Don't waste your time at this spot. Save your $$ for better dining/drinks in the 608 đŻ
Kaylin Thompson Garner
The cheese curds were some of the best Iâve ever had! They also have amazing happy hour deals!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Donald K. Barker
Such a fantastic night out from start to finish. Every bite was full of flavor and clearly made with care. We shared the chili crunch hummus, crispy cheese curds, and the oyster mushroom shawarma, and each dish impressed us more than the last. The passion fruit pisco sour was refreshing and perfectly balanced. Jessie took wonderful care of usâfriendly, attentive, and genuinely welcoming. This place instantly earned a spot on our favorites list, and weâre already looking forward to our next visit.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jillian Oetting
It makes me so sad how much Merchant has changed. Weâve been going to Merchant since moving to the area in 2017. Back in the day, the cocktail menu was a literal 7 page book with so many fun and interesting things to try. Slowly over the years and each time we visit (about once every 3-6 months), our experience has been more and more disappointing. I know that there was a remodel and a change up within the last 4ish years â for the last 3 years, things still seemed like the âold Merchantâ. My favorite dishes were the duck and the shrimp cakes. I still think about the hominy with the shrimp cakes. I even remember getting escargot at Merchant in 2023. We visited recently and our experience was so disappointing. The cocktail menu has dwindled down to one single page. I remember when this place used to be voted best cocktail menu in Madison! We ordered brussel sprouts and fries as starters. The sprouts were dripping with grease, so much so that my husband had to use a separate side plate to let the grease drip off them before he could eat them each bite. The fries were what youâd expect from any average burger joint â and they came with no sauce (menu said it should come with a pepper aioli). Our waitress said âoh we noticed people werenât eating the sauce, so we donât put it out unless you ask for itâ. If people arenât using itâŠwhy keep it on the menu? I thought things could be turned around when I saw that the shrimp cakes were still on the menu. Though described differently on the menu than previous visits, I was still excited. The shrimp cakes were nothing like before â I honestly felt like they had been pre-made and tossed in a fryer like diner food. I donât know whatâs happening at Merchant, but each experience weâve had over the last 2 years has been more and more disappointing to the point that I think this was the last time we will visit. Iâd love to see things turn around â the atmosphere in the restaurant has always been nice and upscale. The location is hard to beat. But the food and the service and the bar do not make it worth it anymore.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 1
Lora
I have eaten at merchant numerous times. I dream about their steak sandwich. I selected the restaurant to bring friends to prior to a show. I ordered the chop salad entree ($15) and a side of corn bread ($6). The salad entree offered bacon or chicken for additional cost, but I ordered the vegetarian version. What I got was romaine. A half dozen thin cucumber slices and a few halved tomatoes and a pile of onion slices. There was a tiny bit of grated Parmesan and a Dixie cup of vinegrette. There were no chickpeas, no avocado, no peppers, no eggs. It was a big side salad at best. It was my fault for not reading the description. It was Merchant's fault for offering this as an entree. Likewise, a $6 piece of cornbread should be thick and warm and soft with a firm âcrustâ. I got a cold piece of cornbread with a pepper relish on top that added nothing and should have come on the side. There was a side of butter, but not spreadable on the cold bread. When I cut into the bread with my fork, it flung across the table onto my husband's lap. It was that firm and had no crumb. Even my glass of house red wine (which was fine tasting) came to the table chilled. It was -10 outside so I forgave that as a storage/weather issue. Yes, I should have asked for a full refund, but we were going to a show with friends and their burgers and the cauliflower salad they ordered were adequate and I didn't want to bring down the mood.
Anisha
best birthday dinner ever. both of our servers were so wonderful and kind and connected with us all. before our first server was done for the day she brought out my birthday treat and treated us like friends. she also knew the drink menu well and recommended a yummy first drink for a 21st birthday. the service was amazing from all the staff. the place itself is also the perfect casual dinner vibe, you can even dress up more too!
Brittany
Brunch with Dj Andre was the best ! There isn't many places in Madison that do that and it was such a vibe ! Definitely should have more djs for brunch !
ETHAN Steinbach
Very tasty crafted cocktails.
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Cheryl
My women's Meetup group really enjoys coming here for happy hour and trivia. Then often when the group concludes, my husband arrives and we eat dinner. We are always nicely treated here and the ambiance is great.
Ken Carlson
Classic downtown Madison dining experience. Amazing ever evolving menu. Great holiday themes and specials. Top tier bar. Great for a nice lunch or date night.
The food here was really good, but The Nightmare Before Christmas themed drinks and decorations were definitely the highlight of my dining experience,
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Randy
We had a great Saturday brunch experience at Merchant. The food was delicious and Betty was an awesome server. Looking forward to going again.
Christian
Has completely changed. Menu has been dumbed down. Music has been change the vibe to trashy and place is dirty and unkept. This has all happened in less than a year.
Tara
Very nice server, beautiful ambiance, quick drinks and each course of food came out perfectly timed. Sazerac and Wisco old fashioned were great. Cheese curds are excellent and we think they are one of the best in the area. They provide ranch and spicy hot honey which is fantastic with the curds. Spouse had steak frites ribeye. It was perfectly cooked medium rare. Not the most tender ever had but very good. Fries were hand cut and a touch over salted. These fries were great in hot honey also! I had Parmesan shrimp cakes and paid the upcharge for Brussel sprouts. The sprouts were well flavored but a bit greasy. There was a lot of oil on the plate under them. The shrimp cakes with roumelade were very good. The cakes were deep fried as well. All tasted very good. We had beignets for dessert and they were delicious!
Angie Fisk
The service was slow during brunch. They only had one bartender. We waited 30 minutes for drinks. I had a better experience here when we went for dinner. Food and drinks are good once you get them.
Don't waste your time at this spot. Save your $$ for better dining/drinks in the 608 đŻ
The cheese curds were some of the best Iâve ever had! They also have amazing happy hour deals!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Such a fantastic night out from start to finish. Every bite was full of flavor and clearly made with care. We shared the chili crunch hummus, crispy cheese curds, and the oyster mushroom shawarma, and each dish impressed us more than the last. The passion fruit pisco sour was refreshing and perfectly balanced. Jessie took wonderful care of usâfriendly, attentive, and genuinely welcoming. This place instantly earned a spot on our favorites list, and weâre already looking forward to our next visit.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
It makes me so sad how much Merchant has changed. Weâve been going to Merchant since moving to the area in 2017. Back in the day, the cocktail menu was a literal 7 page book with so many fun and interesting things to try. Slowly over the years and each time we visit (about once every 3-6 months), our experience has been more and more disappointing. I know that there was a remodel and a change up within the last 4ish years â for the last 3 years, things still seemed like the âold Merchantâ. My favorite dishes were the duck and the shrimp cakes. I still think about the hominy with the shrimp cakes. I even remember getting escargot at Merchant in 2023. We visited recently and our experience was so disappointing. The cocktail menu has dwindled down to one single page. I remember when this place used to be voted best cocktail menu in Madison! We ordered brussel sprouts and fries as starters. The sprouts were dripping with grease, so much so that my husband had to use a separate side plate to let the grease drip off them before he could eat them each bite. The fries were what youâd expect from any average burger joint â and they came with no sauce (menu said it should come with a pepper aioli). Our waitress said âoh we noticed people werenât eating the sauce, so we donât put it out unless you ask for itâ. If people arenât using itâŠwhy keep it on the menu? I thought things could be turned around when I saw that the shrimp cakes were still on the menu. Though described differently on the menu than previous visits, I was still excited. The shrimp cakes were nothing like before â I honestly felt like they had been pre-made and tossed in a fryer like diner food. I donât know whatâs happening at Merchant, but each experience weâve had over the last 2 years has been more and more disappointing to the point that I think this was the last time we will visit. Iâd love to see things turn around â the atmosphere in the restaurant has always been nice and upscale. The location is hard to beat. But the food and the service and the bar do not make it worth it anymore.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 1
I have eaten at merchant numerous times. I dream about their steak sandwich. I selected the restaurant to bring friends to prior to a show. I ordered the chop salad entree ($15) and a side of corn bread ($6). The salad entree offered bacon or chicken for additional cost, but I ordered the vegetarian version. What I got was romaine. A half dozen thin cucumber slices and a few halved tomatoes and a pile of onion slices. There was a tiny bit of grated Parmesan and a Dixie cup of vinegrette. There were no chickpeas, no avocado, no peppers, no eggs. It was a big side salad at best. It was my fault for not reading the description. It was Merchant's fault for offering this as an entree. Likewise, a $6 piece of cornbread should be thick and warm and soft with a firm âcrustâ. I got a cold piece of cornbread with a pepper relish on top that added nothing and should have come on the side. There was a side of butter, but not spreadable on the cold bread. When I cut into the bread with my fork, it flung across the table onto my husband's lap. It was that firm and had no crumb. Even my glass of house red wine (which was fine tasting) came to the table chilled. It was -10 outside so I forgave that as a storage/weather issue. Yes, I should have asked for a full refund, but we were going to a show with friends and their burgers and the cauliflower salad they ordered were adequate and I didn't want to bring down the mood.
best birthday dinner ever. both of our servers were so wonderful and kind and connected with us all. before our first server was done for the day she brought out my birthday treat and treated us like friends. she also knew the drink menu well and recommended a yummy first drink for a 21st birthday. the service was amazing from all the staff. the place itself is also the perfect casual dinner vibe, you can even dress up more too!
Brunch with Dj Andre was the best ! There isn't many places in Madison that do that and it was such a vibe ! Definitely should have more djs for brunch !
Very tasty crafted cocktails.
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
My women's Meetup group really enjoys coming here for happy hour and trivia. Then often when the group concludes, my husband arrives and we eat dinner. We are always nicely treated here and the ambiance is great.
Classic downtown Madison dining experience. Amazing ever evolving menu. Great holiday themes and specials. Top tier bar. Great for a nice lunch or date night.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
The food here was really good, but The Nightmare Before Christmas themed drinks and decorations were definitely the highlight of my dining experience,
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We had a great Saturday brunch experience at Merchant. The food was delicious and Betty was an awesome server. Looking forward to going again.
Has completely changed. Menu has been dumbed down. Music has been change the vibe to trashy and place is dirty and unkept. This has all happened in less than a year.
Very nice server, beautiful ambiance, quick drinks and each course of food came out perfectly timed. Sazerac and Wisco old fashioned were great. Cheese curds are excellent and we think they are one of the best in the area. They provide ranch and spicy hot honey which is fantastic with the curds. Spouse had steak frites ribeye. It was perfectly cooked medium rare. Not the most tender ever had but very good. Fries were hand cut and a touch over salted. These fries were great in hot honey also! I had Parmesan shrimp cakes and paid the upcharge for Brussel sprouts. The sprouts were well flavored but a bit greasy. There was a lot of oil on the plate under them. The shrimp cakes with roumelade were very good. The cakes were deep fried as well. All tasted very good. We had beignets for dessert and they were delicious!
The service was slow during brunch. They only had one bartender. We waited 30 minutes for drinks. I had a better experience here when we went for dinner. Food and drinks are good once you get them.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 3
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