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    Nick's On State

    4.5 (958 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 11:00 pm

    Nick's On State Photos

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    NICK'S ON STATE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Trendy
    Romantic
    Classy

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    Recommended Reviews - Nick's On State

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    Prime Rib Dip
    Emily C.

    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!

    Sam P.

    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

    Blackened Fish Sandwich with a petite Bistro Salad
    Elizabeth H.

    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!

    Danielle M.

    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

    Mai tai
    Vivian V.

    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.

    Menu
    Noel L.

    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

    Menu
    Craig S.

    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!!!!

    Mary L.

    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!

    Center cut steak and loaded potatoe
    Justine R.

    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.

    Pan seared seabass. Ig@mel_foodie_ventures
    Melanie P.

    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.

    Chicken sandwich and prime rib sandwich
    Melissa M.

    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.

    Jolie F.

    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!

    Butter cake
    Alyssa M.

    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.

    The crispy deviled eggs, they were good.

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    Ask the Community - Nick's On State

    Can they make a milk free meal?

    I would call the restaurant manager directly before visiting . That's an important question that should be addressed directly with the restaurant management.

    How far is it from the Star theatre?

    About 20 minutes depending on traffic - I would google map it with the day and time you want to get to the theater so you get accurate information.

    Do they have a happy hour?

    No, happy hour and it's fine dining so expect to pay a higher price for your cocktails , but they are very good.

    Is there happy hour? If so what days and time?

    Sorry, I'm not sure. Maybe only at the bar, but not from the dinning tables.

    What is the largest party size for reservation?

    I was seated there with a party of 8, no problem. Not sure if they do larger parties. Call them to find out for sure.

    Do they have the warm bread basket like other restaurants- it comes before we order?

    No, not that I know of; however, I've seen people order the sourdough that comes with the cioppino off the menu.

    Do they offer a lunch menu?

    Yes

    Is there happy hour?

    I asked last time i was there and they laughed at me. I guess that's a No.

    Are kids allowed here?

    Of course kids are welcome. There is a big patio out front and I've seen plenty of kids. There is also an inside eating area where I've seen kids. It's a restaurant. And casual clothes are welcome.

    Able to accommodate diners avoiding gluten?

    Yes, they have some gluten free dishes! Their food and service is beyond awesome. Not the least expensive place to eat in town, but we'll worth it.

    Do you take Apple Pay?

    Yes!

    View All 17 Questions

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    I tried fish101 this Thursday night and it is definitely a great spot to grab a quick and casual…read morebite. There was a long line - this place is so popular - but thankfully the line didn't take very long. The wait in the line was a good amount of time to give me the chance to take a look at the menu before ordering so I didn't mind it at all! It was easy to order at the restaurant. Grab our order number and find a seat and just wait for the food to come out. I was worried the food would take a while because so many people were there. The food came quickly, so there was no issue. I got a bivuoac berry cider which was delicious and very drinkable. I opted for some clam chowder, rocket salad, and the seafood curry as well. The clam chowder was delicious and creamy. Not TOO rich and not too salty. The rocket salad was pretty standard. I don't order any fish with it since I was ordering so many items already and I didn't want to be too full! Just wanted to add some veggies to my meal. The seafood curry had some great flavor. I was a bit surprised that the curry was more of a soup consistency. I was expecting a thicker and more saucy consistency but it was still good. I think it could've been a bit more flavorful. I liked the fish, shrimp, and veggies in the curry and I loved that they cooked the fish perfectly. It was nice and soft and had a delicious char on it. Overall, great meal and I thought the meal was decent value. Expected to come back and try more menu items.

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