Nicky Rottens Bar & Burger Joint

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ My wife and I went to Nicky Rotten’s Bar & Grill on Coronado Island on Friday night, and it was absolutely fantastic. The restaurant itself was clean, vibrant, and had an amazing atmosphere—plus a beautiful view looking back toward downtown San Diego from Coronado. My wife ordered one of their classic American smash burgers, and she said it was hands-down the best hamburger she’s ever had. I went with the baby back ribs, and the bourbon barbecue sauce was outstanding—perfectly tangy and sweet, and incredibly flavorful. Even the fries deserve a shoutout: fresh, hot, and seriously delicious. The service was wonderful from start to finish, making the whole experience even better. Great food, great service, great views—Nicky Rotten’s is a must-visit when you’re on Coronado. We’ll definitely be back!

Smash burger was like in n out. Beet salad was Hella good. Fries n tots were nice n crispy! Cold beer! Prefer other burger joints for that price but hay, its Coronado!

Trust the reviews here. I didn’t think it was that bad so thought I’d try it myself. The server was nice, but took 15 minutes before my order was taken. I then waited 30 minutes for a smash burger. The server stopped by a couple of times to apologize, I don’t blame her for how slow the food came out, but when it finally did, the fries were literally room temperature and the burger was just awful. The bread was already soggy and it was warm, not even hot. The caramelized onions was only a couple of pieces at the center (it was the only picture I took at that point because I was so disappointed that I couldn’t taste it the first few bites). Atmosphere was nice, there was a game playing so the crowd was loud and rowdy which was fun to see and hear.

I have a theory that the new ownership is going to wait out all the review bombing of the restaurant because no place on the island is going to go out of business. Eventually, people will forget how amazing this place used to be and accept the massive downgrade and it will become the norm. Service was great and staff was friendly. Food was horribly overpriced, underwhelming and was 1/10th the quality it used to be. 2 cups of water and a plate of nachos was $28. The nachos used to be cheaper, and I will attach photos to compare new and old. (Note that yes we ate some of the nachos before taking the picture) The downgrade to the nachos happened to every single food item I saw in the restaurant. Just a huge bummer honestly. No need to come here, it's going to become a typical tourist trap now.

I'm absolutely obsessed with this place! It's filled with so many happy memories and brings back a flood of good times. The wings are mouth-watering, and their creative burgers and sandwiches are seriously delicious. Whether I'm catching a game or meeting up with friends and family, this spot is my top choice. The atmosphere is electric, and the views of the San Diego skyline are stunning. Don't miss the new happy hour menu and craft cocktails they're awesome! Highly recommend!

I used to go to the Gaslamp location but it closed years ago. I love this place great burgers. Recommend.

Went to watch a game,last night. All door were 9pen and freezing inside. Waited to be serviced what a long wait. Food was good. Service sucked. Poor appifere. Not a lot of people. There are way better places to go for good burgers

Portion size was great. Wonderful for sharing. Service was okay. Wish they offered more gluten free options rather than just a salad or lettuce wrap a burger.

Great spot to grab a couple drinks with friends and have a nice view of the city. I ordered the Bad A** Chicken Sandwich with sweet potatoes fries. The sandwich was delicious. The serving size was huge. I ordered a margarita and that was also good. The first one was a lot better than the second. The second was a little more on the margarita mix side. The dining area is pretty big. Lots of seating. They also have a ton to TVs so multiple Games on at the same time. Service was good. Street Parking or there was a public lot a block down.

I finally made it here. Heard good things , and rightly so. Atmosphere is fabulous ...very outdoorsy and clean. Black and white modern feel. Chicken wings were crunchy and tender ...yum yum Pulled pork sandwich was delicious ...French fries were to die for as well. I would order all 3 again for sure ! I'm taking Carne asada tacos and a steak Sammy home for my man . I will definately be back !

The service was good but the burgers were just bland, lacking any seasoning. Considering the price (~ $32 with tax and tips) I expected a much better burger. They got the looks of the burgers down, now just need to work on the taste. At this price point it has to be best in town. My friends ordered some BBQ wings and they were less than impressive as well.

Came in for the first time. Wasn't too busy and we did enjoy the food. Our waitress was friendly and the portions were pretty large. Price was on the high side but expected considering the area. Unfortunately my CC was not returned to me, and I left shorty after. When I realized it was not returned I called them and they said yes they have it. Great I thought. Advised I would be in the next morning to pick it up. Now the bad part. They lost my card! Waited as they searched for it but no luck. They explained that they always keep them in a box but magically mi e was gone. Will not retuen!!!

They need to change their name to Nicky's ROTTEN Foods because their food is trash. I've had the unfortunate opportunity to eat here three times for our work , because of its convenience of being on the island with decent amount of street parking. I've tried the Bad Ass Chicken sandwich, and if you ever had a decent chicken sandwich at any of the fast food restaurant, Nicky Rottens' is objectively worse. The "chicken" comprises of 80% breading and 20% dry, stringy chicken. I've had better McChickens. Not to mention the sandwich itself falls apart and makes a huge mess. Hot Pastrami was also very dry, not much flavor besides the dijon mustard. Bac-Avo burger? Same. No flavor. Overpriced. Some of my coworkers got sick/upset stomach from eating Fish & Chips so I'm never getting that, I just hope we stop coming here. The fries are sometimes cooked ok, other times, I swear they don't change oil after frying fish, because fries I had visibly looked lumpy, brown, wish fish aftertaste. I also got upset stomach from eating their ROTTEN fries. The real crime here is that for all these trash food, MINIMUM price for the burgers is $23 and minimum $20 for sandwiches. Chilli's has better burgers around $11. Please go there instead. I beg you. Although their food is absolute garbage, their servers are pretty good and attentive. If it weren't for their outrageous price for food that tastes worse than fast food, they would've gotten a 2 star. Stay away, there are much better options for food in San Diego; save yourself a trouble and go to a fast food/fast-casual restaurant instead. Your wallet and your stomach will thank you. The fact that this place has 4.2 stars on Google reviews is asinine.

Helpful and friendly service for our very large party. We had appetizers and drinks and one person ordered food The fries were so good! They tasted battered. Sports bar meets ocean cafe, albeit very large. Reasonable prices for Coronado too.

I love a good Rotten Burger! I used to eat at a location downtown that's no longer open and started coming to the Coronado location. This was my first time eating here as a vegetarian with Type 1 Diabetes and Celiac Disease, so I was thrilled they were so accommodating to use lettuce instead of a bun for me! Our servers were so fun and bubbly and doted on our little Chihuahua Emee. Despite having lettuce instead of a bun, the burger was delicious!

An incredibly good chicken sandwich that is a feat to finish... The portion was absolutely massive. I had the Bad Ass Chicken Sandwich and the Smash Hit cocktail. The chicken smothered in their sauce, but stayed crispy the whole time. The breading was great, a lot of time I feel like places overdo it and it tastes way too breaded, but not here. The healthy heaping of coleslaw was fresh and plussed it up by adding a cold contrast to the rest of the sandwich. The vibe at Nicky Rottens is similar to Buffalo Wild Wings, but much better. Lots of TV's, louder atmosphere, huge menu. The food and drinks are obviously much better. The service was very quick and friendly. Our server got our order in right away and we didn't have the wait very long, even on a night that it was packed and March Madness games were on. I love this place and will definitely be back soon. 9/10 highly recommend

Stopped in for lunch with the family. This was probably our second or third visit. Each time everything was quite good. Service was prompt and courteous. This time we had the cheeseburger, jalapeño burger, wings with buffalo ranch sauce, and a wedge salad. Everything, tasty. Also had nice views of the downtown skyline. I'll definitely be back next time we're in Coronado.

I've been here twice now. I started with a mocktail and hubby got a beer. I ordered the famous rotten burger and hubby opted for the jalapeño burger. Their burgers are huge and loaded! It comes with fries, so I upgraded to the garlic fries and it was great. I love their carne asada fries too! They are nicely seasoned and they don't skimp on the meat. The onion rings were so crispy! The first time I sat outside, so service was a bit slow and we weren't checked up on enough. I wanted dessert, but didn't want to wait 30 minutes for it. The second time I went here, we sat inside and service was more attentive. We ordered mocktails and mine was so refreshing. The cheese sticks were piping hot too. I wanted to try their grilled hot pastrami sandwich this time and it was very flavorful. I forgot to add garlic to my fries, so these were okay lol. My friend got a mushroom burger and a side of onion rings. For dessert, we shared the cookie bomb, which was pretty good, but had too much whipped cream for me. Overall, a solid place to get some grub.

I came here with a large group of coworkers in the afternoon on a weekday. We were seated right away and our orders were taken shortly afterward. The food came out in a timely manner. I ordered the Bac-Avo Burger and it was huge! I definetely left full. The burger was also good but it was a little cold when I bit into it. Otherwise, my experience was great.

great service but the food was horrible, went there a few times for work events and each time it made me and my coworkers either shit or have stomach aches, I had to shit before I left the place after I ate.

I was on a waitlist for a different restaurant and finally said Let me try this place! No wait & The host got us in quick. Christopher was our waiter and had excellent customer service. The burgers were huge. Food was delicious as well as the drink. Would definitely recommend.

If you're looking for a restaurant with big portions, this is it. Their portions are huge and probably shareable if you're not starving. My fiancé and I came here after the gym. We were hungry! We didn't finish our food because the portions are soo big. I ordered the fish tacos and substituted a salad instead of fries. Future-hubby got a chicken quesadilla topped with a balsamic-like bruschetta, side of guac, sour cream and salsa. I think I liked his meal more than mine. I asked for flour tortillas for my fish tacos, but got corn. The salad also had some rotten pieces in it. I didn't say anything because I didn't want to be rude. The fish was cooked well and very tasty. If you have a small mouth like me, it might be hard to eat this taco. They pack it up to the rim!! 4 stars for food, ambiance and service. It was our second time here together. I'd definitely come back again!

Coworkers visiting from the East Coast suggested that we stop in Nicky Rottens for lunch. Good choice as it's near the base and wasn't too crowded. We were seated immediately, and our waiter came by promptly to take our drink order. Once that was received, we placed our orders. I had the Steak Sandwich with fries and Double Nut Brown Ale (Mammoth Brewing Company). All very good and tasty choices.

First visit. Arrived before 11am to have a couple of beers with lunch. Sitting at the bar in comfy velveteen chairs, the bartenders took great care of us suggesting draft beers according to our tastes. The place was low key for awhile then the place started to fill up to watch Rugby on the big screen, the energy in the place turned up. Definitely a place to watch sports with all the TV screens. I had the steak sandwich served in a torte bun which had roasted peppers and melted cheese with their special sauce. Was really tasty aside from the chewy pieces. Dining mate had the chicken wings that are air fried with light sauce. Was a really good time, a new regular place.

After completing the Navy Bay Bridge Run, we decided to reward ourselves with a visit to Nicky Rottens, and what an incredible decision that turned out to be! Despite the post-race rush and the restaurant being absolutely slammed, the staff handled the onslaught with remarkable efficiency and grace. Our server, Thomas, was an absolute gem. He was attentive, friendly, and managed to keep a smile on his face despite the hectic environment. His recommendations were spot on, and he made sure we had everything we needed throughout our meal. The bartender, Jody...well she was HANDLING IT. We got our drinks in a timely manner and were impressed. A shoutout to Cody, the host, jumped in and was helping bus tables, run food and seemed to be a great support to all the rest of the staff. Christian, the food runner, deserves a big shout out. I was able to watch him the whole time and he probably has about 12k steps on his watch in an hour. He kept his composure given some of the more spicy customers which I witnessed first hand in a way I wouldn't have haha. Also: KUDOS to the kitchen. I can't imagine pumping out that much food that fast: THEY CRUSHED IT. The entire team at Nicky Rottens worked together seamlessly, providing us with an exceptional dining experience after our run. If you're looking for a place with fantastic food, outstanding service, and a warm, welcoming atmosphere, even given how incredibly slammed they were. We will definitely be back!

I came across a foodie page on IG where the person was raving about the food at Nicky Rottens, especially the nachos. Honestly speaking I think they may have overhyped it, every single food item that we ate was seriously lacking seasoning. A little salt and pepper would've went a long way. Sliders: We returned this plate bcuz it tasted like nothing Nachos: They were good, it has a cafeteria nacho vibe going on. It did need some acidity to cut through and seasoning to the chili as well. Wings: These were cooked really well, nice and crispy and juicey. The Thai Chili wings were the best thing we ate there. The service was good and the location and ambiance is great, i means it's Coronado so come on.

Great food! Great service! Great fun! Great atmosphere in Coronado! Check them out! You'll love it!

Made a day trip to visit Coronado and this was a recommended stop. Food was good. Very large portion and the burger was hugely stacked and tasty. Garlic fries were a hit and covered with plenty of garlic to keep the vampires away!

This place is great! Sports, drinks and food! Usually at a "sports bar/restaurant" ambiance I would be nervous to order anything besides beer, but the drinks are awesome! Love that they offer local selections of alcohol. We mostly came just to drink, but we ended up getting chips and guacamole which was pretty good. I'm picky with my drinks and I told the bartender, Jodie, what I was looking for and she made a perfect drink for me!! I was looking for something refreshing with vodka. She made a watermelon vodka drink that was over the top delicious. They should put it on the menu and name it after her! Her service was excellent, super friendly and attentive. My boyfriend ordered an old fashion and he loved it! For all the old fashion drinkers: they use the right cherries Would definitely recommend and come back!

Service was slow, the burger was supposed to be to be medium rare, came out rare, chili burger, they globbed the mustard on extra so it drowned out the chili and the burger wasn't seasoned. The fries were undercooked. I could tell they fried it, but it was almost raw on the inside. The ambiance was ok. The painted wood table tops are best up and looks like they took the cheapest Home Depot paint they could find. For the price I paid I expected the best burger. It was the worst. Save yourself the trip and go somewhere else.

Wings were overcooked and over sauced. Jigger pours so you know what that means. Bartender inattentive. Prices reflected the address. Restaurant was clean.

A few friends and I stopped by here a couple weeks ago for a bite. The ambiance was cool and location was great right on the water. We described it as a sports bar you would wear a polo to rather than a jersey or tank top. Service started out incredibly fast with drinks and apps within a few minutes, then really started to slow down around entree time. Apps were great! Definitely get the onion rings! Burgers were pretty good but not incredible. Portions were massive and the prices were reasonable considering we were near the water in Coronado. We got a dessert that they may have forgotten about since it took about 40 minutes to come out. More like a 3.5-3.75 but I'll round up on stars since you can't do increments.

My husband ordered the pastrami burger and liked it, I thought the mustard was a bit overwhelming. Good portion of fries on our orders and the ranch was solid. I ordered the Turkey club and it was delightful. Service was slow to non-existent but great location and decent food. Would have been four stars for me if our waitress didn't abandon us several times (and we were her only table).

We came in for a late lunch this afternoon. Our waitress was great but my Cobb salad arrived with multiple hairs in the salad and visible on the bowl as it was delivered. When I pointed the hairs out to the server he immediately took it back to the kitchen and came back with new salad after friends had almost finished their meals. I saw him show the original salad - with the hairs on interior sides of bowl- to the manager. Yuk - how does a salad come out with hairs in the salad and on the bowl. It's all I was thinking of while eating the new salad. It wasn't busy at all - only two other tables in for lunch. Lunch for 4 of us - with 1 drink each - was about $150. The manager should have come over to explain or apologize or discount the salad - it made it seem like customers pointing out hairs in their salad was commonplace.

After taking a ferry ride to Coronado we walked over to Nicky Rottens. This is a great spot for casual dining with a friendly atmosphere. The food is great with fair prices. I highly recommend experiencing this venue if you looking for something convenient with good food and good vibes!

The flies in this place ruined my eating experience. We had to order to go boxes and eat out of them. Even after doing that, the flies were everywhere!! Gross. I don't understand how they can pass a health inspection with this infestation going on.

Thank you for rocking it today with all of the Bridge walkers! We loved the experience, and understood the craziness of the giant influx of walkers. Yay and thank you

Again go figure .................. Nicky Rottens is self-proclaimed as "Coronado's ultimate sports bar destination" and I order lettuce cups and fish tacos - no burger. AND I'd do it again. As you can see, my hat and I enjoyed sidewalk side dining (without being right on the sidewalk). And it was another gorgeous day in Coronado. There was plenty of people watching since this is one of two main walkways to The Landing. The staff was a little slow and distracted. We started with the Chicken Lettuce Cups, under Starters on the menu. This was a super surprise. The lettuce cups were quite large, yet the lettuce wasn't bitter for its size. Under the chicken is a bed of basically dry Cole Slaw which was crisp. The chicken breast bits were quite plentiful and flavorful. The soy sauce was pronounced and slightly sweet. The residual sauce became the dressing the for Cole Slaw veggie base - it was good. This was crisp, refreshing, filling and plentiful. In the Entre section of the menu, under Rottens Favorites, we ordered their Fish Tacos - we weren't disappointed. The soft shells are laid flat and heaped with cod fish fillets, cabbage, cheese and their special cream sauce (similar to a crème fresca). These were quite good. The chips by themselves were chips. BUT, they were dusted with a chili/lime seasoning - which made them quite good and different.

We waited 30min, within that time Thomas came over once to take our order, it only happened because one of the waiters told him to take care of our table. Long story short, we had one beer and left. Customer service was nonexistent. They were clearly "soooooo busy".

Awesome views of the bay, excellent service, great bar menu, and great selection of beers. The staff was so friendly. The quality of the food was great. I'll definitely be back and definitely recommend this place.

The burgers were really good and so were the nachos we ordered . The service is a bit slow , our kids order came out last way past when everyone received their food . The ambience is great if you love sports !!

Loved EVERYTHING about this place. Great service, was fast and friendly! They also checked in throughout our time. The food was VERY delicious and plates were filling. They had the perfect atmosphere to watch any sports game with 4+ TVS on each wall. We didn't get drinks but there was a great selection of those as well.

Lousy service. Major attitude by dude that was taking orders. Place was empty on a Friday night with NFL game on. Didn't seem like they really gave a crap about customers. Never ever go back. Hopefully your service isn't as sh*tty as ours. Have fun!

The Asada Tots were amazing and a huge portion. The staff was super friendly and accommodating. The place has lots of tv screens. Great place to watch the games and hang out with friends.

I started following this restaurant on IG after seeing them on a foodie page. I frequent San Diego a lot as my husband is born and raised here. Recently moved back and went to Coronado for dinner. When I tell you, I think about this place every other day! Omg from the customer service, the vibes and food!!! We started with the nachos, which is what got me to follow them on social media. It was so big but we came hungry! My daughter (8yo) is not a nacho person, but she went both hands in there! For entree's, my husband got the stinky burger and I had the pastrami burger. We ate in silence. I'm pretty sure a tear trickled down my face from first bite at how magical it was! Bless the creator of their menu! Protect them at all costs because the food is gold!!! I know you don't know me but just trust me....RUN THERE AS FAST AS YOU CAN!!!

Didn't feel like making the trip to San Diego Zoo, so decided to stop in here for a quick bite and to see some insects. Had one of their awesome burgers with fries. They have a tremendous selection of insects on display including flies. The flies are allowed to freely roam the interior of the restaurant and have even been trained to land on your food. Insect lover's paradise!

After doing the USS Midway tour we stopped for lunch at Nicky Rottens. We were greeted by a wonderful female host who got us sat immediately. Our server Emily was fantastic! The food was to die for! For starters we ordered the nachos and mozzarella sticks. The nachos were an arguably the best nachos I've ever had however the mozzarella sticks were just ok. We both got Famous Rottens Burgers one cooked medium with truffle fries and one cooked medium rare with truffle tots. THESE BURGERS WERE SO GOOD! We had so much food we had to take some food home. I wish they had a Nicky Rottens in Newport Beach because I would be there all the time! Can't wait to go again when in San Diego.

I'll start out by saying the food is always on point . Great food however the service is horrible . Took my family there last night and had the worst experience ever. Once we were seated , it took a good 15 minutes for anyone to even come acknowledge us and ask us what we wanted to drink. Once we ordered we put both our food and drink orders in together . Granted it was a busy night , but everything took forever to arrive and only half of our food came out , so only 2 of us were able to eat. By this time o had asked for silverware twice , and no one had brought it . I couldn't eat my salad until l had a fork. Finally everyone got their food , and I noticed my salad was missing dressing , I asked twice for it and it never came so I just ate my salad plain since it was getting late and we had to catch the ferry . We continued to wait which felt like forever for our server to come check on us , fill drinks etc but he never came . My husband went up twice to ask for boxes and the check . I cringed seeing the $120 bill, and our server never even apologized or asked how our food was etc... just the worst . I had my husband just pay and tip because we're not jerks , just so we could leave . It's really soured my thoughts about the restaurant and we're considering never coming back.

My wife and I were looking for a place to get some food prior to a wedding and found Nicky Rottens while on Coronado. It was a Sunday morning so they had plenty of tv's on with every football game being shown, a bloody mary bar to make it your own way however you want and a pretty solid menu of items to choose from for brunch and lunch. I will start off by saying this place is loud! It has a beautiful view of the water and looking towards downtown San Diego but it is for sure loud. You likely won't be able to hold a normal conversation in here if you are looking for a place to have a beer and simply talk. We also had our baby with us who seemed to fuss a little at the noise but she still slept decent enough. The most simplistic message about this place is the following though: GET THE NACHOS WITH CARNE ASADA. The chips are great, nearly every bite will have cheese and/or a ton of meat on them and it is a meal itself for a table. The rest of the food and drink will be there and that's all well and good but the nachos are incredible. We will definitely be back on our next trip down there.

Drinks were very watered down and didn't come as advertised, we sat outside and never got checked on to see if we needed anything, they up charge ridiculous amounts, tots instead of fries was 5.00 extra, and the kicker was adding an automatic tip without my knowledge because we were a "large" party (there were 6 of us ffs) I already left a big tip and he didn't even deserve it! never again, fool me once, and fyi the food wasn't that good for the price, I would not recommend, if you do make sure and get a receipt and check you were charged correctly

Great hidden burger joint in Coronado. Great location in Coronado, right by the bay of north island. Nice bar ambiance with a decent amount of TVs. I had the Avocado chicken teriyaki bowl for the first time and it was amazing. Great stir fry veggies to go along with it. You may think that because it's a burger joint the other options aren't good but you are wrong. The asada tacos are delicious as well. The meat is quality and seasoned very well. My only take away is the service isn't always on point. A lot of young waiters and waitresses so it may be more of inexperience on their end, sometimes you may have to flag down your waiter for a refill or to pay your bill. Overall, great. To the owner! Please please bring back the UFC fights!!!! This was my go to place for every PPV card. They no longer show the ufc cards here anymore :(

We decided to go to Nicky Rotten's on 10/01/2023- Football Sunday. It wasn't very busy and they had all the morning NFL games on which was great!! Unfortunately, I did have to ask when someone was going to take our order after having been seated right away, but no one ever coming to check on us within the 15+ mins we had been waiting. Upon asking when someone was going to take our order a taller gentleman said "Sure I'll get you guys right now". It wasn't super busy as they were able to refill waters, clean tables and chat amongst themselves. This I was not happy about, as it did not create a great impression. Because we have been here before and not had this problem, I just let it go. We ordered the 12 piece boneless wings, an order of fries, and the Chicken Caesar Salad with Avocado added. All of the food tasted great. This was by far one of the best salads I have had. It came out hot and fast and was extremely tasty. Makes up for the bad service we received in the beginning! Something should really be done about the flies! One too many of them always around the food.

Came here for New Years Eve dinner last night and man was it packed! The service was amazing and the food was so good. I ordered a Cobb Salad and the chicken was marinated very nicely. Everything about it was good. My partner ordered chicken fritters and those were very juicy. I will definitely return if I'm in the area again but it is kinda on the pricey side for what you get.

I love the atmosphere, the presentation of the food, the food itself. The staff were cheerful and helpful. Having said that, it was a very busy night. Therefore it did take a good while before the waitress came for the first time. It seemed she had too many tables. Also, because of the busy crowd, the sound level was high. We had to speak way louder than normal to be hear across the table. But overall, a very nice meal and experience.

Stopped by for a late night snack of wings and a salad. Asked for the wings extra crispy with buffalo sauce and they were great! Loved being able to sit outside and had really great service from Kezi. Such a nice guy! Next time we want to try the nachos

Great atmosphere. Super location and a fun place. The food is good but not great. Solid but with so many options I might try something more authentic .

I had high hopes for Nicky Rottens given the stories of their grand burgers. Maybe there was a change in cooking staff or something, but my experience left me unimpressed. I feel that more focus was given to the size of the burgers opposed to the flavor.