After eating an amazing meal at South of Nicks 2 nights ago, Nicks was a bit of a miss. I was told the cheeseburger here was to die for, and it fell well short. I ordered medium rare and it was still dry - I attributed this to the non brioche bun and limited mayo. The meat was good but the seeded bun needed work. Or the burger just needed bacon/avo or something to elevate it. The fish sandwich was quite tasty - the onion strings were delicious. The seasonal broccoli over-drenched in an Asian sauce was awful. The fries were great and the ranch is outstanding! read more

I hate leaving reviews but felt compelled to leave a review due to the horrendous service. First we are locals been here for 56 year. Booked a wait list reservation and was told it would be an hour to an hour & fifteen. Showed up and checked in & wait list showed we were two people from sitting down about an hour after booking. Was told we were next to sit down after a half hour of standing at front desk my wife asked if we could sit at the tables in the bar area and she was told that table had a reservation. We decided to?sit at bar until table was ready. We found two seats at bar & ordered a couple cocktails. (That was another scenario but wont get into that) We sat at bar another fifteen minutes when I walked up to see when table would be ready and there was a older man talking to front desk about a table and he was told he needed to make a reservation because people are waiting. We then saw two 2 top tables get up so we gave our bar seats to two ladies waiting. We again waited another fifteen minutes for one of those tables and was then told there was a party of nine taking both of those tables. We then looked at the high top table in bar that we were told had a reservation and the older gentleman was sitting at the table we were told had a reservation. We then asked for a manager we we're told that front desk offered that table to us. Never happened! To make a long story short we walked out after almost two hours without eating. Worst service i have EVER had at any restaurant. They could have made it happen for us as we saw about 8 couples come and go. Management did nothing to help other than sit their and give us a bunch of fluff. Every time we go to Nicks food is great service is horrible. I starting to appear this is there business model. I won't be back anytime soon. GOOD LUCK! read more

The food was good quality and our server was very nice. Restaurant is cute and a nice spot to have a semi casual lunch/dinner. They have a window area where you can enjoy the breeze. This location does not have shrimp taquitos! All of the food could have been a bit more seasoned. The Pasadena location is a lot better in my opinion but I did enjoy my meal. Very loud. read more

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Wonderful restaurant, very tasty dishes, and interesting tea service. Friendly and attentive waiters. read more

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

Amazing food, the extra mile customer service and personal touch when we took my wife out for her bday dinner. John was excellent. Perfect atmosphere. Gotta come back here. read more

Goto spot for me and my bf. Amazing food and drinks and the staff is amazing. Definitely recommend if you're looking for a new spot. read more

Cioppino - noun - a super delicious seafood medoly that you absolutely must get. Just a perfect experience at Nick's. Location is top notch in the heart of Old Town San Clemente. Old town vibes with upscale dining. If you can, try to get a seat near the street-side for people watching and catching the breeze. The service was fantastic. From the host to the waiters to the managers. Every was friendly and accomodating. Loved the table touch; not over staying their welcome but making us feel well taken care of. Now now the Seafood Cioppino. My my my. LARGE bowl, FULL of seafood, with a beautiful and delicious personal sourdough loaf PACKED with garlic. This bowl was absolutely overflowing with seafood of all varities. Every cooked to perfection, piping hot and freshly made. Hot tip -- don't sit on the shrimp too long as they'll continue cooking so you don't want them to get over-cooked. *** SAVE ROOM FOR DESSERT *** And by dessert, I mean the butter cake. Words can't do this beauty justice. Can I just say, "Yum"? read more

One of the better restaurants I've eaten at this year. South of Nicks also is great, but this is the mother ship.

Came to Nick's for dinner. Upon arrival we were greeted at the door. Asked for a table for two and they readily cleaned a table for us. Our server was super nice and attentive. He has great suggestions for drinks. I got the Paloma and my husband got the cucumber Collins. They were both made very well. For food I got the sampler with three tacos chicken, pork and Birria. To me it was a bit salty, other than that everything was good. The atmosphere was romantic love all the decor in there. Parking was super easy. read more

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I've been a loyal customer for over a decade with Nick's. I just had an experience I can't believe. For the first time ever we were denied having a dish made to our request. We have ordered the Kale and Quinoa salad. She prefers it without the quinoa. They absolutely refused. When I asked if the goal of the restaurant was to satisfy the executive chef s or satisfy the paying customer we were told under no circumstances would they accommodate our request. You just lost a customer! read more

We love Nick's! The food and service is always top tier, consistent and reliable. My favorites here are the Bistro Plate, the Thai Noodle Salad, and of course the Butter Cake. You can't leave here without ordering one!! No corkage for the first two bottles of wine you bring is a great draw for locals - no one does that anymore. read more

This is a wonderful place for a date night or just dinner with some friends. I had the spinach and Artichoke Dip which was amazing. I wanted to just eat it by the spoonful. Next I enjoyed the Caesar salad which had an amazing crunch and had the best tasting Parmesan cheese ever. Lastly I finished it off with the prime rib dip which was so tender and juicy. I wanted to save her every bite. I got fries on the side and dipped in some pretty darn good ranch. The meal was pretty pricey, but you're paying for what you get and it was amazing service included. read more

We decided to stop by while on vacation. The guys each had fall of the bone baby back ribs that were simply amazing!! I had a filet and it was one of the best steaks I've ever had!! (And I'm from farm country). Service was stellar and they have an amazing atmosphere!!! Will have to stop in again!! read more

Highly recommend. I also highly highly recommend making reservations. McKay at the front desk is so cute and so amazing. She got us the perfect seating arrangement by the front window . This place is jumping for good reason. The ambience is absolutely stunning. It is very loud inside, so I highly recommend as an architect, interior designer that they add acoustical panels to lower the volume inside. The food, we started with the spicy tuna on crispy rice and fried deviled eggs. Both were absolutely delicious. I had the watermelon jalapeño margarita. Well I had to very well mixed and very delicious. I had the chicken dish with mashed potatoes and lemon sauce with capers, and it was divine. My dad had the halibut and it was very well cooked and seasoned. We were so full that we ordered the lemon cake but had to ask for it to go. The lemon cake is four or five stocks high with lemon frosting and it is so moist and lemonee. read more

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Parking- street parking and metered only Reservations- none, we walked in on a Sunday around 12 pm with party of 3 and we're sat down immediately! Love when they'll seat you even without the whole party there. Food- we did Caesar, steak salad and chicken sandwich and all were so tasty and amazing! Service- Norma attended to us and she was so pleasant and attentive. Highly recommend and will be back! read more

This place is off the hook amazing. THE best chips and you get 2 salsa and beans on arrival. AMAZING drinks. And REALLY good food at great prices. Sooo good:) GREAT SERVICE A plus plus!!! read more

Ordered Drip beef sand, burger, and kids chicken fingers. None of the food had any taste. Very disappointing. Coke is served in a bottle so no free refills. Service was ok. read more

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

As part of my Mom's birthday celebration weekend, we were shopping at The Outlets and saw the Trolley. It was getting close to dinner so we made an impromptu plan to forgo dinner at a popular chain restaurant that happens to sell cheesecake, hop on the Trolley, go to Nick's San Clemente. I joined the waitlist (#14), put a note that we're celebrating mom's 80th birthday cause we were/are. (9/3 is her bday). I promptly got a call from the restaurant telling me the wait was approx. 1 hr 45 min. I appreciated the call, told the hostess we're on the trolley and coming down. No problem. We arrived, waited, relaxed outside, attempted to take selfies- just Mom and her 3 girls. (The wait was not long at all!). We ordered the asparagus fries (new fav!) Sea bass, Top Sirloin, fish sandwich, buttermilk chicken + cocktails! Everything was divine and delicious. At the end of our dining experience, the staff surprised mom with a birthday cake and hand signed birthday card. We were all surprised and really touched! To Nicole, the manager and entire staff- Thank you so much for making our celebration of my mom that much more wonderful!! I usually go to Nick's in Laguna Beach but had such a great time in San Clemente that I'll have to return!! read more

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On a trip from Costa Mesa to San Diego, we were driving down the coast looking for a nice restaurant. We drove through Newport Beach, Corona Del Mar, Laguna Beach and Dana Point. It was a Tuesday around 1:30pm and a lot of places seemed deserted or closed. In the end we decided to drive to Nick's in San Clemente and what a great decision it was! We were seated immediately at a table by the open window and shortly had drinks. We ordered asparagus fries w buttermilk ranch (always delish!), a rib eye melt sandwich with fries and a prime rib dip with Campari tomatoes and blue cheese. The tomato dish was so simple but one of the freshest and tastiest side dishes I've eaten in some time. Prime rib with au jus hit the spot and I'd actually eaten half my meal before I remembered to take a photo! The thing about any of the Nick's restaurants (I've eaten at the Carlsbad and Del Mar locations as well) is that the food is always high quality, tastes great, and then the service is impeccable. I mentioned all this to the manager because I was so happy with our entire experience. Wish I'd saved room for their butter cake with ice cream!...maybe next time?! I highly recommend Nick's San Clemente and thank you to our server Valeria for a lovely lunch today. read more

Nick's San Clemente - View from the open window - American Near Me - San Clemente, California

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Did not disappoint! Our faves were the ribs, Cioppino, blackened fish sandwich. My daughter even loved her butter noodles! We have been to the Pasadena location several years ago and remember liking it then. Nice that the food is consistently great. Our server Jimmy was great too! read more

Uhhh!!!!!!! Everything is just so so so so good! Our server Britney was the best server we've ever had at any restaurant we've ever been to. We had our two kids and she was just so good with them and kept them so happy an entertainment that instead of complaining they just kept talking about her the whole time. Now to food! We ordered some drinks. I got the mojito and the cucumber drink. Both were so perfect. They tasted like a refreshing summer drink, didn't taste like alcohol at all, but it did the trick :) my husband got the marg and Bloody Mary he enjoyed them both but wasn't blown away. (They tasted how both those items always taste to me so who knows) we ordered the fried asparagus, didn't take a pic - oops. They were good. Kids got ribs the ribs were great. Tasted great cooked great. My daughter got grilled cheese and chicken strips. The chicken strips are made in house so they are breaded fresh and just taste very fresh and good! I got the ribeye melt. My favorite thing!! It's simple yet soooo much flavor and everything compliments each other. I got mine cooked medium and it was perfection! My husband got the crispy chicken sandwich. No picture again. Sorry! It was delicious but I was craving my ribeye melt so that's all I cared about! Lastly but definitely not least! The WARM BUTTER CAKE!!!! It's just soooo good! I wish I could have this for breakfast lunch and dinner every day. Everything about it is eye rolling. If you've never had butter cake you must try it! It's like a yellow cake but with like a crispy sugary outside and super soft inside. Omg it's making my mouth water!! Try nicks! It can get pricey, (we don't ever eat like this when we go out)but I've wanted my husband to try this spot for years so we made it count. It was a very nice experience and everything was so yummy. read more

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I recently went back here and I was super disappointed. The food it self was overly salty. The service was terrible. The server barely greeted us or tended to us. The other servers were very kind. My drink tasted a bit like watered down lemon. I have been here plenty of times and I was truly disappointed. read more

Went for a family celebration. Its my MILaws fav restaurant and easy to see why. For dinner you will need a reservation. Good American menu. Service was decent for handling a large table. . read more

If you want come to San clementine pier, take the trolley from the outlet is the best way. My husband told me about this place. Good first impression read more

Nick's San Clemente - Blackened halibut sandwich $21 , fish is fresh and tender - American Near Me - San Clemente, California

What's not to love about this location! Located in the heart of a beautiful beach town and has fine dining vibes while feeling modern. Absolutely loved my experience here and will be back for sure. read more

Food and drinks are always great at this place!! It has a great ambiance and decor located on the main street Avenida Del Mar of cute little San Clemente. I've been here multiple times and the Chilean Seabass is my favorite. I've always found fish not to be cooked well consistently at other restaurants but Nick's always does a great job! Check out their craft cocktail menu. Too bad I lost my ID there that night lol. read more

Nick's San Clemente - My most recent visit to Nick's. They have seats along the wall. - American Near Me - San Clemente, California

Nicks is the best!! Always on point and reliably delicious. The food and service are consistently wonderful, so much that we dine there at least once a week, usually more. The staff rocks,especially the bartenders Hendrick, Brent and Casey, they are beyond amazing! We always leave full and happy. We always come back! Thank you Nick for keeping this great restaurant in our community! We also love South of Nicks! read more

Super cute place! Make sure you make reservations! Especially on the weekend. Parking is free if you can find it! We came on a Saturday night with no reservations and waited about 15 minutes for a table which was not bad at all. We got lucky! It's not a large restaurant but has plenty of tables and can accommodate a descent amount of people. A few fun cocktails and wine to choice from. I tried jalapeño watermelon margarita which has infused jalapeño tequila. Strong tasting drink and delicious. I also had the grilled steakhouse salad. Think a steak on a salad! This was a good choice- I did think the steak was a tad chewy but otherwise good. There is a bed of potato salad that sits on the bottom of the salad. I did not think I would like it but it was delicious! Overall, it's a good place to meet friends, coworkers and take a date to. read more

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Nicks is always a 10/10. I've had plenty of their dishes and each are delicious and made to order. The shrimp taquitos are delicious. Whole shrimp wrapped with tortilla, fried as a taquitos and topped with creama, cilantro crema, pico de gallo, and cotija cheese. Ribs, delicious! Comes with French fries and petite bistro salad. When I'm craving a light lunch I'll order the petite bistro salad with the salmon. Salmon is perfect and salad is delicious Lastly, the butter cake is just straight heaven. Topped with vanilla ice cream and a berry compote. Please do yourself a favor and order the desert after dinner. SERIOUSLY Service is always amazing and quick. Ambience is on the more dressier casual side. Pasadena location is beautiful inside ! San Clemente location is a little smaller but still just as beautiful. Both locations have a parking lot in the back of the restraint and street parking. Visit nicks you won't regret it. read more

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We thought the food was exactly what we were expecting, and the cocktails were very classic. The interesting part was discovering that eggs can be fried, as we saw with the deviled eggs. Additionally, the bread on the prime rib sandwich had a nice, cheesy toasted layer. It was a good meal with standout customer service. read more

Horrible service. 30 minutes for a to go order also at 8:50 pm is ridiculous. Also, they won't serve the spinach dip to go for some insane reason. read more

A solid spot when you have time and are not super hungry or in a rush. We came here for lunch on a Sunday. The place was packed, and the maitre'd told us it would be an hour wait for our party of two to get seated. I put my name and phone number down, and my friend and I walked around the area in the meantime. 20 minutes later, I got a call and a text saying that our table was ready because two parties cancelled their reservation. Fortunately we weren't too far away and walked back to the restaurant within a few minutes. We were immediately seated once we arrived. We ordered a prime rib dip sandwich with warm potato salad and a blackened fish sandwich with market vegetables, which were brussel sprouts for the day. The brussel sprouts were probably the best I had had; it was well seasoned and not bitter at all. The blackened fish sandwich tasted fresh with the shredded cabbage. It was very mildly seasoned with only a little bit of pepper. I prefer strong, bold flavors, so I enjoyed the prime rib dip sandwich more. The bread was toasted well, the horseradish cream was smooth and not too strong, and the beef au jus was flavorful. The warm potato salad was pretty good, too, but it did not leave as strong of an impression as the brussel sprouts. I was full after halves of those sandwiches, but I really wanted to try the warm butter cake. It was massive, and I was glad I had someone to split it with. It was as described: warm and you could taste the rich buttery flavor. We enjoyed the sugar crust and the combination of the warm cake with vanilla ice cream and berry compote. It was a well-balanced dessert. While the food is pretty good, it does not warrant the price tags, especially given the level of service. Water is served in small cocktail glasses. They don't leave a pitcher at the table, and yet they don't come around frequently to make sure that guests have enough water. I had to ask for more water twice. Overall, I would rather try another restaurant if I'm ever in the area again. read more

Nick's San Clemente - Prime rib dip sandwich with warm potato salad and blackened fish sandwich with market vegetables (brussel sprouts) - American Near Me - San Clemente, California

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Repeat diner. The SeaBass is amazing, 2" thick and is always cooked perfectly. Yum. I also recommend the Artichoke fries, crunchy good. Great bar and service top notch. Highly recommended read more

Had dinner reservations for party of 4. It was anniversary night for both my wife and I and my brother and sister in-laws. We were promptly seated by the hostess @ a great table and immediately approached by our Server Christian B. who welcomed us to Nick's and congratulated us on our Anniversary. He took our drink order and returned moments later and had some recommendations about dinner meals which we appreciated. After a short time later our meals were delivered and cooked to perfection and were very delicious ! Hostess and Server did not disappoint, 5 Star Service at its finest, the Staff Management should be very proud of these two employees ! read more

Awesome menu with great options for everyone. Whether you're vegan or a carnivore, this place will have you covered. Very approachable menu. Tried the ribeye sandwich which was excellent, served on a toasted sourdough. Ordered the steak medium and it was very tender and juicy. It's a relatively simple sandwich which I like without too many ingredients. The caramelized onions and the Swiss chreese are a nice compliment to the meat. Also relatively light. The bistro salad is a very healthy side option which includes thinly chopped kale, cabbage and a variety of thinly chopped nuts (almonds and cashews). Service was great as well and prices reasonable. read more

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

One of the best burgers I have ever had. My son had The fried chicken breast meal and it was great!. The staff is great and attentive. Really good vibe and tastefully decorated. read more

Nick's is one of my absolute favorite restaurants and what I appreciate is the consistency of their food quality. I'm a regular at Laguna Beach since it's closer to our house but the San Clemente location is more open and I really like the restaurant vibe. My only complaint about this location is the slow service. It took forever to get our drinks and in fact, the glass of wine that was ordered before our lunch didn't get to our table until we were fully done with our meal (including dessert!!!). Speaking of dessert, their warm butter cake is delicious and great size for sharing. As for the food, you can't go wrong with anything on the menu. My husband and I have tried every dish on the menu but the one we order most is their fried chicken (both sandwiches or plate). Their spinach dip is amazing, ask for extra chips though, what they serve is not enough. read more

a place like Nick's hardly needs my input, as I am no food expert or critic. I will eat almost anything, but also am not blind to food that is noticeably better than average. It's easy to see why this place is so popular. As I was going round and round in my head trying to render a pithy, glowing review, my partner simply said "you expect something when you order, and you get something two steps above routine". My salmon was ideally spiced; the kale/quinoa salad with champagne vinaigrette was great. They simply go the extra mile when it comes to preparation. read more

Came for a late lunch. I found the service to be on point with the food quality and environment. Trenton was well attentive and answered questions with command of the menu. The Thai Salad was spicy enough to have a kick but could fit for someone that doesn't appreciate long standing heat behind the spices. Asparagus fries appear to be a staple here and it is no wonder...they keep the crispy snap of the asparagus and do not provide any residue of any grease. read more

Nick's San Clemente - Asparagus Fries...yep, worth it. - American Near Me - San Clemente, California

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Highly recommend not coming here if you are in your 20s. My friend and I received the worst service from such a "higher" end restaurant. From the beginning, the workers kept staring at us and then our server gave us the BARE minimum service. She was not attentive at all and really quiet. The tables next to us got amazing service from her and we could hear her being nice and attentive. She also gave us boxes to box our food up while other tables got their food taken back, boxed up, and put in a bag. We were dressed in normal nice clothes and we ordered a couple appetizers, entrees, and drinks. Yeah the food was great but clearly they judged us for being young or something. If you prefer to be treated like you're not supposed to be there, come here! read more