Mercato

10/04/2008 Posted by tc3000

Food was excellent, but the hostess and manager were terrible. Very unaccommodating, especially for a large party. We had a party of 6 and they sat us at a cramped table and refused to give us a larger table, even though one was available. Perhaps better for a party of two

09/27/2008 Posted by jah40

I have been to Mercato numerous times since it opened 3 or so years ago and have always enjoyed the food. The kitchen and servers are always consistently on point and I have never had a bad meal there. I never add extra salt to my food when I am out, and therefore do not consider myself a salt-lover. That being said I have always found the food at Mercato to be perfectly seasoned. Additionally, if I were to ever find something at a restaurant that I less than enjoyed eating, I would not hesitate to send it back to the kitchen and ask for the staff to make any necessary changes. I have never been to Mercato during restaurant week, but can honestly say that visiting the restaurant during the week, when one can avoid a wait, has always been a positive experience for me and my family. I would be happy to recommend Mercato to anyone I know and strongly suggest trying the short rib ragu; it's one of my favorites!

Pros: food and service

Cons: weekend wait

09/18/2008 Posted by smb123

I ate there last night for philadelphia restaurant week. It was my first experience and I have heard great things. I was completely disappointed. It began with my appetizer - the artichokes....WAY to salty! My entree was the short rib ragu..again WAY to much salt, salt, salt. I suppose the chef enjoys salt and is a shareholder of Morton's. I would not go back sad to say!

Pros: BYO

Cons: the salty food!

0 out of 2 people found this review helpful

07/23/2008 Posted by PC126

This place is VERY small but the food is great and so is the service. I went here during restaurant week a few months back. You definitely need a reservation and the tables are kind of on top of eachother- which was a little annoying. They had to move a table aside so I could actually get in my seat. But it's worth putting up with the tight space for the food. There was an overly loud group in the restaurant that I really could have done without because there is no need to scream in a restaurant, no matter how many people are in your group. And it's a BYOB- another plus!

Pros: Food, BYOB

Cons: small

05/20/2008 Posted by bradleyknish

We went to this fine BYOB last night for a celebratory event. The restaurant is fairly small and fills up quickly, but it seemed to create stress for the hostess. There was a beleagured-looking manager who appeared frustrated with the staff at a few occasions throughout the night but was quick to apologize for the small infractions (we had to wait to sit even though two tables were open and could have sat our party, though we had a reservation). But there was a few loud bangs and crashes from the kitchen throughout the night and the manager almost suffered a bad fall on spilt water or liquid of some kind. But the food was truly top-notch. The special that night was Mahi-Mahi, and it was excellent. The striped bass was also delicious, with a crispy skin and with mushrooms on the side in a wine reduction sauce. When you go, at least one person in your party MUST order the scallops - succulent and tasty. One of our party ordered the rib-eye steak, and while he said it was delicious, it came out looking like a big ugly slab of meat. Of course, that's really all it is, but the size of the cut was very large. Good for getting your money's worth ($28.00) but it had a bit of eating-competition look to it. There's only so much red meat one can chew on while there are other more delicate meals being shared on the table. I heard the server tell another table that their menu had recently changed slightly, and the filet had been taken off. That would have made a more suitable substitute and blended in more with the menu's other offerings. The deserts are fantastic! The tart was excellent, and by far the favorite of our party. Cheesecake was sublime, the cookie crust and drizzled sryup on the plate was excellent. The molten chocolate cake was good, but sadly could not live up to the awesome description of it on the menu, nor could it live up to the other deserts. Definitely worth going to!

Pros: unique menu, delicious food, awesome deserts

Cons: noisy, decor not as interesting and unique as the food

05/10/2008 Posted by KathyPhilly

Mercato is the best place to go for a group of 4 or less. We always have a great meal and the menu changes a bit seasonally so that we can always try something new. Try the basil olive oil, the cheese plate and the pumpkin pasta in the fall/winter. Short rib ragu is awesome. All of the fish is extremely fresh...strongly recommend the crispy skin striped bass...so good!!! Very small, very hard to get in at peak dinner time...but worth the wait (while grabbing a drink or two) across the street at newly-expanded Valanni.

Pros: Amazing food, fantastic staff

Cons: Long wait, crowded

05/09/2008 Posted by marisadz

I dined here with 5 other people. We arrived at their opening on a Friday night and were promptly seated (they only take reservations up to a certain time). I'm glad we decided to dine pretty early because the place filled up very quickly. The prix fixe is a great deal if you're hungry and you're a first-timer - I highly recommend it since you get the run of their menu and basically get 4 courses for the price of 2. You can even order their specials for a little additional charge when you choose the prix fixe menu. The service was attentive and polite. The food was phenomenal. Everyone in my party enjoyed their meals - everyone left happy.

Pros: Delicious food, great prix fixe deal

Cons: Gets packed quickly - show up early or be willing to wait

04/08/2008 Posted by fishdecoyldy

Well run, great service and wounderful food. You could hardly do better for a BYOB in Philadelphia. Make sure you try the antipasto which is one of the best in the city (just make sure you share as it is huge). We have eaten here several times and never had anything we didn't like.

Pros: As with most restaurants, it gets loud at night

Cons: Great service, lovely presentation

02/17/2008 Posted by wolfgangc

I dined here for the first time a few weeks ago, and went w/ several girlfriends. I would not suggest Mercato as a romantic dinner setting, but it's a great place to dine with either friends or for a more relaxed atmosphere if it's a date night. The food is excellent, and so is the service. They offer an variety of salads, they are all delicious. I found the Olive Oil menu to be unique. You can order off of aseparate list, with over 20 olive oil offerings. It comes in a shot class and bread for dipping. It was so good that we ordered a full bottle of our selection to take home. The dinner was equally impressive - I had a fresh pasta dish w/ duck and pumpkin/squash - yummy!!! It was a fun atmosphere, with great food, I will definitely be back!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful

01/18/2008 Posted by knwmn

I have put Mercato's on my repeat list. From the appetizer to the dessert this place belongs on the A list. Enjoy!