Merchants — Restaurant in Nashville-Davidson

We (party of 8) came to Nashville for the first time this past weekend. We choose Merchants because we were looking for a nice place that was a little more on the relaxing side for a change as we needed a little R&R our last night there. We asked for a table upstairs. Were told it would be 1-1 1/2 hour wait. We sat at the bar. After 1 hour and 45 minutes or more our party of 8 was informed our table was ready. They sat us downstairs (different menu) at a table that was next to the bar and had been empty the entire time we waited. They would not let us order from the menu that was being offered upstairs. Ok, we are not hard to get along with. 5 of the 8 of us ordered the $38 T-Bone steak as that is what was on special. I wanted mine med-med well (I know but that is how I like it and I am the one eating it so...) It came to me rare, not med rare but RARE. I sent it back. They brought "it" back to me, well the manager did. She wanted to make sure I was satisfied, and I was speechless. It wasn't cooked any further. She made me feel uncomfortable and embarrassed as she asked me multiple times if it was good while staring at me and I thought it was a prank, anyone with good eyesight would see it was a horrible looking piece of meat from a cheap meat market. The filet although red and bloody gave me 2 very little pieces of beef and the rest of the steak was nothing but gristle. Not any "beef" whatsoever. I should have taken a picture of it. I have never sent my food back to the kitchen but had no choice this time. They did not charge me for it but worse steak I have ever seen. Our server gave very good service though. Wont be back that...

I had been to Merchant's twice before but had always sat downstairs in the bar/bistro area of the restaurant, which was great, but this time I sat upstairs in the much more sophisticated area of the restaurant. It's actually two restaurants in one because the upstairs has a different (and much more pricey) menu...think "elegant, but dark and moody vibe". The walls are a very dark teal with lots of exposed brick, elegant furniture and lighting. Our server was absolutely fantastic and I am completely mortified that I have forgotten his name! He made great suggestions and the food was excellent. There were 3 of us, we all had something different, and we were all pleased with our food with the exception of the deviled eggs. They were not awful, but they were far from the best I've had, especially for the $. I had the short ribs and they were fantastic! Literally no knife required! My lobster bisque was fantastic too and if it had a little hit of Sherry in it, it would have been complete perfection! The flourless chocolate torte with peanut butter whipped cream WAS perfection! I was already so full when it came to the table, I didn't order it, my daughter did, but it was so incredible I couldn't stop eating it! Overall this was a wonderful dining experience with exceptional service. I would highly recommend Merchant's, whether you dine downstairs or spend a little more money for the upstairs, both are...

My husband and I stopped on our way through town. We were saving room for dessert later, so we ordered light. Our server was polite and thoughtful. The bathrooms already needed a cleaning and it was only 5pm when we arrived. Maybe 1 of the 3 hostesses could have tended to that rather than standing around chatting.

Food: My husband never received his sweet tea...we didn't follow up...otherwise, I'm sure our server would have taken care of it. Even though we asked the food to be brought out in stages, it was prepared and brought at the same time. The chicken fried chicken - My was it delicious! I wish it had about 10-20% more gravy...but, even without, the food was well prepared and so yummy. The pimento dip was too spicy for me to eat (even though I asked about the spice level when we ordered) but my husband enjoyed it. It is a great group appetizer. From what I perceived as a nicer establishment, I would have thought they'd have offered to sub the dish out or removed it from our bill. Instead, I left hungry, with a slightly upset stomach (due to the spice), and $12 poorer.

We would highly recommend this restaurant if you are looking...