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Nick's Crispy Tacos
Category: Restaurants Mexican Mexican [Edit]
1500 Broadway(between Polk St & United States Highway 101)
San Francisco, CA 94109
Neighborhood: Nob Hill
(415) 409-8226
Announcement
Extended Hours!
Starting Friday, July 8th
Enjoy our 2 for $5 Fridays until 11 PM
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 11:30 am - 10 pm
Fri 11:30 am - 11 pm
Sat-Sun 10:30 am - 10 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
2018 reviews for Nick's Crispy Tacos
Review Highlights
"Huge, hearty, and the carne asada is excellent."
(in 285 reviews)
"Or the pescado taco just melts in your mouth."
(in 238 reviews)
"Great fried fish crispy tacos, the best I've ever had."
(in 133 reviews)
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2018 reviews in English
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Review from Helen D.
San Francisco, CA
2/8/2012
First off, great tacos! Get here (early) on a Tuesday night and enjoy your $2 tacos (Nick's Way of course)!
But this place really needs to make up its mind what they want to portray. Is it a taco-shop? A sports bar? A lounge? Or a club? Wait, it's all that, and more. On any given night night, half the people are wearing sweats and t-shirts while the other half of the (underage, mind you) crowd are wearing high heels and clubbin' clothing.
I feel like it half-asses being each of these segments. Underdog (in the Sunset) did a better job this way, it being a sportsbar with tacos!
I do not complain about the tacos, cause let me tell you again, they are amazing. But Nick's Crispy Tacos definitely needs to make a better business plan.
Oh and their "hot" sauce is good, just don't think it's hot. -
Review from Denise T.
San Francisco, CA
2/8/2012
I've had Nick's tacos at Underdogs a few times but I finally made my way to their actual location thanks to a Groupon deal! Had the carne asada and pollo tacos (Nick's way of course) and the Mexican corn on the cob. BOMB.COM! The carne asada was delicious, the pollo was mediocre. I went on a weekday so the wait wasn't too bad. It's still a bit weird how the restaurant turns into a club at night. BF and I sat and ate our tacos at what appeared to be the "bottle service area" for the club. Yeah, decor is a bit weird... Food is good nonetheless. I'd probably choose just going to Underdogs for Nick's since it's not as far of a drive.
PS: The green sauce is THE best! One squirt per bite at the very least. -
Review from Yushan K.
Berkeley, CA
2/7/2012 1 Check-in Here
My marketing professor would say this place needs to decide what it is. You walk into a place on Saturday night that looks like a club and says "Rouge" outside. Sure nuf, it's all. red. inside. Your friend swears there's tacos by the side, and at this point you're thinking they're pulling your leg. Half the people are wearing tshirts and sneakers, the other half are dressed all nice.
And then you get your taco and have your pitcher of margarita (with help of course...or not), and it all starts making a little more sense...
By 10pm, the tshirt wearing peeps have all been replaced by scantily clad girls in heels. On your way out, you pass the bouncer and the line of people trying to get in to the very exclusive club where you just had a fried taco. And a darn good taco, at that.
What?
Well, if the mishmash of ideas is part of what makes it special...if it ain't broke don't fix it, right? -
Review from Kristen K.
San Francisco, CA
2/5/2012
Salad - Outside of the awesome taco tuesday deals - go for the taco salad. I love this hearty salad of romaine, charred corn, black beans, pico de gallo, tortilla strips, cabbage, and a huge mound of guacamole. I love throwing the shredded chicken on this salad for a quick weeknight take-out meal.
Tacos - Nick's Way are unstoppable. Chicken, fish, carne - they can do no wrong. I wouldn't recommend buying these outside of Tuesday, a $6 taco is hard to justify.
Breakfast - Though the tacos are lovely, the breakfast quesadilla is the gut-bomb that you should love on the weekends! It's a massive burrito tortilla crisped up with scrambled eggs, jack cheese, bacon, and potatoes. One quesadilla is enough for two people. -
Review from Amanda S.
San Francisco, CA
2/4/2012
Ok, so the veggie burrito was good. I'm super impressed you used cabbage as well. Awesome.
-1 your hot sauce is not hot. the burrito was not spicy. ?!
-1 a veggie burrito costing $6.70, that is half the size of a cancun burrito... um, no.
-1 why does something that costs $5.95 on your board then total $6.70 with tax? last i checked, it wasn't more than 10%, and 10% of 5.95 is 59.5 cents... not 75 cents. i know this is ridiculously picky, but when i asked how that math worked out, you didn't give me a receipt... but i just didn't want to bother with it anymore. still, what?
Oh and nice pinto beans that weren't cooked to a mash. +1
-1 for being a posh dance club meets sports bar meets new age diner and then has a taqueria on the side at the bar. maybe that's just how nob hill is when it comes to taquerias?
Better than... cafeteria burritos... not worth the $$. -
Review from Anuj C.
Newark, CA
2/2/2012
This place is awesome for viewing sports, love to come here for football games. It great for groups, although you can barely hear each other because of the noise level.
the bottomless mimosas on sunday brunches are strong. Food wise i love the nachos and the Fish burrito, probably one of the best fish burritos i have had in a while.
I love going here with a bunch of friends and watch the game. they have an amazing number of tv's and the bar and kitchen are very fast with your drinks and food.
Go here on sunday and enjoy the game. you might want to reserve a table cause it does get busy esp on sunday brunches. -
Review from Raymond D.
Pleasant Hill, CA
2/7/2012 1 Check-in Here
Not only was the food not very warm, the dining room was super cold. The namesake tacos were pretty bland. I enjoyed the nachos a little bit and the red decor. I wouldn't call it authentic Mexican, but it's definitely authentic bar food intended to be consumed by drunks.
-
Review from Jennifer L.
San Francisco, CA
I AM IN LOVE WITH THIS PLACE. BEST TACOS EVER. I could eat Nick's Crispy Tacos at any time of the day: breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Sometimes, after lunch or dinner, I even crave the crispy tacos as my dessert over any kind of ice cream, cookies, cake, etc. No joke peoples.
Wow, even writing this review right now is making me excited. Where do I begin? I pretty much always order all my tacos Nick's way cause you gotta. Comes with a crispy corn tortilla within a soft one that delivers extra crunch. And it also includes all the good stuff: a CRAP TON of yummy guac and some jack cheese. My go-to's are the camarones (shrimp) and grilled fish. I can't express to you how EFFFING GOOD these tacos are. Love all the salsa, lime, cabbage, cilantro, and onions that come with it, and the whole taco is just a piece of heaven with all the ingredients they load in it. 2 tacos usually fill me up, but sometimes I crave a 3rd just to top it all off... The chips and salsa are also really good here.
Seating can often be a pain in the ass because it's a bar-type of atmosphere, and people are always running around trying to save tables for friends. But dude, it's so worth it. I've come here on Taco Tuesdays once, and it was SUPER crowded; perhaps it's because I showed up pretty late (9pm?). Although tacos are cheaper on these days, I'd actually rather come on a less crowded day and pay more because they're just that good; I want to be able to get my tacos quickly and enjoy these divine tacos in peace.
My bfs go-to's are usually the carne asada and pescado tacos (Nick's way of course). Those are also damn good but just a bit more on the fattier side. But who am I kidding? All these tacos are probably loaded with a crap ton of calories, but I'd gladly gain all the weight in the world to eat these tacos.
As for price, yeah yeah, they're more expensive than Mexican street tacos. But they're also WAY LARGER AND SO DELICIOUS. And you figure, for a lunch/dinner in SF, to pay $10-$12 for 2 tacos and be pretty full, that's one hell of a deal. Sometimes, Yelp or Google Offers has deals for this place, but if you ever see it sold out, sorry, it's because my bf and I probably bought like 10 million vouchers. Ok... must end review now before I get too hungry.... -
Review from Anuj K.
1/25/2012 1 Check-in Here
I doubt I have to write my own review for this place - read all the other amazing reviews.
I love the fish taco, the veggie taco, and the fantastic salsas. -
Review from Jaye C.
Daly City, CA
1/26/2012
TACO TUESDAYS. OH. MY. GOSH.
...No really, THE BEST fish tacos I've ever had in my entire life (and that says a lot cuz I love fish tacos and I order them a lot, hehehe!). THIS (and a Shake Shack burger back in NY) would be my LAST MEAL ON EARTH if you ever asked me what it would be. Fresh fish and oh-my-freakin-gosh-to-die-for sauce and guacamole dripping down the side of my face, staining my white tank top and my leather jacket and my bag (due to my clumsiness and hungry-hurriedness)? Eh, whatever, oh well, I can clean that up with some laundry soap and hot water later. Just get those tacos in my bellayyy!!!!!!!!!!!!!
In short, I love Nick's. -
Review from limuel g.
San Francisco, CA
2/2/2012 3 Check-ins Here
Simply one of the baddest taco's out there, and I mean that in a good way. Nicks taco's Nick's way is the only way to have a taco from this establishment. This isn't your traditional street taco, so don't expect to try el pastor or lengua if you have that specific craving. This taco is just fully loaded with extra everything, need I say more. Okay maybe just a little bit more. I'll leave you with: any taco made nick's way, especially the fish tacos, chips, avocado, and watermelon fresca. I just made myself hungry.
-
Review from Kristina M.
San Francisco, CA
1/25/2012
Good place to go on any given night for some good drinks and great food. Happy hour margaritas are about $2-$3 and a pitcher is ridiculously cheap.... and beers are cheap as well during happy hour (about $2). I'm not really a fan of the happy hour margaritas though... I'd rather pay a little more and get something that tastes a little better.
Both the veggie tacos and chicken tacos (Nick's way) are great. Also opt for the chips & guac. Can't go wrong at Nick's! -
Review from Holly G.
San Francisco, CA
1/25/2012 2 Check-ins Here
I am a HUGE fan of Nick's crispy tacos. I've been here a couple times before, and I think the tacos are absolutely delicious! I always order mine Nick's way which comes with a heaping scoop of guacamole, cheese, and covered in both a hard and soft shell taco. These are easily the best tacos I've had since living in San Francisco. The Baja fish taco is unbelievable and I also really enjoy the carne asada and pollo. The tacos are quite large. I didn't think it could really get any better until....
TACO TUESDAY!!?!?@%**!! My friend reserved a booth and invited me to join her for Taco Tuesday. This is something that I had heard about, but never participated in, so I was excited to give it a try. $2 tacos. I'm in. $10 pitchers with several different options of beer. In.
The place was pretty full, but not to the point of being uncomfortable. If you didn't go with a reservation it was pretty difficult to snag a table, though. The line for tacos went through long/short intervals, and I was very lucky because the line was short when I got there. I randomly saw a ton of people I knew, they played amazing music, and I had an incredible time.
Hip, hip, hooray for Taco Tuesday at Nick's! -
Review from Alexander E.
San Pablo, CA
I woke up with a Google Offer to Nick's Crispy Tacos - $10 for $20 worth of food. I couldn't pass up the deal, especially with the great reviews. However, I'm going against the majority by saying I don't see the big deal.
1) Parking is a bitch. I headed over to Nick's from the Mission District and parking took about 15-20 minutes to find. I'm a patient person, but it was getting frustrating not being able to find a spot in the area.
2) Douchebag central. Granted, it was 5p.m. on a Sunday and it was a madhouse. I hate when I forget there's a football game. I would avoided the bar/lounge/taco house had I known a game was going on.
I was a little confused on the ordering process as there's no sign or hostess to point you in a direction. A bar area with a counter and a menu on the wall is located immediately to the right. The menu includes a few starters, such as nachos, chips and salsa, jalapeno poppers, etc. As for the main entrees, you have a variety of tacos, both regular or Nick's Way, burritos, quesadillas, and a kid's menu.
I ordered two carne asada tacos, one regular and one Nick's Way, which is served crispy with Jack cheese and lots of guacamole. Additionally, I ordered a pollo taco and my +1 ordered the chicken nachos. The total came to $26 with all said items and two soft drinks. The voucher redemption was simple and painless. We received our order number and sat ourselves. Fortunately, the game was over and we found a booth.
The food came out and my tacos looked great, but the nachos looked less than appetizing in my opinion. The chicken taco was okay, far from special and pretty bland all around. Tacos are served with two tortillas, which is a bit of overkill as they are pretty thick. Up next was the carne asada taco, Nick's Way, which was a little better due to the guac. The melted Jack was a bit much for me and there's was nothing "crispy" about it. I stomached the third taco out of sheer hunger, but was pretty disappointed. The nachos were okay, but far from memorable and felt like movie theater nachos.
Overall, I was pretty disappointed. Did I order the right item? Am I bias because I'm Mexican? Am I spoiled by home cooked Mexican and real SF/East Bay taquerias? Nick's was okay, but if I can't find a parking spot next time, I'll keep on driving.
Ambiance: 3 Stars (out of 5)
Food: 3 Stars (out of 5)
Service: 3 Stars (out of 5)
Price: $ (out of 4)
Overall: 3 Stars (out of 5) -
Review from Taylor C.
San Francisco, CA
1/24/2012 8 Check-ins Here
This review is only for Taco Tuesday's but I would say that's all that needed (although i haven't tried brunch on a gameday with bottomless mimosas). Here are some things to consider:
- Call sometime in the week ahead to Rogue and get a table, makes eating and drinking and hanging out much easier
- If you get there anytime after 6:15 or so, you will be standing in line for tacos for a good 20 minutes, but for how long the lines are, and the amount of orders coming through, the line moves fairly fast and the food comes out even faster
- Get your taco Nick's style, whatever you decide. you get a crispy taco and guacamole for only a dollar. Well worth it
**Cash Only for Tacos** -
Review from Sarah G.
1/9/2012
Taco Tuesdays with red velvet looking walls and giant chandeliers hanging from the ceiling? Sign me up for that!
Yup, they have $2 tacos on Tuesdays here, and it is so popular that you pretty much need a table reservation in order to have somewhere to sit, unless you get here early enough to grab a spot at the bar. They are 2 hour reservations, so if you are smart, have one person reserve one table for 2 hours and then a second person reserve another table, and you have one one full taco tuesday fiesta. But be sure to order your tacos earlier rather than later, because there is a separate taco order line that gets really long really really quickly. And if you get your tacos nicks style one tortilla is crispy fried inside the other and it is topped with a mountain of guacamole. Mmmm that taco full of that chicken and the other one I got full of their asada was super tasty. Brought taco tuesday to a whole new level.
But watch out--if you stay too long here, I was told this place turns into one mean 18 and over club! -
Review from Penny W.
La Mirada, CA
2/3/2012
For a whole the tacos started to suck went back recently and they were good again.
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Review from Esme i.
Palo Alto, CA
2/3/2012 Purchased a Yelp Deal
Nick's... how I love thee. It's 2012 and I am the 2012th review!
Shrimp and carne asada tacos, Nick's way, ALL THE WAY!
And the corn is pretty tasty too. Still prefer Cafe Habana in NYC, but this is an excellent fix for it! -
Review from Arthur C.
Daly City, CA
1/20/2012
Popular Taco Tuesday joint. It gets crowded and there aren't many tables so either make a reservation or be ready to stand with your drinks and tacos for a little bit. People usually move in and out regularly so you'll usually find a spot to plunk down in at some point.
The tacos are whatever. They taste exactly the same as the tacos at a place called Underdogs on 19th and Irving (its a more divey type place). Not very tasty and actually sort of bland. The corn tortillas are usually pretty dry. Also, every taco is an extra dollar or so to get it Nick's Way (w/ guac, sour cream, and sauce) so its really not that worth it. If you drink enough $2 coronas its not so bad at this place.
It has a pretty swanky interior with some chandelier decorations and velvetty curtains around everywhere. Taco tuesdays are casual, but later at night the place become Rouge which is more of a nightclub/lounge. They charge a cover after 10 I believe and its just your average lounge. I wouldn't recommend Rouge, but Taco Tuesday's are ok here. -
Review from James M.
Oakland, CA
1/28/2012
Albert Einstein once said, 'Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex... It takes a touch of genius - and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction'. Nick's Crispy Tacos is an example of this testament when it comes to their fish tacos. The simple fresh ingredients prepared with thought and care makes these tacos one of the best if not THE BEST fish tacos I've ever had.
-
Review from Yang Q.
12/29/2011
If you're starving and short on patience, don't go to Nick's. A rendezvous to Nick's requires lots of patience to find parking, even more patience to wait in the long long line, and the last of your patience to find seating.
But once you have conquered all these obstacles and gotten your tacos, you'll be one happy camper. I got the carnitas taco Nick's style-- tender, moist pork, all the usual taco basics, plus beans and guacamole encased by 1 crispy shell and 1 soft tortilla. Genius. And I'm not even a fan of beans normally. Filling and delicious for $3 ($2 if you don't get the guac). They also offer chicken and carne asada tacos for the same price on Taco Tuesdays, plus 2 for $5 coronas and Stellas, $3 margaritas (or $18 for the pitcher..you know you want to!). With these prices, and the lively, gaudy, tequila bar-esque atmosphere to enjoy them in, it's no wonder so many people flock to Nick's.
Cash only though! -
Review from Molly B.
San Francisco, CA
1/12/2012
Nick's is a well known / popular neighborhood Russian/Nob Hill establishment that serves good Mexican food / tacos and in the evenings weirdly becomes this Asian nightclub called Rouge. The place is casual (weekend brunch you can even catch people in shacker attire) but it tries to be classy with red/black color scheme & nice chandeliers.
The food is choice -- big portions, good flavor etc. In particular I like their guacamole and their breakfast burritos. Pretty big menu and they are good about customizing it to your liking. They also have a full bar, which takes CCs (restaurant section is cash only but has an ATM). They have a number of TVs but in my experience it is not a great place to watch a game if you actually care about said game, as the place gets too crowded/loud / hard to find a seat (and the TVs are kind of small / far from the booths).
A lot of people like to talk about $2 Taco Tuesdays, but in my opinion the lines get way too long if you actually want to eat (although Tuesdays can be a good time to people-watch). I prefer the 2 for $5 Fridays and the bottomless mimosa Sun brunch (goes until 3) and the all day happy hour on Sundays as well. The line can be daunting, but once you make it through, they are very fast to bring out your food. The space is big but seating can be deceptively hard to come by during weekends and obviously on Tuesdays when the place is packed to the gills.
One request if the Nick's folks are reading this: y'all need to get some bigger cups for the complimentary water! I can go through like 6 cups over the course of a meal...sometimes it feels like I'm spending more time going over to that carafe than I am actually eating the meal / socializing with my friends.Listed in: Polk Street
-
Review from Jeff G.
1/4/2012 1 Check-in Here
This is one weird place. It's like a hipster's dream. Shabby but hip...hipster and peculiar.
Nicks tacos are good until you get to the bottom of the taco plate and see the grease. Gross. The bar and the restaurant are two separate businesses under one roof. Odd too. As weird as this place is, there is something endearing about it. It's a blast to sit at a table with 6 of your best guy and girl friends, drink a beer, share some tacos and just take in the craziness of SF. Gotta love it.
Oh, Free Chips and decent salsa if you check in. -
Review from Elisa T.
San Francisco, CA
1/26/2012 Purchased a Yelp Deal
After getting back from Costa Rica, I had an obsession with fish tacos. Nick's definitely hit the spot. And the sauces!! just when I thought the taco couldnt taste any better... I added the sauce. talk about a party in my mouth. it wasn't Costa Rica, but it was the closest i've gotten.
-
Review from Andrew M.
San Francisco, CA
1/6/2012 1 Check-in Here
Great food. Definitely get the "Nick's Way" taco if you like gauc because the normal tacos don't come with it.
On Tuesday's this place gets really crazy so come early (before 6:30pm) if you want any chance of sitting somewhere while you eat. -
Review from Benjamin B.
San Francisco, CA
1/9/2012
YAY!!! Tacos! Beer! Fun!
Ive been here atleast 3-4 times. They do have a good google offer here and there.
Happy hour is great with 2$ tacos, and paying more for nicks way grants you a hefty taco. Even the salsas and fresh chips are great. I realy enjoy coming here and, make sure to get here early as seats fill up fast, and the line gets soooo long.
It turns into a club later, which is a hit or miss. sometimes its Douche C so watch out! -
Review from Jeff C.
Arcadia, CA
1/27/2012 1 Check-in Here
I ordered the fish taco "nicks way" and never looked back! It was great! A generous piece of fish topped with guac, its def a must try!!!! The line might take a couple minutes, but I assure you its worth the wait!
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Review from Jonathan L.
San Francisco, CA
12/31/2011
49ers Monday Night Game = Good
Fish Tacos = Good
Draft beer = Good
All the above = EPIC.
Get the fish! Avoid the other meats (chicken, pork, beef, etc...)! They are pretty dry and not as flavorful. The fish is juicy and tender. Tacos or burrito, it doesn't matter. Just get the fish.
We arrived only minutes before kick-off but luckily got a booth. Wasn't the most comfortable way to watch the game but pitcher of beer for $10 makes it better.
Get the fish tacos!
Oh ya...49ers won. Woot! =D -
Review from Maria Anna J.
San Francisco, CA
12/28/2011 4 Check-ins Here
The only fish taco I've ever had was at Rubio's but say no more, I'll only get it here. I've been to this joint a few times and it's usually for happy hour. You walk in, order your food to the right, pay and take your number with you to your seat. Be mindful that it is cash only. No cash, no problem as there's an ATM inside. If I remember correctly.
Anyway, I'm not a big fan of margaritas but if you are, then order it cause they are definitely cheap here. Order the fish tacos too, Nick's way and we'll call it a day! -
Review from Jade W.
12/30/2011 1 Check-in Here
There's something slightly different about the famous Pescado Taco, Baja style and Nick's way from the Taco Shop at Underdog's. Too much red cabbage, habanero salsa was lacking kick, the guac was kind of bland - I don't know what it is but just not the same.
Positives were that the fish was really crispy, service was quick and efficient and when you check-in on YELP you receive free chips and salsa.
Maybe because I enjoy the crowd, the scene, the diversity and parking in the laid back inner sunset area; Polk just makes me annoyed. If it wasn't for the popsugar coupon I probably wouldn't have gone to that hood and I have no immediate plans to go back; unlike my standing Monday visits to Underdog's.
That isn't NCT fault, just my preference, but if I was in the hood, someone else was driving and I wasn't craving some bomb ass Chinese food on the other side of the Broadway tunnel I could see myself chillin' here before heading to the next spot. -
Review from Leigh P.
Phoenix, AZ
1/30/2012
Stopped in for Tacos Sunday afternoon, read some reviews about ordering Nick's style and I wasn't let down! I had a pollo and a carnitas, both were excellent. The guacamole is great too
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Review from Spring L.
12/29/2011
I never really liked tacos. Maybe because Taco Tuesdays in Sacramento meant a bunch of high school kids trying to save a couple of cents on an already cheap commodity while they ghost ride the whip in a Del Taco parking lot.
So when my best friend in San Francisco said, "Let's go to taco tuesday!" I thought... WHY?
As it turns out, the meaning of Taco Tuesday in SF is drastically different than Sacramento.... and infinitely more sophisticated as well.
Held in a bar/lounge, one can order these gourmet tacos at less than gourmet price while keeping it classy with a Margarita or cool with a beer. And when I say gourmet, I mean Nick ain't playin' with it. His way is the only way to go. I'm not gonna lie, thing's huge.
This place cultivated my love for tacos and I can now say that I am a firm supporter of Taco Tuesdays... in SF. Here the guys are smart enough to buy girls tacos instead of screaming Hey Bay Bay! Trust me guys, that does not work. -
Review from Andee L.
Sacramento, CA
1/11/2012
Get the carnitas tacos Nick's way. This is the best non-traditional taco that I have had. It is a crispy taco shell atop a soft taco shell. The fillings consist of juicy carnitas, cheese, beans and a heaping pile of fresh guacamole. It is fairly large and filling for a taco. The only slightly negative thing I can say is that it is a bit pricey and the beans didn't need to be there.
Note: The atmosphere is strange for a taco joint. It seemed like a real swanky bar with a red and black color scheme, full bar and chandeliers. I ate outside to stay in the taco mood. -
Review from Megan L.
12/25/2011
Probably the best fish tacos I've ever had, but then again I've never had an excellent fish taco.
Everyone will say to order the tacos "Nick's Way." It gets you a ton of guac and both a crunchy and a soft shell. It's good, but unfortunately it's not very cheap ($5/taco) unless you go on Taco Tuesday.
Atmosphere is a bit weird when the restaurant is empty, since it uses Rouge Nightclub's tables. Food is ordered at the counter and tables are open seating, first come first serve. -
Review from Nadeem A.
Union City, CA
12/9/2011
I'll have to concur with a previous reviewer... it was mediocre.
Add the mediocrity to the long wait on a Tuesday night and you get a recipe for a 1 star experience.
If you were to go on a regular night, it wouldn't be worth paying full price, so I'm guessing that would also be a 1-2 star experience.
We got a chicken taco, a beef taco, a pescado taco, a quesadilla, and chips & salsa. Nothing memorable in the bunch.
Basically, I'd probably pass if this was free and delivered right to my hands. -
Review from craig F.
San Francisco, CA
12/21/2011
I guess Nick's is so busy that they are too cool for you. Or at least for me.
Got a takeout order. Drove back to my FiDi office. Opened my bag. Wrong order. The little tag stapled to the bag had my name on it, but nothing that I ordered was in the bag. Called them to tell them of the error, figured they would at least apologize and give me a credit (for the record, the value the food I got was half of what I paid). They are apparentlhy too cool for anything as pedestrian as answering the phone, so expecting a call back after I left a message is certainly too much to ask.
BTW - don't order the rubber. I don't know why they would even have it on the menu. At least I think that's what it was that erroneously came in my bag, a taco with small brown flavorless rubber cubes. -
Review from Jonathan C.
12/23/2011
Summary: Fried fish taco's are great, done Nick's way with a ton of guac and double layered taco shells!
Mandatory pun: It's nick's way or the highway
What can I say that hasn't already been said?
"Interesting" decor to say the least, but the taco's done Nick's way are superb if you like guac (and really, who doesn't?).
Whoever compared Nick's way to Taco Bell's double layer taco's of the 90s (with the absolutely awesome SOFT, CRUNCHY commercials!) is right on cue. This is exactly that, but with the obvious quality bump.
Fried fish tacos were lightly battered, fresh and delicious. I'll definitely be back.
All you "it's not real mexican food" people can stop: if you want "real" mexican food, go to another place. :)
Two fried fish taco's done Nick's way was $12. -
Review from Jen S.
12/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
MAKE SURE TO COUNT YOUR CHANGE!!!
i came here on a tuesday for $2 taco day. make sure you get here EARLY cause the line can get really, really long. i got there before 6pm and so there was't a wait. i ordered 2 tacos and a beer - gave the guy $20 and got $3 back... i didnt notice til the next morning when i needed some cash and of course they didnt give a receipt.. sigh they dont even have to do math! thats what the cash register is for! all they have to do is read the amount and give you the cash. you'd think for a cash only place they're better at it..
i had to give them a couple stars because their tacos ARE good. the fish taco actually is the real fried thing, unlike one of those fake fillets they give you at rubios or mcdonalds. and their pitcher of beer is $10 whichs is totally worth it. plus the girl comes around to ask you if you need anything often so you can always havea drink in your hand.
but beware if you dont get there early you wont get a seat or barely even any space to stand. imagine eating a messy taco and drinking a beer with no table to set things down... -
Review from Jeanne L.
12/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
FOOD: Baja-styled Mexican-American food (or whatever you want to call it), but it is delicious. My workplace caters from here on a semi-regular basis. I didn't realize how expensive the tacos were, especially when done "Nick's way" (which is with jack cheese and a ton of guacamole) - it's about $5/taco. Yikes. I'm spoiled. Oh well, I love these double-layered tacos, but maybe not enough to pay out of my own pocket.
Also good picks: the Black Bean and Grilled Corn Taco Salad ... and... the Sopa de Tortilla. Flavorful and fresh-tasting!
AMBIANCE: This is probably what does it for me most. This place is connected to (the same as?) Rouge SF, which I guess is a Nightclub. That would probably explain the strange decor. With a name like Nick's Crispy Tacos, I expected a dive, but it is more like a trippy-confused swank-gaudy nightclub mixed with sports bar: Many many chandeliers packed onto the ceiling. Intimate C-shaped leather booths. Large televisions dispersed for your easy sports-viewing pleasure. -
Review from Josh R.
Palo Alto, CA
12/30/2011 1 Check-in Here
I like Nick's, but sometimes the Red Booths smell like puke... It's not always easy to scarf down some tacos when it smells so bad. Thanks for providing a yummy taco, but how about some bleach to clean?
Thanks!
