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Nickel's Pit BBQ

4.2 (438 reviews)
ModerateBarbeque
Closed 4:00 pm - 9:00 PM
Updated 2 months ago

Nickel's Pit BBQ Photos

Business Info

NICKEL'S PIT BBQ ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Moderate noise
Dogs allowed
Outdoor seating

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Recommended Reviews - Nickel's Pit BBQ

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Brisket, pulled pork, fries, brisket chili
Montana L.

Stopped in for dinner. Friendly and attentive waitress. I ordered the brisket and pulled pork combo with a side of brisket chili and fries. All were delicious! The meat was tender and flavorful. There was several different BBQ sauces to add to the meat at the table. The fries were crispy. The chili had a nice flavor with the brisket meat. Overall good meal!

Bbq sauces
Stephanie L.

Very close to the Watkins Glen state park on their downtown Main Street. Parking was very easy to find off one of the side streets. I sat outside on their patio which was also dog friendly. I ordered the pork and brisket platter with the bean and corn salad side and the collared greens side. It came with some pickles and onions and was a ton of food!

Brisket and rib combo with southern greens and baked beans
Michelle L.

We got seated quickly on a Sunday afternoon but it did seem like a popular choice in town. The meat was perfectly tender and easily came off the bone. You can try all four sauces, which are also available for sale. I enjoyed the red eye sauce the most. The hot sauce was a bit salty. The baked beans were tangy. The cornbread muffin with cinnamon butter was tasty and fluffy.

Grace W.

Hubby and I had dinner here one night during our visit in Finger Lakes. Nice vibe, good service and pretty decent BBQ. The weather was nice on a Sunday evening and all outdoor seatings were occupied when we arrived, we were seated indoor with no wait. The drinks and food came out pretty quick. We opted for the combos which come with 2 sides. Hubby had the brisket & rib, and I got the brisket. The meat was flavorful and tender, a very satisfying dinner.

Susan G.

Great spot with both indoor and outdoor seating. Our server was friendly and helpful. We ordered a rack of ribs with French fries and coleslaw, onion rings, and chicken wings. The food was delicious! The ribs were "fall off the bone" awesome. The fries and onion rings were crispy. We used the original BBQ sauce. The berry sparklers were excellent as well.

Jalapeño mac. Brisket sandwich. Slaw.
Bob F.

For a small dining room and bar I was happy with the set up. I was comfortable at the bar. Food was very good. Brisket was good. I was not a huge fan of the sauces.... I liked them all. I did not love any of them. Jalapeño Mac was excellent. Slaw was a touch watery for my preference. Two varieties of chicken wings (house bbq, rubbed Cajun) both good. Service was top notch. So all in all a good experience. I would recommend this when visiting Watkins Glen.

Casey S.

Our first food stop of the trip was at Nickel's Pit BBQ. The place was so busy with some great live music. Food: I ended up ordering pulled pork, chopped brisket, fries, and a jalapeno mac and cheese. Everything was as expected for a BBQ restaurant, insanely delicious. I really enjoyed the mac and cheese and the chopped brisket was delightful. Service: our waitress Courtney was very good and very helpful, stopping by often to check in. Aesthetic: large amount of seating wrapped around the outside with a nice bar in the middle. Some of the food prep stations are visible with a lot of TVs to accommodate for sports.

Ribs Beans Macaroni salad Sausage Brisket Pulled pork Tater tots Corn and black bean salad
Paul P.

Overall: a top spot in the area for a reason, cooked to perfection, need to use the sauces on the table or they would be a little too under-seasoned Food: had the 1/2 ribs and brisket with the corn and bean salsa and tater tots - the ribs were fall off the bone that even the bone was breaking a little - brisket, very tender a little chewy but needed some sauce for sure, their red sauce and homemade bbq bottles they serve on the table are a must Service: got there right at 4 and even then people were starting to come filing in like flies. Quickly seated and helped us whenever! Inside: lots of space to sit, sat outside since it was such a nice day

Pickle Platter
Katelynn G.

My girlfriends and I ate at Nickel's on a Sunday afternoon, and we were not disappointed with our experience. We called ahead of time because we had a party of 9, but they said that they did not take reservations. Although it was a Sunday at 1:30, we had to wait about an hour to be seated. I definitely wish they would take reservations for larger parties! The food was great! I highly suggest the pickle platter and the cheesy tater tots as appetizers. I tried several of their smoked meats, all of which were excellent when accompanied by some of their homemade barbecue sauces! As for sides, the Mac n cheese was lacking flavor, but the cornbread muffin was out of this world! I would definitely suggest visiting Nickel's if you're in the area!

My husband tray. Loved the coleslaw!!
Emily T.

I ordered the pulled pork sandwich. My husband ordered a full rack of ribs, jalapeño man and cheese, and coleslaw. Everything was presented wonderfully and served quickly by our waiter. We loved our meals. We all were entertained by the drink menu scrolling through the digital screen located near our table music and lighting provided a great ambiance for our large party.

Burnt ends brisket with baked beans
Joanne R.

This is a very cool spot in Watkins Glen and very busy on a Friday night. It was a 35 minute wait for a table but we luckily got 2 seats at the bar. The bartenders were attentive and the beer menu had local brewery beer(always a plus with my husband & I). I ordered the burnt ends sandwich which came with 1 side (I got baked beans). My husband got the brisket platter with 2 sides (baked beans and cucumber salad). The wait was a little long but understandable with the full restaurant . My sandwich was very good except the sauces really didn't have much flavor or kick to them. The beans were just terrible! They had a tomato paste taste to them. I never have had a tomato base for baked beans and it was inedible. I said something to the bartender and she replaced it with Mac and cheese and that was very good. My husband hated his beans also and said his cucumber salad was bland. He did like his brisket. I remember coming here years ago and the sides were very good so something must have changed.

Chili, smoked wings and Mac and cheese
Justin F.

Decent BBQ place in downtown WG, but not really a place that stands out from any other similar BBQ restaurant I've been to. Typical modern decor with TVs inside and an outdoor patio by the sidewalk. We chose to sit outside on this fine evening. Place was busy but we didn't have to wait long on a table for two. Our server was very friendly and fairly quick with our waters and food, and she brought out a bowl of water for the dog at a nearby party's table. The food itself was good but didn't really stand out to me. Maybe I'm just jaded at this point. I enjoyed the chili side and wings. We also got the brisket and ribs which were flavorful with good char, but I found the brisket a tad dry. Prices were expensive too. Decent spot if you're dying for BBQ in the area.

Interior
Rob M.

Nickel's is a tasty and economical barbecue spot. Our group of 5 split the Pulled Pork Nachos and Pitmaster Combo (with an added quarter-rack of ribs) and it was the perfect amount of food. The barbecue sauces are great. The clear favorite was the "house" sauce but, obviously, we had to try to the XXXHOT. I have to warn you, it is POTENT. We immediately broke into hiccups, intense forehead sweat, or both. Pro tip: the other sauces are a bit mild so we ordered a side of the XXXHOT and mixed it into the others to get our desired spice level. Also, the service was attentive and the convenient downtown location is great. I'd definitely come back again.

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Some of the best BBQ we have ever had! Good sides, good drinks, wonderful service wonderful atmosphere

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Ask the Community - Nickel's Pit BBQ

Do you have pizza?

Don't see it on the menu for what it's worth .... https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5afeec99b27e390a6020c102/t/63651ef8e931163a63086568/1667571464566/WG+Fall+Winter

I saw your csa message and had a few questions. Would the meat be all pork?…

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Graft Wine Cider Bar - Coffee Almond Cake

Graft Wine Cider Bar

4.4(151 reviews)
0.0 mi
$$

We'd received so many recommendations for graft during our long weekend in Watkins Glen. We came in…read moreright at opening (4pm) because we knew it fills up fast and they don't accept reservations. We loved from their website that Graft sources local and keeps their menu seasonal. Everything was VERY good, but I'm not sure that it matches the immense hype. Maybe we didn't order the right things. I was only able to snap a photo of the squash which was actually my favorite part of the meal. I got the half chicken with beans and rice, and my partner got the flank steak. The chicken was quite salty but very good. The steak was cooked well and very flavorful, though the portion was small and there was nothing about it that particularly stood out. Again, a solid meal and a super cute atmosphere and we will always support restaurants which feature local/seasonal menus, but this one fell a bit flat.

We visited Graft on a recent trip and oh man, it was some incredible dining. I can honestly say the…read moreduck entree I had with cherries was one of the top five things I've ever eaten. Just excellent. Plenty of the local great wines to choose from (though I have to wonder if they might have a deal with one of the wineries because I did feel like we were being pitched to multiple times to try one of the fancier expensive reds and found that kind of unusual). It's not a cheap dinner, but it is worth it. This really is far and away the best spot in Watkins Glen and they're raising the bar for everyone! Next time we're back in the area, we'll be happy to visit again.

Photos
Graft Wine Cider Bar - Wine selection | #intenselypassionatephotography

Wine selection | #intenselypassionatephotography

Graft Wine Cider Bar - Flank steak | #intenselypassionatephotography

Flank steak | #intenselypassionatephotography

Graft Wine Cider Bar - Unofficial cider tasting @tiffhuangry

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Unofficial cider tasting @tiffhuangry

Landon's Pub and Pizza - Large Taco Za' ,,Good!,,, alot for two peeps.

Landon's Pub and Pizza

4.2(43 reviews)
0.1 mi
$$

I was over my friend's house at Watkins Gleb figuring out what to eat at 8pm. My friend recommended…read morethis place and said it was bar food. My first reaction was: "bar food?!?!?!" Usually bar food is terrible. But she said this place actually makes great food. And I said OK, I'll give it a try. My friend's go-to order is Philly cheesesteak, so I ordered the same thing on a wrap. The sandwiches and wraps comes with chips and they add an extra charge if you substitute it for fries or onion rings. My friend's husband got the deal for a delmonico steak and 2 sides for $19. We also got chicken fingers and fries for her kids. We called in the order, and they said it would be about an hour. Which is fine since we were in no rush and they were probably busy. The food was ready when we went to pick it up an hour later. Our whole order came to around $66 with tip. The food was hot and came in these Styrofoam boxes. There was a very large generous portion of chicken tenders, and the fries looked good. The Philly cheesesteak looked interesting as they used ground beef instead of thinly sliced steak. The onion rings were huge, and the chips looked like fresh kettle cooked chips. The Philly cheesesteak tasted ok, I think it's better than a sandwich rather than a wrap. I only ate half but was still very full. The onion rings were very crispy, and tangy sauce that came with the onion rings reminds me of the Burger King onion ring sauce but better. It was pretty good. We ordered the delmonico steak with fries and Mac & cheese. The Mac & cheese was really good, it tasted fresh, and was made with sharp cheddar cheese, and it was really melty. The chicken tenders were amazing. I haven't had chicken tenders this good in years. They were not dry at all, and were flavorful. The only downside is my friend says sometimes depending on the chef, the food might not be that good. But it seems like for now if you go on a Saturday night you'll have amazing food!

Honestly, I turned around when I walked in here the first time last year. Didn't think they could…read morehave good food as it really is a bar. I'm so glad we gave it a chance. Their food is really good! I got the Flatbread, pretzels and my hubby, the Meat Calzone. Which was delicious! And the bonus, a DJ with Kareoke on Friday nights. It's probably the liveliest place in Watkins Glen. We had a blast and have come back 4 more times with friends. Great pizza, vibe and billards too.

Photos
Landon's Pub and Pizza
Landon's Pub and Pizza - Philly "cheesesteak" with onion rings

Philly "cheesesteak" with onion rings

Landon's Pub and Pizza

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Nickel's Pit BBQ - bbq - Updated May 2026

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