I've hesitated to review this place, because I wasn't sure how to rate it. So lets just list out the pros and cons on this one:
Pros:
Awesome (comfortable) booths, free wifi, Belhaven Ale, some of the best fish and chips this side of the ocean, if you get in a loud Stargate vs Doctor Who argument the bartender will join in, and I love the music corner, even though I don't understand it all. Last night there were people there singing while holding/banging sticks. Most nights it's people with guitars and harmonicas and stuff.
Cons:
Service is slow. Like really, really slow. It's not uncommon to wait 5-10 minutes just to order my beer and another 10 minutes to get it. We've waited 40 minutes just to see our server anywhere in the bar so we can get our check, took another 10-15 to actually process the payment once we finally found our sever. So order refills when you still have about half your beer left, and know in advance when it'll be your last one so you can get your tab with your last beer. Also, can't play darts on the weekend nights, despite the existence of a dart board, because they use that space for seating. Even if no one is sitting there and there's plenty of other open space to sit. If its Friday or Saturday night, no darts.
Overall I do like place, hence the slow conclusion to give it 4 stars, despite the extremely slow service.
Authentic pub here, with the food and drink to prove it. Â Try a dessert if you have a sweet tooth. Â One of the servers makes them- and they are delicious and authentic! Â The prices are in line with other establishments, and we've only had substandard service once. Â My father, husband and I went here once. Â They decided to card my husband (who looks his years, btw) and refused to serve him when he didn't have photo identification. Â (At the time we were more regularly here, and I recognized several of the staff, and they us.)
The server snidely pointed at their sign reading "We Card Everyone- Regardless of Age" Â or something to that direct meaning, then read the sign to us. Â Well- no one at the bar at that moment had been carded, and they chimed in to tell us so. Â That apparently pissed off the barkeep, and my husband was refused alcohol service. Â I get it, I do. Â Having run a bar, having dealt with licensing, etc, I have some experience in this. Â The trick here would to have been more apologetic, and to actually have carded everyone, if you're going to read it aloud to your paying customers as if they are children to be scolded. Â It is unnecessary to humiliate polite, and well behaved customers.
Four stars for authentic food, drink and decent parking options. Â Minus one star for the carding debacle.
The fact that I have never been here is just wrong. I want to correct that. I was here for their first ever readings of Noir at the Bar. It was very successful. It was also funny that another event of female Morris dancers was going on outside simultaneously. I had an absolutely delicious cottage pie. I sampled the highland steak pie. It's soaked in some kind of very strong booze. The service was great. The bathroom is funny in an almost tag team type way. I love the menu and even want to try the vegetarian items too. They even have the loud broad at the bar, that reminded me a little of the Dirty Harry film Sudden Impact. Definitely a local pub vibe. Will definitely make up for lost time.
Review Source:The only saving grace was Trivia Night! The Quiz Master is worth the visit, but I have a hard time saying I'll be back.
The food was genuinely British terrible. We had the fish n'chips, the Speyside Pie, and the Ploughmans Plate. The chips with the fish tasted like frozen, hardly-fried starch lumps with no flavor.
The Pie was almost inedible. I don't who would consider stale frozen pastry puff any sort of crust, but I almost sent it back... and I hate being that person... But even the filling tasted like it was from a can. Flavorless, bland gravy. The mash was cold. They bought our first round of drinks because of it, which was nice.
The Ploughman's Plate was nothing special. They forgot the cheese on the first try, which was the only reason we ordered it. But it was ok, especially if you're looking for veggies.
I know it was Trivia Night and it was really busy, but if the kitchen isn't built to handle a full restaurant, don't put so many seats! Everything we ordered, including drinks, took at least 15 minutes (try more like 30 for the Ploughman's) to get to our table.
Our waitress was really nice, and she bought us a dessert, the English pudding or something and it was actually really good! And my Pimm's Cup was lip smacking. The atmosphere was really relaxed and welcoming, and Trivia Night was fun, but with the wait time on EVERYTHING and the lack-luster food, I probably will be headed to Anchor Fish n'Chips or Ward 6 St Paul next time I want play ex-pat.
I've only been here once, but I'm already a superfan. Â
First, absolutely love the decor! Â The wood counter and booths, the detailing...everything. Â It doesn't have any sort of cheesy pub feel, nor does it feel super yeah-college douchebag-ish. Â It feels authentic, warm, and welcoming. Â The scotch menu is HUGE and very impressive. Â I've heard the meat pies and fish & chips are delicious. Â I could EASILY see myself hanging out there again in the future.
I also want to add that I think Merlin's prices are COMPLETELY fair, especially for non-rail liquor beverages. Â To anyone who pays less than $5 for a non-rail drink during non-happy hour times at a non-dive bar in Minneapolis, please give me the name of those bars...I've been kinda broke lately and could definitely use the discount. Â Â
And calling the area "sketchy"?? Â It's Longfellow/Cooper! Â If you want to call old hippies working on their gardens "sketchy", be my guest. Â Unless you're referring to the neighborhood's ethnic diversity...then that's your problem.
We are regulars at Merlins. While yes it can get really crowded, and they don't have any specials, you go to Merlins for the atmosphere and the amazing food as well as the extensive whiskey list and great pint options.
Recommend the  fish & chips, pie & a pint, all of the apps, burgers.
Go here for great British Isles food and a unique experience. Different events go on every night.
Also, for those with kids but want to go to a pub, Merlins is family friendly and under 21 are welcome.
I now will give 1 star - if you are wondering why the drastic change of heart, here is the exchange I had today with the manager:
Manager
Block & Report Owner
One hour ago
Lindsay - thank you for your review - it is always interesting hearing other peoples view of our pub. I am happy you had an enjoyable time - I do have a bit of a question though - Downtown prices?? The majority of our beers are import beers - we have tax included in all of prices - we serve most of our pints in 20 ounce verses 16 ounces glasses - are speciality drinks are made with premium alcohol...I am confused which downtown you were talking about - Northfield?? We strive to have fair prices everyday - AND we didn't put our prices up during St Patricks Day like most "fake" Irish Bars do - I just needed to ask?? But besides that THANK YOU!! We are so happy you stopped at Merlins and we hope to see you soon
Lindsay D.45 minutes ago
Tracie,
Do I sense a hint of sarcasm in your response? No, I meant downtown Minneapolis, glad I could clarify for you. I don't need a lesson in beer geography or container sizes. I live about 5 miles from downtown Minneapolis and frequent bars and restaurants all over. As you can see, I never mentioned beer in my review, I said DRINKS. To have a Jameson and ginger ale in a low ball for $5-6, if I recall correctly from a month ago, is exhorbitant. It doesn't matter if I am at a NE dive or the Local downtown, that is waaaaaay out of line.
Tracie M.
Manager
Block & Report Owner
21 minutes ago
Lindsay - yes you are right there was a bit of sarcasm I apologize. i have been to a few bars downtown and have never had a drink, Jameson or otherwise under 6 dollars without having to pay tax on top of that so I was being a bit cheeky. We have worked hard to have fair prices here at Merlins. This is why the price you see is the price you pay - we take care of the tax so to speak - a 6.00 dollar drink to you is actually only 5.40 because of the .60 tax. In saying all that - I do appreciate your comments - thank you for your patronage.
Lindsay D.A moment ago
Well, since we are in the spirit of educating each other...the Local charges $5.75 for a TALL...Kieran's charges $6.50 for a TALL. They even outline that it has 2 shots of whiskey. I believe the upcharge for Jameson over 2 Gingers is $1 at the Local, so $6.75. With tax you are talking about $7.50. So, again, if I am going to be in your neck of the woods, I would expect a short drink to be far less than a tall downtown. Tax, no tax, whatever. I am shocked that after I gave your establishment 4 stars (a rarity in my reviews) and complimented several aspects, you chose to focus on my one negative. I will not be returning to your establishment.
A classic neighborhood pub. Â Nice beer and whiskey list. Â The food is from the British isles as one might expect from an Irish pub, never the less the food is done well--even for vegetarians. Â It is very dark which can be great for a wintery afternoon-not as fun on a nice summer day but it fits the cozy mood of the place. Â Very friendly, smiling waitstaff and customers. Â Be warned you will get annoyed stares if you are not silent during pub trivia.
Review Source:I like Merlins because it has an authentic feel of the Isles, isn't a mini chain like the Cara pubs, and they have a lot of fun events throughout the week like singalongs, scotch tastings, etc. Â We went on St Patrick's Day, got a table, enjoyed a fantastic reuben, great selection of beer, and friendly service. Â We really felt like they tried to accomodate us with seating even though they were busy. Â
The only downside is that the bathroom is teeny and full of awkward moments. Â But we will be back. Â If you friend them on facebook, be prepared to have your timeline overwhelmed with their postings.
Not so secretly, I want to pretend, most of the time, that I am living in England or Ireland and I create that illusion by coming to Merlins.
I like Merlins because it seems like how I would imagine a legit English pub to be. It feels like community here.
The beer is decently priced, the fish and chips is delicious. Don't get the pastie, very bland.
They do have a happy hour and its very disappointing. Like 50 cents off disappointing. Oh well.
This place has a nice feel to it, fun weekly events, and that's why I come back to it.
Later on a Friday evening, the place was packed with people. Â A nice and friendly atmosphere. Â We found an opening to stand at the bar and order a beer and then wait for a table to open up. Â Yes, they card everyone - the sign posted on the wall right when you walk in says so.
We got a table at the very back of the front bar - where the back door and restrooms are. Â Not the best place to sit and have a meal. Â It's hard not to look whenever the door opens up... kind of awkward.
The Brit-style fish-n-chips were decent. Â However, their fish was not even close to the excellent fried fish I had in December at the Walker Art Center's restaurant. Â A while after eating the 3 pieces of fish and most of the chips, I felt like I had consumed a "gut bomb". Â A bit uncomfortable.
Later on, chatting with Bill Watkins, an Irish gent sporting a kilt, was amusing.
great little bar if you want to see some men in kilts.....you will-----the beer selection is above average with a lot of my favorites. Â They advertise that they have the best fish and chips. Â So we ordered---they are served on newspaper and the first batch we got were not done so they quickly took care of that and we waited and waited and finally we got a hot batch and yes they were done and they were good but not the best in the area by any means....they were a tad on the greasy side....I would try them again though because it just seemed they were having a bad night in the kitchen....laid back older crowd
Review Source:Listen. Â I eat a lot of Reubens. If I go to a restaurant that has a reuben, I am contractually obligated to try it. I have eaten a lot of reubens. The reuben I just ate was so completely uncontested as the best reuben I've ever eaten that I was compelled to get on Yelp and tell you about it, lest I start shouting over the fun live music to the rest of the bar patrons.
The bathroom is cramped but interesting, and the bar vibe and free wifi far outweigh a weird bathroom.
ALSO DID I MENTION THE REUBEN.
So I was looking forward to visiting Merlins primarily because of everything I'd heard about the "Bible" they give you to peruse the multitudes of Scotch, Irish, and other whiskies. The hype was dead on regarding the Bible. There were easily 200+ Scotches, each broken down by the area of Scotland from which they originate. I prefer peatier Scotches from Islay and the Islands and there were probably 30 or more just from those two areas. Very impressive.
We were not prepared for the massive sing-along that occurred on the side of the bar we were in so we quickly finished our food and made our way to the other side where it was quieter and we could finish our conversation.
I sampled several Scotches I've never had and enjoyed them immensely and would go back for more. The burgers we had were huge and excellent.
I love Merlin's Pub. The food is delicious and I love the selection of beers. My current favorite is the Belhaven. So smooth and yummy! I've visited for Wednesday and Sunday trivia nights. I get there early so I can make sure I have a booth by the time the game starts at 7:30. I'm excited to keep exploring their menu (I've had the veggie cottage pie and the fish and chips so far). Merlins is filled with friendly, kind staff that makes you feel at home.
Review Source:I met the old speckled hen here. It was so good I had two.
I found Merlin's to be a cozy spot located not far from the river on lake st. There was outdoor seating, but we chose to dine indoors.
We had a some scotch eggs. This is the first time I have had these cold. It says this is traditional on the menu. I guess I'm a bit of a rebel because I prefer them warm. They were good though. Served with a spicy mustard (caution).
My wife and I both had the Steak and Stilton. Its a puff pastry pie filled with ... steak and stilton cheese. The flavor is awesome, but the pie is a bit on the smallish side. The fries it comes with are nice. The gravy for dipping is delicious.
The service seemed a bit chaotic, but nothing was slow, the food was good, and I always had a beer to drink.
This place is worth a visit of for no other reason than the variety of british beer on tap.
I love scotch and Merlins has a huge scotch selection. Â The first time I went to Merlins it was because of the scotch and I was very surprised to find that they actually have a pretty good vegetarian selection. Â Their Chipotle Bean Burger is amazing and all of the times I have had it they even used butter lettuce which made it very good. Â
The atmosphere is mostly pleasant but a couple of times it was too loud to have a conversation with friends. Â Â
The trivia that they have is also fun, but the questions are usually pretty difficult but I enjoy it.
I recommend checking it out.
I will have to try the actual pub fare to give this another go around. Â I loved the ambiance with the decoration from the British Isles, but I must say that the service could have been better.
I ordered something very un-British, which could have been my first mistake. Â I ordered the Spicy Griller. Â Dont' get me wrong, I've had plenty of locally grown food from restaurants, but the veggies had a distinctive taste as if they've just been plucked from the earth from which they came.
Waiting for the food to come and the waitress not being very friendly makes me think if I do go back, to order from the bar. Â And to order regular grease-injected pub fare.
This place confuses me. What is it? It has Irish, Scottish, and English decor in a very old run down building. They have a long selection of scotches and craft beers but it has the feel of a dive bar with low class regulars more than a gastropub.
The bartender was great when I got there to watch the soccer game a little before my date. There were a few people in there and he was handling both waiting tables and the bar fairly well by himself. Eventually comes in a waitress an hour later that mans...whoops wo-mans the tables. I was really surprised there was no happy hour pricing on any of the beers or rail drinks but oh well.
Eventually my date came and we moved from the bar to a table. we got food which was really good, but took forever, and the service honestly was lousy.
The waitress doesn't like her job and her attitude shows it. She only came back once to refill waters, we basically had to flag her down to pay the check and the whole time she seemed to be in a bad mood or just generally bitchy.
I guess I gave it 3 stars because the food was worth the 35 min. wait, and the bartender was amazing, but the other service wasn't.
I don't know...they would have to do something special for me to come back.
My favorite bar in the twin cities. There i said it. Great selection of imported British Ales, hearty British food, nice staff, great ambiance, and did i mention the largest selection of Scotch whiskeys in the Twin Cities. This place has a great old-school traditional pub vibe, which as someone of British heritage I always appreciate. Be sure to grab a pint (or several) of something imported and on draft. I generally go with the Old Speckled Hen, a fantastic import from the old country, which so happens to be my English mother's favorite as well. I suppose in that regards the apple didn't fall too far from the tree. Food wise they make a great Fish n Chips, second only to The Anchor Fish n Chips in Minneapolis, a good selection of meat pies, juicy burgers, and great bangers made specially for them.
Its always a good sign when the proprietor of a scottish pub is, well, Scottish.
Only down sides would be the imports are a tad pricey, which is to be expected, and they don't have happy hour specials. Otherwise a great place to meet up with friends and grab some food and drink. When someone wants to meet up at a bar, this is usually my suggestion.
As Tori M. said "If this was closer to my house, I would totally become a regular."
Actually, scratch that. It's nowhere near my place and I'm still a regular.
Merlin's has such a wonderful "neighborhood" vibe to it, while still attracting natives of the British Isles. The owner has a charming accent and can be seen swooping around the bar to converse with patrons in a kilt.
They have an extensive whiskey selection (ask for the book) and I love that different relics and flags from the British Isles adorn the walls.
Come here to relax, play a game of cricket, browse the book share shelf & eat a grilled cheese. You might even catch a bagpipe concert. It's the best.
This is quickly becoming my favorite low key bar to get a few drinks. Â I and some friends met up here for some drinks for happy hour and it was great. Â Our service was quick, fun and kind of sassy which fit in with our group. Â
I had the large fish and chip which cost only $10 which was a bargain for the amount of food given  The fish was nice and flaky without being overly greasy which is a hard thing to find most times.  You can get it British or Yankee style, Yankee still where the chips are a little crisper.  I am of the firm opinion if you go to a British pub, you should really get the British style.
I am officially in love with the Irish Storm drink which is Jameson and Ginger beer. Â It was so good, I just had to have two of them. The beers on tap are pretty impressive if beer is more your speed; they even have Strongbow on tap. Â
They don't really have a huge happy which is okay since their prices are not that expensive. Â The happy hour special is 50 cents off a pint. Â My two Irish Storms, fish and chips and a friend's Strong came to a total of $29.
There are some fun events on their calendar that I will have to go back to check out such Friday night being Kilt & Corset Night, Wednesday being Trivia night and I believe the last Saturday of the month is a Dr. Who meet up. Â
Seriously, this bar is a nerd/geek nirvana.
Scotch drinkers, rejoice! When Merlin's Rest says they have the most comprehensive list of Irish and Scotch Whisky in all of Minnesota, well, they really mean it!
And be it a tasting of said whiskys at their first Thursday of the month tastings, or a private tasting for two, they'll make sure you have a grand old time. And on a record-breakingly warm January evening, they did just that for my SO and me.
Picture the scene: Â husband's birthday coming up, Kali has just moved to Minnesota, and has no clue what to do with the man! All she knows is that he likes Scotch, and the list better be longer than your average Macallan, Glenmorangie and Talisker.
Cut to Kali typing frantically on <a href="http://Yelp.com">http://Yelp.com</a>. "Yelpers," she typed furiously. "I need your help! Husband needs dranky dranxxxx, give me whiskies! Give me MOAR whiskies! NOWWWW!!"
Cut to many helpful suggestions and three anxious phonecalls to various owners of fine drinking establishments later, Kali calls Merlin's Rest:
"I hear you guys have an incredible selection of whiskys! Can you do a private tasting?". And from that moment on, proprietor Lee Tomlin rose to the occasion magnificently. Not only did Kali feel like she was in safe, knowledgeable whiskey-knowing waters, but in between nuggets of wisdom "if you're in a relationship with a Scotch drinker, you know that there are limitations to their tolerance of smokey and peaty", a tasting of six fine single-malts, where Lee would guide us through the swirls of golden and amber armed with his tasting notes from previous tastings, and  the pub's famed Whisky Bible, was organized, and the SO and Kali were all set and ready to go.
Cut to Kali and the SO arriving at Merlin's Rest an hour after they said they would. Lee, greets them warmly, and presents, as a little surprise for the surprise tasting, a gentleman named Dennis. Dennis? "Dennis is one of the guys who leads our tastings every month, he just happened to be available, so I called him in to guide your tasting." Cut to Kali's jaw dropping open. A pub-owner going above and beyond? It cannot be!
But Dennis it was, and a knowledgeable, entertaining, thirst-quenching evening was had by all as the SO and Dennis worked their decided way through  measures of Arran Sassicaia, Scapa 16, Glenfarclas 105, Mortlach 15, Royal Lochnagar and Old Puteney 21. Arran was decided as the star of the evening with the Glenfarclas 105 and Old Puteney 21 vying for second place.
Interspersed throughout this montage of swirly swirls and appreciative grunts: Lee and server James checking up on the drinkers, warmly and regularly.
Climax: Kali sweating bullets as thoughts of $$$ play on her mind, until she gets the check and is very pleasantly surprised. Hearts and heads singing, Kali and SO step out into the warm January night, thoroughly impressed with Merlin's Rest.
Apparently Friday night is corset/kilt night. You get a free drink if you happen to be in the appropriate attires. This place was completely packed both times we were here. Drinks and food are good - nothing to really blow your socks off though.
I'd say the appeal of the place is in the experience. The place is completely decked out in British/Irish/Scottish decors, and the staff here all have the lovely British/Irish/Scottish accents. We were here one Friday night, when they had live music (on top of the corset/kilt), and then late one Wednesday night, which was trivia night and we had to wait for 30+ min for a table. It was well worth the wait though.
I would definitely come back again on a different night for a different cultural experience.
I ended up here randomly after searching "fish and chips" in Yelp. I've driven by the place many times but never thought of going in, but I'm really glad I did.
When we first walked in early on a Saturday night the place was silent, but packed. I looked in and saw that an entire side of the place was full of people watching Dr. Who, not a single person was talking. For the uninitiated, Dr. Who is a British sci-fi series with a cult following. This was a good sign as it showed me this wasn't your typical bar.
We sat down at the really cool booths and checked out the British knick knacks on the walls - much of it is really interesting. The place is dark and very relaxed and seems to have a lot of regulars.
They've got lots of good beers and booze. I ordered a Bells IPA to go with my fish and chips. The fish and chips were really good. Normally I douse mine with extra vinegar, these didn't need anything added to them. They were served with a nice tartar sauce which tasted like it had wasabi in it.
I'll definitely be back. I'd recommend this place to nerds, Anglophiles, alcoholics and lovers of British comfort food.
Can't comment on the food because we went for the Scotch! Â And boy do they have a lot of it! Â Ask to see the "whisky bible". Â There had to be at least 150+ whisky's and scotch's to choose from. Â Also, nothing was over $30 a pour which is fantastic.
Bartender was helpful, knowledgeable, and honest in helping us select a few to to taste.
The decor was authentic and enjoyable as well. Â I will be going back again and again until I have sampled the entire bible!
The service here is appalling. It took 10 minutes after being seated to be given a menu. I ordered a scotch (Deerstalker 12 - light herbal flavors, a little bit of burn, just enough to make the smoke a little harsh, but it was enjoyable enough.)
I ordered my vegetarian Cornish Pasty. This sounded like the perfect thing for a winter night. And I had never run across a Vegetarian Pasty. Excellent! So I waited. And an amount of time I thought was generally appropriate later, my pasty arrived with a mushroom gravy and very flaky looking pastry cover. I cut into it, and the pastry was a little bit soggy. Truly, it's the sort that seems to happen when one microwaves a pastry. I bit in, and the flavors were lovely. It was even better with the gravy, and it all balanced the scotch beautifully. It was really disappointing to have something that I knew could be spectacular, and have it just miss the mark.
Then I waited.
And waited.
And really, a person shouldn't have to wait 30 minutes with their dishes piled up before the waitress comes back to ask if there's anything else I'll be having. That would have been a whole hour between when I got my food and when I saw a waitress again. I still would have gone for pie if it had only been a 15 minute wait. But by that time, I was irritated and just wanted to pay and go home.
The food is tasty enough if sloppily executed. And the 14 pages of available scotch is a good thing. But the service is so appalling I will not return here unless given no other choice.
Service, Whiskey, choice of vegetarian food---- awesome ownership/management always present----Merlins rest Rocks!! Â How lucky I am it is within walking distance of my house. Â Killer Whiskey --Scotch list--do people even know they have as deep of a whiskey/scotch list as they do?? Â
and the bloody mary on weekends called A Chiswick---OMG. Â Food could be a tiny bit improved on weekends-- ( The Veg Biscuit and Gravy was not as good as the Veg Cottage Pie on week nights)-- the Coffee ( they need to get real coffee--Folgers makes me want to throw up) I know they give it away for free but stop that nonsense. Â The Bloody rocks--and service is always 5 stars.
went with a coupon for $25 off at least $35 worth of food, so we ordered more than we would normally.
Appetizer of spicy green beans was good, but not as an app. I would have loved it on a bed of rice or with some chicken.  The beans are really spicy and with nothing to  eat them with, they overpowered everything we ate afterwards.  BF ordered the soup of the day, baked potato&kale.  Awesome!  served with some fresh bread and herb butter.
I had the fish & chips. Â The fish was outstanding - perfectly battered and really flavorful. Â I think I even like it better than Anchor. Â Chips were pretty soggy, but not bad. Â Would have liked fewer fries and one more piece of fish. Â BF had the Cornish pasty which was super hot (temperature) and served with some tasty gravy.
We got dessert and that turned out to be a huge letdown (I know, an English Pub probably isn'tknown for  dessert).  It was an apple pasty with a whiskey caramel sauce.  The pasty wasn't crispy at all, and there were hardly any apples inside.  The apples were OK, but had little flavor.  Wouldn't do that again.
BF also had a scotch which he had a hard time really enjoying after the super spicy beans had corrupted his palate.
Live music was nice and the service was really friendly. We'll be back for beers and dinner, just not for the app's and dessert!
I love this place. A dark warm interior, book shelves lining the periphery, walls covered with old paintings/photos/paraphanelia; it has a feel that is close to obsolete in this city. Â I couldn't quite put my finger on it for sometime, until finally it hit me. Â No televisions. Â Ah ha! Â No patrons staring dumbly at whatever happens to be on. Â And no, I'm not an anti-television activist. Â I too have been guilty of losing myself in the face of TV when out with friends. Â Here though, that option doesn't exist. Â Conversations take place that otherwise probably wouldn't have, and there's a sense of old worldliness that I have yet to find at many other venues today. It's nice. Â
As for their food, I have yet to try anything. Â The menu looks appetizing. Â You can get your fish in a newspaper, east coast style, and they have many items of the traditional Irish fare; hearty and not so healthy but oh so tasty.
They have a nice beer selection, and also offer half-pints, which is great when you've reached the point of "I kinda want another beer but I kinda don't". Â Have half of a beer then. Â Beyond their beers, they have a nice selection of hot adult beverages. Â And what could be better than sipping on a Hot Toddy, Peppermint Paddy, Irish Coffee, or a specialty Hot Chocolate, while squished in one of their big over-sized plush leather booths with a bunch of your friends? Â I'm into it.
We started with a Black and Tan-Finnegans and Guinness + we ordered a Cornish Pasty. Â Then a Pie and a pint. Â (Pie= Grandmas cottage pie)
Friday is kilt night. Fun times.
The owner appears to mingle, which is fantastic. Â Lots of regulars. Â Some of my favorites along with the Black and Tan are Half and half- Guinness and Harp; Black Velvet- Guinness and cider.
With all that delicious beer it is good there is all that food.
Tons of tables. Â Several booths. Â Good amount of seats at the bar.
"A reputation is like glass, once cracked it can never be replaced." Anyone catch this reference?! It's actually a Merlin quotation, straight out of the made for TV series. Yes, I looked it up on IMDB, and no, I'm not sure he has anything to do with this pub. But with this being said, who doesn't think of that wily old wizard when you hear the name! Maybe at one time our good ole' chap Merlin sat and drank sweet mead in a place like this. One can only hope!
Enough of the madness, on to the review. I liked this place. It wasn't the coolest "British Isles" pub that I've been to, but it certainly is a fun place to visit. The decoration of the interior holds true to what we perceive as being British - signage includes old Guinness posters, whiskey ads, bartenders with crooked teeth (kidding) and a wood-esque presence that makes you feel at home.
Like all my reviews, I place the most emphasis on the food. I recently went with friends for trivia (Sunday Night) and was pleasantly surprised by the quality. I tried the fish and chips, the Reuben sandwich, Harp beer soup, and a scotch egg. The fish and chips were served up "British Style", ie wrapped in "newspaper" (printed tissue paper rather than real newspaper) and doused with malt vinegar. The fish they use is pollack which comes fried in a deep, almost Guinness colored batter. Great fish. The chip serving was slightly below average, but tasted good. The best part of the meal was the tartar sauce... dynamite! Tangy and very well balanced, I wanted to dip everything in it - truly finger lickin' good.
I love Reuben's, and the sandwich they served here was fine. Not my favorite, but good quality - I especially liked the tanginess of the Russian dressing. Would have been better to see the bread grilled, but the brisket style beef was tender and flavorful. The meal was served with homemade potato chips. This is always a nice touch, but I would have liked to see a seasoning that burst when you ate the chip; these were rather bland, simple salt/pepper seasoning, but were fresh and crunchy.
The other thing I tried was the scotch egg. For those of you not familiar with this traditional British pub grub, it's a sausage wrapped boiled egg, battered in bread crumbs then deep fried. They serve them with a hot English mustard that gives em' a kick. Try one, I think you'll like it. The Harp beer soup was beery... go figure. Nice and cheesy and you could really taste the beer, which is probably why it wasn't my favorite. The bread it was served with could use some work - pretty sure it was a day old french loaf from Rainbow/Cub!
One of my only qualms about this place is the price of beer. I think it's completely reasonable to pay $4 bucks for a pint of domestic. Instead the price was around $5.50. For you whiskey lovers, there is a wide range of spirits to choose from. Simply ask for the whiskey menu. Prices range from 1 $ to 10 $ on their scale, so knock yourself out. Literally.
Magical - maybe. A good bar - yes.
I've been the Sunday Night Pub Trivia at Merlins Rest for the past two weeks; it starts at 7:30, and it has a lot of devotees while still being friendly to new blood. Â I had a Merlins Melt while my dining companions had fish and chips -- both were very, very good.
Our first trivia night was hosted by Wild Bill Watkins, who might be the greatest trivia host ever and kept things moving (the event lasted about two hours, which was perfect). Â The second trivia was hosted by the owner; it went on a little too long (same number of questions, but an extra hour -- maybe trying to get more people to by drinks?).
Nonetheless, both evenings were lovely times. Â Our team will definitely be back!
If this was closer to my house, I would totally become a regular.
This place is cute, full of charm, and the food is not half bad at all. The fish & chips are exactly what makes fish & chips fab and the traditional British fare is also awesome. Â They also have a great selection of vegetarian-friendly takes on Brit classics as well, with all the flavor of the non-veg versions (hard to do, but well worth a go!).
Seating is a bit commodious though, so if you're out as a duo, you may end up sharing a booth - but this is one of those places that your new booth-neighbor will probably be awesome and worth talking to!
PS Friday night is kilt night. Quite hilarious!
I like it.
The booths are nice and roomy - we had 6-7 people in one since there wasn't any other place for us to sit.
I think they had some sort of drum circle going on, there were people on the other side of the bar pounding on sticks and chanting - interesting . .. .
I just had the pie and a pint - guiness and their shepard's pie - small version in a cup - it was delicious. Â I had the veggie version.
They have a hugely impressive list of Scotch, complete with poetic descriptions and a pricing guide (number of $'s). Ask to see it, and they'll hand you a book with a nice range of tastes and prices. They've got Guiness, Harp, etc. on tap along with a few definitely Irish/Scotch beers I had not heard of. So if you're looking for something besides Grain Belt or Vodka-Crans (though they have those too), this is a great place.
Nice bar to sit at, and nice comfy-looking booths.
Went there this past Weds. for the trivia night. Â Best bar trivia hands down :) Â They also have an impressive selection of British Isles beers as well as one hell of a whiskey list.
If you can get past the fact that its a dive in a marginal, but improving neighborhood, you're golden.
Merlin's is one of my favorite places for a low-key night out or a greasy hangover breakfast. Their traditional Irish/Scottish/British breakfast and a Bloody Merlin will put you right back on your feet. BONUS: During the summer you can snag an outdoor table and watch the world go by on Lake st.
As for nightlife...I was here again last Friday and the place was pretty packed with people from all walks of life. A lovely Irish band sat in the corner providing some great atmosphere. Merlin's is a great place to catch up on some convo, meet new friends, or just admire the music and people watch.
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