Nick’s Kitchen and Beach Bar

I did not enjoy spending my money here. First, they forgot about us while we were waiting for a seat. And when we finally sat down and got dinner, it was not hot. The tuna was over cooked. I would not come here again!

I have been eating here since it was Casey’s over 20 years now. Both Nick’s and Gaido’s are owned by the same family. Gaido’s is a bit more formal and pricier, while Nick’s is casual dining. We tried to eat here on Saturday evening during the parade, but there was no parking in any of the Gaido lots. (Just getting to it was a nightmare.) They were full due to parade patrons and not a single spot open within walking vicinity. Even after we watched several cars leave the «full» lot, the attendant said they were not allowing anyone else in. Very disappointing. We gave up and returned for a late lunch on Sunday before we left to return home.
It had been a few years since my last visit here and they had expanded the outdoor dining area/​waiting lounge and indoor bar. We were greeted and seated promptly in the area adjacent to the pool. The pool had been expanded as well and looked very tropical, with a covered bar out there as well. Some areas could still use some updating. A few of the chairs had holes in the vinyl seats, and the bathroom looked pretty tired and old.
Our server (sorry dear, your name escapes me due to brain fog) was very nice and looked quite festive with her Mardi Gras eyes (loved them). She went over all the specials and recommendations thoroughly. We took forever to decide, but she was more than patient with us. Having a long drive ahead and just a few hours since breakfast, we opted for some snacks instead of full meals. I had a large Nick’s Bloody Mary, but it was way too hot and I was going to send it back and get tea, but our server offered to have it remade. It was better, but a tad heavy on the Worcestershire and light on alcohol. Hubby ordered the Seafood Stuffed Jalapeños, which were huge. We both agreed they could use more seafood and less cream cheese, but still tasty. I ordered a dozen oysters on the half shell. They weren’t listed on the menu and I had to ask for them. They were fresh and good, but I picked quite a few shell slivers out of my mouth. Still a bit hungry, I ordered the Lump Crab Cake appetizer. It was scrumptious. They should have that in a larger portion as a dinner choice too! The cutlery never made it and I ended up grabbing two from the empty table behind.
In a nutshell — The service, staff, and food were good… but I noticed there is no longer a salad offered with the meals. Also, I miss the parfait that used to come with every meal. It made it a special stand out place. For those reviewers whining about their dogs… No restaurant allows dogs in the dining areas (in or outside) unless service certified. It is a health department violation. There were dogs outside in the bar/​pool area on leashes. I gave three stars for these reasons: Décor looking a bit tired; Bathrooms needing attention; Prices were a little higher than other establishments in its class and charging extra for a baked potato or salad when it used to come with the meals.

Food was great! Atmosphere was fun and festive. Our waitress Tara Williams was amazing, we had a table of 35 or so, 40 Something Cowgirls, Tara was so happy, and fun, and never missed a beat. Our food and drinks arrived on time and with her pretty smile. Will definitely be back next year and most likely with an even larger group!

Average food. Fried oysters and shrimp were under fried and came out cold. Service was good.

This place was really great! Their $ 10 lunch specials on the weekend was clutch for what we were wanting. The pina cola blended drink was delicious. Definitely would recommend this spot.

This is a noisy, busy bar with some darn good seafood! We started with a dozen raw oysters on the half shell… mmmm. Then we ordered shrimp gumbo (for the first time ever!) and lobster bisque. The gumbo was delicious but the bisque was spectacular, though absent of any actual lobster chunks. We’d order it again though as it was among the best tasting we’ve ever had.
For a lighter meal, Lisa’s ordered the fish tacos which she enjoyed quite a bit. I on the other hand ordered the deluxe seafood platter. A bit of everything and all amazing! It includes shrimp, oysters, stuffed shrimp, crab and shrimp stuffing balls, shrimp peques and a catfish fillet. I’d definitely order it again!
Oh, and the waffle fries are addictive!

Dog UN-​friendly.
The entire restaurant is an outdoor patio. We walked up with my well-​mannered French bulldog and the hostess/​manager immediately asked, «is he a seeing eye dog?» To which I laughed (he was walking behind me) and said «No.» She said dogs were not allowed on the patio, because «they would be shut down if the inspector came by.» I was a little shocked and said, «Really? He’s not allowed outside? He goes with us to patios all the time.» She adamantly refused us and sent us away.
I will also add that we parked in the side lot and the smell from their dumpster (at least, I hope it was the dumpster) was nauseating. It was baaaad.
We have eaten at Gaidos many times and the food is always good. So we were excited to try Nicks and relax on the patio with our pup. But not after that experience.

10 of us dined here and thoroughly enjoyed it. 2 guys got the Cardiac Arrest burger, asked for them medium. The burgers were cooked more medium-​well, but they still liked them a lot. I’m celiac and was very impressed with the designated gluten-​free options on the menu, more than just salads and plain chicken! A few people had fried seafood platters and they were large portions. Hubby and I split a shrimp cocktail — also excellent.
The hostesses weren’t overly friendly and we did have to wait 25 minutes on a Tuesday night with the restaurant not even half full. Our server Ruth was fantastic and very accommodating, however. We will go back!

This place is named for Nick Gaido, who is associated with Gaido’s next door. Gaido’s has been in Galveston for 100 years. Nick’s has changed names over the years. For those who are familiar with Galveston, Nick’s used to be Casey’s and before that was The Chart Room.
They offer both indoor and outdoor seating. The indoor seating seemed to be old and cramped so we sat outside. The outside seating is on the Seawall Blvd side of the restaurant so it can be very loud with the traffic and obnoxious bikers who seem to have a need to race their engines loudly.
Let’s review the food first. The food is good but can be pricey. It seems like Nick’s and Gaido’s might share a kitchen (I’m not positive about this) and so the food has good flavor. I had the shrimp platter which consisted of several grilled and fried shrimp, 1 stuffed shrimp and 1 bacon-​wrapped shrimp. In totality, there were 12 shrimp on the platter. Combining that with the separately ordered Caesar Salad, I left full. My wife ate some of my salad and ordered the tequila-​lime tilapia. She really liked it. All in all, we are pleased with the food. Both orders were tasty but slightly on the expensive side if you are taking the ambiance into consideration.
Now lets talk about the décor and other parts of the restaurant. It looks like the furniture has been around since The Chart Room opened 60 years ago. The décor desperately needs a remodel. The pictures on their website are obviously professionally done and do not show how bad it really is. It is not near as nice as they make it look. The furniture is all very worn, the walls need painting and the bathroom stinks. The bathroom stink is not a «someone just dropped one and left» smell. It is a «this bathroom hasn’t been thoroughly cleaned in a really long, long time» smell. That is obvious by the dirt stains on the wall by the light switch and the lack of fresh paint. It is really in bad shape.
If you are only going for the food, the food is good. However, my biggest concern is cleanliness. If the areas I can see are in this bad of shape, how are the areas that I can’t see? How dirty is the kitchen? Do they enforce hand-​washing by the staff? I can’t answer those questions but can only make a guess judging by the lack of cleanliness everywhere else. If cleanliness is truly next to Godliness, than this place is ungodly.
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Fresh seafood! I was so happy that we stumbled upon this place. We sat on the patio and from there you can get a stellar view of the beach and do some people watching. I ordered the shrimp which were seasoned perfectly and some steamed veggies. The cajun rice sure did hit the spot too! They have great drinks and wine specials as well. The service was great and our waiter was super attentive. I would recommend you check this place out for a low key, delicious dining experience!

A very popular place. We stopped here after our bike ride on the boardwalk (we weren’t dressed for the fancier restaurant). Bartenders were good and the drinks were great. The food was good. Check out the photos I posted. We had a great time!
This review is based in my personal experience and all statements made reflect my personal opinion. Your experience may be completely different.