Juicccyyyyy I've passed by this place numerous times and it always looked interesting. Every month I get a coupon book with discounts for this place and I've been wanting to go for sucha long time. Finally!! I went this one sunny day after a good day at the gym. I ended up choosing the Kobe burger and it was sooooooooooo juicyyyy. The burger felt a little oily on the bun but it was a dang good burger. My sis got a fish sandwich that was over the top delicious. This place makes reallyy good food and the service was good. I was surprised the inside of this place was actually very clean and cute and cool looking. I am able to take advantage of this place since they have monthly coupons as well if you live in Arcadia which is an added bonus. This definitely is a gem found on the busy streets of Rosemead. read more

This place always has amazing food. One of my favorite local spots! Must Try's: Salads: Tuscan Kale Salad Antipasto Chopped Salad Appetizers: Tacos are so delicious, and they have a special 'Sena' sauce to drizzle over them. Drool! Pastas: Fussili Gianna Pescatora Cioppino pasadino, Spicy and has that extra KICK! And every once and awhile they have a cut lobster tail pasta that I my favorite Seafood: Alaska Halibut and Grilled Salmon with veggies Clearly I've eaten the majority of the menu, and you should TOO! read more

The best Italian in the San Gabriel Valley! We came back to make sure it wasn't a fluke the first time. My ample ribeye w/bleu cheese was perfectly medium rare--nicely charred with juicy pink inside. resting on a bed of string fries, balanced with sweet, lightly creamed corn. My wife's cioppino was loaded with fresh seafood, and she kept asking me how to pronounce the name--although she's had it before! The olive oil/vinegar dipping sauce was delicious with their bread. The crabcake appetizer was fresh with a nice cream sauce. We want to try the other entrees, but it's hard not to stick to their steak and cioppino. And, they make a nice manhattan. The crowd is an older one. Cougar is definitely an apt term here. Think an older swinger crowd from USC. Still, thankfully, the food trumps the clientele! read more

Impeccable service! Our server was friendly, sweet, attentive, but not at all overbearing. I don't think I've encountered many times where I can say that about service in the food and beverage industry. Food was very good. Come here for their seafood, but not the steaks. My S.O. said his steak was a definite pass. The Cioppino Pasadino was fantastic. The crostini and seafood broth were match-made in heaven. There's a $3 add-on antipasto salad actually had me wanting for more.. Great place; we'll be back. read more

Nikki C's was a wonderful surprise. There are so many good Pasadena restaurants, but we let Yelp show us new places. The first surprise was that the Wednesday we were there was half price wine night. We usually share an appetizer and an entree and sometimes the waiter does little to accommodate us. But here they went out of their way to make it easy. The split the salad and the entree and served us good sized portions. We had the calamari, nicely fried with two sauces. We then had Pescatora pasta which was a good combination of shrimp, scallops, clams, whitefish in a tomato sauce. Very fresh and tasty. I wish I could remember our waiter's name because he deserved a callout for his attentive service. In fact all the servers were good. If you are in the area we fully recommend this place. read more

Driving into the parking lot, we were a little worried they were closed but thankfully that was just very dark window tint. We were here on a Saturday night, and the place was about 35% full. We did have to wait an unusually long time to get seated, but that was mainly because no one noticed we came inside and there was no hostess. No issues with it personally, just laying it out there. After we got seated, we got waters and house bread right away. Pro tip - avoid the bread. It's mediocre and just not worth the stomach real estate. Let's get down to business. Our waiter, Erich, was very attentive and friendly. He gave us solid recommendations and was honest about what he liked, what he hasn't tried, etc. the perfect blend of watching our back while respecting his restaurant. We ordered the chicken wings (spicy sauce on the side), a special which was a shrimp cappellini dish that came with soup or side salad, and the lobster grilled cheese. The chicken wings came out VERY hot but they were worth every cooling-off blow. They tasted like southern fried chicken, with just the right moisture. Prepared perfectly, I had to rationalize not finishing the plate knowing we had more food on the horizon. It was tough to stop. The shrimp pasta dish easily had enough food for three medium-sized meals, or two hearty meals. There was a great garlic and basicl flavor to the pasta, and it was nice to top off with the side of parmesan cheese. The shrimp were MASSIVE. And best part? The tails were already removed. So many places we go leave the tails on and it just adds that extra layer of friction to get to flavor town. Very happy with this dish. The lobster grilled cheese was everything you would hope for. It comes out cut into four hearty triangles and a side of potato chips - sold as an app / small plate - but can easily be a meal. Nice and cheesy, grilled like you wish you could do at home (but never get it to come out like that), and it was not too greasy. Nice pieces of lobster throughout every single bite. A must try when you visit. We were unfortunately too full to get to dessert, but we looked at the dessert menu just a little self-imposed torture. This was (verbatim) what my girlfriend said when she started look st the dessert menu: "Oh babe...oh my...oh goodness. Oh babe." Needless to say we are looking forward to coming back soon. read more

Went last night to dinner at Nikki C's for the first time! I always pass by since my best friend lives a few blocks away but have never actually gone inside! A football game was going on at the same time so it was a bit loud and chaotic. Make sure you ask for a booth on the restaurant side if you are on a date or want a more quiet evening. The seasoned bread that they bring out complimentary is so fresh and delicious! I dipped it in the balsamic vinagrette and sprinkled some parmesan cheese. OMG. My boyfriend ordered the veal marsala and absolutely adored it. The veal was tender, veggies were seasoned, and the marsala sauce was just perfect. I ordered the Nikki trio- comes with ravioli, spaghetti, and lasagna. Talk about carb overload but WHO CARES! I do yoga so I can eat carbs. Super cute restaurant for the perfect date night! Oh and we made sure to use the 15% off. Thanks Yelp for hooking us up! read more

This was our first time here. We LOVED the garlic bread and the drinks were strong and delicious. We ordered the hot wings and Caesar's salad to start... perfection! We had the chicken and mushroom pasta dish for our entree and I would highly recommend it. Mouth watering. And to top it all off our waitress Melissa was just wonderful! We'll be back very soon! read more

This place was such a surprise its so beautiful inside and the service was wonderful. The crab cakes we ordered were delicious, but we must've got the wrong pasta dishes. We ordered a lasagna and the bolognese both were so dry and overly flavored. Must order: Crab Cakes!! read more

I worked up the street from Nikki C's for years and never stopped in. Finally made it in for a girls brunch and have to say I was NOT disappointed. You had me at $3 mimosas. I ordered the short rib scramble with egg whites and it was DELICIOUS!! Generous portions with a side of wheat toast and fruit. The whole thing with 2 mimosas came out to $20 with tip. Who's complaining? Definitely a place the girls and I will be back to. read more

Great place to grab lunch. Amazing salads to fill your tummy as well. Everything is fresh and delicious! Great place for dinner as well and a great date place too. Have an amazing halibut dinner recently. Highly recommend! read more

Omg! What am awesome experience. Everyone in this place is amazing from the hostess to the guy that fills the water. The food was wonderful and the staff to die for I would definitely recommend this place to anyone. read more

You'd really expect this place to hold a higher standard of food considering the decor and price. I've visited several times and ordered different every time and have been disappointed with the food on every occasion, I find it bland and rushed. Great staff service and great ambience. read more

We decided to give Nikki C's a try last month on a Friday evening. Very friendly staff; but that was the only positive of the evening. We waited at the bar for a table just for a short time while having drinks. The menu has a little of everything. This night was "Prime Rib" night. It took 25 min to get our salads; after we alerted the waitress that they hadn't arrived. Our meals came out 30min later. Unfortunately instead of alerting my friend that they were out of Prime Rib they covered the scraps with one slice and sent it out anyway. Waitress apologized and offered a steak; which we waited another 30min. Ended up taking the steak to go because it was so late. Sorry was very disappointed. read more

Came here with the bee-eff on a Friday night. We had reservations for 8pm, but there was still a bit of a wait. Got seated around 815. Would totally recommend having reservations though, because there seemed to be a bit of a wait for the walk-in patrons. Appetizer-lobster grilled cheese. Ohhhhmygoddd, just about the perfect amount of everything--lobster (not too much where its overwhelming), cheese, and seasoning. Not overly buttery either. Came with a side of what tasted like home cooked chips. Big plus in my books, to be making in-house chips! Mmmm chips Bf-garlic pasta. It literally came in a huge bowl of spaghetti noodles, olive oil, cheese, and some seasoning. No meat or veggies or anything. Maybe I'm just used to having meat and veggies in my pastas, but it didn't look appealing to me at all. Me-16oz rib eye (five spices rub) with a side of taters. I asked for medium rare, but it came kinda looking medium well. The waitress was nice enough to offer to have it re - made to what I wanted, but since we had plans after dinner, I didn't want to wait for a new steak. She did bring me a side of veggies, as I requested though. Drinks--grey goose pear and a Moscow mule. I'd recommend the gg pear, but not the mule. I would've rated this place 3 stars, but that lobster grilled cheese....Nikki, that item is a star! The leftover steak the next day was amazing though :) as long as I pretend that I wanted it medium well all along. Walked out and realized I forgot to use the 15% off your bill with a yelp check-in. Dangit!!! read more

Came here for date night a few weeks ago. I'd been there years before but I didn't remember it being good or bad either way. So we decided to take a trip there for some wine and some more wine. Neither of us were hungry so we just sat at the bar and ordered some drinks. I had a glass of wine and hubby had beer. I only ordered wines by the glass because I didn't think we were going to stay that long...5 glasses of wine and 3 beers later we were enjoying ourselves and decided to order some dessert. I can't honestly remember what desserts we had (because wine), but I do remember that they were delicious! The bartender was attentive and the atmosphere was relaxing. Great place to go when I'm not interested in dealing with the Pasadena/Monrovia or LA scene. Can't wait to come back and try their food. It looked and smelled amazing! read more

Delicious food, great service, and exceptional atmosphere! Ive been coming to this restaurant since they opened and i still enjoy it more each time. My favorite dish is the short rib tacos of course! With their secret sauce, you cant go wrong. I also love the eggplant parmigiana! The ambiance of the restaurant is smooth, sexy, and sophisticated. Great service because they never mess up your order, and they also make you feel welcome and like family. Bar is beautiful and they always have all the games going on! read more

Awsume little cozy romantic dark relaxing atmosphere ,, waiter and host are great personalities easy going and fun,, the wine selection is awsume and the waiter is supreme ,, i recomend this place ,, the ambience is peaceful and dark ,, there is a nice looking classy bar also ,, LOVE THIS PLACE ;;)) read more

Nikki C’s - This pinot noir from sonoma is smooth - Italian Near Me - Pasadena, California

Foods are very good. We are going to try their gluten free pizza next. You can't go wrong with 15% off your check with Yelp check in! read more

Nikki C’s - Cioppino and ravioli! - Italian Near Me - Pasadena, California

Wow! What a surprise! Went to Nikki C's last night for the first time, not knowing what to expect. A friend had invited me, and it was game 6 of the NBA Finals, so I was wondering how good could a dining experience be with all the hubbub at the bar? On top of that, Rosemead Blvd looks like a Middle East war zone these days, so I expected the place to be empty, save for the Lakers fans at the bar...boy was I wrong! Stepping inside, I was greeted by a dark room with purple highlights, and lit strategically so that the ambience fit as nicely with romance as it did for the many locals who frequent the place (The nice couple next to me told me they come in at least twice a month, and sometimes once or twice a week...that told me something even BEFORE the food came out!) I was greeted by Nikki herself, who immediately showed me to a choice table, and insisted on picking both my appetizer and main course. I glady accepted, and she proudly boasted of her "very secret sauce" that was to accompany the perfectly done halibut fish tacos (at an Italian restaurant?? how fun!) The fish tacos were perfect, and the sauce a bit on the spicy side, which I acutally greatly appreciated. Next up was a cioppino that reminded me of the very best cioppino that San Francisco or Sausalito has to offer...the seafood was so fresh it evoked childhood memories of the fishing boats that pull right up to Pier 39 in San Francisco and unload their fish straight to the restaurant kitchens there...the mussels and clams even a little briny, which gave me that feeling of "as fresh as it gets" The cioppino was accented by a sword blade of bruschetta toast, which was great for dipping into the remarkable tomato broth below... Two glasses of really great red wine (for a house red?? ridiculously good), and my meal was perfect. Lakers won by 20 points...not a bad night over all. Photos of race horses on the walls hint at the race crowd that I'm told frequents the place aggressively during race season...so take that as a good thing or not. I liked the touch. Overall, even considering the Rosemead Blvd warzone? A solid place that I'd like to visit many many more times in the future! read more

This is my local restaurant but after my experience today I'll never go back. The food is fine. It's not the best but certainly not offensive. What is offensive is the customer service. First I was told there was an issue with my online order and they couldn't fulfill one of the dishes, no biggie. Then when I tried to place an order I was dissuaded by the host who kept insisting I'd need to wait and it'll take time to cook plus my order will get cold. Ummm yeah I know. So I'm standing waiting to place my order, getting ignored. Finally another customer comes up to the host stand and they acknowledge that I was waiting first to the host. The host says "oh don't worry about her she's waiting to put in an order with the waitress." Huh?! You never said a word to me after basically telling me don't bother ordering. So I didn't order anything else just waited for my order. I finally got my order and they forgot my chicken on my CHICKEN ceaser salad. So guess what, I waited anyway for the chicken. Got 2/3 of my order, waited another 15 minutes for them to correct my order, and split a soggy burger with my partner. Never again. read more

Yummy for your tummy! Great appetizers but very small portions, great entrees and pleasing service. What more could you ask for? Get going! You'll be glad you did! read more

My husband has been coming here for many many years we love this place the ambience is excellent the food never disappoints!

I have been coming here for years not just for dinner with my honey but also for special occasions of all kinds. I have celebrated my birthday here, my sister's birthday here and numerous friend's birthdays. I love the atmosphere, the staff and the food is off the charts. The short rib tacos are mouth watering. Mostly I will order a fish dish or a pasta; both of which are always terrific. One of the must haves? The Cioppino! Every man friend I have orders it every time we go and it is delish. Mop the sauce up with the bread.....oh man. If you want a place that feels like home but fancy enough so you feel as though you are treating yourself to a night out and something special, come to Nikki C's. read more

Wow, what a great place! Let's start with parking. Parking is a little scarce but if you come early, you're alright. Otherwise you might have trouble finding a parking spot. Upon entering. Wow. I see the pictures posted on Yelp but seeing it in person is completely different. The place doesn't look so great on the outside, but as soon as I opened the door, I was pretty blown away by the ambiance inside. It does have its dim lights, and it does have its bar. It can be a family restaurant. A date restaurant. And a place for peopel to hang out and watch the game at the bar. It all meshes very well together. The service was nice, too. The guy walks by and tells us he'll bring us our bread. He comes by again and tells us the bread is delicious when it is hot because he notices we haven't started eating yet. He also comes by a couple times later to wipe down our table. The lady checks in pretty often to see that everything is okay. She informs us that our entree won't come out yet while we're working on our appetizers so that we can take our time with them. And that's how it was. The salad, the appetizers, the entree came out with perfect timing. The food itself was delicious and I can't wait to eat the leftovers tomorrow! I got the angel hair pasta with lobster. There's plenty of lobster in it and plenty of pasta to go along with it. It is enough for two meals. They seem to like to put a lot of cheese on their dishes. My pasta and my salad had a lot of cheese on them. The food seems to range at about $15-$24 for an entree. The appetizers come in at less than $10. I think it was all well worth it and I'd definitely come back here again. read more

This place seems to be mislocated, but all the rich White folks in Pasadena are hiding out here (and might i add they're usually 40+) The dark ambiance with soft lighting makes for a romantic dinner, but bring good company because the food doesn't do much justice. The margherita pizza was good, but nothing you're missing out on. I'd only recommend this place for drinks and to watch some sports at the bar. read more

nikki c's! very slow service. ordered lunch to go and waited. waited for more than 40 minutes, food was still not ready. after we got our food and left, we had to go back because some food was missing. we physically had to hunt our waitress and ask for the missing food. more waiting. no apologies were given. food was okay but service was horrible. felt like the workers were new. our waitress had to keep coming back and forth and was not knowledgeable about the items and prices (if we wanted to make changes on a certain dish for an example) on the menu. did not offer any recommendations. also, i did not receive the correct change and had to rectify the situation. it was simple math, very simple math. will not come back again and try other things on the menu! check out the picture i posted. read more

Nikki C’s - tuscan kale salad & portaro pizza! - Italian Near Me - Pasadena, California

We found a fly in our food Every time we pass this restaurant, we promised to try it soon. After 3 years, we came here unplanned. The host greeted us nicely and she managed to get us a table right away on busy friday night. The restaurant reminds me of those local restaurants in Rome. My husband enjoyed the bar with sport show on their flat screen. We order Lobster Cheese Toast, pasta with white sauce with grilled chicken on top of it, mushroom and dried tomatoes. The host came back and apologized since our server was busy. She took our order. The food came and we were enjoying our food. My husband keeps saying I will come here again. Then he found small piece of foil paper on the last bite of the lobster roll. But, we brushed it off. I am sure it was a mistake. Then on the last bite.. I found a dead fly on our pasta. I was stunned. We tried to get attention from our waitress but she was busy. Then after 20 mnts, she finally came. We showed her the fly and she said "where that came from?!" She took our plate than she left us again. I was sad cause I really enjoy the food and the place. We asked our checks. Our waitress came and told us that she took out the pasta from the bills. We told her that we would pay it, just make sure to warn the people in the kitchen to be extra careful. The host came with our bills and apologized for what happened. It was the first apology we got from the restaurant. I always support local business. We love trying local restaurant with help from yelp of course. I am not sure if I would come here again, that dead fly still stuck in my head. read more

Nikki C’s - Cheese lobster, pasta, salad and cute guy - Italian Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Came in on Monday night - amazed by their prixe fix menu for $20 -chicken -fish --beef -pasta all delicious and great staff! did I mention the manhattens? read more

No parking. How am I supposed to eat here when they dont provide ample parking... called the restaurant while driving around and they dont know either. Dumb. read more

When I find something that I like, I stick to it. So this is a review for Nikki C's Ensenada style fish tacos (either breaded or grilled) because that is all I have ever ordered ever since I got hooked on them. I have taken friends there who have tried the fish taco and when we go back to visit, they also stick to the fish tacos. Now, I want to clarify, it is the ENSENADA STYLE Fish taco because I believe they have another type. Both the breaded and the grilled taste great, but of course, one is less calories. They give you two or three on a plate (lunch or dinner) along with some chips and salsa. If you order it during lunch, it is around $10.00 but for dinner, I believe it priced more. If someone has tasted anything better than their fish taco, please let me know because I have tried others and they don't compare. I even drove to the famous fish shop in Pacific Beach, San Diego and their popular TKO fish taco is great but with a different taste (with spicy mango salsa). I like how Nikki C's uses a special white sauce. I tell you, I get cravings for these fish tacos. Quickly about the atmosphere, think of Houston's with the dim lighting. There are no windows. Once you walk in, your eyes need some time to adjust from the daylight. There is bar whose environment seems to be friendly, think Cheers. Their menu has a wide range of food, if fish tacos don't do it for you. Just writing this review, I think I am due for another visit... read more

I ordered takeout and I will never do that again or leave a tip either. They did not give me any bread and they forgot my soup. Very disappointed, will not be going back! read more

Old school Jersey-style Italian restaurant with GREAT pasta! The marinara sauce has a spicy kick that is uniquely delish. The servers are friendly and efficient. Great wine selection too. Yes! read more

I've been coming here for 3 years and I always enjoy their service! Chilaquiles , breakfast burrito , French toast , and omelette's are DELICIOUS ! It's a calm vibe coming here cute and cozy ! read more

After the races regular for us. If you are planning a day at Santa Anita, make the reservations for after the races. If it is a big race day, make those reservations early! Steak is yummy, salads are salady, and the ambience is splendid. It's a local fave of ours and plenty of others. You will likely see some trainers and owners, say hi to them read more

I was in town for a memorial service and my dad suggested this place. I am so glad he did! Small , dark but comfortable boots. Noise level was ok, but our booth mates seemed to all have forgotten hearing aides, so there seemed to be some shouting! Could just be the patrons are a little older ? Regardless , nice selection of cocktails, great service , and the risotto special was yummy! Only three shrimp on a big old bowl if risotto , could have done with a couple more. But overall lovely place that I would definitely frequent if I lived in this area ! read more

Nikki C’s - Risotto with prawns special....yummy! - Italian Near Me - Pasadena, California

I have no idea what I was thinking when I wrote my original review??? I should have summed it up in a few words, but I was probably ass bored at work (where I use to work).. Here it goes----They have the best caprese salad appetizer in Pasadena. read more

This is my most favorite restaurant of all time! It's a mix of all types: cougars, jockey's from Santa Anita, young San Marino/Pasadena elite, and everything in between. I come on Saturday mornings for $6 egg dishes and the $3 mimosas. Best dishes: fussili gianna, caprese salad, cobb salad read more

What a Strange Mix of Old and New! Old (Schoolish): The Men in Tweed Jackets smelling like Moth Balls A Solid, Medium Rare, Ribeye Steak Good Crab Cakes Cougar-like Servers Cadillacs in the Parking Lot New: Cute, Young Hostess & Female Bartenders Hip Bar Half-Italian Menu Renovated Interior I thought this was a Steakhouse expanding their menu to give it an Italian flare, but reading the reviews now, I'm prolly wrong! Nevertheless, it felt like a place where San Marino Old Money meets Hip, Old Town Pasadena Foodies. Not a bad thing, just a little bit of an odd thing. The Food and Service were fine. Nothing jumped out at me, yet nothing disappointed me. Maybe the one thing that stood out was that our table of 5 were able to order a Steak, Swordfish and a Pizza! Not sure where else you can do that! Maybe finding it's Identity would help, but this eclectic mix might be it's own niche! I would also definitely try to do the Bar sans Dinner, and hope to pick up on a Sugar Mama Cougar Divorcee! read more

We are regular customers...and love it. We are welcomed each and every time and you can always count on the food being fresh and with passion. They even buy my favorite rye just because I asked. Be there soon. read more