Founded in 1982 on Newport Avenue, Nico's Mexican Food is a second-generation family taqueria built on rolled tacos, California burritos, and the carne asada plate that has anchored the menu for over four decades. The cash-only counter at 4918 Newport keeps a card-free workflow that has become rare on the corridor, sharing the block with Newport Avenue institutions including The Harp's Irish pub kitchen at 4935 Newport. The founder's cowboy hat sits in a display case above the register, marking the original 1982 build-out that still defines the dining room. Walk-up service suits beach-day runs from the OB Pier and the post-surf morning crowd coming off the Newport-Abbott corner. The carne asada and rolled-taco program reflects the same Newport Avenue counter-service tradition that produced longtime peers like Hodad's Ocean Beach, both running no-frills walk-up formats that predate the gastropub conversions farther up the corridor. Family catering for OB house parties and Dog Beach gatherings is built off the standing line, with rolled-taco trays and bulk carne asada produced from the original kitchen footprint.