The food was all delicious. We had a party of seven and people ordered things across the board. I really enjoyed the deviled eggs and shrimp taquitos. For a main I had the cioppino, which was very big and tasty. The bread that came with it stood out, too. The happiest orderer amongst us chose the ribeye melt. That thing was bonkers. I'll get that next time. The staff were kind, attentive, and accommodating of our larger party. The restaurant is very nice inside. Modern but cozy. It feels a little like a Hillstone or the Los Altos Grill. read more

Love this place, food is great, service is always friendly and the ambiance is very contemporary. Asparagus appetizer was the bomb!

Beautiful restaurant wonderful food overall lovely experience. I've been to nicks in Del Mar and I was very impressed with the food selection and Nick's on State was no different. I will say the prime rib French dip is what I ordered and it was hands-down one of the best I've ever had in my life. I'm really unimpressed by butter cake, but this was the first one that I actually liked! My friends took me out for my birthday and I was really impressed with the level of service and quality. read more

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The food is always beautifully presented and delicious. The servers are always the best! Very friendly and accommodating. Great place for a celebration. Nice patio or eat inside. read more

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Nick's has a few locations, but this location in Carlsbad showed up as a "hot and new" restaurant last month. My family and I do Friday Night Dinners and are always on the lookout for new experiences. I tried to get reservations for a few weeks and each time got a hard NOPE. Wow... they must be really good. I finally was able to get a reservation 3 weeks out. As far as I could tell there wasn't an actual place to park, so we found parking on the street a little ways over by the train station. Spaces are hard to find on a Friday night for sure so if you have a reservation at a popular time, get there a little earlier to try and find parking that you won't have to call an Uber to take you to the restaurant from your parking space. It's a fairly small place and was packed so I could see why reservations were a little hard to come by. We ordered the fried deviled eggs to start. My husband and I don't eat pork so they did them without the bacon. The frying gave it a nice texture instead of the all soft with deviled eggs. For dinner, we ordered the salmon and Chilean sea bass. Both came with a little Mount Everest of mashed potatoes and sautéed spinach with almonds. They ask if you are ok with the almonds. I'm not sure if that is for allergies but good thing they ask. There is a beurre blanc sauce and the salmon had capers. Now, I'm super picky with the cook on my fish. In most restaurants, it's slightly dry if not fish jerky Gobi desert chew for 23 minutes dry. Even in some places that say their claim to fame is their fish. The fish at Nick's? OMG..... like a dream. My fish was so delicate and flaky with the perfect amount of seasoning. The sauce was absolute perfection. When we left the restaurant I was already excited for tomorrow morning's leftovers! After your meal, they bring out hot towels to clean your hands which if a nice touch. Dessert we got the butter cake which our waiter highly recommended and the hot fudge sundae. The hot fudge sundae had a whipped cream that was very thick and a crunchy chocolate toffee. The star was the butter cake. Each of us took a bite and paused for a second before smiles and nods around the table. It was definitely worth the wait but I'll be honest, I'm a little scared to go back because I'll be dreaming of that perfect fish and just don't even know how it could be that perfect again. It would be a dream crusher. Haha! read more

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I made a reservation for my boyfriend's birthday and the service and food were great! He really liked the ambiance and food. We'll definitely be back as this is a great restaurant if you're local and don't want to drive all the way downtown for lunch or dinner. The shrimp taquitos were my favorite part! read more

Our second dinner in 12 days. Our first experience was celebrating our anniversary and our waiter was Colby. He was knowledgeable, friendly and service oriented. Food was amazing and we already knew we wanted to go back. The last dinner was just as nice. I had the best meal of my life, the Cioppino. I will be thinking about it for a long time. Our waiter was Justis and he was wonderful too, as was Sarah the manager. Thank you for giving us such memorable meals. We can't wait to return. read more

Had dinner for my birthday last night with my husband and we were both hugely disappointed. Everything was way too salty (filet, ribs, French fries). Of course the baked potato had salt packed all over the skin, which was not a big deal since you don't have to eat the skin, but the bacon bits were as hard as rocks--my husband couldn't even chew them! We complained and the management offered a free birthday dessert. Even that was a disappointment as we ordered hot fudge sundae and there wasn't enough hot fudge to cover the two scoops of ice cream at the bottom of the dish that also contained two large scoops of whip cream (that looked like ice cream)! Because the whipped cream scoops were not discernible from the ice cream we ended up getting big bites of just whip cream--not exactly what we desired. I have eaten at this Nick's twice before at this location, and once at the one in San Clemente and everything was delicious. I even had the hot fudge before and it was not like this was with way too much whipped cream. Not a happy end to a wonderful birthday. read more

Cold soup, average salad, long pre-seat wait time, as well as long wait time on server. Child's portion of steak was size of 1/2 dollar. Only positive was dining location outside, as well as our drinks! Summer 2023 read more

Nick's On State - Dining Experience Outside, lovely summer night! - New American Near Me - Carlsbad, California

We have dined at three different Nick's locations all have great service and terrific food. We will always dine at Nick's anytime we can.

We made a reservation but we're not seated until about 20 minutes or later. They seemed very disorganized and were apparently short staffed. There were multiple tables open. Our waitress was awesome! Super friendly and helpful. The food was tasty and the portions were pretty wild. The atmosphere was nice and outside seating was covered and cozy. We got the maple glazed meatloaf, shrimp taquitos, and blackened fish sandwich. The fish sandwich could have been seasoned more as it was quite bland. The Shirley temple was made with fresh cherry syrup. They make all their cherry products fresh in house. Also, we got butter cake which was very sweet but tasty. Thanks! read more

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Had a great lunch with friends. A small steak, soup and salad meal was a perfect size and seek was done perfectly. Good drinks and best waiter ever. read more

THE BUTTER CAKE WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE! I had heard so much about it...but I was not prepared. Best cake I've ever had. read more

Nick's On State - ^^^ Will change ur life ^^^ - New American Near Me - Carlsbad, California

The manager Sarah is a superstar. Our food was a few minutes late and she went out of her way to make our table a priority. We always have a great time here and definitely weren't expecting anything for having to wait a few more minutes; but Sarah actually gave us some fried chicken on the house... which by the way is phenomenal with the mashed potatoes and gravy. This place deserves more than five stars and Sarah is a superstar with customer service. Definitely returning again and again... And I will always accept free fried chicken. read more

Excellent food and service you can't go wrong. I sat in the patio and enjoyed the cozziness.

If you're looking for a restaurant with a casual vibe, yet sophisticated food, and a very cool bar with amazing cocktails, and excellent service, then Nick's is your place. Their French Dip was melt-in-your mouth amazing and my husband thoroughly enjoyed their rib eye sandwich. Their specialty margarita and their gin Collins were both exceptionally smooth and tasty. I recommend reservations, it gets busy every night. read more

Great experience. Food was great, service was good. Make sure you get a reservation, it's a happening spot! Word has clearly gotten out.

One of my favorite lunch spots. Excellent food, desserts and service. The parking is a little tricky until you go there enough times and know where to look. Some behind restaurant and on the street. read more

I popped in on a Thursday early evening and I will say, if you want to go here make a reservation. I didn't and ended up having to wait for about 45 minutes. The bar is opening seating but this place is quickly becoming pretty popular so I wouldn't bank on that as your plan A. The ambience in here is top notch. The low lighting and dark wood makes it feel very fancy. The food is equally as lovely. I tried the meatloaf and the fried chicken plate, both of which were outstanding. I paired the meals with their signature red wine old fashioned which is truly one of a kind and delicious. Price wise this is a little on the higher end. 4 cocktails and 2 entrees ran about $180 or so but it's definitely worth a try. The food and service are top notch. read more

Love this place was a great date location. Food was fresh and tasty. The food was excellent great environment an incredible service I highly recommend it. read more

If I could give this place 10 stars I would. Hubby and I were on a road trip to San Diego, and we were looking for some lunch. I found them on a reservation app, and the reviews were outstanding, and I can see why. Parking was a little tricky, but it was absolutely worth it. They spared no expense on the design, and I really enjoyed how even the inside felt like you were enjoying the outside too. The bar was the centerpiece when you first walk in, and I really enjoyed the Bloody Mary. It was even garnished with a deep fried blue cheese stuffed olive. Swanky! Our server, Nico, was incredibly attentive. The fried chicken was outstanding, and my husband enjoyed the meatloaf. If you are on the fence about this place, I suggest you get down and get your booty to Nick's On State. read more

Nick's On State - Bloody Mary, and hot hubby. - New American Near Me - Carlsbad, California

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From what I understand, we were lucky to get a table as fast as we did. We went about 3 o'clock in the afternoon on a Saturday, and were able to be seated right away. With the help of our helpful neighbors, we each decided to have a different cocktail. We had the wonderful margarita the mai tai, and an old-fashioned. All of them were well crafted and tasted wonderful! The skill and imagination of the bar staff is amazing! We shared appetizers and they were awesome. We had shrimp taquitos, deviled eggs and the fried asparagus fries. All delicious and highly recommended. For dinner I ordered the ribeye sandwich, that was on sourdough. It's richly delicious. it came with the vegetable of the day, which was bok choy that was a little spicy but really flavorful! One of my friends ordered the meatloaf that was amazing especially with the gravy and the onions that come with it. My other friend got the trio which came with the salad a petite filet mignon and some of the onion soup. The onion soup was unlike any other I've ever tried it was cream of onion soup, quite delicious! Then we took desserts home to be enjoyed later, because we were too full to eat another bite. My friend got the pumpkin bread pudding she said it was really delicious. Two of us got the butter cake. Very rich and decadent. It came with a little bit of berry compote that helped with the sweetness of the butter cake. Cyrus was our server, and he was phenomenal! All of his recommendations were spot on. His treatment of us made the experience unlike any other. He answered questions about the architecture of the building, which is really interesting. He answered all of our questions that had to do with the food, the neighborhood, and the staffing. read more

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Aaamazing food and the butter cake is DIVINE! This is a must go restaurant in Carlsbad.

Wonderful spot . Food was amazing with beautiful presentation. The wait staff was welcoming and very attentive and really friendly. The restaurant is beautiful and the outdoor dining is very nice. We ate there on a week vacation twice. Shrimp taquitos are delicious! read more

This place was great! Amazing ambiance, service and food. Got the asparagus appetizer, the bistro plate and the butter cake for dessert. The asparagus was so yummy- crusted in Parmesan with a ranch dipping sauce. The bistro plate wasn't anything super unique but was good- the filet was cooked perfectly. Last OMG the butter cake. That is a 100000% must get. It's like a warm cookie cake with Icecream and berries top. I was not expecting that to be so amazing but it was incredible! Will be back! read more

Nick's On State - New American Near Me - Carlsbad, California

This was the BEST experience!!! We had the most amazing night at Nicks. Our food was incredible but our server was even better! We couldn't have asked for better service from the nicest guy! Brooks was 10/10! Some of the best service we've ever had. He went above and beyond to make our night special and was just SO extremely kind and genuine. Highly recommended this location. Such a memorable night! read more

Nick's On State - Butter cake - New American Near Me - Carlsbad, California

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Always great food and great service. Very cool atmosphere also. Always busy make sure you make a reservation read more

Came here for dinner last night (their second day of being open). I made a reservation on Open Table and the restaurant texted me when my table was ready which was very nice. We sat at a corner booth table which was great because we had a view of the entire restaurant/patio area. The restaurant had a very classy and cool ambiance with fairly dim lighting. The patio was covered with heaters but they are not dog friendly. You can see the kitchen through the windows from the restaurant so you can watch them make your food. Katie was our waitress and I asked her what she suggested for a cocktail and she suggested the cucumber Collins. So I got the Collins and my friend got an old fashion. I asked her if I could make several alterations with my meal (I have some dietary restrictions) and she was very helpful and allowed me to change things up which I very much appreciated. I got the white sea bass as my entree and it was delicious. It was cooked perfectly with the top being a bit crispy and the middle being tender and juicy. My friend got the meatloaf and he said it was very good. We were sitting with empty plates and drinks for a little while but was eventually helped by a different waiter. I understand it was the 2nd day being open so I know everyone is trying to figure it all out so I had patience. At the end of the night we got an espresso martini and Katie told me they had decaf options which was very kind of her because I would've been up all night! Overall it was a very lovely experience and I'm looking forward to coming back. Thank you! read more

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The food is exceptional--thoughtfully prepared with fresh, high-quality ingredients. I highly recommend the ribeye and their signature cocktails, but honestly, everything on the menu looked amazing. The flavors were bold, well-balanced, and beautifully presented. read more

Once you get past the allure of the beautifully designed space - you'll quickly realize you're getting shafted. Having a reservation only means you're name is on the list and is by no means any indication of when you'll actually sit down for food. could be an additional 45min or more. want a drink while you wait? well - that's more waiting. The food is ok - and sub-ok if you consider the brain damage from all the waiting. Everything we had was so oversalted it seemed like the chef's inspiration was pilgrim-era salt curing. The only thing fast was the check and the speed we rushed out the door to write this glowing review. Skip Nicks - plenty of other "cute" places in the village. read more

Food and service were great. We have eaten there many times and always recommend it. If I had to come up with something, I would say it is very loud at popular times. read more

We love all of the Nick's and this location is no exception. My husband and I went for our anniversary and sat outside which had the perfect ambiance for an evening out. Justice was our server and he went above and beyond to make sure we felt cared for. A drink I ordered was out so he mentioned many altenrarives and he was so kind to us. I ordered the Bistro Plate and my husband ordered the Chicken picatta and we had the famous deviled eggs for an appetizer. My bistro plate was incredible. It's the perfect size if you're a woman who wants some steak but also wants a carb, soup and salad, perfect portions. I ordered a decaf coffee for dessert and the mug was the coolest shape. I've been here before with my sisters but my husband can't wait to come back with me again. Thank you again, justice! read more

Nick's On State - Deviled eggs appetizer - New American Near Me - Carlsbad, California

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We didn't have a reservation, but they were still able to seat us. The table was right next to the kitchen door, but the service , food and blueberry mojitos totally made up for that. Being a southern girl I had the meatloaf, It was delicious. I highly recommend the blueberry mojitos. The butter cake is a must. I totally hate that I don't remember the servers name read more

Very nice lunch. We didn't have reservations which wasn't an issue on this day. The Hostess was very warm and engaging. Waitress was very helpful with recommendations and tuned in for allergies which we both had to consider. She also advised me not to share my salad due to my husbands nut allergy. Very thoughtful. Parmesan Asparagus starter was a tasty light suggestion that we both enjoyed. Hubby wanted a steak salad...which interestingly had a spring mix on top of a warm potato salad, along with ribeye and a tomato with blue cheese wedge. I had the bistro plate with soup of the day, a cup of ribeye chili, kale Salad and Uber petite filet mignon on toast. Light fare, enjoyed it all. We really liked and appreciated the staff. They were all warm and engaged without it feeling put on. Nice. Unpretentious and excellent meal. read more

We live in Carlsbad village and have been to Nicks on State several times and enjoyed it until tonight. Tonight it was not good. Service was just OK and the food not so .I Ordered a steak medium rare and it was tough and more like medium well. The baked potato was dried out and I asked for no Sour cream and it did have some in it which my guess is they scrapped off the sour cream. I also asked to substitute the asparagus and was told no so the plate was delivered with a piece of overcooked steak and and dried out potato kinda like you would expect at the "Sizzler" chain. when I asked for butter I was supplied with the smallest amount like it was a precious commodity .Maybe a new manager now who is only interested in tourists not locals. read more

Never fails you This place is legit Great food, service, ambiance I recommend it for breakfast on weekends, lunch and dinner any day. read more

Fantastic food, ambiance and service by Nico! I appreciate good service and Nico was very attentive and made sure one of our Gluten Free friends was taken care of. Highly recommended. read more

Nick's On State - New American Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Gave this place another shot, and okay, okay... we get the hype now. The drinks were spot on this occasion - ordered the jalapeño watermelon margarita, and it was the perfect balance of sweet/spice. Their prime rib dip is quite possibly one of the best I've ever had. Their asparagus fries were delicious with their made in-house ranch as well. Sat at the bar this time around since we didn't have a reservation. Delays to be expected, as they were slammed, but can't complain because everything tasted fantastic. Thanks Nicks- will definitely be coming back. read more

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Great spot in Carlsbad Village! Trendy menu and top notch service. A big part of the growing culinary scene.

I'm in here way too often. The food is just so good and the outdoor patio is lovely. The servers are wonderful and very professional, they seem knowledgeable! Highly recommend, I don't think I've had a meal here that didn't knock my socks off. read more