I've been here several times and have really enjoyed everything about my experiences. You can expect friendly, knowledgeable service; crafted cocktails and an expansive draft beer list; and lately, my favorite place to get a gourmet burger in Akron. The fries and chips are excellent, as are all of the appetizers I've tried (the recent fried artichoke special was especially good). This has become a new favorite in the past year, and I look forward to more visits. read more

I've been here about 4 times. The food is just good enough and so is the music. They have good cocktails, burgers and wings. I keep coming back here because it is a small business (the owner is always there), the vibe is chill for a weekday dinner, and it's clean. The service and food are standard. read more

Tim the manager has absolutely no idea how to treat people. Everything was fine until I bit into the fishy smelling scallops that had a very strong ammonia taste. I quietly told the waiter and he took them back. That is where it went downhill. Tim the "manager" decided to come to our table and tell me how wrong I was. He told me about how he had them last night and how fresh they are. FRESH SCALLOPS DO NOT SMELL LIKE AMMONIA. Tim was a complete jerk about the whole situation. My concerns were addressed by the owner. While he was willing to concede that I might possibly have been served rotten scallops it was highly unlikely because they get their fish fresh. No later than 48 hours before serving. I get the feeling that nobody really believes or really cares that they served me bad scallops. The whole experience has left me with a very poor impression of the Merchant. read more

Always have a great meal at this tavern. Love the steak fondue appetizer. Love the wedge salad. Love the shrimp and grits. Love the cocktails. read more

Friends brought us here and we thought it would be like typical bar/restaurant. Boy were we wrong. The menu is small, but I can see that this is done so that the kitchen can focus on the quality of the dishes. We started with Mussels and the fried cheese curds, both were outstanding. Our friend asked for a to go cup so he could save all the flavorful broth from the Mussels. The best entree of the night was the walleye, served Asian noodle style! This was the most unique and delicious walleye I have ever eaten. We asked to speak with the chef so we could compliment him directly. (Yes, he did come out and talk to us! ) Of course we couldn't leave without trying their famous angel food cake dessert. Just get it! I was very impressed by the selection of cocktails. They are a bit pricey, but very high quality. (Best sazerac cocktail I've had outside of New Orleans) We sat at the bar and Tim, Lauren, and the rest of the staff were so friendly and helpful. It was obvious they took pride in their work. This looks like just another bar from the outside, but don't drive by, stop in and you will be surprised by all that is offered here. read more

Good vibes, really solid food, and the location is great in the valley. Summer patio season is top

Our party of 8 (plus a 5 month old) celebrated 3 family birthdays on a Thursday night recently. The service was good, the atmosphere was cool & the food was good - nothing bad but nothing "wow!". We've been here before and this is very consistent with what we've experienced in the past. When my wife made the reservation she asked if we could bring a birthday cake in, along with our own plates, plastic ware & napkins. They said fine but there would be a $10 "outside food" fee. We considered doing the cake at my daughter's house after dinner, but being a week night & having a 5-month old in the party we decided to bite the bullet & pay the $10. But when the dust settled, after 8 meals, 6 happy hour drinks, appetizers & tip, it seemed a little petty & greedy to hit us with a $10 fee on a $200+ meal. Like I said, we knew about it in advance so it wasn't being dropped on us after the meal. So a normal 4 star review becomes a 3 star review. I'm not saying I won't be back here, but if I do it will be a small party and no cake. read more

Started with cheese curds, Excellent. The other couple with us had a Pretzel. Overpriced. I had a bbq pork sandwich, with fries, and a side of the mac-n-cheese which was a special. Bbq sauce very tangy for my taste. Slaw was really plain cabbage, they tried to tell me there was vinegar on it, but no it was dry. Fries were fresh cut and very good. Husband had a steak sandwich which he said was very good. Other couple had burgers, one asked for medium and got overcooked, they said needed more flavor. A bit over priced but not bad. read more

Waited an hour and a half for an ice cold burger on a rock hard bun. Waitress told us it was our fault for having build your own burgers.

Great calamari! Always good service. Dinner specials are always on point with the season

Great prices, amazing cocktails, and an awesome atmosphere! Recently moved to the Valley and I had been dying to try this place. They offer HH specials, and a very diverse and a trendy food & cocktail menu. 5 stars from me and a must try restaurant if you are ever in the Akron/Fairlawn area! read more

Merchant Tavern - Lavender cocktail - Gastropubs Near Me - Akron, Ohio

Love this great place wonderful food and service always good anytime we go they also make vodka and rum

My boyfriend and I decided to try it because it's nearby and the menu looked delicious. It exceeded our EVERY expectation! The staff is friendly and attentive, the food we had was delicious, and the Norka rootbeer is divine. The onion rings are delicious, very unique in flavor! The stars of our meal were definitely Mel's Killer Steak Sandwich and the poutine. Everything tastes complex and made from scratch. I wasn't a fan of the grilled angel food cake (I'd prefer it the regular way), but the ice cream and fudge it came with made up for it. Overall, this is DEFINITELY a new favorite location of ours! It's a must if you're near the area. I can't wait to give the beer and cocktails a try. read more

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Nice place to have some food and a beer. Hostess was very friendly as was our waiter. Always blike when the will give you a taste test of beer before you order. Brought water to start. We both had burgers, cooked to perfection. A great bun, and ability not build your own burger. Fries could have been a little more crispy. We had a side of blue cheese dressing - house made and very good! read more

Want to order something to go? GOOD LUCK! I've tried several times to order out and have been told each time that they can't. this last time I called to make and they said ok by 5. got our order together and called back, NOPE, they're too busy. Manager was absolutely no help. You've lost my business, and I'm a local customer. read more

The Waiting staff was amazing, the burgers are life-changing and the muscles were very tasty. They also have a completely vegan burger named impossible burger if your vegan that you can substitute on any of there signature burger choices. read more

Merchant Tavern - Mushrooms and truffle garlic Burger - Gastropubs Near Me - Akron, Ohio

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What an experience here tonight. I ordered the calamari like I have many times before but tonight, it was just disgusting. It wasn't cooked enough and tasted like grease and had a very rubbery texture. So I tell my waitress I dont like them and she's like okay let me go check on something. Doesn't take the calamari away, strike one. Then she finally comes back with out entrees and I ask, can you take this plate with you. She hesitates and is like um, do you sent them to remake it? I say no and she hesitates again and says okay. Strike two. She comes back, calamari in hand, and says, "because they offered to make it again for me that I would still have to pay for it because they offered and they were already cooked". I looked my waitress dead in the face and says "I'm telling you this right now, I'm not paying for that. so get your manager".STRIKE FUCKING THREE. The manager comes out and asks what I didn't like about it. I tell him, it tastes like grease, they're rubbery, and just flat out disgusting. This man says "I tried one myself and they're not greasy". Hold on, hold on! First I didn't say they were greasy, I said they tasted like grease. AND YOU ATE A CALAMARI OFF MY PLATE DURING A PANDEMIC, BROUGHT IT BACK TO ME EXPECTING ME TO NOT ONLY EAT IT BUT PAY FOR IT!!! Hilarious. He tries to explain further the reasoning all to say, I'll make this exception this one time. I said exception or not, I'M NOT PAYING FOR IT. I dont know what type of goofy ass restaurant y'all are trying to run here but cut the shit out. Like if y'all broke, just say that. Cause either way, I'm not paying for it. read more

This is one of the best places in Akron! The food is ALWAYS good and the service is amazing. I love all of the bartenders and when I sit in the dining room I always ask for Danielle. The owner is the sweetest and I always see him helping the girls out on the floor (which is rare) 10/10 my favorite place ever!!!! read more

Hit or miss... sometimes in the same dish... we have never sat at the bar... and never had problems with the service in any part of the dinning area. We have been there 3 times now... here are the descriptions that go with the pictures... Burrata!! Not the easiest thing to find in the Akron area... nice and cool... creamy and chewy... Bread was warm... super crispy and well done crust... barely enough for the size of the curd. Would ask for less toasting on the bread. Canellini Dip... nice alternative to chick pea hummas... pita was ok... would order again. Romaine Wedge with Shrimp... Awesome white french dressing... mild blue cheese crumble... HUGE... like 3 person HUGE... more than enough for an entree.. or two... shrimp were nothing special... would not get them again... would try the chicken option... or not... more then filling without a protein. BBQ Pork Tenderloin Special... moist, soft pork... tangy sauce... fluffy mashed potatoes... tree stalk asparagus... totally woody... very little edible... even the small stalk was strangly tasteless and fiberous... would skip it and opt for a different veg option. Panko fish and chips with kale slaw... large moist fish... decent slaw... train wreck soggy bits of fries... like they came out smashed at the bottom of a 50lb bag. BUT... would love to have the fish again... with a different starch. Linguini with Shrimp... pasta and shrimp were no thing special... sauce was nice and light and fresh... nice everyday dinner dish... not rock your world awesome... huge portion... easily could be shared. Will go there again... super busy on burger night... always a table after 8 on a Friday. read more

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The outside of the establishment looks simple and almost similar to a large ranch style house. Once you walk in though, the ambiance truly pulls you in and makes you feel welcome. Staff was accommodating and friendly. Our server was good, but not personable. It's something i like in my service, but in no way deducts points if you are not. The food was amazing. Chicken fingers hand breaded and fried to order. Some of the best that we have had. BBQ bacon burger was cooked to order, was juicy and had great flavors. (It had lots of dill pickles, which i love!)The white peach Sangria was also refreshing and at a great price for the size. ($7, i think). Overall you can tell they take pride in the food Good spot for patio dining or just a night out for dinner. read more

Wow, I am totally blown away tonight. I've eaten here many many times over the years and had positive experiences. Tonight I had a table on the patio. A perfect night, or so I thought. I rotated my 3 by 3 table 30ﾟ moving it no closer or no further away from anyone in the restaurant simply so I could see the doorway because I'm anal about that for my own safety. Some guy named John promptly came out and told me I needed to rotate the table back or he would have to ask me to leave and he had an attitude about it. I certainly understand their position about keeping social distancing intact for fear of fines, and health safety, ect... I didn't mind moving the table back but it was the attitude that really caught me off guard. I moved the table back and moved my chair around to sit next to my date instead of across from her clearly 10 or more feet away from the nearest table. He came back out with an abrubt attitude and promptly threw us out and HE expected us to pay our bill for an appetizer that we had not eaten and drinks that we had barely touched and then threatened to call the police. I understsnd we are all under pressure and trying to make our entrance back into society acceptable and considerate, but this kind of treatment was unacceptable and very uncomfortable for me and my date. The manager never explained what the actual problem was and he otherrwise ruined what could have veen a perfect night. read more

We were so pleased with our experience at The Merchant Tavern. Shout out to Claire for providing some of the best service we've ever had! We shared the pretzel. Delicious! I got the (half order) chopped romaine salad and immediately regretted not getting the full order. Perfection, in salad form. My husband got the calamari and has been talking about it since he finished the last bite. We got there around 5:30pm on a Saturday without reservations and while they were already pretty busy, they were able to seat us within a couple minutes. Regardless of the wait, do it, it'll be worth every second! read more

Very pleased with our first visit and only discovered it through Yelp. We had drinks at the bar, Bloody Mary and Martinis. All were very good. My only gripe, and I have it at many places, is that bartenders will stand and talk to co-workers instead of making your drink. Once we were seated we started with 2 appetizers. Poutine, which was good, but very different than any I have ever had. The other was a French baguette with a soft cheese. The cheese was good, but the bread was burnt on the bottom. For dinner, I had a special of the day which was Eggplant Napoleon and I also got a side of linguini with marinara. Excellent meal for me. Everything was tasty and hot. My husband had the pork chop, at the recommendation of the server, and it couldn't have been a better choice. The chop was huge and thick, but was so tender you could cut it with a fork. The vegetable medley had different vegetables and was yummy. Our friends had the roasted chicken which was tasty and a big hit with them. Service was very good. Atmosphere is nothing special, but ok. Come for the food and the extensive drink menu and you can't go wrong. read more

First time trying this place, and while I enjoyed the Fried Ravioli, my requested medium cook burger was well. They offered to make it again, but I opted not to have them do that, so they took it off the bill. Undecided if I'll come back. There are burger places all over, and I didn't experience anything noteworthy. read more

Merchant Tavern - Fried ravioli - Gastropubs Near Me - Akron, Ohio

Their poutine is amazing! It has delicious and tender meat, perfectly cooked fries, and loads of the cheese curds! perfection!

Visiting from Connecticut - made a res for a Saturday night and glad we did it's very popular. It's divided into a bar area, a dining area and an open dining/game area. We were a party of 5 - teens to grandparents and there was something to make everyone happy. Good beer selection, nice cocktail list to. We ordered: Poutine Chicken tenders Beef barley soup The diablo burger Salmon Caesar Chicken Caesar All was delicious, our server was delightful and was very patient finding answers to questions. The soup was excellent and was almost gumbo like superb. The Burgers were H O T tears did flow. The poutine I could eat everyday - a great balance of flavor and texture not too BBQ-y. The salmon and chicken were cooked perfectly. We really enjoyed our meal and found it to be very reasonably priced for the quality of food. We would return! read more

Use to be one of the best spots in Akron. Food quality has dropped a bit and drink prices went up even while using their in house distilled spirits. The happy hour is pretty much nonexistent. The last several times have been disappointing on simple things. Like a chicken Philly w barely any cheese and no mayonnaise as described in the menu. The chicken lettuce wrap is half the size (maybe a cup of chicken) of what it use to be and is now $14. Overall there's better options out there for the same price. read more

Overpriced 16.00 burger .Good service.I have had better for less money.Nice atmosphere in a cool part of Akron.Places like this really make me miss Jackie McConnells. read more

In looking on Yelp for a restaurant halfway between our home and my niece's home, I found myself intrigued by the reviews and web site for the restaurant. The combination of a varied menu consisting of high quality food in an informal setting was exactly what I hoped to find. The restaurant met and exceeded all expectations. First impressions of the restaurant are not great. In entering at the bar, the place has a warehouse feel to it (dark and spartan). To the left is a room with a pool table. I was beginning to worry that I had made a mistake picking this restaurant. The drink menu is excellent and there are lots of craft beers. The wine list is passable. The dinner menu is extensive, with a dozen of interesting appetizers, dinner salad options, sandwiches, pizza and a limited, but varied number of entrees. I had the pork chop and it was perhaps the best ever (so tender that I could cut pieces with a fork). My wife enjoyed her eggplant Napoleon very much. Our niece had a steak sandwich and her husband the roast 1/2 chicken. They both enjoyed their meal. Service was very good. The entrees are priced on the upper end, but we felt that it was well worth the cost. I wish we lived closer, as we would dine there often. read more

The food was great! The atmosphere was more like a sports bar with additional seating for dining. But the food was very good. read more

This place is alwaysss a go to- late night food, chill atmosphere and the best food and drinks. 10000% recommend, especially the shrimp and grits! read more

This place may be a little out of the way for most folks but SO WORTH IT!! It's a cute place with a nice patio. Anywhere with a nice patio automatically gets points with me! The service was great from start to finish. Our waiter made excellent recommendations. They have a special menu each night, a pizza menu on Wednesday and Thursday, and the regular dinner menu. It all looked good. HOW DO YOU PICK?! A friend and I decided to split some small plates: the steak fondue and the Thai mussels. Omg omg omg. Perfect decision. Thinly sliced perfectly cooked medium rare steak with blue cheese fondue. The Thai mussels had a spicy, curry like broth that I wanted to drink. I took a chance and ordered an Aviation cocktail (a classic and a personal favorite) and while it wasn't perfect, it was really damn good and pretty close. Prices were reasonable for everything -- $8-14 small plates and $6-9 drinks. If you're in the area (or if you're not!) -- give this place a shot. It will not let you down. read more

This is my second time eating here over the past year and I always enjoy their food and atmosphere. My first visit, I raved about the beer selection, the delicious chicken philly and the fried churro desert, I couldn't wait to return. My girlfriend ordered the chicken philly per my recommendation and was impressed. My boyfriend also ordered it and enjoyed it a lot, it's a front runner on what to order while here. Second being the goat cheese Mac and cheese, which was absolutely delicious, I could have licked the bowl, you can order the dish in a small portion for $8 or a large dinner portion for $15 and can add protein if you would like. The smaller portion is just the right amount, I get it without the protein and it is rich, cheesy and probably my most favorite Mac and cheese. The waitress was very friendly and the manager, Anthony is very attentive to what is going on in his restaurant and ensures things get done correctly and his patrons are satisfied. If you find yourself in this area it is absolutely the best place to eat and always the place we go to before a Blossom concert! read more

Merchant Tavern - Delicious Goat cheese Mac and cheese (smaller portion) - Gastropubs Near Me - Akron, Ohio

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I love the food and happy hour at The Merchant. I would highly recommend the mussels! However, one HUGE downside to this establishment is the parking situation. Their parking lot is very small and set up in a quite odd way. This makes it very difficult to not just decide to go to a place across the street when you cannot find a spot. Last time I was there on a Saturday night they did have complimentary valet which was a nice touch and really helped with the parking situation. read more

I've only been here a couple times, and I don't know why. Because I enjoy it every time. This visit I had mussels, with warm fresh bread. Loved the mussels. With a reasonably priced glass of wine, and good service. Followed by steak and some amazing veggies. Now.... part of the reason they were delicious is because they were sauteed in butter, but not the only reason. It was also because they were crispy and the dish was an unusual mix of veggies. The steak was also done to order, flavorful, and sized well. Definitely a great place for dinner. read more

Management here is lacking at best. Would never go back. I can not comment on the food as we stood there waiting for over 30 minutes while there were 5 empty tables. Two of which still needed bussed. Menu was intriguing, but I am about service and was off put by the sheer dissreguard they have for efficiency. read more

Amazing experience! We adored our server, Eric, who treated us great during Tuesday Happy Hour: drink specials, build your own burger and cheap starters?! Valet parking was needed as this place was hopping at 5:45. The drinks are great, food was awesome and the staff! When we saw a dog in distress in a car outside, the server and his manager were on it- finding the owner who was dining and taking care of what could have been a horrible doggy day. Top notch and we plan to go back for mussels and poutine next time!! read more

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Feel like we cracked a nice find by following and trusting reviews. I got the spicy burger and it had that nice punch of heat without sending your mouth to the emergency room. Fries were tasty right crisp with a not over powered salt. Service was above average, really wanted to see we were good. Specialty drinks were good. When it seemed like there were a lot less places that catered to relaxed and not bar food, happy to come upon this one and will come again if in the area. read more

Had dinner here last night to celebrate our son's 22nd birthday. Fortunately we had 5:45 reservations and were seated immediately. Seriously folks, make reservations. Our server arrived after a few minutes and took our drink orders (adult beverages all around). She stopped back at the table about 10 minutes later and we gave our appetizer order. Another 15 minutes and we finally got our drinks, and our appetizer order moments later. Clearly the kitchen was on point, but the bar was way behind. The calamari was good and the cheese curds were tasty as well. Dinner choices were the salmon BLT, pork tenderloin, and two burgers. All were seriously delicious. The tenderloin was cooked perfectly, and the mustard sauce reminded us of one of our America's test kitchen favorites, with a slightly sweeter finish. The burgers were perfection - the truffle burger and the black and blue burger were cooked exactly as ordered, and not a morsel remained from any of us. Now for ambiance - we were seated by the distillery so while the staff does a good job of turning down the dining area lighting ("oh look, ambiance), the 4' LED fixtures in the distillery are blaring away.... Maybe the health department or liquor control requires a certain number of foot candles in a distillery - they can rest assured, they're there! In short, the food was very good, service was attentive, but the bar was slow. Nice job, and we'll not hesitate to return. read more

Love this place! Great food,clean, and a nice staff. I would say try and get here early.