Merchant

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1. NC

   NatalieC

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined 2 days ago

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   The outdoor patio at Merchant has a cozy atmosphere and the food was outstanding. Our server, Grant, was also really wonderful and overall made the experience really great.

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2. m

   marcyd1

   Milwaukee

   7 reviews

   5.0

   7 reviews

   Dined 2 days ago

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   We enjoyed our meal. The restaurant is lovely inside, the food was great and the drinks menu was fantastic. The menu is a bit limited but everything we tried, we liked.

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3. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   Chicago

   1 review

   3.0

   1 review

   Dined 2 days ago

   overall3food2service4ambience5

   Food was cold

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4. S

   Stever

   1 review

   1.0

   1 review

   Dined 7 days ago

   overall1food3service2ambience2

   Ordered a Vodka, Lemonade...no lemonade? No citrus vodka at all in the bar!

   MerchantResponded 3 days agoThanks for your review, we're sorry to hear you were let down by our vodka selection and mixers. We typically don't carry artificially flavored or concentrated products to keep our menu selection as fresh and natural as possible! We hope you'll be willing to give us another shot in the future, thanks again for your feedback!

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5. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   Chicago

   26 reviews

   vip
   5.0

   26 reviews

   Dined on June 22, 2022

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   Limited menu but really good food. Clearly they focus on what they do amazingly well. Server was kind and attentive. Raspberry dessert was amazing!!!! The “reggae in a glass” red wine was superb. Would dine here again.

   MerchantResponded 3 days agoThank you so much for your review! We are absolutely thrilled to hear you loved your raspberry napoleon, red wine, and attentive service. Thank you so much for stopping in and we hope to see you in again very soon! We're looking forward to it :)

   Report
6. r

   rudu

   Milwaukee

   1 review

   4.0

   1 review

   Dined on June 18, 2022

   overall4food5service2ambience4

   The food was excellent and the new menu made it hard to choose! The inside is much brighter and more opened up but still very loud, even at 6 pm. I tried a new cocktail which was as unique and delicious as the Old Merchant. Service was poor. Server could not answer basic questions: "what is in the crab cakes?" "Shredded crab meat and some spices I think? maybe paprika?" Never offered to go back to kitchen to verify. Courses and plates came out late and then at different times. Also- How can you not get a chardonnay by the glass. Hoping service improves as young staff becomes more experienced.

   MerchantResponded on June 21, 2022Thank you so much for visiting us upon our reopen and for all your feedback! We're so happy to hear you loved your cocktail and your dinner selections. We appreciate your comments on your service as we continue to undergo extensive training with our new staff. We'll continue to work on this and hope you'll give our service team another shot in the near future!

   Report
7. OF

   OperaFoodie

   Chicago

   8 reviews

   5.0

   8 reviews

   Dined on June 18, 2022

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   Food was excellent. There is a reason this place has been around for 20 years.

   MerchantResponded on June 21, 2022Thank you so much for your review, we're so happy to hear you loved your food! We've actually been open for 10 years now, and are so excited for the next 10 to make it 20! Hope to see you often over the next decade :)

   Report
8. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined on June 18, 2022

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   The food was fantastic as were the drinks we had. It wasn’t too busy and service was quick and efficient.

   MerchantResponded on June 21, 2022Thank you so much for your review! We're so happy to hear you enjoyed your food, drinks, and service during your recent experience with us. We hope to have you in again and hope it's soon!

   Report
9. J

   Jessica

   1 review

   3.0

   1 review

   Dined on June 17, 2022

   overall3food4service2ambience4

   I was excited to dine at Merchant after its recent remodel, but left feeling disappointed. While the food was good overall (aside from the steak frites being lukewarm at best), the service was lacking. I know that will improve with time and training, of course. The most frustrating portion of the evening was the lack of ability to accommodate a vegan friend we were dining with. We asked if any of the plates could be modified and were met with the suggestion from the chef of a "grilled veggie platter." Instead, she opted for two appetizers as her meal, which she was fine with -- and the waiter understood to be her entree. And yet, they were the first things to come out -- even before the other appetizers we ordered to split. It made for an awkward dining experience as she basically ate her meal early. Drinks also took a long time to come out. Our first round was great, but my second drink was *tiny* and not worth the $15 price tag. I really wanted to love Merchant's return. The space is beautiful and the layout is so much better than it was in the past, but it really missed the mark. And, goodness, it's a lot pricier than it used to be -- and the overall experience just wasn't worth it. I'll go again in a few months and hopefully it'll be better.

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10. m

    marcusc

    Detroit

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on June 15, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    The new Merchant is spectacular. The minimalist touches on the interior design work very well, love the open/airy feel. The cocktail menu is interesting and has depth--not your cookie cutter nonsense. The meal was fantastic, service was prompt, and overall was a wonderful dining experience. 10/10.

    MerchantResponded on June 21, 2022Thank you so much for your review! We are absolutely thrilled to hear you love our new renovations and enjoyed your food, drinks, and service during your recent visit! Thank you so much for stopping in and we hope to you'll join us again very soon :) Cheers!

    Report
11. PW

    PW111

    Milwaukee

    4 reviews

    2.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on June 11, 2022

    overall2food2service2ambience3

    The staff on-hand was apologetic but clearly outnumbered and under-trained for the first weekend of being open - even when the restaurant wasn't full. The food was "ok" but nothing like it used to be. The drinks were good, but the bar was also understaffed so it took us over a half hour to get a drink. I feel bad for our waiter. He tried his best, but he wasn't given good tools to work with. We' might come back for a drink, but we'll get dinner elsewhere.

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12. A

    Autobin

    Milwaukee

    4 reviews

    2.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on June 10, 2022

    overall2food3service1ambience3

    The more thing change the more they remain the same. I was hoping the revamped Merchant would be better than it’s predecessor, which was always close but consistently missing the mark. The dining room looks great after the remodel. On the downside, the place seemed at the same time over and understaffed. Staff were rushing along, but our waitress was effectively MIA after we ordered. A lack of proper staff training overall. The fish fry was very good, but insanely overpriced ($25 ?). The steak frites was good, but was barely lukewarm when it arrived. In the end, we just wanted to get our check and get out of there, which is not the feeling you want your guests to leave with.

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13. JM

    JohnM

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on June 10, 2022

    overall5food5service4ambience5

    Merchant is back! Great new interior and new menu is streamlined. Delicious food and drinks.

    MerchantResponded on June 20, 2022Thank you so much for your review, John! We are SO excited to be back and are so thankful for your support. We hope to see you in again soon!

    Report
14. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on June 5, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Dinner out with a friend. Loved the modern, sleek yet warm environment. Great variety of small plates and meal options. The olives, scallops and salmon and bone in pork chop were a few favorites of the night. I highly recommend Merchant for its beauty and quality in both design and food. It was a great dinner and evening out in the heart of downtown Madison.

    MerchantResponded on June 20, 2022Thank you so much for your review! We are absolutely thrilled to hear you had a great experience with us upon our reopen and enjoyed your olives, scallops, and salmon. Thank you so much for visiting us and we hope to see you in again soon!

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15. M

    Madchica608

    San Francisco

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on June 4, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Amazing! Top level service, well throughout out menu and drink pairings. Chef and their team are doing amazing things. The food is balanced, intriguing and highlights local product. They have an extensive allergy friendly menu and went out of the way to assure I had a great experience with a common food allergy. The space is modern and inviting, I cannot wait to dine here again!

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16. r

    reg44

    Cincinnati

    4 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on September 1, 2021

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Tremendous service. Great food and great music

    MerchantResponded on September 7, 2021Thank you so much for your review! We're so happy to hear you enjoyed your food and service when recently visiting :) We hope to see you in again soon!

    Report
17. MM

    MominMadison

    Austin

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on September 1, 2021

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    We had an amazing meal and time at Merchant! The food is so tasty and fresh. Our waitress was so friendly and suggested some great dishes. This was our favorite meal in Madison.

    MerchantResponded on September 7, 2021Thank you so much for your review! We are absolutely thrilled to hear you had such a great experience and that you had your favorite meal with us! We're so happy you enjoyed your food and service :) We hope you'll join us again, we're looking forward to it!

    Report
18. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Milwaukee

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on August 26, 2021

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Great food and the server (Elena) was excellent! We will be back!

    MerchantResponded on September 7, 2021Thank you so much for your review! We are thrilled to hear you received great service from Elena! We'll certainly pass along this feedback to our service team and we're very much looking forward to your return! Cheers!

    Report
19. FD

    FineDineDan

    Chicago

    3 reviews

    4.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on August 21, 2021

    overall4food5service4ambience4

    Nice atmosphere and excellent food made for a very special anniversary dinner at Merchant. My wife had the steak and I had the gnocchi and both were outstanding. Service was quite good (except waiting for the check to come…a common peeve of mind. I really did not notice the noise so clearly not an issue. Looking forward to going again.

    MerchantResponded on August 25, 2021Thanks for your review, Dan! We're honored you celebrated your anniversary dinner with us and loved your steak and gnocchi entrees! We passed along your feedback on the timing of your check drop to our training team, we appreciate this feedback so we can continue to do better! We're very much looking forward to your next visit!

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20. LS

    LeiaS

    New York Area

    6 reviews

    5.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on August 18, 2021

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Fantastic food and such kind staff. Great date night special.

    MerchantResponded on August 25, 2021Thank you so much for your review, Leia! We're so excited to hear you enjoyed your food and were well taken care of by our staff! We're very much looking forward to your return and hope it's soon! Cheers!

    Report
21. J

    Jules

    Milwaukee

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on August 14, 2021

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Great cocktails and fun outdoor table. There was a band planning outdoors around the corner but was not too loud. Chicken sandwich was amazing - we skipped the Nashville sauce (too hot). Huge portion and fantastic salad in the side.

    MerchantResponded on August 16, 2021Thank you so much for your review, Jules! We're so happy to hear you enjoyed your Chicken Sandwich & salad while enjoying our outdoor seating! We hope you'll return soon, we're looking forward to it :)

    Report
22. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on August 14, 2021

    overall3food5service5ambience5

    The merchant stated they did not have my reservation even though it was confirmed. They did seat us and we had a great experience otherwise.

    MerchantResponded on August 16, 2021Thank you so much for your review! We're happy to hear you had a great experience while dining with us. We're sorry to hear there was some confusion in regards to your reservation, we'll look into this on our end, but happy to hear we were able to get you seated right away :) We hope to see you in again soon!

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23. SD

    StevenDesign

    Chicago

    3 reviews

    4.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on August 7, 2021

    overall4food3service5ambience4

    Each of the foods we had were over salty. Nothing bad tho and some dishes quite good, except for the salt. Dessert was the best course.

    MerchantResponded on August 11, 2021Thanks for your review, Steven! We're happy to hear you enjoyed your dessert :) We passed along your comments about the food being overly salty to our Executive Chef for further review. We appreciate this feedback as we're always striving to be a better restaurant! We hope you'll join us again soon!

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24. KM

    KatieM

    Milwaukee

    6 reviews

    5.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on August 7, 2021

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Food was AMAZING. Best brunch I’ve had yet. And that’s saying something in Madison. Service and ambiance were wonderful too

    MerchantResponded on August 11, 2021Thank you so much for your review, Katie! We are absolutely ecstatic to hear you loved your food when recently joining us for brunch! We're also happy to hear you received great service :) We hope you'll join us again very soon :) Cheers!

    Report
25. PW

    PetterW

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on August 5, 2021

    overall5food5service4ambience4

    Merchant is an amazing restaurant. Amazing food, love the buffalo cheese curds, and their drinks are sooo tasty. Some negatives from my recent visit; salmon entrée was a bit small, would've liked a bit more attention from the waiter when we were deciding on what to order, and it's a little pricey.

    MerchantResponded on August 11, 2021Thank you so much for your review, Petter! We're thrilled to hear you love our food selection, buffalo cheese curds, and drinks! We very much appreciate your comments on your recent visit. We have already passed along your comments to our management team to review the portion size of our salmon entree as well as implement more extensive training for our service team to take the best care of our guests. Again, we very much appreciate this feedback and we hope to see you in again very soon!

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26. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    New England

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on August 4, 2021

    overall4food4service5ambience5

    Great service, food, and vibe!

    Report
27. S

    Stephanie

    Seattle

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on July 30, 2021

    overall3food3service3ambience3

    The Brie appetizer was delicious. The pork dinner was just okay.

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28. KW

    KamalaW

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on July 26, 2021

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    First time trying this location. Great experience start to finsih

    MerchantResponded on July 27, 2021Thank you so much for your review, Kamala! We're so happy to hear you had such a great experience with us during your first visit! We very much hope you'll join us again very soon, we're looking forward to it :) Cheers!

    Report
29. M

    Marvinwasgreat

    Washington DC

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on July 24, 2021

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Delicious food and lovely inside or outside dining!

    MerchantResponded on July 27, 2021Thank you so much for your review! We're so happy to hear you enjoyed your food while enjoying our space! We hope to see you stop by again very soon :) cheers!

    Report
30. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Milwaukee

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on July 24, 2021

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Server was amazing and attentive, restaurant was clean, food was amazing. It took the perfect amount of time and the setting was perfect.

    MerchantResponded on July 27, 2021Thank you so much for your review! We're thrilled to hear you received great service from our team while enjoying our space and your food! We hope you'll join us again very soon :) We're looking forward to it!

    Report
31. v

    vingamom

    Las Vegas

    3 reviews

    3.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on July 23, 2021

    overall3food2service3ambience3

    Meh. Nice server but after our food arrived she didn’t return until we were finished eating. The burger was overly salty. Never got the chance to let them know. Also, unfortunately a laddered vehicle was on the adjacent street and was beeping loudly throughout the time we were there. The fish fry was tasty but not a very big portion.

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32. RS

    RobertaS

    San Francisco

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on July 20, 2021

    overall5food5service5ambience4

    Great food- the special “grilled pork over picked vegetables” was excellent. Some crusty bread to enjoy sauce would have put it over the top. Chocolate custard dessert was amazing. Our server was informative and attentive. Perfect evening with out of town guests. We will return!!!!

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33. s

    sarab

    Milwaukee

    3 reviews

    3.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on July 20, 2021

    overall3food3service2ambience4

    Wanted to love it, as the location and ambience are fabulous. Our server seemed underdressed and uninformed. The food was okay - not bad, but not special. The dessert was not actually what the server told us it was. Overall, a very mediocre experience.

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34. j

    jp15

    Milwaukee

    7 reviews

    5.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on July 18, 2021

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    We loved our Sunday brunch experience! We sat outside which was perfect on a beautiful summer morning. Glad we made reservations as we saw many people get turned away.

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35. AB

    AmyB

    Milwaukee

    8 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    8 reviews

    Dined on July 17, 2021

    overall4food4service5ambience5

    Great to brunch outside!

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36. n

    napervillekelly

    Chicago

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on July 16, 2021

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    there are not enough superlatives to describe our meal. Insalata was incredible. Cocktails are amazing. Gnocchi is to die for. Desserts are delectable. We met the sous chef & he was a delight. Highly recommend!

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37. M

    Mich11

    Indiana

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on July 15, 2021

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    We sat outside and it was very nice. Food was delicious. Small portions.

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38. J

    Jefineranne

    San Francisco

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on July 15, 2021

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Good food and great service. Charming and welcoming.

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39. A

    Anon

    Milwaukee

    13 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    13 reviews

    Dined on July 10, 2021

    overall3food2service1ambience3

    Sat for 15 minutes before being greeted. Super slow service and food was just okay. Will not be returning here.

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40. FL

    FelicityL

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on July 9, 2021

    overall3food3service2ambience5

    Our waiter was brusk and unpleasant, so as long as you get another waiter your experience will be great. I ordered greens to go with my burger and they were sopping wet / overly dressed. I’m not opposed to going back if others invite me, but probably not of my own volition.

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