The word on the street in Carlsbad is that Nick's on State got it going on with their contemporary American food and upscale yet casual dining experience. I'm glad I can testify to that. I've been there if few times so this is a legit 5-star review. The ambience...AMAZING. The service...SUPERB. The staff...SPECTACULAR. The food...FANTASTIC. The cocktails...CREATIVE. Sums it up! I can't wait to go back again. I highly recommend this restaurant to the Yelp Community :-) read more

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I love to try new things, but when it comes to Nick's, I can't stray from my favorites. Hits the spot every time. Tiki Twist mocktail - delicious nonalcoholic version of their Mai Tai, topped with lilikoi foam that is reminiscent of the famous Monkeypod Mai Tais in Hawaii. Spicy Thai salad with light dressing - the combo of the fresh salad, savory chicken, bouncy noodles, and hot chilis is absolute perfection. Butter cake - the best butter cake ever. Hot cake with a soft center and caramelized crunchy outside, topped with ice cream, and berries. My favorite place for a decadent dessert! read more

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Birthday celebration .... Halibut with a pineapple sauce... mashed potatoes... We of course had the butter cake... So delicious.. staff is on it..... friendly, professional and efficient. We walked... no parking necessary.... 30 minute wait, but I'm sure that depends on the day... read more

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I absolutely love this place. I haven't tried a ton of their menu items but of the things I have tried, everything has been delicious!! The restaurant and patio are absolutely beautiful and very classy and the service is always top notch. I ordered iced tea, the tomato soup (omg so good!!) the local market salad and my 4 year old had the buttered noodles. She ate it all so I count that as a win! This salad is crave-able. It is so delicious and everything tastes so fresh. It always has the perfect amount of dressing also. I really want to try other things but I just can't get away from ordering this salad. read more

Nick's On State - The local market salad - New American Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Waited for some time for bar seats because the regular table wait was very long but it was pretty good! Crisp martini and espresso martinis were both very good. Got the deviled eggs which are lightly fried somehow and I thought they were great even though I dont love deviled eggs but my partner who rewlly liked deviled eggs didnt love them. The bistro meal was SO good the steak was cooked literally perfectly. The kale salad was frshnand whatever the soup was was pretty good too. Would definitely come back and try a full steak it was incredible read more

Nick's On State - deviled eggs and crisp martini - New American Near Me - Carlsbad, California

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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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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

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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Great place for dinner and/or a drink if you can get in. Known for their great espresso martinis and food. Since it's hard to get a table there I sometimes eat at the bar. Upscale environment, pricey, great ambiance. No music or dancing here. read more

I live around the area and Nicks is our go to, it's perfect mix of casual yet classy, and seriously you can't go wrong with any food in the menu, the last 3 times i've been in the restu i've been ordering the meatloaf it's perfection! Besides great food and ambience the service is outstanding as well! read more

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

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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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Food is always good at Nicks and bartender are fast. Great weather for weekday lunch I order the chicken sandwich it was good not great more veggies and meat fries were cold read more

Nick's On State - Chicken sandwich - 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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This location is much better than the one in Long Beach service wise, and I would say ambience the food was good. The star of the show was the corn chowder. Very good. Recommend that the lunch special was a good deal also and we grabbed the shrimp taquitos as an appetizer the shrimp was a bit overcooked and my steak they accidentally gave me medium rare than medium, but I was in a business meeting and was timed so I couldn't really let them know so I ate it, but it was good overall would come back. read more

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

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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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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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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

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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One of my favorite restaurants in Carlsbad! I just went here for my birthday with my family and once again it did not disappoint. Everything I have had on the menu is amazing. I love the Chilean Sea Bass, but decided to try the chicken piccata this time and it was delicious. Everyone ordered different items on the menu and cleaned their plates! We had to top off our meal with the butter cake which just melts in your mouth. Always great service and fun atmosphere! As a resident, I love having this restaurant right downtown! read more

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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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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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

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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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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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 family (6 of us!) had a very good and filling lunch at Nick's. A couple of us ordered the blackened fish sandwich, another the crispy chicken sandwich, another the bistro plate with a petit filet mignon, another the San Francisco cioppino. All of the dishes were excellent and very filling. My blackened fish sandwich was huge with very fresh fish, piled high with onion rings, slices of tomato and arugula on a brioche bread. My wife's chicken sandwich came with a side of kale salad, which was unusually good. A lot of restaurants don't get salads right, but Nick's. The chicken in her sandwich was crispy on the outside, juicy white meat on the inside. My brother's San Francisco cioppino was huge, excellent, with a loaf of sourdough bread to dip into the sauce. The restaurant has a dramatic, cavernous interior with a dark wood ceiling accented by artfully placed light fixtures and a refreshing, breezy patio, which is where we sat. It's certainly a popular restaurant as it was packed on the weekend day that we went. Our waitress was very good: friendly and efficient. (One small nit: it was my daughter's birthday and the waitress did acknowledge this when she took our orders, but alas, no birthday cake for her at the end of the meal, although we did see birthday cakes with single candles moving around the restaurant.) read more

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What a wonderful mid-week mid-day lunch! My friends and I came here with my baby in a stroller and it was fantastic. There was ample room to push him around and yet it was still a quiet, peaceful, and upscale. The portions were also very generous! The group split the macadamia Seabass, the spicy Thai salad, the ribs, and the fried chicken and everything was absolutely delicious! Then we ended up ordering a big piece of chocolate cake that was the size of the entire serving dish! read more

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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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

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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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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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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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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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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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

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