Michiana’s Menu: Nick’s Patio keeps locals coming back day and night

SOUTH BEND, Ind. - This week on Michiana’s Menu, everything from breakfast and lunch to dinner and dessert is on the menu! We're headed to a Michiana classic we all know and love, Nick’s Patio right here in South Bend.

This family-run Michiana classic has been serving up meals with TLC in South Bend for over 30 years now.

“Everything is homemade in the back,” said Jenny Phillips, General Manager. “We have a great back staff, that prepares everything, and our cooks are amazing.”

And in 30 years’ time, you definitely get to know a lot of familiar faces.

“They know us by name, we know them by name,” said Phillips. “At Halloween, they’ll bring us candy. Mother’s Day, we got flowers and cookies.”

And it’s not just the dedicated staff that keeps customers coming back to Nick’s but instead, what they bring to the table – literally!

“Our menu is very, very large,” said Phillips. “From chicken rings, nachos, to burgers, to ribeye steak, Greek chicken is one of our most popular items, our house croissant is another one.”

I got to try a little bit of everything but my reactions were all the same.

The Texas burger was delicious but what really makes the restaurant stand out? How about the fact that you can satisfy your cravings for Nick’s at any time of day or night.

“We have always been 24/7,” said Phillips. “Third shift is very busy. It’s crowded in here, it is a full house at night.”

At Nick’s, you’re sure to find something you’ll love any time of day, and you might even see the impact Nick’s has had on certain customers play out in person.

“We’ve had a couple proposals here. We have a lot of people who come back and say they first met here,” said Phillips. “We’ve had baby showers; we get the prom kids in. We’ll, you know, have 15 people here for a birthday party. We get a variety of everything.”

And with some staff that have been around for years, you’ve gotta wonder what keeps them coming back to Nick’s too.

“It’s a big family unit,” said Phillips. “You know, everybody’s happy, everybody does a good job and everyone gets along.”

You can find Nick’s Patio at 1710 N. Ironwood Drive.