Merle's is quickly becoming one of our go-to places in downtown Littleton. Â We have taken out-of-town guests there, as well as Denver-ites that we want to impress with the coolness of our suburb.
The last time we went to Merle's, I brought my mom and sister who were visiting from California. Â We started out with fried pickles, which are a little cliche since I'm preggo, but I ignored the stigma and indulged anyways. Â They were not as greasy as normal and the portion was so huge that three of us barely made a dent in them. Â My mom and I both ordered a steak bistro salad. Â It was loaded with little surprises like roasted garlic and fried onions. Â My husband ordered a pork chop, and when it came out, it was so huge that the middle didn't get cooked all the way. Â Completely understandable for such a huge piece of meat, and the way the server and management handled it made up for the little delay in his meal (he's a fast eater anyway).
I'm excited for this summer when I can sit on the rooftop and enjoy a cold drink.
Shit happens. (still great food and drinks)
Sadly, it happened consecutively this evening. All has to do with service. All people involved were very nice, however messed up wait time (~1h15m when it should have been 15m - they forgot about our group of 3) and forgot food. Shit happens, but the main point was missed by staff: that we ordered dinner and it didn't come for one of us at the table (even after pointing it out to both waitress and manager it was still never served). Â It was very disappointing, but the food was still fantastic, the bill was adjusted appropriately and Qdoba filled the empty stomach of our poor dinner-denied friend.
I have come here many times before and will still come here.
Merle's has great vegetarian burgers. Â I highly recommend the yam chips and guac as an appetizer. Â My only qualm is the last time I dined at Merle's I noticed my go-to burger option, the Blue Louise (sp?), had been taken off the menu. Â When I told the waiter I wanted a build your own veggie burger he came out with the veggie burger from the menu that had some sort of dill sauce on it. Â Be careful when you order and make sure you communicate that you want to do a build your own not the burger on the menu.
Great atmosphere, the garage doors are perfect for enjoying a nice summer day in Littleton. Â Parking can be a little tricky but not impossible.
Wait staff, Sara Myles terrific, pleasant, accommodating.
The front receptionists were eager to please, saved a booth as one of us has a significant disability.
All in all a very friendly place, The sandwiches were excellent, the slaw and kettle chips not run of the mill but very tasty.
Love the art work!
Love the wings! Â One of the best in Denver...super meaty, especially the drumette. Â The sauce variety is great, the hot could be hotter:)
The salads are creative and delicious, love those too when being good on my diet. Â
As an over 50 person, I would love it if there were no kids allowed in the bar area. Â Been there, done that. Â So when my husband and I want a relaxing night out, we do go elsewhere, but no place greater for a meal after golf! Â
Prices are very fair!!!! Â Keep up the good work!
The food here is mediocre, but the location is perfect and the building is great. I like to take out-of town guests here in the summer and sit on the outdoor patio - you get a great view of downtown Littleton and the mountains.
As others have mentioned, this used to be a garage, so there's great artwork all around to fit that theme. The menu is big enough for everyone to find something they like, but the food is just okay. Parking can be tricky on Main itself, so look on one of the side streets.
The food is good love the fried pickles. However the prices are way to high for what you get they have too many tables packed into the small space so you have no room or privacy and parking is nearly impossible to find. We live close by but rarely go here becuase it's too much of a hassle and when the bill comes it's always a big dissapointment...
Review Source:Cute restaurant - great indoor/outdoor atmosphere, very reasonable prices, delicious food. Â I've been going to Merle's since they opened and they have improved greatly over the years - expanding their menu and fine-tuning their service and delivery. Â If they hadn't taken their portobello mushroom burger off the menu, I would have given them six stars. Â Bring it back!
Review Source:I love going here for lunch, partially because there's a nice variety to the menu. The service has been consistently good and friendly and I usually have a hard time making up my mind what to order. I especially like the Pulled Pork sandwich and the Fish and Chips. Never have a problem seeing a TV from wherever I'm sitting.
Review Source:Service was great. Food on the other hand was mediocre at best. We had some apps that were had 0 flavor and just plain blah. Ahi Tuna for one was not very good and the lettuce wraps were terrible. No flavor what so ever. I have been here before and had food, to my memory it was not this bad. Maybe a bad day? Not sure. I may go back to give it a try again but will stay away from the Asian Apps. I'll stick with the American food on the menu. Maybe thats where I made the mistake?
Review Source:They gave us a beeper, and then gave everyone else priority.
This place needs a manager that can figure out the reception of guests.
And then you order and you could care less.
Excellent food. Home made chips are great. Truffle fries are even better.
Really loud inside.
Did I say the food was excellent.
Then the wait staff was really nice and the food was great.
All in all, we will be back.
Worth the wait.
My boyfriend and I have been here, I think, 3 times. Each time we had a great experience. The food, the service, the atmosphere, everything has been fantastic. The lower floor "outdoor" seating is always our favorite. By the way, they have several different house infused vodka flavors. Keep up the good work Merle's!
Review Source:Nice little restaurant, in quaint downtown Littleton.
Prices - decent, average
Menu - good, broad, something for everyone.
Appetizers - wings, fries, chips and salsa, chicken quesadilla, and a few others
Soups and Salads
Burgers, Sandwiches, and Entrees - fish and chips, black and bleu sirloin, mongolian beef,
Desserts - mud pie, cobblers, ice cream sundae, shakes, and others
Breakfast - omelets, eggs, pancakes, and others
Parking - street
Service - not very quick, but the staff is very friendly
Interior - light woods, black accents, comfortable. There are three "garage type" doors that can open when the weather is good. This restaurant use to be a gas station, and it has been successfully converted to a nice restaurant.
Patio seating - yes
All in all, a good restaurant, good prices, and a nice place to go.
We recently went here after seeing a show at Town Hall - it's close to the theater, has a pretty extensive menu, and is moderately priced.
I think this is a place that, when you visit, you just need to go all out and order something unhealthy. I got a grilled chicken sandwich, and it was so bland I ended up taking the chicken off and just eating the bread and artichokes. However, their fried foods and BBQ looked amazing, and the others in my group who ordered that kind of dish seemed very happy.
Most of the other reviews here sum this place up quite well. The rooftop patio is fantastic in the summer (no TVs, but thanks to Lodo's huge projector across the street you can still watch a game), and the serving staff are easy to get along with and quite friendly.
I haven't eaten a bad meal here, the burgers will haunt your dreams, and the clam chowder here is the best I've ever had in CO, it almost rivals some of the chowder I've had back east.....almost.
Great atmosphere and top-quality when you look at the money you're spending (not much)..
Here is what I love about Merles: Â Great gluten-free burgers!
I get my cravings and I can get them soothed at Merles so I don't cheat.
Their steak salad, and chicken pannini are great also.
And in the evenings I can take the family because their kids menu rocks.
Keep up the good work!
Holy Guacamole!! But seriously, their yam chips and guacamole appetizer is the reason I come back here. Â
I come here often with coworkers and their food always looks great, pretty traditional American fare. Â I really like their spinach salad with toasted macadamia nuts and mandarin oranges. Â Littleton is a cute city and this restaurant is on the cutest street! Great patio! Â Very fun lunch spot and they are quick enough for the work week.
Merle's has been there for three years and I just found it.  Really a great place to go.  Very nice decor, great employees.  The food was pretty good, great variety.  The Ruben sandwich was fantastic.  Most of them I get are soggy from sitting on the plate but this sandwich  was really good. Â
This restaurant is really unlike most. Â Not expensive. Â One of those places that you walk away from thinking about the next time you will go...
Our waitress, Rudy was awesome. Â Friendly, knowledgeable, attentive.
You won't be disappointed...
Located in the heart of cozy downtown Littleton. Loved the open air patio with the roll-up garage doors.
The service first - The first waiter we got when arrived was less than stellar on all levels. Â I'm not sure if he just had a bad sense of humor or was just an ass. Â My friend asked what wine would you suggest - his response was I don't like any of the wines here so I can't really suggest any and oh yeah all the wines we have are on our list. Â Less than helpful. Â Then when asked about the flavors of margaritas - we don't really have any flavors you'll have to go some place else for that. Â Then.....from reviews we asked about the Fried pickles and he says - in a very snotty manner - You might like them if you eat fried foods but I don't so I wouldn't know, however they are very popular.
The best part was when he told us that he doesn't usually work on Saturdays and that at 5 PM he would be turning us over to someone else.
The service went up from there. Â I was fortunate to be having dinner with people that liked to share so we were able to try different things.
Mark's Burger with bison - very solid burger. Â It was a tad pricey at $12 but it had a fresh fruit option which was a good option instead of fries.
Fish Tacos - I ordered these based on other reviews and found them to be flavorless - they needed some spice and the fish just a tad on the dry side.
Penne pasta - nice with the basil pesto and strangely worked with the feta cheese.
Mongolian Beef - This was tender and the flavor was spot on.
the table did end of getting the fried pickles and chips and salsa. Â These were okay.
Went for family Sunday dinner. It wasn't packed and the weather was amazing. It was great to sit with the doors open and the breeze coming in. Though we were a little upset no one asked if we wanted rooftop seating.
The food was pretty good. I was thinking it was going to be only a notch above applesbees but it was a lot better than that. I had a burger and I could tell it was fresh ground. It had a nice rich taste without tasting like blood and freezer like most places. Everyone enjoyed there food and our server was very on top of things. Drinks were never empty, ever whim was taken care of, and they were even friendly and helpful with telling us what on the menu was good.
Overall a good time. I would have been a little bit happier if the hostess asked us if we would like to sit near a window on such a nice day. But maybe next time.
I will keep this short because who needs a book to read right now?
Merle's has good food. Nix that: They have GREAT food. And that is the sole reason they get two stars and not one.
The problem lies here: I go here only when my folks score theatre tickets for a show across the street. HOWEVER, these nights, Merle's finds itself busier than Planned Parenthood after NYE. Knowing this, I called ahead 45 mins to put our name on the wait list as they don't take reservations which in itself is just ridiculous. We show up a half hour later, 15 minutes before our 45 min mark and they inform us that it will be another hour before we get a table, when I was told on the phone that if we show up in 30 - 45 minutes, our table would be ready. Boo, Merle. You name has been forsaken.
Okay so this is what I have positive to say about this lil Littleton place: Go. Go there when there is NOT a show at the local playhouse. Go for lunch. Go mid-afternoon. Go late night. Any OTHER time is grand. During showtime, or an hour prior, this place is a hellhole of teenagers trying to manage mad moms and disgruntled dads.
Take reservations, Merle's. Why is it so hard?
I like the Merle's. I've been a few times now, and have had a pretty consistently delicious experience.
Last night I had a burger with anaheim green chili, bacon, and pepperjack cheese. Tasty burger, all around! The fries are what really kick it up a notch though..the burger is a pretty standard-good burger, but the hand-cut not-too-crispy, not-to-soft fries are excellent.
Excellent work! The service is generally nice and friendly too, which always helps. This place does suffer from the oft-seen "which one of you is actually the hostess--why are there 6 of you standing around?" phenomena...but that's really the only downside I've witnessed. Great rooftop deck, yum food, decent selection of beers on draft. Go here!
A friend was staying out in Littleton and wanted bbq. I had heard good things about Merle's so I said lets give it a shot. It did not disappoint. Highlights:
~ In Old Littleton, which I love. Cool space also. Garage doors that open in the summer making a nice open air patio.
~ Our group had the crab cake app, good lump crab. The burger and fries were top notch. Brisket and 1/2 rack of ribs. Everything was excellent that we had. The fries were great, give them a go.
~ Reasonable prices.
The only negative was the tap beers were lacking for local decent micros.
We've tried Merle's twice now and we're done.
Our first try was a busy Friday night about 2 months ago. The wait was not bad, the food was good but the service missed the mark BIG time. Ok, one strike, busy night - we gave them a pass.
Our next try was tonight. We were eating late so we chose to have dinner at the bar. Usually the choice to eat late and at the bar means stellar service because they're right in front of you and they are not busy. Didn't happen. The food came in a timely manner and was good. After that we were invisible. We needed to wave them down for refills of beverages, more water, another beer, utensils, napkins, condiments and amazingly enough - a tab to pay.
Merle's is a great place to dine out!
I highly recommend taking advantage of their 30 minute call ahead policy on Friday & Saturday night's, which we did and still had to wait 15 extra minutes.
We requested the upstairs outdoor patio, it has great views. This restaurant has a lot of seating and you can sit in the lounge while you wait on your table.
Once at our table I was so happy at the corner selection we were given, because you could see the what's going on below in town. We first began with an appetizer, it had fried pickles, hot wings, and nachos topped with extras. It look as good as it TASTES! The fried pickles had the best flavor I've tasted, and their hot wings flavor and nachos were a pleasure too.
What a great night out from the terrific service from the staff, even the manager asking me by name: "How is everything tonight Mr. Soltesz!"
So if you don't mind waiting on a table, (be patient) it's worth it!
After enjoying a great meal, take a stroll through the quaint shops downtown.
This review is mostly being written because the people at Merle's were really really nice to my family today at lunch and I really really appreciated their help. We were out, enjoying this warm March day, walking around downtown Littleton -- with our new pug puppy. We got hungry and thought we'd try to find a place with a table outside. Again, the weather was great, not too cold for eating outdoors.
Of course, there were none. We walked into Merle's knowing the food is good already but thinking we would get grub some to-go. Instead, when I mentioned our dog, the nice lady who greeted me offered a solution. They opened one of the side garage doors they have and we tied him off next to our table. That turned out to be great but then she even offered a dog bowl so our pug could get some water.
We ate burgers and the monte cristo sandwich and some corn dogs & fruit (kids) and enjoyed it all. The service was the real high point this time though. I'm not sure they want to be known as a dog friendly place, so don't go bringing a whole pack of pooches with you (without calling first maybe?) but today at least, Â they totally made my day!
:)
First of all, when did downtown Littleton become cool? Â This place has some definite plusses and minuses
On the plus side
- Great location, rooftop and patio dining
- Good beer selection
- Good french fries and fried pickles
On the minus side
- Parking can be a pain in the rear
- Portions were obnoxiously large, and not that great. Â Come on, guys, quality over quantity!
This is a place I'd go in a heartbeat for an afternoon beer and appetizer during the summer, but that's about it.
My girl and I decided to head to Merle's last  Friday night.  And for the price on the menu we were really expecting a fullfilling experience.  Our hopes were short lived.
Apps: Â The seasame crusted seared ahi tuna was good (how hard is that to screw up though?), the fried pickles however were not battered enough and slightly undercooked (for the best fried pickles ever go to Caldonias in Aurora).
Entree: Â We decided to try the BBQ Combo Platter. Â The best item on the plate was the pulled pork. Â Next came the beef brisket (so-so) and last were the ribs. Â The ribs were WAY too spicy and the flavor was more like tasting what i think were chili powder and cumin. Â A true fail on the ribs.
Sides: Â The jalapeno cornbread was yummy, the coleslaw was average but the collard greens...omg. Â Hands down the WORST greens I have had in my life, I'd rather have eaten canned greens. Â There was SOOOO much cayenne pepper in the greens that it really ruined most of my dining experience afterwards. Â I mentioned the heat of the greens to the waitress who was argumentive and defensive stating "Well, our chef is from the south and I'm sure he would beg to differ".
All in all, a $60 dinner for 2 at Merle's was not what we were expecting. Â We will not be eating there again.
I'm still trying to decide if people go to Merle's for the decor, the people, or the food. Maybe it's the mix? Was there last night with a big group, and while I found the food to be okay, I was more mesmerized with people-watching and the building itself (which was originally a gas station, then a garage, and now boasts all kinds of vintage-y signs. I particularly liked the giant fender with working lights above my table.)
High points:
-- Their fried pickle chips, while super salty, are coated in corn meal (as well as the fried green tomatoes), so this gives it an extra texture.
-- You can get anything on the menu to-go.
-- From what I can tell, all the meals come in huge portions. I ordered a caprese salad, and there were enough greens for about 3 meals! I think half of our party left with to-go boxes.
-- I'm a fan of the build-a-burger concept. My sister had one last night, and said it was delicious.
-- Their green chile cornbread is a treat. It's like dessert. In fact, it was my dessert.
Actually, I don't have any low points. I think I like this restaurant just fine.
Yay! I'm a fan...or that's what four stars means.
Driven by Merle's several times and the place always looks lively so when the in-law's suggested it this past weekend we jumped right in.
For being in downtown Littleton parking was a concern, but upon arriving, street parking was available and a lot behind the restaurant was available as well.
This place is very cool. Converted from an old gas station and then garage to a dining establishment, the automotive theme from eras past is still in tact. The garage door openings to Littleton Blvd. are a nice touch and plenty of sun on the rooftop patio if that is your preference.
The food...awesome. The Carolina BBQ Pork sandwich with fresh cut fries and slaw is top notch. Fried pickle chips! Others in our party ordered the cheese steak with peppers and onions, the chicken salad with avocado and the chicken nachos. All of us were very happy with the items ordered and the service was excellent and available when needed.
I've seen a few reviews commenting on the prices, but for downtown Littleton they were right on from my perspective. With restaurants such as Opal across the street, appetizers from $5 - $12, burgers and sandwiches from $9 - $12 and entrees from $10 - $22 this is a bargain and somewhere we'll be visiting again soon.
Thanks Merle's!
Independent restaurant, yet it feels like a chain. Strangely enough, it sorta tastes like it's a chain.
It's brand-spakin' new so everything is purtty and clean.
Personally, I'd prefer to trade a little of that mom and pop diner dinge if it meant I could have some of the mom and pop diner taste.
Slightly higher prices than you might expect for a bar, albeit a somewhat nicer bar in downtown Littleton. Prices range from $10ish to $24ish, and they offer a pretty predictable range of steak, bbq, seafood, salads, wraps and burgers. The cocktail menu looked interesting though. Cute decor - lots of exposed bricks and mortar, and vintage automobile-themed prints and knick knacks due to the building's origins as a garage and repair shop in the '30s.
They have five "signature" burgers or you can build your own. I decided on the Mountain burger (mushrooms, bacon, Swiss. $10) medium-well. He chose Hawaiian Opah, which was the fish special of the day ($16). The food was brought out fast, and I was pleased to see they serve fresh handcut fries. His fish was cooked absolutely perfectly too. Things took a turn for the worse when I bit into the burger, and bloody juices cascaded down my chin. Medium-well this most definitely was not. Ewww... The server was extremely apologetic, but by the time she brought me a replacement (which was delicious), he'd already finished his meal. Pretty much ruined the whole thing. And when we got the check, nothing had been comp'd or discounted, and there'd been no offer of, say, a free dessert or whatever.
I want to like Merle's but the srsly undercooked burger really put me off. I might go back when the weather gets warmer, and they open up the roof top patio. I'd also like to try their fish and chips.
Merle's is close to my house and I've been waiting for it to open for quite awhile. Â It's owned by the Cafe Terracotta folks, which is a quaint and successful spot just around the corner, so expectations were high. Â I really, really wanted to like this place. Â Really.
Alas, it was just average. Â Since it's only been open a couple of weeks, I'm hoping it's just a matter of getting all the kinks out. Â They were out of several items, which was frustrating since those were the items we wanted to order. Â We had a large group, so I was able to get a feel for quite a few different dishes. Â Burgers were overcooked. Â Ordered medium and medium-well and both came out well and dry. Â Pulled pork sandwich was dry. Â Ahi tuna was ordered rare and came out medium-well. Â They weren't busy, so it's not like their cook was overwhelmed. Â Fries were excellent but portion was small. Â We're talking potatoes, not scallops, so why skimp?
Nice selection of draft beer. I had a Deschutes Mirror Pond Ale, which was wonderful. Â We split a few of their cakes for dessert, which were tasty but rather thin-sliced for the price. Â
Like I said, I hope they get the kinks out because I plan to go again and write another review in a month or so. Â Maybe they'll read this review and pay more attention to their grill times and portion sizes. Â
One last thing: Â they've designed this place like a garage, and in the summer they'll open the garage doors on nice days, which will really make this place fun on a Saturday afternoon, if for nothing else than a beer if the food is still overcooked.
I am from Littleton and have been visiting downtown Littleton since the days of the Lamp Lighter pool hall. This area has always been a sleepy little section, full of nick knack shops and just unfun stuff. I had the pleasure of attending the tree lighting and Santa parade and found several very enticing restaurant facades, Merle's being one of them. This use to be an auto repair shop that use to be called Merle's.
The atmosphere is awesome. People are dressed casually and generally nice. Very unpretentious and maybe a bit older than downtown but you can tell these folks are still the cool crowd just a bit older. They have three flat screens in the bar dining area which was perfect. We had OU/OSU, USC/ND, and Nuggets/Twolves spaced above our party of seven. This reminds me of rock bottom brewery only not chain and a cool proprietary vibe.
The service was generally quick and good. My mother likes to order a lime after water comes and she brought a plate of them out. Attention to detail is nice and appreciated. The wifey and I ordered the fried pickle appetizer which was so so yummy. WE then got the brisket with slaw, cornbread, and fries. My wife is a brisket snob so she felt it could have been better. I agree but the rest of the plate was way yummy. I think since the restaurant has been open for only a week its too early to mark them as only above average. I bet this place will get improve. We also got desserts. I ordered the black forest tort cake which was average. The wife got a berry pie a la mode which was divine.
I think the dining experience was overall pretty good. I liked the atmosphere, the people, the service, and the location. Downtown Littleton is getting cool. It has all the historic architecture to become something amazing and I think Merle's is at the beginning of that. A great place for south Denver to relax and enjoy dinner with friends and family.
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