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When I drove from Boston, MA to relocate, The first thing I ate in San Diego was a California burrito from Nico's.
Good Call.
I hate to do it, but I'm taking a star away because it's cash only.
On the days I have cash in my pocket, I rate Nico's 5 stars (in my head.)
My favorite cheapy mexican place in OB! Get the veggie burrito and add chicken. It is beans, rice, sour cream, guac, tomatoes, lettuce and then add the chicken... soooo good and sooo cheap!
If you go to Nico's make sure you get either their breakfast burrito, the california burrito, or their rolled tacos. Nico's has by far the best rolled tacos I have ever eaten.
Love my bean burritos and my boyfriend loves his California's.
1 star for walking distance from in-laws house.
1 star for quick and delightful service.
1 star for extra helpings of guac.
1 star for being a whole in the wall and living up to my definition of the perfect fast Mexican food.
This is probably the best fast food mex restaurant to grab a cali burrito, breakfast burrito, and carne asada fries/chips.
I tried a shrimp burrito last week and it was mostly filled with rice and salsa fresca. I probably only found 5 shrimps in that whole burrito.
They close too early to compete with the mediocre fast food mex open late in OB. I think they close at 9pm.
I'm not a fan of runny eggs...I'm for sure not a fan of runny eggs in my breakfast burrito...I'm not a fan of a place that serves runny eggs in my burrito...I'm not a fan of Nico's...
To illustrate my enthusiasm for Nico's, I will use a selection from one of William Carlos Williams' lost works entitled "Burrito City":
So much depends
upon
a California
Burrito
prepared by a Mexican
dude
in a white apron and
hairnet
Ah, that was nice. Anyways, Nico's does some serious work when it comes to taco shack food. The food usually comes out quick and when you first look at your order, you might think "this was prepared by a fat woman with impulse control". Extra sour cream, cheese, and guacamole tend to dominate whatever you order. Whether it's 3 rolled tacos or a Carne burrito, the workers just pile it on at Nico's. Oh well. You gotta figure this food wasn't gonna do your ass any favors in the first place so you might as well indulge. And hey, if your New Year's resolution was to satisfy every single gluttonous urge in 2009 than you're on the right track!
PS: Try the breakfast burritos. They are hangover kryptonite.
I love this place! This is what San Diego's Mexican food is all about. I also love the lady that is there on Saturday mornings.
My favorite is the breakfast burrito with salsa fresca.
When you go there take your food down to the beach and enjoy!!
I have to be a contrarian here and humbly disagree with my Yelp brethren on this place. I came to Nico's on the recommendation of a friend, specifically that I should try their breakfast burrito. Unfortunately, I found the potatoes to be bland and the burrito as a whole to be relatively tasteless and pretty much totally unseasoned. The cheese was largely unmelted. All-in-all, I was very much unimpressed. I prefer the Seaside Cantina's breakfast burrito far and away more than Nico's.
Cash only mon ! Beware. It kills me when businesses do this. I know why they do this and I kinda understand but it still irritates me.
Besides that, pretty damn good burritos, I dont have a favorite but so far all the ones that Ive ordered has been good.
Ahhh, Nico's. Best carne asada fries and california burrito I've had.
Unfortunately, every time I've eaten there, I've gotten a bad case of the stomach monkeys afterwards.
Even so, it's safe to say I'll go back and risk having a rumbly tumbly for some more of that delicious-ness. Just not on a regular basis!
Sometimes, I have dreams about their breakfast burritos. The eggs, cheese, bacon bits, and potatoes all wrapped up in a large, warm flour tortilla. Dipped in some pico de gallo salsa for extra deliciousness. and then... I wake up an realize I now live in San Fran-crap-cisco and my Nico's dream turns into a nightmare.
Carne Asada burrito is also really good as well as the taquitos which come topped with cheese and sourcream/guacamole. Yummy!!!
This place will be be my baseline 4 out of 5 stars from now on for California Burritos. Overall pretty tasty, filling and $4.
Nothing special about the meat. To me the carne needs to be able to stand up on its own, this carne wouldn't.
The combination of the carne, fries, pico, sour cream and salsa makes this place an 8 out of 10.
Oh and for ANYONE EVER mentioning Chipotle in a San Diego mexican food review, your Burrito Pass has been revoked. Chipotle was founded in Denver and McDonalds had a majority share.
Another great hole-in-the-wall!
The chips & guacomole were very good, and the chicken burrito was nearly perfect!
The chips & salsa were nothing special.
Friendly and quick service. Food served piping hot.
100% my favorite taco shop in SD... and it's right down the street!
I judge all california burritos against Nicos. the rolled tacos with guacamole are the best. Carne asada fries are amazing and cheap for the huge amount of food you get. I've never been disappointed with anything.
I wish it was better for the waistline though.
With San Diego having a million taco shops, this one is for sure on my favorites list. Been a loyal patron for the last couple years and plans on keeping it that way. It's a little hole in the wall amongst the dusty antique/overpriced bikini/"vintage" clothing shops that give Ocean Beach it's Sunday afternoon charm. If you don't live in OB, I promise you the drive from wherever you live to this burrito heaven is worth it.
Burritos the size of your leg and just as heavy. I took my dad here for a father's day outing one year and he couldn't even finish it.
After an all day frolic at the beach getting pounded by some waves, Nico's is definitely worth the walk up to the top of Newport for a burrito.
And the workers don't mind if you come in topless/shoeless/covered in sand/haven't showered for days, etc. etc. The sand pile they sweep out the door every few minutes is ridiculously big.
Aside from the sand, I promise it isn't in your food; the carne asada burrito is the way to go. Hands down. And the food is made quicker than anywhere I've been at in a while, also a major plus if you're starving.
Whenever I go to San Diego, I make a point to come here at least once for a breakfast burrito. They are delicious! They're also the only thing I've ever ordered from here, so I can't say whether any of the other items are good or not. But the breakfast burritos--amazing! And they're perfect hangover food. Make sure you ask for some hot sauce. I'm not sure what brand they use, but I've never had anything like it. I'm not usually a hot sauce person, but theirs has a different flavor to it. It's not at all sweet, and has a nice spicy taste to it.
Definitely a hole-in-the-wall burrito joint. I do not recommend eating there, but take your food down the street to the pier to eat by the ocean.
They don't accept credit cards, so be sure to stop at an ATM before going. Or there is one down the street around the block, as Nate and I discovered when neither of us had cash.
However, their California Burrito is AWESOME. Better than any I've had in my year of living in San Diego.
In conclusion, check this place out, but get it to-go.
Nico's - numero uno. I wish there were 6 stars to give.
This was my introduction to Baha Mex, I hope to find a place as good one day somewhere else. I have many fond memories scraping all the loose change out of my car to get a burrito. Carne asada, it's a real masterpiece.
Nico's in O.B. is a real treat.Get a burrito, stroll down to the beach and enjoy!
Best veggie Burrito ever--Try it, youll love it. Their Cali burrito is good too, ask for extra potatoes :)
great place to eat after a session at the OB jetty.
a little spot on newport avenue, nico's will be sure to please, no matter what time of day.
in the morning, i recommend their famous breakfast burrito.
for lunch, try a chicken burrito
and for dinner/late night, have a california burrito with extra rice put inside the burrito, you will be amazed at how amazing it is.
it's at an okay place. it's easy to find on newport, a little small and kinda dirty place though. it is well kept, but there is the occasional fly buzzing around.
many will find this place a great resource as a late-night fix after hitting the hookah lounge across the street.
this place is especially great for it's prices. you will never pay more than about $5 for a burrito and drink, so it is very affordable.
here, you find a nice mix of people. you will get the tourists, the local teenagers, surfers, and old folks, all looking for a great meal at nico's.
their hot sauce is one of my favorites in all of san diego. the thing i look for in a mexican food place is great hot sauce, it truely makes the food that much greater. when eating in, they give you a nice bottle to squirt into your food as you eat. this eliminates the mess behind the little solo containers.
I am a burrito gal. Sometimes it's carne asada, sometimes carnitas, sometimes bean & cheese....but always burritos. I think this is the only taqueria where I get rolled tacos.
Why?
Because they are so fucking good!
This was day 2 of memorial day weekend/california burrito tasing tour of OB.
Well around lunch time waking up off my buddies couch we decided to head down to Nico's and get some breakfast.
It may have been the time of day or my hangover but the california burrito wasnt going down well. I'm still giving the place 4 stars but im going to have to go back and give it a second chance because I wasnt that impressed.
One of the best Carne Asada Burritos and rolled tacos (taquitos) anywhere!
If you're in San Diego you have to visit this place!
This place is what Roberto's used to be. Over the years I've taken my girl here and Roberto's, and she always prefers Nico's. I didn't want to believe it but I found myself always enjoying Nico's way more.
The rolled tacos come with a ton of fresh guacamole and cheese on top. I can't tell you how many Taco stands in L.A. don't even HAVE guacamole!?!?!!! There breakfast burrito is awesome too.
Go here and thank me later!
Although I love bean burritos with black beans and wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla, I can live with this place. They have a delicious veggie burrito that over-stuffs me every time!
This is one of those small taco stand joints with cheap Mexican food and it is good! I will pay $3.50 for a huge burrito any day! For under $5, you will feel more satisfied than ever.
One of the best Mexican places in SD, the second best in my opinon in OB. I always get my veggie burritos from them and i like their cali burritos too (i make mine veggie) although their fries are pretty salty. they are cheap, they are fast, and they are good. yeah nicos!
Have you heard of caps? It's a drinking game that involves shooting beer caps into cups filled with beer. Usually, you sit on opposite sides of the room in teams of two.
Two summers back, I played a lot of caps. In fact, that's pretty much all I did every night of the week. I'd wake up still hammered or, worse, hung over.
Nico's was on the way from my friend's house where the caps playing took place and my place of employment at the time. I'd stop in and get a breakfast burrito and everything would be okay again. My drunkenness would fade or my hang over would disappear.
Nico's is magic. I owe Nico's my life.
I have eaten at a lot of Mexican hole in the wall joints and let me start by saying this place is anything but average! Simply walk in, order a carne asada burritoand some rolled tacos, and settle in at one of there comfy orange booths(you know the kind)!!! Your taste buds are soon to be very happy!! Rolled tacos are generously covered with a heaping pile of guac and cheese, so just top them off with a little salsa and chow down! The carne asada is far from the grissly so called beef you get at so many of these mom and pop styled places. Top with some hot sauce and enjoy!!!
Epic. Stupendous. Righteous. That's what I say after everything I order and proceed to wolf down here.
Small shop, cheap eats, consistently good grub - I've had it all, the tacos, the burritos, the rolled tacos, it goes on and on. When it comes to the good stuff I tend to be a bottomless pit much to the horror of those around me (don't worry, I've started jogging to make up for it) so as you can imagine I've had it all x's about 40 - yummmmmmy. So freakin' good.
great veggie burritos. the only reason they missed a star is b/c i went to SDSU for 4 years where trujillos supplied me w/ bomb hot sauce. so i can't say it's the best i've had. but i like it.
Best taco shop in OB. Best breakfast burritos I've ever had!! :)
So good, so cheap - this is of course based on my one visit when I wasn't all that hungry - but hey, I won't argue with the positive reviews. We both went for the 3 rolled chicken tacos with guacamole and cheese, and found them crispy, crunchy, guacamole-y, and absolutely what we were looking for. If I find myself in OB again, I'll definitely go to Nico's and try some of the other awesome stuff everyone else is mentioning - orrrrrrr just get the chicken tacos and call it a day.
Legit and authentic. The best burrito hands-down.
You will not go anywhere else and order something so pedistrian as a Bean, Rice, Guac. and Cheese burrito and feel like you just spent the best $3.45 of your life.
When I lived in OB, I went here everyday. Now that I live in downtown, I drive to OB for the warm tortilla and hippie-watching!
A few blocks away, in an unadorned room, i spent my first months (after age 4) as a San Diego resident. The place where i lived had an electric stove, and i was really just treading water there, so i didn't do much cooking. At all.
Enter Nico's, which i often did. It's not great Mexican, but it's good burritos. The carnitas was usually really good (though i had a few let-downs), the chicken is stewed nicely, the taquitos tasty and laden with guacamole. Also, the hot sauce--both rojo and verde--has a good balance of fire and is quite tasty, as is the horchata.
Once they had a new guy at the register, and he wasn't picking it up too quickly, so in his confusion he gave me back too much change (ten dollars, i think). i had to consider: Bank error in my favor, or call him out on his mistake? My quick answer: Here's your money. Nico's has enough respect from me, both in quality and in price, that i couldn't walk away with, basically, a free nachos and horchata.
Should be open later at night? Check.
But i don't mind? Check.
Love it. Vegetarian burritto is very good and really cheap. Only problem is they are not open super late.
I've never loved anything in this crazy world as much as I love a Nicos bean n cheese burrito. When I lived overseas, it was Nicos I pined for more than family, friends and home. We've been going strong for over ten years now and its still just like the day we met.
Its the subtle savoriness of the refried beans
The tender freshness of the flour tortillas
The generous sprinkling of cheddar cheese
And definitely, most definitely the spicy bite of their perfect hot sauce.
worst stomach-ache ever!
i like it when the counter lady at nico's calls me 'chico'.
one of the best carne asada burritos in san diego, and prices make it feel like it's still 1999.
The BEST bacon, egg, cheese and potato breakfast burriots ever....They have never messed up an order and are good about making things my way, as in, not necessarily on the menu. Clean for a tiny taco shop too! I love the rolled tacos and everything is always tasty...before AND after I hit Pac Shores across the street!
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