Mert's Heart And Soul
Mert's Heart And Soul things to do, attractions, restaurants, events info and trip planning
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i love to eat. and when it comes to a soul food ima have the catfish everytime 🤭 #thingstodoincharlottenc #charlotteNC #weekendstripideas #soulfood #blackowned
maanaminaomimaanaminaomi
43.4K735
From the moment I walked in the front door and smelled the aromatic of spices in the air, I knew I was in the right place. After seeing Merts featured on the Food Network, I began planning a trip. It did not disappoint. Though, I didn't realize how small it would be, which in this case is not a bad thing. The small space an open kitchen gives it a homey vibe. I ordered the shrimp and grits and the soul rolls. The soul rolls were a delicious start. Filled with collards, diced chicken, black-eyed peas, and seasoned rice drizzled with spicy honey mustard, it really had my mouth watering. Next up, we were served hot and fresh out of the oven cornbread. It was light, fluffy, and with whipped butter spread. It was hard to stop shoving in my face. For the main course came the shrimp and grits with a brown gravy. The grits were creamy and expertly cooked. (They could have used some salt and pepper during cooking, but it made little difference. The brown gravy was full of flavor.) I only wish we could have stayed for dessert. I guess I will have to plan another trip for that.
erik robertserik roberts
10
Ok, so it took me 30 days to finally get this one done because I wanted to be fair and not just blunt. Overall I didn't really like it but it's ok. Try a few dishes and see what's your favorite. Reason behind 3 stars is this was on Triple D but didn't live up to the hype. Plus I was told to get the fried chicken as this is what Merts is known for. Got the fried chicken, didn't like it. There was no taste there at all. Seems like the cook forgot to season it.. im not sure. However the chicken breast was juicy and not dry so that's a plus. Beef ribs had too much vinegar to it. All I tasted was vinegar and couldn't really appreciate the dish for what it was. If you're into vinegar sauces, try the ribs. My wife had the shrimp poboy. Same deal for her. Not exactly satisfying. Now my daughter had the pork chops. I tasted a bite and yes baby!! Those were good. Season to perfection, tender and super juicy. I should have gotten that. Another thing that was delicious was the corn bread. OMG. We ordered 2 more of those to go. I've never had corn bread that damn good. Sorry mama!! 🤣. Moist, soft, sweet, hot and steamy with a little crisp to it. Corn bread and pork chops should be their marketing dish. Just saying, if you're known for fried chicken and I try your fried chicken and it's mediocre at best, I'm going to be disappointed. So there's the 3 star review. If you go, do try their corn bread and pork chops. You will not regret it.
Chris HendersonChris Henderson
110
I have to post this review because I really had high hopes for a good meal according to the pictures advertised with this company. I ordered online, but It was a complete let down let’s start with the good . The cabbage was really good. I would recommend that for any vegetable . It was all I ate and enjoyed with this meal, . Now let’s five start with the catfish, that I ordered completely dried out no meat at all. I only tasted crust. I was bamboozled with that picture. Everything tasted old and overcooked to burnt. The cornbread was completely burnt, dry crumbled. I couldn’t even eat it. It was so hard. Now let’s get to these soul rolls.. nothing like the picture. It didn’t even taste good I tasted nothing that is advertised with the soul rolls. **Complete Disappointment*** I don’t even know what to say about this product. My advice to anyone thinking about soul rolls because it looks good on the picture don’t get it.. now for the yams oh my I should’ve known not to expect my momma’s yams. It wasn’t good either. Mac and cheese was ok if you like it thick and dry. (My son ate it because he likes his mac & cheese thick. I typically don’t like giving bad comments after trying a restaurant one time.. but as they say first impressions are lasting impressions. ****I’m not sure if I want to order from here again because my first impression after eating was a disaster.***
Saundra SandersSaundra Sanders
00
I was really excited to try this place but unfortunately it did not meet my expectations based off of other reviews. The atmosphere was cool and the service was good but the food….. really not a fan from what I had. The corn bread was good but that was it. I ordered Meatloaf with ketchup for the topping, collards, and Mac & cheese. The meat loaf was mush and it tasted like someone dumped a ton of pepper in it. Then the ketchup was literally just pure ketchup squeezed on top (I thought it would be a ketchup based sauce). The other topping option was gravy (which my friend got) and that wasn’t much better. The gravy tasted like a Walmart brand packet of gravy mix with a ton of pepper added to it. The collards were drowned in vinegar, to the point where it was not enjoyable and the tomato & onion topping was definitely an odd choice. The Mac and cheese was just bland, but probably the most enjoyable thing on the plate. *side note* I didn’t eat any of my food so I boxed it to go because my boyfriend wanted me to bring him home an order of meatloaf with rice and a side salad… so I gave him mine instead of ordering another plate and then I added on the sides he requested. I was charged $4 for a really small thing of rice and another $4 for a cruddy side salad that I wasn’t even given dressing for.. smh. He also did NOT like the food. Definitely a massive disappointment.
Aly WilliamsAly Williams
00
I was so excited when my daughter found this restaurant online while we visited Charlotte for the day. Walking into the restaurant we received a warm greeting and the atmosphere was buzzing. People were coming in but the seats were already filled and this got me excited (we made it just in time). The anticipation was gnawing at me, food must be amazing. The look and vibe of the place is everything and the cakes on the counter looked amazing. Appetizer soul rolls, a disappointing crunch. We all got lemonades which taste like diet but was assured it was regular so I swapped for sprite and it taste like alka-seltzer water. I made mention to my server but no resolve so diet lemonade it was I got the shrimp po boy which was decent, Mac and cheese was overcooked, greens topped with diced onions and tomatoes very bitter and the raw veggies, mixed with undercooked greens not a nice combination. My oldest got the meatloaf which was overcooked and dry, Mac and cheese (same issue), yams were blande. My youngest got chicken tenders and fries. The fries were great. The best thing about the $60 dollar meal was the cornbread. A lot of money wasted and food left on the table. However the place was very busy so everything isn't for everyone.
April McClainApril McClain
20
Nearby Attractions Of Mert's Heart And Soul
Spectrum Center
Queen City Quarter
NASCAR Hall of Fame
Romare Bearden Park
Discovery Place Science
Belk Theater at Blumenthal Performing Arts Center
The Westin Charlotte
Charlotte Convention Center
Hilton Charlotte Uptown
Omni Charlotte Hotel

Spectrum Center
4.5
(3.2K)Click for details

Queen City Quarter
4.3
(3.2K)Click for details

NASCAR Hall of Fame
4.7
(3.2K)Click for details

Romare Bearden Park
4.7
(2.6K)Click for details
Nearby Restaurants Of Mert's Heart And Soul
Aura Rooftop
Kitchen + Kocktails by Kevin Kelley - Charlotte
Dean's Italian Steakhouse
Midnight Diner
Caroline's Oyster Bar
Chima Steakhouse
JINYA Ramen Bar - Ally Charlotte Center
Amélie's Uptown | French Bakery & Cafe
Fahrenheit
The Market at 7th Street

Aura Rooftop
4.9
(4.8K)Click for details

Kitchen + Kocktails by Kevin Kelley - Charlotte
4.8
(4.5K)$$
Click for details

Dean's Italian Steakhouse
4.9
(3.9K)Click for details

Midnight Diner
4.3
(4K)Click for details
Basic Info
Address
214 N College St, Charlotte, NC 28202
Map
Website
mertscharlotte.com
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Reviews
Overview
4.2
(2K reviews)
Ratings & Description
Description
Husband-&-wife-run spot for Southern soul food, including Lowcountry dishes, in a colorful setting.
attractions: Spectrum Center, Queen City Quarter, NASCAR Hall of Fame, Romare Bearden Park, Discovery Place Science, Belk Theater at Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, The Westin Charlotte, Charlotte Convention Center, Hilton Charlotte Uptown, Omni Charlotte Hotel, restaurants: Aura Rooftop, Kitchen + Kocktails by Kevin Kelley - Charlotte, Dean's Italian Steakhouse, Midnight Diner, Caroline's Oyster Bar, Chima Steakhouse, JINYA Ramen Bar - Ally Charlotte Center, Amélie's Uptown | French Bakery & Cafe, Fahrenheit, The Market at 7th Street
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