Nick's Restaurant

In a word: For quick kicks pick Nick's.

The specs: #0417
Address, hours & details via Isthmus; reviews at Isthmus and again, Yelp, QSC, TDPF, Madison Fish Fry; official web site;

Latest Nick's Restaurant news and reviews

JM ate the hot beef sandwich.
Linda ate the veggie burger with coleslaw.
Nichole ate the chicken dinner with a coffee.
The bill was $25,or $8.33/person, plus tip.
JM and Nichole gave Nick's Restaurant an A- (see our grading rubric).

Nick's, a State Street institution in the classic diner/bar genre, has a welcoming unselfconsciousness about it. From the pleather booths that match the black-and-silver boomerang motif wallpaper, to the mismatched light fixtures, to the greeting you get from behind the bar, it's comfortable and good at comfort food. This occasion was also special because it marked the first (and we hope there will be more) chance we had to eat with Linda Falkenstein from Isthmus, the keeper of The List and, therefore after Nichole, the person who has the most control over this blog. (Sorry, JM!)

Back to the food. The homemade navy bean soup that came with the full dinner was a little bland, but the rolls were warm and soft.

JM's hot beef sandwich fell a little short on the comfort food scale. It was warm and filling quite tasty, though.Nick's is trying to bring together several elements from JM's childhood (despite its total rurality) and these elements could have fused into a marvelous whole, but didn't and that gap between perception and reality seemed larger than it probably was.  Don't get him wrong, he enjoyed it.

The chicken dinner was superior. The skin and breading were on the crunchy side, and lightly seasoned. The meat inside was tender, juicy and very hot, and the leftovers were at least two damn sights better than KFC.

Linda shared the coleslaw that they let her sub for fries. The vinegar-based slaw was crisp and refreshing. For more on the veggie burger, check out her writeup on The Daily Page.

We passed on the pie - common offerings include blueberry, apple and lemon meringue - but previous visits have proven Nick's worth as a great place for a coffee break as well.

Comments

[Jordan]

Very satisfying patty melt here, of the Midwestern pumpernickel variety.

[Heather]

Love this place. It reminds me of the home town diner in the town I grew up with - although Nick's has a little more class and less "swivel factor".

[Mitch]

I love Nick's! The atmosphere is warm and friendly. The service is always nice. And the fish fry is tasty. They also make a great grasshopper.

[EiMAtZ]

Finally got around to the blueberry pie. It's got cinnamon in the filling and extra sugar on the crust. Good coffee.