We had a wonderful dinner last evening with two of our friends celebrating my best friends…read morebirthday. Thank you to Lily for outstanding service and to the team for surprising the birthday boy with the cake that we brought to the restaurant. Food was amazing service outstanding we felt very special.

We chose Rainbird for our Galentine's celebration on Sunday, 2-15-26. We had reservations at 12:30…read morepm. We were met by the greeter who proceeded to tell us to wait to be seated. The restaurant was not very busy and it took almost 20 mins just to be seated at our table. We then took our place at the table and we waited another 10-15 mins for someone to wait on us. We kindly flagged the young male server there and asked him if he could get our server to assist us. The young female server finally came out to assist us - she was not very welcoming but proceeded to take our drink order. It took almost 15 minutes to get our mimosas and water. She did not greet us, inquiry if it was our first time there or gave us suggestions on the menu. She then proceeded to take our order which took a while to get our food. The plus - everyone enjoyed our meals from the way they were prepared to the ingredients. No one ever came to our table and gave us any water nor did they ask for a refill on our drinks. During this time I peeked around the corner and saw staff just sitting in the back talking to one another. I tried to keep the experience positive for my group of friends but they were also growing concerned about the lack of hospitality. The lunch schedule was only until 2 pm but because of Rainbird's delay in seating us, taking our drink orders as well as the slight delay we felt we were now being rushed to finish our lunch, I also wanted to celebrate our friend's birthday and I brought a cake - the server proceeded to tell me it would be a $5 charge per person if I cut the cake there. She did offer to bring a complimentary dessert for our guest of honor. In my opinion, due to the service we were not receiving the cake fee should have been at least discounted or offset due to the lackluster enthusiasm and service. As we were trying to finish our lunch and take pictures at this beautiful establishment we could see the "side eyes" of staff rushing to get us out the door. I am a firm believer of supporting small businesses in Merced since I was born and raised there and let's face it - Merced has very limited fine dining and we wanted to do something nice for us. In order for small businesses to thrive in this town they need our consumerism to stay in business. As I read from all the exemplary reviews on this platform we unfortunately had a very bad experience with this lovely establishment. A group of us came from Madera so that we could meet our gals from Merced as a middle location. Needless to say we were very disappointed with the service as well as the treatment we received from Rainbird. Next year we will choose another location for our next gathering. Please do better Rainbird.

Scott's Diner in Merced is always a win, and today was no exception. We were on our way to a hike…read morein Mariposa and wanted a Mexican breakfast that would actually power us through the trail--Scott's delivered in every way. We asked if they could do a special order: a burrito deconstructed, with over-easy eggs and the tortillas on the side. They were totally accommodating, and it was exactly what I was craving--fresh, filling, and seriously delicious. I went for the blueberry pancakes, and wow: they were enormous, fluffy, packed with real blueberries, and basically the perfect pre-hike fuel. And the coffee? Amazing, as always. I meant to take a picture of my food, but honestly I accidentally didn't--because everything looked so good that I dug in immediately. And even without the photo evidence, the presentation and plating were incredible, just like they always are. This place has my heart. I'd give it a hundred stars if I could--highly, highly recommend.

Yum. Nice little diner place with very nice staff. I went with a regular burger and fries. The…read moreburger was juicy and very well seasoned. The fries were nice and hot. Definitely a return visit place if in the area.

Bread is freshly baked and yum but not complimentary. Meatballs appetizer is tasty, comes with 4…read morebig meatballs. Combo: half salad and half sandwich are limited to a few options only. Asked the waiter if I can pay extra to select a different salad on the menu and they said No. Pasta is great, salad is average, the beet salad plate was cold, seems like it came straight from the fridge. Pizza took very long to make, it came towards the end of our meal. The waiter gave us some free fries and soups to make up the long wait time. Overall it's not a bad experience, I would go back for pasta dishes only.

We were pleasantly surprised at the quality of the food and service at Bella Luna. My wife and I…read moreare light eaters and enjoy sharing. We started off with the steamed mussels which were excellent - large meaty mussels in a roasted tomato garlic broth. The broth was so good we both spooned it down long after the mussels were gone. This was followed by the beet salad which was the classic pairing of bitter arugula with the sweet beets. The crab and lobster ravioli as our main course didn't disappoint - lots of sweet crab and lobster meat stuffed into each ravioli, all draped with a creamy rich sauce. We topped off our meal with another classic - crunchy cannoli fingers. Mmm, good! Our friendly server gave us excellent wine service and food suggestions. The back dining room was cheerfully noisy and gave off the vibe of eating at your Italian Grandmother's house. We had a great time, highly recommended.

Came across The Mainzer while staying next door for the night and of course I was curious thinking…read morethis was a German place based on the name. Apparently the owners might been from Mainz but that's about it. The ambience and food were great and so was their beer! Cheers

Server was rude…read more Only ordered drinks and appetizers - OK - good Place is so cool and fun

Had a great ride from Oakland down here to eat at the Bbq pit…read more Called 2 hours in advance and talked to Nancy. Told here there were 8 of us would be arriving in 2 hours. When we got there, there was a table waiting for us. Same as they did for us last year. Good food, service and price. Thanks Nancy. See you next time

Second Visit -- Unfortunately My Last…read more This was my second time eating at The BarBQ Pit, and unfortunately it will probably be my last. Whenever I'm working in cities outside my hometown, I try to support local restaurants. Since I'm in Merced several days a week, I wanted to give this place a second try and see if my first experience might have just been an off day. First Visit (about three months ago): The service was excellent. The waitress was attentive, anticipated what I needed, and checked in regularly. I was seated quickly and everything ran smoothly. I ordered the BBQ sampler so I could try a little bit of everything. The waitress mentioned that the meats are smoked daily, which sounded promising. That said, the food itself was fairly average. Nothing was bad, but nothing stood out either. The hot wings were completely middle-of-the-road. For the price point, the food felt mediocre. Second Visit: This visit unfortunately went worse. I was seated quickly again, but it took about 10 minutes before either of the two waitresses came to take my order. One waitress took my drink order, and later another came over to check on me. When I told her I was ready to order, she said the other waitress would come back to take it. That interaction felt a little strange since she was already there but wouldn't take the order herself. I ordered the hot wings again (same as before, just average) and a French Burger because I was curious what it was. It turned out to be a regular burger patty on a French roll with lettuce, tomato, and pickles. Nothing particularly unique about it besides the bread. Unfortunately, that's where the experience went downhill. On two separate sections of the French roll, there was visible mold. At that point I completely lost my appetite and couldn't finish the meal. I don't know if the French rolls don't get used very often or if the bread turnover is slow, but either way this should have been caught before it reached a customer. Moldy bread should never make it out of the kitchen. To be fair, the waitresses themselves were very polite. Service was slower than I expected, but they were friendly. When I was leaving they even offered me a refill and a cup of iced tea to go, which was a thoughtful gesture. Unfortunately, being served moldy food is something I can't overlook. Because of that, I don't think I'll be returning.

Another first! Been looking at this place for a while now. Decided to check it out today. Glad we…read moredid. Had some friends come as well. The shrimp on the appetizer menu were Bomb AF! The rest of the food was delicious as well. This is a sports bar, so the music is pretty loud but good. I do recommend you to stop by and grab some dam good sea food. .

I decided to give the new spot in town a try for brunch this past Sunday and let me tell you…read more.. THIS IS IT! This is exactly what Merced has been missing! The food was a 10, the waitress was super sweet and took good care of us and the vibe! I cannot say enough about how well this restaurant was thought out, from the tables to the murals and the MUSIC!!! Just go don't hesitate there is something for everyone on their menu! I also want to point out that my visit was the morning after the Canelo fight and it was cinco de mayo and apparently they had the fights showing but I would have never known because the restaurant including the bathroom was spotless.. so clean!

Stopped in with my family for lunch on Friday. When we walked in the restaurant was pretty busy and…read moreunfortunately only had one server working all positions herself. She greeted us and sat us. Then we sat looking at the menu for over 10-15minutes and she still had not returned to even get our drink order. She finally returned and apologized for the long wait. We ordered our drinks and food since we were now ready. The food took quite some time to come out. But as we were waiting we noticed the tables around us still had not received their food as well. When our food finally arrived it was really good. We ordered the buttermilk ranch Chicken Sandwich with fries / sweet potato fries, double stack burger added egg on top with fries & kids chicken tenders. Chicken sandwich was perfect. Juicy on the inside and perfectly crisp on the outside. My husband enjoyed the stack burger. The restaurant was clean and had they of had a hostess & busser to help out the waitress I believe the experience would have gone better. For this I deducted 1 star.

Lunch with my son and pup here was fantastic. We sat outdoors and the courtyard in front of the…read morerestaurant is a nice space to take in the active downtown view. Our server was top notch and very well versed on the menu. They have a full bar and extensive menu. We started with the poke appetizer, which was amazingly flavorful. I was not expecting the ample amount and excellent quality of this dish. It's a must-try if you like raw fish. We also tried the bacon wrapped dates, which were awesome. The cashew nut inside is a pleasant addition. I ordered the 510 Penne for lunch and my son had the tortellini. Both were excellent. The chicken was very tender. It was a lot of food and we took some leftovers. They have a unique payment system whereby you can scan a barcode on the bill to pay your bill automatically. This was a nice touch and came in handy to pay quickly because rain was rolling in. Overall I highly enjoyed this restaurant and look forward to my next visit. There's parking nearby and it's close to lots of shops if you care to walk and shop.

The quality of everything at Richwood's Meat company is fantastic. Been coming here for years to…read morepurchase tri tips, burgers, briskets, steaks & sandwiches from the deli. Have used them for several functions. I love that they will cook and slice so you can pick up and go. Deli trays are also great. The service is another great part of this establishment. Enjoy the employees they are always willing to help you and assist you in anyway!! The store is always clean and everyone is an asset to Richwood's. Thank You!!

I finally stopped by this local meat company and deli and it did not disappoint…read more The tri-tip sandwich was fantastic -- tender, juicy, and packed with flavor. The portion was extremely generous and piled high with meat. For $10, it's honestly one of the best values I've come across. What really stood out was the customer service. The staff was welcoming, patient, and very attentive when answering my questions about the menu and their meats. I had also inquired about their chili beans, which is made in house, and the young lady kindly offered me a sample, which was delicious! That will probably be my new side. If you're a fan of tri-tip (or meat), this place is definitely worth checking out. They also had precooked meat that you can purchase. I love that for a quick meal prep. Will definitely be back.!