Love the location and the quaint feeling inside. If you're coming on a Friday or Saturday be sure to get a reservation because it's packed. The food was phenomenal, I had the Chilean Sea Bass and my husband had the Cioppino. We started with breaded Asparagus spears and Old Fashioned's. Probably the best sea bass I have ever had, cooked to perfection. If you forgot to grab a reservation, it's worth the wait. We will be back. read more

Nick's On State - Old Fashioned - New American Near Me - Carlsbad, California

We love Nicks in Laguna so we were excited to find this one when we stayed in Oceanside/Carlsbad area for vacation. We love this location too so thanks for consistency between locations. Great customer service and beautiful ambiance. The food is definitely the main character here though. Wow, wow, and wow. We ordered the ribs which came with sweet bbq flavored sauce, fell off the bone, and were accompanied by kale salad and mash potatoes. All were perfectly made and made us want to eat there each day. They even give you a warm towel for your hands after the ribs. Oh my, save room for dessert, order the butter cake cause it's thee besssssttttt! The espresso martini was another great experience. My only complaint is why the meatloaf ( the best ever put in a restaurant) is not served year round! Thank you Nicks for top notch food delivery and service. read more

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Birthday celebration party of 5 Food always good Sarah the manager made sure we had a nice table Cody, our server was wonderful! Great dining experience! read more

I had a great time and fabulous meal at Nick's on State. The food, beverages and service were all top notch. I was thrilled they offered mocktails and had the Noughty rose, a great alcohol free wine. We started with the signatures Asparagus fries which were hot, cooked to perfection and delicious. I opted for the Spicy Thai Salad which was probably one of the top 10 salads I've had anywhere! It was really spicy and delicious. I'd go back just for that dish. My dining companion had the Prime Rib Dip and a couple of beers and enjoyed everything he ordered. The design and atmosphere were great. We ate at the bar which was fun for people watching. It's a great spot for a date or to grab a meal at the bar. Highly recommend! read more

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Stopped here for pre dinner drinks and appetizers! Loved it. Great location, enjoyed the outdoor patio! Service was fantastic and loved the drinks. I am not usually a martini person but they had a unique version made with gin and Sauvignon blanc that was phenomenal! We enjoyed the spinach and artichoke dip to go with the cocktails and had a blast! Great place read more

Nick's On State - New American Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Definitely Nick's has delicious sandwiches! And came with a choice of yummy side of market veggies, bistro salad or fries. Portions were substantial and felt very satisfied. I had the buttermilk Crispy Chicken Sandwich, a good choice and now it's my favorite fried chicken sandwich ever. Chicken was not dry and stayed crispy throughout. It had havarti cheese, sweet slaw, almonds, tomato, arugula, honey mustard, herb mayonnaise... all these yum in a brioche bun. The market vegetable was string beans sautéed in garlic and onion...very tasty! My daughter and husband had the Blackened Fish Sandwich that looked amazing as well and a petite bistro salad. It was scrumptious! The kale was not hard or chewy, it was perfect. The restaurant is very nice with a breezy airy outdoor patio. Our server made sure we were happy by being attentive to us. Will definitely come back! read more

Nick's On State - Blackened Fish Sandwich with a petite Bistro Salad - New American Near Me - Carlsbad, California

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Everything at Nick's was wonderful. From the seating to the helpful staff to the fabulous food, it all just clicked. You cannot go wrong here! read more

Absolutely loved this place! Only waited about 15 minutes on a Saturday evening (early dinner at 5ish) even though they said the wait would be closer to 40. The asparagus fries were delicious! I loved the California salad with avocado and the chicken piccata was great. The real show stopper was certainly the butter cake! Absolutely delicious 10/10!!! Would definitely return for a lovely cozy but upscale evening read more

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This is our date night place for me and my husband we live in Vista not too far from here and we love coming here. They do great service- it feels very formal and attentive the way that the staff is trained here. We love to sit inside my husband is a redhead and I just don't wanna do the sun lol so there's been a couple of times where we made a reservation and I've put in the notes inside, but I have to specify when I get there so if I'm being nitpicky, I would say they might want to update their OpenTable to be able to list one or the other so you can choose but that's just me being nitpicky. When we get here, we usually order some cocktails, and then we love to listen to what the market vegetable and the soup of the day is to help us decide what we wanna order. We've tried almost everything on the menu. I would say your favorite appetizer is probably the deviled eggs or the spinach artichoke dip and my husband's favorite entrée is the prime rib dip sandwich. He really loves that. We had the butter cake once and I think the sundae once for my birthday and both were phenomenal. We're just not big desert people. I always joke and say that my dessert is a dirty martini and these guys make a killer a dirty martini. read more

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Just Wow! Fantastic dining in Carlsbad! Nick's was recommended by a friend and they did not disappoint! I knew we were in the right place when we walked up and there was a line outside waiting to check in! The building is unique, a half dome feel (Kwanzaa hut) that has been beautifully renovated. The centerpiece is a bar that is rectangular, bordered by booths on one end and horseshoe shaped seating for high top bar chairs. There is seating out front on a covered open air patio, hell why not it's San Diego County, arguably the best weather in the USA. If it gets a little to chill they have pro series radiant out door heaters that are mounted on the ceiling above the tables. Let's talk food! The Shrimp Taquito Appetizer was so good! The combination of flavors just pops! We both ordered Seafood Dishes. The wife had the Sea Bass that was perfectly cooked, topped with a Lemon Beurre Blanc, Sautéed Spinach with slivered almonds and a mashed potato puree. I ordered the Macadamia Nut Crusted Halibut that was topped with a Pineapple Beurre Blanc, it was phenomenal! The right combination of firm, moist fish with a seared panko/Mac nut crust that was just perfect. Top it with the Pineapple Beurre Blanc, this dish is a 10! Our server Colby was super friendly, knowledgeable about the menu, and spot on with his service and recommendations! The wine list is both impressive in selection and pricing. They feature fantastic wines from Napa and beyond including Rombauer Chardonnay, Duckhorn Merlot, Silver Oak Cab to name a few! I think this might be my new favorite spot when visiting San Diego County for a nice dinner out! Cheers read more

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Great as always!!!! The drinks are amazing and worth the splurge. Service was fantastic and it's always a great atmosphere. We had the deviled eggs to start...Amazing!!! I enjoyed the French dip sandwich and my wife had the bistro plate. Both excellent. Can't go wrong eating at Nicks, enjoy!!!! read more

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First time for me at this restaurant, but my husband has been here before. We visited to celebrate a birthday, and it was a great pick! We came in right at opening and was seated right away. We had tried shrimp taquitos and fried asparagus and deviled eggs for our starters, all was delicious! Staff was very friendly and quick to pick up dirty plates. We had rigatoni, buttermilk fried chicken, the sea bass, the bistro plate and meatloaf. Again, all was amazing! Birthday celebrant also loved it which was the most important part. Highly recommend to try them out! read more

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Nicks is a classy steak house with nice ambiance from the dining room to the beautiful outdoor patio. I have been to this location 3 times and I will be back again. One of the most delicious meals I've had was the center cut filet with asparagus and a loaded baked potato. The service was great. Highly recommend. read more

Nick's On State - Center cut steak and loaded potatoe - New American Near Me - Carlsbad, California

First time ever trying this restaurant and upon first arrival, I can see how popular this place is. The restaurant was busy but was able to accommodate last minute reservations, which was a plus. I started off with a mocktail - Yuzu Berry Spritz. This was a refreshing, fruity drink to start off the meal. I had to try the highly recommended Classic Caesar salad, which was absolutely fantastic! I loved that it's plated differently from other Caesar salads that I've had, with the salad on halved baby romaine heads. You can add some bacon on this as well, but I thought it tasted pretty good as it is. For my main, I had Pan Seared Chilean Seabass. The filet was a nice hefty portion and it was perfectly seared and flaky. It had the perfect amount of beurre blanc, which paired well with this fish. It would be nice to have the option to substitute the potatoes for a low carb option. I got to snag a taste of the Baby Back pork ribs which were full of flavor and tender. This is a lot of food, which can easily be shared. I definitely will come back again to try some other dishes. Service was pretty good but can be delayed during peak hours. Parking is best on the street. read more

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We stopped for brunch during a visit to Carlsbad for a work trip. Overall, this spot lived up to the hype. The food was incredibly tasty and came out quickly. Plus, I really enjoyed the vibe which was lively. read more

Nick's On State - Chicken sandwich and prime rib sandwich - New American Near Me - Carlsbad, California

As you can see from my reviews I have been to this location and Manhattan Beach location multiple times! During my experiences I have highs and lows! A high is always the butter cake: this cake has been consistently solid from each location. The drinks are always solid. Although the drinks are a bit pricey: 19 dollars for a straight up martini is steep. They charged extra for the shake. As for food...we have mix feelings. We tried a dish that we haven't had in awhile, the meatloaf. We noticed they have prepared the meatloaf differently. Also the meatloaf comes out differently: it use to be in a le creuset dish. The entree use to be bigger too. The price like everything has gone up: now 27 dollars. We thought the dish was just ok: we would not ordered this again. We perplexed with the cocktail onions in dish: maybe this is an old school addition. We also ordered the California salad: the nuts were good in. The goat cheese was good too: maybe a bit more would be nice. Perhaps too much dressing on the salad. Service was a bit off: we saw them serve our dessert to the next table. The family at the next table said they don't order it, but the restaurant charges them. For the price they charge at this restaurant, everything should be spot on! read more

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Decided to try Nicks on State for our anniversary and had a great meal! Staff was friendly and attentive. They were out of several wine options but found something I liked. Will be going back. read more

Nick's On State - Butter cake - New American Near Me - Carlsbad, California

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Nicks was recommended to my husband and myself for lunch it was as in a great location where there are lots of restaurants and shops. We liked the atmosphere, looks similar to an airplane lane hanger but classy. It has an outdoor patio, we sat inside was nice. I want super hungry so ordered two appetizers, the crispy deviled eggs and the asparagus fries. Both were very good and filled me up. My husband ordered the Petite Sirloin Plate. It had a small 4 oz 6oz steak with a salad and soup of the day. He enjoyed his meal. The service was very good. Our server was knowledgeable of the menu and came around a lot to service us . read more

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My husband and I were really excited to find a Nick's on state in San Diego. We went to Nick's in Long Beach and we were in love. To my surprise the Nick's in SD is just as delicious! This place is nice for a wonderful date with your love one. The food is tasty and delicious. Our server was very friendly. I ordered their Maple Glazed Meatloaf. The meat was very soft and well flavored. It melt in my mouth. read more

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Always delicious and a great experience. Whether it's lunch or dinner, I've never had a bad item on this menu. Top it off with their delicious butter cake and you won't be sorry! read more

We had a great meal here! I usually love the Nick's restaurants and I honestly think this one is my favorite. We loved the building and ambience inside. We came for a late lunch, had reservations, and were seated right away. The service was outstanding. Extremely friendly without being annoying. Helped with making food choices and was always there when we needed her. They were quick with drinks and refilling water. The food was good! Everything tasted fresh and delicious. The only minor thing was the hot fudge sundae lacked hot fudge. There was barely any compared to the ice cream amount. Could be nice to have a small side of it so people could pour on themselves. This is minor and not a big deal. The butter cake stole the show. It was super good! We will be back here. It was a great meal with lots of great food options. read more

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Had dinner at Nick's on State with a group of friends and it was a great night. The ribs were ridiculously juicy and flavorful, falling off the bone, I made a huge mess and enjoyed every moment. The whiskey selection was exactly what we needed. Megan took care of us and was incredibly patient with the group. She stayed on top of everything the whole time and had some great recommendations. Shoutout to Steel, Geo, Ryan, and Colby for making it a fun night. Great food, great service, and lovely night. 5/5 read more

Nick's On State - RIBBS BABY! - New American Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Came for a business lunch. Had a great experience - food was delicious, service was excellent, nice atmosphere for a meeting. No complaints here. read more

Nick's On State - Buttermilk fried chicken - New American Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Love this place! It is classy and elegant! Music playing Fire place Outdoor indoor Street parking More than one server. They are helpful and fun. The food is melting in your mouth! The center cut was perfect. The potato was a meal In itself! read more

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Tried Nick's on State and overall a really great experience! The French dip was amazing super flavorful and cooked perfectly. However, I wish the bread had a bit more structure. It was a little too light and airy for a French dip and didn't quite hold up the way I'd want. The **mocktail** was a solid 10/10. Loved that it was actually tart and not overly sweet (which is rare). Super refreshing. We also started with the spinach dip which was a 9/10--creamy, rich, and a great way to kick things off. Definitely worth going back! read more

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Super cool spot in Carlsbad! The design is reminiscent of a hangar but stylish with warm wood tones throughout. The food was excellent and drinks delicious. We had the Thai chicken salad and red pepper bisque with grilled cheese. I loved the salad -was excellent -Super fresh. Drinks were so refreshing -can't remember the name but it was a cucumber "something" -very good!Definitely stop in! read more

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Service and food was great here. I had the Caesar salad that last time I was here and I was craving it ever since. The asparagus fries are delicious and a great starter. Deviled eggs, you can't go wrong. Meatloaf is loaded with flavor. I've tired several items and nothing has been bad. Did I mention the espresso martini?? Yummm. You can't go wrong here read more

Excellent service and delicious food! We sat on the patio for our anniversary dinner and had the best experience. We started off with the shrimp taquitos and those were such a treat! I ordered the Filet medium rare and it was cooked perfectly and my husband got the ribs and they were just fall off the bone tender and tasted wonderful. Our server was so friendly and constantly checking in. They gave us a cute card that everyone signed for our anniversary as well. It was a great experience. read more

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NICK'S ON STATE @ CARLSBAD Parking is available for street parking, i'd recommend parking near the liquor store (right around the corner) lots of space and is free for 3 hours during weekdays. Shoutout to our waiter Eldrin, he was extremely kind and even recommended us the best items on the menu and brought out a dessert for our anniversary! Saw this couple coming in, and they were told they had to wait for 25 minutes, the guy slipped some cash and the waiter/front desk staff took it! Kinda crazy! But they got seated. This spot has been on a list for my boyfriend, he's been wanting to take me here forever, and I can see why. We got a reservation at 9pm, and got there a couple minutes early, and was seated still before then. The atmosphere and ambiance was beautiful, I loved the interior and the design of this place, you 100% need to sit inside, they do have outside seating as well. The food was incredible, I was really feeling a burger, so I went for their cheeseburger with fries, medium rare. A little burnt for good taste and perfectly cooked and seasoned meat. The fries were decent, I wish they could add truffle fries because that would make it a 10/10! Overall, an incredible burger and my boyfriend got the chicken with mash potatoes, also incredible flavor. They even gave us this chocolate fudge brownie to celebrate with candles, it was adorable! Overall, i'll definitely come back to this spot, it was delicious! read more

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What a truly wonderful dining experience. Every encounter with a staff member was pleasant. You can tell the workers are extremely well trained. The service was attentive and so professional. The restaurant is absolutely beautiful- we sat outside on the patio both time, yes we dine 2x in the same week. We were wowed! The food was well prepared- sandwiches, salads, and the meatloaf. They do have a kids menu- the chicken fingers were homemade , you can tell. Overall, I cant think of a more recent dinner experience in a restaurant that impressed me like this one. Bravo to all! read more

Pulled up to Nick on State after Legoland and ordered the ribeye sandwich absolutely fire. Crusty on the outside, perfectly cooked, and that melted cheese brought it all together. My daughter got the crispy chicken sandwich, wifey went with the Thai salad, and we shared a side of fries. Everything hit. Service was just okay, but honestly the sandwiches more than made up for it. I'd definitely come back just for the sandwiches alone. Solid spot in Carlsbad! read more

I've been wanting to check this place for awhile and finally was able to. My niece was in town and she thought it looked good too. I was pleasantly surprised to have been seated right away. The decor was simple but appealing. The staff were welcoming, but I wasn't a fan of being seated right next to the server "station"?? Basically the place where servers/bussers grabbed items from, or place orders/checks. So, the constant activity that close was irksome. I ordered the Mai Tai and wasn't very impressed by it, but my niece liked her skinny Rita. She also enjoyed the pasta, but my Thai noodle salad was not a fan of. Something about the noodles just didn't taste right, everything else was ok, but I didn't like the noodles. Overall, this didn't really meet my expectations, but I could've just been I picked the wrong things. read more

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Everything happens for a reason. We came into town last week from LA to celebrate my daughter's spring break and decided that we were going to take her to Legoland. We came into town about 8pm and our main destination was to go find a restaurant before checking in our hotel. We originally ended up at Karl's Strauss at 8:10pm, only for the host to tell us that they close at 9 and they might be able to serve us if we're seated (which obviously makes no sense). I was a little frustrated but wasn't going to let that ruin our vacation. I remember doing my research ahead of time and heard about Nick's On State, so we made our way to the restaurant. We were immediately greeted and seated right away. The menu had a lot of great options and my hubby and I had a hard time deciding on what to eat. Our server ( I didn't get a chance to get her name but she was really sweet) was very professional and friendly, and walked us through our options, along with letting us know what's on the kid's menu. We started off with the bacon deviled eggs and California salad. I never liked deviled eggs, but these eggs were on another level and so good! The crispiness and bacon bits on top made you craving for more lol and even my 5 year old enjoyed them. The California salad was also large enough to share and had all these different flavors in it between the dates, goat cheese, pistachios, etc. For our main meal, my daughter ordered the buttered noodles with chicken. My hubby ordered the ribs and I ordered the rib eye melt. The ribs were falling off the bone and so tender, plus whatever salad came with it was delicious from what my hubby told me. My rib eye melt was cooked perfectly (medium rare) and the sweet onions in there gave it a nice balance. We ended off the night by splitting their famous butter cake which was divine (my hubby loves butter cake if it's made just right). Overall, service and food were excellent. When we're back in SD again for a mini getaway, we'll definitely be returning. Thanks again for starting off our tip on the right path! read more

Incredible food and service! Megan was friendly, polite and attentive for our late lunch yesterday. I ordered the Bistro Plate: petite filet, New England clam chowder and chopped house salad. The combination of flavors and freshness were outstanding. My mom ordered the Thai noodle chicken salad. It had the right amount of spice, crunchy and freshness. Also, try one of the margaritas- they're very fresh and delicious! Will definitely be back. read more

Nick's On State - Coconut margarita and skinny margarita - New American Near Me - Carlsbad, California

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We looked up your menu online before we came to the restaurant today and it said you had a wedge salad which is something I was going to order. I also recall it said something about a crab sandwich and neither one was available when we got there so I decided on the veggie burger. It does not say deep fried onions on the menu. I took a bite and it was not what I wanted so I peeled them off. The veggie burger was pretty good. The salad that came with it was pretty good. My husband wanted a grilled chicken but decided to try fried chicken sandwich because the server insisted it was light. It really wasn't. The food was good but it was not great. We were disappointed. But about a year and a half ago when we were in town we were in, I'm not sure what we had but it was much better. read more

Food was very good( the deviled eggs were fantastic ), service was very attentive ( except for the hostess that greeted us at the door... no smile, no welcoming) and ambiance was amazing! read more

The food was amazing--excellent quality, great taste, and very reasonable prices. Every dish was flavorful and well prepared. Service started off strong. Josh was friendly and attentive in the beginning, but toward the end it became a bit rocky. We had to ask for to-go boxes and then request a bag after the check was dropped. After signing the check, we weren't asked if we needed anything else, which was slightly frustrating. A menu recommendation was given as we were leaving, which was appreciated. Overall, the food really stood out and made the experience worthwhile. I recommend making reservations, and if you don't plan ahead, try to sit at the bar.The bathroom and location was clean read more

came to Nick's on State for dessert and a night cap on my birthday and decided to try the much-talked-about "butter cake." Unfortunately, it was a huge disappointment. After one bite, we couldn't take another--it honestly tasted like a spoonful of straight sugar. There was no balance at all, just overwhelming sweetness. It ended up being the worst butter cake I've ever had. Really disappointing, especially for a birthday treat and given how much this dessert is hyped, but the espresso martini was delicious! read more

Bar service was excellent but food was a disappointment tonight. It didn't taste good. Fish burger was so charred that it wasn't edible. I even asked for minimal char. Eck. read more

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You can't go wrong with Nick's. Everything here is just amazing. The service is always top notch, the food is always delicious, and it's got great vibes. We got the asparagus fries which are so delicious. Lightly breaded with a nice crunch to it. My daughter loved the fried chicken. It was juicy and crispy. I always get the filet, asparagus and potatoes. The filet is the perfect amount of food. Their butter cake is out of this world. I keep coming back just for the cake. The cake is moist with this crispy, crunchy crust. Perfect way to end the meal read more

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