It's a diner. Nothing fancy. It wants to be a supper club, but it's a dingy diner. Food is okay. If you're going here before a show at the Overture, know that this is nothing more than a diner. Your lady in her heels and little black dressed will not be impressed. If you're looking for some good greasy food at a wood-paneled dive, then you'll love this place. It's all about expectations.
Review Source:We stopped in for a quick bite before Chen Yun at the Overature last night. Just ordered an appetizer to split.
Kalamata Olives & Feta plate. Came with 2 pita's, sliced into 4 pieces each, 4 slices of cucumber with Roma tomato on top, a small handful of olives, and four chunks of Feta. The entire app was drizzled with EVOO. Not the best EVOO, but what do ya want from a place that's kitchen is about the size of my bathroom?
The olives were outstanding. Some of the best we've had. Â The Feta was salty and delish.
All in all, pretty good.
I enjoy everything about this place. Classic feel - like stepping into a time machine set for 50's. Really good lunch menu & fantastic specials. Meatloaf and mashed - out of this world good.  Eat at the bar or big vinyl booth  - enjoyed spot on service and seems owner / family are hands on running the place. Nicks is what many places wish or try too hard to be - only better.
Review Source:Stopped in before a play at the Overature as I had read good things on Yelp about it. Â We were not disappointed! Â Its a small place and it was busy so we were stuck in a table in the middle of the room, but not to worry. Â The wait staff was very attentive and kept us filled with soda as we waited for our meal.
Three of us had the gyros and my wife had the burger. Â The gyro's are excellent! Â Lots of meat and the pita bread was fresh and soft. Â The cucumber sauce was just the right tartness. Â The burger was meh. . . Â Not bad, just meh.
But everyone raved over the fry's!! Â Perfectly done and had a bit of spice to them. Â I'd get just a plate of them if I was just in the mood for an appetizer.
All in all, a gem of a place for Madison.
Hey put some Windex on it!
To start, the ambience and decor at Nick's are second-to-none if you're interested in a flashback to the days of the rat pack. Let's just say that if Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra hopped in a time machine and came to present day Madison, this is where you'd find them.
I had the fish sandwich with fries; both were great. For me fries can make-or-break a spot, and Nick's fries definitely made the cut.
It's just a really cool atmosphere and a really cool restaurant. The fact they don't really have a kitchen, opting instead for a flat-top grill out in the open, just adds to the overall experience.
Realistically, I'd give the place a 6/5 if I could.
I'm just in Madison for a couple weeks, and stopped in Nick's on a tip off that it was one of the best gyros I could get around. Â
I can't complain about the gyro - it was pretty good, nothing miraculous, but the meat felt non-mystery (always nice) and the pita was fluffy and good. Â
So if the food was only pretty good, why five stars? Â
Because this place is amazing. Â It's like walking back half a century, and not in the pseudo-ironic way of Brooklyn restaurants made to look old. Â This is just a place that hasn't changed. Â Man with a martini at the bar who knew everyone. Â Chatty bartender, lovely waitresses, the kind of place where you want to say they were just a peach or a doll because it would work. Â Great, low key music, and a good bottled beer selection. Â
Thumbs up.
I used to frequent Nick's in college and always enjoyed the old school decor and unexpected fact that it offers multiple sandwich options for vegetarians. We went on a whim today for lunch.
Typically I give a less-than-successful restaurant server the benefit of the doubt in all but extreme cases. As a former server I know that there are often many variables out of your control when it comes to food availability, kitchen promptness, and staffing issues. None of these seemed to be the reason behind our miserable experience at Nick's today. Our server just seemed straight up incompetent.
After we sat with our drinks for 20-25 minutes after we'd ordered (and it was not busy) it became obvious that our server had taken my boyfriend's meal to the wrong table. By the time she realized her error, my plate had sat in the window for ten minutes. She brought me the soggy veggie melt with a vague apology about the wait we could anticipate for his plate to arrive. When it did, fiveminutes later, she dropped it off without a word and proceeded to avoid us for the rest of our meal. My theory is she was anticipating a complaint so she drew less anxiety from simply standing behind the bar and chatting with her colleagues. My boyfriend had to walk up to her to ask for drink refills after she attended to the table next to us, but walked right past our empty glasses.
Besides the food being soggy and bland, the service was ultimately the biggest disappointment. The place seemed really disorganized and every time an order would be up, the servers all seemed really confused about was on the plates and where they should go.
Rarely do I stiff a waitress by leaving less than 20 percent. Rarely do I take to the Internet to complain. Today I did both. I hope my experience was a fluke and doesn't indicate such a vast decline in the restaurant's food and service, but I probably won't be back to find out.
Nick's. Â I love Nick's Restaurant. Â Let me preface by saying I haven't actually had anything to eat there.
I like stopping in to get a drink before a show at the Overture. Â It is right across the street, and the bartender guy is always very friendly. Â It feels like a classic old-time diner, minus the cloud of smoke I would get in mountain country bars back in day (living out west).
I like being able to stop in, have a drink, and inconspicuously head on into the night.
I initially loved Nick's - it was cute, divey, and Greek, what's not to love? Our waitress was a total sweetheart, which I think saved the rating.
We were first brought mini-glasses of water, which were about a shot of water a piece. A pitcher would've been nice as well (rather than trying to get refills after a few tries).
I was so excited to get the feta-stuffed chicken with american fries, and my boyfriend to get the BBQ special of the day. Our meals arrived quickly (pro) but my chicken was completely raw (looked like it came straight from the fridge without meeting the oven) and boyfriend's BBQ was full of chunks of carrots (?). Our waitress was very sweet and brought my chicken to be re-cooked, but at htat point I was fairly grossed out by it already. No refund/special was offered (free dessert? soda?). Unfortunately, I had high hopes but was dissappointed with the food.
If I go back, it will be strictly for cocktails.
We had $20 in gift certificates from our insurance agency, so my husband and I decided to try this place last night. Â It wasn't the worst meal I've ever had, but I'm definitely glad we only paid about $8 plus tip for it after using the certificates.
My husband really liked his fried fish sandwich and fries, but I was underwhelmed by the turkey melt. Â The roasted turkey they used was good, but the wheat bread was soggy and the cheddar cheese was completely tasteless. Â I might as well have ordered American--it had no bite to it at ALL. Â I also didn't like the fries as much--husband said he thought they were "double-fried" or something, which is too much fry for me.
I had a glass of the sauvignon blanc, and that was good; my husband also really enjoyed his beer (bottles only, no draft, I heard a waitress telling another customer). Â Our waitress was competent but seemed kind of overwhelmed and not very personable, which was particularly noticeable since the place was almost empty and she had, at most, one other table.
The decor was very nice, and the prices aren't BAD, but as noted, I'm glad I wasn't really paying my own money for that meal. Â I have no desire to return.
Came here for a bite to eat while visiting the Capitol and UW campus. The sign outside sad "Hot Turkey Sandwich Special", which drew my attention (I'm a sucker for Turkey Sandwiches).
It's a surprisingly cozy restaurant with a bar / diner-esq feeling. We came for a pretty late lunch and it was not crowded at all. The waitress was very nice and seated us immediately.
We got the Turkey Sandwich, the Capitol Club (Turkey, ham, bacon triple decker), and a Gyro. The Turkey sandwich tasted like Thankgiving on a plate :), which was good and the portions were huge. The Club sandwich was huge and very filling. The Gyro was mediocre at best. Small portion and not very good.
Overall, good place. I did find the bathroom to be unappealing, so I would probably save the trips for after the meal. I also found a hair in my sandwich (it could be my own... I'm not sure and didn't really mind).
This place, like the Memorial Union, is old-school, well-preserved and very much alive. The guy running the place was friendly and the waitress was adorable. Â When I asked her who the Billie Holiday-ish singer we were listening to was, they both knew the answer (some French name I should've written down), and she brought out the CD! Â Usually when I ask restaurant employees what music they're playing, they don't know and they don't know why I'm asking.
I started with a side salad and was impressed that the lettuce was actually green! Â My entree was a turkey sandwich, which came with their "special sauce". Â I was afraid it would be mayonazey, which it was, but it worked well with the crisp lettuce and turkey on the pumpernickel bread (my choice). Â It was good! Â The fries were nice-sized and crunchy on the outside. Next time I'm in Mad-town, I'll try to stop back through.
The food is good and the people are nice, but I really don't think the portions were worth what i paid. Â I left sort of hungry. Â I had a feta stuffed chicken and like I said, it tasted good, but for the $12-15 range in Wisconsin, I was shocked to get the amount of meat you'd find in McDonald's quarter pounder. Â Yeah there was the gooey cheese and the stir-fried vegetables, but overall, wasn't worth the price.
Review Source:Honestly, i hate to give Nick's a one star review. Â I like the interior, and I like everything that it stands for. Â It's one of the last unpretentious places left on State St. to get something to eat.
That being said, the food is overpriced and terrible. Â $11 for a greek salad that looked like it came from a high school cafeteria? Â Sorry, no thanks. Â I'll go O.D. on ironic velvet paintings somewhere else.
Got to love the decadent combination of pie and bourbon. Â
I came here after a concert at Overture on Thursday night. It was surprisingly empty, yet had the warm welcome feeling. Think of Plaza; it's "homey" in that way.
A waitress greeted me and my date in very pleasant way, and we sat down at one of the booths (love the booths). We ordered warm cherry pie and a sniffer of Knob Creek. The pie had the perfect amount of slightly tart cherry - ah, what more do you want after a great concert? They also have blueberry, pecan, cream pie, and all the other staples. It's not the best pie in the midwest, but does the job to make you purr.
State Street* has a here-today, gone-tomorrow feel about it. Â I've lived in Madison for slightly over two years and not many of businesses from my first visit are left. Â Yummy Buffet, the Russian Dumpling place, Real Chili, Fuddrucker's, a couple of small ladies' clothing stores (sorry, don't go in them), etc. Â The list of new arrivals is equally long. Â D.P. Dough, American Outfitters, The Love Shack, The Crab House. Â For a college town, Madison is devoid of local institutions.
Nick's is not one of these fly-by-night operations. Â It feels like it's been around for a while, and it's true - Nick's has been open since the 70's, I hear. Â The floor is old, the wooden paneling is old, the booths are worn: much more New York or Chicago than Madison. Â It's one of these places where you fully expect to pay cash only at an old fashion register - you know, one that looks like an over-sized type-writer. Â Zero concessions to modern business models. Â
What is surprising is the mediocrity of the place. Â How has it stayed, when everything else just goes? Â I've had hamburgers at Nick's, Club Sandwiches at Nick's, Liver and Onions at Nick's, Grilled Cheese at Nick's, and it's always a disappointing, soggy, indifferently prepared meal. Â Or does everyone not agree? Â
Someone, please explain Nick's to me. Â Is it the pie? Â
*For non-locals, State Street is a pedestrian mall that connects the Capitol to the University of Wisconsin Campus. Â It's only a few blocks long, but it feels like a major commercial and cultural thoroughfare. Â That should tell you something about Wisconsin.
I've been taken to Nick's (for pie and drinks) twice. Â The odds of me suggesting a visit are virtually nil.
It's okay. Â It's like the bar/rec room that your Uncle Ed decorated in the early 70s and never got around to updating. Â
The music is okay. Â The pie is pretty good (the cherry pie has a heavy cinnamon taste, which *I* liked, but you might not). Â The drinks are good. Â The service is okay--generally prompt, but not really friendly (and considering that there are usually only...6-10 people in the bar at any given time, I'd expect a little more smile and a little less grouchiness, but whatever).
Overall: Just okay.
BTW: While the restaurant/bar is wheelchair accessible, the bathrooms are not.
This is the place on State Street to avoid the crowds. I never considered it a restaurant. Sure, the pies are good, and you can grab a few snacks with your drinks. But mostly this is a great place to pull up in a large booth with a group of friends, have a few drinks, and talk until you are hoarse. You can always get a table, which worries me. I have no idea how a place like this in that expensive location can be profitable. The wood paneling, faded velvet paintings, and great juke box really do give the time warped feeling that a previous reviewer mentioned. There's nothing retro about it, because the place has always looked exactly as it is. And that's great, when I want a modern-flashy bar, there are plenty to choose from. There's only one Nicks.
Review Source:I like how this is a retro bar that is also a diner...making it a good place for a hangover cure with a mimosa or bloody mary in the morning, but that is pretty much the bright side.
Service is fine and they do a have an outdoor eating area on State. Â We went for brunch. Â My friend's ordered omlete's that were not really memorable. Â We were disappointed to find the Greek omlet contained gyro meat rather thant he tomato, olive and feta that we were hoping for. Â I wanted to order an omlet, but found that they would not make egg white omlets, even for extra that I was willing to pay.
I ordered coffee with skim and splenda and was given 2% with soggy packets of sweet and low. Â The breakfast menu was limited and there were no fruit plates. Â
Ok place to go if you want booze and don't really care what is in your omlet.
I live in Austin now.
If you live in Austin, I urge you to read the other reviews of this place to know why the Belmont is a traveshamockery of everything good and pure in this world.
Nick's Restaurant, "Home of Good Food", is everything good and pure in this world. I worked there off and on in my early twenties as a cook with people who are now probably dead or retired (sans gold watch), and smiled even though life gave them little reason to.
It looks like Dino runs the joint now; I worked for his dad, Aristides, who took over when Nick died in '73.
Back in the day, it was the same pocket of a time-warped restaurant that it is now. You didn't tell everyone you knew about Nick's, because some of them wouldn't "get it", and they would just tarnish the times for those who did: cab drivers, grad students, retired govt clerks, professors...
I can't add anything more about the pies, drinks and food to augment the other reviews.
But, I can suggest you go in there on a freezing cold Madison evening, sit at the bar and order a Stoli Gimlet, put a coin in the jukebox and press 1-6-5, and stare out that big plate glass window at the wet, black night, and become unstuck in time.
Nick's is not a haven for vegetarians. Â The wood-paneled interior is most certainly Wisconsin supper club circa 1955, and that's how it should be. Â I keep coming back for the drinks -- they make a grasshopper that is more mint shake than booze... and it's amazing. (and in general I'm a fan of booze)
Review Source:Quite good restaurant for a number of reasons. Nice atmosphere and lighting, and very well made food. Their steaks are reasonably priced and cooked just as you ask, their coffee is good quality. They have a friendly serving staff who are quick as well.
Their Friday fish fry is amazing. Try it.
Order a turkey sandwich and you'll get turkey that the cooks baked themselves, not some store-bought cold cuts from a plastic bag. The pies and the soups and EVERYTHING is home-made and simply wonderful, which provides ones culinary experience with a decided old-schoolness that meshes well with the decor. My only complaint: the severe lack of vegetables, whether on sandwiches or as sides. Reminds me of the places Grandpa used to take me after fishing. Classic like downtown Vegas, but without the cacophony that is kryptonite to your hangover anyway.
Review Source:Nick's is a casual diner that takes you back a few decades. My college newspaper editor friends and I would hang out there after stressful deadlines for greasy food, pie and drinks. My memory is that the mood was smoky and the decor saturated with dull greens and dark browns. There is a nostalgic feel there, like it's the last restaurant of its kind in the area, and has never ceased being a great meeting spot for an unpretentious group of friends.
Review Source:Nick's is what it is and it always will be...and that's the way it should be. Â A throwback to something you could have easily found on State St. in the 40's and 50's...oh, I guess you could have found it then too! Â Nick's is the place to get no-nonsense food, good drinks and yes, the decor is EXACTLY what it should be. Â If you've walked by here for years and looked in with trepidation, relax, walk in, hang your coat up, sit down, eat, drink and you will have a great time!
Review Source:The food - especially the weird looking pie - is absolutely terrifying here, but the place is pure Greek-Wisconsin classic. Â I remember it being a long, narrow joint with some worn out old booths and a long counter with some bar stools. Â Great drinks and a really fun, low-key place to hang out late night.
Review Source:The Old Yeller of restaurants (minus the rabies), Nick's is my go-to place if I'm looking for a quick dinner on State St. Â Cheap prices, friendly service, decent food, full bar. Â They never disappoint mostly because I don't expect too much. Â Some might say the decor could use an update but I think it's part of the charm.
Review Source:
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