From appetizers to main, desserts, and drinks, everything we ordered was absolutely delicious-nothing disappointed. The ambiance was beautiful, and the service was spot-on, making the whole experience perfect. read more

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Amazing service, atmosphere, food and fair prices! Highly recommend and also get a reservation for the weekend early! read more

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

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My favorite local restaurant, we've been coming here for years. Always can count on consistency with outstanding service and great meals!! Never had a bad meal at Nick's. read more

We had lunch here last Sunday in May and really enjoyed it. The ambiance was great, very relaxing and nice, with a table by the open arch windows. I had the prime rib dip sandwich with salad - it was so delicious! The meat was savory and tender, the au jus added so much flavor to the sandwich and the toasted bun was the perfect complement. My friend had a salad that was fresh, tasty and excellent. The food quality is great and the service was also excellent. This is a great place to meet for a nice sit-down lunch where you can enjoy good food and drink while having a long conversation with a good friend. I highly recommend this place. read more

Phenomenal. Every time I come to San Clemente my family and I make sure to dine here - even with the 2 hour wait! Everything on the menu is good. My favorites are the Spinach & Artichoke Dip (a MUST), the French Dip, the Chicken Piccata, and the Buttermilk Fried Chicken. The service is fantastic and the ambiance is nice and upscale. Don't hesitate to come here - you'll never eat better! read more

Amazing staff and management. Food is consistently delicious with a nice ambiance. I definitely recommend stopping in.

Tuna Tartare - Then Corn Chowder because it's Tuesday at Nick's in San Clemente!! This Ho Hum day just became SPECTACULAR!!! Incredible service, gorgeous presentation and preparation and Off the Charts flavor. Thanks for a perfect lunch!! read more

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I'm a big fan of Nick's restaurants. We've been to Belmont, Laguna Beach, and this one. The service is always amazing. The food is top notch. The girlfriends and I decided to start our evening here because, why not! We were planning on having dinner, but cocktails and appies got out of hand and we were too full for dinner. read more

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We were pretty impressed with this place. Do make reservations as it gets very busy. Very dark inside as it seems a lot of restaurants are. The food and service was excellent. Prices were reasonable for the quality and quantity. We took leftovers home. read more

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My husband and I love this restaurant. Highly recommend the deviled eggs and asparagus fries. The service, food and ambiance are excellent.

Best place. We always come back. It's incredible. Best steaks and chili and Seabass and the fried asparagus appetizer is so damn freaking delicious. Excellent service.. Great vibe inside. . read more

I love the food here. I had chicken piccata but their sandwiches with the dip look pretty good too. The portions appear to be huge like for 2-3 people so you can share with your group. Service was attentive which is gold standard for the US! read more

Reservation booked a few days earlier. Arrived 10 minutes early after a 35 minute drive from Carlsbad. Offered a bench seat which meant that I would be sat side by side and not able to speak with my partner but we would be able to stare at the diners opposite. Went to the desk. Offered a high top. Accepted, told by someone else to go away "it is dirty". We thought that was an excellent idea and went to the Brussels Bistro opposite, which was an actual functioning restaurant, and quite delightful. read more

This is our go to spot whenever we visit San Clemente. This Nick's is located in the heart of beautiful San Clemente and it is warm and welcoming with a beautiful modern minimal design. The service is always friendly and the food is amazing. The menu is simple but everything on it is amazing. I had the Seabass tonight and it was so good! My wife had the salmon and it was equally good. You can't go wrong with Nick's!!! read more

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

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We absolutely loveeee this place the food is INCREDIBLE our favorite things to order are the spinach artichoke dip, bistro plate & the hot fudge sundae. The staff is so wonderful as well. Perfect for a date night, girls night or just when you need a delicious meal with friends. read more

Food was so so good. The server was polite and friendly and right on the money. One of my very favorite places to eat. Food is always consistent. I only wish I could get in more often. read more

Went here to celebrate my birthday. The food, service and ambiance were top notch. I went for the Chilean sea bass and it did not disappoint! The crisp outside and tender, juicy inside made it absolutely mouth watering! That said, I could have eaten a second helping of the spinach. I don't know what was in it, aside from anise, but it was amazing! The mashed potatoes were creamy and seasoned just right. My boyfriend enjoyed his top sirloin. It had good flavor, but his favorite were the loaded mashed potatoes. My only complaint was the hostess... Zero personality. Smiling and greeting is the job and she was not friendly. Our waitress, however, made up for it. We'd definitely return to Nick's! read more

Nick's San Clemente - Top sirloin, loaded mashed potatoes and asparagus. - American Near Me - San Clemente, California

Monique is the best nicest server I have ever met. She's even made me laugh and bagged us up chips to go since we were visiting and I want all the good things to happen to her and read more

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

Love this place. Always the best service and food. Appetizer- spinach dip. Always ask for more chips you never get enough! Got the sliced ribeye on bistro salad. My husband got the prime rib dip- per usual. Ended it with the butter cake! So good!!! read more

Took my Girls here. Great food selection and great service. Ribs were fall off the bone amazing and service was very attentive! Thanks for great experience. Will definitely be back! read more

Nick's San Clemente - Ribs & buttermilk chicken yum!!! - American Near Me - San Clemente, California

Nick's in San Clemente is definitely one of the best restaurants in the area. Been here several times and keep coming back. There are always long wait times and they don't take reservations so make sure to keep that in mind when planning on eating there. The service is always good, and the food is amazing as well. Would recommend the Chicken sandwich. The ambience is decent however it's probably one of the louder restaurants I go to. If you go here you have to try the butter cake for dessert, they are known for it for a reason! read more

Nick's San Clemente - Chicken pot pie - American Near Me - San Clemente, California

Absolutely love Nick's. I'm just a little sad that I have to wait until late November for them to put the pot pie back on the menu, and they took off the garlic cheese bread appetizer. read more

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Quick and knowledgeable service! It was a bit loud but that is to be expected. special note: The bathrooms are clean and smell very very nice The artichoke dip was super good, I prefer less sour cream in my dip and more spinach and artichokes, this was the perfect ratio. They didn't come with many chips but the servers were quick to bring more so we could finish our dip! Served 4. The dip was good but nothing too special. The meat was a bit chewy and the complimentary cheese and onions was a bit confusing. The seasonal veggies, green beans in a soy sauce with Thai chili peppers were soooooo good. I'm not a huge green bean fan but I ate all of these. Perfectly blistered and spicy! Our table(s) loved the fried deviled eggs. They were tasty, fun to eat, and perfectly seasoned! read more

Nick's San Clemente - prime rib dip - seasonal veggies - American Near Me - San Clemente, California

It was a birthday celebration for my 70th birthday. They were awesome! The staff all signed a card to give me for my birthday, and they brought a dessert and sang. The food was amazing and I love how we could see into the kitchen! read more

Food was tasty. $4 up-charge to change mashed potato's to a baked potato. The baked potato was cooked perfectly! -chicken piccata was good/okay I should've tried the sea bass... -butter cake was good but as creamy delicious as the one I had at Nick's on 2nd in Long Beach. Service was friendly and nice. Looked like 3-4 server for the entire restaurant. Constant flow of patrons. It was pretty packed 1655 on a Saturday and the flow didn't stop. Be patient with your server. Ambiance casual to fine dining appeal. Menu is the same it appears at all of the locations. I like the feel of openness it had and the stone table tops were cool textures. It felt weird have my back to the outside and forced to look toward inside where the servers enter order.. flip the booth to the other side of the table would've been better imo... If you don't finish your wine bottle they can put the bottle in a sealed baggy to go. No open bottle issues. FREE street parking. Even found some subterranean Parking around the way from the venue. read more

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Just had a majorly delish lunch here in beautiful San Clemente! The service is greatly attentive, kind and attentive. The dip sand was top notch! German potato salad very tasty. Good wine selection and bar available for cocktails if your choice. Lovely ambiance which draws you into the restaurant! A definite place to be in downtown SC. read more

Always love Nick's!! Service is fantastic, and the ambiance is upbeat and lively. My go to order is the Moscow mule and the ribeye melt, but I also love the steak salad, salmon, blackened fish sandwich, and more. The butter cake is the best, no restaurant compares. I'll be back soon! read more

Great surprise to come to this place. It was clean and the service was excellent. The food came out quickly and tasted delicious. The deviled egg appetizer was yummy. read more

Food is great - we usually choose the Petite Bistro with tasty small salas, petite filet mignon on garlic toast and a cup of the soup of the day - Friday 's soup is clam chowder but they are all delicious. read more

Never going back again. The waitress was rude and inattentive. For some reason yelp needs me to go on and on with extra characters to express my views. There you go. read more

Ambiance: We waited over two hours to get in for our anniversary dinner. So we didn't get seated until nearly 9, with our four adult/teen children. Our waiter was friendly, and we told him it was our first visit, and he recommended a few items and cocktails. The only drawback here is the noise, so incredibly loud couldn't hear each other talking, would like to come back again since the food is solid. Food: *Deviled Eggs: Had great flavor, however had no idea they were fried, and we also ordered the Asparagus appetizer which was also fried, they were a little rich for us, and we prefer un-fried eggs, = 3/5 *Asparagus Fries: Fun way to serve a veggie appetizer, too many fried things together for our order =4/5 *Buttermilk Fried Chicken: Massive portion we split this, and still had leftover, very southern style-fried chicken, corn on the cob seasoned well, excellent sausage gravy, a touch salty for me = 5/5 *Chicken Piccata: Another "lightly" fried, so that was 4 fried things and similar breading on the eggs, asparagus and chicken dishes, good cut, tasty sauce, huge portion *Burger: Massive Burger, came with a huge amount of fries *Ribeye Melt: Shaved ribeye steak grilled on Parmesan bread, my adult son couldn't finish but said it was very good *Dessert: As a very nice touch, they brought us a signed card, and a Happy Anniversary Dessert, which was really tasty! We got the Butter Cake and the Key Lime Pie read more

Nick's San Clemente - Signed Anniversary Card! - American Near Me - San Clemente, California

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This is one of our favorite restaurants and we have been coming here for years and many special occasions. They just recently (tonight for me) added a policy where they require a credit card to hold a reservation. They already have my name, etc when I call and we have never not honored a reservation. The reservation is for a month and one half out. It just irritates me; to the point that I was willing to go somewhere else. My wife intervened. read more

We stopped in at Nick's after a long, hot day at the beach with our family, hoping for a good meal and some air conditioning. The restaurant was busy but welcoming, and we were seated fairly quickly, that, unfortunately, was the highlight of our visit. From the start, service felt scattered. We had a small child with us but weren't offered a kids' menu. Our server rushed off before we could ask. Drinks arrived, but still no water, no kids' menu, and no cutlery. By the time our food was eventually brought out, both my husband and I had already finished our drink, still without a single glass of water. When my prime rib sandwich arrived, it was so undercooked that the bread was soaked in blood. I don't mind rare meat, but this was inedible, especially for my child I planned to share it with. I've never sent food back before, but I couldn't eat this. Right as I was about to flag down the server, she came by only to announce she was leaving for the night, handing us off to someone else. The new server rushed past before I could explain the problem, and by the time I got anyone's attention, my husband was nearly finished with his meal. To their credit, they quickly offered to recook the sandwich, but at that point we'd already been sitting over an hour, trying to keep a hungry toddler entertained. Nothing was comped or adjusted, which felt surprising given the level of service and the price point. Throughout our visit, at least three different people served our table to cover breaks, yet the basics--water, cutlery, a kids' menu, attentive service--were consistently overlooked. With the location and reputation of Nick's, I expected far better. Sadly, this experience felt more like a chaotic pier-side spot than a polished, dependable restaurant. read more

Lovely day with my friend on Sun 11/30/2025, which is what our lunch was all about. Just enjoying the afternoon together at our 1:30 reservation at Nick's in San Clemente. But... Horrible waste of $60! To be fair, the order of Asparagus Fries that my friend & I shared were very good & my Tropical Iced Tea was great! As was our server. That's where it ends. But let's start with the Tomato Basil Soup. My favorite usually. This one was way too creamy. And inexplicably had clumps of melting cheese all in it! So Gross. Cheese doesn't belong in tomato basil soup! And it had no basil in it, outside of a giant basil leaf garnish. I suppose I could've chewed on the large garnish leaf like a giraffe, but I had thought there would be chopped up basil in the tomato basil soup itself without me having to chew on the large garnish. Took 3 spoonfuls & I couldn't eat anymore. It was really not good. At. All. I do not recommend it! Next, I ordered a simple hamburger. Nothing fancy. Nothing glamorous. Nothing gourmet. For my side, I didn't want fries, or the bistro salad, as I don't like what the bistro salad is made of, (the market salad has good ingredients, but not the bistro salad, but the market salad was not a side option), & I didn't want potato salad, either. So I asked for the last option, the sliced tomatoes, but without any of the blue cheese. (I'm allergic) The server said that was fine, & was even going to put pepper on it & a drizzle of olive oil or balsamic on it for me, which I would have totally loved! But he came back & sheepishly had to tell me that the chef REFUSED to give me plain tomatoes because he will only serve them with blue cheese dressing slopped all over it & blue cheese crumbles on top of that. A double whammy of gross. The chef didn't care that I'm allergic to blue cheese & that I also happen hate the taste. The server said the chef wouldn't even let all that blue cheese goop be served on the side, either, as the chef insisted it must be served his way, slopped all over the tomatoes for presentation purposes! Regardless of my allergies. The chef didn't care about my health. I wasn't ordering rack of lamb or pheasant under glass. It was not a gourmet meal I was ordering, where I understand & appreciate a chef's demands for perfect artistic presentation. I merely ordered a basic BURGER! Burgers don't need to be presentation-worthy! And this was just a side dish! So I wasn't allowed the side of my choice, because of the chef's refusal to let me omit the blue cheese dressing & crumbles combo, but was forced to get fries that I didn't eat & sent home with my friend, instead. The burger was cooked to my specifications of wanting it to be medium, so good job on that! The bun had pickles & sliced tomato on it, which was good, too (apparently tomatoes are allowed ON the burger, but just not NEXT to it...), but it turns out I should've asked that it be cooked without any seasoning. The burger was SO salty, I felt like a deer at a salt lick!! I could barely eat it. I had cut it in half, & could only eat a third of one half. I gave the other half to my friend to take home with those fries... So a few spoonfuls of really gross soup, & a few bites of such an overly salty burger as to be rendered inedible, without the side I wanted because it would upset the chef. That was my lunch. Basically it was a terrible lunch, or really, it was actually no lunch at all. Not for me. I never said anything to the server. It wasn't his fault. And the chef was already upset with him for asking to serve me a side of tomatoes without the blue cheese. So I said nothing. I'm not a big complainer about stuff as a rule. The order of asparagus fries were good that was shared with my friend, & so was the iced tea. And so was the server. 3 good things. But a half-order of asparagus fries & a glass of iced tea is not worth $60... But I wasn't there for the food, I was there to enjoy my friend's company & visit with her. So my afternoon was still very lovely, & our server was very good. But would I recommend Nick's in San Clemente? ABSOLUTELY NOT!!! Will I ever return? ABSOLUTELY NOT!!! ***UPDATE: Customer Service Management was very thoughtful by replying. They also generously offered to have me come back & try again. That good-will gesture showed genuine caring of their clientele, and I very much appreciated it. And as a result, it is making me re-consider whether I'd ever be back to try again. So now, instead of never, it's a solid maybe. If I do go back, I'll post a review if there was an improvement from my previous experience.*** read more

Come here every year for my husbands birthday. Service is always so attentive and friendly, food is exceptional and so fairly priced. Butter cake is better than any other we've ever had. read more

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

Service - easy rating since it is always 5 stars Ambiance - This is a hard one - It's a cool looking restaurant. The "patio" is great to sit on. The bar is fun to sit at, always crowded and fun to talk to others. The hard part? The noise level. Not really the noise level, but the lack of noise abatement so that it sounds like you are in a small warehouse with everyone yelling. Echoey is the word (if it's really a word) I was looking for. Really echoey... Food - I have had a variety of things over the years and most are pretty good. + Grilled Artichoke Hearts - If they have them you must have them. If you don't see them on the menu ask. If the server says they don't have any, ask someone else. Really, you need to have these with the great dipping sauce. + San Francisco Cioppino - This seafood stew is one of my favorite meals in the world. Not just here, anywhere that serves a good cioppino. This one is excellent and is usually my go-to when visiting Nick's. Jumbo mexican shrimp, salmon, sea bass, carlsbad mussels, littleneck clams, fisherman's sourdough loaf. For $36 beans, it better be great! + Asparagus Fries - very good. You will like them. Trust me. + Bacon Deviled Eggs - awesome. Get some. Now. + Calamari - Meh... Pass. + Grilled Steakhouse Salad - Meat is usually cooked more than requested + Classic Caesar - Add grilled salmon and you have a great lunch. + Center Cut Filet - Meh... I don't think steaks are Nick's forté. + Baby Back Pork Ribs - I have only had them once and they were pretty dried out, so I have not tried again. + Blackend Fish Sandwich - Crunchy cabbage, wild baby arugula, tomato, firestick onions, house made tartar sauce, on a brioche bun. I have had this a couple times for lunch and it is always great. + Original Ribeye Melt - Sliced ribeye, swiss cheese, red wine onions, mustard bacon sauce, grilled parmesan sourdough. The wife likes this sandwich, so I will have to go with that review since I have not had it. So, with the great service and some good food listed above, why the three stars? + Not all foods are outstanding as I would expect at an upscale restaurant like Nick's. Work on the steaks. + Echoey ambiance + I would really like to see them change up the menu once in a while. While I say this, I understand supply and demand and Nick's is packed all the time. So what do I know about running a restaurant and menu creation? I should stay in my lane... Go. Eat Well. HAVE FUN! read more

Always 5 stars, no matter how busy they are, my unique order is always right! The food is terrific, I generally get the quinoa and kale salad, with adjustments. My fav restaurant in San Clemente! read more

Our party of 12 had vacationed for a week in a beach house in San Clemente. We had cooked for ourselves all our meals, but decided to order takeout for our last night together. They said the order would be ready in 45 min, which seemed fairly reasonable for a busy Friday night. Parking can be a bit difficult to find, but the public parking lot is a short walk away. After we arrived, the greeters went to the back to get our food and double checked we had everything in front of us. They also included utensils. Portion sizes were generous and food tasted good. San Fran Cioppino was enough to feed two. Baby back ribs were also enough to feed two. They did not hold back on any of the sandwiches we ordered. Glad we decided to choose this place for takeout and were not disappointed. read more

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Really good food! We scored two seats at the bar on a busy night. Bartender was nice. Ambiance is great. We'll definitely comeback.

I've been to Nick Del Mar a lot as it one of my faves. But this was my first time to Nick's San Clemente. This place was just as great as Nick Del Mar. I had the usual, which is the prime rib dip. The waiter told me about this add-on of adding the crunchy onions. Oh My! I will order the sandwich with the crunchy onions from here on out. Parking is on the street and most of the spots are either 20 minutes or two hours. I was there on a weekday in the summer, so not too bad to find parking. I would recommend this place and next time give myself a little more time to walk around the town and the shops there as I didn't even realize San Clemente has a small town. read more

Nick's San Clemente - Prime Rib Dip Sandwich - American Near Me - San Clemente, California

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