Review: Nick’s Spaghetti House

Nick’s is one of those places I’ve driven by a zillion times and never eaten at. It’s right at the tail end of The Drive (past Womyn’s Wear and right next to the Raja Theatre), right where things start to get a bit sketchy.

Veal cutlets with ravioli

Nick’s is owned by an Italian couple and it’s been in this same location for  53 years. The decor is nothing to write home about, but with its red and white checkered table cloths and wood panelled walls, it is homey and comfortable, and completely unpretentious. Let’s face it – if we wanted ambiance there are a ton of places on The Drive better suited to that; we are at Nick’s for the food…

 When we arrived at 9 pm, the place was quite busy.  The menu is big, with a huge number of pasta dishes (ravioli, spinach tortellini, cannelloni, spinach cheese agnolotti) plus ribs, steak, pork chops and veal, all served with pasta. They’ve also got salads which get served at your table in big bowls, to share.

Spaghetti and meatballs with mushrooms and cheese

We tried the spaghetti and meatballs with mushrooms, cheese and meat sauce ($18.75). The portions are huge: two tennis ball-sized meatballs, served on top a huge portion of pasta. I am known for my bottomless stomach (I rarely leave so much as a parsley sprig on my plate!), but I still had to take half home with me. We also tried the veal cutlets with ravioli ($20.95) which were fabulous, plus a side of garlic bread. I noticed there is a section on the menu for smaller plates, and next time I will probably get a smaller entree so that I can get dessert – I saw a tiramisu and some other great Italian-style desserts on the menu. The service was fine – our meal came right away and our server was efficient and friendly.

Nick’s is definately a solid choice when you’re in the mood for great Italian comfort food and aren’t in the mood to see and/or be seen. It’s not fancy and it’s probably not for everyone.  But if you just want to hang out with friends, drink some wine and have a great meal, I think Nick’s fits the bill. They also do take-out.  No complaints here – I will definitely be visiting Nicks again soon.

What do you think of Nick’s? Please leave your comments.

631 Commercial Drive
604.254.5633
Mon to Thu: 11:30 am to 10 pm
Fri: 11:30 am to 11 pm
Sat: 4 pm to 11 pm
Sun: 4 pm to 10 pm