We came to Nicole's On The River in OP today (Saturday) for lunch. When we arrived, it wasnt busy at all, perhaps a half dozen or so tables. Since we had never been here before, we didnt know if we should wait to be seated or just select a table. The waitress (we found out later her name is Sam) who was chatting with a CCSO, looked at us but didnt acknowledge us until we asked her for a table and then she didnt bother to walk over to us, barely looked at us and just said "Pick a table" and continued her conversation. Okay, fine...
After we were seated, "Sam" came to get our drink order, two sweet teas and she acted as if waiting on the both of us was a major inconvenience--we felt unwelcomed. Unfamiliar with the menu & specials we had a few questions: how the grouper was cooked and again Sam acted as if we should know their menu and expressed her annoyance. Out of pressure, we settled on the shrimp special and the grilled flounder (both came with two sides).
I selected a side salad and fries, my husband coleslaw and fries. Sam brought side salad and it was just sad-- for lack of a better word. It appeared to have been made much earlier in the week. The salad contained finely shredded iceberg lettuce served in an an old wooden bowl and the lettuce in the bottom of the bowl was slimy and turning that dark, green shade of lettuce that has sat way too long. Initially I attempted to pick out the bad pieces of lettuce but it was a losing battle, there was just too much. The salad had a probably a half dozen baby carrots, two small soggy and wilted pieces of broccoli, and three slimy cucumbers. Bottom line, it was not at all edible.
My shrimp was probably the best part of my lunch. It was lightly breaded and perfectly cooked served with cocktail sauce, however the french fries on both mine and my husband platters were extremely undercooked, pale, flavorless and because they were uncooked, the insides of the fries were mealy. Again. Not fit to eat.
My husbands grilled flounder was nicely seasoned, a good size and tasty, but his coleslaw was mayonnaise based and sweet-- all together it was far superior to the side salad if we're being honest.
Getting iced tea refills from Sam was nearly impossible--she was just was very antisocial, and while she ignored us, she would focus her attention on "regulars" that she knew by name (all male). It's really sad because her attitude is a direct reflection on this small town, local restaurant and she made us feel so unwelcomed.
Lastly, when we got ready to leave, I used the bathroom and honestly, it couldve really used a good cleaning! The dust was thick on the ceiling and made me think that if this is what the public could see, what were the conditions out of the public view?
I can definitely say we wont be returning or recommending Nicoles On the River, which is truly disappointing because we believe in supporting local business. Nicole's is just below par, mediocre food served with a bad attitude. read more