Mertens Prime

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1. C

   Caroline

   Chicago

   29 reviews

   vip
   5.0

   29 reviews

   Dined 3 days ago

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   Every time I come to Grand Rapids, I treat myself to Mertens prime to enjoy a well constructed cocktail, great service, and the most charming atmosphere in Grand Rapids. Really can’t say enough nice things about their staff and the delicious offerings — this weekend we decided to go for brunch, and Mertens did not disappoint us. Thanks again Mertens for a great meal in Grand Rapids.

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2. MC

   MarissaC

   New York Area

   4 reviews

   5.0

   4 reviews

   Dined 4 days ago

   overall5food5service4ambience3

   The only thing I would change was they prep and have the tables set before customers come in, including water glasses full. The water was a bit warm. When the water was replenished it was much cooler and better. Otherwise everything was great! And bananas foster made at your table?!? Can't get any better than that!

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3. H

   Hagelicious

   Detroit

   4 reviews

   5.0

   4 reviews

   Dined 5 days ago

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   Five year anniversary of our first date was the occasion. Mertens Prime always accommodates our request to sit in the same booth we sat in 5 years ago. The wide variety of cocktails are delicious. The wine list is impressive. The food/menu is outstanding. The service is attentive and not intrusive. Always a fantastic experience! It’s like riding a unicorn naked and bareback over a rainbow! 🦄🌈

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4. J

   John

   San Francisco

   2 reviews

   3.0

   2 reviews

   Dined on March 14, 2023

   overall3food2service3ambience4

   Pleasant evening, not exceptional Overall, we had an enjoyable evening and we will be back; that being said, there were a few areas for improvement. Our server was attentive and knowledgeable but a bit socially awkward. Drinks made by same server were delightful and well balanced. Wine knowledge was sub par but our server balanced this well by offering samples to allow us to decide a nice pairing. Our server did a good job while attending to the whole restaurant+bar themselves. There was no host at the stand when we arrived, with the restaurant not that busy and the caliber they’re hoping to achieve, this was a detractor. The bar program here is phenomenal The food menu is cleverly and tastefully written all-be-it large and cluttered. I did not go with a steak, perhaps should have. The starter was slightly overcooked and a seafood+cheese combo of scallops and Emmentaler was an odd pair. The soup had an off-texture with little-to-no leek flavor and was under seasoned (under-seasoned was a theme for the food overall). The French based dish I had for my main has potential, but, was a bit dull and not a cohesive dish. The pasta dish chosen by one of our party was more than “El dente” but had the best flavor of the night. The cheese presentation for $27 was lackluster, served on a small side dish with very old and discolored blue cheese and a small smattering of dried fruit and cashews. Bananas foster table side was pleasant and well executed. With a bit more focus on seasoning, fine tuning and perfecting dishes, this restaurant could be great. Service needs a bit more refining, but is on the right track and coming from a good place. We had fun and could overlook the short comings, but we hope this is taken well and serves as an aid in improving the establishment. I’ll be happy to take this down if it’s upsetting to ownership, but I hope they read this, it’s meant to help. Thank you for serving us.

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5. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   Grand Rapids

   2 reviews

   vip
   5.0

   2 reviews

   Dined on March 12, 2023

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   Wonderful dinner again. Went for anniversary. Had the roasted chicken and pork chop dinners. Both were cooked to perfection.

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6. RA

   RAYJ

   Chicago

   13 reviews

   vip
   5.0

   13 reviews

   Dined on March 8, 2023

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   Sarah was our server she was great drink were outstanding incredible food

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7. m

   markd

   Grand Rapids

   11 reviews

   vip
   4.0

   11 reviews

   Dined on March 6, 2023

   overall4food4service4ambience4

   Overall, an excellent experience. Bone marrow and pork belly were fantastic starters. Ribeye was excellent beef, prepared perfectly. Enjoy the French wine list, had a Chateau Belgrave Haut-Medoc Grand Cru that we should have had decanted prior to our arrival, proved to be great as well.

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8. CF

   ChadF

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined on February 27, 2023

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   Great food and service. Food choices are just enough different than the other steakhouses for variety , for making a special night different from a normal fancy steakhouse night out. Great mixed drink menu along with wine list.

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9. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined on February 25, 2023

   overall5food5service4ambience5

   Loved the atmosphere and the fact that they are locally owned. The manager Mark was great and informative.

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10. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Northern MI

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on February 25, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    We came here for my birthday dinner and we will definitely be back. The drinks and the food were amazing. We arrive shortly after the restaurant opened and they were still having a staff meeting to ensure that everyone was on the same page and that the wait staff was familiar with the menu. In my opinion I was very impressed. Not many restaurants actually take the time to do that.

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11. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Grand Rapids

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on February 19, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    So romantic and the Duck à l'Orange was mind-blowingly delicious! It was a perfect date night! Dress up and definitely make a reservation to fully enjoy the relaxed yet elegant atmosphere.

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12. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Chicago

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on February 18, 2023

    overall3food5service1ambience3

    We went for a birthday. No hostess at the stand when we walked in. Our table wasn’t ready at our reservation time and the hostess said she couldn’t tell us how long we’d have to wait, despite having a reservation. We were seated at a counter off the bar while we waited, but no waitstaff or bartender ever came around to take our drink order. The birthday wasn’t acknowledged by anyone even though it was put in the reservation. Our waiter was somewhat inattentive. He never went over the menu or made any recommendations. While the food was delicious, the service was lacking and definitely does not meet a fine dining experience

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13. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on February 18, 2023

    overall3food3service3ambience5

    Definitely doesn’t measure up to places like Capital Grill Ruth’s Chris or Eddie Vs. Service subpar! Steak was a beautiful cut and cooked perfect though! Will not return.

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14. LK

    LisaK

    Indiana

    78 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    78 reviews

    Dined on February 18, 2023

    overall3food3service2ambience3

    Four of us were out for dinner prior to a concert. First let me say the pork belly appetizer is amazing! We also enjoyed the brussel sprouts. as far as the food goes, this is where my high marks stop. I made a reservation for 4 o’clock to make sure we had plenty of time to enjoy our meal and get to the concert. When we got there at 4 o’clock there were no other customers, and when I said we had a reservation for four, I was told they have to get my table ready? Let me share that I do understand that they were short staffed, and a server had called off… With that being said for a high end restaurant, the service was really lacking. There were so many things that should have been done better. I ask the waiter if the steaks were prime… He didn’t know! He did check with the chef, but I was blown away that he did not know the answer. We had to ask multiple times for glasses of ice. We were told by our waiter several times that he would clear our table but I’m pretty sure we sat for 20 to 30 minutes with our dirty dishes in front of us. It is at this point I will share that all is not lost. Every time things were going downhill, Savannah, the manager would appear and make everything as good as she could!!!!! it is not an overstatement to say that we saw Savannah more than our waiter. Savannah cleared our table. Savannah brought my husbands drink to him. Savanna got us water and when Savannah realized how long we’ve been sitting there, Savannah even personally made cherries jubilee. Savannah also gave us a gift card. trying to make everything good. Our reservation was at 4:00. It was 6:40 when we walked out the door. Yes a meal at a really nice restaurant can take a long time to enjoy sufficiently but unfortunately we spent a lot of time waiting to even see our waiter again. I wish I could just be giving a review on Savannah… Then this restaurant would’ve earned five stars! But I must consider the quality of food and the other wait staff

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15. FG

    FranciscoG

    Chicago

    14 reviews

    vip
    2.0

    14 reviews

    Dined on February 18, 2023

    overall2food2service1ambience3

    Worst experience ever! Tried changing a dish because of my allergies and they could not accommodate me, do not go there!!!! They have no client manners…

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16. RD

    RDiamond

    Calgary

    3 reviews

    4.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on February 18, 2023

    overall4food5service5ambience5

    Very good food. The bar was less so. The bartender needs training

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17. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Grand Rapids

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on February 18, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Prepare for a slower service and you will be taken care of.

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18. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on February 17, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Wonderful service. Amazing food. Special occasion so I didn’t mind paying what I did. And truly, Mertens Prime is great for special occasions. Get there early so you can enjoy the ambiance without the noise of the rush. Can’t wait for your bakery to reopen again! 👍🏼👍🏼

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19. NF

    NicholasFiore

    Grand Rapids

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on February 15, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Absolutely fantastic evening, celebrating Valentines Day at a superb location. Mertens offers amazing fair at great pricing, with an atmosphere connecting the past and present of Grand Rapids. The staff seemed to genuinely enjoy themselves, and that was evident in the quality of service. Mark is a friendly and outstanding manager, and Mertens Prime feels warm and inviting.

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20. C

    Champ

    1 review

    2.0

    1 review

    Dined on February 15, 2023

    overall2food3service1ambience1

    Terrible customer service was ignored by the manager as he walked by and greeted everyone but us are waitress took 20 minutes to get us a diet cook and my steak came out cold was not worth the 200 dollars I spent

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21. EF

    EricF

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on February 14, 2023

    overall4food4service5ambience4

    Good Food and good service wait staff were to notch.

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22. MB

    MaryroseB

    Chicago

    16 reviews

    vip
    1.0

    16 reviews

    Dined on February 14, 2023

    overall1food4service1ambience4

    We were not impressed after dining there last night. We waited over 20 minutes for someone to take our drink order, over 45 for a first course to arrive (cheese cart), it arrived without any bread and we did not receive our main course for over two hours. My soup never arrived prior to dinner. When dining at a higher end, restaurant like this, I expect much better service for the cost. Our dinner was over $300. Felt like a waste of money and our time.

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23. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on February 11, 2023

    overall3food3service2ambience4

    My wife and I were looking forward to this meal. We were disappointed in the service. We ordered a cocktail, cheese plate, soup and an appetizer. They served it all at once, which wasn’t right. The vichyssoise was think and bland, the beet salad was cut up beets that were sour, one of the main course meals was a mushroom pasta. The pasta was undercooked and rubbery. The best part of the meal was dessert. The cheesecake and bananas foster were very good. But by that time we realized that we weren’t coming back again. With one glass of wine and food the total bill was over $250. It seemed way over priced for the quality of food and service. We had a much more enjoyable meal 6 months back at the other French bistro in GR called Margaux. It was far superior a meal.

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24. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Grand Rapids

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on February 11, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Lovely experience

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25. SC

    SusanC

    Los Angeles

    2 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on February 11, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Our waitress Aster was so good. Our first time but we loved the environment, the manager came and checked in with everyone— the food was all wonderful. Will definitely come back— a little pricey but well worth it once in a while.

    Report
26. RP

    RossP

    Grand Rapids

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on February 11, 2023

    overall3food5service5ambience1

    Way to cold in restaurant - I'm sure it's tough in the winter - we'll be back in better weather.

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27. N

    Nick

    Grand Rapids

    1 review

    2.0

    1 review

    Dined on February 3, 2023

    overall2food2service2ambience3

    Steak was undercooked, you had to pay extra for sauce and the sauce was not very good, would have been nice to let you try a sample of it before committing to something you would not consume. Bread super hard. Good to try something new but that was a fail

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28. JR

    JeffreyR

    Grand Rapids

    6 reviews

    4.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on January 29, 2023

    overall4food5service5ambience4

    We continue to enjoy dining at Mertens. The food and service are always excellent. Only negative is the lighting at some tables is pretty dark, especially for older folks. Still recommend going there, just be prepared to use your phone light.

    Report
29. AB

    AdamB

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on January 28, 2023

    overall5food5service3ambience5

    Fantastic restaurant. One of my favorite across the country.

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30. AJ

    AJ219

    Detroit

    30 reviews

    5.0

    30 reviews

    Dined on January 27, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience4

    Good diverse menu, and always attentive service and staff. Only area of criticism is limited bar choices/inventory.

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31. M

    Monica

    Grand Rapids

    13 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    13 reviews

    Dined on January 27, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Beautiful restaurant and beautiful food. The menu is very diverse. Strip was perfect and a very big portion. French dishes were spot on. The dessert presentation was very fun. Highly recommended.

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32. A

    Anonymous

    Grand Rapids

    9 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    9 reviews

    Dined on January 22, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Great service Lovely music

    Mertens PrimeResponded on January 26, 2023Thank you for the kind words!

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33. HH

    HollyH

    Los Angeles

    8 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    8 reviews

    Dined on January 22, 2023

    overall3food3service2ambience5

    Unfortunately everything was difficult start to finish with our visit to Merten’s. The food was good, but they couldn’t get the $66 steak quite right. I ordered medium and it went from rare to medium rare to well done. The server didn’t come to the table for the first 15 minutes of being seated and did not provide a warm welcome, just stood there with his pad to take our order. Really strange. The soup, poutine, and Brussels sprouts were fantastic but the steak needed more flavor. Bartender was great and helpful before we were seated, but spending $40 on two drinks was sobering to say the least. The owner charging a “service fee” on top of the outrageous prices and mediocre service is enough to keep us away. We thought this was “our new place” since this was our second visit, but I guess this was our last visit.

    Mertens PrimeResponded on January 22, 2023Hi Elaine, Thanks for the kind words in your review. A Federal rule that we implemented in late 2022 costs the business over $100,000 per year is money that we simply does not exist for us. We are just a family of four that owns the restaurant; the moeny just does not exist. Unlike some other restaurants in Grand Rapids that have extremely deep pockets behind them, there is no pocket of money where that comes from for us. The 8% fee *hopes* to recoup the cost increase.

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34. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Detroit

    6 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on January 22, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Outstanding service and great quality food!

    Mertens PrimeResponded on January 22, 2023Thank you so much! We're glad you enjoyed! That kind of feedback means the world to us!

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35. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on January 21, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Took my wife as a Christmas present. Had an amazing meal, great service, and the manager kept walking around and checking in things. Great experience all around. Will return.

    Report
36. MK

    MichelleK

    Detroit

    3 reviews

    2.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on January 21, 2023

    overall2food1service4ambience4

    We were pleased with the story of the building and the decor. The service was very good. The prices were VERY high especially for the very poorly made 'classic recipes'. We enjoy food, my husband has made most of Julia Child's recipe's. The fish croquettes were fine, not warm, not cold but OK with a good sauce. We were told their was a sommelier but we saw him tending bar...not sure that is what a real som does at a 'good' restaurant My husband's french onion soup was oily and very bland. Nice and hot, but no flavor, there was no salt and pepper on the table to try if that was all it needed - his petite filet was really petite and not hot- tender and tasty but OVERPRICED. I had the salmon and it was delicate but bland, no particular flavor jumped out. We opted for cherries jubilee and the show was good but the taste was again BLAND. An 8% service was added - then a tip made this the most expensive dinner we've had in YEARS. The money isn't the issue, it's that it was a memorable meal for all the wrong reasons. Very disappointed. If a restaurant is claiming to be of the french classic influences then they need a chef that can properly make these dishes. Asher the waitress was very attentive and even commented that she's had plenty of people send food back. We will never go back and will tell others how bad it was.

    Mertens PrimeResponded on January 26, 2023Hi Michele, we're all very happy at Mertens to say that with the ruling today from the Michigan courts-- that we're not wasting one minute and eliminating the service charge tonight! Yay! Our team will revert to their usual great pay and our family-owned business will breathe a sigh of relief that we have a better shot of paying the bills. We appreciate the feedback on the other items; we take your words very seriously and have met to examine each and every part of your review. Thanks again!

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37. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    1 review

    2.0

    1 review

    Dined on January 20, 2023

    overall2food2service2ambience2

    Way overpriced for the quality of food and drinks. Very disappointed

    Report
38. JH

    JimH

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on January 18, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Our first time dining at Mertens was fantastic! The service and food was top shelf. The bartender makes a really good Old Fashioned. We look forward to eating there again soon.

    Mertens PrimeResponded on January 22, 2023Hi Jim, thanks so much for the kind words! We're glad you enjoyed the Old Fashioned.

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39. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Grand Rapids

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on January 15, 2023

    overall4food4service5ambience3

    Wobbling small table Service was great Steaks just ok / not much flavor Bananas foster was great

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40. r

    robin

    Washington DC

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on January 14, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Beautiful preserved historic building in downtown GR. Had the petite filet. Cooked to perfection. Service was attentive and knowledgeable. Overall great experience.

    Mertens PrimeResponded on January 22, 2023Thank you so much Robin!

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