Merchant

4.3

1551 Reviews

$31 to $50

Contemporary American

Make a booking

2 people

23 Nov 2024

19:00

Booked 23 times today

Experiences are available.

Lively
Great for creative cocktails
Neighbourhood gem

Merchant is Madison's energetic industrial-chic cafe, craft cocktail bar and late night destination specializing in no-nonsense, affordable fare and drink steeped in old school culture and soul.

Our menu features elevated American classics like shrimp cakes, steaks, burgers, and mac and cheese. As Madison’s first craft cocktail bar, our drink list includes twists on classic cocktails using fresh ingredients and heritage spirits, fresh innovative non-alcoholic drinks, and wines from boutique producers, fresh beers on tap, and heritage beers.

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Elegant
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Contemporary American, Cajun, Cocktail Bar
Hours of Operation
Brunch Sat, Sun 9:00 am–2:00 pm Happy Hour Tue–Fri 4:00 pm–6:00 pm Sat, Sun 2:00 pm–6:00 pm Dinner Tue–Thu, Sun 4:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–10:00 pm Late Night Fri, Sat 10:00 pm–1:00 am
Phone number
(608) 259-9799
Website
http://www.merchantmadison.com/
Payment Options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress
Executive Chef
Paulie Bolland
Private party facilities
We have semi-private dining available. Please call (608) 259-9799 to speak to management.

Location
121 S Pinckney St, Madison, WI 53703
Area
Madison
Cross Street
E. Doty Street
Parking details
Streetside and Parking ramp available across the street
Public transit
Downtown bus lines are one block away.
Entertainment
We have Madison's finest DJs late night on Friday and Saturday nights and live bands on Thursdays at 9:30. Please check the entertainment schedule athttp://www.merchantmadison.com/entertainment/
Additional
Gluten-free Options, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Vegan

Featured in

45 Wisconsin Restaurants to Connect In For Mother's Day

Experiences

Date Night at Merchant! Prixe Fixe $60 for 2
US$30.00 per person
Multiple dates available
Choice of any snack, starter, and any entree, and a bottle of wine to share. Starting at $60 for two guests!
Merchant's Nightmare Before Christmas!💀🎄
3 Dec 2024 - 31 Dec 2024
Let us bring you the spookiest holiday experience in Madison! Debuting this year in 2024, Merchant is putting on its first annual holiday pop-up series, Merchant’s Nightmare Before Christmas! An experience offered to all reservations who book with us from December 3rd until NYE, it’s filled with eerie decorations and specialty cocktails served in ‘Nightmare Before Christmas’-themed cocktail mugs! Join us for this spooky twist in celebrating the holidays, we’ll scare you there😎
A Nightmare Cocktail Tasting Sneak Peek!
US$30.00 per person
Prepaid
3 Dec 2024 only
16:30
Join us on our opening day of our first annual Nightmare Before Christmas holiday pop-up! Launching December 3rd, you'll get an exclusive preview to our full holiday cocktail list served in Nightmare Before Christmas-themed mugs and experience our spooky holiday decorations in full effect! Each ticket gets you a sample of the 5 holiday cocktails on special + one specialty shot...AND you get to take home your choice between a Jack Skellington or Sally monster rag doll mug! Scare you there😎

Offers

Everyday Happy Hour!
Multiple dates available
Sun - 15:00 - 16:00,Sat - 15:00 - 16:00
DRINKS: 50% off draft cocktails $3 Lawnmower Beers $6 Boilermakers BOGO House Wine $6 Gin and Tonics $7 Regrets FOOD: $4 Fries $6 Curds $5 Fondue $6 Olives
Friday Fish Fry
Multiple dates available
Fri - 16:00 - 21:30
Wild-caught Lake Superior whitefish from Bodin Fisheries, Bayfield, WI, coleslaw, cornichon tartar sauce, rye bread, butter, warm potato salad w/mustard vinaigrette

Hand-Cut French FriesUS$8.00
with black pepper mayonnaise (v, vg*)
Fried Cheese CurdsUS$10.50
buttermilk-battered and fried. Served with ranch and hot honey (v)
House Marinated OlivesUS$12.00
served warm with citrus oil, marcona almonds (vg)
Chile-Pimento Cheese Deviled EggsUS$10.00
creamed hook’s 1 year cheddar, guajillo, red peppers, bacon bits, smoked paprika (v*, gf)
Fried Chicken WingsUS$11.50
choose: mild or spicy choose dipping sauce: buttermilk ranch, hot honey, citrus remoulade
Cheese, Charcuterie & House PicklesUS$32.00
rotating selection served with fruit preserves, honey, toasted nuts, Potter’s crackers, with house pickles, cornichons, whole grain mustard (v*, gf*)

SOUP & SALADS

Chopped SaladUS$14.00
Chopped Salad romaine, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, bell peppers, red onion, cornbread croutons, red wine vinaigrette, sarvecchio parmesan (v, gf upon request) $14 add bacon $4 | add crispy chicken $6
Cauliflower Cobb SaladUS$16.00
crispy fried cauliflower florets, chopped romaine, cherry tomato, avocado dressing, celery, hard boiled eggs, moody blue cheese (v, vg*, df*) $16 add bacon $4 | add crispy chicken $6
Spicy Corn Bisque with MusselsUS$16.00
spicy corn bisque with steamed Prince Edward Island mussels (gf) $16 also available without mussels (v) $8

SANDWICHES

served with housemade, warm potato chips (substitute a petite salad $2)

The Merchant BurgerUS$16.50
double patty from fox heritage farms*, brioche bun, Hook's 1 year cheddar, black pepper mayonnaise, dill pickles $16.50 (served medium) add bacon $4 | add an egg $2
Braised Collard MeltUS$16.00
braised collard greens, Vitruvian Farms oyster mushrooms, celeriac slaw, remoulade, swiss cheese, sourdough toast (v, gf*) $15

COMFORTING CLASSICS

served with braised collards with bacon (substitute spinach or green beans $2)

Baked Creamy Macaroni & Cheese US$23.00
Hook’s 5-Year cheddar, velveeta, Sarvecchio parmesan, black pepper, Zapp's Potato Chip Voodoo gratin (v) $23 add bacon $4
Parmesan-Crusted Shrimp CakesUS$26.00
three large shrimp cakes, panko, spicy pickled relish, scallions, tabasco, creole seasoning $26
Broiled WhitefishUS$26.00
Wild-caught Lake Superior whitefish, cornichon tartar sauce, marble rye bread, braised red cabbage, potato salad with giardiniera aioli & scallions. Make it fried on Fridays for Fish Fry!
Steak Sandwich - Limited AvailabilityUS$18.00
Top sirloin, hoagie roll, horseradish-garlic aioli, giardiniera, arugula, and french onion fondue. Served with potato chips

MAINS

served with french fries (substitute creamy turnips or cornbread $2)

Fried Breaded Pork CutletUS$25.00
oven braised collard greens, house-pickled okra, and red-eye gravy $25
Vegan Mushroom ÉtoufféeUS$26.00
stewed Vitruvian Farms oyster mushrooms, red beans, haricot verts, spinach, steamed rice (vg) $26
Crispy Fried Chicken PlatterUS$26.00
crispy chicken thighs, braised collard greens, celeriac slaw $26
Steak Au PoivreUS$36.00
spinach, brined green-peppercorn sauce boudran (gf) $36

SIDES FOR THE TABLE

Warm Homemade CornbreadUS$6.00
crystal hot sauce-roasted garlic butter with chow chow relish (v)
Macaroni & CheeseUS$8.00
Creamy Buttermilk Mashed TurnipsUS$8.00
Sautéed SpinachUS$8.00
French Green BeansUS$6.00
with shallot
Braised Bacon-Collard GreensUS$8.00

DESSERT

Flourless Chocolate BrownieUS$11.00
vanilla ice cream, fresh berries, flake salt (v, gf) $11
Banana Cream PieUS$12.00
graham cracker-pecan crust, chocolate shavings, freeze dried banana $12 (v)
Warm BeignetsUS$11.00
three fried doughnuts served warm with powdered sugar, served with a cherries jubilee dipping sauce $11 (v)

FOR THE KIDDOS

add milk or juice $2

Small Mac & CheeseUS$7.00
Single Patty Burger (w/cheese $7)US$6.00
Crispy Chicken Strips with ranchUS$6.00
Side of Green BeansUS$3.00
Side of French FriesUS$2.00
Side of Seasonal FruitUS$4.00
(v)

FRIDAY SPECIAL

Friday Fish Fry *available only on Fridays!US$26.00
wild-caught Lake Superior whitefish, cornichon tartar sauce, fries, black pepper mayonnaise, celeriac slaw with pickled sweet peppers $26

What 1,551 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.3

4.3 based on recent ratings

4.3Food
4.2Service
4.5Ambience
4.1Value

Noise • Moderate

Diners' Choice Awards

Madison
Good for groups
Madison
Neighbourhood gem
Madison
Great for outdoor dining
Madison
Lively
Madison
Most Booked

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

Merchant offers a vibrant dining experience in a fantastic downtown location with "great food and innovative drinks." The atmosphere is lively, making it ideal for groups. Highlights include creative cocktails, tasty cheese curds, and a diverse menu. While some guests note inconsistent service, the "delicious food" and "great service" keep patrons returning.

1,551 Reviews

J
Julie
Chicago
8 reviews
5.0
8 reviews
Dined today
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Wonderful food and service. Would like to see more gluten free options on the menu.
Is this helpful?
M
Mark
Austin
5 reviews
vip
3.0
5 reviews
Dined 6 days ago
1. Overall 3
2. Food 5
3. Service 2
4. Ambience 2
Good food. Slow kitchen in an empty restaurant. No attention from staff until we complained.
Is this helpful?
P
Paula
Chicago
7 reviews
vip
4.0
7 reviews
Dined 6 days ago
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
Second time at Merchant. Again, great food & good friendly service.
MerchantResponded 5 days ago
Thank you so much for your review, Paula! We're so happy to hear you enjoyed your food and our team took care of you :) We can't wait for you to visit us again! Cheers!
Is this helpful?
r
rebecca
Milwaukee
63 reviews
3.0
63 reviews
Dined 6 days ago
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 5
Not our first time here and it’s fair to say that the service and the food were lackluster this time. The menu is very small and the timing was terrible. Drinks arrived after food and entree arrived while still eating salad. Not impressed by this visit and unlikely to return. Had the crispy “chicken thighs”, but one piece was definitely a breast. Also needed a dipping sauce of some sort. Soup with mussels was good but super stingey portion (4 mussels)!
Is this helpful?
R
Rose
Milwaukee
4 reviews
vip
3.0
4 reviews
Dined on 15 November 2024
1. Overall 3
2. Food 2
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 4
Food was mediocre for the price, the cheese curds were good, the rest was ok but not something I'd order again. Ambiance was nice, but the music was very loud for a 5pm dinner and swung from 2LiveCrew to ACDC to Taylor Swift. Don't plan on revisiting
MerchantResponded 5 days ago
Dear Rose, thanks for your review. We're happy to hear you enjoyed your cheese curds and our ambience. However, we're sorry to hear you didn't find the value in your other food and our music turned you off. We'll certainly be looking into these aspects of your visit to evaluate for improvement. Thanks again for your feedback and we hope you'll consider giving us another try in the future!
Is this helpful?
S
Steve
Milwaukee
26 reviews
5.0
26 reviews
Dined on 9 November 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
If you’re a fan of eggs…Merchant is the place for you! I’ve never had eggs cooked to such perfection; from the omelette to poached, they do eggs right!
MerchantResponded on 11 November 2024
Thank you so much for your review, Steve! This is exactly the type of brunch review we strive for! We're so happy to hear we delivered perfect eggs to provide you with a great brunch experience. We hope you'll join us again very soon, we're definitely looking forward to it! :)
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A
Anna
Milwaukee
1 review
2.0
1 review
Dined on 9 November 2024
1. Overall 2
2. Food 4
3. Service 1
4. Ambience 4
The food was good but service was so slow. Seemed understaffed. Had to flag down our server multiple times. Drinks took forever to come.
Is this helpful?
E
Elizabeth
Washington DC
8 reviews
3.0
8 reviews
Dined on 2 November 2024
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 2
4. Ambience 4
Got there early when it was still mostly empty - initially seated at worst table in restaurant next to service station. Waiter was very slow. Took 25 minutes to get our drinks. App came way before drinks. Then main disheds took less than 10 minutes to come after order and did not taste freshly cooked. Good. But not great. Fun atmosphere. Cool looking place.
Is this helpful?
W
Wayne
Seattle
11 reviews
5.0
11 reviews
Dined on 1 November 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Lots of great menu choices including vegetables that are hard to find at more traditional restaurants. Great taste without excessive butter and cheese. Well done!
MerchantResponded on 4 November 2024
Thank you so much for your review, Wayne! We're so happy to hear you found our menu to have a variety of choices...especially more unique vegetable options! This is exactly what we strived to do when putting this menu together and we're so proud it's been noticed by you. Thanks again for your review, we hope you'll join us again very soon!
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L
Lenn
Denver
1 review
3.0
1 review
Dined on 28 October 2024
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 4
Food was good - had a bit higher expectation for burger and buffalo cauli salad. Nothing bad, but just nothing that would make me want to return again sadly. One highlight was the cheesecurd/hot honey combo and pumpkin patch drink. Good ambience, fairly slow service (but we weren't in a hurry)
MerchantResponded on 30 October 2024
Thanks for your feedback, Lenn. We're happy to hear you enjoyed your cheese curds and pumpkin patch drink! However, we're sorry to hear you were let down by your other food and that your service wasn't super prompt. We'll certainly discuss this further during our manager meeting to see if we can make improvements to offer more value there. Thanks again for providing your feedback, we hope you'll consider giving us another try in the future!
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FAQs

Merchant offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (608) 259-9799.

Merchant is rated 4.3 stars by 1551 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

2 people

23 Nov 2024

19:00

Booked 23 times today

Experiences are available.

Order delivery or takeout

121 S Pinckney St, Madison, WI 53703

Additional information

Cross Street
E. Doty Street
Area
Madison
Hours of Operation
Brunch Sat, Sun 9:00 am–2:00 pm Happy Hour Tue–Fri 4:00 pm–6:00 pm Sat, Sun 2:00 pm–6:00 pm Dinner Tue–Thu, Sun 4:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–10:00 pm Late Night Fri, Sat 10:00 pm–1:00 am
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Contemporary American, Cajun, Cocktail Bar
Dining style
Casual Elegant
Dress code
Casual Dress
Parking details
Streetside and Parking ramp available across the street
Public transit
Downtown bus lines are one block away.
Payment Options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Executive Chef
Paulie Bolland
Entertainment
We have Madison's finest DJs late night on Friday and Saturday nights and live bands on Thursdays at 9:30. Please check the entertainment schedule athttp://www.merchantmadison.com/entertainment/
Additional
Gluten-free Options, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Vegan

Website
http://www.merchantmadison.com/
Phone number
(608) 259-9799
Private party facilities
We have semi-private dining available. Please call (608) 259-9799 to speak to management.

Featured in

45 Wisconsin Restaurants to Connect In For Mother's Day

Merchant

Make a booking

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

45 Wisconsin Restaurants to Connect In For Mother's Day

Date Night at Merchant! Prixe Fixe $60 for 2

Merchant's Nightmare Before Christmas!💀🎄

A Nightmare Cocktail Tasting Sneak Peek!

Everyday Happy Hour!

Friday Fish Fry

SNACKS & SHARING (20% off during happy hour)

Hand-Cut French FriesUS$8.00

Fried Cheese CurdsUS$10.50

House Marinated OlivesUS$12.00

Chile-Pimento Cheese Deviled EggsUS$10.00

Fried Chicken WingsUS$11.50

Cheese, Charcuterie & House PicklesUS$32.00

SOUP & SALADS

Chopped SaladUS$14.00

Cauliflower Cobb SaladUS$16.00

Spicy Corn Bisque with MusselsUS$16.00

SANDWICHES

The Merchant BurgerUS$16.50

Braised Collard MeltUS$16.00

COMFORTING CLASSICS

Baked Creamy Macaroni & Cheese US$23.00

Parmesan-Crusted Shrimp CakesUS$26.00

Broiled WhitefishUS$26.00

Steak Sandwich - Limited AvailabilityUS$18.00

MAINS

Fried Breaded Pork CutletUS$25.00

Vegan Mushroom ÉtoufféeUS$26.00

Crispy Fried Chicken PlatterUS$26.00

Steak Au PoivreUS$36.00

SIDES FOR THE TABLE

Warm Homemade CornbreadUS$6.00

Macaroni & CheeseUS$8.00

Creamy Buttermilk Mashed TurnipsUS$8.00

Sautéed SpinachUS$8.00

French Green BeansUS$6.00

Braised Bacon-Collard GreensUS$8.00

DESSERT

Flourless Chocolate BrownieUS$11.00

Banana Cream PieUS$12.00

Warm BeignetsUS$11.00

FOR THE KIDDOS

Small Mac & CheeseUS$7.00

Single Patty Burger (w/cheese $7)US$6.00

Crispy Chicken Strips with ranchUS$6.00

Side of Green BeansUS$3.00

Side of French FriesUS$2.00

Side of Seasonal FruitUS$4.00

FRIDAY SPECIAL

Friday Fish Fry *available only on Fridays!US$26.00

Overall ratings and reviews

Diners' Choice Awards

Review summary

FAQs

Does Merchant offer delivery through OpenTable or takeout?

How is Merchant restaurant rated?

Is Merchant currently accepting bookings?

Make a booking

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

Featured in

45 Wisconsin Restaurants to Connect In For Mother's Day