First time here! The parking lot was easy to navigate and felt plentiful. There wasn't a wait for around 6pm but felt it filled up quickly after we sat down. We got a table right next to the windows overlooking the canal or whatever it was. Cool! Ambiance I suppose. The service was attentive and accurate. She gave plenty of recommendations which we took. The server was friendly and sweet. We got the fish bites based on the reviews here, and glad we did, because they were so good! Totally recommend. I decided on the Kalbi - loooove Kalbi--- it was excellent and plentiful. It's going to be tough not getting this each time. Tony partner got the catch of the day special and he said it was very good, but not enough food, so if you're extra hungry perhaps get something more hearty. But, it was very tasty with a very light panko crust over garlic polenta I believe. The desert, as stated in the reviews, was so good. We got the guava cheesecake. Delicious. read more

Nico's Kailua - Kalbi and the Catch of the Day - Seafood Near Me - Kailua, Hawaii

Ok after eating at Koa Pancake House fo breakfast I wasn't too hungry. I shared the poke nachos with wifey. Our friend got the furikake ahi with salad. Of course as soon as I started scarfing the poke... ohh brahhh!! I no can stop when I got goin. Had too much teri sauce fo my taste... too sweet fo me. Don't get me wrong, I love sweets. I jus wasn't wanting it with my poke. We also got the cheescake & da buggah was ono!! I totally killed it! Also had block ahi in the fridge if you like take home. This is all the way out by K-Bay & near Aikahi Shopping Center. Cute lil place by the canal/stream in Kailua. The parking lot is shared with the business building next door. The waitress was pretty good. A hui hou read more

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I heard about Nico's Kailua from friend who works nearby. The parking lot is small and when we went by on a Thursday afternoon it was crowded and tight but still with ample parking. We had the Ahi Poke Nachos. Sigh! Fresh fish after so many years!!! The teriyaki sauce was a little sweet. I suggest asking for light or on the side. There was a little heat but not too much. My friend had the Furukaki Pan Seared Ahi and said it was wonderful. We also got carrot cake and a crème brule cheesecake to go. The carrot cake was good. I liked the cheesecake but it didn't taste like crème brule. The restaurant was clean and service fast and friendly. I would definitely go again. read more

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Love this place for pupus and drinks. Mostly just their fish bites, drinks, and live music. This place is always fun to go to, but most plates are $25 or more so it's high for us. We like to take the kids to 7-11 and then the hubs and I go here for pupus. The service was good. Music, fantastic. Li hing nui seltzer was excellent too! read more

Nico's Kailua - Seafood Near Me - Kailua, Hawaii

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I placed a phone order for a couple of items to take out for lunch. I was craving the tempura fish bites after my visit a couple of weeks ago and I added a side order of pesto chicken. It's an item that I hadn't tried yet, but I love pesto, so gave it a try. Service was fast and friendly, and my order was ready when I got there. The fish bites were awesome, as usual, but the chicken was not. I don't know if the chef was trying for a "French fry" vibe, but it wasn't good; oily and dry at the same time. The chicken was cut into little strips, that dried out when cooked and tossed in pesto sauce. It would've been better if the chicken was cooked as a whole piece, then cut into smaller bites, topped with pesto. Needless to say, I won't be ordering it again. I'll still go for their HH, though. read more

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We stopped by Niko's for a quick pitstop before the beach & it felt like a pretty laid back place. We got there in between lunch and dinner time so we just went with the apps. Couldn't go wrong with the garlic salt and pepper shrimp and fries. They were really crispy. Had a great time here and also met some really friendly staff :) read more

Nico's Kailua - Seafood Near Me - Kailua, Hawaii

Came here for a relaxing dinner. They have some fun tropical drinks. The li hung mui margarita was yummy. Had to try the poke nachos since another couple had it and it looked delicious. They had a special Opa which was also very tasty. Keiki menu has a few things (pasta with parm, grilled cheese, cheeseburger). Service was good and the view of the water was also nice. We enjoyed some live local music as well. read more

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We are 8 ladies who came in after a golf round. We were told that our orders would be on one check, and the check would not be split into individual orders. They explained that this was "Nico's way". If you are a large party of friends, be prepared for ONE check and bring cash to reimburse the friends who steps up and pays with credit card. I ordered mini Loco Moco and, since I was at a sit down restaurant, thought it would come on a plate, and with real silverware. Not true! See my photo! A small to go container with plastic ware! I am so disappointed. I will never recommend this place nor return. read more

Nico's Kailua - A restaurant that serves only To Go food! - Seafood Near Me - Kailua, Hawaii

The dinner is back! Great dinner here tonight after some stumbles but happy to say, come for ono grindz! read more

Nico's Kailua - Crunchy Garlic Bubu Arare Crusted Monchong | Wasabi Kabayaki | Sauteed Vegetables | Choice of Starch| - Seafood Near Me - Kailua, Hawaii

So I did love the merch!!! Good selection and great designs! Food was average diner seafood. I think this would be a Great stop for happy hour or family simple dinner. Service was great, . Fast, friendly and our food was served in such a timely manner. I asked for the sweet Thai chili sauce of the calamari and it made such a difference. My husband enjoyed his crab cake sandwich so much he ate it before I could even get a pic. read more

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Great location and service, but the dinner was overpriced for the quality. We enjoyed the ahi dip with fresh wonton chips over our entrees. On that note, this may be a better spot for happy hour appetizers and drinks rather than dinner. Short ribs and mash - the meat was very tender and the portion is huge. The gravy was very rich and after a couple bites I was done (maybe a tad over seasoned?). Mash was basic, the veggies were ok. It was served like warm. Prime rib - cooked medium well, we realized they didn't ask how we wanted it done when we ordered. The flavor was very herby and it was a bit tough. The au jus flavor was very horseradish forward which we weren't a fan of. Shrimp pasta - the sauce was very creamy and the portion was large, although felt it was still overpriced. We also tried the onion soup and it was very tangy and over seasoned. Don't recommend. Overall we enjoyed the chips and dip because they fry the wonton chips fresh! The dip itself was just ok and could easily be replaced with canned tuna and you probably could not tell the difference. read more

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Giving this experience 3 stars due to the service unfortunately. Forewarning- if you're going in on a Sunday, they do not start serving their main dishes until 5pm. The first hour after they open at 4pm is ONLY APPS. Wish this was notated somewhere on the front door/website or something. I'm not sure if this is ONLY on Sundays, or if this is a regular practice for all dinner hours. We went in to pick up an early dinner at 4pm on a Sunday. Sadly we weren't greeted upon arriving but made eye contact with a number of employees. There was only 1 other party in the restaurant at this time. After waiting, someone called us over to the counter to take our order. We asked what the catch of the day was and was told "that isn't released until 5pm". While we were bummed, we asked for a menu and found new options to choose from. We told them we were ready and began to give our orders, then the same lady who told us the catch of the day isn't released until 5pm informed us that ALL of the food is not available until 5pm. Not exactly sure why they open for an hour for only appetizers but apparently that's the protocol. Nonetheless we left and decided to come back later. A little frustrating but we were very adamant on getting Nico's that night. We saw online that they offer delivery so we were excited to use that option to save us another trip down there. Sadly though even by 5:30pm, the delivery service was still marked as "service unavailable". We then decided to call and place our order. Before I go on, I understand that everyone is training and I do give grace to all food service/hospitality workers because I get it- people can really suck. However the lady that took our order, really shouldn't be taking orders on the phone if this was her first shift. She literally said "this is my first shift" on the phone when asking for us to wait to take the rest of our order. We finished ordering and instead of giving us a timeframe or a total cost- she said "okay your order should be done... um, soon! Okay bye" and then hung up. Thankfully though as always, their food was AMAZING. The Catch of The Day opah was sooo delicious. I wish they could have it as a regular dish because I'd definitely order it every time! The furikake ahi also never disappoints. The calamari was okay- a lot more batter than I'd prefer, but still very tasty. read more

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Nico's Kailua is a great place to dine. It's a little different from the pier 38 location, but still services great food. There's live entertainment, and a nice bar that serves good adult drinks. The service was excellent. Our server was attentive and helpful. We ordered a variety of entrees. The braised short ribs were bone off. The meat was very tender and savory. The portions were very generous. 5/5 Highly recommended. The Grilled Hamachi Kama was another winna! Tender hamachi collar bone grilled to perfection. The grilled peppercorn sword fish tasted fresh. It's Nico's! Overall, Nico's Kailua has improved significantly in service and food since the last time I visited. Pre-pandemic. I would recommend giving Nico's Kailua a try. read more

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Me and my family dined her this past Sunday to celebrate a few special events. I was actually surprised to find out they had a Nico's in Kailua! I go to the one in town frequently so I had pretty high expectations! First off, I would like to say that the restaurant itself is in a very nice location and the views from the window are pleasant, especially when the sun sets. Our server was also very attentive and was very knowledgeable about the menu and the restaurant offerings. Our table ordered our own selective dishes and a poke nachos to start. I'd like to say that the poke nachos were good... but I think to justify the price tag, a little more poke would have been desired. There were definitely more chips than poke but I do appreciate the scoops of avocado nestled on top! I ordered the catch of the day which was the bubu arare crusted monchong and my husband ordered the hamachi kama. Some of our other family members had the peppered swordfish, prime rib, furikake ahi, and the crab cake burgers. I looked forward to my dish but had kind of wondered where the dynamite sauce was which was mentioned previously. Flavor-wise, it was a little salty but I think it lacked the depth I had been craving and the texture of the fish was a little dry. My husband also had mentioned that he had no idea that the hamachi kama was covered in a teriyaki-like sauce and said he would have preferred to eat it without it. The menu also does not state having it so I believe it's worth mentioning in case you'd like to omit it for yourself in the future. Despite that, the rest of my party enjoyed their food and we still had plenty of leftovers to take home later. All considerations aside, I think definitely this place is still worth visiting. But for the next time, I'll stick to my original order of furikake ahi which has never failed me. A little bit of refinement in menu and updating the menu to accurately reflect the food would help a lot! I'd like to give the restaurant some benefit of the doubt and maybe whatever we ordered just missed the mark for our personal preferences. read more

Nico's Kailua - Grilled Hamachi Kama - Seafood Near Me - Kailua, Hawaii

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Had a great time at Nico's. The ambience was great nothing better than local playing ukulele and singer while we enjoyed some great food. The waitress was amazing she was very attentive. Was able to answer questions regarding food my daughter is allergic too. read more

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Cane in for a chill lunch day. This garlic chicken is Ono good. Service was very good as well !!! Be sure to sit in back , there's a very nice peaceful view to enjoy the food here. read more

Nico's Kailua - Crispy Garlic Chicken - Seafood Near Me - Kailua, Hawaii

We came in to Nico's with a group of 8 for lunch. We were told immediately that they wouldn't be able to split the check for us, which was fine, but worth noting. The food was hit or miss. They brought real plates for the appetizers, but all of the actual food came out in take out containers. This was the biggest problem with my salad. The small take out container was so full of lettuce that I couldn't stir it without it all falling out, and all of my dressing was smushed and stuck to the top of the cardboard, so it wasn't easy to get off without getting scraps of paper in it. I got the fish and chips and it was meh. Not bad, but nothing I would order again. The fish was soggy, and under seasoned. The winner for the food was the angry ahi dip! It was delicious! They bring the dip out with wonton chips, which they charge you extra for, but no where is the price for these listed(I think they ended up being about $5 for the chips, but once again, no where was it listed and she didn't mention it when we ordered. Service was okay. She came by enough, but once again, nothing that stood out. I'll come back just for the angry ahi. read more

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What I like about Nicos is their consistent standard for their food, no matter which location you're patronizing. We came here for drinks and dinner. The staff was amazing and accommodated our needs. The food was good all around, from the fish burger, crabcake burger, fish n chips, poke, and salad. The ambiance is nice, too, with a view if the Kawainui Canal and the wildlife (ducks and native waterfowl). read more

Good for pupus and a quick drink after work. Love their poke nachos, all pupus seem to be generously sized. read more

Nico's Kailua - Poke Nachos, Truffle Fries and Garlic Salt and Pepper Shrimp. Also a Kalaheo Cocojito, too strong for this lightweight! - Seafood Near Me - Kailua, Hawaii

The service and view were great, but the food fell short. At lunchtime, it was served in a box and unfortunately, it was dry, overly salty, and disappointing--just a heads-up so you know what to expect. On the bright side, the view is stunning, and the staff is incredibly friendly! read more

Nico's Kailua - Seafood Near Me - Kailua, Hawaii

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Stopped in for lunch after visiting Ho'omaluhia Botanical Garden. Have eaten at Nico's Pier 38, so first time at Nico's Kailua. It's a very nice restaurant at a beautiful location. The front of the restaurant is nice too, suggesting the possibility of a slightly more upscale restaurant. It's very chill and casual which I like. But, I was surprised when our server delivered our lunch in plastic take out containers, much like L&L. Kinda disappointing. Anywho, I was about to take the first sip of my wine I there was a bug swimming around in it. Our server, Angelina, was quick to replace it with apologies. No problem, it happens sometimes. The lunch was fine, although the lunch menu is rather limited compared to dinner. Service was excellent and the food was okay. However, it wasn't until I got home (Kapolei) that I discovered I was charged for items we did not order. I spoke with the Manager (Jennifer) who was very accommodating and compted us for the meal with a gift card, which I asked for. So while there were hiccups at the lunch, the service and professional of the staff was exceptional. For that, I'm grateful. read more

Nico's Kailua - The letter accompanying the gift card. - Seafood Near Me - Kailua, Hawaii

Great option for lunch takeout. I usually get the furikake ahi plate, which never disappoints. Today I decided to try the chicken pesto Caesar salad. Great flavor and decent portion! Their takeout plates are always fresh and consistent. Highly recommend for lunch takeout. read more

Nico's Kailua - Chicken PESTO CHICKEN CAESAR SALAD (GF) - Seafood Near Me - Kailua, Hawaii

Man, what a great spot! Fish bite appetizer was hot and meaty...5 stars by itself. Had the swordfish catch 'o the day. Perfect! Wife had Kalua pork and Katsu combo. Super moist and hot Guava marg was quite tasty too. Service was top notch. read more

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The food was okay and the server was lacking of cues of seeing empty glasses of wine, martini and water. unfortunately the music that was schedule never happened. disappointment. read more

I went on a Wednesday evening in winter to meet a friend. The restaurant was busy, live music was playing, and the room had energy. On the surface, it seemed promising. It unraveled quickly. Plastic plates, flimsy silverware, and cheap tables immediately signal corner cutting. That same lack of care shows up in the food. I ordered the swordfish special with balsamic glazed vegetables. The swordfish was badly overcooked and dense to the point of being unpleasant. The vegetables were the only competently prepared part of the dish, which is not a compliment to a seafood special. The plate felt careless rather than intentional. Two entrees and two drinks came out to about $120 total, including tip. I tip at least twenty percent as a baseline, so this is not a math issue. Even before tip, the value simply is not there. At that price point, I expect solid execution, quality ingredients, and a dining experience that shows some respect for the customer. None of that was delivered. With the sheer number of good restaurants in Hawaii, and even within a relatively small area like Kailua, the shortcomings here are impossible to ignore. There are far better options within minutes of this place. I would not return and would not recommend it, even to tourists. read more

Fist time visiting Nico's Kailua and I was very impressed with this establishment. I still prefer the Nico's in town but I did enjoy the chill vibe of this Nico's location. I was with a couple of my friends and we were in a rush and I missed breakfast so I just ordered the Mini Loco Moco. It was very good, the patty was tasty and the mushroom gravy was the highlight. My friends got Fish Tacos & Fish & Chips, and they were happy with what they ordered. The service was great. We got seated quickly, and the food came fast and the entire team was super hospitable. Thank you for the outstanding service & I can't wait to return. read more

Nico's Kailua - Menu - Seafood Near Me - Kailua, Hawaii

Had an amazing experience this week, hard to complain about the prices with live music playing and the service is so amazing and attentive I'm very picky and Lina my server was absolutely amazing!! I would recommend anytime!! read more

I see that I last gave a review almost 7 years ago. It has gone from benefit of the doubt to much worse. Drinks still over-priced. Soup still comes without bread...or even crackers! Today since I'm quite Irish I always go for corned beef and cabbage on St. Pat's Day. Here they were charging $32! This ain't even a lower cut steak order, guys! So I went to Zippy's and got a more reasonable $22. But, if you go, be sure to use a card not cash The last time I was there I used cash and got screwed out of 48 cents b/c they "don't want to deal with change" ! Now I doubt this is legal since it's basically theft but today's visit finally convinced me to forego this place entirely despite its being only a half a block away. I will go instead to the incredibly tasty and reasonable place across the street....Kizuna. read more

Great service & outstanding food! Nice, relaxed atmosphere... a nice treat to yourself & loved ones, especially after a hard day! read more

I was driving and saw this place and turned right around! Lunch here was a great pick (: I got the calamari, fresh catch of the day with salad (wish I would have tried the Mac salad now).I did get a drink the cocojito but I made it a mock tail and just still thought it wasn't as great just very sweet. I did go alone and for after lunch rush service was pretty slow I didn't choose the bar because I wanted the view but hopefully next time it won't be too much of a wait. I saw a dessert fridge someone please try it all looked so yummy! read more

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delicious food, great service, and wonderful, honest, staff. Our cocktails were refreshing and tasty, served by a very gracious young lady. Our dinner was delicious, served by an attentive, kind, young lady I noticed I lost a ring as soon as we got home, called the restaurant, and the hostess put me on hold while she looked for it. She found it and had it waiting for us to pick up. It was a beautiful precious gift from my husband and the hostess was fantastic to look for it and so honest she gave it back to me. I am so grateful to have it back and very happy to know there are still so many honest, wonderful people around us. Nico's in Kailua has delicious food and drink and a fantastic staff! read more

The food was great, make sure you read about portion sizes. The service was very nice, very slow, but kind. He did go above and beyond for our family, so we gave him cake and a little extra $$. Ambiance is pretty casual. But be cautious in if you're going on a night with live music, it can get pretty loud. While waiting, there's some benches outside by the river with a gorgeous view. But TONS of mosquitoes. I recommend waiting inside. read more

Nico's Kailua - Seafood Near Me - Kailua, Hawaii

I came in for lunch and it is a casual and comfortable restaurant with a tropical vibe. There is a bar area with a stage for music performances, too. Beautiful views of the canal. They are known for their fish burger made in-house. It was featured on Fiery's Diner show. It's 2 patties of pressed fish with dill and other spices and a white aoli. All their plates are currently served in to-go boxes and with disposable cutlery. Drinks and water are served in glasses. Friendly servers and hostess. No outdoor seating. They have poke, fish and swag for sale by the entrance/exit. read more

Nico's Kailua - Our table view! - Seafood Near Me - Kailua, Hawaii

This was a last minute choice, since our first choice was closed, but we're glad we found it. Despite the crowds, we were seated after a 20 minute wait. We started with an appetizer of the truffle french fries... It was crispy on the outside, salted and flavored generously with that great truffle taste. No one used ketchup with the fries, it didn't need it and it would've spoiled that wonderful truffle taste. For a main course, my daughter got the jumbo shrimp scampi with linguine, the shrimp really were jumbo-sized and very well cooked as was the pasta bed it lay on. Everything tasted delicious when I leaned in to try some of her dish! I got the boneless spare ribs in the red wine sauce, it came with mashed potatoes and a side of carrots and green beans. The spare ribs were a tad on the dry side, but that's to be expected, the whole point of coming with a hearty gravy-like sauce. The mashed potatoes and side vegetables were very good also; the mashed potatoes were well seasoned with chunks of potato inside, and the vegetables, offset the ribs and potatoes with that crunchy texture. For dessert, the entire table shared the raspberry cheesecake and the lilikoi cheesecake, the former was really good, and the ladder bordered on being almost too sweet, but both disappeared under our forks! We will definitely be back, this was a great experience. read more

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Dinner was very good. The beef was tender. The ahi was charred nicely. We want to try Nico's near Aloha Tower next time.

Can't go wrong with a visit to any Nico's. The dessert options are worth stopping to try if you don't want a meal. We had the carrot cake, lemon bar, key lime pie, and red velvet cake. Yep, it was gluttonous! During lunch it is still like lunch plate place which is ok because you already have your to go box. My favorite this trip was watching the stream from the window while devouring the wonton chips and ahi dip. Their kids meals are large with variety of options. Staff were kind and the food came out quickly. Plus, as usual, I love to add when parking is free and easy. This place has a lot right in front! read more

Nico's Kailua - Wonton chips and ANGRY AHI DIP - Seafood Near Me - Kailua, Hawaii

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Great ambiance; roomy and chill! Very clean. Pupus were amazing. Dessert was decadent. Clam chowder was super tasty but unexpectedly loaded with corn (not a fan of corn). Main entrees needs lil bit work.... Garlic chicken little salty and Hamburger steak with onions and gravy needed flavor. French dip was delicious. Staff was super friendly and nice. Would definitely go again and opt for pupus, soup and sandwich and dessert!! Salads look pretty decent too. Get the poke nachos! read more

Nico's Kailua - Seafood Near Me - Kailua, Hawaii

Popped in for a quick drink, ally (not sure for spelling) was so kind along with her team! Great Mai tai, live music and fun crowd! If in Kailua it's a nice spot to pop in w the locals read more

Ahola Stop stop stop stop and get lunch or so at nico's. The little gem is a must, my husband had the catch of the day which was a grill swordfish, I have the ahi with rice, ordered a side of pesto shrimp and the smoke ahi with wanton chips. The little gem have a little river to the back so that views while eating was so so nice and relaxing. One thing with Hawaiian food they never disappoint. That ahi was cooked to perfection it was not over cooked or undercooked. I actually loved the garlic parsley, that's a must try. The ahi dipped its like a smoked fish dipped you can't go wrong with an order of that also. The drink oooooo was delicious and scary because before you know if you'll be drinking 5 of them in now time. Please visit nicos if your in Hawaii. Mahalo. read more

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Grew up coming out here to Pinky's and I had no idea they even closed. We came here last night 5/10/25 after attempting to go to Haleiwa Joes for an early Mother's Day celebration, but was told it's a 3.5 hour wait. We were so glad we ended up at Nico's. The food was 10/10 all around. Party of 6, 3 of us got the crab cake burger that was delicious!! 2 got the braised short ribs which were also amazing, and 1 had the steak frites, another winner. Appetizers were delicious and great portions. 100% recommend the calamari and the poke nachos! Bryson was a great server, kept the drinks flowing and all around good vibes. This place has definitely made it into our rotation for nights out. Wish I took pics of the food but everything looked so good we immediately started grinding read more