I love nomads, the food is great, atmosphere is awesome, but the service is SO SO SO SLOW. I mean painfully slow. It takes 10-15 minutes for them to drop off a menu, another 10-15 to get your drinks in and then another 30-40 minutes for the food to come out. The staff never look busy either. You can consistently see them talking to each other, shooting the shit while you wait 15 minutes for your beer to make it to the table. Again, the food is great, ambience is great, but the slow service ruins the entire experience. I won't be coming back for a while. read more

Right on the first page of the menu it says "surfer soulfood," and I don't think there's a better way to describe Nomad's Canteen. If you took the concept of a gastropub or bar/restaurant and gave it a heavy surfer/Californian theme, both in atmosphere and menu, then you'd be thinking of Nomad's. The menu has dishes from a variety of influences, especially Hawaiian and Mexican cuisines. There are plenty of options with red meat, chicken, or seafood, or without meat. As the name would imply, Nomad's is just as much a bar as it is a restaurant. They have an extensive beer, tequila, and cocktail list. The skinny margarita is a best-seller and very tasty. The atmosphere is very relaxed. You could be forgiven for forgetting you're in San Clemente and thinking you've been transported to a bungalow somewhere in the tropics. The servers are always very friendly, but sometimes service is slow at the tables. That's okay. Relax, have a drink, and enjoy the atmosphere. Even if the service was prompt, Nomad's is the kind of place you want to hang out for a while. read more

Nomads Canteen - Indo Shrimp Bowl - Comfort Food Near Me - San Clemente, California

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I would like to change my review of this place. I have lived here now for 5 years and this is one of my regular weekly places to eat. I'm hopeful that they will remain open through this crazy unpredictable year we are experiencing. They could use more help at the bar area so that the one bar tender is not so stressed out when they have a full house but I do understand that they are not making as much because their capacity is limited. So hopefully things will get back to regular normal soon. read more

Nomad's half and half poke bowl was excellent. Tacos were excellent. We went back the next day to have another poke bowl. Tried their Shrimp on the Barbie. Friendly staff. We went two days in a row. Loved the food. The sauces were amazing. Good beer selection too. Cool layout. Bathrooms in the back were clean. But Women bathroom ran out of paper towels. Too busy to bother staff, so I just let air dry. Really nice outdoor patio section. Next to a 3 hour public parking lot. They have their own 6-7 spaces. Staff picks up your dishes and cleans tables right away. No waiting usually. Seat yourself. Nice big bar too. read more

Super great vibe, food and service. Definitely be returning.. a great place to relax and unwind.

Food was excellent but the service not so much. If you want to eat some good Hawaiian Mexican food this is the place. Just be aware that you're going to have to keep track of your order yourself as the waitresses forgets your order or over charges you for something you didn't order. Service was friendly but very slow. Otherwise great food. read more

Super delicious and fun atmosphere! I love the food here and it's a great spot to go to on a warm day! Friendly servers and great service! Great margaritas and drinks! read more

I've been here 3 times and I really enjoy the food and the bar area and outside seating. I ordered in the past the 2 Poke Bowls and both are great but I prefer the one with the papaya, sticky rice, spicy sauce. The service is decent compared to other places dealing w Covid. read more

Great food and a great place that doesn't cave to the tyrannical government shutdown nonsense. Nomads has my business for life.

Loved the carnitas quesadilla and always order it, but this time I tried the Jaco bowl. It is my new favorite especially for the new year! Service is great too. read more

I liked going here for drinks on the patio and food. I live in San Clemente so it's not just a holiday stop in. I do not understand a business that puts customer service as an option. We went there on a Friday night got our own table on patio, no one came, got up and got our own menus, still no would even look at us. After 20 minutes got up and left, it still did not phase a soul. Walked down to Avila's El Rancho and had a great dinner. read more

Love this place. Favorite spot to eat in San Clemente. Great food, great beer, and great staff. Highly Recommend.

Lovely, lovely place. Try the poke, with half slaw half rice. Good for toddlers too! Outdoor dining is the best! Best place for Friday lunches. read more

Fantastic restaurant. Food is great and staff is spot on. Everything on the menu is fantastic. There is a great outdoor seating are with plenty of room. I highly recommend this place read more

Great staff, great food, and great people. Good times are to be had. I thought the service was great. All my needs were met. Best beer selection in town. San Clemente is a surf town. Nomads captures it with the vibe and decor. The food is great for the price. This is a must see. A local favorite. read more

Nomads Canteen - Go surf then come here for a refreshing beer. - Comfort Food Near Me - San Clemente, California

Think Hawaiian, Mexican, Surfer, Island Mix and you've got Nomads. We'd seen Nomad's numerous times from a distance. Their large patio and open air entrance along with the building's position, being inset along the alley, makes it seem louder than it really is. So I was really glad when we walked up and found a great menu and reasonable prices as well as a pretty good IPA selection. My first visit I was bummed that there were no browns on the list. But my last visit they had a couple nice stout browns. Maybe somebodies reading these reviews... Naaa. Tried the Milk Milk beer. YUM YUM. THURSDAYS are FUN (Rating 5) So Thursdays from 7-9, if you order a domestic beer or house wine, the drinks are set on bar along with your cash payment due. The coin master flips a coin and if you call it correctly, your drinks cost a quarter each. Call it wrong, and you pay regular price. AMBIANCE and LOCATION (Rating 3.75) Its definitely got the "Canteen" thing going. A huge outside patio, which I loved and an interior that's decked out with surf boards on the ceiling (a ton of them), surf videos playing on multiple screens, a huge half moon bar that takes up the entire center of the inside (which is awesome for kicking it) and they've got over 30 beers on tap. The patio is not well lit after dark, which isn't an issue except for reading the menus. The entrance is not easy to get up to as sidewalks, pavement etc have numerous variances, but it's worth the effort! Being along the alley is not ideal of course, but it brings with it it's own charm making it feel more like a "local's" joint. (which it is). SERVICE (Rating 4) Our server was very nice, and helpful with the menu. She brought out a couple of beer samples happily trying to find a darker brown that wasn't quite as dark as Guinness. (Key word happily). She also walked us through the highlights of the menu and shared the customer feedback on entrees which was helpful. She was very busy, which left us on our own for a bit, but she got the job done well. FOOD IN ORDER OF WHAT I LIKED BEST ===== BAJA BOWL (Rating 4.25) So my wife and I both got this. It was packed full of Wahoo, great rice and not bad for you to boot. With their "island" style salsa this was a perfect fit that I'll be going back for again. I think next time I'll order it with their coconut rice and see how that goes. CARNE ASADA BOWL (Rating 4.0) (See my "Best Baja Bowl" List) The menu reports choice Angus from "Vegan" Cows... just think! This is just about as good as their Baja bowl. Just enough for a light meal although I wish there was a bit more meat. The flavor and quality of the meat was very good and I'll be back for it again. read more

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Service was good, food was okay. The ceviche was way too spicy and the salad with seared tuna had these huge chunks of tuna...almost like it was chicken. Seared tuna should be thinky sliced and have a nice 80% purple inside. Wouldn't go back. read more

Clean, friendly and great food are three words I'd use to describe Nomads Canteen. This place has a great selection on their menu. They have big portions and everything is baked, not fried. They have healthy options as well as dessert if that's your thing! read more

Fantastic service, food and drinks. Highly recommend this place. Yumm!! Had the low carb chicken plate. Delicious and healthy. Finished strong with 2 Moscow mules. read more

So I have to comment because someone slammed this place because they said you had to be white. I have seen every beautiful color here. It's a place that we all come together and relax and joy great food. Yes I'm white and I've had to wait but does that mean they're discriminating against me because I'm white? No it's because the tables are full. Maybe if you can leave the brain conditioning in the car and just enjoy yourself they have good food and the people are friendly. read more

The BEST!!! The food is great, outdoor seating is nice. My favorite place now in San Clemente. read more

Cool Cuke Baby !! Always great service, dog friendly patio and the food is excellent. Great view from the outside and one of our go-to spots. read more

Pink tacos were bomb! Indo bowl was amazing as well. Owners are amazing people and service is great. Can't go wrong!

Great food, good service and a really cool surf vibe. You can bring your dog and it's very laid back. Love it! read more

Fun place to hang out and grab a beer. Pretty good food. Service is kind of hit or miss depending -- we usually try and sit at the bar. We usually just get beers but if we get food, we do like their carne asada torta, pollo asada torta, carne asada quesadilla, carnitas quesidilla, pork dio bowl, carne asada bowl, cool cuke poke bowl, and you can always get a charro bowl / the 'almost broke' if you want something cheap and easy. FYI for you vegan / vegetarian people: The charro beans come with BACON in them. I've heard a lot of people complain about this because they didn't fully read the menu so here's a helpful tip so you don't miss it and you end up happy with your food! :) read more

I love the food here and it's the only reason I come back because the service is so bad... SO. BAD. I keep coming back for the food hoping they got the crap service figured out but nah. Somehow it gets worse with every visit. One time I even gave up on staying because I had sat at a table for 45 minutes without even being helped - that's with flagging down servers and getting "we'll be right with you" 3 times, no menus, no water. Another time I ordered something with their bomb coconut rice (it's in the menu description) and got regular rice. I asked for a side of coconut rice since my food was wrong and the server said "we don't have coconut rice." I asked if she meant they were out of it, she said "we've never had it." What?!? It's on the menu, I've had it! It's so good! What do you meannnn? So yeah. Eat before you come because you never know how long you'll be waiting for a meal. Or just sit at the bar for better service and skip the crap shoot service at the tables. read more

Stayed in the hotel under the restaurant, excellent atmosphere. Very clean and cozy. Would definitely recommend. The Pink Tacos upstairs are a must! read more

Oh. My. Goodness. Their bowls with coconut rice are (metaphorically speaking) to die for. I also felt pretty hungry at the time, so this review might be a wee bit skewed since a cut out picture of a strawberry would've been delicious. But! I think I'm telling the whole truth when I say their shrimp bowl (without the shrimp, with the veggie mix) is so good I ate the entire huge portion unabashedly. Vegan friendly! Just as an fyi, the grill closes at 9pm but all other food is still available! Yummmm I want to go back right now. read more

Love the hotel. Not a big corporation type hotel. A few rooms for couples, other rooms for single people, and family. Best thing is the warm feeling. The rooms are large, beds are large, amount of space they gave each room is great. Only down side is that it's underneath a restaurant/bar so if you are a early sleeper they do provide ear plugs. Other than that place was great. Go right up stair to dinner and order food. Nice calm atmosphere. read more

Nomads Canteen - Comfort Food Near Me - San Clemente, California

Hi, I ordered the Jaco Poke Bowl, after I read all the good reviews online. looked good, tasted good! But I left so hungry still. Considering the price, $13.95, the portion was way too small, for a lunch after surfing in the morning... read more

Nomads Canteen - Jako poke bowl - Comfort Food Near Me - San Clemente, California

My best friend and I took a road trip to San Clemente and discovered Nomads Hotel. The atmosphere and energy made us fall in love as we've now discovered a new home away from home. The bar above the hotel, Nomads Canteen, is top notch. Sean, the owner, recommended the Cool Cuke Poke and the Indo Shrimp Bowl. The Cuke Poke was the most amazing thing and I can almost guarantee you'll not find another place that makes it this well. Spicy chunks of tuna (raw of course) on top of cucumber chunks and slaw; this is a refreshing, healthy and filling lunch. If you like sushi, and like Spicy Tuna rolls; this is the thing to get. The Indo Shrimp Bowl was equally amazing. Grilled shrimp atop a heaping severing of sweet sticky rice. So freaking good! read more

I've dined here close to 10 times and figured it was time to write a review! The patio is the best spot for lunch with your girls, your parents, even a boss. Laid back with delicious food. I literally crave the Jaco Poke Ahi Bowl... that sticky rice, ahi, mango, avo combo can't be beat. I e also tried their quesadillas and tacos, all on point as well. There are only a few parking spots available but street parking on Cabrillo and Serra. Two large gender neutral bathrooms. Everyone I've taken here has said they'll be back to enjoy it again. read more

Good food, good vibes, great location. Love coming here for lunch and drinks. Poke bowls and chicken torta are our go-to's.

A San Clemente hidden gem for casual dining foodies! I've been here twice now and have been wowed both times. It's pretty awesome sitting out on the deck taking in the Pacific Ocean breeze while enjoying a drink. For food, I've had the ahi tuna ceviche appetizer which was fantastic. I'd also highly recommend the "Pink Tacos" they are near perfection. Also tried the Da Kine Cuban Torta which was awesome as well. Plenty of other options on the menu that are all great. Check'em out! read more

Interesting work ethic here. It was difficult to notice who was actually working and who was just hanging out. There was a blond girl who was jumping around between her friends and the bar (where I think she was working). There was a bartender dude who was half assed working. I had to walk up and get noticed (took a very long time), order, then later I would see the beer sitting on the bar.. no "here's your drink" or any type of notice. BTW there was maybe 6 other people in the restaurant, and four of them were their friends. It might just be some of the worst service I have ever had. Cool bar and patio though. Go if your friends with the bartender, he will hook you up. For everyone else, find a place where customer service is actually a thing. read more

Always great eats at Nomads. From tacos to poke bowls. Also a great beer selection and a full bar. The service is spot on. Thank you for always Filling my belly. read more

Food was good, but none of the restaurant staff showed signs of wearing masks or gloves. Not for me until Covid pandemic is over.

Just low quality everything . Nice patio but overlooks parking lots . Food is just ok , poke was on the slime side , not super upsizing. The sauce that came on the side was good, overpriced for what they have, out of several beers . Service is unprofessional, servers do not wear masks . Would not go back or recommend . read more

They seem to think health codes and state mandates are suggestions. Eat there at your own risk.

Came here on a Sunday night at 8:30 and had a really bad experience. To start, the bartender was very inattentive and my friend and I basically had to yell at him to get his attention after he passed us by about 4 times. We tried ordering food, but he said the grill had been turned off already so he could only offer part of the menu (not sure why they stop serving half their food at 8:30 on a Sunday). We decided to order just chips and guac and then told the guy we were gonna move to a different table to get away from the noise at the bar. Our chips come to our table, but the 2nd round of beers were ordered are just left on the bar for about 10 minutes before we notice they are over there. My friend and I both ended up getting food poisoning and had stomach aches the rest of the night and into the next day. Very bad service and food that will make you sick. read more