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    The Hot Spot

    4.2 (62 reviews)
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    the sign for the hot spot
    Alicia F.

    Best wings in the 209 - yeah, I said it. We are talking fresh, crispy, sAucy, juicy, no frills freaking chicken wangs. Lemon pepper, sweet chili, nash hot...bone in, boneless: however you chicken wing, The Hot Spot is not disappointing. The menu is uncomplicated. You got your wing options, standard sides, and they also offer cheesestakes. Not gonna lie, prices are a lil steep. 10 boneless for $14 dollars, no side or drink but hey, you cannot put price on quality. I usually go for the 6 piece boneless combo for $13 or the buffalo chicken fries for $14. They offer great deals for larger orders, check out their Insta for specials (@thehotspot209). I always made it a point to head to the Tarmac whenever The Hot Spot truck is parked there. Come to find out, they have a whole ass brick and mortar in downtown Merced!!!! Best discovery of 2023. This spot is located between Main Street and I. A good deal of street parking is available. I want to say this downtown location only offers outdoor seating with plenty of shade. These summer temps are brutal so if you don't feel like waiting, be sure to call in your order. Everything is made fresh to order so depending on what you get and how busy they are, there will be a wait. For a small order for myself, I typically wait 12-15 minutes. I heard they just got their liquor license, so I am very excited to pair my wings with a brewkies. Now let's end this 5 star review talking about their 5 star service! My favorite thing about dining local is how passionate business owners and staff are about the product they put out. Everyone here is so friendly, accommodating and are even more of the reason to come back and support.

    Sarah G.

    Had the lemon pepper. Sweet chili, and bbq wings. The boneless sweet chili was good. The bbq good. The lemon pepper no. Ordered a cheese steak sandwich it was very salty and the buns were burnt black too much I had to eat it without the buns, didn't even finish it because too salty. I would stick to just the bbq & sweet chili wings.

    wings! lemmon pepper and buffalo

    BEST WINGS IN TOWN. I've been eating The Hot Spot ever since COVID days when you'd meet up with them in a parking lot and get your wings. They have always been super friendly and the food is always delicious. I crave their wings all the time. Please go eat there! You will not regret it!

    Lemon Pepper and Nashville
    Omega M.

    Hmmm , it's a wing stop . Limited flavors . The wings taste fresh made . I don't think I'll be back . But if you want to eat local owned wings it's ok . The service was friendly. Clean spot .

    Nashville Hot
    Tammi F.

    The best wings in the 209! Hot fresh not greasy at all ! The service is great !my favorite is the Nashville hot !

    6pcs combo
    Leng T.

    First time here, don't know what I was expecting. Satisfied with the service satisfies with the food. This place is more like a drive-in restaurant like a mama pop store.

    Wings
    Lizbeth M.

    So bomb! This place is so yummy, definitely something home cooked! Will definitely be returning.

    Sweet Chili

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    2 years ago

    We only recently discovered this place looking to satisfy our wings cravings. Way better than wing stop. Highly recommend.

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    2 years ago

    Love love love their wings!! Lemon pepper is always spot on. Could not recommend this place enough if you're in town/nearby.

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    3 years ago

    The wings are amazing! The customer service is great too. There isn't any indoor seating, but plenty of tables outside.

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    2 years ago

    Great local place for wings! Tasty seasoning, great service and quick! Definitely recommend!

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    3 years ago

    20/10 customer service. 20/10 food. Lemon-Pepper Smackin, Freshest Wings. Bomb. Don't sleep on ma man

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    Bar B Q Pit

    Bar B Q Pit

    3.4
    (217 reviews)
    0.2 mi
    $$

    Had a great ride from Oakland down here to eat at the Bbq pit…read more Called 2 hours in advance and talked to Nancy. Told here there were 8 of us would be arriving in 2 hours. When we got there, there was a table waiting for us. Same as they did for us last year. Good food, service and price. Thanks Nancy. See you next time

    Second Visit -- Unfortunately My Last…read more This was my second time eating at The BarBQ Pit, and unfortunately it will probably be my last. Whenever I'm working in cities outside my hometown, I try to support local restaurants. Since I'm in Merced several days a week, I wanted to give this place a second try and see if my first experience might have just been an off day. First Visit (about three months ago): The service was excellent. The waitress was attentive, anticipated what I needed, and checked in regularly. I was seated quickly and everything ran smoothly. I ordered the BBQ sampler so I could try a little bit of everything. The waitress mentioned that the meats are smoked daily, which sounded promising. That said, the food itself was fairly average. Nothing was bad, but nothing stood out either. The hot wings were completely middle-of-the-road. For the price point, the food felt mediocre. Second Visit: This visit unfortunately went worse. I was seated quickly again, but it took about 10 minutes before either of the two waitresses came to take my order. One waitress took my drink order, and later another came over to check on me. When I told her I was ready to order, she said the other waitress would come back to take it. That interaction felt a little strange since she was already there but wouldn't take the order herself. I ordered the hot wings again (same as before, just average) and a French Burger because I was curious what it was. It turned out to be a regular burger patty on a French roll with lettuce, tomato, and pickles. Nothing particularly unique about it besides the bread. Unfortunately, that's where the experience went downhill. On two separate sections of the French roll, there was visible mold. At that point I completely lost my appetite and couldn't finish the meal. I don't know if the French rolls don't get used very often or if the bread turnover is slow, but either way this should have been caught before it reached a customer. Moldy bread should never make it out of the kitchen. To be fair, the waitresses themselves were very polite. Service was slower than I expected, but they were friendly. When I was leaving they even offered me a refill and a cup of iced tea to go, which was a thoughtful gesture. Unfortunately, being served moldy food is something I can't overlook. Because of that, I don't think I'll be returning.

    Photos
    Bar B Q Pit
    Merchants plate
    Merchants plate
    Cute store front

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    Cute store front
    Bag O' Crab

    Bag O' Crab

    3.7
    (183 reviews)
    1.4 mi
    Free parking
    Kid friendly

    I had a great experience here with my family. The seafood was really good I ordered shrimp and…read moreclams with potatoes and sausage, and everything came out fast and tasted great. We also ordered two baskets of fries, one Cajun and one lemon pepper, and both were seasoned perfectly. The service was excellent as well. Our server did an amazing job taking care of us and made sure everything came out right. The ambience was fun and welcoming, with a lively but comfortable atmosphere that made it a great place to enjoy a meal with family. Overall, it was a great experience and a nice spot to go to. If you like seafood, I definitely recommend checking this place out.

    Bag O' Crab in Merced is a great place to enjoy a delicious meal with family and friends. The…read morerestaurant is clean, comfortable, and has a welcoming atmosphere. The food is absolutely delicious and packed with flavor. Their seafood boils are a standout, and the Bag O' Crab seasoning is incredibly tasty. One of the best features is that you can customize your meal by choosing your preferred spice level, from mild to extra spicy, so everyone can enjoy it exactly how they like it. Even if seafood isn't your favorite, there are plenty of other dishes to choose from. The menu offers a variety of options, along with a great selection of appetizers and drinks, making it easy for everyone in the family to find something they enjoy. The service is excellent, and the staff are friendly and attentive. Another fun feature is the robot server, which adds a unique and entertaining touch to the dining experience. The restaurant also has large TVs throughout the dining area where you can watch sports, shows, or cartoons, making it a family-friendly environment where everyone can relax and have a good time. If you're looking for flavorful food, great service, and a fun atmosphere, Bag O' Crab in Merced is definitely worth visiting.

    Photos
    Combination 2, shrimp, clam, corn, potato, sausages
    Combination 2, shrimp, clam, corn, potato, sausages
    Combination 3 in garlic butter sauce, Dungeness crab, shrimp, corn, potato, sausage
    Combination 3 in garlic butter sauce, Dungeness crab, shrimp, corn, potato, sausage
    Combo 3

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    Combo 3
    Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen

    Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen

    1.7
    (158 reviews)
    0.2 mi
    $

    After departing Tahoe, I decided to try 99 home back to SoCal…read more Around lunchtime we were in Merced discussing options. I was worried. 1 1/2 stars, undercooked chicken , feathers still in the bird. All kinds of warnings from the yelpers. But the long line in the drive thru made me curious. At the very least it would be a good story for my grandkids, you know?! This location is great, don't believe the haters. My sandwich was fine, my 5 piece combo was fine. Same with my Mac and fry sides. I legit went to flavorville on this visit. I never eat this much, but after swimming and hiking the past 3 days I had a voracious appetite that only Popeyes could satisfy. Loved my blackened ranch dip, loved how strong I felt after. Popeyes Merced, you a real one!

    I went to Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen expecting fresh food for my family, and instead we were served…read morebiscuits with what appeared to be mold growing on them. This was beyond disgusting and honestly unacceptable for any restaurant, especially one serving the public. The biscuits had visible dark gray and green spots underneath and throughout the bread. At first, we thought maybe they were burned, but after looking closer, it was clear something was seriously wrong. No customer should ever have to inspect their food for mold before eating it. This is not just bad customer service. This is a serious health and safety concern. Someone could get extremely sick from consuming spoiled food. The fact that these biscuits were packaged and handed out to customers tells me there was either no quality control or complete negligence happening in that kitchen. I am deeply disappointed and disturbed by this experience. I would strongly encourage management to immediately inspect their food storage, expiration procedures, and kitchen sanitation practices before someone gets hurt. I have included photos because people deserve to see exactly what was served to us. Extremely disappointed. 1 star.

    Photos
    Popeyes Sides
    Popeyes Sides
    Popeyes Strawberry Biscuits
    Popeyes Strawberry Biscuits
    Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen

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    Golden Bowl Chinese Restaurant

    Golden Bowl Chinese Restaurant

    3.9
    (221 reviews)
    1.5 mi
    $$

    We were in town and decided to try something new, and I'm so glad we stopped here! Everything we…read moreordered was absolutely delicious. We had the broccoli beef, orange beef (instead of orange chicken such a great choice!), potstickers, garden fried rice, and plain chow mein. Every single dish had its own distinct flavor nothing tasted the same, which really says a lot about the quality of the food. The orange beef was especially amazing, perfectly cooked and full of flavor. The potstickers were tasty, and the fried rice and chow mein were cooked just right. What really made the experience even better was the service. The sweet little older lady at the front was our server, and she was so kind and attentive. She checked on us to make sure we were doing good and even helped package each plate individually to go, which we really appreciated. Great food, great service, and a very welcoming atmosphere. We will definitely be back and highly recommend this place if you're looking to try something new!

    The best Chinese food in Merced. Also, the only place in Merced that has Moo Shu Pork, one of my…read morefavorites. The chow mein is also incredible. Other favorites are garlic chicken, hot and sour soup, kung pao chicken. Over the years I've tried almost every dish, lots of favorites here. The pricing is appropriate and the portions are generous. We also like that we can order the traditional boxes over styrofoam containers. The service is very quick. I call in our order and it's ready by the time we get there. The ambiance is nice, not fancy. We almost always bring our order home. Try the moo sho pork, it's incredible.

    Photos
    Combo #1 Sweet and Sour Pork, Fried Prawns, Chow Mein
    Combo #1 Sweet and Sour Pork, Fried Prawns, Chow Mein
    Chicken Egg Foo Young
    Chicken Egg Foo Young
    Cream Cheese Wontons

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    Cream Cheese Wontons
    Pizza Villa

    Pizza Villa

    3.6
    (215 reviews)
    1.7 mi
    $$

    I've been eating at Pizza Villa for *decades* dating back to when I lived in Merced, and it remains…read moreTHE BEST PIZZA I've ever had. These days I'll often make a two-hour trip just to get a taste, and I always stop when traveling up and down the 99. The tangy sauce and cornmeal (I think) crust has stood the test of time. It never disappoints -- it's as good today as it has ever been. And the chocolate-chip cookies are gooey goodness. I'm incredibly thankful Seth put himself on the line to keep Pizza Villa open after longtime owner Andy retired. Like many businesses these days, they're struggling to find capable staff, so I try to be understanding of the plight so many establishments have faced over the past few years. Running a restaurant is not easy in normal times, and it's especially difficult in a pandemic. If you're wondering about Pizza Villa's customer service, consider this story from pre-pandemic when they were fully staffed: A few times, they delivered to me on the Amtrak platform when the train was stopped for 10 minutes in Merced on my way up and down the Central Valley corridor. That's a commitment to going the extra mile for longtime customers who appreciate Pizza Villa. Hopefully more customers understand how hard it is to keep a place like Pizza Villa open and come get a pie every time they have a chance to support this Merced institution.

    In response to the owners:…read more EDIT: And to respond to how silly you sound. My husband and I never wanted to own Pizza Villa. He asked the owner about selling the business because he was worried it would change. The truth is, it has changed... sadly for the worse. Just try re-reading the reviews from what it was before to when you purchased it. It's night and day. Pizza Villa was led by a Legend and he wanted to leave a Legacy. Unfortunately all it is now is a shack held up by four walls with folks like yourself and your wife who have zero capacity to truly see how your small minds will leave behind a pile of dust when all is said and done. Seth, the Bible specifically states: Pride comes before the fall. Hopefully you'll have learned a greater lesson here before you guys hit rock bottom with the terrible attitudes and bad mouths you use to turn away the many who have decided to purchase elsewhere. Again, the current reviews don't lie. I'm not the o my one leaving a Real Review. The truth is, I have zero interest in waisting anymore time on your fantasies. You're a child who has a bad temper and when you don't get your way, you throw a tantrum just like my 3 year old. Grow up kid.

    Photos
    Half Pepperoni / Half Jalapeno. . Good but not great, service was the worst . . Mountain Mikes is better Le'Le' !!
    Half Pepperoni / Half Jalapeno. . Good but not great, service was the worst . . Mountain Mikes is better Le'Le' !!
    ARRR!
    ARRR!
    Pizza oven

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    Pizza oven

    The Hot Spot - chicken_wings - Updated June 2026

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