South of Nick's - San Clemente

4.9

1996 Reviews

$30 and under

Mexican

Make a booking

2 people

12 Mar 2025

23:30

Booked 57 times today

Experiences are available.

Good for special occasions
Great for creative cocktails
Neighbourhood gem

An essential stop in Orange County for Southern California Mexican Cuisine.

South of Nick's Mexican Kitchen & Bar features Classic Mexican favorites, prime steaks and seafood with a So Cal twist. Fine Tequilas & Margaritas

Our food and drink meets the highest standards of quality, freshness and seasonality and combines both modern-creative and traditional styles of cooking.

Nick’s is dedicated to perfecting the dining experience through continuous innovation, offering the highest quality food and beverage, and executing impeccable standards of hospitality. The deeply instilled Nick’s culture is personified by its Ladies and Gentlemen – professionals who share a single focus and are inspired and committed to offering great service and creating positive memorable experiences.

Additional information

Location
110 N. El Camino Real, San Clemente, CA 92672
Phone number
(949) 481-4545
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
Mexican
Hours of Operation
Mon–Thu, Sun 11:00–22:00 Fri, Sat 11:00–23:00
Dress code
Smart Casual
Parking details
Street Parking
Payment Options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Executive Chef
Omar Gonzalez

Experiences

Private Dining Experience
US$610.00 per party
Multiple dates available
Our private dining room is for groups of ten to fourteen guests. The Private Dining Room can be reserved for a 2.5-hour experience, with available dinner times at 5:00 PM and 8:00 PM. Please note that a $500 minimum spend is required for the room. A credit card will be required to guarantee your reservation. This will only be charged in the event of a late cancellation or no-show. Once the reservation is made in Opentable, you will receive a link to confirm your reservation. If we do not receive credit card information within 24 hours, you will forfeit your reservation. A $250 cancellation fee will apply if the reservation is canceled within 72 hours of the event. A 22% gratuity will be automatically applied to the final bill.

Popular dishes

What 1,996 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.9

4.9 based on recent ratings

4.8Food
4.8Service
4.7Ambience
4.6Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

Orange County
Mexican
South Orange County
Mexican

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

South of Nick's in San Clemente is celebrated for its "delicious food" and "excellent service." Diners rave about the seafood enchiladas, shrimp taquitos, and butter cake. The atmosphere is lively, and the margaritas are a must-try. Although occasionally noisy, the overall dining experience is "always amazing" and consistently satisfying.

1,996 Reviews

J
Jenny VIP
Orange County7 reviews
5.0
Dined 4 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Always a wonderful experience! Plan ahead, reservations are not easy to get on weekends. Wonderful food, best chips and salsa. Seafood Chile Relleno and Seafood Enchiladas were wonderful!
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C
Cheri VIP
Los Angeles1 review
5.0
Dined on 5 March 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
GREAT FOOD. OUR SERVER OWEN WAS AMAZING. CHECKING OUR TABLE COUNTINUOUSLY.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Seattle1 review
3.0
Dined on 2 March 2025
1. Overall 3
2. Food 5
3. Service 2
4. Ambience 2
The food was fantastic, but the service left a lot to be desired. The front desk staff was rude, which set a bad tone from the start. Our server took our drink order and then immediately went on break, leaving another staff member to take over with no communication between them. While he was okay, he forgot our waters after being asked multiple times and wasn’t very knowledgeable about the menu. The lack of attention to detail and the unfriendly welcome made the experience feel not worth the price. Disappointing service, but at least the food was great.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Orange County1 review
5.0
Dined on 2 March 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Food was flawless and our waitress Vivi was a pro.
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DR
DougR
San Diego8 reviews
5.0
Dined on 2 March 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Great food, service, and drinks! What more can you ask for?
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R
Rebecca (DEEDEE) VIP
Central Coast57 reviews
3.0
Dined on 28 February 2025
1. Overall 3
2. Food 2
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 3
The seafood enchiladas were lacking seafood. This was not a very good dish.
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F
Fred
Orange County12 reviews
5.0
Dined on 28 February 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Always good and never disappoints. Especially like their seafood variations. Seafood empanadas tonight were outstanding!
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A
Amy VIP
San Diego2 reviews
5.0
Dined on 27 February 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Always great food and service. We were catching up and our server was awesome. He gave us extra time to relax and order. Highly recommend South of Nick’s.😃
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e
erik VIP
Orange County5 reviews
2.0
Dined on 25 February 2025
1. Overall 2
2. Food 1
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
Food was awful & a tiny portion at that VERY DISAPPOINTED!
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S
Sherry VIP
Orange County14 reviews
5.0
Dined on 21 February 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Always a great meal and service! Highly recommend!
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FAQs

South of Nick's - San Clemente offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (949) 481-4545.

South of Nick's - San Clemente is rated 4.9 stars by 1996 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

2 people

12 Mar 2025

23:30

Booked 57 times today

Experiences are available.

Google Map for South of Nick's - San Clemente

110 N. El Camino Real, San Clemente, CA 92672

Additional information

Phone number
(949) 481-4545
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
Mexican
Hours of Operation
Mon–Thu, Sun 11:00–22:00 Fri, Sat 11:00–23:00
Dress code
Smart Casual
Parking details
Street Parking
Payment Options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Executive Chef
Omar Gonzalez

South of Nick's - San Clemente

Make a booking

Additional information

Experiences

Private Dining Experience

Popular dishes

Warm Butter Cake

Seafood Enchiladas

Pork Carnitas

Menu

What 1,996 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Loved For

Review summary

FAQs

Does South of Nick's - San Clemente offer delivery through OpenTable or takeout?

How is South of Nick's - San Clemente restaurant rated?

Is South of Nick's - San Clemente currently accepting bookings?

Make a booking

Additional information