Delicious raw oysters and excellent wine in a beautiful setting. I couldn't ask for more on our anniversary trip!

What's not to like about this place? Great location overlooking the Rappahannock River. We were fortunate enough to get in at a time when we did not have any wait. Service was quick. We were immediately attended to as soon as we were seated. Rather than order individual plates, we went with full on appetizers: Ceviche, raw oysters, grilled oysters with bacon, crab cake (it was amazing!!) and bread rolls. We enjoyed every dish with the crab cake being my personal favorite. Brandy was our server and she was incredibly nice and attentive. Give this place a try and enjoy your experience! read more

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We stopped by on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Lovely setting and found a shady spot. I ordered the crab cake with a side salad and my husband ordered the fish tacos. It was a nice size crab cake, but I got shell in every bite, not so great considering it was not cheap. My husband got the fish tacos. They were meh, they didn't take the time to soften the cold flour tortillas which detracted from the dish. The service was great, the server kept the cold beer coming. Not worth coming back. read more

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Nice outdoor location right on the water. Decent food and drink selection, but people go there for two main reasons: the oysters and the view, both of which are amazing. It is a bit off the beaten path, but well worth the trip. read more

Food was very good- the seafood roll was great. The place has character! Good draught beer selection. Oysters were overpriced and service was slow however But would go back again! read more

If you're looking for a date night location, look no further. The setting is idillic. The service is great and lightening fast. The oysters and drinks were on point. The food was okay... missing a few finishing touches like the toasting of the pita for the dip, warming up the tortillas for the fish tacos, and no bread for the clams dip. Overall a good experience but if your girl is picky... maybe save it for a week night instead of a big occasion. read more

Food was amazing. Very delicious. 5 star chef skills on taste and visuals. Staff very friendly

Loved the boat to table vibe of this restaurant. The oysters were super fresh and we tried a dozen steamed and a dozen raw. The angels on horseback were very good as were the bbq oysters. The special was tilefish and it was seasoned very well. I bet this is a real gem in the summer when one can sit outside and enjoy the view. read more

Merroir - Tilefish and slaw - Seafood Near Me - Topping, Virginia

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Hard to argue with fresh seafood right on the water. A cute spot. I'd like to see a better beer list to pair with all the food. read more

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The location and service were amazing. Staff was friendly and attentive. Location being on the water is always a win. We ordered ceviche, oysters, and crab soup. The ceviche and soup needed more flavor, they both tasted bland. read more

I can't come up with a good tagline..... But I digress. Found this place because I was looking for local oysters and found that the Rappahanock Oyster company was the closest to where we were staying, so when I started wondering how I could pick them up I found that they sell through this little restaurant right the across from the farm. So while we were looking for oysters we found that besides oysters this place offers amazing views right on the water and also some great food though simple it was very very very good. Oyster Chowder in my humble opinion is to die for that is all besides the other varieties of oyster dishes that the place sells. read more

best service for a restaurant and the food is amazing. nice people as well and the view is the best read more

Been coming here for years but for the life of me cant understand why there is no wait service. Waited in line for 20 minutes and left. Will not come back until they fully open. For the price, (no) service and eating on paper plates, not worth it at all. read more

Merroir - Seafood Near Me - Topping, Virginia

Great oysters. Get a dozen. Don't think about 1/2 dozen. You'll want more than 6. The crab soup is good but note--- it is red pepper soup w some crab on top as a small accent. The oyster muffin was ok. Kinda wet n gooey inside. Needed to be cooked a bit more. Outdoor seating was plentiful and lovely view! read more

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Food is outstanding and creative...a bit pricey. Great atmosphere as it is right on the water.

Oysters come straight out of the water 200 feet from your table. The food is fresh and tasty. Service was great.

Terrible experience. My husband and I went to Merrior on June 15th for dinner to celebrate my 57th birthday. We ordered 2 unsweetened teas, burrata as an appetizer to share and two orders of 1-lb of peel and eat shrimp. After I drank my ice tea, the waitress lets me know they don't have anymore ice tea and offers drinks I don't consume (e.g., soda, lemonade, and sparkling water). She does not deduct our ice teas from the bill despite not being able to provide any refill. We then get the barrata with no cheese, just toasted bread and chopped tomatoes without discernable herbs. We thought this was odd. The shrimp was fine, but no better than what we had for significantly less at Hole in the Wall on Gwynn's Island the next day. The bill at Merrior was over $100 and not worth the expense. We can not recommend this place. There are many other restaurants in the Northern Neck area with better food for a much better price. This is a shame since we had been here a year ago and liked it. read more

The Location is fantastic. Not sure I like how they are handling the COVID situation . They have eliminated the wait staff. The menu is a dumbed down version of the original. Every thing is plastic and you have get back in line to order another beer . With the changes you now order and pay when you check in. Then you have to find your own seat. So while the food is still great, the service has dropped and the prices have remained on the upper end. As you can see by my posted pictures they can give a rats ass about social distancing when you have one salt and pepper shaker for 50 people . OVERPRICED AND a Mediocre menu . read more

Merroir - Social distancing with one set of salt and pepper and one hot sauce - Seafood Near Me - Topping, Virginia

We had an excellent dinner of raw oysters. The Raps and Old Salts where very very fresh. We also had the oyster chowder and red pepper soup. Both very good though I preferred the chowder. The red pepper soup was on the thin side for me. read more

Merroir - Water and Beer - Seafood Near Me - Topping, Virginia

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Best oysters I've ever had, and that's saying something. Good service and world class view.

This place is adorable location wise, I wasn't too impressed by the menu, there weren't too many options

Delicious oysters, beautiful view, wonderful service. We had such a wonderful time the first night, we went back the very next night!

Dear Merroir, Writing this review pains me because this used to be my favorite place. A place we frequented monthly and encouraged others to drive an hour to visit - "it's worth it!" I'd tell them. Unfortunately, Merroir has been slipping since some time in 2019. Since then I kept coming back, less and less frequently, in denial that my favorite spot was slipping, and making excuses for you (bad day, COVID, hard times!) But I recently paid Merroir a final visit, on a beautiful day - I came with the lowest of low expectations and yet still managed to leave extremely disappointed. Now, not only would I not recommend Merroir, but I'd go out of my way to tell you NOT to go here, because I know you will leave disappointed too. I speak for everyone when I say PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE address the following: 1. Invest in a pager or texting system for food orders. Every other small business has so no excuses. And you charge premium prices for everything double the no excuses. It's unacceptable to have an outdoor space as large as yours and require one person in each party to have to stand at the counter and wait a half hour for food while the rest of their party sits without them and has their drink and waits. I've see your post asking people to be patient because you're understaffed, but so is everyone else. Get a pager or texting system. Your employees hate hollering people's names over and over as much as your customers hate hearing it. 2. On that same note, have a separate line for drinks. The amount of money you're leaving on the table because you can't order a 2nd drink without waiting in the half-hour+ line again is wild. Also, some people like to just stop by to have a drink or two and enjoy the view, but with that long food line, that's not an option. 3. Bring back your metal oyster trays. Carrying a dozen oysters on those flimsy disposable plates across your lawn while the ice water spills into the oysters and the oyster juice spills out of the shells is unacceptable. Oysters ARE YOUR BRAND. And we know COVID doesn't spread on trays. 4. The food quality has gone down, way down. Despite everything above, Merroir could maaaaaaybe redeem itself with the view and the food. But on this most recent visit we ordered: the steamed clams in a miso mushroom broth, the fresh fish of the day which was rockfish, and a burger. The clams and broth came in a paper fry basket. The broth had zero flavor. There were a few rehydrated dried mushrooms and a couple pieces of seafood, but not even a hint of flavor of anything that resembles a broth. It was water. The local rockfish was overcooked - a true tragedy. And the burger came with no condiments on or with it - no ketchup, no mayo, no mustard, no aioli, not a sauce in sight. An dry, dry $12 burger. We even braved skipping the half hour line and heading to the counter to ask for ketchup and the worker was annoyed we asked. Shame. 5. The service has gone down, way down. Despite how awful everything was, I was shocked at how patient and polite all of the customers were waiting in line. Everyone was happy to be by the water on a beautiful day and many had high hopes for the exceptional experience they thought they were about to have (based on the high praise Merroir has received in its glory days pre-2019.) Even though the customers were kind, the cashier was not. The woman working the order line on this day was rude and was not happy to be here. The 4-person group in front of me ordered $250 worth of food and drinks. They were then handed their drinks: a couple beers, a wine, and a water bottle. The gentlemen said to the cashier very kindly "hi there, we are waiting for 1 more water bottle please. We ordered 2." The cashier looks at her order iPad and says "I only rang up one." And then proceeded to ring them up for $2 and wait for them to get out their credit card pay for the water bottle! Are you kidding me?! In ANY OTHER establishment, especially one with a long, half hour+ line waiting behind them, they would have handed them them a water bottle and sent them on their way. Keep in mind this was the CASHIER'S MISTAKE too! This was egregious. It was a water bottle that was not rung up, not a $20 glass of champagne. Unacceptable. I have never left a public bad review of any place. I support local businesses, and I know the hard work involved in running a business. However, I've seen Merroir's postings making excuses when the issues above basically make it appear like someone at the top is lazy and/or has stopping caring about managing Merroir. The problems are are fixable. Again, I speak for everyone when I say, please please please fix them. Make Merroir a gem again. It's not me, it's you. This is a hard break up, but until you change and better yourself, I cannot be with you. Love, Your used-to-be-biggest fan read more

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I've been to Merroir many times over the past couple of years, and sometimes the experience is 5-star and other times it's 3-star. It's definitely the best restaurant in the area, and I totally recommend it - keeping a few things in mind! -If you come during a busy time (which in the summer is essentially all day, every day) be prepared to wait. You will most likely have to wait to be seated, again for service, and again for your food. They don't usually give you a heads up if something is going to take a long time, so just make sure you plan for a three hour lunch. -Bees. If you're sitting outside, there will be bugs - the last time we went in early October, there were bees EVERYWHERE. It was extremely unpleasant and I won't sit outside during that time of year again. The good: -Food is incredible. Best oysters ever, whether you like them raw, roasted, baked, covered in a bbq bourbon chipotle sauce - they're all amazing. And DO NOT MISS the stuffin muffins!! -The location is absolutely beautiful. Sitting outside at Merroir on a nice day with a glass of rose and a dozen oysters cannot be beat! read more

Merroir - Seafood Near Me - Topping, Virginia

Drove from Richmond... 1 hour, 15 minutes. The good: fabulous location overlooking the Rappahannock River! The bad: the food. The bread plate ($8) was 4 pieces of a miniature baguette (about 2") and 6 small triangles of pita bread. Butter could have been better. Oysters are farm raised and don't have the flavor of wild ones. Salad so-so. My fish tacos left a lot to be desired. Mahi-mahi tasted old. Only accouterment was slaw and "orange" sauce. They weren't even tacos... they used burritos. Really expected better based on my experiences at their Richmond location. read more

Wanted to like this place more since I'm from Richmond and we have their Rappahannock Restaurant here. I've enjoyed their Richmond Restaurant however their flagship Merroir Tasting Room left me wanting. Went on a hot day so opted for indoor bar seating. Indoor bar is pretty basic but what you would expect for a small local oyster house. The flies were annoying but I was willing to deal with it since we were indoors in the AC until one landed in my wine. My Husband graciously switched out glasses for me. We had an obligatory dozen of oysters since we were at an oyster house. I actually preferred the old salts (briny) to the rappahanocks (mellow) but enjoyed them equally with the mignonette (really really good mignonette). The ceviche was not really ceviche.... It was more of a chilled seafood mix (tasted like it was steamed before being chilled) with a citrus vinaigrette. The Crab Cake was very good - the best item we had off the menu. Note the menu is pretty limited and the dishes are not as elevated as their Rappahannock Restaurant. Overall worth a stop to view the water and grab a drink with some fresh oysters but look elsewhere for a full dining experience. read more

Merroir - Half Old Salts and Half Rappahannocks - Seafood Near Me - Topping, Virginia

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All 4 of us in our party RAVED about our entrees. The crab cakes were some of the best

I'd seen this place on the 'gram the day before we stopped here. My friend and I hang out Thursdays and when he didn't have any ideas for what to do I convinced him we needed to drive to Merroir. What a darling restaurant located on the water! You'll find it at the end of a long country road. We decided to sit outside even if it was hot and since we could sit wherever we picked a spot semi in the shade at a picnic table. Vicki was our server and she was lovely! We both ordered a beer and asked if we could walk around with it, they said yes! They have a cute little boat called Ruby next to the restaurant that they use as a bar during busy days so guests can wait for their tables in the restaurant there. Even if it wasn't open it made for a nice photo opportunity and I love the idea of a boat bar! Merroir serves small plates, we discovered. If you are with a group this might be perfect for you. You can all share! I ordered the crab cake which I think was 15 dollars and my friend ordered Mahi. They were small portions- more like snacks. They were delicious though. Next time I'll try some oysters! Since I was still hungry I ordered a s'mores donut for dessert. I think our bill ended up surprising us by being pretty pricey for what we got. I enjoyed Merroir but it wasn't inexpensive. The other thing I will mention is that the beer needs to be served in frosted glasses or chilled for longer. Other than that, it's a nice restaurant, great service from Vicki, and a killer view. read more

Not sure if they are having issues after reopening from COVID, so I'll give the benefit of the doubt, but you pay for the view and location and unfortunately, tiny portions for a ridiculous price. The staff were helpful and friendly but the food...YIKES. Had the red pepper soup which should have been delicious, was incredibly bland and just tasted odd. Couldn't tell what seasoning was even in it. And then there were the clams. Rosemary steamed clams were uneventful. No flavor at all. I'm going to give them another shot because it is a nice venue and The oysters did look good. read more

Merroir - Seafood Near Me - Topping, Virginia

Fabulous setting, delicious food! Such a treat if you are going to sit down and eat. If you are going to just pick up oysters to go it's a bit confusing who to ask. Would appreciate some direction for pick up orders! read more

Food is disappointing, except for the raw oysters. size of the chilled shrimp is small, no condiments are offered, no tarter sauce, have to ask for lemons. Bread is $8 for 4 pieces of baguette and a piece of nann cut into triangles. Crab cake was large but not all that good. Fish special could have been good but was way over cooked and dry. Sides for the cooked specials were substitutions from what was offered. View is amazing. Good service. read more

Merroir was highly recommended to me three times within a two week period, making it a priority to visit. The recommendations were given in the winter, but I waited until Spring to check it out since the biggest appeal to me (aside from the oysters) was the outside dining experience. I had a feeling the place would be packed on one of the first really nice days of the season and I was right. Pro Tip: get there early! I arrived a little before noon and the people were steadily rolling in until I left. The parking lot isn't huge; during the summer, it looks like that might be an issue. If you love seafood, especially oysters - this is a great day trip. Sit outside and enjoy the river. The wine prices were reasonable and the pours extra generous. Raw oysters were $1.50/ea or a dozen for $15. They were offering three raw varieties - all fresh and delicious. I also had the BBQ Bourbon Chipotle Grilled Oysters. I probably wouldn't have ordered that without the insistence of my dining mate, but definitely glad I did because they turned out to be the highlight of the meal! The Stuffin Muffin was also a favorite since comfort food and carbs are my life force. Moving on to entrees: I ordered the grilled fish of the day, which I didn't love. My bf liked it though and ended up eating most of it. No complaints from me, since that gave me opportunity to put down half of his seafood pasta. That pasta was amazing - and once again, very reasonably priced. Service was okay. Our server didn't start off warm and friendly and seemed eager to run off immediately every time she stopped by. We had to ask for water, while every other table (different servers) received water as soon as they sat down. By the end of the visit, and with lots of coaxing and prompting from both of us, she seemed to open up a bit. I'll definitely go back for the extremely reasonable prices, awesome raw selection and killer atmosphere. read more

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We just discovered this place and we are so glad we did! They haven't reopened indoor dining yet after COVID, so keep in mind the weather because you'll be sitting outside. We were blessed with a beautiful day. The view is lovely with lots of open air seating at picnic tables and metal cafe tables. The oysters were fresh and tasty. We also had tuna tartare, red pepper soup, a burger, and beers. All yummy, but definitely a little pricey. You order and pay at a window and they call out your name when it's ready, so if you're shooting for formal, upper crusty ambience and full service wait staff, take a pass. If you're looking for a casual dining experience with great food and drinks al fresco on a pretty stretch of river, this is for you. We will be back for sure! read more

Merroir - Oysters and craft beers under the pergola with a nice view of the Rappahannock River. - Seafood Near Me - Topping, Virginia

After seeing reviews on television I drove 2 1/2 hours to see what all the fuss about these oysters were. Well oysters quite honestly I would write them a six out of 10. Service to atmosphere the location definitely 10. The staff or incredible the line went quickly and everybody was very helpful as far as the steam shrimp and tacos they are Tens . I will return I just will not get the oysters next time. read more

Merroir - Seafood Near Me - Topping, Virginia

We love oysters so we decided to dive here as a mini road trip. We got there and loved the setting with the water right in front and a marina where they pull fresh oysters. The place was pretty packed around 1pm on a Sunday. We got our table and they immediately took our drink orders. The menu didn't have much offerings but we got a few dozen oysters which is what we came there for. The oysters were delicious and so fresh, we probably ordered about 5 dozen. We also ordered the seafood roll, which was surprisingly filling, glad they didn't skimp on the seafood. It was very good as well. If you love fresh oysters this is a place to visit! read more

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This little restaurant is located on the river where the Rappahannock River meets the Chesapeake Bay. There is lots of outdoor seating and the view is fantastic...until a thunderstorm hits, but that's not their fault! The food is fresh and local. The oysters are top notch and reasonably priced for the area. A fair selection of beers and wines compliments the menu. My favorite dish is the Stuffin Muffin, an oyster stuffing dish that is really tasty although sometimes it is a little under done. The crab cake looked great as did the avocado with tuna salad. The service is extremely friendly and attentive. A good lunch will run about 40 bucks for two. Very solid overall and a place that is worth a return visit. read more

Merroir - Oysters being unloaded next to Merroir. - Seafood Near Me - Topping, Virginia

Hands-down my favorite restaurant. The raw oysters are amazing. I love sitting outside next to the water but there are covered options as well. read more

Amazing view, great food, good beer, and amazing wait staff. Highly recommend for a single looking to decompress or a group to sit and socialize. I had the raw oysters and the special (scallops and asparagus). Both were great and reasonably priced. read more

Merroir - View from outside dining area - Seafood Near Me - Topping, Virginia

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Food was ok....not at lot on the plate. Wine was delicious. The outside seating would be nice in the warmer months.

Great food, fresh always....wonderful spot...out of the way but if you are in the area worth a detour.