Review Merchants Restaurant - Nashville

It was a great stop on our sightseeing bus tour of the city. It has a great old wood building aroma. Lots of old machinery and memorabilia from another time. The guys loved it! They enjoyed the bourbon? tasting and the ladies checked out the cute shops..

Wanted to go to one of the traditional Honky Tonks on Broadway but ended up at this lovely place! Service was great, very friendly and attentive and the food was excellent. Particularly liked the indie rock music (Franz Ferdinand, Foals etc.) that was playing in the background. Weather outside wasn’t great so we stayed for a bit longer which wasn’t a problem. Can highly recommend this place and the Moscow Mule which comes with very yummy candied ginger!

We came here for date night while in town and I’m so glad we did. Their food was amazing. For an app we ordered the oysters which were beyond flavorful. Dinner was their salmon and filet, then we shared a baked potato which was HUGE. The salmon skin was crispy while the salmon it’s self was soft and juicy. The sauce had a little kick to it but the roasted potatoes balanced it out perfectly. The filet was cooked correctly and was so tender it cut like butter. The flavor of it was amazing. Will definitely plan dinner here again. Reservations are HIGHLY recommended.

This place was really busy on a Tuesday evening for dinner. It was hard to find the hostess stand but we were able to locate it in the back of the restaurant. The service was a little disorganized but the guy managing the place was over the top with making up for the initial poor service we received. We were sitting down for 15 minutes before anybody noticed. There was also a mixup with our order as we were supposed to get the salad first but everything came at once. They quickly rectified the situation, by comping part of the meal and also bringing a peach cobbler, which was an added bonus. The fried green tomatoes were a little too fried, but the duck tater tots were absolutely amazing. The serving was pretty large, barely leaving room for dinner. The wedge salad was pretty good and the tomato bisque was just OK. The peach cobbler was fantastic. Overall, the service was really good and the atmosphere is energetic and hopping. I would go back for sure.

Presentation was spot on. The duck fat tater tots were nothing special;however, the spicy mustard to dip into was AWESOME. Cocktails were fresh and pleasing and service was attentive. The chicken was AMAZING! The salmon BLT was cooked perfectly and don't sleep on those sweet potato fries on the side! All in all a great dining experience in the bustle of Nashville.

First meal in Nashville and did not disappoint! We had the Thanksgiving meal, jambalaya, and tater tots. The highlight for me were the tater tots cooked in duck fat!! Cocktails were also good, especially the New York sour. Ended the meal with a pumpkin pie. Attentive & smooth service.

Merchants is a really nice place. We stopped in for a drink and an appetizer and were impressed by the bourbon flights which we enjoyed. We also enjoyed the duck fat tots - there were a lot of tots and three dipping sauces (smoked ketchup - delicious , creole honey mustard, and spicy ranch) all of which were good but the smoked ketchup was really delicious. Also, at the bar we got popcorn that is flavored with ranch dressing powder - very good as well. Will definitely return.

Had a great meal at Merchant's with coworkers. Had a Moscow Mule and some red wine. Tried deviled eggs, spicy pickles, and the famous tater tots. Also got a Caesar salad, lobster bisque, and the roasted chicken and potatoes. All of it was good. Yes, it was a lot, but I wanted to try a lot. The tots are good but, to me, not a world famous thing. Just good. My Moscow mule came in a glass not a copper mug. But those are minor things. Not to big a deal. The staff are super nice and attentive. The atmosphere is fun. Overall, great experience and I will go back.

A lot of great things to note about this place. The atmosphere is great, beautiful old building, amazing location right on Broadway (great for people watching if you’re by a window), fantastic food, and they even have mocktails (for us sober folks). Highly recommend the tater tots appetizer, and you should absolutely save room for dessert.

Really enjoyed the baked, roasted Chicken and Tomato Soup starter. My date had the fish tacos and everything was delicious! Service was out-of-this World! The manager checked on us several times, and made sure we were satisfied. I love the historic charm and cozy dining space. Great spot for lunch or dinner!!

Nice step out of the hustle and bustle of the busy street to a quieter and more laid back atmosphere. The decor made you feel like you were transferred to a more relaxing upscale time. The waitress was friendly and accommodating to even the smallest request. Our food delicious and was quickly devoured.

A+! Beautiful interior, delicious food, great service! First time eating in downtown Nashville and this delivered the type of experience I was hoping for. Classic dishes that were elevated and the inside of the restaurant was just amazing.

I do a lot of work trips which usually translate into customer entertainment. Located right on the touristy hustle & bustle of the strip in Nash Vegas sits Merchants. Fairly popular I had to try it & booked a table in their upstairs venue. The food here was fabulous & the drinks were fairly tasty. Like other comparable places in Nashville I felt as though the overall price could have been more reasonable. Although it should go on your foodie list none the less.

Excellent restaurant right on Broadway in Nashville. Friends recommended us to stop here for the famous duck fat taters and I gotta say they are so addictive. We split a half portion for two and it was a perfect size! We also had the Cobb salad and grilled cheese and soup of the day. The staff was super friendly and really attentive. Their location is perfect for honky-tonkin and I imagine they are quite busy. Nice decor reminded me of a historical bar from the district. Clean and neat as well. Definitely a stop in if you are in the area. Great menu to choose from and well-priced for 2, under $40 ~ CHECK out my PHOTOS for more ~ not showing in REVIEWS

I went here for lunch in November 2018 while in a trip. I love Nashville and I love the area where this old restaurant is. My friend and I ordered a working lunch. We both had an appetizer and Fish. Everything was absolutely excellent. The wine I ordered was divine! -the server was very knowledgeable about the wine, and the specials. I highly would recommend this place.

2nd time here - first time was upstairs and a bit more formal - didn't rate it highly.  This year we ate casual outside and it was much more enjoyable.  Just dropped by for a lunch snack - was busy but well organised and wait staff were helpful finding us a good seat.<br/>Had some wings then built our own burgers - so many options - enjoyable.<br/>Beers were good and the champagne cocktail was a hit.<br/>Pricing was fine and service fairly quick especially considering that it was reasonably busy.<br/>Tip - sit outside and you get all the vibes and music overflow from Broadway!

I've eaten here twice, over a 2 year period. Both times were upstairs and both were excellent. Last night we had the strip steak, smoked pork chop, with a few sides: carrots, mashed potatoes, and truffle Mac n Cheese. Dinner was delicious . Service was very good.

I got the country fried steak and the gravy was not like any southern gravy I've ever had. My husband got the pork chops though and those were good.

Had a wonderful time at Merchants. I got the pulled pork sandwich and my wife got the turkey club. Both were fantastic. Service was great as well. Drinks are pricey, but about standard for Broadway.

Hubby chose Merchants as our dinner spot before the Hillsong United and Lauren Daigle concert at the Bridgestone Arena. He picked it on his own without any help from me, and I had no idea where we were eating until we got there. He picked it because of the menu and the History behind the Restaurant. He got a 100 on this pick! We ordered the Baked Cheese as an appetizer; I ordered the Ceasar Salad with Grilled Chicken, and Hubby ordered the Blackened Tilapia. Everything was delicious! Oh, and you must order a piece of the homemade cornbread, it was very yummy as well! We will definitely be back, and recommend!

It was good but not great.  Called for a reservation and they told us they were not taking reservations that night but we could come and get on the list and it wouldn't be too long of a wait.  It ended up being an hour.  We made a lap on Broadway and then sat and waited a while longer.  When seated it was fine.  They brought some popcorn to nibble on.  That may have been the best thing all night.  We had drinks and they did have a good cocktail and beer program.  We had the Blackened Tilapia and Chicken Fried Chicken with an order of the Duck Fat Tater Tots to share.  The tots were great.  Highly recommended.  The Tilapia was well prepared and had a nice sauce.  The Chicken was good but they skimped on the gravy.  If there had been more gravy it would have improved the dish.  Service was good.  It's a solid choice.

This beautiful bar and nightlife spot exudes class; the ample bar hosts space for mixed drinks and the interior alludes to the namesake of this restaurant, Merchant’s Hotel, which opened in 1892.

Ate upstairs for the seafood and steak...Service was excellent ....location was perfect.....enjoyed the pumpkin soup...Food way too salty.....

Great sandwich right in the middle of all the excitement downtown. Our wait actually ended up being super short but if not there's plenty of stuff around to keep you entertained and free valet if you're driving.

We've eaten many meals at Merchants and the food is always great.  I can't think of anything that I haven't liked.  The building itself is historic and dates back to 1892 according to their website.  It was an old pharmacy/retail space originally and then a hotel and finally, a restaurant.  You can read about this stuff on their web page. I like the atmosphere and the crowd is rather professional.  This place is refreshing considering its location...a bar-lined street full of bar food, music, and beer. <br/><br/>I've had most of my meals downstairs but there is also an upper level that is a bit more formal.  There is a different menu for upstairs.  Many times we have reservations for lunch but I they aren't required.<br/><br/> I love their Duck Fat Tater Tots! They are so good and come with three sauces.  The Tomato Bisque and Guacamole are also great choices.  As for entrees, so far, all the selections I've tried have been great.  Some of my favorites are  the Salmon BLT, the BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich, the Soup N Sammie, and the Cheeseburger.  The also have a full bar and fun drink menu. The upstairs menu is fantastic.

Expect a long wait and a lot of noise. The food was disappointing as well as the service. Our server literally dropped one of our plates, laughed as I tried to keep the food on the plate and then she walked away. The Chicken Fried Chicken was very bland and tasteless.

Enjoyed cocktail selections and sampling of southern inspired appetizers. Good sized portions and everything we tried was full of flavor. A must stop the next time we are in town.

Good food, HUGE portions but do NOT order cocktails. We ordered three different drinks and they were so bad we didn't drink more than a sip of anything. They were their "house" cocktails as well, just awful.

Don't waste your time on the duck fat tater tots, they might as well have come from Sonic. They literally served me rotten frid green tomatoes and the brisket was terribly dry. No to mention, the cocktails were not made properly at all. I was so disappointed.

Duck Fat Tater Tots with Bernaise were very good. Brisket was good, though cornbread underneath was excellent. What makes Merchants a compelling return is their location. Thoroughly enjoyed visiting Honkytonks nearby and people-watching. <br/>

It was over six months ago, when we purchased tickets to see Bugs Bunny at the Symphony II. Little did I know at that time, Nashville would be holding the Annual CMA Fan Fair X Week. Everyone was in town for the Annual Wednesday Night filming of the CMA awards.  Wow.....this was like Mardi Gras. Too many people....too much noise and a whole lot of fun.   In spite of it all, we found parking within a reasonable walking distance to everything that we needed to see. Luckily, I made my dining reservations with Open Table for 3:30PM after the matinee performance featuring the Nashville Symphony.

My mom and I came in on a Friday night around 6 and were seated in about 20 minutes in the bistro. Great drinks, atmosphere, and service. The deviled eggs and baked cheese are fantastic!

A neat place with a lot of history. We stopped by late for dessert - ww bought one of everything. All great. The best was the caramel pie. Second favorite was the tart.

Good, but didn't blow me away. When I saw the interior of Merchants and read about how it'd been in business for so long, I was expecting something truly special. The food, however, seemed to be typical diner food. So although it tasted good, it was a bit of a letdown. For example, my tomato and cheese sandwich was tasty, but the tomato was so teeny tiny I wasn't sure it was there until I peeled open the sandwich. It looked like I'd just gotten the tomato skin. The interior is beautful, and I wouldn't object to eating her again, but it wasn't the destination restaurant I was expecting.

I didn't really have barbecue on my mind when we walked into Merchants, but when I saw a Smoked Brisket entree on the menu, I couldn't resist the temptation.

Consistently good food and service. My husband and I have dined upstairs and downstairs at Merchants for regular dates and special dates such as our anniversary. We've always received genuine care from everyone from the hostess to the servers and chefs. The food is wonderful and fresh.

We had a wonderful meal here. Our server, Sarah, was outstanding-even went so far as to provide us with a list of local attractions! Downtown Nashville is vibrant and, as it was Saturday evening, very loud! Merchants provided an oasis of quiet. Add to this the outstanding cuisine and you will be grateful you dined here!

Loved the food....but not enough to overcome the pouting bartender. Tried our best to make up with him because we asked for some bread to go with our meal. He was having none of that.

Avoid the upstairs dining. Upstairs offers a vastly different menu then downstairs. On a recent visit, upstairs was the only option for a table. We ordered the chopped steak medium well; it was served raw. After returning it, the meat came back medium with a crust so seared it was tough to cut. And, it had no flavor. The side salad looked appetizing but the scant salad dressing had puddled in the bottom of the bowl.<br/>Avoid the upstairs at all costs.

Just okay. We had the duck tator tots appetizer and the sauces were good but the tots were no different than Sonic. The entree's were good, not great. Our waitress was very nice but was wearing a white apron which was filthy. That does not set the right example for cleanliness for the rest of the restaurant and kitchen. As busy as this place is with early reservations required to make it in the door, we left a bit disappointed.

Good service, ok food. My wife's clubhouse was very good. My mac n' cheese was very average. Not something I would order again. Service was very good. There are some better places around in the same price range.

Grilled Salmon B.l.t.. Yum!! This was great! Ask for extra sauce!

Heather M. Wow what an incredible dinner. The service was perfection (Scott was our server) and everything was described with great detail and we tried his recommendations. We had 2 appetizers and 2 entrees and each one was delicious. I haven't eaten at Merchants for quite a while but I will be back to enjoy this delicious food soon.

Where to start... My first experience at Merchants. I was met at the door by a pleasant young lady who said my table was ready and to follow her into the elevator coming into the second floor I was happy to see that it was full even on a horrible rainy night. The staff was extremely attentive, I was pleasantly surprised to see that not one but All of the shaft seem to be taking care of All of the patrons... there was no waiting for anything. drinks were brought and the two hors d'oeuvres that we ordered were absolutely perfect.... the Steak Tartar as well as the pork belly and tacos!<br/>it was a little louder then I expected this restaurant to be but it was not overplayed and loud music it was the happy banter and laughter of patrons enjoying themselves<br/>the entrees were brought on quickly by a third or maybe a fourth member of the serving team and it was brought to us, piping hot! Cooked to perfection by the kitchen. The pork chop, so tender, and succulent I wanted to naw the bone like at home. <br/>( My wife said no!) The beef was made to disappear thru the satisfied smiles on our faces.<br/>Oh yes, let us not forget the Chewy dark bread, 2 orders.<br/>Sorry I can't tell you about dessert but I couldn't have eaten another bite with a gun to my head! The Birthday table next to us sure seemed to be enjoying their sweets!<br/>Did I say I loved my food fest at Merchants?? ...you should be so lucky..... Go.... enjoy...<br/>Write a review!

Wonderful Dining Experience. A last minute decision to dine here on a Saturday night without reservations ended up being a terrific experience. After being seated upstairs in their lovely dining room, we were presented a menu as well as an ipad to peruse their offerings. Our server took her time to go over the menu and make recommendations, even presenting a mini wine tasting. My boyfriend and I decided on an appetizer (charcuterie; which was great), a glass of wine and one of their Tennessee specialty drinks (Mad Hatter; very good). We decided on the swordfish and waygu. Our server checked on us promptly after our first tastes of the main course and the waygu was a bit tough, so no questions asked, we were given a chance to try something else. We went with the pork dish which was highly recommended. The swordfish was delicious and we ate that as we waited for the pork. The manager came over and apologized right away and soon enough the pork arrived. We were understanding that it was pushed through the kitchen so we didn't have to wait but it was a bit undercooked. After mentioned that, let's just say we were more than taken care of...End result--I would like to commend our server Jen and manager Sarah for over and above service and their superb handling of this. We will definitely talk them up and visit again!!

In the Middle of the Action. Merchants inhabits a beautiful old building in the heart of Nashville's touristy downtown, and so if you can land a table looking out at the intersection of 4th and Broadway, you can't help but enjoy all the people watching that will go on! Merchants is, as many other reviewers have pointed out, very popular, and it is quite loud and energetic. This is not the place to go if you want a quiet dinner, because you will find it necessary to speak loudly to be heard, and with so much going on in the restaurant and out on the streets, the atmosphere can be distracting. But if you are looking to get together with a group of friends for terrific cocktails and excitement, this is the place.<br/><br/>Service tends to be on the slow side, but the waitstaff was competent and friendly. My blackened catfish sandwich was spicy, tender, and flaky, and it arrived hot to the table. The homemade chips were boring--they remind me of the homemade chips I see popping up on menus everywhere. Fries are out of a bag and into the fry basket, not hand-cut. The chicken fried chicken is delicious, but the mound of smashed Yukon gold potatoes they sit on are bland and under-seasoned, and there's no salt and pepper on the table to perk them up. A favorite at our table was the mac and cheese, minus the bacon and the tomatoes. It was absolutely delicious: steaming hot, infused with the flavor of aged cheddar, and oh-so-creamy. <br/><br/>If you are in Nashville for a convention and don't want to get your car out of a parking garage to go farther afield, I recommend Merchants as a viable downtown option. Just make a reservation!

Oh my god, heaven in my mouth!!! The best good and drinks. The Tennessee mojito delicious! The jambalaya to die for! Services was amazing!!

Pulled pork BBQ sandwich was delish! Service was pretty good, overall enjoyed my experience

Decent food, poor service. Sat at bar and service was ok at first (food was almost brought out too quickly, making me wonder if it was sitting waiting to be ordered). But, after I had my food, I was forgotten about. Overall, it wasn't worth the price.

Love!. Great atmosphere, great drinks, great fish tacos, and great music.

Great restaurant on Broadway to escape the loud tourist scene. Salmon with sweet potatoes was great. Enjoyed brisket with cornbread. Good service, waitress was really sweet. Loved my gluten free cider!

Super expensive and not good.

Merchants sucks!!!!!!!!!!!. Awful! We have been in the past for Thanksgiving and it was great! This year it tasted like frozen turkey cutlets and stove top dressing!!! Obviously, the chef took the night off and they decided to cheap out on their end. Seriously, there were 3 people in our party and we all agreed that they wanted to take advantage of the people coming in. Dollar signs instead of quality. Our server was mediocre as well. Even the desserts were disappointing! And this is from people that don't usually complain!!!

Good. From the Midwest so tried jambalaya. It was a so awesome! Deviled eggs were so so

Great service, loved the chicken fried chicken. Main floor is a little loud but still a fun place for dinner. Good pricing for the main floor menu.

Ate upstairs last night. Lots to like but it was ultimately ruined by salt. ( And i love salt... literally this is the first tome its ever happened to me.) We really liked Dave the waiter and he gave great wine recommendations and knew flavor profiles very well. We started with pork belly wraps and pimento cheese on flap jacks. Pork belly was good but finished with heavy salt. I had a salad, duck fat fries, eggplant, and collards, and the wife had short ribs. The short ribs were great, salad was nothing special, fries were very salty, eggplant was bland, and collards were unedible because of salt. It all was nicely presented and menu looked good, and its a shame about the salt.

All-Around Awful. Eating in the lower-classed bistro section, I understood that we wouldn't be getting the optimal Merchants experience (as to why any restaurant still retains the archaic practice of demanding certain qualifications for you to pay them money is beyond me), but after my experience with the place I'm absolutely not going back. Having a fancy place upstairs is no excuse for having such a dump down below.<br/><br/>I'm glad to see that other people have had a better time here, but that certainly wasn't the case for me. The "ambiance" of deafening retro-modern 80's synth pop-channeling electro, stale popcorn, and a rude server who would hide presumably unsavory comments behind aforementioned Casio keyboard torture at 150 decibels (which I assure you was uncalled for, our party did nothing to impose on him whatsoever) failed to impress. He stalled for nearly a minute between my drink order and the person next to me (I'm not complaining about this detail, I had no trouble being patient for him), then expressed frustration at me for "staring at him" while I waited for him to look up from his pad and turn to me. After a few grumbling comments toward me, he half-heartedly tried to pass it off as a joke, as if to say: "Oh, hah, of course I'm not really that bad of a server!" Yes, yes you are. Did it to me again when I wasn't even looking at him.<br/><br/>I do have to give him credit for warning me about my "vegetable burger" order on account of it containing beef broth, though. A point for him, but not for Merchants. This, of course, being a baffling decision on the part of the culinary staff. I can imagine a defense for this decision, as I've heard them before, but honestly, it can only serve the extremely limited selection of diners who want (some of) the health of a veggie burger but don't really have an investment in the ethical side of things -- this is a perfectly valid dietary decision, but seeing as the main market of the vegetable burger would be actual vegetarians, the presence of a false veggie burger amongst a menu that largely alienates vegetarians almost seems just plain antagonistic, hahaha.<br/><br/>I ordered the macaroni and cheese without bacon instead, which while not outright bad for a bite or two became a chore to eat very quickly. Just an endless drone of the same dank, skunky, overly loud cheese flavor without any sort of side or available condiment to make the meal more manageable. Like I say, not awful, but difficult to down in one sitting. As I was dutifully doing my best, the server came up and tried to instruct me on how to eat my macaroni and cheese, as if the issue was that I'm too stupid to spoon food into my own mouth. If I happened to carry around applications for Dick's Last Resort with me, I would've handed one to him right then.<br/><br/>With a bill that rocketed into the stratosphere for food that we agreed was a cut below what you could get at a freakin' Shoney's, none of us have any interest in coming back.

WOW, great food and service .... WOW, great food and service<br/>Brady, good server, and makes a good Old Fashion

My friend and I had the fish tacos and they were good but nothing to write home about. The service wasn't awful and they were pretty accommodating for the size of our group. A friend had the burger and she really liked it and another member of our group had the chicken sandwich. She wasn't impressed much with it. The cheese dip was really good.

I'm glad I didn't look at the reviews or rating on this place before going there or else I probably wouldn't have gone. The food was good and so was the service. Our group had bloody marys and the backwoods bellini (miller high life, peach schnaps, and orange juice). We started with the duck fat tater tots, fried green tomatoes, and deviled eggs. All were good, however I did expect more out of the tots,like a poutine. I had the soup and sammy but echange chili for the tomato soup. It also came with kettle chips. Soooo good! Two of my dining partners got the lobster mac and cheese which had a great consistency and the right amount of cheesyness. I woulf totally recommend this place!

Overrated. The food is average, overpriced, and the service is terrible.<br/><br/>Save your money.

Went on a date here and we spent 150 bucks on something forgettable....disappointing.

Laid back tasty lunch at the bar - a welcome escape from the packed streets of CMA fest. Good service too!

Very Tasty Lunch !!. Best Grilled Chicken Sandwich ever, plus the sweet potato fries were delicious too!!

Average at best. Arrived in Nashville Easter Sunday expecting little to be opened. Quickly came across Merchants and decided to try. Upon entering the restaurant had a really pleasant feel. We asked for a table and were told if no reservation to head to the bar and eat from the counter. Fair enough. We ordered devilled eggs, wings and fried green tomatoes to share. All were ok with the eggs probably the winners. The service was quick but a little impersonal, probably cos we were at the bar. Overall, I thought for what we got it was over priced, and probably would reluctantly recommend. Can't say I like or dislike this venue.

I had the bacon cheeseburger with pimento cheese. Awesome!!!<br/>Great service. Great food.

Tater tots were great! Fish tacos also

Fantastic service. Jenny was awesome. Food was excellent. Best part of my day

Really impressed. Coming from Montreal, a city known for their restaurants, I have to say we were impressed with the food and drinks. The service not so much. Steaks were delicious as were the salads and club sandwich. Best mashed potatoes ever. It took about 15 minutes to actually get our first round of drinks (2 beers, 1 bottle of wine and 1 mojito) Reason? It takes a long time to crush the mint for the mojito (there was about 4 specks of mint in my drink) Overall we had a great experience at Merchants. We will be back our next time to Nashville.

DELICIOUS. This place is so good and has a very funky style! It's a nice change from all the honky tonk bars in downtown (ironically enough its right across from Honky Tonk)! The service is great, both times iv been iv sat at the bar and immediately gotten service! Had a turkey club and sweet potato fries! So good and affordable considering its not a trashy bar!

Great food, amazing staff and cool atmosphere...I can't think of one thing wrong here. It is expensive, but you get what you pay for. We came from out of town for our anniversary and will go back next time we are on town.

BBQ Sauce & Sweet Potato Fries, oh my!. Stopped by here for a late lunch a couple of weeks ago. We'd just driven from Atlanta and were starving, took a chance since this place wasn't too busy and it was already close to 2:30. Staff were friendly, but not overly so, but the food was delicious. I had sweet potato fries with bbq sauce for the first time - seriously? I'm completely converted, it's my new "thing". Would like to have come back again during our weekend stay but we had some picky eaters in the party who needed pasta... oh well, next time!! Thoroughly enjoyed Merchants.

Mid-afternoon lunch. Good atmosphere but food downstairs marginal at best - Po Boy said lemon caper aioli which actually was a tartar sauce. Crab guacamole was good guacamole but no crabs or crab taste was found! Service was excellent but would not return for the food.

I gave the chef a high five!. For one of downtown Nashville's best meals, dine on the second floor (different menu than first floor) of Merchants. From start (fried green tomatoes) to finish (chocolate torte with peanut butter banana ice cream), our meal was off the charts good. I usually don't order steaks in non-steakhouses but the ribeye was the best I've had in Nashville (except maybe Kayne Prime). Also highly recommend their specialty drink called the Moscow Mule. All said, I was so pleased after the meal that i went in the kitchen (with permission) to give the chef a high five.

I am trying to figure out the negative reviews. I had the Caesar Salad and filet and both were delish . <br/>Our party was of 13 ladies and all were pleased and the chef definitely knows because all plates are going back empty. My filet was cooked to perfection and cut like butter. Also, the wait staff have been prompt and courteous to say the least. <br/>I will say the price is high but worth the cost. But am willing to pay this for the quality of food and service.

Great Whiskey selection at the bar. We came here just for a snack and more drinks at the bar. Our Bar Tender Joshua was great. I was surprised to see that had several rare whiskey selections including Grand Pappy Van Winkle. We ordered food. Tater Tots were inexpensive and were enough for 4. A few other appetizers and the caesar salad were good too. The kitchen was partially closed for remodeling so the menu wasn't full. Overall, I we like this place and would recommend it. Thanks for the great service Joshua.

Fabulous, both times!. We stopped in here for lunch and liked it so much we made a reservation for dinner upstairs. Great casual atmosphere for lunch and upstairs provided the perfect upgrade to a more upscale dinner that we were looking for. The braised spare ribs with grits app was phenomenal. Great simple wine list and they had an impressive bourbon selection for a Tennessee restaurant. ;)

Overall good. There are actually two Resturants in one. Try Kobe beef ribs.

Very disappointed. I went with my girlfriend on vacation, but will not return. My food was fine, but hers was not. She requested her hamburger well done, but it was undercooked. Our server did not come back for several minutes, so we got anoter server to take the food back to finish cooking. When it was brought back (again not by our server) it was still undercooked. This will be my first and last visit to Merchants.

Not very good. Atmosphere is decent, but food is not. Blackened fish had no "black" on it and was hardly cooked with no seasoning. Meal and a couple of drinks was $100 bucks and I felt ripped off paying it. Go there for drinks maybe, but not for dinner.

After listening to GREAT bands all evening, we felt the need to grab a late night snack. Merchant's was just the place. We began with fried green tomatoes, that were perfectly breaded and came with a spicy cheese garnish we split a wedge salad that had just the right e amount of cubes of bacon our entre was the club sandwich with fresh turkey and huge side of their duck tator tots. Extra crispy but not overfried. For two adults the relaxing meal was only $50 And the icing on the cake was their FANTASTIC bourbon assortment, Iiwas in heaven.

Bad Service, Sub-Par food. We recently came to this restaurant while visiting some friends in Nashville. We were seated around 9 pm on a Friday evening. We sat at our table for no less then 15 mins before I went up to the bar to order drinks. No one ever greeted. Finally someone came out to our table and said the drinks would be out soon (at least a full 5 mins later we got our drinks). After I finished my drink about half way through the dining experience I was never asked for another, which I def would have taken. The food came out and I had the Risotto, which was ok. I wanted some pepper for my dish and there was none on the table, couldn't find our waitress to ask for some so finally had to flag someone else down who brought us some. Our waitress never checked on us, never refilled a drink...oh and it turns out she left before we were finished eating. So it took about 15 mins after we were done eating to get the check to pay. Waitress was really bad and you could tell she just wanted to get the hell up out of there and we were majorly bothering her by daring to sit at her table and eat. Wouldn't recommend this restaurant - at least the downstairs portion. Maybe they know how to do it in the upstairs establishment.

I was hesitant before arriving last night, a Saturday evening. With a snow storm approaching, downtown was dead. We had to move our reservation back a half hour, but had to leave a message on the voice mail as no one answered the phone. I left the reservation name, our phone number, and a request for someone to call us back verifying the time change. When we arrived, the place was deserted. We were greeted by a friendly bartender and found the hostess at the back of the restaurant. We gave her our name and that we had tried to call. She didn't seem concerned that she had missed the call. We were seated upstairs and our waitress arrived promptly and gave us our menus. We realized that the menu on the restaurant's website was not up to date. We were looking forward to the truffle pumpkin pierogies. I was served my husband's steak and he mine, which would have been no big deal if we had not ordered them cooked differently. For all we had heard about Kobe steaks, these were not suitable for even Logan's. And forth price charged, they should be ashamed. To seal the deal on the evening, a trip to the women's restroom upstairs revealed a dirty, both toilets clogged, cigerette burned floor, tiles missing, impossible soap dispenser mess. We won't be back. We were embarrassed to bring our out of town guests there. Sorry we didn't stick to Ruth's Chris.

Awful with new management. Bad service. Took over 2.5 hours for dinner. After all that they hit me for a 20% gratuity. Food was good but can not outweight the bad service and high prices.

Surprisingly poor service. I got a drink when we first ordered and wasn't asked again if I wanted anything. The food was fine but not outstanding, and we were basically ignored through the night.

Disappointing. This review relates to a weekday lunch in the downstairs portion (shorter, less expensive menu) of the restaurant. I cannot comment at this time on the upstairs experience.<br/><br/>A friend and I agreed to give the "new" Merchant's a try for a casual lunch. I'm not taking points away for this, but it's worth noting that valet parking applies only for dinner.<br/><br/>With no one ahead of us at 12:50, there were no clean tables. Plenty of empty ones, but no clean ones. The hostess was kind enough to wipe down a table for us. Unfortunately, the table and the seats were both left very wet. When we both sat down, we grinned at each other because we realized we now had wet bottoms. Before we could dry the table with our napkins, two water glasses were placed, lip down, before us. I'm no OCD germophobe, but I'm not keen on "wipedown" water touching the rim of my glass. So, we just skipped the "triple filtered" bottle of water presented by the waitress. I'm not even sure why they had to be placed upside down, now that I think about it.<br/><br/>One odd thing we noted before we ordered was that it was difficult to tell who worked there and who was just dining. I'm not suggesting that restaurants must have uniforms, but it was unclear who to ask for anything or who was approaching your table. The wait staff could be discerned through a little observation, but there were other people who appeared to work there just floating about in nice, but otherwise very civilian, attire. I even mistook the hostess for a patron at first, thinking she was asking me if she could sit at the bar.<br/><br/>In any event, the staff were friendly and polite. My friend ordered the fish tacos, and I ordered the grilled chicken breast sandwich. The waitress informed us they were out of fish but were offering crabmeat tacos, which was a more than adequate substitute in principle. Each dish was served with a side; my friend ordered sweet potato fries, and I ordered traditional potato fries.<br/><br/>The crabmeat tacos were adequate. They weren't particularly flavorful, but they certainly weren't remarkable. My friend told me that she "would rather go to Chile Burrito", and comparing these to Chile Burrito is just unfair. But this review isn't about the amazing food at Chile Burrito -- perhaps another day I'll tackle that.<br/><br/>My grilled chicken sandwich was dry and, like the crabmeat tacos, flavorless. I was excited about trying the sage mayonnaise that came with this sandwich, but it was just lost among the other toppings (tomato, lettuce, onion). I even checked to see if it was on the sandwich -- it was. The breast itself was a terrible cut. It had a lot of sinew and gristle and was difficult to work around.<br/><br/>The fries were excellent, however. They appeared to be freshly cut and fried. These were by far the best part of the meal. We didn't order the duck-fat fried tater tots, but I can tell you that they certainly looked delicious and came with several different condiments.<br/><br/>Again, the service was friendly, if slow and not particularly attentive. This seemed even more odd with five different people, by our count, all in different sorts of attire floating around in what appeared to be a relatively slow time, since the lunch crowd had mostly dispersed by the time our food arrived at just shy of 1:30. My unsweet tea was refilled once after running dry -- with sweet tea. Being southern, this was tolerable, but the sweet tea even managed to have an odd, bland flavor. I'm no tea aficionado, but it just wasn't quite right.<br/><br/>As mentioned above, we arrived at 12:50 with no one ahead of us. It was 17 minutes from seating to ordering, and another 20 from ordering to presentation. This wouldn't be a problem at all for a dinner, but we found it a bit slow for a weekday ("business") lunch in downtown Nashville. The total bill, before gratuity, was about $26.<br/><br/>There was no single thing that was horrendous, and I think we would have been happier if there WERE just one thing very badly wrong. Instead, it was an all-around, consistently sub-par meal. I'll give Merchant's a little bit of forgiveness since this is purportedly new management. I hope they work these things out. Unfortunately, I just can't recommend the downstairs portion of Merchant's at this point.

Really Good. Ate here last night for the first time in years. They have just reopened under new ownership, management and hired a new chef. The food and service were great. You can really tell the quality of this place has dramatically improved with all of the new changes. I had the tomato salad, the filet and the potatoes. All of them were amazing. I will be back.

Oh my, was that bad!. We had a good server, trying his best to learn the new menu... I think the chef was new, as well. Terrible, overpriced food. From the starters to the entrees, we were all disappointed. Under cooked pork belly, inedible croutons in our salad, under cooked scallops & unidentifiable fish. I definitely do not recommend.

Great service but really bad overpriced food. They just reopened and I think they need a new chef and menu. Fish was overcooked, beef had no flavor. We had a three course meal for two at $100+ and it was not worth it!!!!

Nice. Valet parking, so you don't have to circle around forever to find a spot. Good food, and the service was fine.

Terrible service. Terrible calamari.

We had a party of 6 for dinner in the downstairs grille. They were not busy at 6:30. We had the worst service ever. The wait for our food was 1 hour and 10 minutes. The food was only average with bland tastes. All of us had different foods. I have eaten here in the past and the service has slowely gone down hill. It's a shame you have to tip 20% with such terrible service.

Not worthy of a return. There were several problems with the meal starting with bread plates and no bread. I ordered hot tea, but was never offered a refill on even the hot water. The cheese burger bun was too salty, but I suppose that made up for the lack of seasoning on the burger itself. And the bacon was McDonald's thin and just as tasty. The fried green tomatoes weren't fried using corn meal. The fried chicken salad, was ok, but I pulled out a heaping bread plate of red cabbage. I still can't figure out what the 5 croutons were doing there. Finally the black and blue salad left little to be desired. The basalmic dressing wasn't tart at all and the alleged praline pecans were so tiny as to go unnoticed. The granny smith apples were julienned so small that they didn't add anything to the over all taste. However, the steak was nice and tender. For guidance on this salad perhaps the chef should go to Nordstrom Cafe and try their version.

Worst steak I have had in a long time and this is the only Southern restaurant that makes really bad iced tea! My husband who will eat anything and say it is good disliked his meal too. The decor is good - go in and just get a drink but don't order food.

Always a Favorite. Every time I eat here I walk away feeling great!

Wonderful Surprise. If you're in the downtown area, this is the place to go. Housed in a charming historic building, this restaurant is wonderful. Casual bar and grill on first level and upstairs dining room for those looking to eat a serious dinner. Service is excellent. Food is delicious. I will definately be coming back for more.

I took 8 people to Merchant for Thanksgiving lunch. It was by far the Worst food EVER. I did complain and NOTHING was done. <br/>That was the LAST time for me there.

Recommended. 6 of us had rib-eyes which were amongst the best we have ever tasted. Waitress was very attentive and atmosphere was excellent. A bit pricey but it's on the tourist trail so I suppose that has to be expected. Highly recommended

Skip it. Over priced and service is so-so. Of course, I'm not sure Nashville has many restaurants that would satisfy a true foodie, but this certainly isn't one of them. The babyback ribs were good but the crawfish ravioli was too small a portion ad I eat like a bird. They didn't even give us free bread for Pete's sake!

OPEN FOR BUSINESS. Merchant's Restaurant is open for lunch and dinner Monday - Saturday and for dinner on Sunday at 5:00

Very delicious! service was amazing. great valet parking. Definately a must if you are visiting Nashville. YUMMY!!!

The restaurant is located in a beautiful building (which has a long history), and it’s right in the middle of Broadway, nestled among all the surrounding honky-tonks. Unfortunately, we were really full, so we only had a bunch of apps.

Hello LilyOnTheLam.Com Readers! Merry Christmas Eve to those who celebrate it and Happy Tuesday to those who do not.   Last month I traveled to Nashville for a quick visit.  Not counting the airport, it was my first time in Nashville and I have to say I very much enjoyed it.  I planned on blogging about all the places I went to individually but it is the holiday season and my procrastination is running on an all time high.  So instead I am borrowing a format I saw a DC food blogger (whose name and blog I can't remember - sorry!) do for a quick travel blog highlighting 10 things she did in a city.  I couldn't limit it to just ten, so here goes … "Twelve Things To Do In Nashville" - in no particular order. Proof that Nashville Gift Shops Love Me and Want My Money 1)  See Live Music. You can't go to Nashville and not hear live music.  It is everywhere and it is wonderful!  The purpose of my trip was to see Kelly Clarkson perform an acoustic Musicians On Call benefit at the Hard Rock Cafe

Merchants Restaurant went through some hard times, but the Goldberg brothers have turned it into something special. They're doing their best to make it a destination for not only the tourists, but to bring back some of the locals who have gotten away from the downtown area for being too touristy. If the food and service is any indication, Nashville has a gem of a restaurant in Merchants.

Nashville Restaurants and Food Merchants-downstairs 401 Broadway Nashville 615-254-1892 www.merchantsrestaurant.com This building at the corner of Fourth and Broadway downtown has seen its share of Nashville history. The former hotel was the occasional crash pad of Hank Williams and Patsy Cline. It's been a popular restaurant since 1988 and just last year Merchants had a reboot, thanks to Ben and Max Goldberg. The Goldberg's are known for Paradise Park, a completely different tourist joint down the street, and the high-end cocktail bar Patterson House. What does this mean for you, the discerning diner? Cocktails, of course, at least on the bustling first floor. You'll find suspendered bartenders shaking up all sorts of concoctions. We're in favor of the cocktail trend, just as long as it stays reasonably priced and relatively unpretentious. Merchants walks the line carefully. This is an important restaurant for downtown- as there's little playing up to the tourists. Merchants focuses o