Nick’s At The Pier

Came here to watch the sunset and have a few drinks. Thought it was a great place till we were ask to leave are seats so they could set up for a trivia. There was no need as the sunset was almost over. The staff could have waited 5 minutes. Nice few but they need to improve service the customer.

CLOSED !
Was going to Shades (downstairs) yesterday, bartender said they told everyone (including staff) 9pm on St. Pats day they were shutting down !
Other locale still open, rumor of business being sold and they didn’t want this location, although its a pretty good one.
Their facebook agrees, but no new info.

I use to be a server myself and the time it took for us to go and request a server since no one ever came by after 10−15+ mins was just ridiculous. My friends and I soon realized why there was a huge wait at the Shoreline restaurant below us. This place has an amazing view and is very clean and nice, however they need to have more servers on to handle the shifts. The restaurant was not busy at all when we arrived, however I think their wait staff just needs be trained better at how to keep up with their tables or give them fewer tables. We were not the only table flagging down our waiter or going up to the bar ourselves for service. There were multiple tables. They really need to do something about this. At least the food was decent.

Watch out! Check your bank statement if you eat here and use a credit or debit card.
I was charged twice. Called twice (the first person told me «it happens, but he corrects it really quick» (what? it happens often enough that the phone answerer knows this?
I emailed.
No response. My bank will reverse the charge and make them prove I ate there twice on the same day for the exact same amount (sure) but YOU BETTER CHECK YOUR BANK STATEMENT!
Food is good, especially the burgers. The waitstaff is great. The bartenders: ditto. One hopes this is just a mistake. But if they won’t respond one has to assume it might not be.

Okay it’s a bit on the pricey side but this place probably has one of the highest rents to pay in all of O.B. The view, especially at sunset cannot be beat.
The food and service is where this place gets docked a few stars. Average price of a very average tasting salad is about ten bucks. Yesterday I ordered a cobb salad and a few pieces of my lettuce were ROTTEN. You know when its all dark and liquified but our waitress was busy, or so it seemed from the lack of attention so I tried to remove the gross pieces of lettuce and enjoy the rest.
The onion rings here are fantastic in my opinion. Lightly battered and the sauce it comes with is amazing.
The rest of the menu is pretty lack luster. Nothing out of the ordinary, just your standard sandwich, burgers, and salads.
The bar/​lounge area is a great place to go for Sunday football as they have tons of T. V’s and seating, however it seems like they are a bit understaffed at times.
Overall, Nicks has a great view with ‘meh’ food and service. Why does OB have such notoriously bad service everywhere??? Still haven’t tried the sushi hear which according to Nick’s is ‘the best in O. B’ I have about 4 more months to go until I can eat sushi again so I’ll have to come back and try it, maybe I will throw an extra star on their review if it’s as good as they say.

There is no sense of urgency with the waiters. I return because I love the view of the water & the papas quesadillas!
Seriously though, hire some waiters who have the basics of service down.
It seems as though the waiters are always different. I don’t know why Management doesn’t take action. In fairness, I ony go here on Sunday mornings so perhaps it is better during the week.

This review is for dinner on the restaurant side. I miss Qwiggs. Back when I first moved to OB there were 2 «fine dining» restaruants — Qwiggs (now Nick’s) and Thee Bungalow (now Bo Beau’s). And we used to come to Qwiggs frequently for happy hour and for dinner on special occasions. The view is still stunning as always — watched the sunset over the ocean, people surfing, walking their dogs, fishing on the pier, and the service was friendly, but the food was not so good.
For starters, I ordered 2 kids meal cheeseburgers for my daughters for $ 6 each, and when they showed up, it was literally just a tiny 1-​oz slider with some fries. I was shocked; I asked our server: «Is the kids menu cheeseburger really supposed to be just a tiny slider?» She said yes. OK then. Each girl ate their slider in about 2 bites and started staring at our food. Really I think Nick’s should change it to be a small hamburger, or at least 2 sliders, or at a minimum, change the menu to clarify that it’s 1 slider. Otherwise, we would have been much better off just ordering a regular hamburger and splitting it 2 ways.
As for the entrees, I had the jalapeño pasta w/​shrimp (nice flavor, but a little heavy and not that memorable), and my dining companion had the seabass special (for the most expensive thing on the menu, just pretty blah). Not sure that I’ll be back again for dinner, although I’ve been to their happy hour several times on the bar side, and would come back and check out their happy hour on the restaruant side (which allows kids).

HORRIBLE SERVICE! I never like to make bad reviews but OMG! I work in Ocean Beach and came here on two separate occasions for my lunch break. The first time, the service was slow even though it was dead in there on a week day afternoon. I just thought it was a one time thing so I didn’t really give it much thought.
Well… I went back yesterday (Wednesday afternoon) on my lunch break. There were 3 other tables seated in this big place. You would think we would get our sandwich and salad in no time. It took over a half hour to get our food. And then we couldn’t find our waitress to get our check because she was BAR TENDING IN THE OTHER ROOM.
Needless to say, I was late getting back to work and I will never ever go back to Nick’s At The Pier. They will not get a third chance from me.

I don’t know why I never come here, but that might change, at least on thursdays. A friend came by and asked if I’d like to join her. They have this bomb deal on thursdays all day, burger, fries and a beer for 7 bucks! Sounds too good to be true.
I recall seeing this sign all the time, but shrugging it off, thinking there was catch. Well I was wrong. The burger was pretty big, and quite good! Plenty of tomatoes, greens and onions to put on your burger. The fries are nice and crispy and decent portion. And while the beers they offered for the deal weren’t my cup of tea, you could basically upgrade to any beer there for 50 cents! I went with the racer 5!!! Woop Woop!
The place is nice, and was pretty empty too. Not sure why. There are tv’s everywhere, and I would imagine this place gets busier once football starts up. I know that I’ll be more than happy to fill up one of those empty seats!

It’s a sports bar which is never my first choice, but on the 4^th of July my group stopped by to get drinks and hang out before the fireworks and marshmellow fights. This place is in a great location– right across the street from the beach and the pier, and at the end of Newport which is great for shopping. That evening I enjoyed the mimosa special for $ 4 and everyone else enjoyed their beers.
The crowd here is iffy, not typical peeps I’d like to mingle with but definitely good for people watching. The staff is friendy and for OB this place is actually nice and clean inside. If you like sports bars– getting a drink and watching the game, then you would really like this place. I actually prefer Nick’s at the Beach in PB because it’s more about pool and drinks, but that’s just me. ;)

Okay place, expected better food for a place with such a nice view of the pacific ocean and the OB pier.
I might go back and try their food off the regular menu.
I went on Taco Tuesday and was highly disappointed. wish I’d taken a picture of the tacos, but I didn’t. all I can say it’s they aren’t even worth the $ 2 you pay for each. It’s two corn tortillas with a little strip of either chicken or beef, the shrimp tacos are the same, two tortillas with lettuce or cabbage, and 4 or 5 little tiny seasoned shrimp. obviously the food was cheap in price and cheap in presentation.
but like I said, I’d be willing to go and try some off their house specialties. it’s a great place to sit and eat, while looking out onto the beautiful ocean.

Great to watch sunset from the window but very high priced.everything. service is only so so

I’ve been going to this location for years. The food is great — from the basics like burgers, sandwiches, tacos and a variety of very good soups, salads and pastas to the wonderful Papas Quesadilla which if you don’t know is mashed potatoes, bacon and cheese between two flour tortillas that’s decadent and fantastic.
They have a sushi bar now which is wonderful and reminds me of the old Quigg’s which was the restaurant in this spot before Nick’s took over.
They also have a very decent wine selection and whether you’re a carnivore, pescetarian, vegetarian, or buffetarian I’m sure you’ll find something that will be sure to satisfy here.
This place is perfect for a date night — get a seat by the window and soak in the amazing ocean view and the Ocean Beach Pier. Sunsets are spectacular seen from this restaurant’s upstairs location!
Always my go-​to place for breakfast, I love their chilaquiles but I’m told by many others that the omelets and sweet breakfast items are delicious too.
Nick’s has great management that are very active in the community — always working to make the area better and safer and consistently concerned with their customers’ satisfaction.
The bar on the other side of the restaurant has everything for the sports fan and you can eat on that side too.
All that being said, just go try Nick’s at the Pier!

When I’m hungry and want food in OB, I automatically think of Nick’s at the Pier. The best thing about this place (aside from the pool table and foosball table) is that they accept credit cards! That is a huge deal to me! Most places on Newport only take cash. Some people only carry plastic (like me).
Crab cakes. amazing. Taco salad… amazing. Pretty much everything is delicious. I still have to try their sushi though.
By the way, on Tuesdays, tacos are only $ 2 each. They’re definitely worth more!
Service is great. The place is super spacious and never too busy to accommodate you.
Oh, and I almost forgot, you have the view of the gorgeous ocean water.
If you’re in the area, you should ch.ch.ch.check it out!

Great Location.
Our Govavi Tennis team goes here almost every week.
Cheap Tacos $ 2 on Tuesdays.
Table Service usually sucks. Bypass the server and go straight to the bar and place your order, it’s usually a lot faster and you will be a lot happier especially if you are in a big group. They should hire more servers on Tuesday nights.
Wish they would do a special for the GoVavi players that come here. We come every week.

HAPPY HOUR & GAME TIME!!! Can you see a TV in this place… wait yes! This place is a Quote SPORTS BAR for the fan (with a few exceptions) but they have a pretty good brunch on the weekends, GREAT HAPPY HOUR, and an amazing turkey sandwich ~ who the hell talks about a turkey sandwich in a Unilocal review about a sport bar?
The GOOD: 5 TV’s on every wall in the entire place with every game on… And the Happy Hour specials are great. And did I mention the Turkey Sandwich?
The Bad: This is a professional sports & local sports bar so if you want to watch a college football game when SDSU basketball is on — good luck my friend! I am all about the J-​E-​T-​S (sorry BOLTS) and I am into the NFL… but give us some college love.
The UGLY… um… can’t think of anything off the top of my head.
Bottom Line: This is one of the best places to come watch sports in OB… sofas, happy specials, food, turkey sandwiches, & cool staff! (and it is right on the ocean too!)
Take Care of the Ocean!

It is unusual to experience such great food while also enjoying an ocean view. Generally the hope seems to be that you won’t notice average food (or even worse) if you are staring at the ocean. Doesn’t work on me, but it must on many others.
Both of our lunch entrees were excellent. I had the blackened chicken sandwich, which was juicy and perfectly seasoned. I will crave this sandwich it was so good. I skipped the fries in favor of a bowl of fruit because I’ve recently noticed that some jiggling has returned around my midsection.
My dining partner had the fish tacos. Since I am not a fan of fish tacos I didn’t try them, but she absolutely loved them.
Both plates were nicely presented, and the service was good. The dining room was much nicer than I expected. This place is money in the bank when in OB.

Came here last night and witnessed everyone in the bar scream and as well as men jumping up and down when the Giants won. Great people watching environment. Service is pretty meh here. Don’t expect it to be top notch as the other formal dinning room across the way.
I came here for dinner and my friends were informed that the crab cake torta was off the menu. Its probably been off the menu for over 2 years now. But the waitress could have easily finagle the crab cake app with a side of «dinner roll» and ring sauce. duh. No worries, there were other good options too. I had the blackened chicken sandwich which was surprisingly good. Although, I really wanted to get a juicy burger, but that was not recommended at all. owell. Beers were pretty good. They had a selection on tap as well as bottles. This is a great environment to catch up with friends and watch sports.

Wowsers! I just realized I hadn’t written a review of Nick’s yet. Shame on me because I’ve got to give credit where it’s due.
Anyone who frequents this hood for food or beverage knows that the service standard has been set pretty low. With all the hippies, stoners, surfers, and bums that live in the area a lackadaisical vibe has been known to carry into some of the establishments. Well, Nicks has done a really good job either not hiring the lazy asses or the stoners that work here are highly functional, cuz every time I come I feel like a V.I.P. (Very Important Peninsul-​ite)
They have a sit down restaurant, and a sports bar side to the layout and the staff really does deserve props on both sides. Always friendly, fast, and most of them live in the neighborhood so they can tell you all about the area if you have questions. If they’re slow someone’s sure to come and chat with you at the bar and if they’re busy you’ll be surprised how quickly they manage to get to everyone.
I wouldn’t call the food the best in OB, but it is hands down, by far, the best that you’ll get after hours. The kitchen stays open till 1am and you can get almost anything on their extensive menu, which rules because most places have pretty crap-​tastic late night options. They’ve also got pretty killer happy hour deals midweek. You can get their burger and fries for under 5 bucks if you come on the right day. (Wednesday I think)
Once football season rolls around Nick’s is the best place in OB to get your game on. Besides having comfy couches and TV’s galore there’s darts, pool, and a bean bag arcade game to occupy your time when the best game on TV is the Browns vs. Lions.
If you’ve ever been to the Nick’s in PB, they’re similar in layout, but the crowds kinda reflect the hood. Whatever vibe is more geared towards your style either way Nick’s is a great choice.

oh hello papas quesadilla… we meet again, i see. won’t you hold me in your creamy mashed potato embrace? shower me with bacon and chive kisses? whisper sweet nothings in my ear and beg to be doused in sour cream… again…and again… and again.
this is gluttony at its finest.
über-​unhealthy bar food, no doubt, but if you are going down that road anyway… why not do it right with this unique take on a quesadilla. oh man, so good. so guuuuud.
get. now.

We decided to come here to meet up with my husband’s cousin’s friend, who live in OB. I’ve been to the Nick’s in PB, but never to this one, so this was my first experience. It was rather empty when we first arrived, so we had the place to ourselves for awhile. I ordered the crabcakes and hubby had the chicken nuggets and a few beers. The crabcakes were supposed to be spicy, and it was, but it had a lot of fillers and fake crab in it that I was disappointed. The parts of the crabcakes that didn’t have the hot sauce on it were rather bland. My husband’s chicken was dry and overcooked.
Our waitress was very accommodating, drinks were cheap, great lounge area with a nice view of the ocean, but other than that, the food wasn’t impressive at all. The waitress was anxious to go home so when we were there for a few more hours, she asked for us to close our tab and get our drinks from the bar, which was rather impolite of her as to how she sounded when she explained that to us.
As we were leaving, which was around 11:45pm, the place started packing up, you can get little bites to eat at the bar and drinks until 1am, so it probably explains the late crowd. But personally, I wished we stopped by Hodad’s to get a burger instead of eating here.

On day 3 of my road trip thru SoCal I arrived in San Diego. And moments upon arrival I realized I was hungry. What else is new? The oh so fabulous Danny W suggested we meet for lunch at Nicks on the Pier. 10 minutes later Tiffany C and I pulled up and I exclaimed «this is exactly the type of place I was in the mood for!» I knew we could rely on Danny to lead us to good eats…
Our table overlooked the beautiful beaches of San Diego (full of people) and I couldn’t help, but wonder if anyone actually works in this city. Then again… if I lived in a city that is sunny 95% of the time I’d have a hard time working as well.
For lunch I opted for the shrimp tacos, which also happened to be on the lunch special menu for just $ 8. Score! San Diego has us (Chicago) beat in both the shrimp and taco departments and these shrimp tacos lived up to expectations. I ate up every bite of this very fresh shrimp and dove right into the rice and beans that was served with it as well… YUM!
We even stuck around and managed to get some work done, although I have to admit I was quite jealous of all the sun-​bathing going on at the beach. With perfect weather and great fish tacos my short stay in San Diego was off to a good start!