Mercury Chophouse - Arlington — Restaurant in Arlington

“Put the Fine back in Dining”

It was a superb evening from the start – greeted by the valet who was neatly dressed, courteous and friendly (didn’t have a problem handing him my keys).

We arrived about ten minutes prior to our reservation and were sat immediately – no waiting. The hostess while checking us in restating the requests that I had made via OpenTable (nice touch). She introduced us to our waiter Baron as we were sat. Baron was pleasant, talked with all of us, and provided suggestions when asked. Overall, excellent service without being overbearing.

The menu had just the right offerings, enough diversity that anyone could easily make a choice without hours of deliberation. One of the things that I would like to note is that Baron gave us an opportunity to review the menu – then asked us what type of entree we were in the mood for and made suggestions based on that conversation. I preferred this approach versus the reading of the specials before I have had a chance to think. While this may seem a subtle difference, the result was more conversational and directed toward us instead of the restaurant.

The sea bass was suggested by Baron, as it was not on the printed menu. The fish was perfectly opaque and flaked at the touch of the fork. The filet encrusted with blue cheese was perfectly cooked (medium rare) and served still warm. All meals arrived at the same time and with no missing items. In both dishes, the flavors were incredibly well balanced and smooth to the palate.

Prior to ordering, the executive chef came out to our table to introduce himself. At that time, I had asked I could get a small side of their mushroom risotto that was offered as a side to another dish (I really like risotto). He suggested that I try the blackened corn risotto that was being served with the sea bass. Let me say this, if I had room after our meal, I would have asked for another side of the risotto instead of desert. It was by far one of the best risotto’s that I have had in both consistency and flavor.

Final thoughts...This place is without pretense. Throughout the evening we were visited by the GM, Chef, and Owner which took an active interest in our dining – not just a handshake and thank you. At no time during or after our meal did we feel rushed or like we were holding up a table. The ambiance was quiet and refined. The Mercury Chophouse, in my opinion, is upscale in food and price – we will definitely be planning on Fine...

In short, An incredible menu and taste to match. I was not a bit disappointed by the service or the food. Definitely recommend it. Read on for the full review below. Try the Sea Food Tower and Cheesecake.

Full Review:

The restaurant is on the 9th Floor, Suite #910 of the Brookhollow Two Building. The view of the sunset was breathtaking. There was some jazz music playing in the background. But it was a bit loud at one point. The bathrooms are clean and well kept, they are located outside the restaurant, in the hall of the building.

Our server Danielle, made sure we were well taken care of. The place is very neat and clean. A definite luxurious experience. After we ordered our food, we received our appetizers not long after.

The Sea Food Tower was a very nice blend of sweetness from the mango and the bitterness of the ginger. I really wonderful experience.

My first time having escargot in butter garlic and I actually enjoyed it quite a bit. Maybe not a full plate, but one or two at most.

I had the Grilled Chicken Pasta. It was a mouthful of creamy Alfredo and noodles with the perfect blend of mushrooms and the chicken tasted fresh off the flame grill. Mind you, I personally HATE mushrooms, but in this dish the sauce did a nice job of masking it's flavor and before I knew it, it was gone.

My father-in-law had the Blackened Redfish, he described it as delicious and full of flavor.

The Lobster Ravioli was also very rich in flavor, its sauce had a very appetizing aroma.

My wife had a 8oz filet mignon cooked medium rare. It was a bit too springy, it melted a bit in your mouth but not enough to her taste. Either way, we enjoyed it.

Our sides, Whipped potatoes were perfectly fluffed and tasty.

The Lobster Macaroni and Cheese was delicious, the chunks of Lobster adorned it quite well and made it mouth watering to look at and smell.

The burgundy Mushrooms were enjoyed by both my wife and mom, they truly enjoyed them.

For desert, we had a slice of New York Cheesecake. It came with a strawberry drizzle and some berries on the side. It was the BEST cheesecake I've had in a while.

To wrap it up, I would return again simply to have a Cheesecake slice and a Sea Food Tower myself. But the rest of the food is definitely a welcome enjoyment.

Thank you Danielle for the...

I had high hopes for this place, thinking we might get a steak house in Arlington a little nicer than the Keg. Unfortunately the price point is higher but the food just doesn't match.

My partner and I started with a couple of their signature cocktails that we expected to be complex and well executed but ended up being incredibly sweet like something you might get at Razzoos. I tried to go with a Manhattan after that to keep it simple, but the vermouth was the primary flavor and still didn't scratch the itch for a cocktail.

For our appetizer, we ordered the ahi tuna. It came out as slices coated it sesame seeds laid flat on the plate with a pepper and a dot of sriracha and wasabi on each peice. There was a ramekin of sauce, possibly ponzu. The presentation was lackluster and something I would expect at the cheapest sushi restaurant. The tuna itself tasted fine, but the texture was chewy. This was definitely a low quality cut with no fat.

My partner had a filet which came out fine, and she described it as appropriately cooked but not anything impressive. My strip steak was ordered medium rare and came out very rare. It went back to the kitchen and came out charred on the exterior, still raw in the middle, and over cooked on the edges. The manager was very apologetic and offered to start me a new steak. I didn't want to wait on a whole new one so I cut out the center third of the steak and sent it back so I could eat along with my partner while I waited for the rest of my steak. When it came out again it was slightly over cooked but I just wanted to get on with my meal so I accepted it.

We had creme brulee for dessert and it was delicious and executed well. But I did order an espresso that never came.

The food could be so much better with more care taken in selecting ingredients and maybe using a thermometer to cook the steaks to the correct doneness.

What really saved our night was the musician on the piano. She was fantastic and played a wide variety of songs. I requested a song, she said she didn't know it but gave it a try and knocked it out of the park.

Overall I think it's not a place I...