50th birthday and I decide to come here. I'm fromTexas and just passing through with the wife and saw this place on the radar. We set reservations for 7:30pm. As we are seated, our server (Jo) goes through the menue and explains everything on the menu. My wife decides to get the special 6oz filet mignon (medium rare), lobster bisque and carrot cake while I ordered the ribeye (medium rare) with lobster mac n cheese and for an appetizers crab cakes. We had to ask for bread to be served to our table. My wife and I had water with lemon. It took a while for the food as expected, so we enjoyed conversation over empty glasses of water. When the appetizers came out, the bottom of the cakes were burnt. The side corn salad that came with it was really salty to the taste. When the main course was delivered, the wife cut down the middle of her filet and it was blood red. My wife doesn't like confrontation so she just grinned and bear it until eating only half and passing the rest to me. My order? Well my ribeye was cooked really well but the server failed to put in my lobster with mac n cheese. How?! It's written on the ticket!! The server brings out potao au graut instead and omg... just cooked in oil. Greasy as can be. After I finished my steak I had to take a phone call and my wife waited.... and waited... until the server came back and brought the carrot cake in a platic container only. As I came back to the table, I see my wife still sitting there. She said shes still waiting for plastic ware and a bag. Luxkily a young man overheard us and he brought us what we needed. As I was walking back to the truck, I see Jo sitting on the curb chatting it up with cowrkers. Never again. Thanks for a memorable experience at your high priced restaurant. read more

Eddie Merlot's - Steakhouses Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Service was top notch as it should be with those prices $$$$. Waitress was amazing and manager brought over free glasses of champagne for my bday! Ordered king crab legs and chefs special. King crab legs were too salty for my taste and the steak was rare instead of medium rare. Caesar salad was delicious! Private parking lot and upscale attire required. read more

Restaurant was a little loud and small dining room but overall was a nice atmosphere. We enjoyed oysters and wagyu potstickers to start, both of which were good. I had the 4 oz steak with shrimp and sausage for my entree, and the meat was all cooked perfectly. Definitely a nice steakhouse if you're nearby. read more

I'll admit, I was nervous about the bad reviews (Merlot's is definitely behind competitors in review averages). I pushed for us to go to a competitor honestly but my dad was treating everyone so I had no choice there. My worries were unwarranted, our experience was great! From beginning to end service was great. Very attentive/polite waiter, all our food from the bread to the entrees were great. Drinks were served quickly. Spinach and artichoke dip was phenomenal (I don't even go for the dish unless someone else orders the appetizer). Decadent, cheesy, very well made. My salmon melted in my mouth and was cooked perfectly. The sauces and garnishes were tasty too. Mac and cheese was a solid 4/5. Very good, but not the best I've had. I sampled the lobster mac and French onion soup. Both were very well made. My dad said out of the 7 times he's been here, on one visit the chefs could not cook his steak correctly. The negative reviews mention the same fluke. My experience at Eddie's was awesome! Complimentary cake on my birthday outing was a great final touch. read more

Eddie Merlot's - Steakhouses Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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Our dinner came out before our bread (that was supposed to come out before our salads). My wife's steak was sent back 3 times for being raw. (Pittsburgh style) then the last time it came out it was so charred and over cooked she couldn't eat it. The. We were told by the manager how pissed the chef was. I guess it was our fault that he couldn't get a med rare steak right. My wife's birthday dinner was completely ruined. What a terrible experience tonight was. read more

Where to begin , Eddie Merlot's is top of the class eating , I've yet to have anything bad from this place everything that you eat there makes you feel like your eating at a Michelin star restaurant (maybe they are one ) Their sides and dessert alone will make you come back Which speaks volumes Their mashed potatoes made my eyes roll to the back of my head it was that good Their carrot cake is the best carrot cake I've ever had in my life it can literally feed 4 people it's that huge Totally worth the price ! My plan is to eventually try everything on the menu even though I know they won't disappoint 5 stars! One of the best restaurants in Cincinnati! read more

Beautiful atmosphere. Great service. I had the filet Delmar. The steak was good, but not great. The sauce was very overpowering. The fingerling potatoes had zero seasoning. A few shrimp thrown on the plate. My husband had a ribeye and baked potato. He said it was just okay. They did bring us a free crème brûlée and it was to die for! read more

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Great food!! Everything was cooked perfectly. I ordered a medium rare filet mignon and it was the best steak I have tasted in awhile! Also got the french onion soup, and wedge salad. My husband ordered the king crab corn soup, filet Del Mar and absolutely loved it! We celebrated Valentine's Day and treated ourselves to dessert. We received two chocolate strawberries and the cheesecake was 10/10! read more

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A family dinner left some of us underwhelmed with the food. The manager came over and he was given feedback. The delivery of his response was off-putting. The saving grace was the waiter who was, in contrast, very personable and professional. This was our second poor experience. Last time a different waiter raised his voice at my wife in front of the whole family. She asked if she could substitute a plain baked potato for the roasted potatoes and he barked 'NO!". Everyone thought he was kidding until they looked at his face and he extolled on the price of a whole baked potato vs a roasted portion. Guess he never heard of an uncharge? Anyway, 2 strikes and you're out in our book, we dine with family to enjoy ourselves, not to be left commenting on a negative experience. At least this time it was at the end of the meal and not the beginning! read more

Larry was excellent in service and keeping us informed on the status of our orders Food was delicious the Hot Appetizer Platter really does feed 3-4 read more

I usually prefer to dine at other local steakhouses in the city but my visit to Eddie Merlot's did not disappoint. Every dish I ordered tasted exceptional. The filet was cooked to perfect temperature and seasoned well. I will be returning to try the other entrees that peaked my interest. The service was a bit slow but delivered. I also wish the ambiance was elevated to match the food quality. It felt like I was sitting in a Cheesecake Factory and I felt a bit overdressed. read more

Great dinner with the family at Eddie Merlot's. Shannon was a great waitress, timing everything perfectly. Food was great, we never had to ask for anything as service was constantly provided. Additionally the 2 for $99 Wednesday special was more food than we could eat and a great value for the money. read more

Me and my husband have been to this place a few times over the years and always had amazing food and top notch service. Today was not the case. And honestly me and my husband are shocked. So we were there today to celebrate our 17 year wedding anniversary. The parking lot had only a few cars in it. Upon entering we were promptly taken to our seat. We noticed two gnats that seemed to hover at our table (and never seemed to leave). The waiter did not ask if were celebrating anything special which I think they used to do. I noticed the pepper shaker was a bit dirty on the top. We were seated in the center dinning room and there was literally one other table that had 3 people but service was extremely slow. We ordered pot stickers and soup which ended up taking like 30 minutes to get to our table. The pot stickers though delicious seemed overcooked/burned underneath. The two gnats still hovering around our table. For the main meal I ordered a salad and my husband ordered a Chicken BLT and fries. The food itself took at least another 25 minutes to get to our table. Meanwhile like 3 other people entered the restaurant and sat down. The waiter placed our food down and walked away. My husband noticed the sandwich he got did not have the tomato nor the lettuce nor the aioli sauce. My salad was fine. The waiter never checked in on us after we got our food to ask how everything was. He also did not refill our drinking glasses which they always used to do here every other time we've been there. Again I'll say that there were only two other tables that had people sitting/eating at in the entire restaurant. The entire experience from sitting down to getting our check and leaving took one hour. Not sure why service was so extremely slow when they barely had anyone there. My husband did mention to the waiter about the sandwich that it was missing tomato, lettuce and aioli sauce. He simply apologized but did not offer to discount the sandwich or asked if wanted anything else instead to make up for it. How could you allow a BLT sandwich to go out to someone without checking that it actually had BLT?! They charged the full $17 for the sandwich and fries. The meal was $65 for a sandwich that was missing 3 things. some fries. a simple Caesar salad with no protein. French onion soup and pot stickers. Thankfully we had a $25 off gift card from Valentine's day but we did not feel the meal was worth that much money. Again we're completely shocked about this experience. We had been coming here for anniversaries, Valentine's Day previous years. Even this year we went for Valentine's Day and the food and service was superb. Very high class. Very high end. Especially for the cost of their food. read more

Eddie Merlot's - We drank half of our drinks and never once did the waiter ask or give us refills at all. - Steakhouses Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Jess and Thesera are the bartenders supreme! They are fun, talented, know their business and will keep you entertained while providing excellant service. They know the menu well and can and do make fantastic pairing suggestions. A worthy adventure. Eddie's is a warm inviting place. read more

This place was simply AMAZING!!!! I ordered the steak and shrimp as my main course. I ordered my steak medium well. I ordered the king-crab and corn bisque soup as well. My husband ordered the Mojo shrimp and scallops with Owens potato's.....amazing. The price was right. Michele was our server and she was awesome!!!!!! She was so patient and kind. She was knowledgeable on the food items. We were with a party of 6 and she handled everyone with care. Just an awesome experience. Thank you Michele. You made the difference. We look forward to returning. read more

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Bar was awesome! Mike and Jess are some of the best bartenders in the city! Make sure you check it out read more

Eddie Merlot's - Steakhouses Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

We went to Eddie Merlot's for a friends birthday and had a great time. Jason was absolutely fantastic and enjoyable. I had one of the specials - a sea bass dish which was amazing. So soft and delicious. The fried romaine salad was tasty as well. We will definitely be back! read more

Eddie Merlot's - Sea Bass - Steakhouses Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

The restaurant is beautifully appointed and has a wonderful wine selection. Our waiter was superb in every way, including in helping us select a wine we loved. It was a Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand that paired wonderfully with seafood and had a grapefruit finish. The sesame crusted yellowfin tuna was superb. I had no room for dessert and shared my dinner with my husband. The bread they serve was delicious too. I just don't have a bad thing to say... we loved it from start to finish. Don't get me started on the house made chocolates! Splurge on the Alexander Valley Cabernet sometime and enjoy it with the house chocolate. Ask for Aaron as your waiter. He was amazing. Wonderful night. read more

Eddie Merlot's - Yellowfin tuna - Steakhouses Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

One word....Rockefeller oysters, actually two words. They were outstanding. The drinks were great, especially the berry martini. The carrot cake was good as well. The 3 stars are for the steak. I've never gone to the more popular Cincy steakhouses and had to add salt, ever. My steak and my husband's steak both needed salt added. My chimichurri sauce was bitter, disappointing. I live for this sauce, so I know how it should taste. The Eddies potatoes could possibly be the worst side I've ever had. The truffle fries were delicious. If I return, I would have apps, fries, drinks and dessert. I don't ever want to leave a steakhouse with a $280 bill and feel like I overpaid. I walked out feeling like I overpaid. I will skip the steak next time. read more

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I'm curbing my review a bit because it's the 4th of July, but service was horrible. I sat at the bar for something quick and casual. -20 minutes to get water -Bartender took drink and dinner order at same time. Never got my drink. -40+ minutes for dinner and they forgot my side of mushrooms. Had to ask 2x for them and get them 15 minutes later and yes, I had eaten most of my dinner by then. -Lady next to warned me they are slow. When she left two more people came and left her seat, tired of waiting. -They never bused her dirty dishes. -I dared asked for a refill on my water. Nope. Too bad...I had hoped I would like it but I won't be back. read more

For our wedding anniversary we decided to try something new, and that was our first problem. This is why you stick with what you know and love. We were seated and immediately told 'happy anniversary' I noticed the table behind us had a nice card on their table that said "happy anniversary." I thought it was strange they had one but we didn't? I guess they pick and choose. We started off with the crab cakes which are apparently made for munchkins because they are about 2 inches wide and you only get two and they're around $22. Yikes. A family of four was seated behind us after we ordered and they received their appetizers before us. Our waiter came to the table and said "Sorry it's taking some time. Your ticket was lost." I felt like that was a little too honest of a comment to make to us. When we were seated the waiter raved about the award winning steaks they are known for. I ordered a 6oz filet mignon and the garlic roasted potatoes. My husband ordered the New Orleans mixed grill. The steak was cooked correctly but had absolutely no flavor. I should have gotten a topping or something, but J assumed it would have great flavor and wouldn't need anything extra. The potatoes were lukewarm and didn't have any hint of roasted garlic. My husband said his was okay, but nothing to brag about. Moral of the story is stick with what you know. After the speech the waiter gave us in the beginning I had high hopes of a delicious dinner. We were both let down. We always go to Jeff Ruby's on anniversaries and birthdays. We learned our lesson and we will continue to visit Jeff Ruby's in the future. read more

Had dinner here with a group of friends & we enjoyed ourselves! The staff are incredible with their service & hospitality! The food taste like normal steakhouse food...can't really go wrong with this place! read more

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Sat at the bar and had Jess and Theresa take care of me. The sliders are the bomb. They also have Coravin wine pours and some hard to find Blanton's and Weller currently on their shelves. read more

First time here and I don't plan to come back. Very overrated and not worth the price. To start with, we had to wait a bit for our reservation. Not a big deal but at other steakhouses in the area we never have to wait. Our waiter Kirk claimed to have worked there for 12 years but sheesh. I wouldn't tell people that told us he was going to bring bread twice and never did. Had to end us asking for it. Everytime he came to our table he smelled like he had just been out back smoking. Not what I want to smell when I'm trying to enjoy my dinner. Don't substitute bourbon in general without asking the guest first but definitely don't substitute with Makers Mark. To make it worse we were told it was Makers Mark private label but at the end of the meal found out it was just plain ol makers. Which would be considered a well level liquor. Desserts were delicious but still don't plan to come back. read more

We book this restaurant for dinner as we are in the area, it's a bit far from home, so since we are in this area, need to check it out. The place is nice, pretty big with 3 different areas for seating. Only two of us, i ordered from their holiday menu, mussel as appetizers and elk chop for main course. Wow, the mussels is really good, the bread came with it taste so good with the creamy soup, can't stop eating it! Mussels so tender. Love it! 1st time had Elk chop, i even don't know such thing available here! Tried, and taste good, totally no gamey taste, very well seasoned. We had carrot cake for dessert, it's the best carrot cake i tried so far. Husband love carrot cake, so we order a lot carrot cake in different restaurants, this is the best so far! Definitely a nice restaurant to come for special occasions! read more

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I've been wanting to check this place out for a while and finally got the chance too. It did not disappoint at all. They definitely know how to cook a steak, and all the accoutrements to go with it. The restaurant is designed like any upscale steak house, but you're really just there for the food, so it's not "as important". We had an excellent red wine to go with our dinner, and the Moscow mule was fantastic! I love the taste of rosemary they added to it. It was something different and I liked it. I absolutely loved the bison steak! The beefy taste was sublime! Adding the mushrooms made it even better. I did not regret anything I ate that night and would eat it again. This is a great place to splurge. No matter what you get, you're sure to love it. read more

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An interesting paradox, looks likes you stepped into a time machine in not a flattering way, yet some of the main dishes are quite unique and/or interesting. Went here on a Friday night in December for my husband's holiday work get together. First time here, and based on reading the reviews here, I was trepidatious. Made sure to don some of my most expensive & designer jewelry, shoes, and accessories...and felt mostly overdressed when I entered. Yes, some people in suits, but also plenty of I just rolled out of bed looks...a fun juxtaposition of styles against the sorts dated Cheesecake factory decor. PSA: they do not seat you until the majority of your party has arrived. We were seating in the corner by the fireplace in a room brimming with people...surely not all of them could be there on an expensive date night! Unfortunately, they arranged the seating where it is difficult for the server to get to you if were unlucky enough to be seated in the corner, as well as you'll be having temperature issues all night. Never felt comfortable, always either too warm or felt like the snowy tundra was blowing on me. Also, this causes waitresses to not do their due diligence when it comes to things like pepper on the salad or collecting plates. I agree with other reviewer's where they said sometimes they were still eating and their plates would be collected... It is as if they collect the plates when it's convenient for them, as opposed to when you are actually done with that course. I felt ignored much of the night by the wait staff. Our waitress actually kinda scared me. Though she behaved in a manner trying to appeal to the upper class, her make up was so garish that it was distracting to say the least, and I am not one that ever comments or cares about what one does with their make up, it's their own business. I have to imagine they have certain rules about how you appear at Eddie Merlot's... And the amount and the way she chose to do her make up was hindering her, not helping her. Ok, that was much longer than I expected, and I haven't even addressed the food! Since after reading the story about this place, it seems it would be more wine focused, I was surprised to see there were not recommended wine pairings with dishes. No matter, because: PSA: their cocktails are amazing! I tried a holiday menu spiced cherry mule that was smooth and magical...I would have ordered several more, if it wasn't a work dinner. My compliments to the bartender! Ok, let's give you the rundown: Appetizers: good, bad, and ugly Salad: decent Entrees: A+ Sides: the land of meh Dessert: nice, but not necessary Appetizers: if you eat filet mignon, get the pot stickers! Probably some of the best I've ever had. The shrimp cocktail was borderline, and the charcuterie was WAY overpriced for the types and quality of products presented. I've had better at a house dinner party. Salad: the grilled romaine was nice, needed a bit less dressing and definitely more grilling. Everyone at the table was good with their salad (or soup). Entrees: this is where Eddie Merlot's shines. I had the holiday menu Branzini, and I would have licked that plate if I could have. The sage butter sauce was perfection with the delicate, slightly sweet fish. My husband had the bison filet that was very tasty as well, most everyone seemed pleased with their selections. Wish I could have tried the Elk as well! Sides: they were so meh, no one in our party took the leftovers home, and there was lobster mac & cheese! Unfortunately, that dish was offputting, as the cheese was not as much melted as it was congealed to the noodles and the temperature of the dish did not help the situation either. It was almost hard to eat, and I love seafood. The mashed potatoes, brussels sprouts, and tempura green beans were forgettable at best. I honestly make better brussels sprouts and green beans at home, and I am no chef by any means! I would say the sides almost detracted from how delicious the entrée was. Dessert: we tried the holiday menu chocolate bourbon pecan pie à la mode, that is actually flambéed tableside, which is not listed on the menu. It was more like a bourbon brownie but still had good flavor. I think I would have enjoyed the meal better if I ended with the entrée perhaps, or just sharing a bite of this with a few other people. Soooo TLDR: get some cocktails, the potstickers, a salad, and entree and life is good. :) read more

Came here for a 30th bday celebration and loved it. Solid service, which I appreciate! Simple pleasures first-waiters constantly refilling your ICE water, and huge, enjoyable wine glasses with a thin lip. But, best thing there is the complimentary fresh out of the oven bread! It's the best I've had!!! We took home some as well. Got the bourbon cedar plank salmon and definitely would go back for that! Wow!!! Huge serving too. Steaks all around were great (says my carnivore friends), and we loved the sweet potato casserole (savory and sweet with a cinnamon sugar crumble topping-I had seconds)! Would not have chosen these myself but table got tempura green beans and we all loved them! Highly recommend! They could use some outdoor seating is the only improvement I'd throw out there! read more

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The quality of food here doesn't match up with the high prices, the $70 New York strip is about on par with Longhorns $25 strip in except Longhorn actually adds more flavor to their steaks. I also question the supplier of this restaurant's food, it all tastes fairly cheap and nothing really tastes like a chef makes anything fresh. Service is okay, some weird stories from our waiter that didn't really add up but he was tolerable. Fairly long wait times for anything to arrive, considering most of it tastes like it's just frozen food from a freezer that's heated up is quite surprising. The ambiance is okay, it feels a little crowded but overall I didn't really notice anything special that caught my eye. My wife and I came here last year for our anniversary dinner and did so today. They did give us a free piece of chocolate cake for our anniversary which we did appreciate, we won't come back here but we wish them well. read more

Amazing filet minion and sweet potato casserole! Very nice server. Highly recommend Bernaise on the steak was to die for. read more

Eddie Merlot's - Steakhouses Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

10/10 recommend! The service was wonderful, we loved Hunter. Every bite my husband and I took was perfect! He is a picky steak eater and he actually thought the wagyu steak was one of the best he's ever had! The ambiance was open, clean and classy! We will definitely be returning! read more

We went here on Thanksgiving. We had a reservation for 4 o'clock and waited for about 30 minutes. Not ideal, but not so bad. I had the traditional turkey dinner and it was phenomenal! They were out of the creme brulee for dessert, but the carrot cake (OMG) and chocolate cake were amazing! Our server, Larry, kept my wine glass full and took good care of us. The ambiance here is very nice. Over all Eddie Merlots is great! read more

Great service and delicious food, the ambiance was really nice as well. Our server was super attentive and the prices were surprisingly reasonable. I had a small filet with shrimp, my friend had salmon. We also ordered seasonal martinis which were really good as well. I totally recommend giving it a try, we ordered the chef special which included a salad with the meal . Definitely plan on returning! read more

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Spent Valentine day with my wife at this place. Very nice open place it is bigger then you think. Service was very nice. My waitress was nice yes but a bit pushy, snappy. Took my plate of food I was still eating away before I could say WAIT? Oh well?? But really ask 1st please! The food was very good. My wife's filet was so so tender. I got the chef special. It was a small filet and a fish portion with salad and side. Good price and great food for this. Surprised nothing special to recognize Valentine day at all? But overall a solid place so do go and enjoy. read more

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Giving this place a one star review for one reason...the horrible experience we had ordering a gift card from them for Christmas 2023. My wife ordered a hard copy gift card on December 13th (did not want to give someone a printed piece of paper as a gift so that is why she did not go the on-line version) and as of yet (December 27th) STILL no gift card. Note I ordered two Jeff Ruby's gift cards at the same time my wife ordered her Eddie Merlots AND a Pappadeaux gift card and received all well before Christmas! The Email response from Eddie Merlots was very slow and they finally told my wife to "give it a couple more weeks" to arrive in the mail! read more

Man o man Eddie merlots was amazing . We went for Father's Day to celebrate my husband and my father in law, and I can tell you it was one of the best restaurants I have Been to in a while , For appetizers we had the sweet and spicy shrimp are amazing perfect blend of sweet mixed with spicy , it was great the shrimps were huge and delightful . I had the cedar salmon with spinach , a good portion not to big hut exactly right , seasoned very well didn't need any sauce , My husband had the New York strip medium well with some pink , the steak was great I'm not a steak person but it was seasoned to perfection with no sauce added he also got the garlic mashed potatoes as his sides they were perfectly buttered with a hint of garlic that but the potatoes over the top. One of the best steakhouse that's I have ever visited in Indianapolis or Cincinnati. Whenever I'm in town on special occasion we will be sure to make a stop . read more

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The food and service was excellent. Would definitely recommend. Ask for Kirk as your server. He was fantastic!!

We did the Easter buffet at 10:30am and it was lovely! They had so many different types of food, my favorite was the fresh shrimp and rack of lamb with garlic mashed potatoes. We will be back next year for this, the place was decorated very cute and the Easter bunny was there. Donny was our waiter and he was amazing! read more

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Dined here yesterday evening. All aspects of the meal were outstanding. The dining room is very attractive, all of the food was exceptional, but, above all, the service provided by Kirk could not have been better. He is a true professional. read more

The Caption Kirk! Took great care of us celebrating our friends 40th! First time there and will be back.