Merlins Rest Pub

The food is delicious and the portions are well sized. The prices are reasonable. If you get the Brussel sprouts, makes sure to get the bacon, it's worth it. The restaurant is clean with a relaxed fun atmosphere. The live music on Saturday nights is enjoyable and the acts are usually very talented. The service is very good with the right amount of attention without hovering. Parking along Lake Street can be tight, but there is always plenty of parking on the side streets.

Great British pub close to downtown Minneapolis! Stopped by on a Friday night with a group of five. We were seated immediately on the bar side. The drink menu features plenty of draft beers, from England, Ireland, and local breweries, as well as cans and bottles. Huge selection of Irish whiskeys and Scotch. Service was slow but our server, the younger gentleman with long hair, was excellent! Our group tried the Scotch Egg warm, Fish & Chips, Irish Stew, Celtic Knots, and the housemade Crisps. Everything was pretty good. I especially enjoyed the Irish Stew though I wish it had come with some sort of bread or roll. Portions might seem smaller a great thing in my opinion compared to some American pubs but they are definitely filling. Draft beers are available in a half pint which is a dream for "lightweight" beer lovers. Recommend for an authentic pub experience; if I lived closer this would definitely be a regular stop!

I visited Merlin’s rest pub on a Tuesday evening. It was quick to get seated and service was really fast even though the server and bartender kept apologizing for being slow, it was faster than a typical restaurant. I had the fish sandwich and would definitely recommend it. It was good fresh and also good as leftovers the next day. I look forward to visiting again.

Fun local pub, we went for the annual Halloween party with live music performers. They have non alcoholic NA Guinness now, too. Yes! Trivia nights in Weds

We met friends here for dinner and trivia. I had the Highlander burger, which I really enjoyed, but pretty much could not put down once I started eating it. I got the tots, which were tasty. My wife had the small fish and chips, which she thought was just so-so. Both the fish and the fries were wet from condensation in the paper they were served in. She ate the fish, but barely touched the fries. The trivia was really fun, and the drinks were tasty. We would go back and try different food next time. Updating review - Really appreciate the response from the owner about the English vs Yankee fish and chips. This was something we did not know, and don't feel we can ding them for something that came as intended.

Merlin's is a place I enjoy returning to again and again because they are simply a stellar local pub. No doubt that they've got regulars of all backgrounds... why? I think it's because people value unpretentious establishments and places that make patrons feel like they're as important to the atmosphere as the staff are. This place is a genuine delight...love ordering a Johnny Jump-Up with fish & chips! : It has a welcoming atmosphere and when the live music is playing, you can still have a conversation with your friends. Will be moving away from Minnesota soon but whenever I visit town, I know that Merlin's will be the place I go to for Irish music, meeting with others who love Fandom Doctor Who and other interests... love it!

The good: Brussels sprouts! Fantastic. Fried fish was pretty good too. Also the scotch list but... The medium: ... they were out of the first four or five scotches we asked for. Other than the sprouts the rest of the food we tried was pretty flavorless. The bad: Service was truly bad. Our party of four was there for a little over an hour. Our server took our drink order after about 15 minutes, and our drinks came out about 10 minutes after that. That was the last we saw of him, so we sat there with empty glasses for the rest of the time and finally just went to pay our check at the bar before leaving.

I do not normally do reviews and I definitely try never to do a negative review. However, I think the owner needs to know what their staff is like. We arrived around 5pm and the place was practically empty. No big deal we grabbed a table and sat down. We were so excited for the experience based off reviews and the fact they had a huge selection of Scotch and Irish Whiskey. We sat for 40 minutes and all we received was water even though we placed a drink order shortly after arrival. It was another hour before anyone even stopped by the table. We decided to order food. It was awful food. No flavor at all but burned meat on the steak sandwich, Mac and cheese with chicken was absolutely mushy and runny, meat and mushroom pie also burnt. We have had fish and chips in England and those were not it at all. Besides being ignored we were yelled at by the server when we corrected an order. She loudly proclaimed to those in the restaurant they were understaffed and everyone needed to be more understanding. We watched 3 tables not get anything but water for an hour or more. I would much rather had been greeted with a sign on the door that due to staffing they were not open then be treated the way we were. Not the Christmas present I had hoped for my husband and fun experience for my family.

A wonderful homage to all things British Isles, though still forward-looking in their menu. For example, some pub staples have vegetarian options. I can recommend the crunchy, savory Pot O' Gold chickpeas. It can also be a good spot if you want to talk without the competition of TVs exception is Premier League Saturdays. And yes, there is a whiskey bible, covering about a hundred versions from Ireland and the rest of the world. It's not leather-bound as I remember but still a great way to explore tastes and find rarities. Scotch requires a separate volume. Would that be the Old or New Testament?

Turns out, Tuesdays are Trivia Nights here. Ye Olde Trivia Master kindly let us play, though we missed the first half of the game. AVOID Trivia Night if you do not like articulate bellowing. It is a very wonderfully decorated Pub. They had a great beverage menu and a wonderful selection of British food. Obviously, I was in it for the Scotch Eggs, which they offered with or without blood pudding, and cold or hot. May consider trying to blood pudding ones next time! I didn't get many great photos because I was super inebriated, super quickly. Had a wonderful server who served me Summer Sangria wonderfully. Scotch Eggs. A+. Would love to go again and eat more.