Beef. It's been the meal for dinner for 25 years, but not anymore.

Nick's Beef and Beer House, 1688 Mass. Ave., has been serving students from Harvard College, Lesley College and Harvard Law School for years. Now, it's undergoing a profound change in menu and mission.

"Nick's eef & Bee Ho" will soon become Nick's American Restaurant and Bar, said manager Ted Poulos.

"We were known for beef and beer, but we're not that anymore," Poulos says, explaining he "upgraded the menu" a few weeks ago.

The former red meat stalwart now serves chicken, turkey, pork, lamb and seafood, even taking customers south of the border for burritos and quesadillas.

And for vegetarians, there's non-sentient foodstuffs including fresh vegetables, soups and a special season vegetable of the day, according to Poulos.

"I live on vegetables," Poulos says, noting that, while not a vegetarian, he usually eats two vegetable-based meals a day.

The new menu, Poulos says, is "balanced and provides options," noting that "business declined as a result of the change of taste that is sweeping the country. We tried to follow that trend."

Poulos has been a student his whole life, earning six post-graduate degrees, including a Masters of Political Science and a Masters of International Affairs from Columbia University.

"I'm researching and following the trends," he says, noting that Harvard Square is "the pulse of America."

While the renowned stuffed roast turkey with vegetables and cranberry still graces the menu, Harvard regulars notice the changes. And they're not all enthusiastic.

Yuri Ostrovsky '97 went to Nick's this summer and noticed a change. "I did sort of notice something different. I could feel it."

"If they change it, I'm not coming back," he says. "It's like changing a monument."

Eugene Koh '97, a Crimson editor who has eaten at the restaurant to have an "unusual dining experience," says any changes will rob Nick's of its identity.

"The place is just going to be lost in the midst of the other restaurants around campus," Koh says.