I was sitting at the bar with two of my friends, having a good ol' bitch fest, when the bartender came over gave us a complimentary shot of "chill the fuck out." That was what he called it - it was just a house whiskey, but it really put us in a better mood. Â The service was great. We sat at the bar for probably around 3-4 hours, and were never given the evil eye to move on.
They make a great Moscow Mule, it's not in a copper cup unfortunately, but is very refreshing for a hot, humid Madison day. I also ordered the French 75 which is another great summer drink. Go during happy hour where many of their craft cocktails are $6.
My bartender, JR...not sure what it stands for but "Jolly Right" would be my vote because he is an amazing mixologist, very talented and recommends just the right drink.
After running 13 miles, I decided alcohol and salmon were calling me. This place has an extensive cocktail menu, complete with (not bedtime) stories and history. Great touch. I decided on Chulman's Space Punch because punch just sounds fun and it includes rum and everyone loves rum. Served with a massive cinnamon stick and star fruit, honey and Duquesne Rhum (fancy word for rum), i was hooked. Could have had two, but held back.
JR recommended a simple arugula salad and I needed some protein. He said I could add salmon for $4. What...maybe two bites of salmon? I was skeptical. When the salad came, it was an entree portion. Surely, the rhum was playing tricks and he said $14...Outstanding salad. The bill came and there it was...$4 for the salmon. I could not believe it. It was like winning the WI fish lottery.
Great spot; hang at the bar. Met a nice couple and we chatted about cocktails and their talented daughter, a budding photographer. Look forward to coming back in September.
Trendy. Tasty. Terrific.
We went to Merchant for dinner on a Saturday night with a group of six - quoted an hour wait but ended up waiting only half an hour. That's always a good way to start off the night. In hindsight, I should have made reservations via Open Table.
The main dishes at Merchant are kind of pricey ($15- $30) and I'm sure they're great. A couple of people in my group really enjoyed the Market burger, which was one of the cheaper options at $13.
But I think the small plates are where Merchant really shines. Our group tried the Patatas Bravas, Cheese Curds, Hush Puppies, Pommes Frites, and the Parmesan and Almonds. All were excellent and the portions are very generous. Part of our group stuck to the appetizers and then ordered a salad for the main course. I personally recommend the Buttermilk Salad.
We tacked on the Bread Pudding for dessert, which was seriously the size of a loaf of bread (but much tastier than a loaf of bread). You could order a bunch of small plates, drinks and dessert - spend about $15/person - and be very full on your way out the door. The server split up our bill, no problem. Be advised- they do automatically add tip for bigger groups.
I will be back to Merchant for sure, and I highly recommend the restaurant for those looking for a trendy downtown location that will impress in both atmosphere and menu.
7/11/13 Wife and I biked downtown and visited the Merchant. Â She's been raving about their shrimp po'boy sandwich and I discovered for good reason! Â It was great. Â It came with salad and chips. Â We substituted the chips for fries. Â We also enjoyed a couple pints of Bedlam by Ale Asylum.
Review Source:LOVE this new restaurant that opened in downtown Madison. The atmosphere is really trendy...the dinner menu is better than the lunch menu. A lot more selection. THE BEST bone marrow appetizer i've had (hail to the dairy state) and really good hush puppies.
The loco moco burger was really awesome. You can never go wrong with a burger that has a fried egg and a grilled pineapple!
Dropped by on Friday with the intention of enjoying a cocktail or two, and wound-up staying for dinner.
Merchant continues to impress me. Once again, we sat at the bar and enjoyed excellent service. The happy hour has to be one of the better ones in Madison - it runs through 6:00pm on Fridays.
Liz enjoyed her cocktails; I loved my brews.
We tried the Bison tartare - holy cats, was it great. Well-seasoned, tender, and so fresh.
I tried their perch fish fry and was pleased. Huge fillets of fresh perch, generous (but well cooked) batter, excellent fries, and tasty slaw. A piece of marble rye rounded things out.
Service was excellent throughout the night - the bar keeps know their drinks. We will continue to keep Merchant on our short list of "must eat" places.
Out of all the many cocktails I've had in Madison, the ones at Merchant are the best. I enjoy making cocktails myself, so I like a place that can at least do better than I can at home. And Merchant definitely does. The drinks are imaginative and the flavors are always well-balanced. There are a lot of places in Madison that try really hard with complex syrups, liqueurs and unique flavors, but then end up failing on the execution somehow. Merchant consistently does it right. My all time favorite drink here is actually just a nice, classic whiskey sour. The cheesecurds are also amazing (if a bit salty, even for cheesecurds), and they're served with a really delicious sauce.
Review Source:While the decor was pleasing to the eye, the service and food quality left me disappointed.
My wife and I came across Merchant while looking for a light meal before a recent show at the Majestic. We ordered two glasses of wine and the daily flat bread special. While the bartender provided us with a generous pour, neither the Domaine de Oritoire Le P'tit Cotes du Rhone nor the Shannon Ridge Sauvignon Blanc left much of an impression. I could envision both wines being poured from a generic bottle labeled "Wine". After receiving our wine and ordering the flat bread, we did not see our waitress for 30 minutes, so there was no chance to replace the drinks with another selection.
As for the food, it was a good concept, but poorly executed. The flat bread was generously topped with goat cheese, bacon, asparagus and shallots. Unfortunately, the crust was too thick and became a little soggy from supporting all of the toppings. (My personal preference is to have a little crunch to the crust of my flat bread.) The size of the toppings also made it a little difficult to eat (whole strips of bacon and halved spears of asparagus). Crumbling the bacon and slicing the asparagus more would have allowed a better balance of flavors in each bite. The slightly roasted shallots did not realize their potential - they could have made the dish sing if they were caramelized more.
My last comment is that due to the open floor plan, it was difficult to carry on a conversation due the noise level. In the future, I'll probably be more inclined to go to Graze or Johnny Delmonico's rather than Merchant.
Oh Merchant. I want to love you. You're like a student who tries super hard, comes to office hours, does the reading, talks in class, but then always seems to come up a little short on testing day.
I've never had a bad meal at Merchant, but I've also never been blown away. Same for the cocktails, which scream trying really really hard to impress you more than they actually impress you. And same for the overall vibe, which I find a little schizophrenic; I get the fancy marketplace theme (with the deli case and the liquor on the wall), although it kind of feels like a non sequitur given the actual food on the plates and the style of service. And then suddenly weekend nights there's a DJ and big dance party. To me, it just doesn't quite come together.
That said, I do like Merchant, even if I don't love it. I do recommend the brunch, which is surprisingly relaxed in contrast to some other brunch places around the square. And like I said, the food in general has been solid if not spectacular.
Keep trying, Merchant...
The host staff is friendly, but seems a bit unprofessional at times. The interior was quite cramped, too, and we were seated in a very poor spot, rubbing elbows with strangers, and in very uncomfortable chairs. Our waitress was moderately attentive. Nothing spectacular. The food was quite good, though, as were the drinks. Not too pricey, either. All in all it was an okay experience, but I haven't been back since.
Review Source:As a self-respecting recent college grad I have a reliably fantastic drink which I turn to in times of celebration, distress, relaxation, etc. etc. My drink is the '59 Sound at Merchant which combines tequila, fresh lime, housemade basil-lemon syrup, honey, and celery bitters to create a drink you simultaneously want to take home and propose marriage to.
The atmosphere at Merchant is great for a quiet dinner but gets rowdy on the weekends (we're talking booty-shakin' dance club, oh yeah!). The fare is expensive for a college budget but is well worth it for a nicer evening out. Last week my sister got the house-made pasta with sausage ragu and fresh ricotta and still won't shut up about it.
Merchant is where I go to hobnob. The atmosphere is dark with a smidge of swank and the drinks are on point with a smidge of expensive. They often boast solid live music on Thursdays and DJs for grooving late nights Friday and Saturday.
Do I giggle when bartenders refer to themselves as "mixologists"? Yes. Will I refer to them as such with a straight face in order to get my hands on a Jack Rose (aka my favorite cocktail in town)? Of course. And I knock off a star because the Jack Rose is only made available when their house-made grenadine is in stock. I'll bring in my own store-bought grenadine if I have to. Girl's not too proud to lug syrup around in her purse.
Most recently ordered their brat sliders and get.outta.town. Delicious. Next up, I've got my eye on their late night brunch menu. Brunch...10PM-1:30AM...that's my kind of crazy.
Not quite sure how I feel about this place.
I've only been here for their club nights, so I can't offer anything about the food or anything.
The drinks were pretty standard Madison stuff, nothing too out of the ordinary.
The times I've been here were either hit or miss. There are times when I've been here and it's been absolutely crowded, and then returned a week after, only to find this place completely empty.
And the music selection is usually geared towards an older crowd, even though most people who frequent (at least during late nights) are younger peeps.
I'll still come back once in a while, but this won't be my go-to spot when it comes to a Friday or Saturday night.
Moco loco burger is the BEST SAVORY burger in town! But caution folks, just one per two weeks or even a month is more than enough...!!!!!
This crazy place about local food even makes its own house burrata!! If you haven't tried it (OMG WHY NOT!), its this awesome creamy cheese that lets you spread it over whatever you want. I mean, I like the Italian original at Osteria better, but hey, this is probably as good as local gets!
Pastas are always good here too. It's more American Italian, but at least ingredients and flavors are awesome!
Drinks are always good!!! Anything with an egg white is DELICIOUS!!
I'm not sure I like the atmosphere after 10:30pm on Fridays and Saturdays.. It's more like a club. Very loud music and you have to stand around. Definitely not where I would go to chill out with friends and chat.. But hey, maybe that's your scene.
Always packed on weekends during dinner. so make a reservation! AND it's on open table too!
Also, look out for the daily specials! Mondays you get burger specials with beer, Tuesdays date night... And other special events ;)
I am such fan of this place!
I've only been there two times so far but both times the food have been excellent!
I ordered the steak and the mussels, the mussels are to die for! (personally think its better then sardines and eno vino!) the sauce is literally to die for~!
The second time I went, we had the garlic bread app (amazing!) and the sausage pasta there is really good :)
The ambience there is great for a date and there cocktails are made with brandy!!
Note: i went during dinnertimes and at winter so it might be different since they change their menus frequently!
I like the food and drinks here, but I can echo the sentiments posted here about slow service. Â In addition to that, I went here for my birthday celebration on a Saturday evening to dance and enjoy the music. Â The DJ actually said to me, and I quote: "I don't take requests. Â Go away." Â Seriously? Â I can appreciate that DJs don't always want to take requests when they're in a groove, but being rude is unacceptable. Â We took his advice and promptly took our business elsewhere.
However, after submitting my complaint via Facebook, the manager contacted me and apologized for all wrongdoing. Â I REALLY appreciate this kind of humility in an establishment, so I'll be going back (and I'll only approach the DJ stand if (s)he appears to be taking requests!)
I came here for dinner on a Saturday night with my parents. We were seated right away and served quickly. The wait staff was very nice and brought our orders quickly. They were out of a drink I wanted so the bartender came over and suggested similar drinks I might like. They have a very nice selection of custom cocktails that are all delicious. They even offered to make a custom drink for my mom because she couldn't quite decide what to get from the menu. The food was great and the desserts were rich and tasty! Definitely go here if you like treating yourself.
Review Source:I have eaten at Merchant twice now -- once during Restaurant Week and once a couple months later. For restaurant week, they basically offered their entire menu for $30 instead of the usual $25. They had bargain priced wine and we got a bottle of great wine for $24! My only complaint was that they could have definitely gotten away with making the portions smaller and staying at $25 because I was completely stuffed, even after letting my husband finish my entree, which was pretty much the best thing ever.
The burata is amazing, the buttermilk salad was good but under-seasoned, and my husband loved the mussels and the beet salad. He also liked the steak and the classic burger But we both agree that the best thing on the menu is the rigatoni with peekytoe crab, which I've gotten both times we've gone. I am not a pasta person, but the rigatoni itself is so perfectly made and cooked, and the crab + sauce are to die for. This dish is the most expensive on the menu, but it is worth every penny. I also highly recommend the Sea Salt Caramel Gelato.
Merchant is a really special place. Very hip, and the food is absolutely fantastic, the staff is friendly, and the drinks are delicious.
The menu changes frequently, but if offered, I highly recommend the peekytoe crab rigatoni, the roasted beets appetizer, and the buratta.
My only complaint is that the management is a little lacking. One time, they lost our reservation, and another time, had to stand and wait for the host at the door for a few minutes. But both times, they made it right and were very apologetic.
A loud and chaotic space, artful food, good portions, and decent prices.
The fried potatoes with aioli was decedent, greasy, crunchy, and outstanding. The "Merchant" house burger was enormous and a little bizarre. I can't say that I loved it like a good old bacon cheeseburger, but the combo of a fried egg, fried brisket, and then a huge burger made of brisket and sirloin was meaty to the max, almost to overkill, but still intriguing. Major points for creativity.
I opted for the cauliflower and caraway soup on the side, which was creative, thick, fresh, and a pretty large for a cup serving. It would have served better as an amuse. The first 4-5 spoons were fascinating, with three distinct and shifting flavors on the palette, but 25 spoons into it the heaviness of the cream and strength of anise became burdensome.
Pasta with crab and cheese was a nice serving of crab though a little heavy-handed with an unctuous cheese overtone. The noodles were perfectly al dente, and the size of the dish was excellent. I'd order it again.
Major kudos for kicking Scott Walker out of the restaurant to national press attention in 2011.
Recommended.
Business owners always ask me the secret to 5 star success and frankly, it's hard to sum up in words. How do you explain to someone, "Be really great at what you do... like better than everyone else." Lucky for me, I can use Merchant as an example.
Here's a great story about a place that knew it needed to make some changes, listened to feedback and implemented what people were saying and made smart decisions to the menu that keep me coming back.
I went tonight with someone who said, "Merchant... really? I was there a year ago and it was sort of a mess, but if you vouch for it, I'll try it." He loved his rigatoni, I loved the hangar steak (cooked perfectly this time around) and we were both uber pleased with our server Lauren who made incredibly strong drink recommendations. It was awesome to hear her passionately describe two of her favorites, and we decided to get 'em both. The Fire & Wine includes a fun table side presentation that I won't spoil, but suffice it to say if you enjoy warm winter drinks, you need to get this. Â Lauren was also super willing to ask the kitchen if they'd swap in the patatas bravas with my steak instead of the mustard mashed taters which are a little too creamy for me. They did, and let me tell ya... this needs to be a thing. Medium steak seasoned perfectly atop crispy potatoes with a zippy little aioli... it's like a Spanish version of steak frites. Super good. And I really appreciated that they were willing to make the switch.
So, in conclusion, when people ask me how to rock that 5-star review, I'll simply link to this one. And I'll happily return to Merchant with people that were once turned off by it as long as they continue to grow, evolve and kill it! (Which they totally are.)
I really like Merchant! I've always had excellent service, especially when sitting at the bar and everything new I've tried there has been between good and really, really great. Try the mother's ruin, its my fave.
Be sure to check out their specials when you're in, they've got a lot of good deals going on for cheap yet classy nights out almost every night of the week and they host cozy music performance quite regularly.
If Merchants were in Los Angeles, I'd probably eat here every single day... I mean, nothing gets better than good, solid, affordable food made by locally farmed produce! Not to mention, the portion sizes are HUGE and the food came out so quickly!
For starters, our group got the cheese curds (DUH! We're in Wisconsin for CHEEEEESE obviously) and these were amazing!!! In addition, we got the maple syrup garlic bread brick toast (also including CHEEEESE), which was such an amazing mix of sweet and savory, all baked together on a fluffy tall brick toast. Per the waitress' recommendation, we also ordered the crispy pork belly pizza, topped with arugula and CHEESE! Ahh nothing gets better than some good ol pork belly! All I wanted to do was to get that pork belly in my own bellllaaaay.
Anyways, before I get too excited... I have to mention the entrees. I got the foie gras burger with onions and bleu cheese and had a side of some sort of squash soup as well. This is where the restaurant faltered a little bit. The burger was humongous- a double patty, foie gras + sirloin burger.... bigger than my face!!! The meat patties, themselves, were nice and juicy. However, the onions tasted too much like red wine and together with the excessive amount of bleu CHEEESE (do you see a trend here?) added, I kinda lost the taste of the foie + meat. :( In addition, i wasn't too fond of the soup here... but that's just because I'm not a squash/pumpkin type of girl (one too many pumpkin pie eating contests in 6th grade lead to a fear of all squashes)
But, not to worry, the other entrees (I hear) were truly amazing. Almost everyone else got the Chicken Under a Brick, which was a hugeeeee slab of chicken with spinach on the bottom, in a cream sauce.
Even though I was almost unbearably full, the host of the dinner party insisted on getting dessert. I chose the cherry cobbler with ice cream and MY GOD, this was heavenly. The cobbler was too sweet by itself, but together with the ice cream, they played the perfect pas de deux in my mouth. So good. Apparently the other desserts that my group tried were quite lovely as well (dark chocolate mousse)... but I didn't get to try any so I'm just going to continue raving about my cobbler. DID I SAY HOW GOOD IT WAS???
Anyways, Merchants was a fantastic place for someone who had never been to Wisconsin before (AKA MEEEEEE!). It was so cool to read where each ingredient came from and have this true farm to table experience. The prices were so reasonable (I guess I'm just used to the obnoxious prices of LA restaurants) and the service was so friendly (maybe its just a Midwest thing)...
To conclude, I LOVE MERCHANTS despite their few flaws... and I would definitely go back and eat there on a heartbeat!
4.5 stars!
I stopped at  Merchant one Saturday after hitting the farmer's market. I was feeling frisky, so I ordered a bloody mary along with a salad and oatmeal.
The bloody mary was FANTASTIC--the magical stuff they put on the rim had me licking my lips the rest of the day.
The salad was just right--nice, shaved fall veggies and a light buttermilk ranch dressing.
Even the oatmeal was good. Granted, it's hard to mess up oatmeal--but it was served with large portions of brown sugar, cream, and sliced apple.
Scrumptious. And the atmosphere was lovely. I've heard dinner is fantastic, so I'll have to try that out! I've got my eye on the wild salmon! Yum!
I had a decent time at Merchant, but I was pretty underwhelmed by the menu. Maybe I'm not cultured enough to appreciate it fully, but I had a pretty hard time figuring out what to get.
However, as far as ambience and decor are concerned, this place is the bee's knees.
I went with the Merchant Burger. I thought it was a little small for the price, and overcooked.
All things said and done, 3/5 seems appropriate.
We stopped here for dinner while visiting our daughter. She has been here before and said the drinks are what they are known for. Mmmmm-mmmm... after having their sidecar, I agree. It was so good. Daughter had another drink with gin and oj. it was very good too. Hubby was driving... so we will have to comeback when we stay overnight so he can try their Manhattan!
We had some potato appetizer. The spices were good and it had crispy parts that were the best!
I had a Merchant burger. I ordered it medium well and it was a bit dry. Hubby had a burger and said it was so-so. Daughter had a salad, and we both had a soup that our waitress said was fantastic. Daughter and I felt it was "meh".
I'd definitely go back for drinks and appetizers!
Octopus Salad was way too spicy: I couldn't even taste any component of it other than the jalapenos. My girlfriend didn't even want to finish her pasta and the food here did not really meet my expectations. To be fair, they were pretty high, but not unreasonable given the atmosphere and pricing.
Burger was great though, cooked to the exact consistency I asked and served on artisan bread with a magical secret sauce. Memorably juicy meat served on the perfect loaf.
I alsalo had the first truly great whiskey I've ever had here. It was so powerful that you had to drink it a drop at a time, savoring the wonderful warm burn and scent it left on your tongue. Â The craft beer selection was also decent.
So, as strange as it seems given Merchant's outward appearance as a haute-cuisine upper-class establishment, I can only recommend coming here for a drink and a burger.
Great classic cocktails and decent food. Â I have been here a handful of times, mostly to drink and have got food the last couple of times. Â It was pretty greasy and thought it was just okay but nothing spectacular, which is what I expected. Â
If you are around the capital and looking for a great cocktail loungue where you can buy the booze and ingridents used, this is the place for you. Â
Great atmopshere and by their cocktail making, I thought the food would be much better. Â Still a great place to go for drinks but if you are going just to eat might want to pass.
A good Caipirinha in Madison Wisconsin?! That's exactly the type of reaction you should have at Merchant - one of the best cocktail bars I've ever been to. In the WORLD. It's mostly because the cocktails are inventive, tasty, done right and also super reasonable. The quality of drinks here would be $15 - $20 in NYC, London or Toronto, but instead they are a nice $9 or $6 during HH.
I came on the recommendation of a friend who raves about the bar. She was spot on. The bartenders know what they're doing and can make you anything you want. The cocktail list is exhaustive, so here are some of my recommendations:
- Para Todo Bien - who knew Reposado and maple syrup were a duo?
- Reconstructed Cup - a Pimm's Cup without all that British dry bitterness
- Yerbatero - Caipirinha with Yerba Mate syrup takes your taste buds for a ride
- Bartender's Choice - whatever they feel like making you, or what you want. It turns out I told them that I love St. Germain and Aperol, which ended up being the Champagne Cola on the menu
I'd recommend checking their Facebook/Twitter for specials. We happened to miss the $3 punch on Mondays. The punches were pretty epic and bubbly, exactly what I love!
I give it 4 stars because the food was so-so, unfortunately. Burger, salad, mussels, tartare, uneventful. The cheese curds were better than average, and massive. Like big pillowly hockey pucks of cheese. My advice? Eat at home, and come here to get your Don Draper drink on!
I didn't eat anything here but we stopped in on a bike tour through Madison and each tried a cocktail. Â The cocktail list here is quite lengthy and I really had a hard time deciding which one to get (especially since we made the rule that you couldn't get the same thing as anyone else). Â I ended up with the Hi-ball Punch and was very pleased with my choice. Â It was my favorite out of the 3 drinks that I tried. Â The other two drinks tried were the Reconstructed Cup and The A Train. Â All 3 of the drinks were very strong. Â
We really didn't have any problems with the service. Â The waitress was great in helping us narrow down our drink choices and then even gave us some information on some of the other stops we planned on making on our tour. Â
This place isn't huge but I hear that it gets pretty packed on the weekends. Â It seemed like a fun place that I'd probably frequent if I lived in Madison but for now, I'll just have to remember to visit when I'm in town.
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