It's no surprise that The Merchant is showing up on every "must" list in the country. I was excited to come here having heard all the hype, and I was happy to find that it didn't disappoint. The space is warm and inviting, with a rich interior that compliments the red banquettes and bar-side seating. The staff were wonderful- very friendly, knowledgeable and attentive. At dinner, we shared oysters that were incredible (much more flavourful that Row 34) and came with a mignonette that complimented their flavour and didn't detract from their taste. Entrees were pork (the belly was fantastic), perfectly cooked duck and delicate cod. A great wine selection too! We will most definitely be back. read more

Upscale feel, VERY LOUD, miniature food with a big price tag. They validate a parking ticket for $6, which is nice. Too expensive for me. If the food was amazing yes, but it was just ok. read more

Cute place to come for lunch downtown. Atmosphere is very business friendly and the clientele is very much oriented towards people working downtown looking for a lunch break. I ordered the chicken caprese sandwich with fries and although on the smaller side, it was quite good. I wouldn't rush back, but it's a perfectly acceptable choice for a classier lunch with fast service downtown. read more

Fantastic service! Excellent selection. I had a hard time choosing and decided no matter what I choose I would enjoy. I had the short ribs. We had a variety of appetizers and each one prepared to perfection! I'll be back! read more

The food was fine, the service could have been better. I came in on a Tuesday night and waited for my friend. I guess all parties were supposed to be there to get seated but I waited a while so I appreciate that the host seated me even before my friend showed up. I put in a drink order for a Bombay Sapphire dirty martini with the waiter. My friend showed up shortly after that and it seemed like it took a while for the waiter to come back to us to take her order. What felt like 30 minutes later, I still haven't gotten my drink. The waiter comes back to tell me that someone took my drink. I told him it's okay, and he asked me if I wanted the Hendrick's martini. I said no, Bombay Sapphire. It took a while to get our food but I finally got my drink so I didn't mind the wait too much. I ordered another martini later. When we got our bill, I saw that I was charged for two Hendrick's martini, even though I told the waiter at least twice that I wanted the Bombay Sapphire. I told him that I had ordered the Bombay Sapphire and he apologized but didn't do anything about it. I saw that I was charged around $16/martini and thought it was a bit much so I asked him if Hendrick's and Bombay Sapphire were around the same price.. he told me that the Bombay Sapphire is actually more than Hendrick's and that it's their most expensive gin... not knowing too much about gin, I trusted him and felt bad for asking so I even tipped him a little more. I went to the store yesterday and saw that a bottle of Hendrick's is actually around $10 more than a bottle of Bombay Sapphire.. there's no way a restaurant would charge more for a cheaper drink... I did drink two Hendrick's martinis so whatever, I'll pay for it, but I really don't appreciate being lied to. It drags down the decency and trustworthiness of a place. Not a good model for keeping customers. read more

I brought my coworkers here for a work happy hour and it all went swimmingly. + It was really easy to reserve a table just two hours beforehand, and the host didn't care that we ended up having fewer people/ a variable number of people throughout our visit + Their $1 oysters (Tuesday evening only) were some of the biggest, cleanest oysters I've eaten. We had about 70 over our 3 hours there and they were all top-notch + The fries were also great - I liked the poutine fries a lot more than the regular ones, which were more like what you get at McDonald's, but my coworkers disagreed and we all ended up happy. + The drink menu was diverse, well priced, and well recommended. The service was also great - we had people coming and going from our table all night long and they just rolled with it. Bonus points for the fact that they host my favorite local pop-tart and doughnut company (Party of Two) some mornings. Welcome to the hood, Merchant! read more

We've been wanting to try The Merchant for awhile now and along came a Gilt City deal so we decided to finally bite the bullet. Our deal allowed us 2 drinks, 1 app and 2 entrees (for dinner). I was surprised to see that the deal was only valid on weekends (sort of unusual for popular restaurants) but once we found and arrived at The Merchant I surmised that the weekends might not be too busy as the location is sort of off the beaten path (little foot traffic on the weekends) and is likely more busy during the week with the after-work crowd. The atmosphere is nice, kind of reminiscent of The Lincoln in Southie and Stoddards (two places we also really enjoy.) The beer list impressive (the reason we originally were so interested in giving the place a try), many local-ish drafts though I was disappointed to not see any Trillium or Night Shift on the menu -- come on, all the cool kids are featuring them these days! However, I was bummed when my $8 Racer 5 came out in a 12 oz glass. This beer tends to be pricey but I usually get a pint when I fork over $8 for it. Not sure if the menu specified that it was not a pint but I really don't think it did. Same with manfriend's Notch session, $6 for 12 oz of a beer with less than 6% abv? Definitely not competitive beer pricing there. We ordered the veal sweet bread nuggets for our app. They were tasty, though the portion was skimpy. We only had 2 sizeable nuggets and because the others were so small, they tasted of nothing but batter. I would have liked to see at least 2 more nuggets on the plate for it to seem reasonably priced. For our entrees I went with the halibut and the manfriend went with the steak frites. The halibut was $28 and the steak frites $25. Again, portion sizes were almost ridiculous (in a whoa, there's a lot of plate here and not a lot of food). And I'm sad to say that my halibut was overdone. As in, I almost didn't want to finish it overdone and tried to trade off pieces to manfriend for his steak. The steak was ok but I've had better for the price, the frites were standard. The quality of the food did not meet the price point at all -- if we hadn't had a deal, I probably would have left extremely disappointed. Here's my general advice: The space is cool, they definitely have that going for them. The menu is only eh (and I like ALL OF THE FOODS). I think they should incorporate some playful takes on comfort food (pork belly, short ribs, mac and cheese); I probably sound like a glutton for mentioning those foods but I just found that the food seemed too pretentious for the environment. I wanted more and sadly it just did not deliver. In summation: 2.5 stars, and because the waitress was quite kind and let us order beers instead of cocktails (as was included on the gilt city deal) I rounded up rather than down. read more

Been here a few times after work. I didn't like how you can't order from the bar if you're sitting at a table in the bar area. So you're saying I have to wait another 20 minutes for my server to squeeze through this clusterf*** instead of walking myself to the bar in 20 seconds? So you don't like money? Ok. The food was good every time I've been in, from apps to entrees, I did enjoy everything. The acoustics on the other hand are almost unbearable. I felt like I was bordering on the line of screaming at one point. Just to speak to someone across the table. If you're looking for a quiet or even not a loud spot, this isn't it. Can't really comment too much on service. If management is telling our servers to tell us we can't order from bar then that's on them. I can't complain that my server is slow just trying to navigate through the 3 deep after work mob. But it is annoying. My bartender one night was very nice, but we were the only two at the bar. Stopped in around midnight on a weekday for a snack. They have to stay open until 2 apparently, which is good for me when I get out after 10 and all other kitchens are closed. Hey, maybe it'll pick up. I'd go back to The Merchant, but I'm in no rush. read more

I've been here a few times as it's relatively close to my office. Most recently had the vegetable lasagne and the gnocchi. The lasagne is ok, but the gnocchi is worth coming in for. I've also had their burger and it's excellent. Solid fries as well. The vibe is cool, with dim lights and shiny dark wood, and the service is good. As far as dress code, you could show up in jeans and be fine. You might feel a little underdressed, esp on a weeknight, since lots of people come straight from work. read more

Great bar downtown! The mussels were great and the cocktails mixed by bartender Eric were excellent! Highly recommended read more

The Merchant - Irish Eyes cocktail - New American Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Let me start off my saying I dine out in Boston between 3-5x a week and never have a left a review like the below. We had made reservations for a work lunch and the reservation was initially for 4. Last minute we did need to add an additional person making the total 5. When we walked in we let the hostess know of the change and she stated to give her a few minutes to change some things around. The table ended up being very close to the door and so I asked if there was anywhere else we could sit as it was 34 degrees today and very cold! She responded with "this is the only table I have available". We pointed out numerous other options where she stated they were all reserved and this was our only option. She continued to repeat "this is the only table I have available". I asked if there was another member of her team that I could speak to as she was being rude and not pleasant to work with. Only when I asked for her business card did she say if we gave her 5 minutes she would see what she could do, which at that point I declined. Well it turns out her name was Tena R******* and she was the General Manager. I was completely SHOCKED that the general manager would have such an unprofessional demeanor. The food and our server were good but our experience got worse at the end of the meal. As previously stated it was a very cold/windy Boston day so 3 out of the 5 guests ordered hot water with lemon. I do understand that this is a bit of a pain but when we got the check the waitress actually charged us for 3 teas. We therefore paid $9.75 for 3 slices of lemon with hot water. Someone at the table also asked for her salad to be wrapped and instead it got thrown out. The server did have a new one made but General Manager Tena came back to deliver and stated that he must not have understood what she meant which is ridiculous. I am pretty positive that wrapping up meals is standard at any restaurant. Overall, this was not a good experience and I will not be coming back to the Merchant. So to sum up this very long review: 1. Horrible customer service - Tena was rude and unprofessional 2. You will get charged $3.25 for a cup of hot water with lemon 3. You must be very clear if you want your food wrapped or it will be thrown away read more

This place is pretty dope. Had zero problems, great food, and excellent beer selection. Bartender/waitstaff are nice and professional. I ordered the burger and a couple harder-to find beers. Fries were perfect temp and seasoning for a burger-style fry. Burger and toppings were almost perfect, meat was cooked to medium instead of my requested medium well. Usually, that would warrant a 4.5, but I can't do that and I notice these guys could use a strong review. Go here. It's p nice! read more

Buffalo Cauliflower was $13 for half a head cut in 3 covered in hot sauce...what a joke.

Went here for Dine Out Boston and we had a great experience. The drink menu is great. Got 2 of the sparkling gin drinks, delicious! My friend and I started with the salad with crispy onions on top, delicious and large portion. For dinner he got chicken with spinach, mashed and mustard sauce. He loved it. I got the crispy duck over lentils with a plum sauce and collard greens. One of the best duck dishes I've ever had. For dessert, he got the ice cream sundae with yummy looking marshmallows, and I got the fruit cobbler. Both good. My cobbler was very sweet, but it is dessert! The waiter was great and he put a candle on my friend's dessert when he found out it was his birthday :) Overall, great experience! We will be back! read more

Love every item we ordered here. This was a place we randomly picked because we were in the area at the moment and we glad we picked this. We waited for a little while ( full house ). We ended up choosing the house made gnocchi, house made pasta with wild mushrooms, slow braised beef short ribs (?), & a Pancetta dessert. We would come back here again! read more

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Had a great time at the Merchant on Tuesday night. We went for a pre- ballet dinner and were really happy with our meal and the service. We would definitely recommend it and would go there again. To start we had a half dozen oysters. All were fresh and delicious. For main courses my husband had the burger & I went with the chicken (a recommendation from our waiter who was awesome). Both were fantastic. I kept stealing the fries off my husband's plate because they were so tasty. For dessert we went with the molten lava cake. Outstanding!! I was also impressed with how good our waiter was about making sure we made it to the show on time. Overall it was a great meal and a great night. Finally there is someplace we like to eat at in downtown crossing!! read more

We went to The Merchant for dinner last night because of the reviews, but it didn't live up to our expectations. The decor and ambience was odd, and the service was pretty terrible. Even though we were one of two seated tables it took a long time to get any attention from the waiter. The food, however, is what redeems this place. Everything tastes really, really good. I ordered one of everything from the raw bar, and the oyster and clam were clean and fresh. My mussels were deliciously savory and my martini was perfectly made. The prices were high, but since the food was yummy it wasn't a total loss. read more

Came here for the long list of draft beer, stayed for the burger - which was cooked perfectly as requested and served with well-seasoned and crispy fries (or side salad if you prefer). The atmosphere was warm and cozy - the service extremely friendly. We spent the better half of our night here watching the game, sampling beer, and talking with the people around us. While the beer is pricey, as are the menu items, the experience was charming and accommodating. There was no pressure to get you in and out. Come, Stay, Enjoy! read more

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE that we stumbled upon this wonderful bar on a Sunday at Noon on our last day of our long weekend visiting Boston! We spent 2.5 hours here, because the bartender BRYAN made us feel so welcome & kept us entertained with stories of Boston's history! As Chicagoans, we loved The John Hancock 25 Pipes curated beverage from the Historical Cocktail menu. You don't find spirits like Broadbent rainwater madeira often on menus. Make sure you visit The Merchant bar & restaurant and ask if Bryan is working behind the bar. Food was amazing! We nibbled on Blueberry & Pecan Coffee Cake and french fries. And, don't miss out trying the nitro expresso martini - that alone is worth the trip!!! read more

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The beet salad is excellent! But had to knock off two stars since it wasn't a salad in the traditional sense. With no lettuce, this was not enough for a meal. Definitely order as an appetizer! read more

I really liked this place! After getting caught in the rain while shopping all day, we decided to come in here for a late lunch and to relax and I'm glad we did. The place is dark and quiet, nice decor and in a great location. Our server was great, I wish I remembered her name. I had the lemonade with lavender and the Cobb salad- maybe the best one I've ever had, they were not shy with the ingredients. My husband had the croque Madame with fries and he said it was very good. We would have had dessert, but the selection is limited. Other than that, great place. Would definitely come back for dinner or drinks at the bar. read more

We were greeted by the hostess with rolled eyes and were sat at a table. We saw a sign that said Oysters from Monday-Friday from 4pm-9pm for $1, we ordered 24. We wanted to put more appetizers in and the waitress left mid order and didn't come back for another 20 minutes. We ordered two shots of Tito's so a friend of ours could try an oyster shooter and finally put the rest of our order in. When we got the bill we saw that the oysters were not discounted. When we asked she said that it is only Monday AND Friday and asked the chef if it was everyday, he said no. She should have told us that they were not on special. The Tito shots were not on the bill so we thought they compensated for the oysters having a misleading sign. When we are about to leave the waitress came over and said I didn't charge you for the two shots. We paid for the shots. If you want rolled eyes and attitude from the host, and never see your waitress unless it's convenient for her then this is your place. read more

I've been here several times and only ordered jumbo shrimp and the Slow Roasted Chicken Breast at the recommendation of a friend. It is SO amazing that it was the only thing I continually ordered every time I visit and have been quoted as saying "this dish would easily be my last meal request". The downside is that it is so incredible I eat the whole plate (the chicken, the mashed potatoes, the spinach - oh my!) leaving me feeling a little heavy afterwards (though most of the time I really don't mind but it can be a little heavy for lunch). The last time I had lunch with a friend here, I didn't want to order the chicken breast as I also had Christmas Dinner plans with my husband's coworkers later that evening so I opted for the Greek Garden Tomato Wrap. The ingredients listed are all things I enjoy. However, I found it a little dry and the combination just didn't sit well on my palate therefore, I didn't eat it. I was enjoying spending time with my friend regardless. The waiter noticed I didn't eat the meal and asked if everything was okay. I said I didn't like it but that's okay... he said he would take it off the bill. Minutes later the General Manager came over to ask why I didn't like it. I completely understand the inquiry but her tone and demeanor was on the verge of rude (it felt like I was being grilled over my distaste which I find inappropriate). I was disappointed in her approach and even more so that I didn't request to have the meal removed from our bill, it was the waiter's suggestion (and a nice gesture on his part). The interaction with the General Manager left a bad taste in my mouth. Guess I'll stick with the Chicken Breast from now on... read more

Small group on a weekend night. Service was decent. Very tasty food. Highly recommend the mussels in green curry. It's a light sauce and it is fantastic. Pointer to the waitstaff - for diners eating shellfish like mussels or clams, provide a secondary shell bowl so you can keep on eating without playing a balancing act of empty shells on the rim of the bowl. read more

Stopped by for dinner during a short weekend in Boston. Looks like a great post-work hangout spot in the downtown area. Our server was awesome and friendly. We ordered the hummus app and burgers - both were great. It was a bit loud because there wasn't much separation between the bar and the dining area, but otherwise had a good meal and would recommend. read more

The Merchant - Burger - New American Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Cool ambience and surprisingly not packed on a Saturday night. I come here pretty regularly since my office is nearby. This was my first time for dinner and it was just as good as lunch. Steak frites were cooked perfect medium rare and my wife really enjoyed the swordfish tacos. Drinks were also really good and interesting. Service was very good and waiter was not intrusive to the conversation and not in a rush to bring the check which was great. We will definitely be coming back. read more

Single woman looking for a nice lunch spot on a Sunday. Saw this from across the street and gave it s try. OMG. So good. I had Commonwealth Iconoclast for beverage. My first choice was out but waitress brought a sampler. I don't like IPAs, but this DIPA is light and fruity. Yum. Entree was Ricotta Gnocchi. The airier gnocchi I've ever had, with a light sauce, mushrooms and spinach. Try it! Decided I had to see dessert menu. Mexican Chocolate mousse. Again, trust me and do it. Service was exceptional. Nice music in background. Nothing to fault. All is praise. read more

We had dinner reservations for 7:30 and they were flexible and moved us to 8pm after running late. I always check for three things at any restaurant, new or old: atmosphere, service and food. The atmosphere was vibrant and would be a great place for drinks. As a dinner spot, it was less enjoyable. The acoustics were terrible and none of us at the table could understand our server. Our drinks took forever to be made, but were tasty! I had The Beetnik for all you beet lovers out there and a cucumber tequila drink that was refreshing. I tasted friends' cocktails and they were good as well. We ordered a few things from the raw menu which also took quite a long time to come out. For dinner I ordered the Steak Frites which was pretty delicious. The seasoning was spot on, the fries were enough to share and it came out hot. I would give 3.5 stars but this is my first review and i can't figure out the 'half' rating. All in all, the lower review was for service and the poor dinner atmosphere. I would go back, but only for drinks. read more

The Merchant - New American Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Ate here on Halloween. Both my friend and I had the vegetable ragout with a one hour egg. It was delicious. Well portioned and great flavors. I was also very happy with the service here. My friend was late and I was treated very well and still given my table. Our waitress was so patient and constantly checking on us - bonus she was dressed as Garth from Wayne's World! This is a great place for after work drinks and food. Definitely noisy but that's the atmosphere. read more

The Merchant - Fall Vegetable Ragout with One Hour Egg - New American Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Really slow service, and the tables were no where close to full when my gf and I were there on a Thu night...we arrived at 755 and didn't get our food order in until 830...after which my vegetarian lasagna was barely app sized let alone a $22 entree. Nice vibe though. Next time I'll stick to just drinks. read more

The Merchant has become one of my favorite restaurants. The ambiance is fantastic, and I always recommend it to people who come out of town. I love the ever-changing drink menu, and know I can always find a unique cocktail or an unheard of beer. My absolute favorite dish is the burgers. It's cooked perfectly and comes with a delicious black pepper aioli. If I don't know what I'm in the mood for, I know I'll always be happy with a burger and a cocktail at The Merchant. Service is still a bit slow, but I just had the most wonderful waiter the other day. He was attentive and was in tune with our needs. I was very pleased. read more

Had drinks with former coworkers. Snacks were good but the place is understaffed and we had to hail our server many times. Very popular place even on a Thursday night. Noisy read more

Great Service, Friendly Staff, and a classy environment. Brian is a great bartender who's enthusiastic about all your questions and new and upcoming (wine on tap) beverages. Go here read more

The Merchant - New American Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Got stuck in Boston on a Friday night because the T broken down (thanks MBTA) so decided to find some dinner. I'd been to the Merchant before and always had a great experience, but this specific night was amazing. I couldn't find a seat at the bar (it was packed, being a Friday night) but the hostesses were so incredibly kind and found me a table within 10 min of walking in (again, it was a busy Friday night and I didn't have a reservation and I had already been turned away at the first restaurant I tried). I ordered the steak-frites which was cooked perfectly and melted in my mouth. Also ordered the coconut pie. For Boston, the prices are very reasonable. I can't get over how amazing the service was- from the hostesses, to my server, to the guys bussing tables, everyone was so kind. read more

The Merchant - Steak-frites - New American Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

I've been wanting to check out The Merchant since its opening, and last night we made that happen. Our waitress was smiley, friendly, and pleasant. I ordered the fish and chips. Two very small pieces of cod on a plate of bagged fries, not hand-cut, and a side of cole slaw which was weak in flavor. I asked the waitress if the fries were fresh-cut, and she told me they were, which they obviously were not. We also ordered two burgers, which my partner and niece said were ok. I left feeling dissatisfied with my fish n chips and thinking, "See you never!" read more

Very good food at reasonable price. Service was good. We were there for a business lunch, but the place is also great for drinks and happy hour. I had the sea trout, which is actually steelhead. It was nicely done over flavorful, charred veggies. read more

I've had over-salted meals before, but this was on another level. I could barely taste anything else. My burger was cooked medium as requested, but it was the first one in my life that I have ever been unable to finish. It was also small, and $17. The crispy shoestring fries were ruined too, as well as the fish tacos my companion ordered. The drinks & service were fine. All told, $76 (before tip) for 3 drinks & a complete fail in simple comfort food for two. read more

Ramen is hard to find at non asian restaurants so i'm really glad they have it on their menu. It is delicious and the portion size is great. It was my first time here and the service was great we had about 3 different servers making sure everything was good but the main one did her job very well. read more

The Merchant - Spicy Miso Ramen - New American Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

This is our hangout spot for after-work catch up. We love going here. Good selection for drinks and apps are always tasty. Our favorite ones are buffalo cauliflower and poutine. Its usually not super crowded, but if you have a big party call ahead. read more

Very disappointing experience on our last visit, both in the quality of the service and the food. We come here for lunch all the time (the Cobb Salad is quite good), but on this occasion, we came for dinner. We started with buffalo cauliflower, which tasted delicious but came with a micro-serving of blue cheese (for two). We asked for more. It was clear our server was annoyed but he did bring it. I ordered a burger, medium well, with a side salad instead of fries. I received a barely edible hockey puck and a side of greens. I asked if it would be possible to get some cucumbers and/or tomatoes with the greens (for a true side salad) and some bleu cheese as well. Again, he seemed vaguely annoyed, but did bring the items. Imagine our surprise when the bill arrived and,in this already price-y DTX establishment, we were charged $.50 for each blue cheese and $3.00 for the cucumbers and tomatoes. Nickel and dime, much? It felt petty because we were never advised we would be charged, nor is it on the menu, not to mention, our requests seemed fairly standard. We were nice, we were courteous. I even choked down the hockey puck because I really don't like sending food back. We always tip 20% or more, especially if the service is outstanding. But we deducted the extra charges from his tip. Haven't been back and have no plans to, even for lunch. And I've recommended this restaurant to clients because it's close to our office, but I've been sending them to another one nearby. Service is everything and this experience was sorely lacking. read more