Merichka's Restaurant — Restaurant in Crest Hill

UPDATE!!

Well, we just came back for the second time! Food was still consistent and delicious! I tried the Three Relish Tray. It was a pleasant surprise. Don't judge until you try! Cottage cheese, beets, and kidney beans in a unique mayo concoction. It's a good alternative to an everyday side salad. Cutting up the beets and putting them in the cottage cheese was very good and satisfying. We also ordered ranch dressing to dip the onion rings into. It really added a great flavor, and the dressing was creamy, and if not homemade, it was a good quality. Service was still solid. Also, I saw a fellow reviewer give a bad review because of too much of the butter sauce. They give you an option of how you want it prepared. I ordered it light last night. It wasn't greasy, but you still tasted it. If you like a more powerful garlic flavor, order regular. Once again, we will be back!

January 2023

First time here. I love places that have a solid family history. We got what they are known for, the poor boy steak sandwich. The thing that makes this different is the garlic butter it is applied to the meat, not the bread. Unlike garlic bread, which can be inconsistent flavor, this flavor is consistent throughout. It's a party in your mouth with each bite. We didn't get anything on it. To get the full flavor of the 6 oz round steak. Next 6 add the mushrooms. They offered cheese, onions, or mushrooms. It comes with thinly sliced pickles. I have to say it adds a nice touch, considering I'm not in the pickle fan club. The sandwich is a nice size and will get me 2 meals. I ordered fries, and my husband ordered onion rings. The fries were ordinary. The star was the onion rings. The presentation was appealing. They were crunchy, and nice light rings. You could bite through the onions, cooked perfectly. I hate biting in an onion ring, and the whole thing comes out. It's served with ranch dressing. Our friends recommended the double baked potato. It was good but I think it really didn't go with this sandwich. My husband enjoyed it, though. The atmosphere is 6 comfortable, The service is very good and attentive. The onion rings are pricey but worth every penny. This restaurant has been around forever and does not need my review, but they have a great place, and we need to spread the word! We drive 60 miles round trip, and...

It was ok. I don't/didn't understand the hype that went with the place. The eclectic retro atmosphere was my favorite part of the dining experience.

The food came out pretty quick.

But the floor was in desperate need for cleaning. There was scraps of food sprinkled about on the floor, which almost had me turn and walk out. But it was evident that our server was incredibly busy, which is what we attributes the floor to. He was definitely putting in maximum effort.

The tables are set up with cute picnic style table cloths with matching napkins.

We split and order of the po' boy dinner. Perhaps I am spoiled by the Po' boys of NOLA, because these were bland. Their version is just the garlic butter on the bread and the "steak." The bread had their garlic butter, which I could smell, but not taste, which was weird. So I asked for a side of extra butter, and again the same thing, not enough garlic. I had the salad with Garlic dressing, which was pretty good and very garlicy. We also had the twice baked potato, which was again, "ok." We added the garlic butter to that, which didn't really improve it. Tonight's dinner sides were generous portions of cottage cheese a Mac salad and a bean salad. The mac salad was the best of the three. But again just "ok."

Our favorite part of all the food we ordered was the onion rings. They were thick rings of a sweet onion with a thin and crispy breading. They weren't greasy like some onion rings can be. I would definitely recommend them.

Overall the food was ok. The atmosphere was cute, but needed to be cleaned. And you could tell the server was good at their job, but...

Merichka's is one of those places locals have a special place in their heart for; they grew up with it and love it. The atmosphere is 50's kitch. There are several dining rooms and a circa 1940s bar. Other patrons heard we were new to the restaurant and told us we had to get the Poorboy "...it's what Merichka's is known for." It turns out their Poorboy Steak is ground beef plank (a long rectangular patty) on garlic bread served with pickles and lettuce for $14. We also got their Icelandic Cod sandwich (we chose baked over fried) for $15. We also had the Combo Appetizer- onion ring and fried mushrooms for $13. Both sandwiches are available on a plate (choice of potato or steamed vegetables and a salad) for $23 and $26, respectively. That is $10 for a vegetable and salad, if found that high. Dinners are also available for an additional $4 to the plate price (dinners add a relish tray). I decided to get the sandwich a la carte, so maybe it's a lot of food. The Icelandic Cod was prepared perfectly. Fish can be rubbery if overcooked, but this was tender and delicate. I was disappointed the bun was straight out of the bag, not toasted or grilled. The Poorboy was an unseasoned ground beef on garlic bread; it is definitely a skip for me next time. Their menu is extensive with chicken sandwiches, hamburgers, ribeye steak sandwich, and pork chop sandwich. Full meals include lobster,...