This restaurant is such a gem! The food is absolutely amazing and the atmosphere is beautiful. Perfect for a date night, but also family friendly to where we brought our toddler for lunch on a Sunday. Whoever designed this place did an excellent job. Things to try - avocado bomb for the appetizer (so creative and good!) the rotisserie chicken, and you must also get the carrot cake for dessert! SO GOOD!!! read more

Quality of food has gone down from what I'm used to in Tampa. Enjoyed the steak and great service, but not as much as in the past.

Love this restaurant has a great wide variety menu. Love the ambiance and location. Food and staff are top quality!

Was much more casual than the photos suggest. My girlfriend and I were way overdressed. Most people were in jeans and sweatshirts. I called and asked for a romantic booth when I made the reservation. They tried to seat us in the bar. Then they sat us at a table in the dinning room that wasn't a booth. Several things were forgotten when we ordered. Food was actually quite good though. Was expecting a better experience. read more

Very fun ! Food did not disappoint and thanks for the great service . Party of six enjoyed the night .

One of my neighborhood favorites! Great menu, great location and parking and the service is top notch! I highly recommend checking Merus Grill out! read more

Let me start by saying Brian is amazing! He was a great server and worked so hard. The food was just as good as the service. I started with the red bean soup, I had the ribs, and a pomegranate martini. read more

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Food is amazing and Judy is the BEST. We love coming here. You feel so welcome walking in.

My family and I were looking forward to trying Meru's Grill. We would visit Redland's Grill and J. Alexander's frequently in San Antonio. We were excited to have the spinach con queso, the ribs, the fries, all the wonderful things. We have a four year old that is a picky eater, but we still want to enjoy eating at a nice restaurant. In the past we would eat at both Redland's and J. Alexander's and she would have her nuggets with her and eat with us. Unfortunately, the situation was different at Meru's. We had one manager come over and peak at our table and walk away. Then we had a second manager come over and inform us that they didn't allow outside food at their restaurant. There was only 1 other table in the entire restaurant. In addition to that my daughter was almost done eating. I do not know what the problem was, if the 3 of us were going to order food. We decided to leave. Neither manager greeted us they just made us feel VERY UNWELCOME. read more

We eat here a few times per month because it's close to my office. Beautiful, classy interior. Generally, the food is good but not great. The biggest issue is the inconsistency. Sometimes the food is good, sometimes just okay, and last night not very good. Even the salads, which are usually good, were coated in way too much dressing. I took a chance and took a client there last night due to the convenience, and both the food and service were lacking. It's disappointing because the ambiance and location are great. read more

Not sure how long this place has been open but it's a surprise it's not more crowded. The inside looks really cool and the food was amazing. Had the crab cakes with a massive pile of shoe string fries and prime rib with au jus and horseradish and mashed potatoes. Both meals were great and reasonably priced. The cocktails were good, had a citrus mojito, old fashion and dirty martini with a sidecar, extra pour of dirty martini on the side. Chocolate cake with ice cream was amazing. There was somewhat of an interesting crowd, guys completely tatted up and a table of guys eating with sunglasses on at 9pm but guess that's just normal in the galleria area. Will be back soon to try some other dishes. read more

Service was poor! Bartender knowingly poured the wrong gin and tried to pass it off to a 20 year old daily gin drinker. Had a steak burger that had a huge piece of cartilage and fat. I choked on the meat. Told the Manager named Mike and he could careless. They did not have the class to take off our bill. They do not care! This place will close like the restaurant in Ohio did. Very sad!!! read more

Merus grill is basically J. Alexander with a new name and location. The food is very good and the place itself has a pleasing decor although we only saw most of it in passing as the hostess led us through a fairly empty section of the restaurant with many available booths until we were seated in the very back of the place adjacent to the restrooms. Why do they do this? We were all dressed well and had a reservation. Service was ok, our server seemed a little inexperienced and flustered. (I asked the market price of the crab cakes and she didn't know.). they use a system where other staff "assist" the server but for some reason they kept taking our food and drinks to the next table over who had already been served. As our appetizer and salad plates were removed they took the utensils but didn't bring replacements when our main dish was served. They dropped off our food and took off causing us to have to try to flag someone down for a fork or knife. Overall, I was not impressed but as noted the everyone was happy with the food. read more

We loved our experience at Merus Grill. The ambiance was very nice and we loved the lighting. Service was quick and efficient, we never had to ask for anything. Food came out on time and was very taste. We definitely will be back.... read more

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Amazing service and awesome food. Appetizers are great! Highly recommend. The atmosphere was welcoming and comfortable. Nice place for a romantic date night. read more

Had spinach and queso dip and a French dip sandwich. Both were good as was the service.

We went for dinner last night and we had a very solid meal, we has the french dip and shared some bbq ribs, both of which were delicious and would definitely order again, the waiter was very kind and attentive and the restaurant is always nice and relax environment. Our only small thing we would point out is that the food took a little longer than what we would expect, but we were there right before closing so it is understandable read more

Judy took such good care of us. The food was awesome and the ambiance is fresh and sexy. Defiantly a great addition to the uptown park area. It was getting to be a desert town for a second which all the construction delays. I got so full from my crab cake and calamari appetizer that I didn't even get to my fish entree I came for. I have a new duck off lol read more

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Yesterday my wife and I decided to try J--Alexander's, the 1st time since the new name. My wife ordered a Filet Mignon, and it was the first time we saw one in 2 pieces It didn't taste anything like a Filet Mignon, plus it was overcooked. I did order NEW YORK STRIP medium, which was also overcooked to well done. We won't come back. read more

This place is excellent. It's always consistent in service and food. Ultra friendly staff who get to know you and remembers your name. The Kale salad is a must as well as the Nashville Chicken sandwich and French Dip. AND PLEASE if it were your last day on earth enjoy the Key Lime Pie and ask Ethan for some freshly shaved lime skin on top. read more

J. Alexander's - Kale Salad - New American Near Me - Houston, Texas

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This place has great atmosphere and ambience. The service is impeccable. This place is a sister place of J Alexander so you have several people who will come and wait on you throughout the night. They were all friendly and kind, the service was fast and professional. The food was very good, a friend and I had the avocado bomb which was delicious. We split the fillet that came with a baked potato and Brussels sprouts. We also had cocktails, I had the redheaded martini and my friend had a lemon drop martini. They were both great. They serve their drinks by giving you one glass full but they also give you a half of glass on the side. I definitely plan on visiting this restaurant again and again. I do recommend this spot for others. read more

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My wife and I came to the restaurant a few minutes early and decided to sit at the bar until we were seated. There were two other people at the bar; we waited appx 20 minutes without the bartender ever acknowledging.....Was busy laughing and talking to his folks at the end of the bar to take our order. I called the Floor Manager to voice my dissatisfaction and to let him know why we are leaving without dining. He was profuse in saying how they would 'make our experience right' and the he and/of the General Manager would reach out to us......neither of them ever did. read more

Beautiful Restaurant, clean look which is pleasing and helps set a relaxed mood. Sat at a booth with a large window near the bar. Everyone was nice from start to finish. Never felt rushed. Hubby and I split everything. Did not leave hungry! Took the waiters suggestion for starter, the Avocado Bomb. Beautiful presentation with a nice surprise of a crab salad inside. Paired great with chips. Has an asian flare. Lemon drop martini was spot on, not overwhelming.Merus House salad with blue cheese dressing! Loved that they did not skip on a single detail. Carrots, cucumbers, croutons! Not just lettuce and some dressing!! Decided to try a steak since they hand cut all steaks in house. Steak Maui had an awesome marinate. Asian flare as well. Nice sear to our medium rare steak. Very juicy and the marinade did not take away from the flavor of the steak. We ended with the chocolate cake! It came out warm and moist. Side of vanilla ice cream and lots of hot fudge!! The cake was very smooth and velvety with a rich chocolate flavor. We had an excellent experience and enjoyed our Friday lunch date. read more

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I ordered a cheeseburger and fries. If you love thin fries, you need to try the fries here!!! The fries were definitely my favorite part. The cheeseburger was good. The staff was friendly and helpful. I would definitely come back for the fries alone, that's how good they were! read more

Great location Management friendly Perfect temp Food outstanding I will be coming back! read more

Leo is an amazing Service Manager! We made a last minute, same day reservation for my friends birthday dinner and he did everything to accommodate our somewhat large party the best he could seating wise. He checked on us multiple times during our dining experience and even sent the birthday girl over desserts on the house! And can we talk about the food! Myself, as well as everyone in our party was more than happy with the food. I don't even eat leftovers, but the following day, I did eat the remainder of my steak and mac and cheese and was still very satisfied! Will be back soon. Enjoy the pics I have uploaded of some of the different food options. I think they are still fairly new so they don't have that many pictures just quite yet. So I made it a point to take some to upload. read more

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This restaurant was referred by a coworker. We visited this restaurant Saturday and it was excellent service and the food was delicious. If your looking to try a new restaurant with good food. Visit this restaurant! read more

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Recent business dinner at this nicely appointed restaurant in Uptown. After drinks in the bar, we were promptly seated at our reservation time in a comfortable booth with a lovely expansive view of the entire restaurant. Service was perfectly balanced between hovering and efficiency. The food: We enjoyed fire-grilled artichokes as an interesting appetizer. My entree was the prime rib, perfectly cooked and delicious. I would highly recommend the prime rib. My guests had the filet and the pork chop. The filet, ordered medium, regretfully arrived well done... that seems to be the norm these days. The pork chop was outstanding with a very nice smoke taste. For dessert we shared the pumpkin pie but not your mother's pumpkin pie. The flavor was outstanding and did I get a hint of brandy in the whipped cream? I will surely return; with good food, reasonable prices, and excellent service, who wouldn't? read more

We had made a dinner reservation for 8 for a business dinner. We arrived on time, the host made us wait 40 minutes and wouldn't seat us. We left. That is extremely unprofessional! read more

Opening Day Lunch + Dinner Review I've grown up in Houston and have always gone to Houston's and J.Alexander's. I grew up loving the ribs, the artichoke dip, cypress salad, burgers...etc so when I found out Merus Grill was a J.Alexander's concept I began stalking construction and opening day progress. So how did it fair? Love it!! Atmosphere: Dark and more sophisticated ambiance with beautiful lighting, more private booths, open dining table area with very comfortable chairs. Service: Same service model concept where they team to provide coverage. Still a bit of newness to some of the servers (ie had to go check what was on tap...etc) but I'm sure this will be a non issue within another week. The service team is gracious, attentive and the management team is proactively looking for feedback (shout out to Desmond for spending some time with us). Food + Drink Quality: I came with work colleagues for lunch and with another friend for dinner on day 1. We tasted the spinach/queso dip, avocado bomb, merus salad, dragon salad, cheeseburger and famous carrot cake. Everything was as expected - large portions at a very good price point especially given the area. My favorite new item was the avocado bomb which was a great app with mixed texture with a bit of sweet and a little kick. This is a must order! The best carrot cake in town is now back at last too and drinks were also on point with limited but a delicious IPA (Yellow Rose). The only thing I'm bummed about is the cornbread croutons - they are no more! Welcome back to the neighborhood! Excited you guys are back! read more

J. Alexander's - New American Near Me - Houston, Texas

This will be short review, excellent service ,food , Bar,staff ,perfect timing since Houston's closed This is better replacement. Burgers are best, don't miss mushroom soup . My first visit and many more to come. Thanks . read more

Great cocktails. Engaging staff. Good food. A go-to place after a long work day or a celebratory dinner.

As part of the Hillstone Group of restaurants, Merus is mediocre at best. Food quality is average. Table service is good. As one who enjoys the dinning experience and generously includes graturity to the final tab, I found it unusal for the Merus Grill to set the amount for the tip at 17.5%; and then charge that amount to the final tab without offering additional options. For my party of six (6), the insult of the evening occured upon completing our dessert, the Floor Manager approached our table and announced we had to finish quickly as, "we need to turn this table." I have dined in Europe, Hong Kong, Singapore, Melbourne, Sydney, Toronto, Mexico City, and all over the United States with parties larger than six (6), with the "need to turn the table". I have never been insulted by a restaurant as I was on the evening of December 11, 2022. There are much better restaurants in the Galleria - Uptown Park area of Houston which offer better quality and an enhanced dining experience than Merus Grill. read more

We had an excellent birthday celebration. The service and food were excellent. Thank you

We walked in, having never been there before, to a beautiful dim-lit upscale restaurant. The place was quiet and private but still very welcoming. The restaurant employees were very polite and the atmosphere was inviting. We sat down at a table in the bar area and were immediately greeted by a couple different staff members. Our order was simple, just a french dip sandwich and french fries (which was delicious, but surprisingly a little more rare than I was used to). The server suggested that we order the chili, which was available that night, but normally was not. We took her suggestion & were extremely glad that we did, it was delicious. She joked that she prefers when people turn down the suggestion, so that she can order more to take home at the end of her shift. Overall the experience was great, the staff was extremely attentive and the food was delicious. We will be going back. read more

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My boyfriend and I love coming to Merus Grill. We always grab seats at the bar. It's just more interesting and we love having the bartenders tend to us with great conversations. We always order the deviled eggs as an appetizer it never fails. It's just so good and the additional thinly sliced maple bacon adds a bit of the cheery on top. The crab cakes are excellent also and nice to share. Generous amounts of Kim morning craB meat. As an entree we ordered the tuna steak which was seared to perfection. We like it a bit raw. The drinks are great too. I took my sister there once and she loves dirty martinis, but she said most places do not get them right. Well needless to say she had 3. I guess they made them right for sure. I would recommend giving Merus Grill a try. read more

My favorite friend dinner spot. Great food and service. The ambiance is great and the bar

I have always picked up to go and so far I have only experienced wonderful food! I like my meat Rare and that is hard to find a perfectly cooked Rare piece of meat - it's either Raw or Overdone. Merus cooks it perfectly every time! My go too's: are the prime rib, marinated rib eye, grilled artichokes and the Shrimp Louie Salad! The potato sides are always on spot. The carrot cake is huge and also fabulous! I'm sure dining in would be a amazing experience as well. read more

Yes it's so nice to have this chain back! A nice restaurant with quality food with ambiance. It's a place to eat but it's not a place where t hey really want you to have a relaxing dinner or where you can feel comfortable visiting and having a drink and appetizers and then dinner. They prefer you sit down order so that they can turn that table. So don't expect to be treated like you can take your time. It's not like going to Carrabba's or some locally owned restaurants, here in Houston. All the food is very good. They serve quality food for about the same price as a medium priced restaurants. I go there when I am going to eat and run, not celebrate something special. Their staff treats you well. read more

Good trivial food. Good and quiet environment and good service. Nice place to eat and talk - business and social.