From the outside you would never suspect anything. This little gem is nestled into the east side and easy to pass by - but don't! We came in for an early lunch and were blown away by the service, speed and amazing food! Two of us had decided on the Roasted Porchetta Sando and Thankfully the server warned us that it was a rather large portion. He wasnt kidding! I included a photo with my hand in it for comparison. We cut each half in half again and it was still larger than your normal sandwich portion! We each only finished a quarter and took the rest for later. The flavors were phenomenal and its served on fresh house made focaccia so how can you not give it a try?! Our friend ordered the turkey sando and was also pleasantly surprised by the taste and size of her sandwich. I tried the porch swing drink as well and loved it. We all left full and happy! Will definitely be back!
Michael T.
Service and food were great! Chicken was perfectly cooked and Alfredo was not super heavy. Will definitely be back.
Laurene T.
We have been to both locations of Uncle Nicky's now, and absolutely love them both! The newer east side location has tons of space and a great atmosphere! The staff was amazing, and super friendly. We went for their HH which was such a great deal! We ordered the cheese plate, meatballs and marinated zucchini with hummus on bread. Each was absolutely delicious but the meatballs definitely stole the show! The sauce was a creamy white garlic sauce, unlike the traditional red and we couldn't get enough of it! The bread served with it was buttered and grilled to perfection. The negroni menu is so unique, and I even found myself loving a gin based drink, when I never drink gin. The Aperol Spritz was on pointe, and the beer and wine selection was unique! Uncle Nicky's is definitely a place we plan to return to, especially for HH. Next time we will certainly bring our pups to sit on the dog friendly patio as well!
J W.
Warning. We went here today for brunch. Super cute place BUT the food is crazy over priced, ingredients substituted, and served at temperatures that question food safety. Such a disappointing first visit and we won't return. Bummer.
Madie Leon Riley
This is a place where you will spend $30 a person for low quality food. The convenience is unbeatable, but there is a reason it’s mostly empty.I had the rigatoni, which has a mixed red and white sauce that itself was pretty good. But the combination of ingredients made me feel like no one had really put any thought into the dish as a whole.I ordered one glass or rosé and the pictured bowl of pasta, and the tab came out to $31 before tip. As someone who has spent a good amount on meals all over Austin, I can easily say there are much better places for that kind of spend.
Alec Pucillo
Being Italian Americans coming from the Northeast we were excited for Italian food. We came when it looked busiest but when we sat some tables cleared out.I ordered a sandwich with salad as a side - disappointed to see lays chips as the default - with a drink. I was told it would be 30-40min... And it was even the salad (kale, lettuce, and a few tomatoes) came out 40min in and ~50min of waiting we got our food.I recommend ordering your food ahead of time. I didn't ask but to me it didn't seem that busy nor were they under staff. I'm puzzled as to why these plates took so long - most delis we've been to take less than half the time.I'm not a fan of sandwiches drenched in mayo either, shame on me for not spotting that, that's all I tasted.We're willing to try it again. It could have been a bad luck of the draw for us. It's nothing special but if you're in the area give it a try.
Deb S.
Service and atmosphere are great, but food is very not great. Caprese salad had gross, unripe tomatoes and they couldn't even spare a whole basil leaf for the whole plate. The Caesar salad was definitely not a Caesar, or anything close to it - wilted lettuce, not-Caesar dressing, etc. Save your money and skip this place, at least for now.
Jordan D.
I was very disappointed by this pricey yet low quality meal. Every thing we had, from the sandwich bread to the tomatoes, looked and tasted like it came from Randall's. We had 1 drink, 1 sandwich, 1 antipasti, and 1 small pasta, which came out to $60. I would be fine with paying $30/person nearly anywhere in central east Austin because of some expectation of minimum quality. However, this felt like they shipped in their food from subway. Very strange considering that the duval location has a very different vibe and seems to be better quality, as least on the surface. I now understand why this place was empty on a Thursday night despite being in a hip, walkable area.
Ralph C.
We were not sure about walking in but so glad we did. Food was great but our waitress made the day. Abby our waitress was absolutely if not the best waitress that I can recall in a very long time.
Cori Wolfe
Cozy spot on a vibrant street. Perfect spot for a date or solo feast. Savory and juicy meatballs with a good texture complimented by the sauce which was amazing with flaky, buttery, toasted bread. Summer Negroni drink was a sweet contrast to the meal.
Stopped in after hitting Nickel City and Rosewood. Honestly, this was the best of the bunch for a little less nouse and healthier choices Staff was awesome--really in tune btw customers and kitchen--and my Italian sandwhich and wife's rigatone--yum! Night staff made this place, while back-of-house sealed the deal. We'll be back without blinking.
Jonathan H.
Showed up on Sunday, yes it was later in the evening, but it was around 9:35pm and as I walked up I was told by staff that kitchen is closed and they were closing in 25 mins. I had chosen this place because it stayed open until "11pm". So, at least as a establishment, make it visible to be seen when adjusted hours come into play.
Stephen S.
What a cool little spot! This place has everything you are looking for in an authentic Italian sandwich shop plus much more. I high suggest the Mambo Italian Sandwich, I sat right next to the kitchen and you could see some of the pasta dishes coming out as well and they looked phenomenal. Visiting Austin is always a must, but if you are stay near Central East Austin, you have to give Uncle Nicky's a try!
Tanya S.
We were drawn to this place for the bottomless Negronis - but quickly learned we not a fans of Negronis! if you like Negronis, this is your place! We were underwhelmed by the Italian sub, i could make something better at home (there's not much meat, too much bread, and little flavor)
Elliott
My favorite walking distance Italian food other than Patrizi’s which has homemade bread, pasta and cheese and over 75 years in business so that’s quite hard to beat.Uncle Nicky’s does however have more menu diversity and they serve booze.Overall I’d say Uncle Nicky’s wins the breakfast and lunch spot and Patrizi’s wins by a long shot for dinner.
From the outside you would never suspect anything. This little gem is nestled into the east side and easy to pass by - but don't! We came in for an early lunch and were blown away by the service, speed and amazing food! Two of us had decided on the Roasted Porchetta Sando and Thankfully the server warned us that it was a rather large portion. He wasnt kidding! I included a photo with my hand in it for comparison. We cut each half in half again and it was still larger than your normal sandwich portion! We each only finished a quarter and took the rest for later. The flavors were phenomenal and its served on fresh house made focaccia so how can you not give it a try?! Our friend ordered the turkey sando and was also pleasantly surprised by the taste and size of her sandwich. I tried the porch swing drink as well and loved it. We all left full and happy! Will definitely be back!
Service and food were great! Chicken was perfectly cooked and Alfredo was not super heavy. Will definitely be back.
We have been to both locations of Uncle Nicky's now, and absolutely love them both! The newer east side location has tons of space and a great atmosphere! The staff was amazing, and super friendly. We went for their HH which was such a great deal! We ordered the cheese plate, meatballs and marinated zucchini with hummus on bread. Each was absolutely delicious but the meatballs definitely stole the show! The sauce was a creamy white garlic sauce, unlike the traditional red and we couldn't get enough of it! The bread served with it was buttered and grilled to perfection. The negroni menu is so unique, and I even found myself loving a gin based drink, when I never drink gin. The Aperol Spritz was on pointe, and the beer and wine selection was unique! Uncle Nicky's is definitely a place we plan to return to, especially for HH. Next time we will certainly bring our pups to sit on the dog friendly patio as well!
Warning. We went here today for brunch. Super cute place BUT the food is crazy over priced, ingredients substituted, and served at temperatures that question food safety. Such a disappointing first visit and we won't return. Bummer.
This is a place where you will spend $30 a person for low quality food. The convenience is unbeatable, but there is a reason it’s mostly empty.I had the rigatoni, which has a mixed red and white sauce that itself was pretty good. But the combination of ingredients made me feel like no one had really put any thought into the dish as a whole.I ordered one glass or rosé and the pictured bowl of pasta, and the tab came out to $31 before tip. As someone who has spent a good amount on meals all over Austin, I can easily say there are much better places for that kind of spend.
Being Italian Americans coming from the Northeast we were excited for Italian food. We came when it looked busiest but when we sat some tables cleared out.I ordered a sandwich with salad as a side - disappointed to see lays chips as the default - with a drink. I was told it would be 30-40min... And it was even the salad (kale, lettuce, and a few tomatoes) came out 40min in and ~50min of waiting we got our food.I recommend ordering your food ahead of time. I didn't ask but to me it didn't seem that busy nor were they under staff. I'm puzzled as to why these plates took so long - most delis we've been to take less than half the time.I'm not a fan of sandwiches drenched in mayo either, shame on me for not spotting that, that's all I tasted.We're willing to try it again. It could have been a bad luck of the draw for us. It's nothing special but if you're in the area give it a try.
Service and atmosphere are great, but food is very not great. Caprese salad had gross, unripe tomatoes and they couldn't even spare a whole basil leaf for the whole plate. The Caesar salad was definitely not a Caesar, or anything close to it - wilted lettuce, not-Caesar dressing, etc. Save your money and skip this place, at least for now.
I was very disappointed by this pricey yet low quality meal. Every thing we had, from the sandwich bread to the tomatoes, looked and tasted like it came from Randall's. We had 1 drink, 1 sandwich, 1 antipasti, and 1 small pasta, which came out to $60. I would be fine with paying $30/person nearly anywhere in central east Austin because of some expectation of minimum quality. However, this felt like they shipped in their food from subway. Very strange considering that the duval location has a very different vibe and seems to be better quality, as least on the surface. I now understand why this place was empty on a Thursday night despite being in a hip, walkable area.
We were not sure about walking in but so glad we did. Food was great but our waitress made the day. Abby our waitress was absolutely if not the best waitress that I can recall in a very long time.
Cozy spot on a vibrant street. Perfect spot for a date or solo feast. Savory and juicy meatballs with a good texture complimented by the sauce which was amazing with flaky, buttery, toasted bread. Summer Negroni drink was a sweet contrast to the meal.
Restaurantji Recommends
Stopped in after hitting Nickel City and Rosewood. Honestly, this was the best of the bunch for a little less nouse and healthier choices Staff was awesome--really in tune btw customers and kitchen--and my Italian sandwhich and wife's rigatone--yum! Night staff made this place, while back-of-house sealed the deal. We'll be back without blinking.
Showed up on Sunday, yes it was later in the evening, but it was around 9:35pm and as I walked up I was told by staff that kitchen is closed and they were closing in 25 mins. I had chosen this place because it stayed open until "11pm". So, at least as a establishment, make it visible to be seen when adjusted hours come into play.
What a cool little spot! This place has everything you are looking for in an authentic Italian sandwich shop plus much more. I high suggest the Mambo Italian Sandwich, I sat right next to the kitchen and you could see some of the pasta dishes coming out as well and they looked phenomenal. Visiting Austin is always a must, but if you are stay near Central East Austin, you have to give Uncle Nicky's a try!
We were drawn to this place for the bottomless Negronis - but quickly learned we not a fans of Negronis! if you like Negronis, this is your place! We were underwhelmed by the Italian sub, i could make something better at home (there's not much meat, too much bread, and little flavor)
My favorite walking distance Italian food other than Patrizi’s which has homemade bread, pasta and cheese and over 75 years in business so that’s quite hard to beat.Uncle Nicky’s does however have more menu diversity and they serve booze.Overall I’d say Uncle Nicky’s wins the breakfast and lunch spot and Patrizi’s wins by a long shot for dinner.