Mercato — Restaurant in Philadelphia

Reviewing this place is difficult for me and I generally don't do sub-4 star reviews. My girlfriend and I were considering a tasting but instead decided to order the 3 courses we were most interested in and requested them 1 at a time in no particular order.

Before we get to the meals let's talk about the ambiance, I really enjoyed it. It is a small place (as are most in the area) but very inviting and intimate, it can get a bit loud but overall it felt cozy and accommodating. The staff was excellent.

The first meal they brought out were the veal cheeks which I had low expectations for and sadly the only meal I did not take a photo of. Interestingly I expected this to be the last meal they served. This was the biggest disappointment because it could have been my favorite. The veal was excellent! It was flavorful and tender, it was a bit fatty but not greasy. I absolutely loved it and the portion size was PERFECT! That said the pasta was overcooked and mushy which sadly was the first thing I took a bite of and set a negative tone. I have never in my life had a dish do so well and so poor at the same time. It was disappointing because ultimately this review isn't 4+ stars because of that.

Next they brought out the Bolognese, which is exactly what I expected to be the middle dish. This time the pasta was cooked properly, which my GF made sure to eat all of following the previous disappointment as we now couldn't be sure if the pasta would be overcooked going forward. The Bolognese itself was good but good isn't 4 stars, 4 stars is exceptional and 5 is 'OMG was this made by God?' neither of which these were. It wasn't bad, it was good. The portion size however was huge so if you are one to increase your rating because you get more then this might work for you. Ultimately we sent some back, which I hate to do but I wanted to save room.

Lastly was the spicy crab squid ink bucatini ... I don't even know where to begin. I LOVE spicy crab and I LOVE squid ink pasta, so this is where I get confused. The pasta was cooked beautifully, so to the chef that prepared it. Excellent! If you did not prepare the two previous dishes, please start tasting everything that goes out. I am at a loss for explanation as to how we went from overcooked to acceptable to WOW. The crab was nice and didn't taste old, it could have been fresh but this is where the problems start. There wasn't much crab. The sauce was delicious and had just the right spice but then there was too much... Far too much. I didn't want a soup, I guess the use of the word broth could convey it's soup'y? But Google bucatini, I have never in my life had it with this much sauce. Yes the sauce was actually very good but by no means was this dish that dependant on it. Additionally it made it more difficult to determine how fresh the crab actually was, so if you are using high quality crab you are doing it a disservice. Over saucing dishes is a great way to cover inadequacies which I personally felt was unnecessary. I tried my best to fish out crab (is that a pun?) and 'de-sauce' it and it genuinely tasted fresh. I recommend pulling back on the sauce and adding more quality crab meat!

It would be difficult to get my GF to come back here, she is a bit hard on Italian restaurants but I'd personally come back just for the veal cheeks and hope the best for the pasta. That would be my recommendation to anyone eating here. It's funny considering it's the one meal didn't take a picture of and I ordered on a whim not expecting to enjoy the veal as much as I did. Combine the excellent veal with perfectly cooked pasta and this review would have...

This was a mixed bag experience. It has left me torn!!

I went to dinner w/ family, where we dined in. This is a BYOB Restaurant. It's a small, quaint and Kool place to dine. When making reservations or walking in be sure to ask if there is a Corkage Charge. Oh.... Right now, no mask are required.

Mercato has an area for outside dining, where the entire street is blocked off from traffic. In addition, there is sidewalk and inside/outside dining. What do I mean? Well... The entire front side glass of the restaurant opens up. It makes One feel as though your dining outside, yet you're inside.

All of the Staff was courteous, professional and friendly. Our Server Professional was Arron. She was "Fantastic"... Why am I torn w/ my review & rating then?

It was the food!! I ordered "Crab Fra Diavlo". It had a unique Taste, Black Pasta and Sauce that was phenomenal. That was the issue!! It wasn't supposed to have just sauce. The meal was supposed to have "JUMBO LUMP CRAB" in it. However, it was NO WHERE to be found. Maybe The Crab was hiding or went back into it's shell?? This was a "HUGE" Disappointment.

We also had Clam Toast, which was kinda weird. It wasn't tasty and why the bread? Just give me The Clams!!

The Menu is small, so there's not alot to choose from. This needs to be expanded to a few more items. I would like to give Mercato another try. It has a lot going for it. However, the food needs an upgrade in the portions provided.

Mercato Management needs to understand a basic philosophy. If YOU give me more, I'll pay more!! Give me less and I'm not coming back!! Of course..... It's about the repeat customers and referrals of others too.

Please LIKE, RATE &...

Arrived at 8.50 for 9pm reservation. Place was packed and we were seated at 9.15. Host was very polite and apologized for the delay.

Butternut squash, pancetta and wild mushroom soup was silky, well seasoned and delicious.

Stuffed meatballs were very disappointing. Meatballs were tough, dry and under-seasoned. Sauce was average. Had lots of garlic flavor but dish lacked any kind of cohesiveness.

Pyramid pasta was delicious. Pasta was cooked perfectly al dente and loaded with lobster & shrimp. Brown butter sauce was very flavorful. The dish was well presented, rich and substantial.

The short rib ragu was the most disappointing dish of the night. Ragu sauce was watery, lacking in flavor and depth. The gnocchi would have been impossible to identify had I not known what I was eating. It had absolutely zero flavor and just tasted of nothing. Had the gnocchi been seasoned and sautéed and the sauce reduced and concentrated, it would have been an entirely different dish.

For dessert, the tiramisu was delicious. Full of flavor and great texture. As good as I've had in Italy.

The dark chocolate espresso panna cotta was okay. The cinnamon was over powering and the coca nibs felt a bit disjointed from the rest of the dessert. The texture of the panna cotta was good.

Overall, we were underwhelmed. While some of the dishes and flavors were good, we did not feel that the food was any better than what we could cook at home or better than what we would expect to find at an average...