Merchant

Review summary

1. AS

   AllisonS

   Milwaukee

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined 4 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Delicious food! The beignets were amazing. I liked that you could make a reservation for brunch.
   

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2. M

   Matthew

   Chicago

   3 reviews

   5.0

   3 reviews

   Dined 5 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   The staff made us feel like vips. Drinks and food were great.
   

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3. T

   Tommaso

   New York City

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined 6 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Wow—how have I not been to Merchant sooner?! I’m actually mad at myself for missing out on this gem for so long. From the very first bite, I knew I was in for something special. We started with the deviled eggs, which were the perfect way to warm up for the main event—just enough to tease the taste buds without spoiling the appetite. But the real star? The shrimp cakes. Hands down, one of the best things I’ve eaten in Madison! Perfectly crispy on the outside, tender and flavorful on the inside—every bite was next-level delicious. On top of the phenomenal food, the atmosphere was just as impressive. The stylish decor and intimate vibe made for an amazing dinner date, elevating the entire experience. I’m officially hooked. I’ll be coming back again and again to work my way through the menu, and I highly recommend this place to anyone looking for incredible food in Madison. If you haven’t been to Merchant yet—go ASAP. You won’t regret it!
   

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4. O

   Osvaldo

   Milwaukee

   2 reviews

   4.0

   2 reviews

   Dined on 16 February 2025

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 5

   Our server was friendly but could use more attention to detail. When asked for more water, the server never came back and we asked someone totally different when they came to clear our plates from the appetizer. When it was time for dessert, we did not get new silverware, our beignets were cold by the time I was able to flag our server down to bring us some. As far as the food, I enjoyed the merchant burger, but my wife got the steak and felt disappointed at the fact that she asked for medium well and it came more like medium. She also stated the steak was very bland. My wife wished she’d gotten the burger because it was more flavorful. The drinks were perfect, we got a French martini and an old fashioned. Overall I think it was a great experience but we’d hope for a better experience with the server and if the steak truly was prepared as intended, we wouldn’t order that again.
   

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5. AM

   AnneM

   VIP

   Milwaukee

   12 reviews

   5.0

   12 reviews

   Dined on 15 February 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Delicious craft cocktails and gourmet comfort food with a southern flair. Wonderful service too!
   

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6. M

   Marchelle

   Montreal

   2 reviews

   5.0

   2 reviews

   Dined on 9 February 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   What a perfect spot to come to after a performance at the Overture. The drinks were fantastic and the food scrumptious. Sam our server was a charm with attentive service while not hovering ,
   

   MerchantResponded on 13 February 2025

   Hi Marchelle, Thank you for your lovely review, we really appreciate it! We're so happy to hear you had an excellent time with us here at Merchant and we look forward to serving you again soon. Cheers!
   

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7. C

   Cheryl

   Washington DC

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined on 1 February 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   This was my first time at Merchant. My friend and I had drinks and dinner before a show at the Overture. What a great experience! The service was amazing - very friendly staff. The drinks were spectacular and the food was great. Highly reccommend!
   

   MerchantResponded on 13 February 2025

   Hi Cheryl, Thank you for your sterling review, we really appreciate it! We're thrilled to hear you had an excellent time during your first visit dining with us! Sounds like a great experience all around. We look forward to serving you again soon, see you then!
   

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8. M

   Morgan

   Milwaukee

   1 review

   3.0

   1 review

   Dined on 1 February 2025

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 2
   4. Ambience 4

   Are meal was fine. Not bad not great. Kind of expensive for a piece of choice meat. Choice being grading quality. But not bad . (If it was grading prime, than that steer must have been on the bovine weight lifting team.) Are major irritation was service. When we received Are meals, are server vanished. When I did see him, I could not get there attention. Overall, the service was mediocre, the food was OK, the place is very loud, but what do you do. It's a giant open space. It's going to resonate.
   

   MerchantResponded on 3 February 2025

   Hi Morgan, thanks for the feedback and for joining us last Friday. However, we're sorry to hear your experience didn't live up to expectations. Most notably that you were let down by your service. We looked into the details of your visit and will be following up with your server so we can discuss promptness and improvements! We appreciate your feedback so we know where to do better and we hope you'll consider giving us another chance in the future.
   

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9. S

   Starlord

   Milwaukee

   3 reviews

   5.0

   3 reviews

   Dined on 24 January 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Went in for restaurant week... And everything was fabulous. My daughter and I are talking about how we cannot wait to come back and try more things on the menu. The restaurant itself was beautifully decorated. It did start to get a little louder as dinner service started to get busier, but that should be expected for an amazing place on a Friday night. Server was top notch and the manager who set us at the beginning and checked on us a few times was also fantastic. Thank you so much! We love the whole experience. Oh and the mocktail was delicious
   

   MerchantResponded on 25 January 2025

   Dear Starlord, we really appreciate your warm and sincere review! It's so great to hear that you two enjoyed yourselves so much tonight and that our service and food/drink offerings were to your liking! We had a lovely time serving you and your daughter and we can't wait to have ya'll back in to enjoy more of our delicious menus. Cheers!
   

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10. b

    brad

    Washington DC

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on 21 January 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 3

    We hadn't eaten at Merchant before, and decided to during this winter's Restaurant Week. The food and service were very good, although not particularly exciting. It's a decent option for Madison but I think we can do better for our occasional dinners out.
    

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