Nick’s Fish Dive & Oyster Bar

I really prefer to make several visits before writing a review, but they’re not getting a second visit. I know everyone has off days, so keep that in mind when considering what I have to say.
I ordered fish and chips. Simple. Should be safe. The fish looked wonderful, but the thick, puffy batter turned gummy and nearly raw on the inside. The fish was cooked nicely. Unfortunately, neither the batter nor the fish was seasoned. No texture; no flavor. The fries were just as bad. I give them credit for making them in-​house, and they looked fried, but they were limp and soggy things. I’d not be surprised to find out they were baked. The coleslaw might as well have been raw shredded cabbage for all the flavor it possessed. The tartar sauce was good, though.
My original server was awful. Monotone, expressionless, he might as well have been an electronic kiosk. He said almost nothing. I mentioned I was having trouble deciding what to order. I got a blank stare in return. It’s great when the server will offer recommendations in that situation, but I’d have been just as happy with him saying «I’ll give you a few minutes, then» and carrying on with his day. The blank stare was awkward to say the least. Without explanation, a different server brought my food. He took over from there, and I never saw the original guy again. The new server was as good as the original was bad. I sure hope he’s the one that got my tip.
It’s a beautiful space, and hopefully someone will do it justice someday.

The service was very very slow on a Sunday afternoon. We got seated right away but took the waiter 15 minutes to take our drink order. There was a large party next to us who was having issues with the waiter/​orders. Our drinks didn’t come out for another 20 minutes with half our tables food. The remaining food didn’t come out (oysters, shrimp) for another 20 minutes after this… food was fare but not worth the wait

In my book n rating system — stars are rightfully earned and not freely given away. And 3 stars is good — so here goes:
Great setting. Especially if you’re able to enjoy the patio! Seated right away on an early Sunday night.
A warm and welcoming hostess greeted us which set the tone for our experience. Collin, our Server took over and did a great job. Nick’s offers a menu that doesn’t have a gazillion choices. Which to me, appears they stick to what they know and do best.
1 lb of cold shrimp in the shell was a tasty & fresh app for 4 of us (only downside, without the cheesecloth on lemon, the juice and seeds went everywhere). The roasted oysters were sinfully good but sorry to report. The shrimp n grits were a miss — The grits were a plop of cold firm paste and the sauce that others wrote and raved about was cold and un memorable. However, To cap it off. The strawberry meringue dessert was Devine and perfect!
Will we give it another try? Yup…

UPDATE—
Went in last weekend. Whole staff is changed, even management. Food presentation was off, bartender was slow and not friendly. What happened to the cute one named Louie? Bad move Nick’s…big changeover shows bad management and if you can’t keep staff then your regulars won’t come back. Consistency is key. the stuff I ordered didn’t taste like last time. That means kitchen staff isn’t properly trained. Who is the Chef now?
Not coming back. Keep your overpriced food and slow service… I’ll spend my money else where in the waterway.
A delightful little place tucked away on The waterway in the Woodlands. I came for lunch on a week day, parking is free at the lot adjacent to the restaurant, free till 5pm I believe.
No hostess greeted me, so I found my way to the bar where I was greeted with a smile by a very attentive and friendly bartender named Louie.
The general manager happened to be close by and also introduced himself. They both recommended the Shrimp and Grits, or the Fish Vera Cruz. I chose the grits, and it was quite delicious!
I lived for a few years in Charleston SC, where they pride themselves on the dish, I had thought I would be disappointed; but no Charles and Louie had it right! The grits had goat cheese with a hint of jalapeño. Grits are hard to do, and they were layered in flavor.
As an appetizer I had the bucket of boiled shrimp with a Cajun seasoning spice with Remoulade and cocktail sauces. The Remoulade sauce needed a tiny bit more lemon or something to make it slightly more appealing to accompany the very large shrimp (practically prawns). Cocktail could probably have used more spice of some sort. That was the only thing I could add because the shrimp and grits stole the show on this one.
What a fast and pleasant lunch, the bartender was efficient in keeping my water filled while informing me on which wines would have been best with my shrimp dish. I had to opt out of any alcohol because I was on my lunch break;(
I will be returning to this place, with a great crew working here like Charles and Louie guests are sure to keep coming back! I can’t wait to come back and bring my friends at night to sit on the patio overlooking the waterway with the pretty lights!

Was not a fan of the oysters and waffles. The putine they serve was decent but nothing too great.

My wife and I ate here on 5÷26÷16 for lunch. We had perfect service by Carter I believe.
We both shared a some chargrilled and raw oysters and two salads. My wife had the kale and I had the shrimp Caesar. I know we just had simple things but the excellent service, nice patio and super fresh high quality food left us saying we would love to come back. After I explore the menu I would guess it will be five stars.

Had dinner at the oyster bar there last night (⁵⁄₁₃) before the DMB concert. This weekend The Woodlands hosts the Ironman competition. That along with the concert, as you might imagine, had everything completely packed.
Nick’s too was packed and the staff slammed. However, despite being a bit overwhelmed, they did a fantastic job. Service, bar and food was all very good. Started with a dozen oysters followed by PE mussels and a catfish po-​boy. Pleased with it all.
Look forward to trying them again in the not too distant future.
My 2 cents
Greg T.

Not too impressed. Oysters were pretty small, although I did like that they were served with horseradish in addition to all the usual accompaniments.
The fish and chips was average. Wine selection was mediocre. Overall kind of a ‘meh’ experience.

There are no photos of our meal because I was too busy devouring it. It is out second time here and I was even more impressed. I brought my wife for Mother’s Day and tried two of the specials, we had both the swimmers hot and cold specials. Amazing!

My sister and I were just exploring the waterway and stopped here. We tried the gulf oysters first. They were your typical oysters in taste, but a little smaller than I was expecting. Also, poorly shucked. I kept getting bits and pieces of the shell with pretty much every oyster. We also tried the oysters from Glacier, AK, and Blue Point, CT. Glacier oysters were super clean and fresh with a saltier taste than Gulf. Blue Point oysters were average and a little gritty. Everything about this place is pretty average, nothing to write home about. Also, they said they validated the parking but they really didn’t.

We stopped by last week on a whim, four and a baby. We were seated outside because it was a far shorter wait time. It took about 15 minutes for someone to come check on us and start to take our order, but Carter was very apologetic and extremely nice.
I’d never had oysters before and asked for a little guidance, which is partially why we chose this place. I had some questions and also required some recommendations for my first raw oyster experience, Carter was very knowledgeable about the menu and exceptionally courteous.
When the food arrived, it was hot and seemed to be very fresh. The oysters were excellent! The tuna tartar was excellent also. For the most part the food was very good… but the other two dishes lacked a little something.
I would definitely go back, but maybe on a week night when it is a little quieter to get preferred seating, rather than out on the street side.

This is the first review where I really need Unilocal to pick up their game and make ½ star reviews. I really struggled between a 2 or 3 stars. Ultimately, the entrees forced me down to a 2.
Let me start with the positive. The service was wonderful. Additionally, I LOVED the Gulf oysters (Dozen for $ 13 or $ 6 during HH) and the beer was ice cold!
This was my first time here, and the biggest negative I had was the lack of variety on the menu. For a dive, I expected some fish sandwiches, OR AT LEAST ONE. Also, they didn’t give many options for preparation of fish. For example, they have Mahi Mahi… why not have an option for Grilled or Blackened or even on a sandwich or with fries. just thought that was the biggest flaw as a whole.
I got the Caribbean Mahi Mahi and it was overdone & really lacked flavor. I enjoyed the coconut aspect of the rice though. My boyfriend got the fish & chips. He loved the seasoning that the fries were coated in and raved about the coleslaw… with regards to the fish he was unimpressed.
I really wanted to like this place, but I was left disappointed. I would definitely come back during HH for oysters & drinks though. HH deals are awesome and those oysters are great.

Not impressed. The structure itself is cute. Great view, good seating options. But we should have know our visit was going to stink when we had to wait for a hostess, and then 2 showed up at the same time that were snide to each other before one sat us.
When we were seated it took a while for the waitress to come despite it being empty.
The bloody Mary’s were average and they were out of olives.
Our appetizer came out at the same time as the food.
Char-​grilled oysters (8 on the tray) were mediocre at best.
The shrimp and grits were ok, but the sauce had an un-​natural red tint to it.
Stay away from the lobster roll. All you can taste is relish and it comes on a toasted hot dog bun.
We will not be back.
Don’t waste your money!

Great atmosphere, really good lobster roll and gumbo. Unfortunately, the oysters were shucked horribly. I crunched into pieces of shell with almost every oyster, and they looked completely mangled. The service was okay.
They were also unable to validate our parking even though it states that they do at the garage. I didn’t hate it, but it wasn’t great. Pretty sure we won’t be going back.

This is a good place. I have had dinners and lunches here and I cannot complain. The food and service is good!
I had Oysters and Shrimp Tacos (not on the menu. They made them for me) here today with two great customers. This was a heavy business lunch. The service was great and is like the were not even there. We negotiated prices and there were no interruption. The food came, we enjoyed it and had a good meeting.
The oysters have always been good here.
After this lunch I have stayed on to use their wifi and work. The waiter is making sure I am comfortable
GOOD WORK NICK’S I will be back.

We were wandering throughout the waterway trying to decide where to eat when we fell upon this place. The nautical theme and the menu attracted us inside and it was hard to choose an item since everything looked so good.
The hostess was very friendly and offered us some menus to look at before we committed to have lunch.
My only complaint was the cocktail menu. It was filthy. It was a crinkled piece of paper full of brown, blotchy food spots and crossed out items with a sharpie.
I don’t understand how you would allow your largest area for profit potential to diminish just because you can’t print out a clean menu? BTW, I didn’t order a cocktail.
Outdoor seating was available with nice views of the waterway.
Our food was delicious. The shrimp cocktail was a bit too spicy for me, but the homemade taro chips were a big hit with us.
I couldn’t decide between the crab cakes, po boy, lobster roll or fish tacos… I know! Those are the problems I love to have! Ultimately I decided on the fish tacos and they were perfect to share with Mr. G. They were delicious. Messy, but tasty. The cole slaw was good but not outstanding. maybe it was missing some coriander seeds? It was a bit too bland for us.
Ice-​tea was cold and made to perfection with plenty of refills from our friendly waitress who accommodated us when we decided to eat outside instead of inside.
Overall, I’m not sure I’ll come running back but the menu items may tempt me.

Great place… Happy hour is impressive. $ 6.50 dozen gulf oysters and $ 6 Titos martinis (not on the menu)
Do it… We will be back

I’m really torn between giving them 3 stars or 4 as I see the issues here as minor, & easily corrected.
So I am one of those patrons that likes to browse the menus prior to visiting a restaurant, sadly their website is down and out completely with nothing but those nasty Server Errors. So no menu browsing beyond what those have shared here on Unilocal.
The décor is simple, references to boats, oceans, the sea, just enough lighting, with the ability to have a very relaxing ambience MINUS, and this is a huge MINUS, you have six speakers blaring in the small room separated from the bar area by a small wall open on both sides. And, it being small those six speakers can be quite overbearing in such close quarters. Needless to say 60 minutes sounded like I was watching it at a sports bar, and yes 60 minutes was on, I would recommend designating a music stream more so than television when no prime sports are on.
Started off with the
½ Dozen Gulf Oysters $ 8 — figured I would see what the house had to offer before I went picking and choosing through the fancy named oysters. They were worth the $ 8, not huge in size, but great tasting. Cocktail sauce was phenomenal, horseradish was fresh, and I believe the third was red onion balsamic vinegar (cant say I have ever had this option before, but I loved it!)
Moved on to
Shrimp n Grits $ 16 with the Elderflower Sour $ 9 — I cannot speak anything bad upon the mixed cocktail, picked it on a random whim and just ended up not being a fan of the elderflower liquor, or maybe the gin. The shrimp and grits is topped with sautéed vegetables, and presented quite nicely with 4 grilled shrimp. The grits are a littler thinner than my liking, and I expected a little more kick with their red Cajun sauce but overall tasted great.
And to finish
Nick’s Signature Dessert Strawberry Merengue $ 6 with a cup of Coffee $ 2 — This dessert would be my top choice if I could find the merengue. They honestly nail the fresh whipped sweet cream with fresh strawberries that hide away the treasures of a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream… and merengue? I felt they misplaced the merengue on my order and became sick of eating whipped sweet cream before me and my partner could even finish it, even the fresh strawberries couldn’t help me out, wanting to put all the cream in my coffee just to see it disappear. BTW the cup of coffee was large!
They have a decent beer list, looks like prices range from $ 5 – 9, cocktails seem to range between $ 9 – 12, all other drinks being $ 2. Our server, Rachael was great, we definitely did not lack tentative service by any means.
I saw advertisements for their Happy Hour which includes half off a full dozen oysters, that’s a definite deal to me, so I definitely see myself returning to enjoy those offerings.

A most delightful experience at Nick’s during the holiday weekend. We were traveling for Thanksgiving and spent the night at the Woodlands Marriott so just walked the ½ block to Nicks. We are real foodies and are always up to trying new restaurants so thought we could give Nick’s a chance vs dining at a chain restaurant. Great choice!
The décor is warm and really cozy, well thought out. Can’t see why they call it a dive because it’s far from it. We were greeted and wanted to look around before we were seated. Started talking to some staff and the manager who immediately introduced us to the Chef, Aaron Nelson. My gosh, we hit it off famously and talked ‘food’ until I was so hungry I had to try some of the dishes.
We opted to sit at the bar and that was a great choice — the interaction with the bar staff was gracious and attentive and I can’t say enough about their service.
I could say I looked over the menu but after I heard about the shrimp and grits, heck, it was a done deal. We both ordered that dish and the presentation was just lovely. The bed of grits with a hint of goat cheese topped with blackened shrimp. I can still taste it!
They have some lovely craft beers and a nice wine list plus full bar. I have to say, they are really creative and are trying to not be like every other Woodlands cookie cutter restaurant and they have managed that! Love the fresh oysters and wish I had a bigger appetite to try a few other dishes.
We are so excited to hear there is a possibility of expansion in to the Fort Worth area. Fairly far from us but so much closer than driving to Houston! I would plan another stopover trip to the Woodlands just for another dinner at Nicks.
Delightful. We thank you all for your hospitality and hope to return soon. We’ll be watching for the Ft Worth opening!

Nope — not worth your time. If you have lost your executive chef and general manager before you even open for business, you have issues.
I get it: I love the theme — the food is good but everything else is missing. Battlefield promotions to general manager do not count. You can clearly see this with the service and the attention to detail. You can’t run a restaurant without experience and it clearly shows here.
Went here to meet up with some awesome peeps and everyone clearly agreed the service was pathetic and so was how we were treated. I could care less if you offered us free appetizers, even if they never showed up.
Hire some competent management or you will be out of business soon. I won’t be back. EVER.