Nick & Sam’s

Went here for my birthday last year and it was a lovely experience, so I definitely made a trip back here again. The lighting is dim with a candlelight on the table and you can’t forget the beautiful sound of the grand piano which created a very romantic atmosphere. I love how packed and lively the place is, so we had to squeeze inbetween tables to get to our table. It was slightly uncomfortable since the back of my chair was against another person’s chair. But that didn’t bother me much after the food came out.
I had the filet mignon and the prime aged porterhouse. Both were medium rare, as I requested, and were very tender and flavorful. Their house steak sauce was definitely the cherry on top! The lobster mac and cheese was my most favorited side dishes there, although I had better. The service was excellent. The server was very educated, since he listed an assortment of meats and seafood for about 15 minutes straight.

Here’s the review: if you have an American Express BLACK CARD; or any card: and eat dinner at the bar; you are ordered to give your credit card prior to your dinner order: okay that’s NEVER — happened from NYC TO CALIFORNIA– and in between. For our 60 years of business /​dinning out. But: at NICK & SAMs BRIAN KNOY GENERAL MANAGER: prides himself in: we will aways get other people’s money! So you ARE GUARANTEED TO BE TREATED BADLY AND THROWN OUT! That’s HOW THEY TREAT BLACK CARD AMERICAN EXPRESS FOLKS AS WELL AS. Horrible

Nick & Sam’s is an upscale steakhouse in Uptown Dallas. You’ll find plenty of nice steakhouses in Dallas, and Nick & Sam’s embodies that part of Dallas that yearns to be more cosmopolitan than Republican. Add a dedicated menu with Wagyu offerings and you have the makings of one of Dallas’s finest institutions for indulging.
My Overall Rating — 5 Stars (Atmosphere, Service, Food, Return)
Atmosphere — It’s dark — very dark. That’s good if you want to look better than you really do, but not good if you’re trying to take a Unilocal photo. Nick & Sam’s is beautiful on the inside. You’ll find deep dark woods like in other fine steakhouses, but the main dining area has a grand piano, the décor is one-​part modern, two-​parts deco, and the crowd around the bar is filled with very pretty people. I felt quite handsome in the dark too. 1 Star.
Service — Well educated. Let’s start with their dedicated Wagyu menu. Our server expertly explained the types of beef available (wagyu from Kobe for $ 65 per oz.). Not all wagyu beef is Kobe, and it was great learning why each area’s climate affect’s flavor. Attentive, informative, awesome in every way.
Food — I’ll admit that I didn’t go for the Kobe. Part of the reason was because the appetizers we ordered were amazing. New Year’s Eve provided a special menu that included the best lamb chops I have ever eaten. They were tender and grilled to perfection in a semi sweet/​salty glaze. Honestly I could have ordered two of these and would have been completely happy. Rock Shrimp kept the kids happy (if you decide to bring some along), and the bone marrow will have you licking your lips long after you finished your bite. My encrusted seabass was topped with copious amounts of crab. Each bite spectacular. Midway through I traded for my wife’s perfectly medium rare prime filet. It was so tender I could have sliced it with a fork. Cream Corn was also great and if the red velvet cake from Unilocal photos intimidate you, just ask for a half order. We ended the meal with cotton candy as big as my 6-​year-​old kids. Awesome meal, night, & experience. 2 Stars.
Will I Return? — Yes. It’s been a few years since my last visit, and honestly I think they’ve gotten even better. I’ll need to save up more pennies to tackle the Kobe but as long as Nick & Sam’s provides the same combination of service, food, and darkness, I’ll be a customer. 1 Star.
My Unilocal Rating Scale (Sum of all parts):
1 Star — Atmosphere — Is it a cool dive? Perhaps an upscale place? No matter the type, atmosphere plays a big part and I’ll give a star if I like it or thinks it has great charm.
1 Star — Service — You can have a great meal with bad service. But that’s also what can make a five-​star joint drop to four. It’s important to the dining experience that service is great and on point.
2 Stars — Food — I’ll award up to two stars for the food, since this is the main reason we dine out. Sometimes the extra star is given for value, but it’s really all about the food.
1 Star — Will I come back? — If I know for a fact I’ll return, I’ll give this a star. A place has to make an impression for me to return.
Each Category can be given up to 1 star except food (2 stars) because I consider all these categories important to the overall dining experience. I will sum them up to provide my final Unilocal score.

I will not give this place my business. Reading though the other reviews, it seems to be common that «normal» people don’t get treated with respect while paying for a $ 500 meal.
We arrived 30 min early for our reservation and proceeded to wait right through the reservation, 15 minutes later still nothing, went to talk to the manager and he was rude and dismissive. After 30 min past our reservation we left, while the manager rudely said see you later.
I will certainly not be back. EVER!

Finally tried the 100% kobe filet tenderloin @ $ 65/​oz. insane amount of rich fat oils that coat your mouth and lips. I split the minimum 4oz and had trouble finishing the 2oz of kobe.

Dayummmmm. What a way to start off the New Year with Paul H.
This restaurant has been on my radar forever so for our 6 yr anniversary, we decided to celebrate it here and boy did we indulge. (They added a nice anniversary touch to our table — red plates, rose petals, card and champagne)
We ordered all of the classic side and ate it as our appetizer (they are all MUST ORDER if it’s your first time)
–lobster mac and cheese
–garlic mashed potatoes
–damn good fries
–east coast oysters
–creamed corn
For the meat, we went baller style and ordered their top notch Kobe at $ 65/​0z. Minimum order is 4 oz soo guess what we went with?.. 4oz of course! It was plenty for the two of us. Honestly, we could have split that amongst 6 people and would have been satisfied. The bites were ultra rich and our server was on point when he described the filet as eating a steak version of foie gras. That richness just envelops your tongue and wraps it in rich meaty juices. Fun fact: there are only 2 restaurants that serve authentic Kobe beef in the US — Nick and Sam’s and 212 steakhouse in NYC. We’re quite lucky here. :)
We also ordered the center cut ribeye– it was cooked to perfection and was the perfect complement to the Kobe filet. You can compare the flavors and textures of the different cuts. +1 for awesome meat presentation.
We finished off the meal with a half order of their red velvet cake. The cake is good — not the best in Dallas but a solid 4 especially when served with fresh berries and vanilla bean ice-​cream.
We’re planning having this place as our yearly anniversary celebration because damnnnn did it surpass my expectations.
Quick tip:
dining for 2– just order half sized orders so you can try more without hurting your wallet and stomachs.
Order Kobe when you have 4+ ppl with you. An ounce per person is plenty. Order additional steaks so you can indulge in a variety.

Holy food coma!
We came for Christmas Eve dinner, and left stuffed, fat and happy.
My brother-​in-​law and my sister come here often and have had them cook for several private parties so we received the royal treatment.
We started with caviar, lobster two ways, Spring rolls, crab rolls (which I didn’t eat because I am allergic to mango) and a few others. Wow!
The steaks were magnificent. We had a selection at the table from the cuts they brought us out to see – from Tomahawk Rib-​eyes to Kobe to special imports – all delicious. The kids had center cut Rib-​eyes and didn’t finish so we had amazing left overs for tacos on Christmas lunch.
The cotton candy is a must for dessert and the chocolate cake is ridiculous both in size and taste.

This was by far the most disappointing experience– I made reservations 3 weeks in advance to secure a spot the Friday before Christmas for a friends birthday– he’s never been to a steakhouse, so why not go to the best in Dallas.
We arrive at 7:10, for our 7:30 reservation. Grab a drink at the bar– 10 minutes later of waiting for the bartender to take my order, I spot Tony Romo and realize that no one cares about the common folk lol. 7:30 rolls around, tell the front desk, we’re ready– they need time to get our table. 7:40 rolls around, same story, 7:50– same story… 8:00, same story– except this time the hostess with the «most» tells me that she will come find me and that she wrote a description of me– probably something really flattering– since they don’t have other ways of contacting you.
8:10, same story– 8:15— I finally ask to speak to a manager in charge— miraculously, our table is ready.
The food was good but not $ 500 good… my fish sucked… but shit… i should have eaten steak– pescatarian problems.
Overall, it should have been better, I’m sure this place is incredible but in all seriousness, you get one chance for a first impression– they failed.

I wish I could just take a screen shot of Unilocal’s definition of two stars: «Meh. I’ve experienced better» to sum up the whole review…
We came here for restaurant week and dang it, such a disappointment. For an upscale restaurant, the noise level was extremely loud. Throughout the night, I couldn’t hear conversations from my friend sitting right next to me, much less from across the table. In addition, come here for the pretentiousness. Dear management and staff, please stop offering your establishment to Restaurant Week if you all just eye-​roll all the customers who come here for that experience. You get a grade D for such a lousy night, taking future steakhouse dining to Bob’s or the Keg.
On to the food — my husband did not order off of the restaurant week menu as he didn’t care for the options. His steak was cooked right, but the additional side of asparagus was lousy. Each of the 6 – 8 pieces received were not deliciously charred, but completely burnt tasting. The microwave would have done a better job.
My restaurant week food: Pork belly was good, tastes a lot like Asian braised pork! Beef tenderloin was a color that didn’t look appetizing. My eyes did not deceive, it WASN’T appetizing. Bread pudding dessert was a sponge. It was yellow, had the texture of sponge, tasted like a sponge. It was a sponge.
Unless I’m wrong, restaurant week serves as a time to donate to the food bank while trying out some establishments at a more affordable price. If you want to learn how to do Restaurant Week well, check out Peli Peli in Houston — they offered such enticing options and is on my list of places to go back to for celebrations.

I lived a block away from this place for the past year and a half and have always wished to dine here. I consider myself «common folk» so I was honestly a bit intimidated to step foot inside of Nick and Sam’s. I was expecting «too cool for school staff» who would snicker at my wine preferences.
This was not the case at all. My mom and I decided to go out on Thanksgiving (turkey is so over-​rated). Even though it’s only a block away, the rain caused us to drive. We were greeted by the valet attendant and as soon as we walked inside, the hostess warmly greeted us. We were immediately sat in a nice both seat. We gazed at all of the beautiful artwork that graced the walls.
Complimentary caviar was given. This was awesome because it was my first time trying it and I surprisingly liked it: win-​win. There was a Thanksgiving pre-​fixe menu, but we decided to order off the regular dinner menu, which includes a sushi menu. We started with an app (beef carpaccio) and vodka martinis (with blue cheese stuffed olives-​served in a stainless steel martini glass). All delicious.
When it came time to consider dinner, the friendly server showed us a giant tray of various land and sea creatures. If I was more adventurous, I would have ordered from there, but I am a filet kind of girl, so that’s what we went with. I appreciated that the server suggested that we split the filet because it was the perfect amount for 2 people. We also ordered two sides: grilled asparagus and mac and cheese. Again, it was suggested that we order ½ orders of both. Perfect suggestion.
The wine list contained bottles ranging from $ 40 all the way to $ 1,000s. We choose a bottle that was around $ 65 and it paired nicely with our dinner and dessert. OH YES DESSERT, the red velvet cake with vanilla ice cream, GET IT! It can come as a half order too.
The server was so friendly, didn’t rush us, and was very approachable with questions. I hope to come back again.

Dallas, Texas
Typical high end steak house; great service, pretty good steak, Ribeye. The Foie Gras was cold, I prefer warm but no big deal… just so you know. I believe it was Pan Seared so it should have been warm. My opinion.
Spinach salad and beef carpaccio were pretty good.
Sides. Asparagus, lobster Mac&Cheese excellent. Fingerling Potatoes-​pretty good.
Extensive wine list, but (again my opinion) our red was too warm. Should be a slight chill.
Dessert– cotton candy… Just had to see it… awesome presentation. The cotton candy itself was cotton candy. The accompanying sweets were chocolate truffles very good but the coconut balls? And cookies were just bad, the cookies looked and tasted like the came out of a Keebler package.
I’m harping on some of the negatives. All in all however it was a good experience, just not as good as I’d expected for pricing at over $ 100/​person.

If you were to ask ten Dallas residents to name the first high end restaurant in the city that came to mind, I imagine at least half or even more would say Nick & Sam’s. The Uptown spot is a Dallas institution, and after a few visits over the past few weeks I can see why.
Star 1: How were the service and atmosphere?
If you’re needing to impress a client, co-​workers, or your friends, the service and atmosphere at Nick & Sam’s won’t disappoint regardless of the size of your party. This ain’t no sports bar, and the well dressed, professional, and attentive staff will make sure that everything is taken care of.
A great sidebar here is that Nick & Sam’s is equally strong if you’re just looking for a quick bite, with full menu service being provided at a first come first serve bar. Star Granted.
Star 2: How were the portions relative to the cost?
Fine dining is all too often black or white these days, and it seems like you can either opt for a place with a $ 30 morsel of pork belly or $ 5 for some massive portion of something or another that you’ll regret later. Not so at Nick & Sam’s. During my first visit I opted for a higher end dish, and paid the $ 32 price tag for a mild portion of Diver Scallops with Truffle Risotto, Mushroom Nage and White Truffle Oil. Alternatively, I came back another time and for only $ 9 got a truly massive portion (pictured) of Lobster Mac n Cheese. Balance folks — it goes a long way especially when it comes to value. Star Granted.
Stars 3 and 4: How was the food?
I can see why there’s so much hype around Nick & Sam’s, and while my two dishes weren’t what I’d define as enough to put the restaurant on the my top 10 list, you won’t ever regret a trip here regardless of whether or not you go for expense or value.
The Diver Scallops was certainly the weaker of my two dishes, which was a bit surprising considering I’d seen so much great attention paid to the dish over time. While cooked exceptionally well, the scallops were almost distractingly salty, and while that might at times be offset by the creamy truffle risotto, I was disappointed to find the undercooked and only mildly flavored risotto punching below the high bar that’s been set elsewhere in the city.
My first experience was almost entirely offset by my second, where my half portion (pictured) of Lobster Mac and Cheese showed me everything that Mac n Cheese should be. Admittedly, there wasn’t enough lobster here (measured by portion size or flavor) to make an impact, but the smooth texture and consistency of the cheese combined with the right amount of crumble on top sent a clear message that Dallas is a Mac n Cheese powerhouse. Single Star Granted.
Star 5: Would you eat here every day if you could?
It’s rare that you find such a great balance of quality, value, and presentation at an establishment that owns its hometown and becomes representative of a city’s dining scene. Nick & Sam’s does this, and I’d gladly come daily. Star Granted.

A team dinner that included me and five boys, of course, meant a steakhouse. Haha! We sat in one of the smaller rooms, which I liked better because the noise level was lower and we didn’t have to yell across the table.
It was a great experience. Before you order, the server will explain the menu to you. Also, mind you, that the menu consists of one page of food and the remainder 10 or so pages are of cocktails and wine! The server will also bring over a plate to show you the different cuts of meat you can order.
For appetizers, we ordered the devil eggs and the grilled octopus — both of which were good but I think I like the devil eggs more.
I was trying to be healthier and was happy that they had bison as an option. Though it might not have been AS delicious as a filet, it was still really good.
After dinner was over, the server came and gave us a run down on the desserts. Now, it’s incredible how he remembered all of them because the list kept going! I think it would’ve been more effective if they just had a paper menu of it… or at least the staples that he mentioned.
We ordered this peanut butter mousse cake and the signature chocolate soufflé. Both were rich and delicious. They were sweet, so the sweet tooth was satisfied about a bite or two in.

I think hot must be a prerequisite for all the women who work here because every lady I encountered at this restaurant was smokin’!
The ambiance was very romantic but man, the dining room was packed! It was really loud and the energy was pretty exciting. Don’t enter this restaurant without expecting to break your wallet, this steakhouse is high-​end and the prices are worth it.
I started with the spinach salad. It had a poached egg and was divine! The table shared a cold assortment of prawns, crab, oysters. I ordered the chilean sea bass and had brussels sprouts, asparagus, and lobster mac n cheese! Everything was sooo good! My homie gave me a slice of his rib eye which was tender and juicy!
If you can afford it, eat here!

Excellent place for a date or a business meeting, even a fine dinner for the family (without very young kids).the service is very personalized and the staff is very friendly.
All four of us on the table agreed that the food (different plates) was excellent.
Try their ahi tuna steak. Excellent!

Three stars is probably generous considering our very middling experience at N & S last night. To start, you cannot knock a place for being too popular. Good for them. The place was absolutely tit-​to-​tit in the bar and not much less crowded in the dining room (s) either.
We checked in at the host stand on time for our 8:30 reservation of six persons. No table was set aside for us so we waited 15 minutes for a table in the rear dining room to open up. No biggee. We followed the hostess to the room to discover we were being shown to a 4-​top. They staged us at the bar in that room whereupon a flurry of activity took place while the bus staff broke down that table, removed it, and swooped in, table overhead, with a round 6-​top.
While the hostess waited with us by the bar, menus in hand, she was visibly embarrassed by the circus-​like atmosphere and offered us a bottle of champaign while the chaos ensued. That gesture was truly appreciated and was the right thing to do, as now it was approaching 9:00 pm.
After being seated, our waiter swooped down like a falcon diving to grab its prey to cite the obligatory suggested ways to order the vast possibilities of seafood starters. In rapid-​fire and with a single breath, he must have rattled off a hundred combinations of ways «regulars» order massive quantities of crab, lobster, prawns, and oysters presented in Mt. Vesuvius style atop a silver platter.
I love seafood towers as much as anyone, but they’re not only becoming passé at scores of steakhouses, they are so over-​the-​top that they tend to satiate even the biggest appetites long before the salad arrives, and have become obvious high-​profit margin businesses in and of themselves, aggressively pushed by waiters who seem to be working off commission. I sense there is some type of incentive plan like «waiter of the month» that goes to the waiter that sells the most seafood towers. For this, I cannot blame N & S – they are just following the pack – Maestro’s Ocean Club in Scottsdale may be the worst offender in this category.
We ordered a half dozen raw oysters with our 1.5L of Ridge Zin. Speaking of which, nothing PISSES ME OFF MORE than the waiter bringing the wrong vintage and hiding it with his finger when presenting the bottle. Never mind that ’13 was an equally great (arguably better) vintage than the ’12 in Sonoma. I specifically cited I was ordered the ’12 that was on the list and the waiter tried to hide the fact he brought a ’13. Inappropriate! Vintages matter. That’s why the wine list displays vintages they have on hand.
Here comes the guy with the cellophane wrapped red meat smörgåsbord ala Mortons in 1970, who is also is speaking so fast about all the domestic and Japanese steak options, one might think he was being compensated by how fast he gets through it. Unoriginal and not well executed.
Look, if you gotta sell steak that way, you’re offering too many options. The speedy oratory just doesn’t help at all.
The rest of the meal was uneventful in any way. The fish and steaks were prepared well. The sides were ho hum, not bad, but nothing special. Same with the salads. Bread was outstanding. The cobbler, funnel cake, and sorbet desserts were very good and hey – pretty original I though for the first time last night.
I really liked this place when it was Lawry’s. The grand dining room with the waitresses in starched uniforms and ample chests with push-​up bras. There was something unique and old-​wold charming about the atmosphere they created in that space. Maybe stuffy and spicy English would describe it.
I find N & S to lack atmosphere of any kind that is accurately describable in any way. Lots of posers on hand spending mom and dad’s inheritance, driving leased luxury cars conspicuously parked inches from the door to attract more of the same.
Now, instead of having mature waitresses with big breasts wearing starched uniforms with plunging necklines, this space is filled with gold-​digging hotties in tight short skirts sporting fake racks, on the arms of posers and wannabes spending their parents’ money. The eardrum-​popping decibel level of the music in the bar reveals N & S’s demographic, which clearly is NOT the over-​30 crowd. God bless ‘em. Dallas has a large population that fits their target demographic. They pack ‘em in.
In summary, my expectations were not met last night. N & S was not in it to win it. They just managed to get by. For that experience, I could rattle off dozens of single-​location and local and national chain steakhouses (in Dallas and other major cities) that deliver consistently superior service, more inventive starters and sides, more effective management, and equally impressive steaks in far more inviting atmospheres. Three of them are within a three mile radius of N & S. If you include non-​steakhouses, there are at least a dozen far superior experiences to be had within a three-​mile radius at similar price points. May the best one survive the next downturn!

This is more like 3.5 and it’s completely based on personal preferences and does not reflect at all on the service or quality of food.
We dined here for restaurant week and I had the pork belly appetizer, beef tenderloin and white chocolate pistachio cake /​caramel apple bread pudding dessert (hubs was nice enough to share with me). These portions were generous enough to fill us up without leaving us hungry!
The pork belly had a delicious, crisp skin with a soft, smooth, melt-​in your mouth fatty layer. I was surprised at the size of the tenderloin (6 – 8 oz?) and it’s served with creamed corn and instead of bok choy, as the menu states, ours came with mashed potatoes (which I love). These sides were both smooth and creamy which just the right amount of seasoning.
The steak had a sauce that I wasn’t in love with (personal preference, there wasn’t anything wrong with it), but the meat was super tender and cooked to the desired doneness.
My absolute favorite was the bread pudding dessert, packed with spices and sweetness, it was the perfect end to the meal! The white chocolate cake was more the consistency of a creamy cheesecake, also tasty.
The atmosphere was very energetic, lots of movement of serving staff, filled with chatter of diners, and competing with this was a live piano player.
It may have been a restaurant week thing, but some of the tables felt very close together and I was happy that we dined early and so we didn’t have anyone next to us. It’s not a relaxing atmosphere and not quite the best environment for a proposal (in my opinion).
For me, it’s the energy level, the fact that I wasn’t completely blown away by the food, and parking was valet only, that I give this place 3.5 stars. But, my husband remarked that he would like to come back to try the regular menu and I have no objections!

I wouldn’t come here again. Below a list of things I liked and what went wrong with my dinner here.
The good
1. Cotton candy dessert was impressive and tasted better than most cotton candy I’ve had. It comes with a glowing light that flashes inside the cotton candy that’s served on a wooden stand.
2. The giant prawn my friend told me she loved. I take her word for it because she had already eaten it before I even saw it
3. My friend loved his giant aged massive piece of meat still on the bone. He was the birthday boy so I’m glad he liked the food.
The bad
1. My seared ahi tuna was incredibly salty. The noodles included were very salty as well. Normally I’d send my meal back to have it corrected but read onto the bad and you’ll see why I did not.
2. I understand making the most of the space you’re given but I found the tables to be jammed right next to each other. The table behind me was less than an arm stretch away and many of the wait staff constantly bumped into the back of my chair as they attempted to maneuver between tables. I compare to an airplane ride where you have a little kid kicking the back of your seat.
The ugly
1. They seated us more than 35 minutes after our reservation time, my party consisted of 7 people.
2. We ordered drinks in the bar area where a wait staff took our drink order that we didn’t receive until about 50 minutes later when we were already seated at our table.
I most likely won’t be visiting again.

Came here for my 21^st birthday and it was just OKAY. Nothing really wowed me or stood out besides the crab cakes.
After we were seated our server gave us some time to look over the menu before bringing out the meat tray. For appetizers we ordered the fried calamari and crab cakes. Both were very tasty and had me excited for the steak. Steak wise we ordered the 48 oz Porter house, long tomahawk rib-​eye and a rainbow roll. All of the steaks were just mediocre, personally I preferred steaks from Outback steak house or Salt Grass. The rainbow roll tasted fresh and was soaked in a ponzu sauce. For sides we ordered the lobster mac and cheese and the garlic mashed potatoes, both okay tasting.
The main reason I wanted to come to Nick and Sam’s was for their 7– layered red velvet cake, the server had recommended that we get a half order (which is half a slice) but I wanted the full slice in all it layered glory. For my birthday they stuck in two sparklers to make it special. I had high hopes for this cake because it looked really delicious. Sadly it was dry and underwhelming.
Price wise this high end steak house is very affordable, we ordered one cocktail, 2 appetizers, 3 entrees, 2 sides, and a dessert and the bill was only around $ 320.
Overall the service is great, however if you’re here for delicious steak or cake look else where.

Food (⁴⁄₅)
I had heard Nick & Sam’s is one of the fine steakhouse heavyweights in Dallas so I was excited to try this place out for my boyfriend’s birthday.
Once you’re seated, the waiter will bring out a large tray (about 15″ x 25″) filled with an assortment of cuts of off-​menu steaks and seafood (e.g., Kobe beef, Omi beef, lobster, giant prawn) for you to observe the freshness and marbling in the meat. The waiter is extremely transparent in the pricing with a range of $ 30-​$ 80 per ounce for each off-​menu meat.
However, since this was our first time, we ordered the on-​menu options: (1) crab cakes for appetizers, (2) 10 oz filet mignon for me, (3) 16 oz NY sirloin for him, and (4) garlic mashed potatoes and lobster mac and cheese for sides. We also ordered a glass of Chardonnay and an order of the Pride cocktail, one of seven specialty cocktails conjured up by Nick & Sam’s with their take on the seven deadly sins. The Chardonnay fell a bit flat and tasted watery for me. However, my boyfriend enjoyed the Pride, a cocktail comprised of Maker’s Mark and muddled blueberries.
Overall, every food item was delicious. However, I didn’t think any of the foods — except for the garlic mashed potatoes — were standouts to me as being superior to other steakhouses where I have had similar food. Without tip, the total came out to ~$ 150, which I thought was extremely reasonable. Next time, I think I’ll have to try the off-​menu items, because I have a feeling that’s where Nick & Sam’s probably shines.
Service (3.5÷5)
Not really sure what all the previous Unilocal reviewers did, but I never received any complimentary caviar during my visit. Did I ultimately care if I received caviar? No. Did I feel sort of cheated that other people were getting caviar? Sort of. it was a bit of a letdown, but I was so full from the entire meal that I easily overlooked the whole ordeal.
Because we were celebrating a birthday, the hostess grabbed from a stack of cards and took a handful of confetti from a basket to set up a festive layout on our table, but the whole process felt so mechanical that it didn’t feel as sincere anymore. The nice touch was the complimentary flutes of champagne, which was delicious.
Our waiter was also extremely nice. He seemed new since he sounded incredibly scripted during the whole time. Despite this though, he was very attentive throughout the night, so I can’t really complain too much there.
Atmosphere (⁵⁄₅)
Nick & Sam’s sports black walls and framed modern art pieces within its main dining room, evoking a classy look to the entire restaurant. It was a nice break away from the traditional steakhouse feel of dark mahogany tones with clean white linens. There are plenty of table and booth seating, so Nick & Sam’s is able to accommodate parties of all sizes.
Bottom Line
Overall, the food was delicious, but it didn’t really outshine any other fine steakhouse I had been to before. One reprieve is the very reasonable pricing (~$ 150 without tip). Our waiter was great, but I think Nick & Sam’s is so used to celebrating special occasions at its restaurant that the whole operation felt mechanical and not as sincere to me. Nevertheless, I will say that the off-​menu items are probably what makes Nick & Sam’s shine, so I’ll have to give them another shot.