Nick's — Restaurant in Ocean City

My fiance is "in the business", and she reviewed as well...I'll mimic her review. - "A (local) friend, who has been going for years, recommended Nicks to us. Three things that generate happiness & a return (for us) are: Taste, value, and service. And I am sorry to say, we will most likely not be back. I looked at menu online and read a lot of unsavory reviews(which I usually take with a grain of salt-because you just can't be sure and I like to find out for myself). We specifically went for a rack of ribs and prime rib and I should've been alerted by the red flag reviews. I thought some reviews may have been over stated or a bit harsh, but turned out to be accurate. Ribs were dry, squirted with just a drizzle of fresh sauce on top, and unfortunately came to our table barely warmed up. Not the fall off the bone, dripping, tender, hot, juicy bones of meat I was anticipating. The prime rib was very fatty, grisly & tough! I know prime rib is a fatty cut- but the fat is for flavor, not a whole plate of scraps. I was ready for juicy, tender, melt-in-your-mouth-like-butter prime rib, but got a tough, fatty, over cooked slab of meat; accompanied by cold, limp fries instead. I understand times are tough everywhere, prices are through the roof on everything- I do not mind paying for a meal, but I want to enjoy my food & feel satisfied that I received a good value for my meal. The "sides" are so small, a couple bites. I planned on us sharing sides, but there was not enough to split, I was going to get a side of coleslaw for myself, but couldn't justify paying over $3 ($3.49/$3.79) for literally 2 bites. Prime Rib "dinner" was just some fries (one side). One should never leave a restaurant still feeling hungry. Our meal was over $90 (no appetizers and no alcoholic drinks) & I can't justify what we received for what we paid. In the service department, basic. We don't require much "service" & are not needy-& try to ask for what we'll need when we order. Our server was pleasant, but pretty much non-existent during our meal. After 15 minutes of needing a soda, when she emerged, we had to stop her for a drink. QThese are tough times-everything costs more. It's off-season: business, as well as employees, drops off. We come to Ocean City several times a year and we love going out to eat, more during off-season to check out "new to us" places for future visits. We ask a few "in the business" locals their favorite spots etc, but we also rely on reviews to aid us in selecting a place to eat. Some reviews were very positive, many were not. We decided to find out for ourselves and give it a try. A restaurant can have an off/missing the mark night occasionally. I now believe reviewers were not simply complaining or being petty & that maybe it's time for some changes to be better. I am not trying to be harsh or sarcastic & I don't review many ", & this is the only single star review I've given. I wanted to give an honest review and constructive criticism of our experience for patrons, as well as, management/owner."... ...and with that, I'll mimic her review but give 3*s for effort. I will say, if we bring "home" food, we didn't enjoy it. We brought scraps home to feed the beach ⛱️ pets. We go "other places" and most of the time we eat everything get more value, get more food, and we eat all of it. Changes to be better definitely...I would also question how the food is during the busy season vs. Off season? Idk this...we went off-season wasn't busy think they'd get it right. I fyid table next to us, "make sure your food comes hot 🔥... they looked at me in shock, and the gentleman said, "I will...coz I like my food hot. Thanks." Thanks for reading. DTM nice atmosphere 👌 tho...added pic of the receipt...pic of food is deceiving... when food came to table we thot it looked good, but MY POINT IS the VALUE we're used to, is NOT acceptable, and we will not be back....

When Nostalgia Meets Disappointment: A Longtime Customer’s Final Straw I’ve been coming to this restaurant since I was a kid. It’s one of those places that, over the years, became part of my family’s tradition. Birthdays, anniversaries, and the occasional celebratory dinner—this spot was our go-to. The food was always great, the service was warm, and there was something about the atmosphere that made it feel like home. But after my most recent visit, I’m honestly not sure if I’ll ever be back.

A Start That Should Have Been the End

Our experience started on a note that should’ve been a red flag. When the waiter brought out the rolls, we noticed something disturbing—ants crawling all over them. Yes, ants. We sent them back immediately, expecting the situation to be taken care of. The second batch arrived with no ants, but that wasn’t the end of it. The table itself was crawling with them. At that point, we should’ve just walked out, but we stayed. Big mistake.

The Creamsicle Crush That Went Sour

After placing my drink order, I waited—and waited. It took a solid 25 minutes for my drink to come to the table, and when it finally did, it wasn’t even close to what I expected. My creamsicle crush had already started to curdle at the top. At that point, I was pretty much over it. But I decided to give it a try anyway. Needless to say, I didn’t finish it.

Small Portions and High Prices: Where’s the Value?

The real kicker came with the food. My wife ordered the crab cake for $30. To say it was small would be an understatement. I mean, it barely resembled the crab cakes we used to love here. For that price, it was just embarrassing.

As for my rack of ribs—they were, as always, delicious. The only problem? Apparently, the new owner decided that wet naps were a luxury no longer worth providing to customers. After enjoying my ribs, I asked for a wet nap, only to be told by our server that the new owner doesn’t provide them anymore. “He’s cheap,” the waiter confided. The fact that a rib place would cut costs on something as basic as wet naps seemed like the last straw.

A $110 Bill and a Whole Lot of Disappointment

When the bill came, it was a whopping $110 for myself, my wife, and our child. At that price, we expected a much better experience—especially after decades of loyal patronage. It’s sad to say, but I think we’re done with this place. After 30 years of coming here, I don’t know if I can overlook the decline in quality any longer.

The Owner’s Response? Unprofessional at Best

I decided to check out the restaurant’s reviews after our visit, and what I saw was even more discouraging. The owner’s responses to negative feedback were beyond unprofessional. Instead of acknowledging the issues, he chose to argue, dismiss, and even belittle customers who took the time to share their concerns. It was a stark contrast to the restaurant’s warm and welcoming vibe I used to love.

At this point, I feel compelled to warn others: if you’re thinking about going here, don’t. The restaurant is no longer what it once was, and from what I’ve seen in the reviews, it’s clear that this decline isn’t just a fluke—it’s the new norm. Save your time and money, and go elsewhere.

A Sad Goodbye

It’s a tough pill to swallow when a beloved spot turns into something completely unrecognizable. But after my last visit, it’s clear that things have changed—and not for the better. I’m not sure what happened to the place I once loved, but after this experience, I don’t think I’ll be returning...

My family and I walked into Nick's with great expectations of a good time. The place looked nice, live music, we were hopeful. We placed our order. A half hour later our server came back to tell us that they ran out of crab meat. 5 of the 9 of us had to order something different. Three of us ordered mozzarella sticks for an appetizer, they all arrived on one plate. After being there just over an hour, the table behind us, who sat after us and had about the same amount of people recieved their food with crab meat (chicken Chesapeake which 2 people at our table ordered). At that point I went to speak to the manage. I explained the info above, he went to check on our food. It came out about 5-10 minutes later, about an hour and a half after we were sat. He explained that it was being plated when he went back and that some days are just like that. He never addressed the crab meat. My son did not recieve his chicken tenders and fries when we did. The server did not know, I had to get her to address that. The server was not that great either. She would forget half the stuff that we asked for when she came over, some things were never recieved but we were just over the place and there was no point in complaining as the manager didn't seem too concerned. In addition to everything at the table, the bathrooms were dirty. My Mother stopped to tell the manager about the over flowing trash, lack of soap and that there were no paper towels. His response was "you know females are the filthiest". After that my daughter went in to use the bathroom expecting that it would have been taken care of, it was not. Highly disappointed with our visit, and even more so with the managers lack of care and rude responses. Edit: the mozzarella sticks were decent. Half of our food was left, half was boxed and taken. Your continued responses display the behavior that we saw that night. Your lack of concern for the failures of your restaurant shows your character well. The ladies room was dirty because your staff did not change the trash can. You didn't address the lack of soap or paper towels, again because your staff didn't do their job. Crab meat was available, apparently just not for our table. Restaurants stay in business long term by being responsive to their mishap, not by shaming customers or ignoring issues. Good luck to your future business. Looks like many people...