Love it here. First time visit. Celebrating a birthday lunch. We made reservations on Open Table. Easy and dependable. Reservations were definitely needed on a Saturday. Nick's hostess called me an hour before to confirm which was comforting. There is street parking which can be challenging as in any coastal community. I believe there is a close by public parking lot. The hostess was very welcoming and sat us right away. A.J. was an awesome waiter. He did not rush us and checked on us regularly and kept our water glasses full. Between the four of us we ordered the spinach and artichoke dip, three fresh Mahi Mahi blackened fish sandwiches. There are many side choices. We had the very yummy crispy fries and the tomatoes with blue cheese - so good. The sandwich and side was a huge portion. I had to eat it deconstructed as it was piled high with blackened fish, coleslaw, tomato, onion rings, fresh micro greens, tartar sauce all on a fresh grilled brioche bun. The sliced prime rib French dip was a home-run. The roll was toasted yet soft. The prime rib tender and flavorful served with Au jus (good enough to eat with a spoon or sip from the bowl). AJ made sure we had plenty of ketchup and ranch for the fries and creamed horseradish for the dip sandwich. My father was given a dreamy chocolate cake and card signed by everyone to celebrate his birthday. The dreamy cake was moist filled with chocolate chips and covered it a to-die-for chocolate ganache. We had an 11:15 reservation and the large restaurant and bar was filled up by noon. There were many celebrations going on around our table. San Clemente is a great coastal town and Nick's is equally as wonderful. read more

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I would like to give a shout out to Chantelle, who made everything right from a past order from months ago when I had ordered a cheeseburger well-done with only cheddar cheese and raw onion, and the girl who answered the phone got my order totally wrong. Which I complained about immediately to the guy managers and not one of them did anything to help me. I'm a local here and a regular here and thank you for making everything right Chantelle and I will continue to keep coming here because of your great customer service.. Grace, thank you for letting me help you get your apartment here in town and please keep sending your friends my way! Gina read more

Service was amazing We went for a family gathering We had a variety of entrees and they were all very good. read more

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Wow! Met wo-workers for lunch and conversation at Nick's and enjoyed the entire experience. The great - The food was delicious. The drink menu looked legit (but didn't try any) The good - The glass diet coke bottle and the atmosphere was super chill The bad - na The ugly - na There were 4 of us and everyone enjoyed their food immensely. The service was good and the appropriate speed. We didn't feel rushed or forgotten about at any time. read more

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It really pays to make a reservation at any of the Bucks locations. Extremely popular on the weekends. We were lucky to get one of the remaining tables at 4:45 on a Saturday. You can always take your chance at the bar, but that also is very crowded. The food is nice. I will say their burgers are one of my favorites. I usually get that every time I come here. And the tomatoes tonight were so fresh with a heaping mound of delicious blue cheese. Everything was so fresh and so delicious. It was very busy however the service was surprisingly quick. Parking is always a challenge. Be prepared to walk just a bit unless you get lucky and find a spot on the street. They do have lots here and there. read more

Nick's San Clemente - Burger with these delicious tomatoes, and blue cheese - American Near Me - San Clemente, California

Great service, and even better food! The staff is knowledge about the menu items and all have a pleasant and upbeat attitude. Never had to ask for a water refill or anything of the sorts cause they were already on it. We started with the tuna crunch and asparagus fries which were both fresh and delicious. Then we had the steak with salad along with the chicken sandwich and rigatoni. And my favorite part would have to be their butter cake and sundae, I remember every bite! The ambiance was great for a date night out or a family dinner, with dim lights and modern decor. read more

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Had a really solid meal at Nick's San Clemente. I went with the Prime Rib Dip and that was easily the star of the night -- super tender, melt-in-your-mouth prime rib on a soft brioche bun, with a red wine au jus and a nice kick from the horseradish cream. The fries on the side were just okay, but honestly felt like an afterthought next to the sandwich. My partner ordered the Blackened Fish Sandwich and was a big fan -- clean flavors and cooked really well. Drinks were on point too. The Cucumber Collins was crisp and refreshing, and the Espresso Martini had just the right balance. Service was great for most of the meal and our waiter was attentive, but it tapered off at the end. We waited longer than expected to close out, which was a bit of a buzzkill after such a good experience. Overall, really good food and drinks -- just a small stumble at the finish line. read more

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We had dinner with some friends at Nick's in San Clemente and the food and service were both outstanding! I had the top sirloin with the baked potato and it was amazing. My wife had the Sea bass and our friends had the salmon and cioppino and they were all delicious. read more

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Food and service were all amazing ! Irving, our waiter was very nice and helpful. We were amazed how the restaurant was still packed at 10 pm on a Sunday but it was Memorial Day weekend so I guess we can attribute the crowd to that. Drinks were good strong I'm diabetic so I ordered my old fashioned with light syrup so that's probably why it was strong. Butter cake is a must if you have room, you won't regret leaving a little room. read more

Nick's San Clemente - Fried Chicken and San Francisco Cioppino - American Near Me - San Clemente, California

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We went to Nick's for our Honeymoon dinner and Malia made sure that the night went perfect. The service was amazing, the ambiance was perfect, and the food was outstanding! Thanks again for having us! read more

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Ho Ho Ho! The wife and I came here for Xmas Eve dinner this year since we are staying local. Had a reservation and we were seated right away. The place was hopping! Everyone was in the Christmas spirit! We eaten here before and were seated in the bar area which was nicer than the main dining room. Food came out fast, hot and yummy! Dessert was to die for! The only reason I didn't give them 5 stars might sound petty but when we asked for boxes for our leftovers, they were brought to our table quickly. My petty issue is that the couple next to us did the same thing, but our server packed and bagged it for them. We had to do it ourselves. Petty, maybe. But are we less of a customer than anyone else? read more

Nick's San Clemente - Fish sandwich. - American Near Me - San Clemente, California

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Wonderful, classy, and impeccably clean restaurant. The entire staff is friendly, knowledgeable, and attentive. One thing about Nick's restaurants is their consistency, no matter which location you visit, you can always expect the same high quality. Over the past 10 years, we've tried about 95% of the menu, and everything has been absolutely delicious. read more

Nick's San Clemente - Kale and Quinoa Salad - American Near Me - San Clemente, California

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Our favorite go to for dessert in town!!! the service is always great! When we eat dinner here we do get a table but since it is only for dessert this time we usually go to the bar! always enjoying the ambiance! read more

Nick's San Clemente - At the bar Salted Pear - American Near Me - San Clemente, California

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I've been to the Nick's in Newport and Laguna several times, and I can say this Nick's has the best food quality. The asparagus fries had thicker asparagus, the avocado and spicy tuna on top of the crispy rice spicy tuna was more generous, and the blackened fish sandwich had the thickest (and best cooked) piece of mahi mahi I've had. It was hard to eat but delicious! The location is nosier than the other two, which my grandma didn't care for, but we all agreed this location had the best food. read more

Nick's San Clemente - Blackened Fish Sandwich - American Near Me - San Clemente, California

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We stopped in during their happy hour and were seated immediately. The interior is lively and happening . I enjoyed a jalapeno watermelon margarita and enchiladas from the happy hour menu. Excellent!!! So good. Service was amazing too. So glad we stopped in. read more

Nick's San Clemente - American Near Me - San Clemente, California

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Nick's San Clemente offers great American Fare in an upscale diner atmosphere. The Buttermilk Fried Chicken dinner is always a sure bet and a hearty choice. The Tuna with Crispy Rice is a great appetizer choice for sushi lovers and the butter cake is an all around crowd pleaser. Great for a nice family dinner, gals night or date night. read more

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Great service and exceptional food! It's a nice interior and people who come wear a mix of casual and slightly more dressed up clothes. It's a bit bigger than the LB nicks and has more outdoor seating. I ordered the Oaxacan old fashioned and it was great! One of the best mezcal drinks I've tried. My husband & dad loved their cocktails as well. I ordered the ribs and they were perfect- fall off the bone, not overly sauced, absolute perfection. The side salad and fries were also great! My dad got the sea bass and raved about it, and my husband got the steak sandwich and it was also just perfect! You have to get their butter cake- it's sort of what they're known for and *so* good. Warm, gooey, crispy goodness. A great spot for a date, celebration dinner, or just whenever you want a good meal. read more

Nick's San Clemente - Warm Butter Cake - American Near Me - San Clemente, California

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Five stars all around! I made a reservation on Open Table, and followed up w/ a call to the restaurant to insure my request for a window table, and they got it right this time. BYW, my advice if you have a specific request and you're using Open Table, also call the restaurant. That said, it was super busy (12:30 on Friday), so the noise level was higher than usual. Our server, Andrea, was super friendly and did a good job taking care of us. I ordered vodka/soda, and it was a generous pour. My son had top sirloin and loved it; he had asked for med. rare, and indeed it was perfect--dark pink center. Hard to get it perfect w/ such a thick steak. 5/5 for that. I ordered the Scottish salmon: 5/5. Delicious, tender and perfectly cooked. They offer a caper-type sauce with it; not liking capers, I asked Andrea about it; she suggested an alternative, a lemon-based sauce. Great choice, thank you, Andrea!! read more

One of my all-time favorite places to go never disappoints the butter cake is to die for the service is great. The ambience is amazing chicken and biscuits are delicious Highly recommended read more

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Wow. Tonights visit to Nick's SC made me never want to come back. Right away the vibe was off. Server was good and friendly but water took 10 minutes to arrive at the table, and our drinks another 10. Server described the steak temperature with Medium as pink throughout when ordering and I made a point to ask for Medium Well so there was no pink showing. She said she understood. I was served a rare steak and immediately asked the manager for a new one as it was clearly not Medium Well. The "manager" brought a side plate over and used my utensils to remove the steak from my plate stating he would make it right. 10 minutes later he brought back the same side plate with the same steak! Not only was my entire plate cold by that time, but the "re-cooked" steak was a hockey puck. I'm not a big complainer but the lack of communication during the 10 minute breaks between initial seating, greeting, drink order/delivery, and food delivery and food re-delivery was really unusual. Management should reassess their staff for the lack of handling of this situation. It wasn't busy and there were at least 4 managers on the floor and a bar captain that could/should have at least spoken with us. They comped the steak but horrific overall. Unless Nick's impresses on the next visit, they've lost our business. read more

Amazing dinner with the right company is nothing short of pure bliss in my book, especially when I can turn to the bf as I get the check to tell him he better put out Went here for the first time 3 years ago and thought the place was good, but not enough that I remembered the name. I leave yelp reviews to remember what I ordered when I go to a place. A quick yelp search for bacon deviled eggs took me right to the place to book the reservation (the last time I came here we didn't and there was a 45 minute wait on a Saturday). now that I can go back here and be myself (instead of on a date with someone I barely knew) I realize this place is even more awesome than I originally thought, even though I ordered the SAME DAMN THING and didn't recall until after seeing my old yelp review For starters we had the bacon fried deviled eggs and a carafe of a white wine. My seared filet medium rare was tender, absolute perfection that sat on a comparably sized piece of garlic toast topped with arugula and 2 slices of roma tomato in just the right portion paired well with kale salad and tomato bisque. He ordered their pan seared scottish salmon topped with capers, sauteed spinach and garlic, slivered almonds and lemon, paired with whipped potatoes. Definitely want to come back the next time I'm in San Clemente read more

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Bad experience. There with a group of 8 to celebrate a 55 bday. We enjoyed a great meal. After wards we were sitting around the table talking. My friend went to order a drink and was told by the waitress our party was being cut off from drinks. We asked was there a reason she stated it's just her call. Without anything else we paid our check and proceeded to leave. As we exited the manager said thanks come again. My friend stopped and asked him was he informed of a problem, he said no. The manager proceeded to say it's the call of the waitress. Comes across bad to me. 4 couples in the mid 50"s, men all over two hundred pounds. 4 drinks over a few our period. With starters, main dish and desert can't understand being cut off without a reason. The smallest reason and I would not being leaving this review. read more

Cool atmosphere. Food was meh. Abysmal beer list. Decent wine list. Service was excellent.

Food - this Nick's has a similar menu as Laguna and Newport and they may have a couple of items more unique to the place. Had the aged top sirloin and also the cha cha spicy rigatoni. The rigatoni was very good, even if meatless, although some Italian sausage would definitely make this a hit as an add-on option! Creamy sauce with basil. The top sirloin was good, but with this type and cut, it's not the most tender nor juicy when compared to a Ribeye, which I wish they had as this place would rock with that type of meat. Here's to hoping someday. Ambiance - as with any Nicks and South of Nicks, it is always a joy to go to this place and we try to visit as often as possible. Regular and bar seating. Bar is first come, first served. Verdict - as always, good! This San Clemente outfit doesn't disappoint! Reserve on busy times as you may have to wait without it. Service - good and attentive enough. They clean up fast and well. No complaints here. read more

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The food is always consistently delicious, fresh ingredients. Husband love the rib eye melt. I thoroughly enjoyed the chicken tortilla soup and the wedge salad. We both had leftovers. I forgot to mention that you started with the asparagus fries. Always a hugh hit! Our server was Trevor. He was very kind and pleasant. Checked on us throughout the meal. Looking forward to returning for another fabulous meal. read more

Nick's Ross was fabulous. I really enjoyed looking at my table that was cut from Stone. Also, the hostess on March 11 was so sweet and kind. I had one of their box special, which gave me a little taste of a very small fillet, a delicious little salad and a cup of corn chowder. Everyone there was so nice. I was looking at some of their specialty bottles of liquor and the bartender struck up a conversation and I wanted to say hey to him as well. My experience today was wonderful and I hope to go back. The only down part of the restaurant is that they still use canola oil, hopefully we can start eating more healthier and get rid of the canola and the toxic seed oils. I WOULD RECOMMEND read more

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So far so good! Bathroom - Women's have 2 very private stalls. Annoying sensor faucet coz it doesn't detect very well. I wasn't done with my hand hygiene and it turned off. I moved my hands around, up, down, sideways and still couldn't get the water to flow. Might have been a battery issue too. Hmmm.... Parking - street parking! And I believe most of it are free. Corn Chowder with Bacon - Slurp! Filet Mignon - Melted in my mouth! read more

I had really high expectations of this place so I recommended my business colleagues here for dinner. The 2 servers went on break right in the middle of service and we didn't know who our server was. They didn't suggest anything , of tell us about the place . Food was just ok , but nothing special. My boss ordered a watermelon jalepeno margarita , and it came out in less than a minute . We could tell they didn't shake it , it was just pre made . I would choose somewhere else if I were to dine fancy . I've had a better steak and baked potato at sizzler read more

Once again 10/10 experience. WOW nicks never disappoints. I went out of my comfort zone and tried the chicken piccata and spicy Thai salad. My friend and I split the meals. We left FULL. Both plates were just WOW full of flavor and delicious. I will definitely be coming back for the Thai salad. Drinks are always spot on and service is 10/10. I don't think there's ever been a restaurant with this great of service and food aside from Javier's and mastros haha read more

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My daughter and I had lunch here while visiting the area. I previously ate at another Nick's restaurant and while it was very ascetically pleasing, my husband and I didn't enjoy the food. After writing a review on that restaurant, I was contacted by a manager in the Yelp messaging app asking if he could send me a gift card so I could give the place another chance. I thought this was great customer service and very much appreciated the gesture. I don't live in California so when later staying near San Diego, we drove up for the day (1, because San Clemente is so cute and 2, to use the gift card). I wanted to try this restaurant and it had more items my daughter wanted to eat, so therefore we chose to eat here instead of the other restaurant. My gift card was honored at this location, which I appreciated. Everything we ordered was AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS. And while, yes, free food somehow tastes better, if I had paid full price, I still would have been very pleased. While $115 is expensive for lunch, we didn't order the "blue plate special". I didn't take pictures of much but the food and drinks were so good. We ordered the prime beef sandwich (comes with au-jus and fries), salmon meal, spinach and artichoke dip, mocktail and a cocktail. I would definitely go back! read more

Nick's San Clemente - Mocktail - Delicious! - American Near Me - San Clemente, California

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My first solo dinner was here at Nick's. It was so special to me. Everything went well, from beginning to end. Sat at the bar and was taken care of by the bartenders who also took my order for food. I enjoyed their spicy watermelon margarita and chicken piccata. The ladies that sat on each side of me were so cute and couldn't help but notice my food. They were asking what I had ordered and the lady to my left ended up ordering the same thing! Chicken piccata bursted with flavor, lemony, salty, moist, just perfection. It had 2 chicken fillets and I was only able to finish one so I took the rest to go. I loved the dim lighting and everyone seemed to be having a great time with each other. This dinner encouraged me to go on more solo dates with myself. Thank you for setting the bar, Nick's! read more

Nick's San Clemente - Spicy watermelon - American Near Me - San Clemente, California

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This Nick's location is located at Downtown San Clemente - parking is typical downtown parking and can be an issue during prime time hours. The aesthetics at Nick's is sophisticated, sharp and clean. Our server had great manners and gave us enough attention. We ordered the calamari - yum, the original ribeye melt - yum, and the crispy chicken sandwich - yum. I would recommend. read more

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I had chipino broth excellent fish not at all seasoned added at the last minute and no time to absorb any flavor. Starters of bacon devilled eggs ... Where was the bacon and again egg whites unseasoned. Salmon with spinach - spinach had dairy in it. Guest allergic to dairy. Filet of steak with baked potato. Filet was nice and nicely cooked but very small. 6 Manhattans - glass 75% full every time. Barman was obviously mixing two at once and skimping on the pours. Bill was $125 per person incl. tip. read more

Nick's San Clemente - Cioppino and French Dip in background. Both delicious. - American Near Me - San Clemente, California

We thoroughly loved our lunch at Nick's. The service was top notch and the food was outstanding. I had the baby back ribs . The ribs were some of the best ribs I've ever eaten . The petite bistro salad that comes with it , is the best salad I've ever had . I could eat that salad every day . I highly recommend this restaurant. read more

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I used to really love Nick's and I'd say it's generally still a decent place to go. It's quite popular in San Clemente for a reason. The food is good when you get a good roll of the dice, and that's probably my biggest complaint over the last couple years. Things have become extremely inconsistent when it comes to food quality, though the service is still quite good. You essentially have to get a reservation otherwise you're gonna be waiting a while. read more

Went to nicks and luckily got the last reservation for a 6pm slot on a Tuesday. Walking in I was met with the beautiful interior, warm ambience, and nice smells. We got sat at a table and enjoyed our starter of fried asparagus, the asparagus was good but I would not order again, the ranch was very good though! My wife got the chicken sandwich and is was good but not great and I got the ribs which was also good not great. We ended with the butter cake which was excellent! The service was good however we were rushed and given boxes before we even saw a dessert menu. It was surprisingly not as expensive as I was thinking so that was a plus and I had a great meal. I look forward to the Newport location to open. read more

Nick's San Clemente - Fried chicken sandwich - American Near Me - San Clemente, California

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Bbq beef ribs ste not listed on the posted menu. Im not sure why they say they have it on yelp when they don't

Great restaurant, the location was good. Service was good and food was great. Looking forward to going again! read more

Came to Nick's this afternoon and had a wonderful experience. The food was delicious - we started with asparagus fries and then I got the veggie burger and bistro salad. All the food was A+ zero complaints! All the servers were polite, helpful and professional! Shout out to Demi for fantastic service. The restaurant itself has a great vibe. I love the horseshoe bar in the middle, as well as the heated indoor/outdoor patio. The music is a little loud for my taste, but it does give it more of an upbeat atmosphere, which is nice. read more

Great afternoon with Brent at the bar. Good food and drinks. The creamy French onion soup was a game changer.