WEST HAVEN — By 5:30 most mornings, the grill at Nick’s Luncheonette is already hot. The brick building at 255 Saw Mill Road, a former Pizza Hut a short hop off I-95, opens seven days a week before most of the city is awake, and the cooks work an open grill where you can watch your eggs go down. The man whose name is on the sign is Nick Milas, and he has been flipping breakfasts in West Haven since 1992. “Most people we know by name,” he once told the West Haven Voice. “We know what they eat.”
If you grew up in West Haven, you may remember Nick’s at its old corner on First Avenue. If you’ve only been to the Saw Mill Road spot, there’s a story about how it got there, and it involves an outlet mall.
From dishwasher to his own grill
Milas came to the United States from Greece in 1978, at 19, the New Haven Register reported. Restaurants ran in the family: his parents owned a coffee shop back in Greece. His first job here was washing dishes at the old Elm Diner in West Haven, the spot now known as Georgie’s, according to the West Haven Voice. He worked his way onto the line as a cook, and in 1992 he bought a restaurant of his own.
That first Nick’s sat at 423 First Ave., at the corner of Elm Street, and it stayed there for 26 years. Milas ran it with his wife, Irene, and their son Kosta works there today. The family’s approach hasn’t changed much, Milas told the Voice: reasonable prices, good service and being quick.
Kosta has talked about his father’s work ethic as the reason the place has lasted. Customers say they see it, too. When Rose wrote her Google review earlier this year, one of the things she mentioned was that “Nick came over to see how everything was.”
The outlet mall that moved Nick’s
In 2016, the developers of The Haven, the outlet mall planned for the West Haven waterfront, wanted the First Avenue block. The City Council voted 12-0 to authorize eminent domain for the project, and on March 31, 2016, Milas reached a verbal agreement to sell, the Register reported. “I didn’t have much choice,” he said at the time. Selling the building wasn’t just about the restaurant: “To keep the property, that’s my retirement.”
One of his waitresses, Chrissy Masselli, told the paper then that “the Milases treat their employees like family.” Nick’s closed on First Avenue in spring 2018. The family found a new home on Saw Mill Road, a former Pizza Hut, and spent about nine months renovating it.
Nick’s reopened on Jan. 21, 2019, Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The doors opened at 5:30 a.m., the Register reported, and about 30 people were already in line. Four cooks were on the grill. The new place is two to three times bigger than the old one, and the business doubled after the move, the family later said. At the April 2019 ribbon-cutting, then-Mayor Nancy Rossi called the home fries “the best ever.”
“Our family has grown,” Kosta said that day. His father put it his own way: “We try to be like family.” (Ground hadn’t even been broken on the outlet mall when Nick’s reopened, the Register noted.)
Today the dining room has tables and a long counter lined with padded stools, a drinks cooler behind it and a TV up on the wall. Staff wear gray T-shirts. The state lists the business as Nick’s Luncheonette, LLC, registered in 2000 and still active at the Saw Mill Road address.
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What to order
Prices below come from the menu posted on Nick’s website. They can change, so call ahead if you’re counting dollars.
The Hearty Breakfast ($13.99)
The big plate: two pancakes or Texas French toast, two eggs, two sausage links, two strips of bacon and a coffee. Rose called hers “the 2x2x2 – eggs, bacon, pancakes w/ coffee.” If you want less, two eggs any style start at $5.89.
Pancakes, plain or loaded ($7.79)
A full stack is $7.79, a short stack $6.99. Chocolate chips, Oreos or Reese’s bring it to $10.79, and adding bacon, ham or sausage makes it $11.99.
Belgian waffle ($8.49, or $13.99 with strawberries)
The plain waffle is $8.49. Topped with fresh strawberries and whipped cream, it’s $13.99, and it’s the one you’ll see coming off the pass in photos.
Eggs Benedict ($12.99), or the Greek one ($13.99)
The classic Benedict is $12.99. Nick’s Greek roots show up in the Greek Benedict, with gyro meat and a feta sauce on pita ($13.99). There’s also a crab Benedict for $14.99. Home fries come alongside.
Those home fries ($3.99 as a side)
The mayor wasn’t the only fan. One Google reviewer explained what makes them different: they’re flattened on the grill like hash browns, so they come out crispy and hearty. A side order is $3.99. Corned beef hash is $6.99, and Georgia Hots and eggs is $11.99.
Monte Cristo ($12.99)
Ham, turkey and Swiss on Texas French toast. It sits right between breakfast and lunch.
Nick’s Favorite ($6.99)
The sandwich named for the owner is about as West Haven as it gets: bacon, egg and cheese with home fries right inside, on a roll. Want it on a poppy seed horn instead? A bacon, egg and cheese on a horn is $8.99.
The Reuben ($10.99)
At lunch, the Reuben is the sandwich people write about. It’s $10.99, or $13.99 with fries. Phil called it the “best Reuben sandwich I’ve had.” Club sandwiches, a 6-ounce Angus burger ($8.29) and a gyro ($9.99) are on the lunch side too.
Wraps ($10.99)
Wraps are $10.99; the one pictured came grilled, with pickles on the side. One breakfast version rolls eggs, turkey bacon, avocado and Swiss together.
- Omelettes include a Greek for $11.99 and spinach and feta for $12.99.
- Milkshakes are $6.99, and coffee is $2.69.
- To-go containers cost 10 or 25 cents, according to the menu.
What people say
Nick’s has a 4.6-star rating on Google from more than 1,280 reviews.
Best Reuben sandwich I’ve had.
Phil, Google review
Phil also wrote that the place was clean and updated, the food came out quick, and the prices were reasonable. Rose described the dining room as “a mix of modern & retro,” said it was busy, and gave a shout-out to her server, Allison. Her verdict on the food: “REALLY good!”
Jeramie called it a real “mom and pop” spot and said the Reuben “didn’t disappoint.” He added: “Fries are really good, food came out hot.” Toni found Nick’s while driving to New York on I-95, since it’s close to the highway exit, and wrote that the food was “fresh, delicious, and served quickly.”
The one thing that comes up again and again in reviews: it gets busy. Going early, right when the doors open, is the easy fix.
Good to know before you go
- Hours: 5:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., seven days a week, per the website.
- Phone: (203) 937-9036.
- Takeout and delivery: dine in, call for takeout, or order through Grubhub or Uber Eats.
- Getting there: Saw Mill Road is a short drive from I-95, so it works as a stop on the way to New York or back.
NICK’S LUNCHEONETTE AT A GLANCE
Address: 255 Saw Mill Road, West Haven
Phone: (203) 937-9036
Hours: 5:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily
Owners: Nick and Irene Milas; son Kosta works in the business
Since: 1992 (First Avenue); Saw Mill Road since Jan. 21, 2019
Known for: Home fries, the Hearty Breakfast, Reubens, Greek Benedict
Online: nicksluncheonette.com
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