"Nick's 5-way does not come prettified with saltines as shown in this picture. You get packets of saltines with each bowl; and while they can be crumbled on top, I found them especially good for shoveling maximum amounts of chili onto a spoon."
Michael Stern
"Using shredded cheese, onion, and their own chili, Nick's makes a fine chili dog!"
Cliff Strutz
"The staff was somewhat taken aback that I ordered a naked chili dog -- without cheese and onions. I did like it this way, but the grated cheese and raw onions would indeed complete the package."
Michael Stern
"Nicks tamales."
Rick Garrett
"Tube steaks aplenty. Those are foot-longs at the left; and Nick's offers nice spongy buns long enough to hold them and plenty of chili."
Michael Stern
"A nice, steaming bowl of chili on a cool fall evening."
Rick Garrett
"Chili 5 Way! "
Rick Garrett
"At Nick's you take a tray and silverware at the beginning of the line and order much like you would at a cafeteria. Very nice employees spoon the soupy chili as many ways as you can handle. Try it with some hot peppers from the cold case. After you're done, the staff busses your table. Really nice people. "
Ben Morton
"The menu has a range of chili items in addition to the popular bowl, including chili dogs and chili cheeseburgers. You can even buy the chili by the half-gallon. Check the specials board before you order. Current offerings included a foot-long chili dog and a giant tenderloin sandwich, for those wanting to go the distance in Indianapolis. Click on the photo to read the sign."
Ben Morton
"Inside, the serving line and menu."
Rick Garrett
"The Nick's sign, beckoning all to the best chili around!"
Rick Garrett
"I never did sample the tenderloin advertised on Nick's sign. The chili was just too fascinating."
Michael Stern
Thanks to Ben Morton and Rick Garrett for alerting me to this happy chili parlor on a rather unhappy stretch of recession-blighted shopping centers. If cash is short, Nick's is an especially good place to know about: a big bowl of 5-way is less than $5; a chili dog with cheese is $1.99. The chili is hearty, not too hot or betwitchingly spiced, but mighty satisfying, especially in concert with spaghetti noodles, red beans, finely grated cheddar cheese and crisp raw onions. Next time, I am going to pay 50 cents and get extra cheese on the chili. I ran out of it before excavating halfway through the bowl.
