NANDO Wood-Fired Steak & Seafood — Restaurant in Evansville

NANDO – A Touch of Gatsby in Evansville

Evansville’s dining scene just got a major upgrade with the opening of NANDO, and after our recent visit, I can confidently say: this place is something special.

From the moment we walked in, the atmosphere was absolutely captivating — think 1920s Great Gatsby glamour with a modern edge. The lighting, the décor, the music — it all created an ambiance that felt both upscale and inviting. We were seated immediately and offered a classy choice of sparkling or distilled water, a small but thoughtful touch that set the tone for the evening.

We kicked things off with cocktails. I ordered my usual Old Fashioned, while my wife opted for a gin-based creation (the name escapes me, but the taste didn’t). Both drinks were beautifully presented and expertly balanced — a promising start.

For appetizers, we chose the intriguingly named “When Pigs Fly” and the shrimp cocktail. The bacon trio — black peppered, jalapeño, and maple — was to die for. Each variety had its own bold personality, and together they were pure indulgence. The shrimp cocktail was fresh and perfectly chilled, rounding out a fantastic first course.

For the main event, my wife ordered the butternut squash soup and a Caesar salad, both of which she raved about. I went all in with the filet and shrimp, accompanied by lobster mac and cheese and sautéed carrots. The filet was cooked to perfection — tender enough to cut with a fork — and the roasted garlic on the side added a wonderful, mellow depth. The mac and cheese was rich, creamy, and packed with lobster, while the carrots brought a touch of balance to the richness of the plate.

We finished the evening with a bourbon cake drizzled in caramel glaze and served with ice cream — a decadent dessert that hit all the right notes without being overly sweet.

From start to finish, NANDO delivered not only on food quality but also on service and ambiance. The staff was attentive without being intrusive, and every detail felt carefully considered. It’s not every day you find a restaurant that nails both the experience and the cuisine — especially one so close to home.

Bravo, NANDO. You’ve set a new standard for dining in Evansville. We’ll definitely be back — and next time, I’ll make sure to remember the name of...

My wife and I came here for our anniversary. Staff was very friendly from the start. We started our dinner with the Queso Y Carne (charcuterie). Everything on it was delicious and worked well, particularly enjoyed the wagyu salami ( I think it was salami, idk it was delicious). We then got their French onion soup, which was a solid 8/10. The broth was incredibly rich. My only critique of the entire dinner, it could have came out hotter, as the cheese was beginning to cool which made it a little difficult to eat with the rest of the soup. My wife actually said the soup was as good as Gordon Ramsay’s though! We also received some bread , or I believe that’s what they were, from the kitchen for free. They came with their house butter, and were absolutely delicious. Could have made a meal out of just those. My wife’s entree was the scallop linguine. It was absolutely delicious. The sauce was a lovely light lemon sauce that fit just right with everything else. The scallops, which are very easy to mess up and I rarely enjoy when I’m not getting them from a restaurant close to the ocean, were absolutely fantastic. Seared perfectly, and almost melts in your mouth. For my entree I got their boneless ribeye, accompanied by their chimichurri and red wine bordelaise. I’ve had hundreds of steaks across the country, and this might very well have been the best I’ve ever had. Was cooked a perfect medium rare, and seasoned very well. It was juicy, tender, and flavorful. The bordelaise was rich and excellent choice for dipping. If you enjoy vinegar, the chimichurri is perfect for you. I loved it and it provided a great contrast to the fattiness of the steak. Rhys was our waiter, he was very friendly and he did a great job of taking care of us and making sure we understood the menu and what we were ordering. The rest of the staff were friendly and courteous as well! We loved how the restaurant itself looked, it had a feeling of refined yet relaxed. Overall, 10/10. This place is a great addition to the area, and my recommendation is, if you’re on the fence about going, just do it, you...

We've been trying to get a reservation for several weeks and finally got one tonight! The building is well decorated and has great upscale presence. The staff was friendly and knowledgeable. The cheese bread appetizer was fantastic so the dinner started off exceeding expectations. My wife's steak was great and the lobster mac and cheese was fantastic.

I was recommended the 21 day dry aged Ribeye and ordered it medium. My steak came out rare. I hate sending things back and am noncomfontational but for $94 and Google Lens telling me the steak was medium rare to rare I apologized and asked to confirm the temperature of the steak. The waiter and Manager both said it was undercooked, thanked me for bringing it to their attention, and the steak was reheated. The steak came back medium and was good though at that point my wife had finished eating.

The entire time we were told repeatedly they strive to deliver the best customer experience. So were slighlty suprised the only attempt made to improve our experience was simply to finish cooking the steak as originally ordered. Even the Manager after saying she'd be back to check on us never made it back around.

When receiving our bill we were asked about our experience and if there was anything that could be improved on...my wife and I were polite and said everything was fine, but felt like it was a little insulting given the obvious fact that a recommended $94 steak was not cooked properly and we weren't able to enjoy our meals together.

Overall, we probably overhyped a date night away from young kids at the fancy new "it" restaurant and apparently our expectation that a $94 steak was cooked was too high. For a place touting and selling the experience at those prices we were underwhelmed and disappointed. Unfortunately, I guess we got the once in a lifetime experience they were selling just not how they intended or...