South of Nick's Laguna Beach — Restaurant in Laguna Beach

SUPER FUN DINNER ! My wife and I are big fans of South of Nick's...we have enjoyed dinner at the San Clemente location more than a few times but never here. Of course we were impressed with the excellent food, drinks and service every time. BUT THEN ! With our wedding anniversary coming up on Monday, June 17th we wanted somewhere very special to celebrate. And now that we live in Irvine the drive to Laguna Beach is not so bad. I jumped online and made a reservation for 6pm on June 17th...expecting it to be a bit quiet on a Monday. We pulled up out front around 5.50pm looking for their valet parking attendant to no avail but we scored a metered street parking spot within 50 feet of the restaurant. UP THE STAIRS ! After hiking up the staircase we arrived at the hostess desk right on the bell. We were greeted by Nahommi the courteous hostess who said we would be seated at our reserved table shortly. OOPS ! The window table with ocean view we were shown to was not suitable...at this time of the evening the sun was glaring in. To her credit Nahommi sorted this out in seconds and offered us an elevated bench table away from the bright windows. AND WE LOVED IT ! We could see virtually the entire restaurant and no glare. Before we knew it our server Jacob showed up with the million dollar smile. Menus, glasses of iced water and a huge complimentary serve of Tortilla Chips with a Trio of Salsas arrived within seconds. BEER ! I had checked out their beer menu online at home and at least they served a decent hazy IPA....my preference. So I asked smiling Jacob to bring me a Brewery X Hazy IPA....he mentioned it will be in a can. VOILA ! An ice cold can of Dictionary Roulette Hazy IPA and a tall chilled glass was placed on our table.....nice beer ! We had been munching away on our fresh house made tortilla chips and trio of tasty salsas watching all the action whiz by in this boisterous restaurant..packed out on a Monday evening. ENTREES ! My wife decided on Seafood Enchiladas ( Maine lobster, Mexican shrimp, poblano cream sauce, white rice, black beans ). I asked our helpful server Jacob about 3 dishes I fancied and his informed answer helped me choose El Vaquero ( sliced ribeye, cheese enchilada with poblano cream sauce, refried beans, stuffed guero pepper ). Of course Jacob asked me how I would like my ribeye...medium rare is fine. While waiting for our meals we discussed the very different vibes here compared to the San Clemente location...both great in their own way. LOOKIN' GOOD ! Our entree orders were delivered to our table by a friendly server named Brent. Everything looked fabulous ! Around this time Krista the GM checked on us.....I had to get a selfie. My wife was more than happy with her well prepared Seafood Enchiladas while the medium rare ribeye with my El Vaquero tasted perfect. ANOTHER BEER ! It was time for another Brewery X Hazy IPA which was taken care of by Jacob and brought out by server Jay a few minutes later. IT'S ALL GOOD ! We were very happy with our choice of restaurant to celebrate our 18th wedding anniversary. THERE'S MORE ! There was no way we were leaving without some dessert in particular the delectable Warm Butter Cake. And Jacob our charming server delivered the goods again...with a lit candle. And it was soooo delicious. A GREAT RESTAURANT WITH FABULOUS FOOD, DRINKS...

FABULOUS DINNER ! After our first dinner visit here a few months ago we knew we had to come back. In between my wife and I have been very busy with our 2 week vacation New York, NY and very soon after moving house to San Clemente. JUST DO IT ! Finally I made an online dinner reservation for 6pm on Sunday, Nov 10th. We were looking forward to coming back here very much. WHY ? Apart from the excellent upscale Mexican food the restaurant has a happy vibe, wonderful staff from the GM down, everyone makes you feel really welcome....plus there's an ocean view ! We headed over here from San Clemente around 5.30pm and took advantage of the valet parking service underneath. The Valet attendant Brendan took great care of us. UP THE STAIRS ! No ocean view at this time..after dark. The lovely hostesses Nahommi & Sofia remembered us from our previous visit when we arrived around 6pm. When I made our dinner reservation I requested an elevated table backing onto the kitchen...it has a view of virtually the entire restaurant. EXACTLY ! And Sofia escorted us to the exact same table....now that is great service. The restaurant was packed out as it should be....this is a very good restaurant because it has some of the most dedicated staff you will ever encounter. FIRST UP ! We asked if Jacob ( our incredible server on our first visit ) was serving in our section...tonight Naz will look after you. We did catch Jacob's eye and he gave us a big smile. And soon after sweet Naz came by to help us....we asked for iced waters. Of course out came the complimentary Tortilla Chips & Trio of Salsas and trust me they tasted awesome. I asked Naz for a Dictionary Roulette Hazy IPA...not a bad beer. AND ! Who should promptly deliver my ice cold can of beer and tall chilled glass....our good mate Jacob who asked if he could pour it for me....of course I said. My hazy IPA tasted great. VIBRANT ATMOSPHERE ! Seriously all we could see from our excellent vantage point were lots of happy diners...this is a really fun restaurant. When our server Naz came back we ordered 1 x Pork Carnitas ( coca-cola marinade, guacamole, refried beans, spanish rice, pico de gallo, handmade tortillas, pickled jalapeños and carrots, salsa quemada ) and 1 x Filet Mignon Ranchero ( fajita style, roasted onions, tomatoes, poblano peppers, guacamole, refried beans, handmade tortillas, stuffed guero pepper ). We asked for flour tortillas and house made corn tortillas combo. FAST ! Our dinner meals arrived promptly...a server named Reece delivered my Filet Mignon Ranchero and a sweet server named Michele brought out my wife's Pork Carnitas. INCREDIBLY DELICIOUS ! The kitchen crew here is second to none....we loved our delicious meals. A manager named Tom came by to check on us...I asked him for another Dictionary Roulette Hazy IPA. Our server Naz made sure we had plenty of tortillas...free refills. DESSERT ! We had to have the Warm Butter Cake ( signature warm butter cake, crystallized sugar crust, vanilla ice cream, garnished with berry compote ). YES PLEASE ! A female food runner dropped it off within a few minutes.....totally delicious as usual. FINALLY ! The restaurant GM Krista came by to have a chat...we said her staff were outstanding. ONE...

I had an unforgettable experience at South of Nick’s in Laguna Beach, and this spot just never misses. The coastal views are absolutely stunning—think golden hour over the ocean with the sound of waves in the distance. It’s the kind of place where you settle in and instantly feel like you’re on vacation.

We were celebrating a friend’s birthday and managed to snag two bar seats (a total score since the waitlist was already two hours long). From the service to the food, everything was flawless.

I started with the Shrimp Salad, and WOW—this is the salad that ruins all other salads for you. The prawns were massive, juicy, and perfectly grilled, nestled on a bed of crisp romaine, baby kale, roasted corn, avocado, fresh cilantro, and just the right amount of cherry tomatoes. The Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette was tossed in just right, and I had the cotija cheese on the side. Every bite was fresh, vibrant, and packed with flavor.

Then came the Chilean Sea Bass, and I’m still thinking about it. It was cooked to perfection—crisp on the outside, buttery and flaky on the inside. I swapped out the usual sides for grilled vegetables and zucchini, and they were the perfect complement—light, flavorful, and beautifully charred.

For a lighter twist on a starter, I ordered the guacamole with fresh-cut vegetables instead of chips, and I honestly didn’t miss the chips at all. It was refreshing, creamy, and the veggies made it feel clean and satisfying.

My friend tried the spicy margarita, which delivered a bold kick without overpowering the flavor. And to top off the night, the staff surprised us with a slice of their chocolate cake—rich, velvety, and absolutely worth the splurge. I was too full to even attempt their legendary butter cake, but it’s the first thing I’m ordering next time.

The service was impeccable—friendly, attentive, and genuinely welcoming. Between the jaw-dropping views, next-level dishes, and relaxed-but-upscale vibe, South of Nick’s is easily one of my favorite spots in Laguna Beach. Trust me, you’ll want to...