The Nicolett

Benny a month ago

Went last week with my wife for a high-end dinner and left pretty disappointed. To start with the positives: the staff was great. Really kind, welcoming, and attentive. Service was a 4/5 and they made us feel comfortable. Atmosphere was fine, maybe a 3/5. The food was the letdown, especially for the price point. We started with the fry bread. It was fine, but honestly it just tasted like a regular donut. Nothing special, nothing that felt elevated. Next was the egg soufflé dish - I think it was called baby crab, it came with crab. That was the worst dish of the night for us. The crab had a strong, unpleasant smell and no real flavor, and the egg itself was completely bland. We could barely finish it. For mains, my wife had the lamb and I had the antelope. Both were... fine. My antelope was cooked well and not bad, but nothing I couldn't have made at home, and for $50 you get two extremely small fillets that are barely two bites each. My wife's lamb was tender and slow-cooked well, but the mashed potato that came with it had no taste at all. I was honestly surprised given how good the other reviews are. Maybe it was an off night, but for us the value just wasn't there at all.

Danny 2 months ago

First, the service was amazing and absolutely impeccable. We never wanted for anything and the servers were on top of everything. The courses were well timed and paced. The charcuterie board was really delicious, the foie gras was perhaps the best I have ever had. The tartare was a bit overwhelmed by the capers and the taste of the meat was lost. Both the ravioli, and the other pasta dish were fantastic. The pasta with the cream was actually unlike anything else I've ever had, you really needed a bit of everything to complete the bite, but if you did it was a new and tasty experience. The fried chicken was delicious and spot on, the pickled squash really helped cut through the richness of everything else and helped elevate the dish. The cod, one piece was cooked perfectly and fantastic, the other was undercooked, so...felt a bit slimy and mushy. The cocktails were also really well done and tasty. All in all it was worth the visit and we will definitely be back. It was a surprising gem in Lubbock.

Mitchell 4 months ago

We very much enjoyed our experience at The Nicolett. The restaurant staff were very friendly and had helpful suggestions. Our favorite item on the menu was the cauliflower pasta. My wife was particularly happy that the dish used a combination of cheeses instead of heavy cream which is more accommodating to those with a degree of lactose intolerance. The quinoa crunch was a nice touch & very creative. Second favorite was probably the Lavender Brioche. The salted bread was perfectly baked and was a great introduction to the menu. We ordered both the Desert salad and Fried Salad and they were both good, but preferred the Fried Salad. For mains, we enjoyed the Antelope and Fried Chicken. It was a nice experience trying Antelope as a steak cutlet (we’ve had it in burgers and pasta before)—and it was cooked and flavored very well. I think the chicken was ultimately our preferred Main due to the tenderness and surprising lightness supported by the accompanying sauce. We’ll definitely be back to try again!

S C 8 months ago

What a wild treat this was. I have traveled to many places, Michelin star restaurants in, Italy, Mexico City, famous places in Madrid, Barcelona, and yet beautiful place in Lubbock Texas gave me a personalized experience that matched such places. The entire team being polished and trained in hospitality, showed off their menu in such a great light. Chef Finn has traveled the world and carried beautiful moments from many places and translated it into his menu. So much care and so much passion goes into every turn and twist, every ingredient, showcasing, hand selected provisions from all over. I am beyond impressed. What a sensational experience. I can’t wait for more people to come and experience the love and passion that is all over this menu it is also so refreshing and so beautiful to hear. A man include his beautiful wife and attribute all this is a powerful partnership. I wish it was more common to see business owners so passionate about what they’re doing. Cheers to this team for going above and beyond.

Bill Baskin Edited 8 months ago

Jewel of a restaurant in LBB! As someone that grew up in the Llano Estacado, it was a real treat to finally enjoy High Plains Cuisine done at a high level. Thank you to Chef Finn & crew for a memorable evening of great wine, ambiance, service & food. I highly recommend going early and enjoying a great happy hour!