This is a south side classic hang. The food is killer and love the live music at night. Fun spot to have long conversations. Casual classic.

Oh yes, definitely a fan. The pub *feels* just right, the trivia nights are fun, and the music is lively. The menu is unique too...it hasn't fallen into the 'Americanization' of British food, the chips are still chips and the Ploughman's Lunch is as close as it gets (minus the missing pickled onion). If they had a vegetarian Cornish Pasty, I might very well camp on their door step. Definitely a worthwhile adventure. read more

We thought It'd be fun to try the cute lil pub on Lake at 6 o clock on a Wed night for dinner...(apparently Quiz Night?). We got there and it was pleasantly occupied, but with a lot of empty "reserved" tables. After speaking with the bartender, we grabbed an empty table for dinner and ordered our drinks and food. As the place began to fill up, it got really loud in there...good energy, but loud. Our service and food were fine...not great, but just fine for a (coveted) casual night out with my man. Having our food for about 15 minutes and on our second beverage, we were TOLD by a manager(?) or host(?) that "we would now be sharing our table with other people..." Reluctantly, we said ok, although obviously having no choice in the matter. She came back with 2 people to make our 4 top full...we said "hello" and next thing we know, there are 2 more people joining them, standing over our table and looking at US like, "when are you leaving??" We hadn't received our bill, we hadn't finished our drinks and we spent $50 in the hour we had been there. And to top it off, what did this gruff woman say to us when we got up from the table because we felt SO uncomfortable...and stood by the kitchen door? "Welcome to merlin's." (AKA We got your money, now get out. We don't care.) Thanks, but no thanks. All they had to do was inform their clientele of what was going to be happening ahead of time and I would have been fine with it. The way it was handled...ridiculous and rude. This woman is the reason why I don't want to go back. What a shame. read more

I honestly wished I could have experienced the type of service and food that the other Yelpers have posted about. I came here for a birthday party a few days ago with a group of about 20+ so understandably, the service was going to be a bit slow. Let's start off with the good stuff: 1. LOTS of Scotch options. Like, a binder's worth. 2. Fun atmosphere. 3. Great drinks in general (Crabbie's ginger beer which was awesome!) Now onto the negative... 1. Throughout the 2.5 hours I was there, I didn't get one water/drink refill. Had to flag the waiter down just to order my drinks. 2. My drink was accidentally given to someone else on the other side of the table; no apologies given after they realized the mistake and also forgot to give me the other half of my drink which was in the bottle and was unfortunately finished off by someone else by the time I realized. 3. I asked how big the portion size for the large fish and chips was (I eat on average 2-3x the amount of a normal person unfortunately); they said it was a very big portion. So me and several others order the large fish and chips. After waiting for almost an hour to get it, I look at my order and I can't tell if the portion is a small or large. My three pieces of fish equated to the size of one fish on my friend's plate. So the portions were inconsistent. 4. The fish batter on mine was uncooked; like still runny and raw batter. I had it sent back. Got it back and it was still uncooked. Didn't feel like asking for a third. 5. My fries were stale. Like not 1-2 hour old stale fries. Like 2 day old stale fries. I thought it was just mine so I tried my friends; also hard and stale. I rarely leave my fries, but I couldn't finish it as it was starting to hurt my teeth. 6. My friend and I ordered dessert. Never got it. Found out another friend of mine from that night also ordered dessert and also never got it. Luckily, it wasn't on my bill. 7. I think I saw my waiter a total of two times that entire night and both times, I had to flag him down to ask for my food and drinks. read more

I'm a sucker for a good Reuben, they have an all around great menu. And the atmosphere is so friendly.

Worst. Food. Ever. Perhaps I'd go for the music. But with the food as bad as it is and the beer prices nothing to crow about, I'm not likely to return. Maybe it was just an off night in the kitchen, but my friend's vegetarian 'bangers and mash' consisted of what tasted like Morningstar Farms veggie sausage links with some dried-out lumpy mashed potatoes and peas, and this awful, insipid stuff that they tried to pass off as gravy. Which I needed on my shepherd's pie, which was the worst I've ever had in my life, so bad that I sent it back (and I'm loath to do that, but this was awful. Awful!). It was dry and crumbly, and the lumpy potatoes just sort of fell apart. Do you detect a theme here? I realize that Ireland isn't famous for its gourmet cuisine, but please. Don't offend me with this awfulness. Nine months later I still have nightmares. Others who've eaten here, is it still this bad? Did I indeed just stumble upon a bad night? I want to like this place! It's close to my house!! read more

Usually I'm okay with this bar. It's not great, but it's close to my house. Last night I split the fish and chips with my brother (no comparison to the anchor, btw) and we both got FOOD POISONING. My brother told me about some friends of ours who won't eat there any more because they got food poisoning TWICE. I tried to call to tell them but no one answered. Will never eat here again! read more

There are a couple different ways to be a neighborhood bar. The first is sadly the most common, and entails being rude and inefficient with people who stop in for the first time, most likely because you assume that your bar is so unique and quirky that the average person won't "get it" and will likely never return. The next involves being genuinely warm and giving the benefit of the doubt to new patrons, assuming that the live in the neighborhood and want to patronize a local bar to be inducted into the scene. I found Merlin's Rest to be an odd combination of the two. In the latter respect, I really enjoyed the vibe and ambiance of the bar. I remember thinking to myself that it was pleasantly different from the chock-full-of hipsters scene of Uptown. But note, just because there were no skinny jeans or terrible haircuts does not mean that the exclusive hipster ethos is not present -- particularly among the servers/bartenders. We had to wait a long time to get any service. Our drinks arrived fairly quickly after ordering, but I was very dissapointed that my whiskey and ginger beer seemed to be just ginger beer with not even a splash of Jameson. Thinking myself more wise, I ordered a beer for the next round and a "small" order of chicken tenders and chips because the server told me that size would feature three chicken tenders. Unforutnately there were only two, but I let it go because I didn't want to have to bother to flag down our server. In conclusion, though I liked the weekday vibe of the bar, I doubt that I will put on a list of must-returns and instead leave it in the back of my mind for a low-key beer if I feel like walking to a nearby place. read more

So, apparently on certain nights of the week they have an "Open Jam" where neighborhood dudes show up with instruments. Ok, I know what you are thinking; but it was really, really awesome. There is one guy who was even plays a saw! Mostly they stick to folk tunes, but it made me love this neighborhood bar even more. Oh yeah, they have drinks too. My Scotch loving boy tries a different variety each time we go. But I stick with the standard Guinness ... because it's good for me. read more

OK, I'm done with this place. Went there on the night of big storm power outages. They were open, using candles and only accepting cash. I just applied for my new license and didn't have the piece of paper to supplement my cut license. They asked for ID, as is their strange custom for everyone. They wouldn't serve me. We walked out. The icing on the cake was some ex-pat entoning from the street that they card everyone. (I'd like to see his green card...) So because they probably got in trouble for stupidly serving underage friends of the waitstaff, they now card neighborhood residents who are 49 years old who are out with their wives who are 48. Apparently they their stupid waitstaff can't tell the difference between someone who could be their parent. I will never go back to this so-called "neighborhood" bar. They are jerks. Their food and beer is over priced. Plus, I've never liked bagpipes. I'd suggest The Blue Door. Much better beer selection, an awesome happy hour, and friendly staff. And no stupid "accross the pond" crap. read more

Who put this gem 6 blocks from my house?!?! Merlin's Rest boasts a Scotch Lover's Dream of a TREASURE HOARD of a selection. Knowledgeable staff and the best Reuben in town (sorry Cecil) make Merlin's Rest a Midwest destination spot that just happens to be in my back yard. Way to go Longfellow, MPLS! read more

da fish and chips doe. Soooooo good made my friend happy. And me too. Cool place. If I had a girlfriend, I would bring her here.

Great selection of Scotch and Irish Whisky. Great vibe in this busy pub on East Lake Street. Fish and Chips are very good, and a good choice of British and Irish Beers and Ales, along with micro brews from the upper Midwest. read more

Great food. Great service. Wide selection. Carl was awesome. Was having trouble finding somewhere that serves liquor and food at an early hour, these guys do. Great place read more

Got here about 6:45 on a Saturday evening. Place was recommended by a coworker whose husband is from Scotland so we thought we should check it out. Nice corner location with street parking. They do reservations but not same day, good to know though. There were four of us. We all had a black and tan, which were phenominal. We thought we should try some appetizers and had the fries with gravy and stilton, sausage wrapped in puff pastry(?) and the potato croquettes. All were very good. They like their sage here so if you are not a fan of sage, read the menua carefully! I had the Steak and Yorkshire pudding. Steak was cut into small pieces with gravy on it, some fresh cooked carrots, cauliflower and broccoli, mashed potatoes and a Yorkshire pudding. I don't know what real Yorkshire pudding is like, I was under the assumption it was sort of like a popover. This looked like that but was more bready than eggy, but still delicious. This plate of food was so big it made three meals for me (maybe if I skipped the aps I could have eaten half of it, but the aps are too good to pass up.). One person had the bangers and mash and said it was delicious. Bangers are more of a really finely ground sausage, it's a texture thing. The guys had the fish and chips. While they said the fish and chips were really good, Anchor in NE is better. For that reason alone I gave it the four stars. The service was fabulous, the place was clean, had that sort of old school vibe to it. Almost always has live music at night, and I hear it is corsets and kilts on Friday nights, may have to check that out some day! Overall great place to take in some good food, live music and enjoy your company. read more

This is our go to pub the fish and chips British style are the best I've ever had and my wife has had every item on the menu and raves about all the dishes. The scotch/whiskey selection are hands down the best, the staff is very attentive, knowledgeable and friendly. If you ever get a chance to talk to the owners do it they are so friendly and a pleasure to talk to and finally the scotch eggs with black pudding are way over the top delicious love this place. read more

What a wonderful evening we had here. We enjoyed some music that was just fun and relaxing. Excellent atmosphere!

This place has atmosphere beyond description. The food and drink are excellent . The staff are engaged and helpful, friendly, welcoming! I had the fish and chips and loved them. I recommend this place for the experience alone. I have been back several times and I have never been disappointed by the food , drink, or staff. From this restaurant, it's a short drive to Riverview Theater. 5+ read more

Cozy little neighborhood joint. I used to frequent it when I lived off Lake St. Especially good for a late lunch or early evening bite of fish and chips, pasties or cottage pie, but the burgers and other sandwiches are just so-so. The place definitely has the feel of an Irish pub but sometimes it seems as if they're pushing that vibe a little hard. It can get really loud and raucous at nights when they have activities like trivia or music, so if you're just trying to grab some food during one of those occasions, you may consider going elsewhere. But this is a cool little pub that stands out because there's not much similar in the area. The trivia czar can come off a little snooty. Good for regulars and alcoholics. read more

Before it was Merlin's Rest, it was dark, smoky dungeon called Popeye's that in its last days seemed to host an inordinate number of visits by the 3rd Precinct's finest. There was delightful anticipation when the windows were uncovered and an announcement made that a new pub was opening in its stead. Since the demise of the original Molly Quinn's, where the Craftsman now resides, East Lake had been missing an atmospherically equivalent space (Which sadly was never satisfied by the 2nd generation MQ's further west down the street). It's fortunate for the Longfellow Parish and Minneapolis that Merlin's Rest took its roost. We got a warm neighborhood pub offering plenty beyond dishing whisky and stout. There's often live entertainment. If not just a group of folk musicians playing in the corner booth, then a jazz, blues or folk assembly at the front of the dining room. Merlin's regularly hosts challenging trivia. Breakfast is offered on the weekend. They have Scotch tastings. There's a cast of regulars you'll get familiar with after enough visits. And it has a good selection of beer and whisky. Merlin's Rest bills itself as an Isles pub. They celebrate the culture of the whole of that closely related region, rather than try to strictly duplicate the authenticity of an Irish or British public house. Therein lies much of its charm. The decor appears to be pulled from the separate estates of distant uncles Nigel, Angus and Padraic. It's markedly different from the sparse novelties covering the walls of your local Choctchkie's, though. The posters and books and photos and flags have an intimate origin with the proprietors and that makes all the difference. A humanity is present that seems to fall short in so many larger, more calculated pubs. I so want to give five stars for all it has to offer, but Merlin's always seems be shy in an imporant area. I've thought and have consistently heard agreement from other patrons that the food is often lackluster. I'm aware that their kitchen is modest and they have to make do with its limitations, but there are other venues that perform miracles in smaller spaces. Bryant Lake Bowl, for instance. I believe earlier this year a new manager on staff made an effort to improve the menu, and just a few weeks ago I was told some minor menu changes were going into effect. Because of this I'll only comment on my experiences of the last few months. A reasonable place to judge quality is with a restaurant's hamburger. Let's start there. Shredded cheddar is indicated on the menu, but not once have I ever received an ordered cheddarburger. It's always been substituted with a slice of good ol' American. Why is American cheese even an option for the burgers here? Why, oh why, is a lovely Irish cheddar not standard? From a perch near the kitchen one time, I saw a young cook plop a couple pre-cooked burgers on a hot grill, cover them with a lid and squirt some water underneath to steam them back to life. I don't think this is an uncommon practice in dormitory or hospital cafeterias, but it's unacceptable for a place like Merlin's. If you're not preoccupied with quality or freshness of their "grass-fed and responsibly farmed" beef, there's a White Castle right across the street. Then there's my biggest beef. Please tell me if you or your cook don't care that I want my hamburger served at a degree less than well-done. Don't accept my order for medium-rare and then return to me with a cooked-through chunk of cow flesh. Time after time. An extraordinary veggie burger (walnut based, I believe) used to be served on the menu, but a mediocre bean burger replaced it at some point. Please bring the original veggie burger back. The last I had them the chips were fine, but the fish was too soggy with grease. The best nosh recently has been the very non-traditional hummus platter. You're given generous servings of plain and roasted red pepper hummus, as well as a spicy feta spread with a large tray of pita. The pita used to be served fried, but now comes as plain ol' bready pita. They will fry the pita if asked. I strongly recommend you request at least half your order be fried. It's takes the hummus experience to a new level. Lastly, a blunt, broad observation of the service at Merlin's Rest. Mostly competent. Sometimes short. Sometimes cold. C'mon. Please give a little effort with your service to live up to concept. Overall, one of my favorite places of respite in the Twin Cities. It's rarely too loud you can't have a conversation. It's a comfortable alternative to Blue Moon to sit and read or play a game of cribbage when you want a different kind of buzz. It's a great meeting place for friends and clubs. And even if the waitstaff isn't always warm, the other customers usually are. read more

This pub is what Cheers wishes it could be. Great neighborhood vibe with friendly staff. Superb whisky selection, best in the metro area hands down. If you want a selection of Scotch that you can't find anywhere else, come here. Even better than the selection is the fact that you can get half shots, or drams, at half the price of a full shot (that way you can try more whiskies without the money or sobriety fleeing too quickly). Their food is well made and the proportions are realistic, along with having items familiar and adventurous depending on your mood. Consequently, nothing is really that expensive. There's a lot going on too, with trivia nights, sea shanty sings, Scotch tastings and more. No TV's, thank goodness, so you can actually talk to the people you're with. It's not a place for everyone, but of you like what they're going for (good cheap pub food with awesome beer/whisky options), then you'll love it. read more

I've been coming to Merlins for years now, and while their food offerings don't totally jive with my diet, I've nibbled on a few things and have been pleased. However, the main reason I show up is for the drinks...great beer on tap including various blends, and some tasty cocktails as well. The ambiance is very typically "pub" and often the space will fill with the sound of bagpipes (and other Celtic-esque live music). If that's your jam, you'll love it. However, my personal favorite is enjoying a table outside on a hot summer evening...I don't need the music, just keep the Guinness/Ciders coming! read more

I love Merlin's Pub. The food is delicious and I love the selection of beers. My current favorite is the Belhaven. So smooth and yummy! I've visited for Wednesday and Sunday trivia nights. I get there early so I can make sure I have a booth by the time the game starts at 7:30. I'm excited to keep exploring their menu (I've had the veggie cottage pie and the fish and chips so far). Merlins is filled with friendly, kind staff that makes you feel at home. read more

Most of the food is good, but occasionally it's a bit.... odd. We really didn't care for the bangers and mash. It was a couple skimpy sausage things in a sea of what seemed to be packaged gravy. With boxed mashed potatoes. On a huge plate. But the fish and chips are excellent, the onion rings are good, and the burgers are up to snuff. Allowing smoking outside is a bit of a problem as the smoke just wafts in. read more

My family and I have been to Merlins before about a year ago. The food then was okay, but the service was not so. Well on Sunday my family and I decided to come in for the soccer game and a bite to eat. They were pretty busy and had 2 servers on. Our server, I think her name was Brooke was just so amazing. I could tell she was pretty busy because she was the only server helping the entire one side of the restaurant. But for how busy she was, she really seamed to help every table and help them to their needs. My family was impressed on how much she knew about the food and how friendly and helpful she was. She recommend some food items and we ordered them. The burger came out raw raw raw and the British fish and chips were over salted and super soggy. The waitress asked how everything was and we told her honestly. She apologized and asked if we would like something else. Since she was so wonderful at helping us and our drinks were good, we decided to let the food slide. As amazing as our waitress was, I must say the bathrooms were not so nice. They smelled something really terrible and someone who was a regular said they always smell that way! Are you kidding me? The one other thing that was a bummer was when we were about to walk out the door my father was looking at the taps and wanted to ask the bartender a question. Well he stood at the bar for a few minutes and the bartender said he would be right with him, but just ignored him! Honestly, If it was not for the sweetest waitress I would have given this place a 1! Too bad such a nice girl works at such a crappy place. read more

The only saving grace was Trivia Night! The Quiz Master is worth the visit, but I have a hard time saying I'll be back. The food was genuinely British terrible. We had the fish n'chips, the Speyside Pie, and the Ploughmans Plate. The chips with the fish tasted like frozen, hardly-fried starch lumps with no flavor. The Pie was almost inedible. I don't who would consider stale frozen pastry puff any sort of crust, but I almost sent it back... and I hate being that person... But even the filling tasted like it was from a can. Flavorless, bland gravy. The mash was cold. They bought our first round of drinks because of it, which was nice. The Ploughman's Plate was nothing special. They forgot the cheese on the first try, which was the only reason we ordered it. But it was ok, especially if you're looking for veggies. I know it was Trivia Night and it was really busy, but if the kitchen isn't built to handle a full restaurant, don't put so many seats! Everything we ordered, including drinks, took at least 15 minutes (try more like 30 for the Ploughman's) to get to our table. Our waitress was really nice, and she bought us a dessert, the English pudding or something and it was actually really good! And my Pimm's Cup was lip smacking. The atmosphere was really relaxed and welcoming, and Trivia Night was fun, but with the wait time on EVERYTHING and the lack-luster food, I probably will be headed to Anchor Fish n'Chips or Ward 6 St Paul next time I want play ex-pat. read more

they gave us a table and had us there for 20 minutes without anyone approaching us to see if we were ready and didnt even offered to get drinks. several waiters passed us MANY times. a waiter finally came to our table when we were ready to leave and did apologize for the wait after we told them how long we had been sitting there but even then, that waiter themselves saw/passed us several times without even acknowledging we were there. if they were going to be serving our table, they shouldve at least approached us earlier to see if we wanted drinks or not. we watched them serve several other tables around is and didnt even glance at us ?!!? bad service. read more

I've been going to Merlin's since I first moved to Minneapolis, but finally writing a review after having a really nice time there on Saturday night. This is the best bar in my neighborhood by far. While the drinks are not necessarily cheap, the food is very good, especially the fish & chips and the pies, and they have a huge scotch menu. There is usually something fun going on, from trivia to live music. Saturday night a really nice band was playing, but it wasn't so loud that we couldn't talk while also enjoying the music. read more

I have always had a friendly and welcoming experience at Merlin's! Excellent food, libations,service and music! Long live the Hot Club of East Lake! As a long time neighborhood resident I highly recommend you take a rest at Merlin's Rest! read more

I'll be coming back here. An incomparable whiskey selection, delivered in a binder that is larger than the song list in most Karaoke bars, good drunk person food, and smarmy waitresses serving with a smile. I also really dug the live music, mostly catchy jazz, which got many people out of their seats to dance (more sophisticated couple dancing)! I was struck by the age blend here, and loved how the young and old came out to party together. read more

Trivia night is a blast for hanging out with friends and grabbing a couple of pints. I haven't been impressed with the food that I've had, but the decor and scotch selection is the real selling point. read more

Wonderful service, impressive beer selection, fun for all ages, and best fish and chips in Minnesota! Bring babies! Bring grandma...seriously bring anybody here and they will have a great time. One of my favorite places to eat! read more

Dope. Super dope! Welcoming and knowledgeable staff. Whiskeys and Scotch abound.. In a good way. Super great Happy Hour. Wish they were located Downtown. Would put all the pretentious hippy dippy wackadoodle places in their place! Not trying to be cool. Be cool. read more

My husband and I love this place - amaaaaaazing scotch selection, very friendly staff, NO TVs! Their food is pretty dang good, and the live music is incredible... we especially enjoy the bag pipers on Friday nights (and probably other nights, unbeknownst to us). Their beer selection isn't quite as big, but still good, depending on your taste (Guinness, Two Hearted, Boddington's, etc...). They don't have much for outdoor seating (read: nothing), but we've only been there during the colder months, so perhaps they offer something in the summer. read more

I like this place. The fish and chips are great. I also enjoyed the great neighborhood feel that the decor and staff create. The staff seems genuinely friendly. I will be back...often. read more

Reserved a private single malt tasting - 18+ year old. Received VIP treatment by the proprietor, whiskey expert and our server. Dennis was extremely knowledgable about the distilling process and specific distilleries. The whiskey selection was well thought out and a great variety from the different regions. Dinner before-hand was great classic pub food. Great band on Saturday night with a very lively atmosphere! read more

Amazing food and great atmosphere! This has become our favorite restaurant after moving to the Twin Cities. Check out the fish and chips or bangers and mash. But you really can't go wrong with anything. You can catch some good (and difficult) trivia or some awesome music. read more

Went there with a large group on a Friday night and enjoyed myself immensely. The bathrooms were a bit scary, and you could tell that some of the regulars felt a bit , well, "entitled," but the food was great, the service on the dot, and the atmosphere outstanding. read more

Tagged along with some locals tonight to enjoy the monthly whiskey tasting. Tonight was a selection of aged Irish whiskey. Fun and informative, complete with a piper. Nice lively and friendly atmosphere. Great food too; certainly above average for British Pub fare. I had the Highland Steak Pie. Tasty and good sized portions. read more

Nice, low-key, welcoming Irish pub on Lake St in Minneapolis. The bartenders were friendly and helpful. I was there because on Tuesday nights, they have an open acoustic jam starting at 10 PM; last night there were 8-10 players, who kindly welcomed a newcomer. The music was great and I had a wonderful time. I'll absolutely be back for the jam next time I'm in the area on a Tuesday night, but I would also enjoy it any other night of the week as a great place to relax with a beer. read more