Eddie Merlot’s
Overall GrubGrade A-
The Breakdown:
Atmosphere: Grade A: We first visited Eddie Merlot’s a couple of years before we started this website. For us, Eddie’s is like that first high school crush – we couldn’t imagine any better until we got some experience. Eddie Merlot’s was one of the first upscale dining establishments we visited, and we fell in love. It was the standard by which we judged all other restaurants from that point on. We have already reviewed Eddie Merlot’s once, but we were sure that if we revisited, Eddie’s would get a better overall grade than before – and it did. But based on our previous experiences, we expect Eddie Merlot’s to score and Overall Grubgrade of A+, so the score of A- is a little disappointing to us. Inside and out, Eddie Merlot’s oozes class and upscale sophistication. The atmosphere is just about perfect, and Eddie Merlot’s is one of our top picks for a date restaurant. We had a slight issue this visit with some dirty glassware, which isn’t the end of the world but cannot be tolerated at a restaurant this upscale and that charges the amount of money Eddie Merlot’s charges.
High marks: Upscale and nearly perfect
Low marks: One dirty glass
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Service: Grade A+: Our server on this visit was named Monica. The service was flawless. Monica seemed a little too formal, but with this type of setting we really can’t fault her for taking her job seriously. Our only complaint, and it is a small one, applies to this visit to Eddie Merlot’s but also applies to a whole bunch of other visits to restaurants we’ve had. For most restaurants, the server will ask if you have dined at that establishment before. We hit Eddie Merlot’s at least 2 or 3 times a year for the past 3 to 4 years, so we’re pretty comfortable with the menu. Even after relaying this fact to Monica, she still felt the need to tell us about the toppings for the steak and how the steak is cut in house, etc, etc. Those are all great facts to know, and we would have been really impressed had this been our first dance with Eddie’s, but the spiel was really just a waste of everyone’s time. We didn’t penalize her for schooling us on all things Eddie because she is probably required to do so, but in the future we would appreciate our server to allow us to ask questions if we need to and save the script for the newbies.
High marks: Quick, accurate, flawless service
Low marks: Unnecessary lesson on steak delayed our gratification
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Food/Spirits: Grade B+: Here is where we get a tad bit disappointed. We fully expect Eddie Merlot’s, due to their reputation and the price of their food, to get no less than an A in this category. As such, we are disappointed with the B+ (actually, that is probably a bit generous in this instance). For drinks, Katina ordered a martini called a Berry White and I opted for a cocktail called Eddie’s Paradise Infusion. Katina’s martini had a pronounced berry flavor and was very sweet. The drink has a slight but very tolerable alcohol bite. The Paradise Infusion had absolutely no alcohol bite, but I am sure it did have alcohol in it because my noggin started feeling all warm and fuzzy after the first couple of sips. The Paradise Infusion has slight pineapple flavor, but the flavor wasn’t a strong as I expected. For our appetizer, we ordered the Filet Mignon Pot Stickers. The pot-stickers were good, but there wasn’t much going on with them. We frankly expected something a little less simple. The pot-stickers were crammed full of meat, but there wasn’t much else inside. We felt like more could have been done with them. Plus, the pot-stickers were served with a soy sauce that helped kick up the flavor, but we thought Eddie Merlot’s was a little skimpy with the sauce. We selected the tempura green beans for our side, and Katina ordered the twin lobster tails (don’t faint with surprise) and I ordered the Trio of Medallions for our entrees. The tempura green beans were crisp and lightly battered, and the creamy wasabi sauce was the best we’ve had. Honestly, Eddie Merlot’s has the best sides of ANY restaurant we’ve been to, with the lobster mac and cheese being the absolute cat’s pajamas. When we do lobster tails, the standard we use for comparison is Bonefish Grill. While the lobster tails at Eddie Merlot’s were bigger (and over double the price) than those at Bonefish, we still find Bonefish Grill prepares them better, and their butter sauce is the best. We thought the tails at Eddie’s were just a tad on the tough side, but Katina really liked that Monica de-shelled the tails for her. The Trio of Medallions were simply awesome. I almost didn’t order them, but I am glad I did. The medallions were perfectly cooked, and each medallion was topped with a different topping. For me, the Gorgonzola bacon topping was hands down the best tasting, with the peppercorn in second place and the Oscar-style in third. The Oscar-style topping had a brown-sugary taste to it that was inexplicable and a little off-putting.
High marks: The Trio of Medallions were awesome, tempura green beans the best we’ve had
Low marks: A little stingy with the sauce, lobster tails a little tough
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Value: Grade B-: With a coupon (which is embarrassing), we still dropped well over $150 for two of us, and we skipped dessert. The food and atmosphere are about the best you can find in Columbus, but you are certainly going to pay for it. We usually grade this category based on what we expected to spend versus what we actually do spend. We knew Eddie Merlot’s was expensive, but with skipping dessert we would have expected to spend $15 to $20 less. We highly recommend Eddie Merlot’s, especially if you are looking for a special experience, and although it is no longer our top restaurant (it is still in the top 5), it is still about the best place to indulge in Columbus.
High marks: The entire experience is about the best you can find in the area
Low marks: Seems pricier that our last visit
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