South of Nick's Verified listing

South of Nick’s, the upscale Mexican offshoot of the much-loved Nick’s Restaurant, is finally set to make its Long Beach debut. Six years after securing the space and four years since formally announcing their renovation of the historic building at 5354 E. 2nd St. in Belmont Shore, South of Nick’s will open on June 22, 2026, according to Chief Operating Officer Haley Cox.

It marks the concept’s first expansion into the city, further deepening the company’s ties to Long Beach, where they already operate Nick’s on 2nd in Belmont Shore. Currently, the space is both hiring and training, where future Long Beach employees are now honing their skills at one of South of Nick’s four other locations to prep for June’s big launch

Nick’s Restaurants is now a SoCal restaurant group powerhouse—and those in Long Beach likely know it best from Nick’s on 2nd, the brand’s only Los Angeles County location outside of Manhattan Beach and Pasadena.

Founded in 2008 by restaurateur Nick Nickoloff, Nick’s Laguna Beach quickly became one of Orange County’s defining upscale-casual dining brands. The original Laguna Beach location laid the groundwork for what would become a steadily expanding Southern California restaurant group, with locations eventually opening across the region, from San Diego to Pasadena.

A major part of the company’s evolution came through Executive Chef Omar Gonzalez, a Michoacán-born chef who joined the company in 2010 before helping develop its Mexican concept, South of Nick’s. Chef Omar’s influence pushed the restaurants toward tighter, highly curated menus focused on consistency, quality ingredients, and layered flavors while maintaining an approachable neighborhood feel.

Think of South of Nick’s as a “California-centric, more refined interpretation of coastal Mexican dining,” in the words of Haley. Chef Omar, whose Michoacán roots are foundational to the concept’s identity, leads the culinary team behind the space. The restaurant blends regional Mexican inspirations with the ingredient standards, presentation, and flavor profiles Southern Californians have come to expect.

Belmont Shore diners can expect many of the dishes that have become staples for the concept, including seafood enchiladas, shrimp taquitos, sea bass, birria served within tacos, empanadas, and stacked enchiladas, and the restaurant’s signature El Jefe burrito.

Written and photos by Brian Addison.