Merlins Rest

Visited on Friday, December 19th

Erin's Review
This past month has pretty much been a blur. Due to a number of different factors, we haven't been out to eat to one of the places on our list for almost a month. We did try last Friday - and we now know that Blue Door Pub is not a place to go at 7pm on a Friday night with no reservation with 6 people. Or with 2 people, apparently. We'll have to go back and try that place on weeknight. We headed over to Merlins Rest after trying Blue Door Pub again and easily got a table there.

Merlins Rest is a "British Isles and Irish Pub". I pretty much always like these type of places, and I wasn't disappointed - it was exactly what I was expecting. The surcharges for fries and live music are a little off putting - Ben gets into that more below. I ordered a Strongbow and fish and chips, British style. The Strongbow was the same as it is everywhere - and I think $5.75 is a little steep but nothing outrageous.

The fish and chips came out very quickly (probably less than 10-15 minutes from when we ordered). This wasn't that weird as it doesn't take that long to cook this dish, but Ben's should have taken much longer and came out right away as well. I thought the fish was perfect - greasy and salty, just like I remember eating when I spent a semester in London. The fries were just ok - not sure if they hand cut them here, which I would expect for a $2.75 surcharge when ordering with a sandwich.

I liked the atmosphere at Merlins Rest - it was pleasantly crowded with a little live music going on that wasn't too loud to interfere with conversation. It would be a great place to go with a small group. It was also fairly bright, which is different from most bars and pubs. I would go back if I was having a fish and chips craving. Other than that, probably not - but I can see why fans of scotch would love this place.

Ben's Review
I was sick all last week with a flu-like cold (I got MY flu shot this year, did you??) and Erin was getting sad that we couldn't go out to eat at all. By Friday I felt good enough to venture back out and eat something other than toast with butter, washed down with water. We wanted to try Blue Door Pub after getting shut out last Friday night when our group of six had issues finding a place that could take us without a long wait. I hadn't realized how small BDP was at the time. On this night it was nearing 7 o'clock again so I suggested we have a backup in case BDP was again full up. This turned out to be a good plan because BDP was indeed full again with people already standing, waiting for a table, so we headed to our backup, Merlins Rest on E. Lake St.

If you look at the Google Maps pictures of Merlins Rest, it looks like a place that would sell fireworks off of 94 once you cross into Wisconsin - a huge white sign with huge, simple block letters. I had read on their website that they had an Irishman decorate the interior of the restaurant, but clearly the same TLC hadn't been applied outside. Nevertheless, we headed over knowing what to look for, of course I nearly blew right by the place because since Google came around they have replaced their sign with a more "Irish pub looking" sign that says "Merlins Rest" in the appropriate script.

It wasn't apparent if we should wait to be seated when we got in, but I suppose the absence of a sign means you can seat yourself, so we grabbed a tall table on the left side of the bar. On the right side there were several of those circular booths that I like - it'd be fun to come with a bigger group and grab one of those.

Being that I was just getting over being sick, I knew I wasn't going to have a drink, although the scotch list is tempting. The scotch menu is an entirely separate menu that you can get on request. The list is impressive, and they include the 'wench' ratings for each scotch on the list. I had never heard of a 'wench' rating for a scotch, so I just assumed that was how people rated scotchs. As I'm searching google now, though, I can find NO mention of a 'wench' rating or a 'wench' scale for scotch, so maybe the people at Merlins Rest just like saying 'wench' (who doesn't?).

Anyways, I was sticking to water, but I'll be back for the scotch. As for food, I was a little shocked at the $2.75 surcharge to have fries with your burger instead of chips. That seemed a little excessive so I looked for something other than a sandwich to order. I read the description of "Ol' Grandmas Cottage Pie" and I was sold. A layer of ground beef with carrots and parsnips, covered with garlic mashed potatoes, covered with cheese. Yes. That is what I needed getting over a cold.

Our food came out much faster than I expected, which makes me think they didn't actually MAKE the food. In spite of this my food was pretty damn good, although instead of carrots and parsnips (which I was actually looking forward to) it was just ground beef with red peppers? Further evidence that it's not cooked on site. The portion was also huge, I just had the rest of my meal for lunch today as it lent itself nicely to reheating.

• Service: Our server was around to check on us at perfect intervals and was not overbearing.
  
• Food: The food was good, but I am suspicious that it is just frozen meals heated up.
  
• Drinks: Top notch scotch list, full bar, and typical pub beer list.
  
• Ambiance: It was nearly full when we arrived, there were only a couple tables open and the place had a good volume. Some live music started while we were there, but it was almost background noise, not loud at all.
  
• Price: The prices were interesting. The base prices seemed reasonable but the $2.75 for fries was a bit much, and there was also a notice that prices "may increase $0.50 to $1.00 during live music." That seemed a little vague and annoying. If I go back for scotch, I probably won't eat.
  
• Convenience: Merlins Rest is right on Lake St. with plenty of on-street parking available.

Deets
Merlins Rest
3601 East Lake
Minneapolis

The Local

Visited approximately 50 or so times since January 2004

Erin's Review
You may think I am exaggerating in the "50 or so times" above, but as a 20-something working in downtown since 2004, with the Local a mere 2 blocks away from my former workplace, and 6 blocks from my current one, I have been there quite a bit. I used to work in advertising, where someone was quitting pretty much every other week. The Local was the go-to place for "going away" happy hours. Since leaving advertising, I haven't gone to The Local quite as much, but I still enjoy it.

I say that with a huge caveat. I enjoy The Local IF I can find a place to rest my weary bones. I do not mind standing at a bar if there is at least a little place to stand in and not have to move every 2 seconds because you are in the middle of a walkway, or if there is not even a place to put down your beverage. The Local is awesome if you can snag a table. If not, might as well just leave, unless you enjoy being shoved by throngs of people.

The crowd at The Local on Thursday and Fridays from 4:30-7pm is mostly 20-something downtown workers, probably most of them from Target because the headquarters office is right across the street. I think everyone is on the whole pretty friendly here. People know that it is a crowded bar, so you don't get too many people that are all pissy because you have to walk through their group to get to the bathrooms.

I think The Local is a beautiful bar, especially since they remodeled half of it 2 years ago. I love the wood and the windows and the colors of the walls. The outside patio is great too. The only gripe I have with it is that it can get loud being on Nicollet with the buses going by every few minutes. Other than that, it is great. I noticed that this year they have a different configuration to their outdoor tables so that more people can fit there. Great idea on their part.

The food at The Local is kind of meh. It's pretty expensive for what you get. Happy Hour is the only time where I think the food is priced at an acceptable level. The Wee Burgers (5 normal sized burgers) for $5.99 are the best deal. I really like their artichoke dip too, and they give you extra flatbread if you ask.

They used to have a lunch deal - a sandwich, side, drink, tax, and tip for $9.99. I am unsure of if they still have that - I know Kieran's does and they are owned by the same company so I would think the Local still does too. This is a great deal for lunch, that would be made even greater if they still had their club sandwich on the menu. For some inexplicable reason, when they changed the menu 2 years ago, they took off the club sandwich. In my mind, a club sandwich is an essential item at any bar. So that annoyed me and soured me on The Local for a few months.

I shouldn't end my review on that bad note, because really, The Local is one of my favorite downtown happy hour spots. It has a nice atmosphere, a good selection of drinks, and fairly affordable food during happy hour. I know a lot of people like The Local better in the summer with the patio, but I think sitting on the patio has you missing out on the beauty of the inside of The Local. The only reason I like it better in the summer is because it is less crowded inside. I think it is the perfect place to go on a freezing winter day to get some comfort food and a drink.

Ben's Review
Erin and I both work downtown, so we end up going to the Local for happy hour occasionally, its a popular place especially in the warmer months when you can sit outside onNicollet Mall.

The Local is a pretty big place with a really cool Irish decor inside. They pride themselves for serving more Jameson than any other bar (in the city? in the world? I don't know). Behind the bar are dozens of bottles of Jameson to illustrate this point. There is plenty of dark wood trim all around with several semi-private nooks placed throughout the lower level. There is also a smaller upper level that has a couple pool tables, dart boards, and some couches.

Our service at the Local has always been great, I can't even think of a time where I was annoyed at a bartender or a server. The last time we went, which was a couple weeks ago, we had a really cool server who didn't have a problem showing a little attitude. When I asked her opinion on what drink to get, she just kind of looked at me, shrugged, and said "I don't know, what do you want?" as if she was annoyed. Right after I said it I realized it WAS a dumb question, how the hell would she know what I wanted to drink :)

As far as food and drink go, the Local is pretty good. Their taps are "ok" from my perspective, they don't really have a hoppy beer as I recall, but they do have Summit EPA on tap, which suits me just fine. They have a great selection of scotches to choose from, and they are home of the 'big ginger' - a mixture of Jameson (of course) with Sprite and ginger ale (I think that's it). But one of the greatest things about the bar, is that the glasses they serve beer in are huge. They are shaped like a pint glass, but probably hold closer to twenty ounces of beer. The prices may seem a little steep (~$5 for a beer), but it's not all that bad.

(Erin's drink. Not Ben's. Ben would not drink Cider)

We've eaten at the Local a couple times, and even went there for Valentine's Day one year when Erin had to work late. The happy hour deals on the food are pretty good, you can get five little burgers for about $5 and they have other deals too. The food is pretty standard pub fare - burgers, fish and chips, fish sandwiches etc. and the prices are reasonable for a downtown restaurant.

The one negative thing that I'll say about the Local is that it gets pretty f-ing busy there during happy hour on Thursdays and Fridays. If you get there at 5 and expect to get a table, good luck, cause it's probably not gonna happen. If you can get there early enough to secure one of the little nooks, you're home free, but you have to get there early :)

• Service: Service is great, the servers know how to handle a crowd and are friendly.
  
• Food: Good pub food, good deals during happy hour.
  
• Drinks: The taps are so-so in my opinion, but there's something for everyone. Great scotch selection and full bar.
  
• Ambiance: I really like pubs, so The Local is right up my alley - unless it's overrun with downtown yuppies (myself included) at happy hour.
  
• Price: Beers are a little expensive, but larger as I mentioned. The food is very reasonably priced, especially during happy hour.
  
• Convenience: Not so convenient. The Local is at 10th and Nicollet, so if you don't have to drive, don't. The bus does go right in front of it, however :)

Deets

The Local
931 Nicollet Mall
Minneapolis

Highly recommended for happy hour.