For what you REALLY get... A tad overpriced. Delicious tenderloin. Sides are nothing special.
(3)
Paul B.
Old business friends took me here for dinner a few nights ago. Nice looking place,but it started with no bleu cheese olives with the martini & continued with a horrible bloody. They say the bartender just left, too bad for the customers, i guess. Then the wagyu ribeye they charge $51 for arrives & it's so salty, i don't finish it. When you're charging $124 a bottle for the Pinot we drank & $51 for the steak & the bill for 5 of us is way over $600 w/ tip you don"t serve steak too salty to eat. The server was OK & knew things were not up to par. It was nice to be taken out to a nice fancy place, but when you've been to Lugers, Sparks & the original Palm well you know what I mean; STEP UP
(2)
Mikal F.
One of the best steak houses in town.
(5)
Trina S.
Celebrated my birthday and had a wonderful experience! The ambiance, the waitstaff, and of course, the wonderful food! One of the best strawberry mojitos I've had in quite a while, and my fiance was pleased with the wine list. The ahi wontons are an explosion of flavors, Merlot's iced seafood platter is superb, from the presentation as it comes out with a delicate fog seemingly creeping from around the platter (I know, dry ice, but the fog seems more mysterious!) The filet mignon literally melted in your mouth! We had asparagus as a side item, and luckily we decided to split the entree, if not, I would have been too stuffed for the birthday red velvet cupcake and shot of milk our waiter surprised me with! Finished off the evening with excellent cappuccino. Such an experience from beginning to end! Would definitely recommend. One of the things I love about dining here, the ambiance is classy, but by no means stuffy!
Simply delicious. My husband and I went to Eddie Merlot's last night to celebrate his birthday, husband's...not Eddie's. As noted before in another review, the salads are plenty big enough for two. Our waitress was nice enough to mention this as well. Not many do, so this was a plus in my book. I had the medium sized filet mignon and my husband had scallops. Suffice it to say we were both proud members of the clean plate club. We shared two sides, which come homestyle, of mushrooms, and hash browns. Both were excellent but the hash browns would have served another two people. Huge portion! Since we were celebrating a special occasion, we received one of their signature Red Velvet cup cakes for dessert. It wasn't all that signature, but the thought was nice. We couldn't have eaten anything else anyway. We will definitely be back ! It was a little less expensive than Morton's, but that was probably because of sharing a salad and ordering one of the less expensive entrees. I enjoyed it every bit as much as Morton's and a whole lot more than Jeff Ruby's!
(5)
Tim S.
My wife and I were in Louisville for 2 nights for work recently and we decided to pop in to Eddie Merlots for dinner on our last night there. Ate at Doc Crows (on Whiskey Row) the night before - another great place too.. Gorgeous restaurant and lovely layout and devoted wine room - was lovely and could see it from the dining area - nice touch. Quiet inside, despite having several larger groups in to eat this evening. We were seated at our table quickly (we had no reservation, just walked in as our hotel was 1 block away) and were greeted by our server Todd. He introduced himself and asked if we had dined there before (which we hadn't). We were given our menus to browse and a wine list, which was quite extensive. After choosing our wine, our orders were taken after Todd made several recommendations on the menu for us to consider. These recommendations were definitely worth it, as we both chose from Todd's knowledge of the menu, having decided to possibly consider other options prior. The food was absolutely magnificent and beautifully presented. My wife had the pork chop, which was probably the BEST I've ever tried - we both agreed on the same point! I had the 7oz filet which was also fantastic and we shared sides of button mushrooms and the BBQ Brussel sprouts (house specialty). Dessert was bananas foster, cooked expertly by Todd table side. Our evening was seriously perfect. The attention from the staff to detail and making sure that everything was perfect is cudos to the quality of the staff and management. If we are back in Louisville anytime again soon, I will defiantly be back. I highly recommend this restaurant, for anyone looking for the ultimate in food, service and attention to details.
(5)
Food C.
:) had a blast! It's awesome when you can order without having to look at the prices for once! Awesome meal, good service..
(5)
Nathaniel B.
Spent the weekend in Louisville with a group and had dinner at Eddie Merlot's. Absolutely phenomenal experience all around. I had the pork chop and have not had better. Among our group, we sampled a good part of the menu and were impressed all around. Steaks were tender and tasty. We did not partake in the wine list, although it was extensive. Excellent atmosphere and outstanding food. High marks all around.
(5)
F B.
Went to dinner on May 11 with my wife no reservations and got seated no problem. It was in the lounge area but it was nice. The server (no name on receipt just "bar server") was excellent. She was hustling that night and did a great job of upselling but was smooth and polite about it. I'm not a big eater so I got the braised short rib with a waldorf salad. The short rib was good but man was that salad delicious. Also got crème brulee for dessert and it was spot on as was the coffee. Wish there was a place in southern California, Ruth Chris is way over priced and over rated.
(4)
Chris P.
Having eaten at MANY prime steak houses in the U.S.... This is mediocre. The dishes were 50/50 ... Here's the breakdown ( IMO, and my guests as well ) Crab cakes = Really good Escargot w/biscuit = excellent Shrimp cocktail = good shrimp, ketchupy sauce. blegh. Wedge Salad = awesome and clean Lobster Bisque = way off balance, dull. Caesar = pretty good, way too lemony. Needs parm! 49 dollar Bison Rib-eye... Very disappointed. Cooked wrong and it wasn't rested, so it bled all over the plate. Filet = OUTSTANDING Lobster mac = CRACK Asparagus = meh. Steamed with no seasoning Mashed potatoes. = oily mess with minced parsley. Table bread = great, warm, crusty and seasoned well. good whipped butter. Seabass = outstanding. perfect texture. Creme Brulee, SO rich, so yolky and awesome. Cappuccino = perfect. Peanut butter cup = tasty The wine list is very " safe " with all of your usual suspects. Orin Swift, tons of overpriced Cali juice. Which is cool and all, but where's the Bordeaux, Rhone, Burgundy, Tuscany, hell, maybe a little South Africa? Beautiful wine room that you can see from most of the restaurant though. With these prices, it needs to be more refined. Service was pretty good. Apparently there is a Somm? He never visited my table. Oh well, I guess Conn isn't good enough for a quick check up. I saw him, he saw us... Maybe I'll ask about the Cristal to get some blood going through him next time. ha! Probably won't be a next time. Knocked one off of the bucket list for Louisville at least.
(3)
Kirsten L.
Lovely dining experience. Beautiful high-class restaurant; table cloths, glasses & place settings on the tables, mosaic artwork on the walls, pleasant relaxing color scheme. The service was impeccable. My water glass was never less than an inch from the top before someone was there to bring it back to the brim. I had Roasted Bell & Evans Chicken with baby carrots & Iceberg Salad. I wished I had taken a photo of the salad, as I have never been served a salad like it before. It was a large wedge with all of the toppings placed in piles around the wedge. There was no skimping on the toppings either. The lemon vinaigrette was delicious. My plate had 1/2 of a delicious chicken on it (too much). The baby carrots were wonderful. Mike had the New Orleans Mixed Grill-4 oz. Filet Mignon, 2 jumbo shrimp, Andouille Sausage & Garlic Mashed Potatoes. The Filet was so tender & delicious. The shrimp & sausage had a hot spice on them. Potatoes were wonderful. Wonderful dining experience; very expensive. Perfect for special occasions; although, we saw people in jeans & shorts.
(4)
Michael M.
I so wanted to love this place. The mixed reviews made me want to give it a chance and it had so many things going for it. Yet ultimately it failed and I would not recommend it nor intend to ever go back. First the good points. Service The staff was excellent, well timed and professional without being pretentious. Everyone we spoke to was very nice and genuine. They felt comfortable and so we did around them. It was Derby day and we were there during the final race so we had the whole place to ourselves. I mean the whole place, us and 50 servers! That part was really fun and the staff played along with us. It was our anniversary and they made that really nice. When the race came on all the staff whet to the bar to watch and invited us to join them. We felt like we were friends even though it was our first time. The manager greeted us at our table and was also very nice. They did the little things right and were well trained, a younger boy made sure our water was always filled and just when we needed it. He watched the table discreetly to be sure to clear anything away the moment we were ready without being pushy. Our waiter was attentive without being pushy. and let us go at our pace. We had a nice conversation about the place, the building and how the place would be packed later that night after the races and that they would be turning people away. All in all, the service was very good. The venue The interior is amazing. Kind of 40s art deco with a edgy twist. Well designed with wood and glass and mosaic art. It is truly a beautiful interior. And huge. We enjoyed just looking at it and could image it as a buy 40s set in a black and white detective movie. It should be used as a scene in a movie. The bathrooms nice without being too much, everything you'd expect in a higher priced upscale place. The background music Well planned with a perfect mix for the atmosphere, big bands, classic and modern crooners, and mellow jazz. Ordurves We had jumbo shrimp cocktail. They were perfectly chilled with dry ice underneath adding to the upscale affect. The shrimp was meaty and firm with no old fishy taste. The horseradish sauce was strong and unique. Now onto the fails, and unfortunately they were big. All the good stuff above is wasted on the misses with the food. My wife ordered the lobster soup, it was terrible, I mean really tasteless and worse than store brand canned soup. My wife sent it back and because it was so bad complained to both the waiter and the manager about it. They did take it off the bill as expected. I ordered the 14 oz Ribeye steak, They age the stakes and when you do it right it can be wonderful. But when you do it wrong it can leave the meat with a liver after taste and I would say it too was lacking in seasoning. A great cut prepared well requires very little but this steak needed it. For sides we ordered the truffle fries and the signature Brussel sprouts. The brussel sprouts were okay but for one of their signature dishes I expected more. It was undercooked which as most people know will make you gasy and feeling bloated which they did. Broccali you can lightly cook and I like it that way, brussel sprouts no. The truffle fries might just be me, I've decided I just don't like them. but some places I think they are just okay, here I really did not like them. The restaurant brought out a red velvet cupcake and like other things it fell short. The frosting was amazing and the swirled chocolate sauce on the plate was thick and fudgy, nice. The cake was hard and dried out and ruined the affect of the wonderful presentation. Almost, but ultimately a fail. Valet parking First it's mandatory, if you want to be near the place you have to valet, the closest parking is several blocks away. It's $15 dollars some nights $20 others. The host does not validate even after a very expensive meal. Our car sat out front the whole time we ate and just as we were walking out the door the valet drove it off to the parking lot. We waited 20 minutes for them to run back and get it despite there being next to no business to take care of. So once lat thing, we don't drink and that often helps our bill be a bit lower. And though I expected the price to be high for a place like this our bill with no alcohol was $175.00 for the two of us, before the tip and the valet parking and the valet's tip. We would have had a better steak at Longhorns. and despite the fine service and beautiful venue none of that justifies a meal for two to cost over $250.00 when everything was said and done for mediocre food. My recommendation? Don't bother, don't wonder if the place is a maybe you should check out. There are so many great places to eat in Lousiville that you could through a dart at a map and do much better. I say avoid Eddie, it's just nor worth the price nor the quality.
(2)
Mr E.
Service and atmosphere were fine the steaks were not. A medium rare was in fact rare and a medium was medium well. Not a mistake one would expect from a steakhouse. Disappointing.
(2)
Zach L.
Great night. I have to admit, this place is a bit more pricey than I'm used to, but I thought it was worth it. I went on my anniversary during a business trip, so I wasn't with my wife. Still, they made it a good experience for me and I would gladly go back. For my food I ordered the triple filets ($45), as well as a couple of small plates--filet sliders and bbq shrimp. The filets were perfectly cooked and seasoned. The meat was tender. You could tell that Merlot's uses prime grade, and the sauces / toppings for the meat were mostly good. I loved, loved, loved the oscar, as the crab was so tender and good; I didn't love the peppercorn sauce, as it was surprisingly bland. As for the small plates, the filets were tender and full of flavor, but lukewarm. The bbq shrimp was amazing--the sauce was perfect, the cook was perfect, the shrimp were large and tasty . . . that may have been my favorite part of the entire meal. The bread was also good, and my associate appreciated his meal too.
(4)
Diane R.
Oh my! This is my new favorite steak house. The steak was spectacular! We had the rock shrimp appatizer and there was a lot of shrimp and they were great. We had the brussel sprouts and they were really good. The scalloped cauliflower was very good. The asparagus was a little bland and needed something. It tasted like it was steamed with no salt or any seasoning. I really enjoyed my night here. We all were too full for dessert.
(5)
Pamela B.
Great atmosphere, service, and food! The filet mignon sliders were excellent! The tuna tartare needs more tuna and less cabbage.
(5)
Stephen M.
I had written a review for a meal I had with my wife here late May. It had posted here, but seems to have been pulled down. So, I am going to repost the gist. Go somewhere else. Overpriced, and both steaks we ordered were miss-cooked. Was told it would take 20min plus to redue them. We were tired and irrateted by that point. Nibbled at them and then asked for the check. No mamager ever visited, though we were told he was aware of the problem. Food is way too good in this town to settle with this place.
(2)
Tri T.
Meat was good, food was good but nothing was "out of the park". Unsure of how long my steak sat in the window but it wasn't hot like I expect from a restaurant like this. When every steak is above $35 and goes up to almost $100 chateaubriand, make sure everyone's food is cooked perfectly. Service was also pretty underwhelming. From our drink order to our entrees, they put the wrong thing in front of me. I received the wrong drink and steak. I've been to better places with phenomenal service at the same costs.
(3)
Victor M.
Fantastic!!!! This is how a restaurant she be. We went here on Derby night and they ran it fantastically even when they're so busy. The night before we went to Z's Oyster and Steaks and it was a nightmare. This place is 100% the opposite. GREAT service. Great food. Great atmosphere. Class all around. The carpaccio didn't have a lot of flavor, but it was ok. My wife's steak was great and my crab legs were fabulous. I don't know how the did it, but the crab legs were amazingly moist and melt in your mouth tender. Crazy good.
(5)
Bill J.
I had dinner here before the Prince concert on 3/14/15. We had dinner reservations at another restaurant but cancelled them because we didn't want to deal with finding a taxi and leaving the downtown area. Everyplace downtown was booked solid, so we sat at the bar here. Service was a little up and down, but they were absolutely slammed so they deserve a little slack. BBQ shrimp appetizer was excellent, nice mix of flavors between the shrimp, the bacon and the BBQ sauce. Very good chopped salad, I would go back again just for the salad. Bison filet was a good choice and they cooked it almost perfectly. All in all a very good meal and dining experience. The street view from the bar is excellent and makes for great people watching while you dine.
(4)
Rebekah T.
My honey decided to treat us to a nice dinner at Eddie Merlot's. I've never been to one, but we are both big fans of steak and seafood. We arrived and sat at the bar. The restaurant was decorated for the holiday season and looked really nice and cozy. We decided to order two appetizers and split the trio of steak medallions as our main course. We love trying different things and sharing plates. The cocktails were fantastic and perfectly poured in larger glasses. Loved them. My guy picked the Charcuterie platter with the different cheeses and meat options. He loved it and said that it was one of the best he has ever had. I ordered some oysters with mignonette and fresh horseradish. The trio of steaks were perfectly cooked to medium rare in three styles, Oscar, Peppercorn and Bacon Gorgonzola. If you are a steak lover, this is the dish for you. The meal was delicious and very romantic, we ordered everything we wanted and enjoyed everything. I would definitely come back to another Eddie Merlot's for a top notch dinner like the one we had.
(5)
Lawrence C.
Considering the reviews, I expected more. Considering the reputation, I expected more. Considering thay this is one of the "better" restaurants in Louisville, I expected more. Disappointedly, this was not to be. Maybe I shouldn't have such expectations for Louisville. I don't mind paying high prices, but please, give me very good service, good quantity, and very good quality.....well, I guess 1 1/2 out of three ain't too bad. Service was totally lackluster. Quantity was good. Quality was so-so. Waitstaff is overeager to tell us about the menu (no specials, so we could read it......thank you very much) before delivering our drinks (twice had to request our drinks be brought out). Filling of water glasses is required, even at the end of the meal. Inquiring about our food, or at least being nearby after the food is served is essential, as my steak was severely undercooked for medium. I sent it back, and it still came back to me bloody! One diner ordered salad without cheese, but apparently waiter was preoccupied, as it was delivered incorrectly and then had to be sent back as well. Tuna wontons appy were the highlight of the dinner. Variety of wines offered by the glass was very large! Something for everyone. Dessert, banana cream pie, was ample and light.
(3)
Christopher W.
Eddie Merlot's ruined my friend's 30th birthday faster than Randy Moss in a 40-yard dash. We waited nearly two hours for our steaks, with birthday boy's rare steak showing up as if it had been cooked for the entire two hours. Our waiter promptly returned the massacred cut to the kitchen and returned 20 minutes later with lightly-toasted tartare. At this point we had reached the event horizon and focused our energy on salvaging the night at some of the more debatable establishments around Louisville. But one thing remains undebatable; Eddie Merlot's is a woeful steakhouse and anyone working in the kitchen that night should be banned from coming within a 100 yards of a steak ever again.
(1)
Justin L.
Even when away on business, Yelp continues to be my trusty companion. My most recent business trip took me to Louisville. Since we happened to be having our anniversary while on the road, I wanted to make the most of it. After doing my Yelpipedia background check on the local dining scene, I went ahead and booked a dinner at Eddie Merlot's. This proved to be an absolutely fantastic decision. From the delicious jumbo shrimp cocktail appetizer to my bourbon-marinated ribeye, I HIGHLY enjoyed every tasty bite. My better half also felt her Caesar salad, lobster mac-n-cheese and pecan-crusted trout were delish. Since it was our anniversary, our waiter served up a complimentary red velvet cupcake for dessert. This was the perfect ending to a really memorable meal. Too bad there's no Eddie Merlot's in the West Coast. Guess I'll just have to hold out till my next business trip brings me back again.
(5)
Drew P.
Service sucked. Everything was overpriced and not very tasty. Go somewhere else if you want a nice dinner.
(2)
Booker B.
Great wine, excellent Filet Oscar with lobster tail. I could die fat and happy like eating like this. -- and with fresh breath due to the mouthwash in the bathroom.
(5)
Michele G.
I love the small seafood platter! Three Oysters, 1/2 lb king crab legs and shrimp cocktail! The service was good. The only thing I didn't like was when I order a bottle of Conn Creek the server brought me the more expensive one made by Conn Creek. Trust me I would have loved to drink the Anthology but my budget said otherwise. I ordered the Natural New York strip it was cooked perfectly. Eddies potatoes were great. They have little bits of jalapeño. If you have read any of my other yelp reviews I love Mexican. The dessert Holy Moly! Peanut butter cup. We are the whole thing. Trust me I didn't think we could when it was brought out. 1. We were full 2. It was big It was so good we couldn't stop ourselves. I will be back again.
(4)
Erin N.
One of the best meals we have ever had. I had the filet Mignon which was cooked to perfection. We also had the lobster mac n cheese. Service was excellent as well!!!
(5)
Calvin Y.
Not big on long winded reviews and frankly don't have the time to do so. We thoroughly enjoyed every part of this dining experience! Food and service were excellent!!
(5)
Terry C.
Now, I admit it has been a long time since I have been to Eddie Merlots, but I wanted to give a fair shake to every upscale steakhouse in Louisville. Of all, this was by far the worst. Where should I start? A wobbly booth when we requested a table - "sorry, we cannot reseat you because that other table is reserved"; well didn't I have a reservation also? Cold soup with a pudding skin on top served simultaneously with my wilted salad in a hot bowl, smothered in a peppery goopy dressing. A waiter insisting that I order a Waygu medium well? The wine with different year as listed; it was good, but when I pointed it out I was told "it all tastes the same". My wife's steak "recooked" to well done after she returned a charred outside, cold and purple in the center medium rare. They even accidentally tossed out my father-in-laws take home! I did send them a letter and they did send me a $50 gift card I gave to my son. Wow a 15% refund on a 15% quality meal. Seems appropriate.
(1)
Jason R.
Really enjoyed this place. Wasn't expecting a ton from a chain steakhouse but this one was a little different. First of all you have to get the charcuterie if you are in to meats and cheeses at all. It was great!! The wine by the glass selection is very nice, had some things that most places in town do t have by the glass. Lastly, really enjoyed the filet. Could have had a little more flavor but and excellent cut and very tender. Will definitely go back!
(4)
Andrew R.
I will give this place 3 for service and sides, but the mains were honestly not great(which is the point). We had 6 in our party out for work event, everyone had steaks. The quality d meat here is very good - everyone's steak was tender and cooked to perfect temperature. All of them though were WAY over-seasoned and basically salty. I ordered Wagyu ribeye. I have had Wagyu done well before, this cut was very small. Wagyu beef is so good you almost don't need any seasoning. This cook didn't get the memo, cooked great but barely edible. Put down the Montreal steak seasoning and let the quality of meat do the work. If you want the type of experience EMs offers go to Jeff Ruby's instead. Has the same over-the-top decor, same prices and better food, by a mile. (just a consumer here i don't work at JRs I can tell you though, it's better)
(3)
Phi D.
Food was good but not to say the best steaks we've ever had. There are other places that we liked better in the price range. Also, since it's right off 4th Street live, parking is limited. Overall, good dinning experience for our 1st time.
(4)
Natalie D.
Excellent wait staff. Fantastic mashed potatoes and creamed corn. Overall it was a pleasant experience.
(4)
angie h.
Great steaks, amenable staff to a large (sometimes noisy group). We enjoyed several appetizers (the tuna was amazing!), a variety of steaks and almost every side. All were very good. It was pretty pricey, and when we sought a wine recommendation, the first few choices were $100+ per bottle. Perhaps a mid-point wine might have been a better suggestion to start. That's why it's minus a star.
(4)
Doug T.
was just in the bar.. the food service closes earlier than 11:00. It's a chain albeit a small and pretty good one
(4)
Shelley M.
Went for a weekday lunch with a small group of professionals. We were the only ones there when we arrived at 11:30 which was the "only reservation available" and there was maybe 2 other tables there when we left 2 hours later. Really, I think "A-OK" as Yelp's 3 star description describes it. There was nothing wrong with our meal or service, it just simply didn't wow me (or the tablemates that I asked) either. The food was good, not great. The service was good, not great. I felt mildly misled by their advertisement of lunch specials starting at $7.95, I didn't expect a huge selection at that price but I did expect say, 1 meat and 1 fish or chicken type dish and maybe 1 or 2 more selections under $10 as "specials". Rather, there was 1 special only that the waiter neglected to mention in his lengthy description of the other specials (soup and such) of the day. Once questioned about it, he was helpful on clarifying the $7.95 special and did a good job of substituting when one ingredient wasn't available. While I know this is a high end steakhouse, burgers for $13-15 for lunch with chips on the side just pushes the limit for this area. The fish tacos were good, but nothing that can't be found elsewhere (as an example only, they were comparable to those at Sari Sari which for the same price, came with a delicious soup). The burgers were not noticeably better than say, AP Crafters where a similar burger runs $8-9, not $14. A calamari appetizer was a large serving and fairly tender, not bad but the dipping sauces lacked punch- the wasabi mayo type dressing was very mild. It was a good meal all and all, but I wouldn't put this in the top class of restaurants either. I have no specific issue with the place and I'm not complaining about our meal, it was as Yelp puts it "A-OK"
(3)
Rachel M.
Best artichoke dip I think I have ever had! And the scallops were amazing! We lucked out and got a table without a reservation.. Service was great too! One of the best dining experiences I have had recently!
(4)
Joe M.
Just ate hear this week and loved the place. I sat in the bar and ate dinner. Went with the Tuna. I have to eat gluten free so no Soy for me. I asked and they did not have Gluten Free Soy. Little disappointed for a nice place like this, but the food was so good.Service was great also. Great selection of food. The one thing I did not like was the fact that the bar tender suggested what I thought was the House Cab. Got the bill and it was not. Other than that, it was perfect. I would go back, but will check the wine list next time.
(4)
Suzanne B.
The short: cream of the crop when it comes to steaks and dining experience in downtown Louisville. The long: I visited Eddie Merlot's last night for a celebration meal and was extremely impressed! I had always heard great things about dining here and was eager to try it out myself. From the first glimpse of the place, I loved the warm, sophisticated decor. Red and yellow abound, echoing the hues of wine in the diners' glasses - and while we're talking wine, make sure you treat yourself to a glass or two of the wines on their winelist. Our table shared an Eddie Merlot's Chardonnay and were not disappointed! Salads were crispy and fresh. I ordered the Iceberg, and be forewarned that the 2 wedges it comes with make it enough to split between a couple. For our appetizer we got the Hot Seafood Medley, and were not disappointed in the quality of calimari (very light batter and fried perfectly), shrimp, or crab cakes that came with this selection. By the time the main course came, we were all full but looking forward to our entrees. I got the Beef Bourgignon, which I highly recommend if you're in the mood for something other than a steak when you come here. It was simmered to the perfect flavor and served with fresh mashed potatoes. I also enjoyed one of the new mixed drinks, the Kiawah Island number. It was sweet and delicious - while I had it brought to the table around the time I got my entree, I think it would be a great way to either start or end your meal at Eddie Merlot's (or - come to think of it - both!) If you plan on getting dessert here, save room, and get a table full of forks for everybody to share. Portions are generous without skrimping on flavor or quality. Eddie Merlot's is one of my new favorite places, especially when it comes to steakhouses in Louisville. Make some time to visit, and I'm sure you will feel the same way too!
(5)
Brad V.
Very nice steakhouse and very helpful staff. If you like prime steak that is in the $45 range for a rib eye, you will appreciate this place. Valet parking. This is your local favorite spot. I recommend it the next time you got to have meat and you want the best.
(4)
Hugh P.
You have to experience this 10! Lauren and Mary were excellent. A real culinary experience.
(5)
Stephen L.
This place is amazing! We ate at the bar and there was a killer live jazz band that wasn't too loud but excellent players. The bartender was on top of it and very accommodating and the food was even better ! I can't wait to eat here again! The pork chops were awesome and cooked perfect! I had tilapia that was stellar also. Even the Caesar salad was great! U gotta eat here and for fine dining, the bar was laid back enough and food was fairly priced.
(5)
Paul C.
A prime choice! Celebrated our two son's birthdays here. An excellent choice. The decor is Dadaist, and the food great. Any of the steaks are superb but based upon our experience, I'd recommend the chateaubriand! For appetizers, the steak tartare, crab cakes and carpaccio were fantastic.
Sitting in the trendy setting with posh music, bass booming certainly did not feel like Louisville to me--if felt more like Florida. The space is really posh with low lighting, lots of music, and I suspect would attract a young crowd. It's actually a lot larger on the inside than you might imagine with booth areas for couples. The restrooms are nice as well, and even have mouthwash. . .just thought you might want to know that. The food. As a vegetarian there are not many options for me. I eneded up with a spinach salad that included strawberries, goat chees, and red onions, with a maple cider dressing which was actually delicious. The bread is hot and fresh, nothing to complain about there. I orderd a baked potato with truffles and parmesan, thinking I would get thick huge chunks of shaved parm with fresh, fragraent truffles. . . Apparently Eddie had something else in mind than I did. What I did receive was a little plate of green can parm with no truffles at all. That was very unfortunate and disappointing. I also ordered a side of brussel sprouts as well which was delicious and actually family sized. Nine dollars for a side of brussel sprouts is a lot, but they were cooked and seasoned perfectly. The service could have been more attentive and I would hope a little more accommodating of me being a vegetarian, but I'm at a steakhouse, what should I possibly expect? I wanted to try the place out and glad I did, however, it's definitely not my go to restaurant in Louisville.
(3)
Molly B.
Went to Eddie Merlots last night, this was the second time we have gone... The service was extremely slow both times. The past times we came the redeemed themselves with the wonderful food, but this time the food was average and definitely over price for what we got. Two people at the table ordered the halibut and one was not done at all... We sent it back. Another person ordered a steak medium and it was very rare... The desserts we ordered were great(bananas foster, cheesecake, and mixed berries) But the berry dish was more like a mixed berries soup... Don't think we will be going back here. Not worth the money, also our party had 7 people and they added the gratuity... Very much overcharged. The service was so slow, so they hefty tip was not what we would have given..
(2)
Chris D.
Enjoyed the surf & turf special that night. Everything was prepared perfectly. Great ambiance and service. We'll return for sure!
(5)
Christopher S.
This place rocks. A solid 4-5 rating. Really good steak and chicken. I love this place. Great appetizers and amazing steaks. This is a good choice for a fairly expensive high end meal. Excellent wine menu and wine by the glass. Good corporate stop or event meal.
(4)
Greg M.
Top shelf place to take clients and out-of-town guests. Not a place I would take my family, but when the occasion calls for a formal dinner, this place covers the spread and then some. Wine is amazing, service is top notch, save room for the shareable desserts!
(5)
Evan R.
I was in Louisville for business and came here for dinner. The good news is that the food was spectacular. The menu was very interesting...especially for a steak house. Rather than just offer the same few cuts of meat with their obligatory companions (more creamed spinach!), Eddie Merlot's has a varied selection, including multiple cuts of meat, seafood, and 18 different side dishes. We started with warm bread and the excellent calamari, which came with three kinds of sauces. For dinner, I had the fliet, which was perfectly cooked. At the waiters recommendation, I got the stuffed shrimp as an add on, which arrived 10 minutes after my entree. Which leads me to my next point. The service wasn't great. The politeness was forced, and there were many interactions where busboys either ignored us or were plate hunting, which I absolutely hate. It was annoying to not get a side dish when I only ordered it because of our waiter's recommendation. Furthermore, Rick Pitino happened to be sitting at the table next to us, and our waiter was constantly stopping our service to check on him. Considering our waiter was not someone else's wife, I didn't understand the urgency. Overall, this was some of the better food I've had at a steakhouse, but I would be wary of the service if I were coming here for business reasons.
(4)
Dave L.
Nice restaurant on the corner and by 4th Street Live. Best thing is the location and also Eddie's does not seem to be the catch all for 4th Street, which is a good thing. Had the Ceasar Salad, with the extra stinky fish. Next was the stuffed shrimp and crab. This serving was large! My fault that I did not tell the waiter to refrain from adding salt, so the dish in my opinion was a little salty. My business associate had the same and thought it was fine. Not blaming Eddie's as I cannot stand salt in the first place so any additional is just bad medicine. As a side we had the Lobster Mac and Cheese, and spinach. The Mac and Cheese was addicting, very addicting. Another plus was the wine by the glass selection. When you have Stag's Cab by the glass, it's good in my book! Waiter was outstanding so ask for Allen. When in Louisville and staying downtown, try Eddie's but make sure you are there before 6pm.
(4)
Rowan L.
Service was pompous, like they were pretending this was the best place in Louisville. They completely forgot two dishes at our table, and were frankly a bit unattentive to what we talked about - gave me a bad vibe of "you should feel privileged to be here", versus they should have been feeling privileged that I was there. Having said that, several people said the steaks were the best they'd ever had. The scallops were superb. They do not handle vegetarians well (if you have one in your party, that person is going home dissatisfied), but to be fair it is a steak house. If the service was authentic then I'd be all over this place. Not sure I'd go back though because for premium prices I expect better service.
(3)
Ryan M.
I had my reservations about this place with it being a chain steakhouse along the lines with Jeff Ruby's. I've never been impressed with Jeff's, but the food here was great all around. My wife and I had the cold seafood platter, chopped salads, fillets and shared the broccoli and lobster mashed potatoes. It was all wonderful! The only downside to this place is the wine list. It's extensive but the markups are insultingly atrocious. If you come here uneducated in wine prices you definitely run the chance of being taken advantage of.
(4)
Harish R.
I tried Platte River Ranch Natural Filet Mignon and mashed potato. It's good but not great.
(3)
Kaitlin E.
The 6oz filet was a perfect potion and it was actually prepared medium well like I had asked. The broccoli was a little raw and overly salted. Keep in mid that the potion was enough for four to six people. The baked potato is large enough for two or three people as well. Now, onto the chocolate cake....this thing should be on Man Vs Food!!! It must of weighed ten pounds. I thought "are you serious"!? It was larger than my hand with my fingers spread apart. I rated four out of five stars because the steak is overpriced.
(4)
Jorge G.
Great meal while in town on business. Small batch bourbon to start with bone in filet and the signature brussel sprouts with a nice cabernet. Great service even though sat at the bar. Will be back. Worth price anyday. .
(5)
Thomas J.
Surprisingly good place. I'd give five stars, but for the fact that, while they offer "farm to fork" on their daytime menus, their evening menus are static and non-locally sourced. They keep things like asparagus and brusselssprouts on their menu all year and the meats taste like factory meats. The negative out of the way, the rest is all pretty much good. The blue cheese potatochips, the sufficiently sweet (without being tooth-achingly sweet) deserts, the carpacio and the steaks were all good. There was a slight hiccough with the steak - while they know what blue rare is, they seem to assume that their customers don't, resulting in a sendback, but the second steak was awesome. Their staff are attentive and on-point. They know the menu and they know the wines. The atmosphere is elegant, if a touch noisy, and the patrons don't show up for a fine-dining experience in their jeans and boat shoes. All around, a damned nice place to go for a special ocassion meal.
(4)
Jack S.
I was in town for a convention and had some clients to take out. We were looking for a nice place and Eddie Merlot's seemed like the perfect venue. I'll start out by saying that this is a very nice resturant. The decor was great and the staff was friendly. Now onto the food. I ordered the chopped salad, which while very good, was not a chopped salad as I am used to seeing. Typically, in say Chicago, the salads are actually chopped. This one was not. Like I said, it was very tasty though. Now to the entre. I ordered the $59 bone-in fillet and asked for some bearnaise sauce on the side. I thought it would be nice for the table to share. Well, my steak came out swimming in the bearnaise. Too bad, because otherwise it would have been enjoyable. I was really surprised that, at a resturant of this caliber, nobody offered to do anything. Even when the others at my table pointed out the error, which they witnessed, the waiter and someone from the kitchen staff just said "sorry". I transfered my steak to a bread plate and wiped it off with my napkin and finished my meal. Very good steak, but very disappointing service. Would I go back? Not if there was a Peter Luger, Morton's or a Pappas Bros. across the street, but maybe otherwise. Like I said, the rest of the food was very nice. Just thought that they should have done more to make things right. Granted, I didn't ask. But I shouldn't have to when paying $59 for a fillet.
(3)
Joshua L.
The atmosphere was excellent. Great location near 4th St Live. The service was decent, but not as good as I expected with the price point. The food was great - but for the price, I would have rather gone to Jeff Ruby's.
(3)
Loren S.
When visiting for the weekend we heard great things about this steakhouse and decided to try it. So glad we did! Great steak (add truffle butter you won't regret it) and the sides are huge! Seriously between two of us one would've been plenty. I got the Parmesan truffle fries too because I couldn't resist and were some of the best I'd ever had.. Just wish I could've eaten all of them! Would definitely recommend this to anyone in the area for a nice night out!
(5)
Pat S.
I was in Louisville for a conference and whenever I'm in a new town, I try to find the city's signature steakhouse and have a solo meal there. I picked Eddie Merlot's over Jeff Ruby's because I had walked past it a couple of times and the other reviews mentioned that the service in the bar area was prompt and friendly. I stepped up to the bar and was quickly greated by Lauren - a pleasant and professional bartender who offered me a dinner menu and bourbon list at my request. I nursed a Bulleit neat for a while before ordering dinner. In the meantime, Diane had started her shift and Lauren introduced me to Diane. Diane was attentive, pleasant and polite. I ordered the Prime NY Strip - no sides, no toppings - "steak on a plate - I like it" was Diane's comment. The steak was perfectly cooked to medium rare and tastefully seasoned - and I am a harsh steak critic. It was served with attractive sear marks from the broiler and was topped with some melted butter, salt, pepper and garlic. Nothing fancy, nothing extra. Just a great piece of meat, respectfully prepared and served by professional and friendly waitstaff who seemed genuinely concerned that I have a pleasant experience. I noticed that they restaurant serves a prime burger at lunch in the lounge - I may have to go back to try that before I leave town. I would definitely recommend Eddie Merlot's to any single traveler looking for a tasty and pleasant dining experience.
(4)
Joel H.
Everything we ordered was excellent. Creamed spinach / wedge salad / mushrooms / steak fritas / must have Carrot cake
(5)
Lee W.
This may have been one of the best dinners I've ever had! Expensive, yes, but I thought it was worth it! We had a reservation for 6:15pm and were seated right away. Drinks were prompted, appetizers were made quickly and were delicious. I had the Ahi tuna wontons, which were amazing! A member of my party got the lobster bisque, and another member got oysters (they both said all were fantastic). Dinner was served very quickly after we ordered it (2 30 day aged bone-in ribeyes and a filet). Everything was delicious! Our server was very courteous and attentive. It was a great experience and I'd love to go back!
(5)
Michael R.
Dine here often. Good wine list, excellent steaks! Superb pork chop. Even the meatloaf is to write home about! Service is impeccable. You won't leave here disappointed, or hungry!
(5)
Katherine G.
My last night in Louisville and it ended right. A great steak house with a well written wine list. The menu has a so many options where they even offer a fixed priced 3 course meal for 40 dollars if you can't decide. If you like steak it is well worth the dollars$$. The service could be better. I feel like the wait staff was not as knowledgeable or helpful as i would like. They have only been open for about 2 months. The atmosphere is cool, hip and chic. The back dining room seemed very large, but my coworkers and I sat at a high top in the front near the bar. The music and the noise level is pretty loud, but is still very enjoyable.
(4)
Andi W.
My only complaint was that the Carrot Cake was big enough to feed 12 people. I have cake for the week....Lol!
Always a great experience. The food is delicious, as expected, but the service goes above and beyond. The atmosphere is fun - makes you feel like you're in a Chicago steakhouse, right here in Louisville. Lobster Mac 'n' Cheese is delicious. I've never had to send a steak back (and believe it or not, I have had to do that in Chiago - ack!) Love it here so much that our group of 13 is headed there to usher in 2012. Can't wait!
(5)
Jacob E.
Awesome dinner! Had the bone-in strip, rare was cooked to perfection and TENDER! Great flavor, awesome staff, nice service. Our server, Sara, was very knowledgeable and friendly. A bit spendy, but a nice treat!
(5)
steve f.
Really good server... the happy hour specials were great: good $5 wine and very good blue cheese chips. The bread was fresh and the wedge salad excellent. The steak was cooked perfect an it was an EXPENSIVE meal but one of the few that was worth it. Will go again.
(4)
Valerie P.
Whoever thought of putting lobster in macaroni and cheese is a genius! I visited Merlot's on Friday night with my sister. She ordered the lobster macaroni and cheese and I got asparagus because I like to keep it healthy, of course we ordered steaks. As I have said before, I true test of a good steak is if it it edible without any sauces. I guarantee my steak met the requirement. The service was excellent despite being very busy, our server was very attentive and hospitable. Overall the meal was well worth the price. I strongly advise to order the lobster macaroni and cheese it is delicious!
(5)
Sean R.
Elite steakhouse in downtown Louisville - if you're looking to entertain or be entertained for a nice evening, this is the place. Terrific service and a great selection of meat.
(5)
Mr. J And Mrs. J.
We visited Eddie Merlots on a Friday evening without a reservation. I took my father in law, my thirteen year old son and wife to dinner for a family celebration. Our experience was over the top in all catagories. I believe it was the best meal we had ever eaten out anywhere, ever. We frequent nice restaurants and I have to say I had no complaints, it was worth every penny $$$$$. Service was excellent, food was outstanding and atmosphere wonderful. Loved it! We will be back.
(5)
Steve R.
Bar staff was super friendly and attentive. The live music was a nice touch! Our food was fantastic--served very quickly.
(4)
LeMont M.
The food and atmosphere was great! However, there were a few things that has discouraged me from returning. First of all I ordered 2 Ribeye steak 1 regular med-well and 1 Wagyu medium. When the steaks came to the table there was confusion regarding which steak was which. Which was extremely disappointing because we wanted to taste the Wagyu experience but other than the temp which is what we had to go off of to roughly determine which steak was correct. So with that I'm sure if either steak was Wagyu or even if the correct steak had the right temp. After receiving the steaks I decided that I wanted some grape juice and the waiter came back with some form white grape drink which had an alcohol undertone. When I asked what it was he was unable to tell me what drink I had. Then after finishing dinner and paying for the meal. I decided to wash it down with a glass of water I discovered some form of insect larvae on the glass. At that point the manager came over and proceeded to discount the bill which had already been settled by $10 for an entree. I didn't ask for a discount but was a little insulted by the amount since he did decide to comp a portion of the bill. I probably won't be going back here not only because of the disgusting insect larvae developing near the food, but also because all of the confusion throughout the dinner. From the steak, drinks, and everything else. So definitely disappointed in the overall experience after spending $200 for 2 people without wine.
(2)
Jim B.
Ate here last night with a party of 50. Appetizers were great. I had a filet and it was amazing. Another big hit was their macaroni and cheese. Wow!
(5)
Kevin M.
The food at Eddie Merlot's is obviously good. I don't think there is any question about that, but seriously? Two lunch visits since then...like I said the food is good...and it continues to amaze me how the lunch staff competency goes out the window. Today it so long to get seated --- granted we had a table for eight, but the dining room was once again mostly empty --- that someone in my party actually turned to the hostess who continued frantically typing (or maybe playing Angry Birds) into the hostess stand computer, and said "is there a problem" We were told that they were just getting the table ready for us, but there was way too much staff for such a long delay. On a recent visit, we found the staff and atmosphere in the bar lounge far more pleasant, with staff promptly attending to us faster than it takes the hostess to decide to consider finding you a seat. After finally being seated, the plodding began anew. Slow lackadaisical service -- after we ordered, the server turned to the last person, and asked, "would you care to order any appetizers today". A little late in the game for that, sadly. Again, the food continues to be good - but a friend's beer cheese soup looked alot like the potato cheese soup I ordered on a recent visit, with a smattering of sausage added. Speaking of the soup I ordered on a recent visit: on our visit to the lounge I was told about a delicious sounding soup that was "guiness beef soup with vegetables". I ordered it, but it turned out that a different soup was the soup of the day...cheese potato soup which ostensibly had some hot pepper, but noticeably lacked any heat at all. The mistake is fine - the server was told wrong. The problem was the expediter -- instead of humbly apologizing, and acting like she was going to correct it at all, she simply explained that I would like the soup, and that it was really good. It obviously wasn't. A coworker asked for no red onions on a salad, and was told that the server would "ask the chef" before being served the salad with red onions. Again, Merlot's is too nice of a place to suffer the continued service laziness that I continue to see. Service cannot be an afterthought. Not when you expect the established gratuity for that service to be 20%. I know 18% is now the common large group/separate check gratuity level, but 20% is where you're supposed to wind up if I sign the "added gratuity" line. Merlot's needs better service, and quickly, if it is going to make it in the stingier post-Christmas lunch world.
(2)
Jeff M.
Outstanding! Try the sweet and spicy rock shrimp!! Server was friendly and very good, atmosphere was just right, not too loud, but not like a funeral, either. Great time, def recommend, will be back!
(5)
John J.
Excellent fine dining experience. Great service and atmosphere. Best food item: lobster mac and cheese. Also had tuna tartare on wonton, chateaubriand, and mixed berry tableside dessert - all highly recommended. Would definitely eat here again if ever in Louisville. Waitress told us they are looking to expand into south Florida - possibly Boca Raton or south beach...
(5)
Nabeel N.
We had a party of 5 - we got seated promptly and the waitress seemed very bubbly and helpful (at first). Out comes the wine list and it was very obvious she had no idea about wines. She kept telling us about the great wines that were all priced above $150. We repeatedly asked her to recommend a good wine under $60 and she couldn't. The right thing to have done would've been to get help from the resident wine expert or maitre'de. Anyhow, we picked a Markham 2007 Napa Valley Cab. 20 mins later she brings out a 2009 Markham Napa Valley cab, to which I pointed out the difference and she replied, "We can't always gaurantee we have the wines on our list". Okay so let's try again - picked another wine and 20 minutes later she brings it out. And yes, this time it was correct. 20 minutes later, our friend who was not drinking wine, get his vodka martini. So far we've been at the restaurant about an hour and our order has not been taken. And the whole wine fiasco causes her to start ignoring our table. Food itself was sub-par. Not what you would expect from an establishment that advertises itself as fine dining. The Waiters were too busy hitting on the waitress' and too busy talking about social events that helping the customers. Spend your money elsewhere and avoid this establishment! ***** Updated 5/20/2011 ***** After my review of Eddie Merlot's, I was contacted by the Owner and then subsequently the manager, apologizing for the inadequate service; which is a plus in my books. Therefore I have added another star to my review.
(3)
M B.
I read reviews and some were good and some were bad. We just had Easter Bunch and I can honestly say it was not good at all. We got there at 1pm anf there was almost nothing left in the pans. The Mac and Chesse was so dry. They had some kind of beef. They were cutting off of this little 3 by 2 piece that most places would set aside. We spent $140. for the 3 of us and it was not what I had thought. Very limited selection and what was there was very picked over. The service was terrible. The bus boy was great on refilling water and taking your plates. The servers stood around and talked. Tea you had to ask for.
(2)
Jason S.
I had the best filet Mignon here. The staff was very prompt and very accommodating. Had a decent wine selection. I would have liked to have eaten there again before leaving Louisville.
(4)
Brad R.
I took clients to dinner here and we were treated to a great experience. They have a good bourbon selection and great prime steaks you'd expect to find at an establishment of this caliber. Reserveations were easily completed through opentable and we had no wait when we arrived. The strip steak with truffle butter was amazing and well worth the trip on its own. The sides were large enough that only 2 served the four of us without trouble. All in all, it was a great meal and I would consider having a business dinner there again.
(4)
Dan S.
Not sure this fine dining establishment will make it. Went on a Saturday night and more than half the tables were empty. Service was very spotty. We chose the Steak Diane which is finished table side. The prep time took so long that all the food cooled. Medium steaks turned out almost rare. After several minutes to cook more in the kitchen, the cooled down steaks were just more burned on the outside than cooked more internally. Unless something improves dramatically, this restaurant will fail. There are too many better options to choose from.
(1)
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Address :455 S 4th St,Ste 102
Louisville, KY, 40202
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : No Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Valet, Street Bike Parking : Yes Good for Kids : No Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Dressy Ambience : Classy Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes
Nathaniel W.
For what you REALLY get... A tad overpriced. Delicious tenderloin. Sides are nothing special.
(3)Paul B.
Old business friends took me here for dinner a few nights ago. Nice looking place,but it started with no bleu cheese olives with the martini & continued with a horrible bloody. They say the bartender just left, too bad for the customers, i guess. Then the wagyu ribeye they charge $51 for arrives & it's so salty, i don't finish it. When you're charging $124 a bottle for the Pinot we drank & $51 for the steak & the bill for 5 of us is way over $600 w/ tip you don"t serve steak too salty to eat. The server was OK & knew things were not up to par. It was nice to be taken out to a nice fancy place, but when you've been to Lugers, Sparks & the original Palm well you know what I mean; STEP UP
(2)Mikal F.
One of the best steak houses in town.
(5)Trina S.
Celebrated my birthday and had a wonderful experience! The ambiance, the waitstaff, and of course, the wonderful food! One of the best strawberry mojitos I've had in quite a while, and my fiance was pleased with the wine list. The ahi wontons are an explosion of flavors, Merlot's iced seafood platter is superb, from the presentation as it comes out with a delicate fog seemingly creeping from around the platter (I know, dry ice, but the fog seems more mysterious!) The filet mignon literally melted in your mouth! We had asparagus as a side item, and luckily we decided to split the entree, if not, I would have been too stuffed for the birthday red velvet cupcake and shot of milk our waiter surprised me with! Finished off the evening with excellent cappuccino. Such an experience from beginning to end! Would definitely recommend. One of the things I love about dining here, the ambiance is classy, but by no means stuffy!
(5)Niel R.
The Tuna appetizer and the server were great. And that's all that was good. I split a dry aged 22 oz bone-in ribeye for $61 with my fiancé. This was the worst piece of meat I have ever had. It was literally a 1/4" thick with no marbling and cooked through like a shoe. The GM then decided to argue with me to say that's how dry aged steaks are suppose to be like. If you want a truly good steak you can go 3 blocks down to Jeff Ruby's. I would not recommend this place to my worst enemy.
(1)Pat H.
Simply delicious. My husband and I went to Eddie Merlot's last night to celebrate his birthday, husband's...not Eddie's. As noted before in another review, the salads are plenty big enough for two. Our waitress was nice enough to mention this as well. Not many do, so this was a plus in my book. I had the medium sized filet mignon and my husband had scallops. Suffice it to say we were both proud members of the clean plate club. We shared two sides, which come homestyle, of mushrooms, and hash browns. Both were excellent but the hash browns would have served another two people. Huge portion! Since we were celebrating a special occasion, we received one of their signature Red Velvet cup cakes for dessert. It wasn't all that signature, but the thought was nice. We couldn't have eaten anything else anyway. We will definitely be back ! It was a little less expensive than Morton's, but that was probably because of sharing a salad and ordering one of the less expensive entrees. I enjoyed it every bit as much as Morton's and a whole lot more than Jeff Ruby's!
(5)Tim S.
My wife and I were in Louisville for 2 nights for work recently and we decided to pop in to Eddie Merlots for dinner on our last night there. Ate at Doc Crows (on Whiskey Row) the night before - another great place too.. Gorgeous restaurant and lovely layout and devoted wine room - was lovely and could see it from the dining area - nice touch. Quiet inside, despite having several larger groups in to eat this evening. We were seated at our table quickly (we had no reservation, just walked in as our hotel was 1 block away) and were greeted by our server Todd. He introduced himself and asked if we had dined there before (which we hadn't). We were given our menus to browse and a wine list, which was quite extensive. After choosing our wine, our orders were taken after Todd made several recommendations on the menu for us to consider. These recommendations were definitely worth it, as we both chose from Todd's knowledge of the menu, having decided to possibly consider other options prior. The food was absolutely magnificent and beautifully presented. My wife had the pork chop, which was probably the BEST I've ever tried - we both agreed on the same point! I had the 7oz filet which was also fantastic and we shared sides of button mushrooms and the BBQ Brussel sprouts (house specialty). Dessert was bananas foster, cooked expertly by Todd table side. Our evening was seriously perfect. The attention from the staff to detail and making sure that everything was perfect is cudos to the quality of the staff and management. If we are back in Louisville anytime again soon, I will defiantly be back. I highly recommend this restaurant, for anyone looking for the ultimate in food, service and attention to details.
(5)Food C.
:) had a blast! It's awesome when you can order without having to look at the prices for once! Awesome meal, good service..
(5)Nathaniel B.
Spent the weekend in Louisville with a group and had dinner at Eddie Merlot's. Absolutely phenomenal experience all around. I had the pork chop and have not had better. Among our group, we sampled a good part of the menu and were impressed all around. Steaks were tender and tasty. We did not partake in the wine list, although it was extensive. Excellent atmosphere and outstanding food. High marks all around.
(5)F B.
Went to dinner on May 11 with my wife no reservations and got seated no problem. It was in the lounge area but it was nice. The server (no name on receipt just "bar server") was excellent. She was hustling that night and did a great job of upselling but was smooth and polite about it. I'm not a big eater so I got the braised short rib with a waldorf salad. The short rib was good but man was that salad delicious. Also got crème brulee for dessert and it was spot on as was the coffee. Wish there was a place in southern California, Ruth Chris is way over priced and over rated.
(4)Chris P.
Having eaten at MANY prime steak houses in the U.S.... This is mediocre. The dishes were 50/50 ... Here's the breakdown ( IMO, and my guests as well ) Crab cakes = Really good Escargot w/biscuit = excellent Shrimp cocktail = good shrimp, ketchupy sauce. blegh. Wedge Salad = awesome and clean Lobster Bisque = way off balance, dull. Caesar = pretty good, way too lemony. Needs parm! 49 dollar Bison Rib-eye... Very disappointed. Cooked wrong and it wasn't rested, so it bled all over the plate. Filet = OUTSTANDING Lobster mac = CRACK Asparagus = meh. Steamed with no seasoning Mashed potatoes. = oily mess with minced parsley. Table bread = great, warm, crusty and seasoned well. good whipped butter. Seabass = outstanding. perfect texture. Creme Brulee, SO rich, so yolky and awesome. Cappuccino = perfect. Peanut butter cup = tasty The wine list is very " safe " with all of your usual suspects. Orin Swift, tons of overpriced Cali juice. Which is cool and all, but where's the Bordeaux, Rhone, Burgundy, Tuscany, hell, maybe a little South Africa? Beautiful wine room that you can see from most of the restaurant though. With these prices, it needs to be more refined. Service was pretty good. Apparently there is a Somm? He never visited my table. Oh well, I guess Conn isn't good enough for a quick check up. I saw him, he saw us... Maybe I'll ask about the Cristal to get some blood going through him next time. ha! Probably won't be a next time. Knocked one off of the bucket list for Louisville at least.
(3)Kirsten L.
Lovely dining experience. Beautiful high-class restaurant; table cloths, glasses & place settings on the tables, mosaic artwork on the walls, pleasant relaxing color scheme. The service was impeccable. My water glass was never less than an inch from the top before someone was there to bring it back to the brim. I had Roasted Bell & Evans Chicken with baby carrots & Iceberg Salad. I wished I had taken a photo of the salad, as I have never been served a salad like it before. It was a large wedge with all of the toppings placed in piles around the wedge. There was no skimping on the toppings either. The lemon vinaigrette was delicious. My plate had 1/2 of a delicious chicken on it (too much). The baby carrots were wonderful. Mike had the New Orleans Mixed Grill-4 oz. Filet Mignon, 2 jumbo shrimp, Andouille Sausage & Garlic Mashed Potatoes. The Filet was so tender & delicious. The shrimp & sausage had a hot spice on them. Potatoes were wonderful. Wonderful dining experience; very expensive. Perfect for special occasions; although, we saw people in jeans & shorts.
(4)Michael M.
I so wanted to love this place. The mixed reviews made me want to give it a chance and it had so many things going for it. Yet ultimately it failed and I would not recommend it nor intend to ever go back. First the good points. Service The staff was excellent, well timed and professional without being pretentious. Everyone we spoke to was very nice and genuine. They felt comfortable and so we did around them. It was Derby day and we were there during the final race so we had the whole place to ourselves. I mean the whole place, us and 50 servers! That part was really fun and the staff played along with us. It was our anniversary and they made that really nice. When the race came on all the staff whet to the bar to watch and invited us to join them. We felt like we were friends even though it was our first time. The manager greeted us at our table and was also very nice. They did the little things right and were well trained, a younger boy made sure our water was always filled and just when we needed it. He watched the table discreetly to be sure to clear anything away the moment we were ready without being pushy. Our waiter was attentive without being pushy. and let us go at our pace. We had a nice conversation about the place, the building and how the place would be packed later that night after the races and that they would be turning people away. All in all, the service was very good. The venue The interior is amazing. Kind of 40s art deco with a edgy twist. Well designed with wood and glass and mosaic art. It is truly a beautiful interior. And huge. We enjoyed just looking at it and could image it as a buy 40s set in a black and white detective movie. It should be used as a scene in a movie. The bathrooms nice without being too much, everything you'd expect in a higher priced upscale place. The background music Well planned with a perfect mix for the atmosphere, big bands, classic and modern crooners, and mellow jazz. Ordurves We had jumbo shrimp cocktail. They were perfectly chilled with dry ice underneath adding to the upscale affect. The shrimp was meaty and firm with no old fishy taste. The horseradish sauce was strong and unique. Now onto the fails, and unfortunately they were big. All the good stuff above is wasted on the misses with the food. My wife ordered the lobster soup, it was terrible, I mean really tasteless and worse than store brand canned soup. My wife sent it back and because it was so bad complained to both the waiter and the manager about it. They did take it off the bill as expected. I ordered the 14 oz Ribeye steak, They age the stakes and when you do it right it can be wonderful. But when you do it wrong it can leave the meat with a liver after taste and I would say it too was lacking in seasoning. A great cut prepared well requires very little but this steak needed it. For sides we ordered the truffle fries and the signature Brussel sprouts. The brussel sprouts were okay but for one of their signature dishes I expected more. It was undercooked which as most people know will make you gasy and feeling bloated which they did. Broccali you can lightly cook and I like it that way, brussel sprouts no. The truffle fries might just be me, I've decided I just don't like them. but some places I think they are just okay, here I really did not like them. The restaurant brought out a red velvet cupcake and like other things it fell short. The frosting was amazing and the swirled chocolate sauce on the plate was thick and fudgy, nice. The cake was hard and dried out and ruined the affect of the wonderful presentation. Almost, but ultimately a fail. Valet parking First it's mandatory, if you want to be near the place you have to valet, the closest parking is several blocks away. It's $15 dollars some nights $20 others. The host does not validate even after a very expensive meal. Our car sat out front the whole time we ate and just as we were walking out the door the valet drove it off to the parking lot. We waited 20 minutes for them to run back and get it despite there being next to no business to take care of. So once lat thing, we don't drink and that often helps our bill be a bit lower. And though I expected the price to be high for a place like this our bill with no alcohol was $175.00 for the two of us, before the tip and the valet parking and the valet's tip. We would have had a better steak at Longhorns. and despite the fine service and beautiful venue none of that justifies a meal for two to cost over $250.00 when everything was said and done for mediocre food. My recommendation? Don't bother, don't wonder if the place is a maybe you should check out. There are so many great places to eat in Lousiville that you could through a dart at a map and do much better. I say avoid Eddie, it's just nor worth the price nor the quality.
(2)Mr E.
Service and atmosphere were fine the steaks were not. A medium rare was in fact rare and a medium was medium well. Not a mistake one would expect from a steakhouse. Disappointing.
(2)Zach L.
Great night. I have to admit, this place is a bit more pricey than I'm used to, but I thought it was worth it. I went on my anniversary during a business trip, so I wasn't with my wife. Still, they made it a good experience for me and I would gladly go back. For my food I ordered the triple filets ($45), as well as a couple of small plates--filet sliders and bbq shrimp. The filets were perfectly cooked and seasoned. The meat was tender. You could tell that Merlot's uses prime grade, and the sauces / toppings for the meat were mostly good. I loved, loved, loved the oscar, as the crab was so tender and good; I didn't love the peppercorn sauce, as it was surprisingly bland. As for the small plates, the filets were tender and full of flavor, but lukewarm. The bbq shrimp was amazing--the sauce was perfect, the cook was perfect, the shrimp were large and tasty . . . that may have been my favorite part of the entire meal. The bread was also good, and my associate appreciated his meal too.
(4)Diane R.
Oh my! This is my new favorite steak house. The steak was spectacular! We had the rock shrimp appatizer and there was a lot of shrimp and they were great. We had the brussel sprouts and they were really good. The scalloped cauliflower was very good. The asparagus was a little bland and needed something. It tasted like it was steamed with no salt or any seasoning. I really enjoyed my night here. We all were too full for dessert.
(5)Pamela B.
Great atmosphere, service, and food! The filet mignon sliders were excellent! The tuna tartare needs more tuna and less cabbage.
(5)Stephen M.
I had written a review for a meal I had with my wife here late May. It had posted here, but seems to have been pulled down. So, I am going to repost the gist. Go somewhere else. Overpriced, and both steaks we ordered were miss-cooked. Was told it would take 20min plus to redue them. We were tired and irrateted by that point. Nibbled at them and then asked for the check. No mamager ever visited, though we were told he was aware of the problem. Food is way too good in this town to settle with this place.
(2)Tri T.
Meat was good, food was good but nothing was "out of the park". Unsure of how long my steak sat in the window but it wasn't hot like I expect from a restaurant like this. When every steak is above $35 and goes up to almost $100 chateaubriand, make sure everyone's food is cooked perfectly. Service was also pretty underwhelming. From our drink order to our entrees, they put the wrong thing in front of me. I received the wrong drink and steak. I've been to better places with phenomenal service at the same costs.
(3)Victor M.
Fantastic!!!! This is how a restaurant she be. We went here on Derby night and they ran it fantastically even when they're so busy. The night before we went to Z's Oyster and Steaks and it was a nightmare. This place is 100% the opposite. GREAT service. Great food. Great atmosphere. Class all around. The carpaccio didn't have a lot of flavor, but it was ok. My wife's steak was great and my crab legs were fabulous. I don't know how the did it, but the crab legs were amazingly moist and melt in your mouth tender. Crazy good.
(5)Bill J.
I had dinner here before the Prince concert on 3/14/15. We had dinner reservations at another restaurant but cancelled them because we didn't want to deal with finding a taxi and leaving the downtown area. Everyplace downtown was booked solid, so we sat at the bar here. Service was a little up and down, but they were absolutely slammed so they deserve a little slack. BBQ shrimp appetizer was excellent, nice mix of flavors between the shrimp, the bacon and the BBQ sauce. Very good chopped salad, I would go back again just for the salad. Bison filet was a good choice and they cooked it almost perfectly. All in all a very good meal and dining experience. The street view from the bar is excellent and makes for great people watching while you dine.
(4)Rebekah T.
My honey decided to treat us to a nice dinner at Eddie Merlot's. I've never been to one, but we are both big fans of steak and seafood. We arrived and sat at the bar. The restaurant was decorated for the holiday season and looked really nice and cozy. We decided to order two appetizers and split the trio of steak medallions as our main course. We love trying different things and sharing plates. The cocktails were fantastic and perfectly poured in larger glasses. Loved them. My guy picked the Charcuterie platter with the different cheeses and meat options. He loved it and said that it was one of the best he has ever had. I ordered some oysters with mignonette and fresh horseradish. The trio of steaks were perfectly cooked to medium rare in three styles, Oscar, Peppercorn and Bacon Gorgonzola. If you are a steak lover, this is the dish for you. The meal was delicious and very romantic, we ordered everything we wanted and enjoyed everything. I would definitely come back to another Eddie Merlot's for a top notch dinner like the one we had.
(5)Lawrence C.
Considering the reviews, I expected more. Considering the reputation, I expected more. Considering thay this is one of the "better" restaurants in Louisville, I expected more. Disappointedly, this was not to be. Maybe I shouldn't have such expectations for Louisville. I don't mind paying high prices, but please, give me very good service, good quantity, and very good quality.....well, I guess 1 1/2 out of three ain't too bad. Service was totally lackluster. Quantity was good. Quality was so-so. Waitstaff is overeager to tell us about the menu (no specials, so we could read it......thank you very much) before delivering our drinks (twice had to request our drinks be brought out). Filling of water glasses is required, even at the end of the meal. Inquiring about our food, or at least being nearby after the food is served is essential, as my steak was severely undercooked for medium. I sent it back, and it still came back to me bloody! One diner ordered salad without cheese, but apparently waiter was preoccupied, as it was delivered incorrectly and then had to be sent back as well. Tuna wontons appy were the highlight of the dinner. Variety of wines offered by the glass was very large! Something for everyone. Dessert, banana cream pie, was ample and light.
(3)Christopher W.
Eddie Merlot's ruined my friend's 30th birthday faster than Randy Moss in a 40-yard dash. We waited nearly two hours for our steaks, with birthday boy's rare steak showing up as if it had been cooked for the entire two hours. Our waiter promptly returned the massacred cut to the kitchen and returned 20 minutes later with lightly-toasted tartare. At this point we had reached the event horizon and focused our energy on salvaging the night at some of the more debatable establishments around Louisville. But one thing remains undebatable; Eddie Merlot's is a woeful steakhouse and anyone working in the kitchen that night should be banned from coming within a 100 yards of a steak ever again.
(1)Justin L.
Even when away on business, Yelp continues to be my trusty companion. My most recent business trip took me to Louisville. Since we happened to be having our anniversary while on the road, I wanted to make the most of it. After doing my Yelpipedia background check on the local dining scene, I went ahead and booked a dinner at Eddie Merlot's. This proved to be an absolutely fantastic decision. From the delicious jumbo shrimp cocktail appetizer to my bourbon-marinated ribeye, I HIGHLY enjoyed every tasty bite. My better half also felt her Caesar salad, lobster mac-n-cheese and pecan-crusted trout were delish. Since it was our anniversary, our waiter served up a complimentary red velvet cupcake for dessert. This was the perfect ending to a really memorable meal. Too bad there's no Eddie Merlot's in the West Coast. Guess I'll just have to hold out till my next business trip brings me back again.
(5)Drew P.
Service sucked. Everything was overpriced and not very tasty. Go somewhere else if you want a nice dinner.
(2)Booker B.
Great wine, excellent Filet Oscar with lobster tail. I could die fat and happy like eating like this. -- and with fresh breath due to the mouthwash in the bathroom.
(5)Michele G.
I love the small seafood platter! Three Oysters, 1/2 lb king crab legs and shrimp cocktail! The service was good. The only thing I didn't like was when I order a bottle of Conn Creek the server brought me the more expensive one made by Conn Creek. Trust me I would have loved to drink the Anthology but my budget said otherwise. I ordered the Natural New York strip it was cooked perfectly. Eddies potatoes were great. They have little bits of jalapeño. If you have read any of my other yelp reviews I love Mexican. The dessert Holy Moly! Peanut butter cup. We are the whole thing. Trust me I didn't think we could when it was brought out. 1. We were full 2. It was big It was so good we couldn't stop ourselves. I will be back again.
(4)Erin N.
One of the best meals we have ever had. I had the filet Mignon which was cooked to perfection. We also had the lobster mac n cheese. Service was excellent as well!!!
(5)Calvin Y.
Not big on long winded reviews and frankly don't have the time to do so. We thoroughly enjoyed every part of this dining experience! Food and service were excellent!!
(5)Terry C.
Now, I admit it has been a long time since I have been to Eddie Merlots, but I wanted to give a fair shake to every upscale steakhouse in Louisville. Of all, this was by far the worst. Where should I start? A wobbly booth when we requested a table - "sorry, we cannot reseat you because that other table is reserved"; well didn't I have a reservation also? Cold soup with a pudding skin on top served simultaneously with my wilted salad in a hot bowl, smothered in a peppery goopy dressing. A waiter insisting that I order a Waygu medium well? The wine with different year as listed; it was good, but when I pointed it out I was told "it all tastes the same". My wife's steak "recooked" to well done after she returned a charred outside, cold and purple in the center medium rare. They even accidentally tossed out my father-in-laws take home! I did send them a letter and they did send me a $50 gift card I gave to my son. Wow a 15% refund on a 15% quality meal. Seems appropriate.
(1)Jason R.
Really enjoyed this place. Wasn't expecting a ton from a chain steakhouse but this one was a little different. First of all you have to get the charcuterie if you are in to meats and cheeses at all. It was great!! The wine by the glass selection is very nice, had some things that most places in town do t have by the glass. Lastly, really enjoyed the filet. Could have had a little more flavor but and excellent cut and very tender. Will definitely go back!
(4)Andrew R.
I will give this place 3 for service and sides, but the mains were honestly not great(which is the point). We had 6 in our party out for work event, everyone had steaks. The quality d meat here is very good - everyone's steak was tender and cooked to perfect temperature. All of them though were WAY over-seasoned and basically salty. I ordered Wagyu ribeye. I have had Wagyu done well before, this cut was very small. Wagyu beef is so good you almost don't need any seasoning. This cook didn't get the memo, cooked great but barely edible. Put down the Montreal steak seasoning and let the quality of meat do the work. If you want the type of experience EMs offers go to Jeff Ruby's instead. Has the same over-the-top decor, same prices and better food, by a mile. (just a consumer here i don't work at JRs I can tell you though, it's better)
(3)Phi D.
Food was good but not to say the best steaks we've ever had. There are other places that we liked better in the price range. Also, since it's right off 4th Street live, parking is limited. Overall, good dinning experience for our 1st time.
(4)Natalie D.
Excellent wait staff. Fantastic mashed potatoes and creamed corn. Overall it was a pleasant experience.
(4)angie h.
Great steaks, amenable staff to a large (sometimes noisy group). We enjoyed several appetizers (the tuna was amazing!), a variety of steaks and almost every side. All were very good. It was pretty pricey, and when we sought a wine recommendation, the first few choices were $100+ per bottle. Perhaps a mid-point wine might have been a better suggestion to start. That's why it's minus a star.
(4)Doug T.
was just in the bar.. the food service closes earlier than 11:00. It's a chain albeit a small and pretty good one
(4)Shelley M.
Went for a weekday lunch with a small group of professionals. We were the only ones there when we arrived at 11:30 which was the "only reservation available" and there was maybe 2 other tables there when we left 2 hours later. Really, I think "A-OK" as Yelp's 3 star description describes it. There was nothing wrong with our meal or service, it just simply didn't wow me (or the tablemates that I asked) either. The food was good, not great. The service was good, not great. I felt mildly misled by their advertisement of lunch specials starting at $7.95, I didn't expect a huge selection at that price but I did expect say, 1 meat and 1 fish or chicken type dish and maybe 1 or 2 more selections under $10 as "specials". Rather, there was 1 special only that the waiter neglected to mention in his lengthy description of the other specials (soup and such) of the day. Once questioned about it, he was helpful on clarifying the $7.95 special and did a good job of substituting when one ingredient wasn't available. While I know this is a high end steakhouse, burgers for $13-15 for lunch with chips on the side just pushes the limit for this area. The fish tacos were good, but nothing that can't be found elsewhere (as an example only, they were comparable to those at Sari Sari which for the same price, came with a delicious soup). The burgers were not noticeably better than say, AP Crafters where a similar burger runs $8-9, not $14. A calamari appetizer was a large serving and fairly tender, not bad but the dipping sauces lacked punch- the wasabi mayo type dressing was very mild. It was a good meal all and all, but I wouldn't put this in the top class of restaurants either. I have no specific issue with the place and I'm not complaining about our meal, it was as Yelp puts it "A-OK"
(3)Rachel M.
Best artichoke dip I think I have ever had! And the scallops were amazing! We lucked out and got a table without a reservation.. Service was great too! One of the best dining experiences I have had recently!
(4)Joe M.
Just ate hear this week and loved the place. I sat in the bar and ate dinner. Went with the Tuna. I have to eat gluten free so no Soy for me. I asked and they did not have Gluten Free Soy. Little disappointed for a nice place like this, but the food was so good.Service was great also. Great selection of food. The one thing I did not like was the fact that the bar tender suggested what I thought was the House Cab. Got the bill and it was not. Other than that, it was perfect. I would go back, but will check the wine list next time.
(4)Suzanne B.
The short: cream of the crop when it comes to steaks and dining experience in downtown Louisville. The long: I visited Eddie Merlot's last night for a celebration meal and was extremely impressed! I had always heard great things about dining here and was eager to try it out myself. From the first glimpse of the place, I loved the warm, sophisticated decor. Red and yellow abound, echoing the hues of wine in the diners' glasses - and while we're talking wine, make sure you treat yourself to a glass or two of the wines on their winelist. Our table shared an Eddie Merlot's Chardonnay and were not disappointed! Salads were crispy and fresh. I ordered the Iceberg, and be forewarned that the 2 wedges it comes with make it enough to split between a couple. For our appetizer we got the Hot Seafood Medley, and were not disappointed in the quality of calimari (very light batter and fried perfectly), shrimp, or crab cakes that came with this selection. By the time the main course came, we were all full but looking forward to our entrees. I got the Beef Bourgignon, which I highly recommend if you're in the mood for something other than a steak when you come here. It was simmered to the perfect flavor and served with fresh mashed potatoes. I also enjoyed one of the new mixed drinks, the Kiawah Island number. It was sweet and delicious - while I had it brought to the table around the time I got my entree, I think it would be a great way to either start or end your meal at Eddie Merlot's (or - come to think of it - both!) If you plan on getting dessert here, save room, and get a table full of forks for everybody to share. Portions are generous without skrimping on flavor or quality. Eddie Merlot's is one of my new favorite places, especially when it comes to steakhouses in Louisville. Make some time to visit, and I'm sure you will feel the same way too!
(5)Brad V.
Very nice steakhouse and very helpful staff. If you like prime steak that is in the $45 range for a rib eye, you will appreciate this place. Valet parking. This is your local favorite spot. I recommend it the next time you got to have meat and you want the best.
(4)Hugh P.
You have to experience this 10! Lauren and Mary were excellent. A real culinary experience.
(5)Stephen L.
This place is amazing! We ate at the bar and there was a killer live jazz band that wasn't too loud but excellent players. The bartender was on top of it and very accommodating and the food was even better ! I can't wait to eat here again! The pork chops were awesome and cooked perfect! I had tilapia that was stellar also. Even the Caesar salad was great! U gotta eat here and for fine dining, the bar was laid back enough and food was fairly priced.
(5)Paul C.
A prime choice! Celebrated our two son's birthdays here. An excellent choice. The decor is Dadaist, and the food great. Any of the steaks are superb but based upon our experience, I'd recommend the chateaubriand! For appetizers, the steak tartare, crab cakes and carpaccio were fantastic.
(5)Kayla C.
Nice first experience. The restaurant is large and lively decorated. It is truly a beautiful venue. However, for prices I was not that impressed with the food. Large wine list, but I went with a martini called fifty shades. It was a fruitful explosion and was unlike most martinis. Made with mascato wine and pomegranate juices. Whenever an alcoholic beverage was ordered, it took a good 5 minutes it felt to be delivered to the table. Instead of going with an appetizer, I tried the lobster bisque. It was probably the best lobster bisque I had ever eaten. It was not as rich as most upscale restaurants. I usually can only eat a small amount, but I finished the entire bowl! Me and my fiancé both ordered steaks medium rare. The meat came out perfectly cooked, but I did not feel that the steaks were very flavorful. Taste was bland and unseasoned. This was even with a bacon gargonzola cheese topping on my 7oz filet mignon. Almost all meals are a la carte. Sides are offered and seem high priced, but will feed 2-4 people depending on guests appetites. The brussel sprouts and macaroni and cheese were delightful. BEWARE, we did not ask the cost before ordering a side of king crab legs. My fiancé had a craving, and we figured we could share a 1/2 order. Maybe I am unfamiliar with king crab, the in season, and usual pricing, but I was highly disappointed in the quality and price of the crab leg. Yes, I said it, leg. One large upper half of a king crab leg came out.... my fiancé and I could not help but laugh. Low and behold, that half of a king crab leg, worth 1/2 of meat, costs us $30! I know this is an upscale restaurant, and I expected to pay over $200 for the meal, but $30 for one half of a crab leg is absurd. Service was great. Our server knew the menu well and was a great salesman. He even suggested steaks, and even mentioned that the smaller bone in ribeye was just as good, if not better than the larger that was just over $10 more. He seemed very well experienced and that he truly enjoyed his job. But who wouldn't at this type of restaurant receiving 20% of $200 plus bills? Fun experience for special occasions, but I more than likely will stick to the cheaper and better steakhouse chains in the area.
(3)Rhea P.
Sitting in the trendy setting with posh music, bass booming certainly did not feel like Louisville to me--if felt more like Florida. The space is really posh with low lighting, lots of music, and I suspect would attract a young crowd. It's actually a lot larger on the inside than you might imagine with booth areas for couples. The restrooms are nice as well, and even have mouthwash. . .just thought you might want to know that. The food. As a vegetarian there are not many options for me. I eneded up with a spinach salad that included strawberries, goat chees, and red onions, with a maple cider dressing which was actually delicious. The bread is hot and fresh, nothing to complain about there. I orderd a baked potato with truffles and parmesan, thinking I would get thick huge chunks of shaved parm with fresh, fragraent truffles. . . Apparently Eddie had something else in mind than I did. What I did receive was a little plate of green can parm with no truffles at all. That was very unfortunate and disappointing. I also ordered a side of brussel sprouts as well which was delicious and actually family sized. Nine dollars for a side of brussel sprouts is a lot, but they were cooked and seasoned perfectly. The service could have been more attentive and I would hope a little more accommodating of me being a vegetarian, but I'm at a steakhouse, what should I possibly expect? I wanted to try the place out and glad I did, however, it's definitely not my go to restaurant in Louisville.
(3)Molly B.
Went to Eddie Merlots last night, this was the second time we have gone... The service was extremely slow both times. The past times we came the redeemed themselves with the wonderful food, but this time the food was average and definitely over price for what we got. Two people at the table ordered the halibut and one was not done at all... We sent it back. Another person ordered a steak medium and it was very rare... The desserts we ordered were great(bananas foster, cheesecake, and mixed berries) But the berry dish was more like a mixed berries soup... Don't think we will be going back here. Not worth the money, also our party had 7 people and they added the gratuity... Very much overcharged. The service was so slow, so they hefty tip was not what we would have given..
(2)Chris D.
Enjoyed the surf & turf special that night. Everything was prepared perfectly. Great ambiance and service. We'll return for sure!
(5)Christopher S.
This place rocks. A solid 4-5 rating. Really good steak and chicken. I love this place. Great appetizers and amazing steaks. This is a good choice for a fairly expensive high end meal. Excellent wine menu and wine by the glass. Good corporate stop or event meal.
(4)Greg M.
Top shelf place to take clients and out-of-town guests. Not a place I would take my family, but when the occasion calls for a formal dinner, this place covers the spread and then some. Wine is amazing, service is top notch, save room for the shareable desserts!
(5)Evan R.
I was in Louisville for business and came here for dinner. The good news is that the food was spectacular. The menu was very interesting...especially for a steak house. Rather than just offer the same few cuts of meat with their obligatory companions (more creamed spinach!), Eddie Merlot's has a varied selection, including multiple cuts of meat, seafood, and 18 different side dishes. We started with warm bread and the excellent calamari, which came with three kinds of sauces. For dinner, I had the fliet, which was perfectly cooked. At the waiters recommendation, I got the stuffed shrimp as an add on, which arrived 10 minutes after my entree. Which leads me to my next point. The service wasn't great. The politeness was forced, and there were many interactions where busboys either ignored us or were plate hunting, which I absolutely hate. It was annoying to not get a side dish when I only ordered it because of our waiter's recommendation. Furthermore, Rick Pitino happened to be sitting at the table next to us, and our waiter was constantly stopping our service to check on him. Considering our waiter was not someone else's wife, I didn't understand the urgency. Overall, this was some of the better food I've had at a steakhouse, but I would be wary of the service if I were coming here for business reasons.
(4)Dave L.
Nice restaurant on the corner and by 4th Street Live. Best thing is the location and also Eddie's does not seem to be the catch all for 4th Street, which is a good thing. Had the Ceasar Salad, with the extra stinky fish. Next was the stuffed shrimp and crab. This serving was large! My fault that I did not tell the waiter to refrain from adding salt, so the dish in my opinion was a little salty. My business associate had the same and thought it was fine. Not blaming Eddie's as I cannot stand salt in the first place so any additional is just bad medicine. As a side we had the Lobster Mac and Cheese, and spinach. The Mac and Cheese was addicting, very addicting. Another plus was the wine by the glass selection. When you have Stag's Cab by the glass, it's good in my book! Waiter was outstanding so ask for Allen. When in Louisville and staying downtown, try Eddie's but make sure you are there before 6pm.
(4)Rowan L.
Service was pompous, like they were pretending this was the best place in Louisville. They completely forgot two dishes at our table, and were frankly a bit unattentive to what we talked about - gave me a bad vibe of "you should feel privileged to be here", versus they should have been feeling privileged that I was there. Having said that, several people said the steaks were the best they'd ever had. The scallops were superb. They do not handle vegetarians well (if you have one in your party, that person is going home dissatisfied), but to be fair it is a steak house. If the service was authentic then I'd be all over this place. Not sure I'd go back though because for premium prices I expect better service.
(3)Ryan M.
I had my reservations about this place with it being a chain steakhouse along the lines with Jeff Ruby's. I've never been impressed with Jeff's, but the food here was great all around. My wife and I had the cold seafood platter, chopped salads, fillets and shared the broccoli and lobster mashed potatoes. It was all wonderful! The only downside to this place is the wine list. It's extensive but the markups are insultingly atrocious. If you come here uneducated in wine prices you definitely run the chance of being taken advantage of.
(4)Harish R.
I tried Platte River Ranch Natural Filet Mignon and mashed potato. It's good but not great.
(3)Kaitlin E.
The 6oz filet was a perfect potion and it was actually prepared medium well like I had asked. The broccoli was a little raw and overly salted. Keep in mid that the potion was enough for four to six people. The baked potato is large enough for two or three people as well. Now, onto the chocolate cake....this thing should be on Man Vs Food!!! It must of weighed ten pounds. I thought "are you serious"!? It was larger than my hand with my fingers spread apart. I rated four out of five stars because the steak is overpriced.
(4)Jorge G.
Great meal while in town on business. Small batch bourbon to start with bone in filet and the signature brussel sprouts with a nice cabernet. Great service even though sat at the bar. Will be back. Worth price anyday. .
(5)Thomas J.
Surprisingly good place. I'd give five stars, but for the fact that, while they offer "farm to fork" on their daytime menus, their evening menus are static and non-locally sourced. They keep things like asparagus and brusselssprouts on their menu all year and the meats taste like factory meats. The negative out of the way, the rest is all pretty much good. The blue cheese potatochips, the sufficiently sweet (without being tooth-achingly sweet) deserts, the carpacio and the steaks were all good. There was a slight hiccough with the steak - while they know what blue rare is, they seem to assume that their customers don't, resulting in a sendback, but the second steak was awesome. Their staff are attentive and on-point. They know the menu and they know the wines. The atmosphere is elegant, if a touch noisy, and the patrons don't show up for a fine-dining experience in their jeans and boat shoes. All around, a damned nice place to go for a special ocassion meal.
(4)Jack S.
I was in town for a convention and had some clients to take out. We were looking for a nice place and Eddie Merlot's seemed like the perfect venue. I'll start out by saying that this is a very nice resturant. The decor was great and the staff was friendly. Now onto the food. I ordered the chopped salad, which while very good, was not a chopped salad as I am used to seeing. Typically, in say Chicago, the salads are actually chopped. This one was not. Like I said, it was very tasty though. Now to the entre. I ordered the $59 bone-in fillet and asked for some bearnaise sauce on the side. I thought it would be nice for the table to share. Well, my steak came out swimming in the bearnaise. Too bad, because otherwise it would have been enjoyable. I was really surprised that, at a resturant of this caliber, nobody offered to do anything. Even when the others at my table pointed out the error, which they witnessed, the waiter and someone from the kitchen staff just said "sorry". I transfered my steak to a bread plate and wiped it off with my napkin and finished my meal. Very good steak, but very disappointing service. Would I go back? Not if there was a Peter Luger, Morton's or a Pappas Bros. across the street, but maybe otherwise. Like I said, the rest of the food was very nice. Just thought that they should have done more to make things right. Granted, I didn't ask. But I shouldn't have to when paying $59 for a fillet.
(3)Joshua L.
The atmosphere was excellent. Great location near 4th St Live. The service was decent, but not as good as I expected with the price point. The food was great - but for the price, I would have rather gone to Jeff Ruby's.
(3)Loren S.
When visiting for the weekend we heard great things about this steakhouse and decided to try it. So glad we did! Great steak (add truffle butter you won't regret it) and the sides are huge! Seriously between two of us one would've been plenty. I got the Parmesan truffle fries too because I couldn't resist and were some of the best I'd ever had.. Just wish I could've eaten all of them! Would definitely recommend this to anyone in the area for a nice night out!
(5)Pat S.
I was in Louisville for a conference and whenever I'm in a new town, I try to find the city's signature steakhouse and have a solo meal there. I picked Eddie Merlot's over Jeff Ruby's because I had walked past it a couple of times and the other reviews mentioned that the service in the bar area was prompt and friendly. I stepped up to the bar and was quickly greated by Lauren - a pleasant and professional bartender who offered me a dinner menu and bourbon list at my request. I nursed a Bulleit neat for a while before ordering dinner. In the meantime, Diane had started her shift and Lauren introduced me to Diane. Diane was attentive, pleasant and polite. I ordered the Prime NY Strip - no sides, no toppings - "steak on a plate - I like it" was Diane's comment. The steak was perfectly cooked to medium rare and tastefully seasoned - and I am a harsh steak critic. It was served with attractive sear marks from the broiler and was topped with some melted butter, salt, pepper and garlic. Nothing fancy, nothing extra. Just a great piece of meat, respectfully prepared and served by professional and friendly waitstaff who seemed genuinely concerned that I have a pleasant experience. I noticed that they restaurant serves a prime burger at lunch in the lounge - I may have to go back to try that before I leave town. I would definitely recommend Eddie Merlot's to any single traveler looking for a tasty and pleasant dining experience.
(4)Joel H.
Everything we ordered was excellent. Creamed spinach / wedge salad / mushrooms / steak fritas / must have Carrot cake
(5)Lee W.
This may have been one of the best dinners I've ever had! Expensive, yes, but I thought it was worth it! We had a reservation for 6:15pm and were seated right away. Drinks were prompted, appetizers were made quickly and were delicious. I had the Ahi tuna wontons, which were amazing! A member of my party got the lobster bisque, and another member got oysters (they both said all were fantastic). Dinner was served very quickly after we ordered it (2 30 day aged bone-in ribeyes and a filet). Everything was delicious! Our server was very courteous and attentive. It was a great experience and I'd love to go back!
(5)Michael R.
Dine here often. Good wine list, excellent steaks! Superb pork chop. Even the meatloaf is to write home about! Service is impeccable. You won't leave here disappointed, or hungry!
(5)Katherine G.
My last night in Louisville and it ended right. A great steak house with a well written wine list. The menu has a so many options where they even offer a fixed priced 3 course meal for 40 dollars if you can't decide. If you like steak it is well worth the dollars$$. The service could be better. I feel like the wait staff was not as knowledgeable or helpful as i would like. They have only been open for about 2 months. The atmosphere is cool, hip and chic. The back dining room seemed very large, but my coworkers and I sat at a high top in the front near the bar. The music and the noise level is pretty loud, but is still very enjoyable.
(4)Andi W.
My only complaint was that the Carrot Cake was big enough to feed 12 people. I have cake for the week....Lol!
(4)Christina M.
Went for supper with 2 out of town professionals on a Friday night. The place was close to full but not at all crowded. Service was terrible all around. While waiting for our table we went to the bar for drinks. It took 5 minutes to get the bartender's attention and an additional 5 to get the drinks (simple drinks: single malt scotch, small batch bourbon - neat - and a glass of house cab). When finally seated for supper, the poor service got worse. More to the point, there was no service - literally NO service. It took them 5 minutes for a bus boy to fill our water glasses - and don't expect refills. After sitting there an additional 15 minutes - that's fifteen minutes - with no one checking with us (not a bus boy and certainly not our waiter) we had had enough, got up and left (for Jeff Ruby's, which was very nice and, unlike Eddie's, packed). Eddie's dining area has the appearance of being busy; there were what seemed to be a lot of waiters and bus boys hurriedly moving back and forth, but on closer observation, their hands were empty. Indeed, we observed that it took a long time for other diners to receive their meals. Lots of form, no substance. One of my guests said she'd made eye contact with two of the waiters in that "we're ready to order" way but was ignored - apparently waiter competition there is intense. Additionally, the manager passed our barren table on 2 separate occasions without acknowledgement. I will stipulate that the menu, although pricey, looked nice - but I can't vouch for the quality of the food. The décor was nice, but a bit dated; I saw the same thing on Property Brothers 4 seasons ago. It seems I will go to my grave not knowing whether my waiter was male or female. It has been a long, long time since I have been to a restaurant where the wait staff appeared to be doing YOU a favor serving you. I thought that attitude had been left in the 20th century. Eddie's is located in the downtown tourist area. The locals do not frequent this downtown "4th Street Live" area. So, it's not surprising that service is lackadaisical and poor - after all, the customers are out of towners; get their money - they're never coming back anyway. I certainly will not return.
(1)Shane S.
Always a great experience. The food is delicious, as expected, but the service goes above and beyond. The atmosphere is fun - makes you feel like you're in a Chicago steakhouse, right here in Louisville. Lobster Mac 'n' Cheese is delicious. I've never had to send a steak back (and believe it or not, I have had to do that in Chiago - ack!) Love it here so much that our group of 13 is headed there to usher in 2012. Can't wait!
(5)Jacob E.
Awesome dinner! Had the bone-in strip, rare was cooked to perfection and TENDER! Great flavor, awesome staff, nice service. Our server, Sara, was very knowledgeable and friendly. A bit spendy, but a nice treat!
(5)steve f.
Really good server... the happy hour specials were great: good $5 wine and very good blue cheese chips. The bread was fresh and the wedge salad excellent. The steak was cooked perfect an it was an EXPENSIVE meal but one of the few that was worth it. Will go again.
(4)Valerie P.
Whoever thought of putting lobster in macaroni and cheese is a genius! I visited Merlot's on Friday night with my sister. She ordered the lobster macaroni and cheese and I got asparagus because I like to keep it healthy, of course we ordered steaks. As I have said before, I true test of a good steak is if it it edible without any sauces. I guarantee my steak met the requirement. The service was excellent despite being very busy, our server was very attentive and hospitable. Overall the meal was well worth the price. I strongly advise to order the lobster macaroni and cheese it is delicious!
(5)Sean R.
Elite steakhouse in downtown Louisville - if you're looking to entertain or be entertained for a nice evening, this is the place. Terrific service and a great selection of meat.
(5)Mr. J And Mrs. J.
We visited Eddie Merlots on a Friday evening without a reservation. I took my father in law, my thirteen year old son and wife to dinner for a family celebration. Our experience was over the top in all catagories. I believe it was the best meal we had ever eaten out anywhere, ever. We frequent nice restaurants and I have to say I had no complaints, it was worth every penny $$$$$. Service was excellent, food was outstanding and atmosphere wonderful. Loved it! We will be back.
(5)Steve R.
Bar staff was super friendly and attentive. The live music was a nice touch! Our food was fantastic--served very quickly.
(4)LeMont M.
The food and atmosphere was great! However, there were a few things that has discouraged me from returning. First of all I ordered 2 Ribeye steak 1 regular med-well and 1 Wagyu medium. When the steaks came to the table there was confusion regarding which steak was which. Which was extremely disappointing because we wanted to taste the Wagyu experience but other than the temp which is what we had to go off of to roughly determine which steak was correct. So with that I'm sure if either steak was Wagyu or even if the correct steak had the right temp. After receiving the steaks I decided that I wanted some grape juice and the waiter came back with some form white grape drink which had an alcohol undertone. When I asked what it was he was unable to tell me what drink I had. Then after finishing dinner and paying for the meal. I decided to wash it down with a glass of water I discovered some form of insect larvae on the glass. At that point the manager came over and proceeded to discount the bill which had already been settled by $10 for an entree. I didn't ask for a discount but was a little insulted by the amount since he did decide to comp a portion of the bill. I probably won't be going back here not only because of the disgusting insect larvae developing near the food, but also because all of the confusion throughout the dinner. From the steak, drinks, and everything else. So definitely disappointed in the overall experience after spending $200 for 2 people without wine.
(2)Jim B.
Ate here last night with a party of 50. Appetizers were great. I had a filet and it was amazing. Another big hit was their macaroni and cheese. Wow!
(5)Kevin M.
The food at Eddie Merlot's is obviously good. I don't think there is any question about that, but seriously? Two lunch visits since then...like I said the food is good...and it continues to amaze me how the lunch staff competency goes out the window. Today it so long to get seated --- granted we had a table for eight, but the dining room was once again mostly empty --- that someone in my party actually turned to the hostess who continued frantically typing (or maybe playing Angry Birds) into the hostess stand computer, and said "is there a problem" We were told that they were just getting the table ready for us, but there was way too much staff for such a long delay. On a recent visit, we found the staff and atmosphere in the bar lounge far more pleasant, with staff promptly attending to us faster than it takes the hostess to decide to consider finding you a seat. After finally being seated, the plodding began anew. Slow lackadaisical service -- after we ordered, the server turned to the last person, and asked, "would you care to order any appetizers today". A little late in the game for that, sadly. Again, the food continues to be good - but a friend's beer cheese soup looked alot like the potato cheese soup I ordered on a recent visit, with a smattering of sausage added. Speaking of the soup I ordered on a recent visit: on our visit to the lounge I was told about a delicious sounding soup that was "guiness beef soup with vegetables". I ordered it, but it turned out that a different soup was the soup of the day...cheese potato soup which ostensibly had some hot pepper, but noticeably lacked any heat at all. The mistake is fine - the server was told wrong. The problem was the expediter -- instead of humbly apologizing, and acting like she was going to correct it at all, she simply explained that I would like the soup, and that it was really good. It obviously wasn't. A coworker asked for no red onions on a salad, and was told that the server would "ask the chef" before being served the salad with red onions. Again, Merlot's is too nice of a place to suffer the continued service laziness that I continue to see. Service cannot be an afterthought. Not when you expect the established gratuity for that service to be 20%. I know 18% is now the common large group/separate check gratuity level, but 20% is where you're supposed to wind up if I sign the "added gratuity" line. Merlot's needs better service, and quickly, if it is going to make it in the stingier post-Christmas lunch world.
(2)Jeff M.
Outstanding! Try the sweet and spicy rock shrimp!! Server was friendly and very good, atmosphere was just right, not too loud, but not like a funeral, either. Great time, def recommend, will be back!
(5)John J.
Excellent fine dining experience. Great service and atmosphere. Best food item: lobster mac and cheese. Also had tuna tartare on wonton, chateaubriand, and mixed berry tableside dessert - all highly recommended. Would definitely eat here again if ever in Louisville. Waitress told us they are looking to expand into south Florida - possibly Boca Raton or south beach...
(5)Nabeel N.
We had a party of 5 - we got seated promptly and the waitress seemed very bubbly and helpful (at first). Out comes the wine list and it was very obvious she had no idea about wines. She kept telling us about the great wines that were all priced above $150. We repeatedly asked her to recommend a good wine under $60 and she couldn't. The right thing to have done would've been to get help from the resident wine expert or maitre'de. Anyhow, we picked a Markham 2007 Napa Valley Cab. 20 mins later she brings out a 2009 Markham Napa Valley cab, to which I pointed out the difference and she replied, "We can't always gaurantee we have the wines on our list". Okay so let's try again - picked another wine and 20 minutes later she brings it out. And yes, this time it was correct. 20 minutes later, our friend who was not drinking wine, get his vodka martini. So far we've been at the restaurant about an hour and our order has not been taken. And the whole wine fiasco causes her to start ignoring our table. Food itself was sub-par. Not what you would expect from an establishment that advertises itself as fine dining. The Waiters were too busy hitting on the waitress' and too busy talking about social events that helping the customers. Spend your money elsewhere and avoid this establishment! ***** Updated 5/20/2011 ***** After my review of Eddie Merlot's, I was contacted by the Owner and then subsequently the manager, apologizing for the inadequate service; which is a plus in my books. Therefore I have added another star to my review.
(3)M B.
I read reviews and some were good and some were bad. We just had Easter Bunch and I can honestly say it was not good at all. We got there at 1pm anf there was almost nothing left in the pans. The Mac and Chesse was so dry. They had some kind of beef. They were cutting off of this little 3 by 2 piece that most places would set aside. We spent $140. for the 3 of us and it was not what I had thought. Very limited selection and what was there was very picked over. The service was terrible. The bus boy was great on refilling water and taking your plates. The servers stood around and talked. Tea you had to ask for.
(2)Jason S.
I had the best filet Mignon here. The staff was very prompt and very accommodating. Had a decent wine selection. I would have liked to have eaten there again before leaving Louisville.
(4)Brad R.
I took clients to dinner here and we were treated to a great experience. They have a good bourbon selection and great prime steaks you'd expect to find at an establishment of this caliber. Reserveations were easily completed through opentable and we had no wait when we arrived. The strip steak with truffle butter was amazing and well worth the trip on its own. The sides were large enough that only 2 served the four of us without trouble. All in all, it was a great meal and I would consider having a business dinner there again.
(4)Dan S.
Not sure this fine dining establishment will make it. Went on a Saturday night and more than half the tables were empty. Service was very spotty. We chose the Steak Diane which is finished table side. The prep time took so long that all the food cooled. Medium steaks turned out almost rare. After several minutes to cook more in the kitchen, the cooled down steaks were just more burned on the outside than cooked more internally. Unless something improves dramatically, this restaurant will fail. There are too many better options to choose from.
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