lions tails drink. It was very good; truly a Christmas drink which embodies warmth and coziness of the season The seating is just a bit congested with folks sitting too close to each other The service was great. read more

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Nick's Laguna Beach is sooo Good! The chicken and waffles are the Bomb! You might want to share them because the portions are Big! Mimosa's are served in a classy glass and are so good!! Make sure you walk across the street to Main Beach afterwards! read more

Nick's Laguna Beach - Mimosa yum - American Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

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Usually I would rate my Nick's experience a 4 or 5.. my last few experiences haven't been great. Food has been cold or not up to par in my opinion. For example: ordered the soup "special" of the night which was a French onion soup .. WORST French onion soup I've ever had. Came to our table as an average lukewarm soup (airplane food quality) with a room temp piece of Swiss cheese on the top. I asked for it to be reheated. It was sent back and came back to our table just as cold. Bad quality for a Nick's. The server didn't even check on how the soup was.. bad service ..gross soup.. rest of the food was good though. Embarrassing "special". Sad service, waitress was drunk. Yikes read more

Nick's Laguna Beach - Disgusting "French onion soup special" IKEA quality food hahaha - American Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

Great ambience, great American-Italian classics on the menu. Awesome cocktail list. If you like Seasons 52, you'll LOVE Nick's. Not really for a large party though, and reserve a table ahead of time. Service is on a higher level than most. read more

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Nicks, really Joe (I believe he's one of the managers), SAVED our night. It was a busy night downtown, it was 5pm and we were walking around with our tired and hungry kids- our 3 and 2 year old. Joe was miraculously able to get us seated, there was no sense of annoyance or apprehension of the two small kids. My son immediately took a liking to Joe, telling him his full name and life story lol and Joe was so genuinely kind thru it all. Additionally, the service we had through the night was all around equally amazing. The food was great. Two happy and fed kids; two happy and fed parents with delicious drinks in hand. Life is great. A night that went from previously teetering on toddler melt-down disaster, to a wonderful family outing and dinner. Thank you Nicks and Joe! We will definitely be back. P.S. Jalepeño Watermelon Marg is stellar Spicy Thai noodle salad was delicious and I ate the entire thing, no regrets read more

Food was good. Service from the bar with John was great. Service for our food was overall horrible. Went there for my birthday with my wife and son. Server took their orders and argued with my wife about how they couldn't give her a salad that she wanted to buy with her appetizer instead of trying to figure out what COULD be done. Then just walked away without taking my order. We had to get a mgr in order for me to put in an order for my birthday meal (the only reason we came to the restaurant). Other things happened (including an unsympathetic mgr, an unsympathetic assistant general mgr and one other sympathetic mgr!) Despite the great experience at the bar while we waited for our table, the entire experience was ruined and we will likely never come back. read more

Food, service and ambience was excellent as usual. However , i made reservation for 4 of us, confirmed it, and got an email that my reservation was cancelled by the restaurant. Fortunately, I was able to call right the way and was put back on the schedule...it's just disappointing they would cancel reservation confirmed by the patron. read more

Nick's Laguna Beach - American Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

Sooooo good. We went to south of nick's last year, this year we figured we'd try the other one. Just as good! No reservation, showed up at 5:20 on a Thursday, table ready for 2 by 5:40. Not bad at all. Started with the asparagus fries - super good! The ranch was high quality ranch. I love the tempura green beans from The Habit - these were really similar & I'm glad we tried em. Perfect size for a starter too. For our mains, we got the salmon and the blackened fish sandwich. Both were amazing! The salmon was so soft & flavorful - melts in your mouth. Same with the whipped potatoes actually. There was a nice sauce on both that I really liked. The spinach was pretty decent too. The fish sandwich was made with mahi mahi, coleslaw and fried onions. Pretty tasty and the side salad was really good. Would probably try something different next time just for fun. A nice subtle touch was that the lemon had a cover on it to keep the seeds from getting on the food. I had never seen that before but it was cool haha. Another subtle touch is that the bathroom smelled really nice Service was good too! Really friendly waiters and they brought water around constantly read more

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Came here for an anniversary dinner. Made the reservations the night before on open table. It was easy to do on the app. Just FYI - the times between 5-7pm are super popular so make a reservation earlier in the week than when I made mine since I got a super early one at 4pm. In any case, it was easy to make a reservation. Parking is street parking. For all I know there is a dedicated parking lot for this place but I highly doubt it. There's plenty of street parking and it's about $2.50 an hour. When we checked in, we were a few minutes late and they were okay with that. Sorry! They seated us in their covered outdoor patio. It was warm because of the heat lamps. The server came over and took our drink order immediately. Casey was super nice and attentive. He also gave us the specials and was patient with our questions. Again, he was a great server! We decided on the soup of the day, which apparently changes daily. For the day we went it was a corn, potato chowder. I think that's what it was called. It was a good size bowl. There was a lot of corn and potato and topped with a good amount of crispy bacon. It was delicious. Not too thick and no vegetable was overpowering. Then we ordered and shared a market salad. All the ingredients in the salad basically screamed Cobb salad so I got the blue cheese dressing. The dressing had a lot of blue cheese crumbles which I love. It also had a lot of bacon bits and there was a plethora of veggies, which I appreciated. It was rich but it was delicious. Not too salty and the blue cheese was just enough. Not overly dressed. As for our main, we ordered the see bass and the cioppino. The sea bass was meaty and very light in flavor. It was cooked perfectly. Not rubbery and not over cooked. It was just right. The mashed potatoes were plentiful and a bit too buttery for me. The spinach was excellent. It wasn't over cooked and the almonds added another crunchy layer. The cioppino came with a sourdough bread that had Italian seasonings, garlic and butter on top of it. It was decadent and when you rip a piece of it and dunk it in the soup, it was heaven. There was quite a bit of fish, about 5-8 shellfish (clams, mussels), and a fair amount of shrimp, which was larger than I expected. I welcomed it. Overall, the cioppino and sea bass were delicious and not overly salty or mushy or etc. We ended the night with a slice of their banana cream pie. It was topped with whip cream and some chocolate almond (or some nut) pieces. It had a very thin layer of crust with chocolate and that made all the difference. It was decadent but it was so so good. The banana wasn't mushy but it also wasn't overwhelming. I wish I got another slice because it was so so good. That pie alone was worth going to Nicks. Overall, I would go here again. There was a good amount of options for people who can be picky or just have dietary restrictions. Can't wait to go back! read more

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It has been way too long!!! Nick's is by far my favorite restaurant in Laguna. The staff is always friendly and the food is delicious! I had friends from Japan and Hawaii in California, so we met up here because it was centrally located. Diego said hello, took our drink order and it was a great way to start our meal! Casey: Hi, were you ready to order food? Me: Who are you?? LOL! He was actually our server, and Diego was just helping him out. Great personality! We ordered the delicious asparagus fries and My ordered the bistro plate which had a petite filet mignon, soup, and salad...so good! K got the San Francisco cioppino which we compared to mecca, Mare Sotto, and it was very close! Soooo good! We loved the bread that came with to dip into the broth. I normally get the fried chicken but this time, I couldn't decide on which fish, and Casey suggested the sea bass, and it was a great choice. Loved the mashed potatoes and the sauteed spinach. Of course, we couldn't leave without having that amaaaaaazing butter cake! Sooooooo good!!! Another great meal! The dining room can get a little loud, but that's part of the charm! Thanks Nick! I promise to be back again soon! read more

Foods good. Service is ok too. Getting in can be a real problem unless you go on off hours. Small location, on 28 tables? But 7 outta 10. Spendy! read more

Not that this place needs another 5 star review, but they deserve it. Located in downtown Laguna Beach, this restaurant is busy all day long. For good reasons too! My wife and I came here to celebrate my birthday. We couldn't make a reservation online because we didn't make it early enough. So we decided to have a late lunch (early dinner) on Saturday which worked out great. We were able to get a seat right away! Looks like there were a couple more two seaters that were open. So if you don't mind having a meal here at a weird hour, you might luck out and find a seat without waiting. Upon getting seated, we looked through the menu and we wanted to split a few things. We got the soup of the day, which was a creamy French onion soup ($10). We also got the market salad (I think) which was reasonably priced at $12. Lastly, we ordered the prime rib dip with grilled onions and havarti cheese. The soup was unique but tasty! I've never had a creamy version of a French onion soup but it was kind of like the consistency of a creamy tomato soup but a French onion taste. It was very tasty but probably too heavy for just one person. Very glad we split the soup! The salad was amazing. You can add a protein for extra money, but even as is, they gave a decent amount of bacon and eggs which made it great. Also! They gave a mustard bacon vinaigrette which was absolutely AMAZING! Best dressing I've had. I even used it to dip my fries in haha. Lastly, the sandwich was amazing!!! Plenty of thinly sliced prime rib that was juicy and tender. Paired up with the au jus, it was absolutely incredible. The bread was soft, meat was tender, cheese and onion was amazing. Ugh I'm dreaming of that sandwich! Overall, Nicks is a great place to visit because you can get a quality meal for a decent price. Depending on what you order, most items are around $20-30 so while it's not cheap, it's not far off from Cheesecake Factory or something like that. I really want to come back to try the Chilean sea bass as well as the fried chicken! They both looked great and I'll probably be back to try that out. As well as their butter cake which I heard is amazing. This place is great and definitely worth checking out! Not to mention, it's super close to the beach. You can even see the ocean from the restaurant!! Cheers. read more

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While the food was good, the drinks really stole the show. The cucumber martini was so refreshing and hands down one of the best martinis I've ever had. read more

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From the moment we stepped in, the hostesses, our server Stephanie was so incredible. They were smiling, their energy was so contagious and they were just on fire! Stephanie especially was so kind and caring, we were there celebrating our baby announcement and she was so quick to celebrate with us! The staff took care of us perfectly and ultimately we left feeling so cared for and seen. Thank you so much Nick's, you guys certainly made us feel special! read more

Nick's Laguna Beach - Celebratory chocolate cake - American Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

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Amazing place, we tried this place out for lunch today and the service and the food were just absolutely amazing. We ordered the barbecue pork ribs that was just so full of flavor and fall off the bone tender and also we ordered the buttermilk fried chicken. Absolutely amazing. The wait staff, management staff all were so accommodating. Almost forgot we also ordered the asparagus fries...awesome appetizer. read more

On my Laguna Beach trip this place probably had the best cocktails. Appetizers were good. Good service. Wanted to come back for lunch, but packed. Guess I was not alone about my positive feelings about this place! read more

Made a reservation for 8 of us. It was such a fabulous night!!! We had a great spot!!! Such great food!!! Sea bass, steaks, chicken piccata, octopus, poke & asparagus fries!!! Drinks were Great too!!! Try the Eapresso Martini!! every thing was great!!!! read more

Nick's Laguna Beach - Happy Anniversary to our friends!!!! - American Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

Thank you very much, we were at NICK'S restaurant today and Francisco provided wonderful service, and the drinks prepared by Ricardo were absolutely splendid. Thank you so much for the service. read more

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My compliments to our host, Roger, who was so cordial and professional. In addition, our server, Dianne, was so pleasant and helpful with the menu. We enjoyed our selections of the Thai salad, prime rib dip and bistro plate, all delicious. The service is exceptional and added to our dining experience. read more

All locations for Nick's are outstanding, but Laguna Beach is our favorite. Great food and great service always!

my boyfriend and I went for our anniversary last night and everyone was incredibly nice, food was amazing! My boyfriend was very pleased with the entire experience, as was I. The ambiance was very nice and the lighting was great for photos. Presentation on our meal was beautiful! When the waitress learned of our anniversary she brought us a chocolate pastry with a candle and a signed card from the staff. Very thoughtful ! We both got the fried chicken with biscuits and white gravy ( DELICIOUS ) along with the fried asparagus and deviled eggs which were sooo good ( my boyfriend doesn't even like asparagus!) And their butter cake is AMAZING! I see why they are known for it. Best espresso martini I've ever had! Thank you so much! read more

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Wow! Amazing food! Amazing service! Very happy with the experience here. Also had the spicy rigatoni which was the best I've had. The ribeye melt was cooked to a perfect medium rare perfection. My only critique was the onions were a bit overwhelming with it making the bottom bread of the melt a bit soggy. Otherwise flavor was amazing. Very accommodating staff. Ambiance was very nice as well. Will be my go to spot anytime I'm in Laguna! read more

Nick's Laguna Beach - Ribeye sandwhich - American Near Me - Laguna Beach, California