St Nick's Restaurant

Just wanted to get some coffee and a snack. Can't get anything unless you are paying to stay the night.

We stumbled across S. Nick's when we were driving cross-country, and were taken by it enough to make a point of stopping in again the next time we were in the area.This restaurant is actually in the basement of a hotel, which strikes me as more than a little strange, but perhaps this was done so that it can continue to be the best kept secret in Santa Claus ;-)It's not always offered, but when it is they do a seriously excellent Sunday brunch buffet here!  The selection is outstanding, and the prices are very reasonable.

This places was amazing! The food was elevated and the butter cake was out of this world. Something I never had before & completely loved. It was the perfect balance of sweetness. The street corn was not your typical Mexican corn it had a different flavor as in more creamy & doesn't have the string taste of cheese as a traditional Mexican corn would have. It was still delicious & I would definitely come here again! The Mexican flavors do have a twist to them as they aren't completely traditional.

We visited off-season. We were the only ones in the restaurant. There's plenty of tables and a nice view. Clean. The draw during the season is, apparently, the buffet, which was not offered. I had the fillet. I can say it was the best fillet I've had for less than $20. Without the bourbon sauce, it had no taste. They did not have the sirloin because of a delivery problem. Catfish was OK. Vegetarian burger was OK, too. I believe the restaurant exists as an offshoot of room service of the hotel the restaurant is in. Nice, but nothing special.

Dirty tables. No drink refills. Dirty and outdated restrooms. Couldn't locate waitress to pay for our bill. We were only customers in the place. Odd for a Saturday afternoon?

We went here for an early dinner last Friday (3 days before Christmas). I would call it the perfunctory hotel restaurant. It was a very limited buffet when we were there. I would imagine that they get more business when Holiday World is open, but we were the only ones there this time. We all left full. Service wasn't great, but it was satisfactory. None of our drinks were refilled, but I am sure they would have if we asked. I don't think you should have to ask, though. I doubt we will go back again.

I'm a lunch regular since they have an all-you-can-eat soup and salad bar. The salad bar is always stocked and the lettuce and vegetables are always fresh. They have an excellent selection of dressings including no sugar/healthier options in packets which I swear by. Keep in mind this is your typical Southern Indiana salad bar which means more side salad options like potato, macaroni, coleslaw, etc. so don't be surprised when you have more of those options to choose from than the veggies.As for the service, I've come to know the employees and servers well but when I first started going they were always friendly, fast and accommodating to whatever I was in need of. Now I love them to death!The restaurant is good for larger groups or meetings as well. Always good to know in a small town. Full bar service as well.

Santa Claus does not have too many options. We ended up here after the people at Frosty's wouldn't check the ingredients on their bread. So on that note, the staff was willing to check ingredients for me. Our waiter was friendly, but the service was quite slow, which we didn't quite understand since we were basically the only people there. We did not do the buffet, rather ordered from the menu. I ordered a burger with tots. And it was fine. I didn't have the highest expectations, but it filled me up so I don't really have any complaints!

Being a local, I can rate and review based on multiple visits and experiences. I find it rather difficult and not-quite-right to negatively rate and review an establishment based on a single experience. So, here goes.On almost every occasion the buffet has been excellent. Service has *always* been excellent and above average. The staff is helpful and is always willing to assist you. They keep the restaurant clean and the wait staff are all polite. I have overheard the staff giving tourists great tips on what to do in our area many times. The salad bar is usually stocked with fresh offerings and the soups are a great touch.It seems to me that many of the negative reviews are coming from tourists who come during very busy times and are expecting a big city experience in a quaint little town. St. Nick's is not a large restaurant and they do go the extra mile to try to keep the food fresh and the conversation going. Rather than drones or numbers, St. Nick's hires real people who real personable. Yes, I have been there when something wasn't superb, but everyone is allowed a little slack. They immediately offered me something different that was either not on the menu or just cooked or provided me a replacement. No biggie. I've not been to the bar, so I cannot comment on that, but I have heard great things and I've seen what they stock on the shelves. Mostly good stuff. My only real nitpick is the lack of fun or themed decor. It feels pretty bland down there...Oh, also, I am always annoyed when a place does not have free wireless access. The signal down there is too poor to utilise and mobile signal is almost nonexistent for crappy 'ole AT&T.

It says on the website they're open for lunch dinner, but we got there and were told they only serve breakfast. When I brought it to their attention, they were very dismissive.