We've eaten at Meritage probably 10 times since they opened in 2011, both lunch and dinner (including tonight). The experience has been consistently a 4 to 5 star one. Only one time, pretty early on, there were some problems with the service. But the food made up for it and by now the subpar server is either long gone or has undergone serious training.
This is fine dining in a small, bright, new and clean establishment. Menu is not tremendous, but many good options, and we have had all different dishes here, everything has been delicious and beautifully presented, as well as being exactly as described, and at good temperature. Servers have the menu, the specials AND your order committed to memory - no scribble pads here. They're also very knowledgeable on the ingredients and preparation.
Tonight I had the pan seared scallops - Big, tender, tasty, and perfectly seared, served over herbed rice with a vegetable. My husband had the glazed grilled salmon, which was very special. Their vegetable choices are very unique, and they feature a "vegetable of the day" which you don't see very often. They are happy to let you substitute sides, and I strongly recommend their amazing potato salad as well as the grown-up macaroni and cheese.
Yes, it's pricey - but this is fine dining. To be gentle on the budget, consider one of the sandwich choices with an extra side for your meal. I've tried the Tuscan chicken and the Mediterranean vegetable sandwich: both are excellent. The mussels, daily hummus, and the stuffed mushrooms are all memorable appetizers. We had dessert here one time only, and my recollection is that it was quite good. My husband raved about the filet mignon on a previous visit, oh! And the French fries are awesome!
I'm going with 4.5 stars for now; the one very minor negative tonight was that I found the dinner rolls a little too crusty and they made too many crumbs when you broke them apart and tried to butter them; but that could just be my opinion. Hope to update review in the not too distant future as I have a birthday coming up!
Another good thing about Meritage is that they belong to "Eat Local Cincy." Your dining dollars translate into points to redeem for gift certificates for local independent restaurants.
Eat independent! Say NO to the big chains!
I'm updating to 5 stars, having returned for a birthday eve dinner on May 10. The rolls were perfect this time and it was very childish of me to find fault in the original review...
What can I say... Once again, professional attentive but not overbearing service, mussels in a sauce to die for with thick garlic toast ... Beefsteak thick sliced tomatoes with fresh basil and balsamic drizzle .... Perfectly done sautéed veggie pita and that amazing potato salad. And because it was a birthday celebration, we finished with Tahitian vanilla bean creme brûlée. The sound of live background music, soft classic rock guitar, a pleasant atmosphere, a consistently great experience.
You'll love Meritage. Make a reservation though unless you're in the door before 6 PM! read more