Merv’s — Restaurant in Chattanooga

WOW! Where to start, I will keep this short while trying to give proper credence to Outstanding Customer Service. Yesterday my wife ordered a carryout order for my mother who was craving a salad after her dialysis session claiming they were awesome and she loved it. Today while visiting my mom she kept bragging about how great that salad was , then she made the comment that she could eat one every day! I know strong commitment right ! Anyway , I knew I had some cash on me so I called in another salad for pickup. When I walked out to get in the car I told my nephew who was also visiting, asked if I could get him a drink and of course I said YES, I mean he’s 9 years old but it reminded me that I hadn’t ordered my mom a drink. When I arrived they were busy busy. I got the last parking spot! When I walked in I was promptly greeted by a young man at the counter and I gave my babe and told him I had a call I order and gave him my name. Here is were the outstanding personal touch comes in. A woman by the name of Susan who was busy busy busy grabbed my order and started to ring me out. I asked if I could add 2 to go drinks to my order, Coke Classic’s to be exact. Susan said absolutely and I was impressed as I felt bad considering how busy the entire team was, just springing it on her as she was putting my total together, she gave be the total and I pulled my wallet out. ..

I soon realized that I had jest done if my cash at home and I was $1.85 short!!! I know I Know. I was honest and told her that I was short and apologized and asked her to take one of the drinks off and once again apologized. Very embarrassing for me but you never would have known as I hide stress well so I’m told but … she told me that she could make it exactly what I had, I offered to only take one drink but she was very professional and quickly said “ I can either pour it out and throw the cup away or help you today”.

My mother loved her Salad 2 days in a row and bother her and my nephew enjoyed their CoCa Cola Classics.

Thank You Susan , You Made Our Day !!

Will there be a 3rd salad in 3 days ? I’m not sure but I found my money in the couch where my wife told me it would...

I'm usually pretty wary of places that claim to have the best, well, anything and it's usually for good reason. Merv's was no exception and it took me over 5 years to finally build up the courage to step inside. Unfortunately, despite all the glowing reviews I've read on Yelp, it confirmed my fears.

I ordered a Merv Burger "Our Way" and a soft drink and my food was brought out within a few minutes. Even after seeing some of the photos on here, the portions surprised me. The photos don't do it justice. With a burger the diameter of a Whopper piled high with fresh veggies and fries that could fill a small lunch bag, I thought I was in for quite a treat. Instead, what I got was a mixed bag.

The fries were a fried nice golden brown and crispy but while they were delicious and perfectly seasoned, I wish I could say the same for the burger. All the ingredients in the burger were fresh and delicious but the beef, the crown jewel of the burger, was just... bland. I broke off a piece of the patty to make sure it wasn't being overpowered by the vegetables or the condiments and... nope. I was just a giant piece of unseasoned beef.

It's really disappointing because it would have been a great meal otherwise. Although the place seems a bit divey and messy, the wait staff was friendly and responsive. My server, Emily, was great. She made sure my drink was topped off and even gave me a to-go cup after my meal without me even asking. In the background, I overheard a few other staff members talking to some regulars. It just has an overall familiar casual feel to the place.

Looking at all the other reviews, I don't think I'm going to let this one experience ruin it for me though. I hope to come back again and experience the Merv's everyone else has been...

What is it in the human mind that draws us to roller coasters? What makes our hearts race when we place a bet? It's the lure and excitement of the unknown, it's the "Merv's Experience." When you walk into Merv's you are immediately greeted with a "Please Seat Yourself" sign. This gives you the illusion of control. You are being primed to believe that you are part of the process, that you can play a role in your expectations: do not be so naive. Entering Merv's is simultaneously entering a low risk gamble. You will either get some good food at a normal restaurant experience (normal service, normal speed, etc.), or you may get some good food (the only constant in my many trips) alongside an array of bizarre experiences.

Don't believe me? Think I'm as ridiculous as this review? Here are some real life Merv's Moments I have lived: Full fledged employee verbal war that spilled out of the kitchen, through the restaurant, and continued outside; an order of two burgers, large fries, and two drinks take about 45 minutes to come out; Ordering, getting drinks, walking to the pool table (within clear eyesight of the table we were at), seeing the employees take our drinks and clean the table, return to table and reorder drinks, watch them drop all of the food, and then have to reorder the food.

Maybe I am someone who loves to be let down, maybe I'm the kinda guy who believes in second, third and fourth chances, or maybe I just live 2 minutes from Merv's and am lazy, but whatever the reason, I'll be back.

Oh. And the...