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Nico's Steak & Chop House
Category: Restaurants Steakhouses Steakhouses [Edit]
Otay Ranch Town Center2015 Birch Rd, Ste 720
Chula Vista, CA 91915
Neighborhood: Chula Vista
(619) 421-9500
- Hours:
Mon-Tue 2:30 pm - 10 pm
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Trendy
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
97 reviews for Nico's Steak & Chop House
Review Highlights
"I recommend the sweet potato fries for a side--they come..."
(in 6 reviews)
"New York Strip: Definitely the best of the three we..."
(in 3 reviews)
"OMG it was so mouth watering."
(in 4 reviews)
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97 reviews in English
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Review from William C.
Brooklyn, NY
11/23/2011
Came here for a drink and a appetizer with my friend, Diana (owner of Total Combat Paintball (across the lot)).
She was heading to a movie after and I had a flight to Las Vegas that evening.
I liked the look of the place (very typical non-NY, outdoor mall/shopping center, upgraded applebees, fridays, chevys types of places) and the two nice looking hostesses didnt hurt their reputation either. ;)
As for service, our waitress was a zoology major, and after a while opened up towards her battle between love of animals and love of a real paycheck (hence her working as a waitress, instead of continuing in her field of study.)
She was excellent, personable, and very real. Not that fake, "get me through my day nonsensical small-talk with 'The Chipper Voice' that some service people use when they hate their job, but are trying to fake it."
Back to food and drinks... who can complain? Kind of hard to screw up finger foods.
Anyway, I had a nice time, and made my flight with no problem (Obama was in town during Veterans day, so the no school and no work thing made the roads empty with a capital "M"!) -
Review from David R.
La Mesa, CA
Updated - 12/9/2011
Still have not been Paid for the events that I booked at Nico's so please stay away and go to a lot of very reputable places in the East Lake... The List is long the amount of people they owe.
Please be careful of doing business with Nico's because of there owners business practices. I did Live Entertainment bookings for Nico's 2 years ago and have still not been paid by the owner Jimmy Love that is now a investor of the current ownership.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/5/2011
Please be careful of doing business with Nico's because of there owners business practices. I did… Read more »
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Review from Felix Y.
Chula Vista, CA
2/7/2012
A very fancy restaurant. If you are trying to impress a girl, this is the place to go. And if you can keep your eyes off the waitress and the host, that should score you some points. But it's going to cost you. Very expensive. Food is okay. The food itself probably doesn't worth the price, but I guess it's for the environment on a special occasion. Nice outdoor area too.
Every first Wednesday of the month, there's suppose to be a dog social there I think. Haven't got a chance to go there with my dog yet. And since now that I know the price of the meal, it kinda stop me from wanting to go. -
Review from Michelle M.
Chula Vista, CA
Updated - 1/28/2012
Wow, walked by there tonight about 9:30pm and discovered we won't be going there any time soon. The music was super loud (old 80's dance music), it was packed, and everyone on the patio was smoking.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/25/2010
We have eaten a full dinner at Nico's three times. Once when they first opened, once again about 6… Read more »
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Review from Patty L.
La Jolla, CA
2/3/2012 Seated via OpenTable
This place is very nice, romantic setting. However the food is very average. I ordered calamari & the ribeye steak, both items were just okay. The food is nothing special but the location and decor is very attractive.
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Review from LAURA P.
Chula Vista, CA
Updated - 1/29/2012
No thanks! Walked by here today and saw the discount and "kids eat free" banners. This USED to be a nice restaurant but has gone downhill. The atmosphere USED to be nice........a quiet, romantic place for dinner. The nice atmosphere has been replaced by a loud DJ, shot- swillin "WOOOO" girls, and loud, obnoxious children who are allowed to act like they are at Chuckie Cheese. Sadly, this is typical in so many restaurants in this part of town.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/20/2010
My husband I went went to Nico's when they were decent, but they've steadily gone down hill. Last… Read more »
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Review from Jean C.
Chula Vista, CA
12/15/2011
Mediocre ambience, mediocre food, not great customer service...what more can I say? Went there for a burger and beer. Sat in the bar. Took forever to get our beers. Burgers...lacking in any sort of originality. Plain cheeseburger with lettuce and tomato and not even onion or pickles. Definitely not my favorite place in the world.
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Review from Megan J.
San Diego, CA
7/4/2011
I think I had pretty low expectations for the service at Nico's given all the negative experiences other people have had. My friend and I found a pretty good deal online and so we figured we could put up with a little bit of incompetence since the food was supposed to be good and we were getting it at a discounted price.
The restaurant design was Cheesecake Factory meets P.F. Changs. The outdoor seating looked pretty cool with the fire pits. If this place wasn't in a mall, the patio alone would attract more people. My friend and I walk in and tell the hostess that she can find us at the bar when our table is ready. We waited 20 minutes, even though she told us it would be ready in less than 5. Even though we are in plain site, I go back to the hostess and ask her if she tried to find us. She tells me our table has been ready for almost 20 min. Weird.... but alright. I figured this was their mulligan, which I already prepared myself for.
After sitting down, we order a bottle of wine and look over the menu. The restaurant was maybe half full, but it seemed as if there were only two servers. Constantly had an empty water glass and I had to wave down our server for everything. The ahi tuna appetizer was delish. I though it was all uphill from here until our main dishes were brought out like 10 minutes before our entree. Kind of annoying. I was also very disappointed with my BBQ chicken salad. I have had WAY better for a fraction of the cost. It resembled a chop salad made with a food processor and it didn't taste anything like BBQ. I did try my friend's steak and it was super good. We also shared the banana pudding and it was one of the best desserts I have ever had.
So, the service was horrible and the food is way overpriced. If I ever go back, it would be for their Happy Hour or for the desserts. I guess I'm happy I tried Nico's out, but I probably would of been pissed if we were charged full prices. -
Review from Aron W.
Chula Vista, CA
11/14/2011
With 3 kids it is hard to have a night out with the wife and we got one Sunday night (11/13/2011) and we wanted a really good steak, but wanted to stay close to home. We have been to Nico's before but it has been a while so so we said why not. Big MISTAKE as this place has gone downhill fast!!!
5:45 we arrived and were seated quickly and noticed that there were ONLY two other tables full and maybe 3-5 people at the bar. We did not think much of it as not many people can afford $100 meals in this economy. I even looked at my wife and said we should probably get great service tonight we very few people here... boy was I wrong.
It took almost 10 minutes for someone to even acknowledged we were sitting there and brought us some water, another 10 minutes to take our order. We arrived at the restaurant at 5:45 and our order was taken at 6:05... sorry but 20 minutes... really!!! We shrugged it off as the waitress apologizes profusely.
We went ahead and ordered our dinner and drinks at the same time... My wife ordered a cranberry juice and the $25 prefix menu (Salad, fillet medallions, mashed potatoes, banana pudding cake) and I ordered a Stella and Rib eye with green beans.
6:20pm my wife's salad arrived but we still had not received our drinks... a couple of minutes later she brought our drinks (YES 15 minutes for her to get a beer and a cranberry juice)!!! The waitress when on about some table having a ton of questions, but the tables were all in front of us and there were only two tables full at that time. Was she in the bar watching the game or goofing off with the staff in the kitchen. There were only 4 people in the bar so it could not be blamed on the bartender
6:40pm we received our meal but had to ask again for water and refills.... by the way they charged my wife $4 for cranberry juice and another $4 to refill it... are you serious!!!!! My wife is 8 months pregnant and she had to pay $8 for cranberry juice.
My steak was pretty good although slightly overcooked. My wife's steak on the other hand not so good. First off the sauce they put with it was super sweet and more fit for pork chops then fillet, it was so sweet it took away from the meal. The medallions were incredibly small and over cooked to the extend they were almost chewy. I have seen chicken nuggets at McDonald's that were bigger than the medallions which tells you how small they were... the chef should have been embarrassed sending out that plate.
I always liked Nico's, but for $100 meal I expect and deserve a lot better... All in all the food got a C+ and the service got a big fat F--... We will not be going back. -
Review from Stephanie D.
San Marcos, CA
7/25/2011 1 Check-in Here
I came upon Nico's through their Sign on San Diego Deal and because my friend's husband works there. I was really excited to eat here but only somewhat satisfied. The service was pretty good...better than what other reviewers said. The food, I would have to say, was just alright. I think it's a bit overpriced for what they serve. Here's a little break down and description of what we ordered...
Crispy Hand Breaded Calamari-Probably the best of everything we ordered. Can't really go wrong with calamari though. It was very nicely breaded, not thick, and was crispy. It came with the generic tartar sauce and marinara sauce. Nothing too special.
Caesar appetizer salad-Can't really go wrong with Caesar salad. The salad was perfectly dressed. Not too heavy and not too light. It had enough taste. I liked this too.
Smoked "Prime rib beef" sandwich-The meat was a bit dry. It's a good thing they had au jus sauce to the side to help out. The menu says it comes with horseradish sauce but it didn't. I think the sandwich would be a lot better without the iceberg lettuce in it. The friend were good. They were skinny just like how I like my fries...but then again you can't really go wrong with fries.
Sampler platter-I wanted the smokehouse sampler platter but I got something else. I didn't really notice until after I ate and saw the receipt because it didn't total up to what I though. My fault for not saying anything. The sampler platter came with calamari, bbq chicken, fried shrimp, french fries, and I believe it's their fully loaded potato skins (but I could be wrong). The calamari was of course good...as with the fries and friend shrimp. The chicken was good to me but my boyfriend said it was a bit dry to him. The potato skins were pretty good although I think they could have used a bit more sour cream or butter. I think I would have liked to try the smokehouse platter but oh well.
Don't know if I'd come back...maybe if I was in the area but I wouldn't go out of my way for it. -
Review from Nette B.
4/11/2011
Came here one night for a few drinks and dancing. The restaurant itself is clean and a very nice intimate setting. The bartenders were very nice and kind but the drinks are expensive. Loved the music that the DJ was playing.
I will definitely return to try out the food. -
Review from Mishaela G.
Bonita, CA
4/3/2011 Seated via OpenTable
After reading the majority of the reviews, I was petrified to go there and use the Groupon I had purchased. I even thought about making up an excuse to get my money back, but I would never do that because I'm too neurotically honest. So I bit the bullet and made my husband go there for a sort of belated Valentine's Day dinner. Given our experience, I thought I would write a review to let people know it's not all bad - maybe hit and miss is the best way to describe it and we were lucky enough to er...be hit, I guess. Get hit? Have a hit? You know what I mean!
We made a reservation on a rainy Friday night, just an hour or so before we wanted to go. Had no problem getting in, which was good for us since we were hungry but did not strike me as a good sign for the restaurant since Fridays are supposed to be busy (maybe it was the rain). When we arrived at Otay Ranch Town Center, we were kind of annoyed that there are not more clear signs on where it's located. We had to ask some old guy and he told us it was where we had just come from. We just hadn't seen it apparently. Okay, no big deal. I like walking in the rain, fighting to share an umbrella with my hubby.
We walked in and the bar was quite busy, so I took that as sort of a good sign. I'm not sure how far back the restaurant goes, but the area where we were seated was up front and was only minimally busy, although it was full by the time we left. The tables are quite large, so my husband and I sat next to each other instead and wouldn't have to shout. Waitress was right there to take our drink order and discuss the menu a bit. We don't really drink anymore so I can't comment on their selection.
As for food, my husband ordered a ribeye, medium, a salad with bleu cheese, and a side of grilled veggies. I went out on a limb and ordered the grilled glazed pork chops, because I love pork chops but almost never order them since they are usually dry and disappointing. The pork chops came with spinach and mashed potatoes, but I also ordered mac and cheese a la carte because I'm a sucker for mac and cheese. We were both very pleased with our meals and he cleaned his plate while I took a box home. It was a good amount of food and the pork chops were so juicy and tender, with an excellent flavor. Even after I nuked 'em at home, they were still fantastic.
I also wanted dessert because that was almost the only thing consistently rated well on Yelp. Well, and because I love dessert. I was torn between creme brulee and banana bread pudding, so I asked the waitress which she would get. She said the banana bread pudding is one of her favorites, so I got that. Oh. my. God. So flippin' good! I would go there again, just for some of that bread pudding. I actually would like to go now and my mouth is watering. Yum!
Overall, I enjoyed my experience. Wait staff was wonderful and I think they told the guys filling water glasses never to let your glass get below 3/4 full. It was actually kind of funny how many times they refilled our glasses. Atmosphere was pretty nice, very modern and trendy. Food was fantastic, much better than expected. That all being said, I don't think I would go here again without another groupon because while all the above is absolutely true, paying full price here would be like paying Fleming's prices for Outback quality... -
Review from Ana C. A.
3/29/2011
I had dinner with a few friends a few weekends back. Was my first time and I really wanted to try this place. Our waitress was on top of everything and really nice. The place is trendy looking. But the food and the drinks didn't disappoint me. I ordered the tri-tip sandwich and comes with mixed fries (french fries & sweet potato fries), I loved the portions and the taste was great, I was full, but I needed to finish my plate, my sandwich was that good. We also ordered a creme brulee, it was really good, yes I have had better, but in french restaurants, but this was was really good, good quality.
The only thing with this place, it is pricey for the type of menu they have, but then again it is a steakhouse, they're usually on the pricey side. But for me I would pay it again, of course, if I have the same experience..... -
Review from Lakeisha W.
Chula Vista, CA
7/30/2011
We went to Nico's last night for the first time. We absolutely loved it!!!! The drinks and atmosphere were awesome and they had a live DJ playing some great music. I will be back soon!!!!
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Review from Mike C.
I came all the way down from Mira Mesa to take advantage of this Groupon deal here at Nico's. Pretty good deal, basically $60 worth of food for $30.
Tip: If you're coming from the North, google maps will lead you to the 125 which is a toll road access of $3. Something to think about when you're heading down here. Also, the Groupon doesn't apply to happy hour drinks. That's fine, no problem.
Dining here is like dining at a Cheesecake factory. The decor and atmosphere is pretty much the same thing with crying babies, nomadic teeny boppers and lots and lots of loud people. There was a weird smell, couldn't really describe it, maybe like a wet poodle smell, but subsided quickly. I guess I got used to it that quick.
A lot of servers were on hand this evening, but the quickness of the service was lacking. I noticed from two different tables, that the servers and the chefs would go to the customers' tables and apologize for their tardiness or lack of food. I too received an apology from my waiter when he told me that my steak was over-cooked and that they would need more time to prepare. He also apologized for my asparagus being late. Kudos on the honesty, but overall doesn't fix the issue.
Ordered a Bay Breeze. Not used to this version. So I got me a Stella after this. Got the crab cakes as a starter. Pretty decent. Had a nice sweet and tangy kick to it with the pineapples and cucumbers garnish. Free fresh hot bread and butter too were served. Pretty good stuff.
Grilled Asparagus - a little bland in my books. Used some of my leftover butter and added some salt for flavoring. But still, asparagus is good for you!!!
Filet Mignon (8 oz) - served medium rare with russet potatoes. Something about this steak was just not right immediately after it reached my table. Look at the picture to see the grotesquesness. Yah it was cooked medium rare, but I just didnt feel the mutual symbiosis or a better term..mutual agreement between myself and the steak. Yah, she went down my belly, but neither of us were happy during the process. She didn't die honorably. Russet potatoes were good, just needed some salt, pepper, seasoning and butter and whatever else to add some flavor.
For dessert, got the banana bread pudding with vanilla ice cream. Nicely made, warm pudding. Deeelish.
So if you were expecting a Fleming's/Donovans service, it's not here. I mean, yah, the servers were friendly and apologetic, but atmosphere was too loud, kids running around and accidently bumping onto my table a few times. Kids wanting their mommy and so does daddy's brother who was staring at her througout the night. Yah, you notice these things sitting by yourself. It was kinda of my entertainment since my food wasn't served in a timely fashion.Listed in: Happy Endings
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Review from Anna S.
San Diego, CA
8/24/2011
I went there on a Friday night, August 12. My boyfriend and I were celebrating our anniversary. The service and food were outstanding. We were well taken care of and had a great time. Too bad I can not say that about the hostess. She said we had no reservation on the list when I called 3 hours prior to our visit and made one. Then she made a joke and touched my boyfriend inappropriately by the arm, which made both of us feel uncomfortable. Other than that our overall experience was great.
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Review from Belen H.
Chula Vista, CA
11/1/2011
Tried this place once and will not go back. Our server was nice, but slow and he messed up on my order which was the BBQ pulled pork burger not sandwich and when I told him he made a mistake he looked at me like I didn't know what I was talking about until I had to point out the difference on the actual menu. My hubby got one of their steaks and he did not seem impressed and my burger was dry and it tasted kind of bland. The sweet potatoe fries were actually really good, but that's all I can remember eating over there that made me want some more of. The prices for this place are way too high, all you're paying for is ambiance and their rent. I feel more satisfied eating at Outback Steakhouse than at Nicos. Don't waste your time or your money here it's definitely not worth it.
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Review from J G.
San Diego, CA
9/26/2011 Seated via OpenTable
Good:
Fillet cooked perfectly. Well Seasoned.
The decor of the building is nice.
Bad:
Take Away boxes looked like something out of a Fast Food Chinese Place. Styrofoam boxes and Thank You Thank You Thank You plastic bags.
Service is a bit awkward, slow, and untrained, though they were nice.
Although this place is priced like a fancy steakhouse, the experience is not the same. They offer lots of coupons and groupons, thus enticing a wide variety of clientele. I saw a young female customer wearing her boxer shorts as if she had just awoke. I saw people dressed fancily on dates. I saw tourists that had just come from the movies/mall.
My date wasn't feeling well and I asked for the bill and to have my half eaten meal boxed to take home. It took about 20 min for this to be accomplished, including an error on the bill that had to be corrected. Not too impressive.
Overall:
I think this restaurant is trying to move in two divergent directions. High class (Ruth Chris's) and Average (BJ's). The end result is an ambiguous result in service, menu, and experience, thus falling below the potential. -
Review from Ryan A.
San Diego, CA
7/1/2011
Had dinner with a friend, had made reservations but when we got there, there was hardly anyone there. We ordered off the special prix-fixe menu for the night and both dishes and desserts were pretty good. Nice atmosphere, low lit, intimate, yet still casual. Our service left much to be desired...they were not very on top of it and were very slow. I ordered a Coke and they forgot after coming by several times to check on how were were doing, so I had to ask them again for it. It's quite confounding considering there were hardly any other guests at the restaurant.
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Review from Nancy M.
Chula Vista, CA
8/8/2011
Nico's has a top-notch smoker and the proof is in the BBQ. I'm giving a 4 star rating but I still have a few suggestions. I've had the filet mignon but this is not what my review is on. I've come in and had the bbq several times and everytime I have to request extra bbq sauce and then it is brought out in a tiny dish/bowl that should only be used to hold seasoning while cooking. I agree it is pricey and so this is where I go to have bbq in a sandwich, it's very filling which is why I usually share with my daughter. I luv the food here and it's great to have Nico's here in Eastlake.
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Review from Nicole F.
Updated - 12/19/2010
Almost a year had passed since I ate here, so with new management, a new menu and a groupon I gave it a second chance. My take is that this is the place to go for appetizers, sandwiches and salads. The cobb was really good and the trio of sliders were not only savory, but bigger than I expected. The burger may seem pricey at $12 but it was not an ordinary burger. It was loaded with spices and a definite standout.
Our server was great and the wine prices are reasonable. When I asked why we were served regular fries and not "mixed" as the menu specified, he said there was a menu glitch and he brought us out complimentary sweet potato fries. They are really good so I was disappointed that the regular fries didn't have some garlic or added spices like the burger did.
I like the atmosphere here but it's competition is definitely more cheesecake factory than ruth chris.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/23/2010
Ahh....the lure of restaurant week. My husband chided, "you said we would never do restaurant week… Read more »
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Review from Sandy D.
2/9/2011
Meh. The service was so-so. My salad was late and wrong which meant more waiting for me and my friend (she ordered the same salad) while everyone else ate their dinner. When the salads came back we were told one of the items that was missing had been discontinued but the menus hadn't been updated (or the wait staff informed???)
My first clue should have been the near empty dining room at the height of dinner time... -
Review from Raymond C.
Chula Vista, CA
3/24/2011
Food was good, but not exceptional, which is what you expect for the price. Service was good but horribly slow, as others have mentioned. Ambiance is really nice, and location is convenient in the Otay Ranch mall.
Ultimately, I would not recommend it, as I feel the prices are steep for what you get. -
Review from Claudia L.
San Diego, CA
7/21/2011
Food was delicious and service was great. Our waitress took very good care of us. Was recommended by my concierge at Glorietta Bay Inn. And had seen it while at the movies before. Will def go back again but next time for adult time. Leave the babies at home.
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Review from Efren A.
Chula Vista, CA
10/4/2010 1 Check-in Here
Do you enjoy hot rolls and butter with your meals? Then this is the place to be! I must say that the rest of my experience at this "steakhouse" wasn't very good. Was here last Friday to finally give it a shot after 2 years of avoiding this place. I must say it over-delivered on disappointment and under-delivered on the food quality.
I ordered the shrimp and lobster "bisque" and upon its arrival I noticed that it was dark and lumpy. It was more like a chowder than a bisque, super salty and lukewarm temp-wise. I had a few spoonfuls then I tapped out. (Needless to say when the check came, our server mentioned that she asked the manager to remove the charge for the soup because it didn't appear like I enjoyed it. No duh, doesn't the chef try this stuff out before they come out of the kitchen? Perhaps the chef forgot their taste buds at home).
For the main event I ordered the crispy pork shank which the server said would be "falling off the bone". Yet another dish having temperature issues. It was not all that hot when I got it and the mushrooms that it came with looked like big eyeballs swimming in gravy. I'm no Tom Colicchio but I'm pretty certain the presentation would have looked nicer if they sliced the mushrooms and it would have been easier to eat as well. Plus I like my pork and mash HOT!
Because it was Restaurant Week my wife opted for their pre-fixe menu. Here's a quick low down of her dishes...chili looked like it came out of a can, the salmon course looked like cafeteria food and the chocolate chip a la mode was just a giant cookie with a microscopic-size scoop of ice cream. Bleh.
Perhaps they were trying to use reverse psychology on us, thinking that if we hated this visit, we'll come back a second time. I would've been better off at the In n' Out down the street.
If you want to spend your hard-earned cash on cold, overpriced cafeteria food, head to Nico's now! If you want to experience a "real" steakhouse, head on down to Ruth's Chris, Donovan's or Fleming's. -
Review from Joanne A.
7/14/2010 2 Check-ins Here
I think this spot has been open for about two years now, but I barely went here for the first time yesterday to check out the $10 dollar wine tasting event that they just started up on Tuesdays from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. in the bar area. I think yesterday was the second week they've had this.
It's a great idea for the venue, especially to lure the local crowd in doing something chill, but not too flip-flop casual early in the work week. The restaurant side was no where close to being fully occupied by diners, so this event will certainly help with the exposure they deserve. The Sommelier was really cool and knew his stuff when I had questions about a particular wine he poured. When I asked if he was going to pour a Pinot Noir, he went back to the wine cellar to grab a bottle for me to sample. It wasn't bad, but more flat than the Malbec I preferred.
Nico's is a beautiful restaurant, no doubt about that. I like how the bar area opens up to the outdoor patio on this particularly warm summer day and how the nice afternoon breeze kept my dining experience comfortable while I sat at the bar watching the All Star game on the huge flat screen (which there was plenty of if you're looking for a local spot to watch a game).
I wish I was able to try a big piece of steak yesterday, but we opted for the happy hour stuff. We shared some sliders and fries. Their happy hour menu seemed a little limited and nothing really jumped out at me to try. I'm not a fan of sweet potato fries (which was on the HH menu), but the bartender that served us all night said we can order regular fries. They have a more extensive late night happy hour (available after 10:00 p.m, I wish they had those items available during normal happy hour). Extra points for the complimentary cheese and crackers and the hot wings that were served during the wine tasting event though.
The food was good, but the wine I had was great. The Elsa Malbec is the one (out of the six tastings) I enjoyed the most and decided to purchase a bottle to enjoy there with the company I was with for only $9 dollars plus a $5 corkage fee.
Overall, it was a decent experience. Former NFL player, Robert Griffith and his wife Amethyst are a hot looking couple and the owners of this fine establishment; they were both there and very hospitable. I think I might find myself back here a few more Tuesdays to enjoy an early week happy hour since it's closer to home.
I'm going to enjoy the extra bottle of Malbec I left with until I return and use the 25% off coupon they gave me for being a first-time wine tasting attendee. Great way to get me back here Nico's, I will see you soon! -
Review from Voneezy S.
Chula Vista, CA
Updated - 6/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
Nice quiet place and food is okay.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/18/2011
A nice place in chula vista to go to when you dont want to deal with the busyness of Downtown San… Read more »
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Review from Wana L.
6/3/2010
Didn't get to try the food or drinks, but got a taste of the horrible service! We called ahead of time, and they said there was no wait. I admit they asked if they should prepare a table for our party of 8. But, we weren't sure if we were going to dine here. Then again, they said no wait so we ended up walking over.
We arrived and was greeted by a hostess. She went to grab a table for us and then we waited....and waited and waited!
I can understand if all the tables were full, or even half full, but really the dining area was practically empty. The hostess' response was, "they still have to set the glasses."
She must have repeated that answer several times until we realized that we were not a priority. We wasted nearly half an hour waiting for glasses...c'mon! That's too bad that they lost our business...I'm sure the bill would have been at least a couple hundred bucks. And, now through word of mouth they may lose more.
I really was excited to eat here as the ambiance meets the standard of a nice restaurant/lounge in the Gaslamp District. Immediately as you open the glass doors, you're greeted by a wall on the left side made of huge stones and to the right you have a glass wall to view the outdoor seating w/firepits. Ahead is a lounge area with seats and a bar. And to the left around the stone wall is the dining area.
Truly, it is beautiful, dim and classy inside. But, the service is not.
Will I give this place another try?
Ehhh...I don't know...maybe one day when I feel like spending half an hour standing along the glass walls, staring outside at the fire pit and listening to the sound of my stomach grumble :) -
Review from Gary M.
San Diego, CA
8/20/2011
Great place for a date or with friends. Great bar, lounge, outdoor fire pits and nice dining room. Their service is hands down the best I've seen in eastlake. Only reason I'm giving them four stars instead of five is because the food was good but not amazing. The drinks were perfect, the calamari appetizer was delicious, but our main dishes were only okay. I ordered the pull pork and my wife had the brisket sandwich and they were both dry and lacking flavor. Since everything else about this place was awesome, we will be back again soon and give them another chance to earn that fifth star.
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Review from Desiree A.
San Diego, CA
5/9/2011
The appetizers that we had were good (calamari and short ribs). Side dishes were good (grilled asparagus, sweet potato fries). The kids had chicken tenders and fries/ mac n cheese and those were good. Dessert was good (choco chip w/ ice cream). The entrees not so good, very dry. Service was good. The price does not equal quality of the food. Good place to go for dessert, drinks or appetizer.
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Review from Ann N.
Los Angeles, CA
9/9/2010 1 Check-in Here
Four star bar.
I've never actually been to Nico's dining room, but it's a favorite for weekly cocktail get-together with friends. We usually wind up kicking back on Nico's patio on Thursday for their burger & beer special. Cat is a wonderful bartender and always makes me feel valued. Happy-hour prices are pretty decent.
Kobe burgers are tasty and reasonably priced. I recommend the sweet potato fries for a side--they come with a curry sauce for dipping that's addictive. Nico's is also breaking out a new menu of barbecue sandwiches--the pulled chicken is tasty, not over-sauced, and on a great ciabatta roll.
Pets are welcome on the patio -
Review from Francisco L.
Chula Vista, CA
11/24/2010 1 Check-in Here
Used Groupon. I wanted to make sure that reading other reviews wouldn't take anything away from what I actually experienced.
Really it deserves 2 stars; however the waiter was knowledgeable when it came to the wine list, and made a great effort to address my concerns regarding tomato allergies. For this 1 extra star!
A dinner for 2 is $150.00 plus (including 1 bottle of inexpensive wine ($30) For this I would expect my potatoes to be fully cooked, the side of mushrooms to have.....flavor, and my steak (which was actually the best part of the meal) to come out served on a 500 degree plate! For dessert, again BLANDNESS! I also don't like to hear the other waiters discussing how the managers "son unos mamones" because they are cutting their hours!
I think I will stick to Ruth's Chris if I want a good Steak and Black Angus if I want meat! -
Review from Laura P.
Chula Vista, CA
11/4/2010
ONLY table on a Sunday and the servers rushed us out.
Bartender didn't get a drink right, food was OK, turned OFF half the restaurant lights during our meal, turned OFF the music shortly after and it was ONLY 8.30PM
We informed our bus boy (cause our waiter went home) that we "got the hint they were trying to kick us out" and he laughed.
We bolted as soon as we received our check and nobody cared to say Thanks for coming, or even just Bye...NEVER going back there AGAIN.
Sad cause it's a beautiful place, just NOT WORTH the $$ -
Review from Rianne D.
11/18/2008
My Happy Hour Review
When I first walked in, I was a bit confused as to where the happy hour people sat. When you pass the hostess counter, you get a view of the bar and an expansive room with 4 huge couches and 3 ottoman couch-table thingies. I will reiterate - lots of room, not a whole lot of furniture. Why did it look like wasted space? But, the placed looked cool, open, upscale and, dare I say, expensive?
I walked over to the other end of the room, towards two unoccupied couches and an ottoman. The area, itself, was awkward, especially since it sat right next to the back entrance. But, with the number of people showing up for happy hour, there really wasn't much of a choice. The couch area next to us, already had two occupants, so we couldn't pilfer the furniture for our use, until later. As Edwin R. has said, it wasn't really great for a group (in our case, 8 people).
But, first on the agenda, find out what the happy hour choices are. For happy hour, it's $1 off all well drinks and 25% off all appetizers.
As I stepped up to order a beer, I was told that they were out of that choice. But, uhm, hello? You only have three options well drinks. So, you're saying that you only have 2/3 choices available? Lame. I ended up getting a semi-decent pomegranate martini.
For appetizers, I felt as if there were limited options. One fourth of the menu options seemed to consist of salads. Who eats salads for happy hour? In the end, we ordered calamari, tuna tartare on top of avocado, shrimp cocktail, fire roasted artichoke, french fries and lamb lollipops. They were all tasty, but nothing spectacular.
If you are willing to try the place out, happy hour runs from 4-7pm and then 10pm until closing, Monday through Friday. -
Review from Christian N.
Chula Vista, CA
10/4/2008
I can't believe I am actually getting to say this in a public forum. I finally found a good restaurant in Chula Vista!
Nico's opened about 10 days ago and has been packed since day one. It very minimalist with clean lines and a slight spartan Asian feel. It has a fire pit outside and a number of tables and chairs for either eaters or barflies.
They offer a good appetizer selection, steaks, something else (you should order steak at a steak & chop house), side dishes and desert. The steaks are USDA prime, aged, and I think they are all corn fed too. You can get a steak sauce (Nico's house made, Bearnaise, Brandy Peppercorn) but you don't really need them. Although they are good, the steaks are just fine au naturel.
The steaks are available from 8 ozs Filet to 25 ozs Bone-In Ribeye. They are a little thinner than I would expect about the 1/2 inch tall range but they are very flavorful. To be honest, no sauce is needed.
They have a number of side dishes available including creamed corn, sauteed mushrooms, Nico potatoes, mac and cheese and a few others I can't remember. I had the Rib Eye, Medium Rare (red center), the potatoes and mushrooms. It was served cooked to perfection with a side of polenta that was as good as the steak.
As the restaurant is new they are a little overattentive but the service was good. But the prices aren't cheap. The Ribeye was $25, each side was $4 and their signature cocktails (mojito, pomegranate martini, et cetera) are $7. The fact that is nestled among the standard chain restaurants you would expect to see at Otay Ranch Town Center (Chili's, PF Chang, Macaroni Grill, Cheesecake Factory) and that it's the only Nico's make it both accessible and special. They even offer valet parking that is free with validation.
Nico's grub rivals that of some of the premier steakhouses in San Diego (Flemings, Mortons, Ruth's Chris, and local favorite Donovan's). After they conclude their soft opening and have their grand opening in a couple of weeks, it's likely the kinks will be out.
Nico's is a gem in the South Bay and deserves a chance to please your palette. If you are a Eastlake snob or just a carnivore, run down and grab a slab!Listed in: Top Restaurants, My Neighborhood
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Review from Akamai E.
Honolulu, HI
12/4/2010
We bought a Groupon Coupon so we could try this place. The food was tasty, although a little overpriced. The pork ribs and steak were good, but the side dishes need some work. The meat fell right off the bone for the pork ribs. The side dishes (salad, mashed potatoes, etc) were okay...and didn't make me go, "Mmmm" like I was expecting it to. Dessert was also average.
The service was very good, although everyone seemed so serious! (I was expecting more smiles?). Our waitress was friendly though and checked on us regularly (but not too much).
We liked the ambiance and even considered having a dinner party there in the future (they have a separate room for private parties). Unfortunately, it's a little pricey and isn't kid-friendly. I'd go again, but only if I had another Groupon Coupon. -
Review from Yolanda B.
Chula Vista, CA
10/6/2008
Went to dinner here last night. I guess this is still their "soft" opening, so they are trying to work out the glitches. But I figure I will list the glitches in case a manager happens to read this review and maybe I will give them a clue:
1. Wine: we ordered two glasses of Malbec. Not too overpriced, about average. When the glasses are delivered, we both get pensive and after a few moments, we came to the same conclusion. They scimped on the serving. See pics of before and after we requested to get a decent serving.
2. We ordered the ribeye but asked to share (Sometimes if I'm not sure about a new place, I don't commit to having a full size dinner for two. Then I'm just twice as pissed when it's crappyl) About 15 minutes later the server comes back and tells us that they are out of Ribeye. O.K. we order the flank steak. Ten minutes later the manager came out to tell us they were out of flank steak. He tells us they have New York, so we take that.
The steak did arrive shortly, and they split it nicely between the BF and me. It had a really good flavor, prepared perfectly as we requested, medium rare. I had also ordered the Caesar salad which was pretty good. It was a decent portion and had a lot of dressing, which I like.
Now, my review is that this place might be pretty good once they fix the problems. It also would have been nice if they would have thrown in some little extra something or comped the salad seeing as the "Steak and Chop" house ran out of steak. I think it's those little things that keep people coming back.
Our server Angie was great. You could see she was really trying to please us, even with the few glitches. Our bill came to $50'ish without tip. That was for 2 glasses of wine, a salad, a side of mashed potatoes and the New York split for two. They do charge extra for sides. -
Review from Monique B.
Chula Vista, CA
10/1/2010
If your looking for a cool place for happy hour and top 40 music on a Friday night at a mall then this is your place.
If you want a room temp prime rib and a server who doesn't know what Cream Horseradish is this is the place. Since it said "Chop House", we were expecting Flemings/LG's/Donovan's/Shula's quality and service...
The server was nice but seemed like she should be serving at Denny's.
I'll come back for happy hour and not for dinner :( -
Review from Adrienne T.
Naples, FL
5/15/2010
Impressive atmosphere and decor. Great service.
Not so exciting and impressive food. Just so so. Good, yes, but not out of this world, especially for the a la carte pricing.
FYI, a la carte menu, however they served a side of roasted potatoes with your entree! Not a garnish, a legit side of potato...why did we order an a la carte side of potato then? Hm.
Looks like the bar scene would be a better choice. Great Happy Hour, and love the fire pits. Very sophisticated vibe.
3 Stars. -
Review from Celin T.
1/31/2011 1 Check-in Here
If I can describe my experience at Nico's Steak & Chop House with one word it would be....HORRIBLE!!!
Yup I said it and let me tell you all about it....
I was with a group of 8 adults and 3 kids and we all wanted to try Nico's for restaurant week. I made reservations the night before and specified with the hostess that our group was interested in trying out the restaurant week menu. She acknowledged my request and confirmed the reservation.
Fast forward to the night of our dinner. My husband and I arrived with the kids on time and 2 of our other friends were waiting at the bar. The rest of our group was running a little late but we were seated right away. When walking into the dinning area it was beautifully decorated and it had a nice ambiance. When the rest of our group arrived we were immediately served with warm bread.
I noticed that our server didn't present us with a restaurant week menu. When I asked about the menu I was told that the restaurant week deal ended the night before. He proceeded to tell me that they had ran out of the menu items and would no longer be serving them. I was thinking in my head...YEAH RIGHT! First of all, there is nothing on the restaurant week website that indicated an earlier end date. Second, most of the items on the restaurant week menu are on the regular menu. Third, I specified with the hostess on the phone that our group was making reservations specifically for restaurant week and she never said anything about the deal ending early. I was fuming and embarrassed because the restaurant lied to my face and I was one out of our group who picked the restaurant. We should have got up and left at this point. It was 7:30pm on a Friday evening and all the restaurants in the area were probably full. I'm not one to complain so we all decided to order from the regular menu.
Opening the menu, we all noticed that it was on the the pricey side. I bit the bullet and ordered a bone in rib-eye, my husband ordered the short rib, and the kids split the mac and cheese.
Service was SOOOOOOO slow. After we ordered our meals it seemed like it took a good 20-25 minutes for our food to arrive. We hardly saw our server. After the bread was served he came by to get our order, serve our food, and give us the bill. We had to hunt him down to refill our drinks. He had no personality and and he gave us a vibe like he didn't want to be there. No very good if you want us to get enthused about the restaurant.
When our food finally arrived the presentation was lacking and was very one note. My rib-eye was suppose to be a prime cut and it totally wasn't. It was like a steak I could have picked up from Von's and grilled it myself. If I'm going to pay $40 for my steak it better be phenomenal and it totally fell flat. I told the server that I wanted my steak to be done medium-rare and it was more like medium-well. So my steak was a bit chewy and not very flavorful. My husband's short rib was fatty and oily. It didn't look appetizing and it hardly had any meat on it. I didn't get to taste the kids' mac and cheese. They seemed to like it because they ate it up. The only downside was that the mac and cheese was served these huge spoons. Come on now...if you're going to serve mac and cheese from the "kids" menu you should serve it with kid-size silverware.
When we got the bill there was a mandatory 20% gratuity tacked on. REALLY!? WHY!? The food sucked, the service was horrible, and you lied about the restaurant week menu. At the end of the night, I was so steaming mad and so embarrassed for my friends.
I would definitely not go here again and warn others not to go.
