Nicky Rottens Bar & Burger Joint - Coronado, CA

Recently we had a chance to check out Nicky Rottens Bar & Burger Joint on a breezy summer weekend. Besides being one of only two sports bars in Coronado (where you can watch UFC, football, basketball, etc), it also offers a fantastic food and drink menu as well as being family friendly. The general manager Aaron told us some of the history of the restaurant and spoke of the latest additions to the revamped menu. Being so close to the ocean, he felt the time was right to incorporate some seafood alongside the already popular burgers and wings.

'Buffalo Wings - Crispy yet unbelievably tender wings made from farmraised chicken. Choose from 8 unique styles! Served with ranch and blue cheese dressings. 6 pieces or 12 pieces.

We decided to start with a six piece order of the wings naked and asked for the sauces on the side. There were plenty of flavors to choose from which are normally mixed in during cooking: Medium, Hot, Spiked Ranch, BBQ, Spicy BBQ, Teriyaki, Peanut Spicy Teriyaki and Sweet Chili Sauce. The skins were thin but fried well while the meat stayed juicy hot inside! Out of the sauce we tried, I enjoyed the one with hot mixed with ranch (unique) and the mellowed out thai chili one. Also the "Hot" one had a slight sweetness with a kick so I think would be great on wings.

Baja Burger - A game day classic, this spicy chili, pepper jack cheese, jalapeño, onion ring, lettuce, and tomato burger is topped with cool sour cream, salsa, and fresh guacamole

This chuck beef burger was quite delicious and my half disappeared within a minute or two! I would have polished off the whole thing if I didn't have to stop to share! That meaty patty was gushing with flavor and it left a mess with each delicious bite! The chili added a fun kick and suddenly made sloppy joes sound more appealing. Despite having jalapenos, I didn't find it too spicy. This burger is definitely a contender for favorite against the recent Chorizo Burger at The Duck Dive. You can also sub buns for lettuce wraps if you need a Gluten Free option. We upgraded to sweet potato fries which stayed crisp for quite a bit. On the side was a dipping sauce of straight up syrup (or at least it tasted that way).

Nicky Rottens is "Home of the famous 2 1/2 pound ultimate burger challenge." There's space for your name on the wall here if you can survive the challenge. We just can't...

Per website: You have one hour to clean your plate. If you finish in 30 minutes, we’ll buy it for you! This friggin’ huge burger weighs in at 2.5 pounds leaving grown men crying for mercy! 2 lbs. of Brandt Beef, American Cheese, Lettuce, Tomato, Onion & Rotten Sauce on a custom Super-Sized Bun with Fries on the side! No substitutions, don’t even ask! Finish this and receive your name, city and state forever engraved in the world’s #1 burger joint plus a free t-shirt! Remember, there is a “No Upchuck” rule; Don’t even think about leaving your seat until your plate is clean! If you are man enough for this challenge, then order one up and enjoy!

Ahi Tuna Tower - Freshly chopped Ahi Tuna is paired with fresh mango & cucumber. Micro cilantro & sesame seed top off this dish which is served with crispy wontons

The tower looked as welcoming as watermelon on a summer day, especially with the black sesame seed accents. The tuna tasted fresh and left a slight spice on my tongue after a bite. I think there is a little bit of jalapeño or something mixed into the sauce but it was still addicting even with a slightly burning mouth! The contrast of slightly tart mango seemed to be a perfect pairing with the fish. The cucumber was a bit bulky in terms of scooping it into a chip with the rest. 

Here's the day's overhead shot practice. Our meal, especially with a half pound burger and fries, was quite filling!

Cookie Bomb - homemade cookies, vanilla ice cream, and chocolate sauce

Anyone a fan of the pazookie? A sizzling hot cast iron was set on our table and we began to dig in! The outside crust was more crumbly with an edge but inside contents were more doughy and very sweet. We portioned out airy whipped cream and slices of tart strawberry on our our spoons for a evenly distributed bite. I could only manage a few nibbles before my stomach gave up. A bit too sweet plus we were already full from the main course.

Cavner Mule (left) - Jameson whiskey is accented with fresh lime juice, and angostura bitters and topped with flavorful ginger beer.

Coronado Cooler (right) - A refreshing mix of ginger beer, vodka, strawberry purée, fresh squeezed lemonade, and fresh mint.

A few drinks were necessary to make a complete meal. Dennis picked out the Cavner Mule: In honor of SOC Brad Cavner Navy Seal. $1 of every drink sold goes to the Navy Seal Foundation in Brad’s name. His drink had that slight bitter but lots of the ginger beer flavor too. The alcoholic content was nicely masked so you might not notice the potency until after it goes to your head! I enjoyed my cooler drink with a light mint taste and a caprese sun fruity juice taste. 

The bar gets a bit noisy in the evening, especially when the sports fans begin to get a little rowdy. A UFC game was playing on one of the screens and there's a small $5 cover charge for certain games. Outdoor seating was quieter and actually faced outward toward the street. If you're there for sports, best get indoor seating or plan on doing an about face every time you want to scrutinize the screen! It was quite dark in the restaurant so the majority of light is out on the patio. To the left you can see a bit of the ocean through the park scenery.

We really enjoyed the food, especially some of the suggestions that our sweet server Laura proposed to us. Thanks to Aaron for taking the time to introduce the restaurant to us. It looks like a lot of blogger friends have visited this place too (Faye and Mary and Soo and Darren). I'm glad we finally made it here!

Disclaimer: We were invited to dine here and our food and drink was complimentary. We were not otherwise compensated and all opinions stated are our own.