Nick’s Lobster House: The Brooklyn Waterfront Restaurant You’ll Be Happy You Traveled To

It’s no secret that Brooklyn is steadily becoming “THE place to visit” in the NYC area. With it’s history, culture, and overall cool factor, it’s no wonder you’re seeing more camera toting tourists on the streets of good old BK. However, as a native Brooklynite, my list of “places to visit before leaving Brooklyn” is quite different than any travel guide.

So today, I will be taking you on a virtual visit to a restaurant loved by my family for more than a decade. You will find it far from the likes of Williamsburg or Dumbo, closer to the Verrazano Bridge than the Manhattan or Brooklyn. This jewel is called Nick’s Lobster House. (Spoiler Alert: If you want to skip to experiencing the restaurant for yourself through the video I made before reading the rest, click HERE).

Nick’s Lobster House has been a mainstay in Brooklyn since 1955. As told on their website, the legend of Nick the fisherman, (who found his way to the shores of Brooklyn and made it his home), has stood the test of time for over half a century. Those of the surrounding Marine Park/Bergen Beach/Mill Basin areas have made this their family favorite for generations.

However, with the development of huge shopping areas (such as the Gateway Mall), only a couple of exits away from Nick’s, customers started venturing out to try the new eats within driving distance. In addition, the younger generations in these neighborhoods were making the trip to the commercialized chain restaurants that were popping up in Brooklyn that could only be ,(up until recently), found closer to the city. This proved difficult on Nick’s. Nonetheless, they have prevailed and come back stronger with a new look, menu, and approach to conquer the Brooklyn dining scene.

Suggested Reading: Family Fun Day On The Circle Line Hello Brooklyn Cruise

As mentioned earlier, my family has eaten at Nick’s Lobster House an innumerable about of times over the last decade. So, when I heard of the changes, I was excited to return to see if it was worth convincing a tourist or someone dead set on staying in the city to make the trip all the way to this side of Brooklyn.

So here’s 4 reasons why you should make the trip to Nick’s Lobster House:

1. Waterfront Dining

Ok, so let’s be honest, the best part of summer is eating outside. And believe me when I tell you, I will make just about any excuse to go to a restaurant that has an awesome outdoor set-up. Well, thankfully Nick’s Lobster House knows how much people look forward to the warmer weather for this exact reason and re-vamped their outdoor dining area. What makes their area different is that it’s directly on the water. NOT overlooking the water from afar like other (nice but overly-trendy seafood) restaurants on the other side of Brooklyn. Unlike some ofter restaurants where you have to wait for a particular section of the deck to become available to get the perfect view, ANY table on the outdoor deck (and even many inside the restaurant), will score you an amazing waterfront experience

2.  Live Entertainment

This may be cause for debate, but I truly believe that restaurants with live entertainment add that special je ne sais quoi to the entire dining experience. It changes the ambiance and (with the right song), can completely lift the spirit of the crowd. Nick’s Lobster has been featuring an array of live performers during the summer. These artists serenade the crowd sitting (you guessed it), on the waterfront deck.

The Stuffed Shrimp Dinner at Nick’s Lobster House

Photo Credit: Tiffany aka itsmeladyg

3. New Menu Choices

Nick’s Lobster has been my go-to place for a quick Snow Crab Legs fix for years. For around $20, I was able to get a pound of crab legs, a vegetable, along with a side of pasta. However, I was pleasantly surprised with all the new menu options available during my last trip. In addition, the menu was streamlined in a way that made it easy to read and hard to choose my meal (in a good way that is). I went with the Stuffed Shrimp Dinner, and the dish was amazing. After digging around a bit, I found out that Nick’s overhaul of their restaurant included making the switch to more local fisherman to ensure the quality and freshness of the food. This simple but awesome change could easily be tasted in the meal.

My Mother Having Fun at Nick’s Lobster House

Photo Credit: Tiffany aka itsmeladyg

4. Dine Like A Brooklynite

Being a native Brooklynite, I have a bit of a bias against restaurants that claim to have a New York feel or serve “New York Style” food. There is nothing like the real thing. It is because of this that many tourists have the urge to hang out and eat with the locals. Nick’s Lobster is perfect for that. Being that it is easily accessible and stays open pretty late during the summer, it is a great place for us Brooklynites. We don’t have to park 10 blocks away from the restaurant because there is a huge parking lot, which is rare nowadays. It is family friendly, and did I mention there’s a WATERFRONT DINING AREA (I’m just saying…)!!

While I enjoy and encourage the commercialization of Brooklyn, I simultaneously agree that seeking out long standing family owned restaurants such as Nick’s Lobster House is equally important. Nick’s will continue to be part of my family tradition for years to come. I recommend anyone that has been there in the past but have not returned to check out the changes, to make it your priority this summer.

Have you visited Nick’s Lobster? If the answer is no, take a moment and check out the video below of my recent dinner at Nick’s with my Mom.

FTC Disclosure: This post was partially sponsored. This in no way shape or form changes the views expressed in this post. Please visit my Disclosure page for more information.