Nicky's De Pere, WI

Bar Review of Nicky's in De Pere, WI

By END
October 14, 2010
Since this is my second Packer season that I've lived in the fabulous town of Green Bay allow me to tell you what I've learned. Donald Driver is the man. Aaron Rodgers is quickly becoming the man. Brett Farve is way past being the man. And Packer Bars will always rule the land. Is there anything else I left out? No? Good. Anywho, I thought maybe the next couple of my bar hopping shenanigans could revolve around some Packer Bars around town.

Before I got my feet wet, people have always told me which bars are what around GB. Not the case anymore. Or so I thought. Nicky's was the bar of choice for the evening. I quickly told my friend that Nicky's is in De Pere and we wanted things of a Packer nature. The reply I got was that I shouldn't "bar profile," Nicky's was THE Packer bar back in the day, as in the bar that the actual Packer players would frequent. Legend has it that the Packers would hold spring training in the area, and well sometimes the players would get thirsty. How could you not, right? And so, lo and behold there was Nicky's ready with cold, thirst quenching body rejuvenating fermented beverages.

When you walk into this De Pere hotspot, there's a front bar and a back bar. I got confused on which one is what, so I'm going to call it the old bar and new bar. The old bar sounds like it looks. Now I don't mean old as in old and gross, I mean old as in more of the old vintage sense. Old vintage is charming, old gross is not. This part of the place is where all the Packer magic happened. Just look around at all the photos decorating the walls and you'll see. The old side is also not open everyday. It's used for overflow on a heavy Friday/Saturday or parties. As parties seem to spring into action with the Holiday seasons, I would book in advance and set up your Holiday Bash now. The old bar is equipped with a full bar complete with more than a few beers on draught. There are a few booths, hi top tables, large screen TV's and a sound system that is separate from the new bar. Also, there is a juke box and some old school looking gambling games.

Now onto the new bar; I call it the new bar simply because it is. At least it was new in the 90's. Nicky's was bursting at the seams so they added on another bar with a small loft style upstairs and a kitchen to boot. The new bar is gorgeous. When I was there they had spooky spider webs covering the beautiful wooden bar but you could still see that they took their time building this baby. Also, hooray for Halloween decorations! I'm a sucker for any kind of festive adornment. The new bar is huge and plenty of chairs are around it. There are a few booths, hi top tables and regular tables too. For the upstairs there are a few tables as well. The new bar has exposed brick walls and dark wood which make this place seem cozy. I would call this place casual yet fine dining, if that makes any sense. On tap they carry Guinness, Blue Moon, Coors Light, La Batts, Sierra Nevada, Sam Adams Seasonal, Smithwicks, Hacker-Pschorr, New Castle, Spotted Cow and their very own Killer Margarita. Nicky's must make a mean margarita recipe for it to be advertised on draught. As for bottles they have the usual Bud, Miller and Coors products. A bottle of my beloved Bud Light runs $3.50. They also have every kind of liquor possible so let your imagination run wild with your drink of choice. Oh, I almost forgot, right now they have home-made apple pie shots. I've been to a frat party or two in my day and I've had these, but Holy Cow, Nicky's makes them with love or something because they are awesome. These little guys are so tasty that my girlfriend likes to slowly sip it for the taste -- not just the thrill you get from a shot buzz. Those bad boys are $3. The night was fun, the crowd was fun, and the drinks were fun. The atmosphere is relaxed with very friendly service and lots of drinks to choose from. Oh, and if you're interested in all that Packer stuff, they got that too ;)

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Restaurant Review of Nicky's De Pere, WI

By Patricia Summerfield
January 9th, 2008

Nicky's Lionhead Tavern reminds me of the pubs I have seen while vacationing in London. The rich woodwork, stained glass, and lion heads give off a cozy and fun atmosphere. The focal point in the room is their massive bar. It is beautiful, made with heavy dark wood and attached on the back are large deep book shelves with an attractive mirror in the center. It was also very interesting to look at all the old photographs that are hung throughout the restaurant.

They have a huge selection of tap beers with a full bar. For starters I decided on one of the dark ales, a Guinness, and for an appetizer I ordered Nicky's homemade spinach and artichoke heart dip for $7.99. It is Nicky's own mix of hot bubbling cheeses, artichokes, spinach, and special spices. It is served with toasted Ciabatta bread and crispy corn chips. It tasted wonderful - gooey, warm, and cheesy and the corn chips are a great accompaniment. For my sandwich I ordered the Garibaldi for $7.99, which the menu signifies as a favorite. They were right; it is made on a toasted crusty Ciabatta bread then topped with ham, Genoa salami, provolone, mozzarella, tomatoes, banana peppers, and topped with a tangy vinaigrette. The sandwich was large and there was no skimping on the ingredients. I especially loved the vinaigrette dressing. The establishment was very clean and the service was helpful, warm, and friendly.

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