Mert’s Heart & Soul

We went because of the triple d episode, but I have to say it was a disappointment. The good: the fried chicken was tasty (better than the fried wings on the soul sampler), the corn bread was warm and moist and good. However, the shrimp and grits was very bland, the shrimp were not overcooked, but it truly was nothing more than brown gravy on shrimp and grits, no spice or seasoning other than salt and the focaccia bread was not toasted or even warm, like a slice of white bread with some seasoning, also disappointing. The collard greens where smothered in what had to be a bouillon base or something, completely inedible and extremely disappointing for a southern girl who loves collard greens cooked with a ham hock or some salt pork-​you know, the southern way! The soul roll was just weird, everything but the kitchen sink wrapped in egg roll wrapper and deep fried. The salmon cake was more salmon than cake, nice, but also lacked in seasoning– saved by the remoulade that came with it! Perhaps my problem is my southern roots are Georgia by way of Texas and Louisiana, so a little heat and deep flavor temper my taste. This place was southern food with zero flavor or heat.

Cornbread, soul rolls and shrimp creole OH MY! Shrimp Creole rivaled any I have eaten in Louisiana.
All very good. DW had the sampler and a salad; she was quite pleased. Definitely disagree with the negative reviews. We’ll return next time we are in Charlotte.

So I’ve been waiting for forever to eat here because my expectations were high since I saw it on Diners, Dive Ins & Drives… But boy oh boy was I completely disappointed in my meal! We should’ve just went some where else.
This is how it went…
I ordered a sweet tea and we eventually ordered the soul rolls. The sweet tea wasn’t sweet AT ALL and we never ended up getting the soul roll but of course when the bill came it was on there. Yes they removed it. So our entrees came…
My boyfriend ordered the salmon creole with cabbage and a garden salad. The salad was brought out first and literally looked like they just took a small handful of salad straight out the bag and threw it on the plate. The salmon was two THIN piece and he said it didn’t taste fresh at all. The «creole» sauce looked like tomato sauce poured over the fish and was so bland! He wasn’t satisfied at all.
So my meal was the beef ribs with macaroni and cheese and cabbage. I got my tea switched to a lemonade which they say is made there. It was okay. I make better lemonade at home. But the beef ribs were okay and so were the side. It was just okay nothing special AT ALL! I didn’t order a dessert.
We both left full but totally unsatisfied. The menu was very very small. It’s safe to say we won’t be returning.

I visited this place during NASCAR weekend. I should have listened to the locals from Charlotte that kept telling us to try another place for soul food. But it was close to the Mariott and we already made plans with another couple to meet there.
Well, the locals were right and my wife’s intuition based on bad reviews prevailed. The waiter began by flirting with my sister in front of her daughter– — we smiled but not appreciated! The food was substandard at best. I ordered beef ribs that were more fat than meat. And the vegetables just didn’t have a clean taste to them.
To add insult to injury they imposed a 20% gratuity for a table of 6! Trust me this was not a good time and the pizza we ate that night hours after at Zablong was the better choice.
Save your money!

I’m writing this as I sit here, completely stuffed, after a fabulous brunch. I had the brunch special — — cinnamon roll pancakes — and OH MY! They were delicious! The fella had the same but added the combo sides of eggs, grits and bacon. We went back and forth over whether to do home fries or grits so our very excellent server, Latosha, brought both. Bacon came out crispy (as requested) and the home fries were a cross between french fries and a breakfast food.
Service is friendly and attentive without being obtrusive. Price is a bit steep but well worth it. I am trying to figure out how I can make this a weekly event!

First, let me start by saying I grew up on soul food, so my expectations for a soul food restaurant are high.
Unfortunately, Mert’s is a failure to the soul food world.
They are located/​attached to the Holiday Inn City Center, so I automatically assumed that the food and service would match the location, wrong! The service wasn’t horrible, it was just slow.
The food on the other hand was horrible; the best thing I ate was the cornbread. The collard greens tasted like a mixture of vinegar, salt and lemon juice had been poured in the pot; I took one bite and realized that I was done with that portion of my meal. The cabbage was decent, but my cabbage looked moldy, yikes! The okra and tomatoes dish was meh; the okra was there, but the tomatoes were missing in action. The macaroni and cheese was old and dry. I am completely disappointed.
Will not return and I don’t recommend you waste your money here. This place has an overall 3 star review for a reason.

My wife and I moved to Charlotte from Jersey not too long ago. When people come to visit, this is the only place we HAVE TO take them. Definitely our go-​to soul food spot in the area, hands down! As a matter of fact, we’re going to go again tomorrow!!!

Delicious!!! The Soul Rolls get 10 stars! I ordered quite a bit and it was all full of flavor. My order was take out, as usual, and I have to mention that the way they package everything is the BEST I HAVE EVER ENCOUNTERED on my food quest.
The dishes are fresh and cooked with an obvious love for food.
Parking is irritating, but the food is more than worth it!

Mert’s isn’t necessarily what you’d expect to find in the middle of Uptown, but man the food is excellent! It doesn’t lack that casual southern character that makes you feel at home, especially with all the waitstaff in t shirts and jeans.
My girlfriend and I came in for lunch, decided on our orders and were pleasantly surprised when the food arrived in just 2 – 3 minutes. With nearly all of the food made ahead of time cafeteria style with just a quick sear needed to finish off some items and no finishing touches for most others, you might worry that the quality suffers but it did not in our experience! I ordered the salmon cakes with collards and mac & cheese and she got the chopped bbq with green beans and mac & cheese. The salmon cakes were amazing. no other way to describe it, just order them! The remoulade on the side makes them even better too. The chopped bbq was very good as well. For the sides, the collards and green beans were both tasty choices but the mac & cheese stole the show. So gooey and cheesy, classic baked macaroni & cheese like mom/​grandma used to make. The cornbread was good but nothing special. I would have guessed that the salmon patties or mac were what Mert’s was famous for rather than the cornbread tbh.
Overall, the food was fairly inexpensive and came out very quickly, but the taste was amazing and the portions were very large. Add on the fact that the waiters were friendly and that’s about all I ask for in a restaurant experience!

Amazing!!! The sign from the street says EAT. Not till we walked up to the door did we see the logo for Mert’s so it’s a bit tricky to spot while driving.
Our waitress, Latosha, was absolutely amazing. She was helpful, friendly and funny. She had us laughing every time she came to our table. My husband ordered the fried chicken and I had the creole salmon. Both were really good. The home fries were a bit too greasy but the yams, Mac and cheese and collard greens were all excellent. The corn bread was served pipping hot, with butter.
I will definitely come back again when I visit Charlotte.

AVOID THIS PLACE AT ALL COSTS. This place was a huge disappointment — from the food to the service; all around terrible experience.
The chicken wings were absolutely horrid. There was no flavor, and the skin was not crispy.
The shrimp grits was disgusting as well. They skimped on the shrimp and the veggies overpowered the dish too much. The rice was too dry, and there was barely any flavor.
This place gets one star because their cornbread was decent. (but then again you can’t really mess up on that)
The waitress only came by once to offer water and lied to us about forgetting to put in our order. The waitress forgot to put in our order, so the tables that came in after my boyfriend and I got their food first. After 30 minutes, the waitress realized this and then told us that the printer machine hadn’t worked. This doesn’t make sense because how the orders print for the subsequent tables.
The waitress talked to the manager and the manager gave us a «20% discount off» of our meal because of their mistake. After another 15 minutes, they told us that the chicken wings would take longer than expected and wanted to make sure I was okay with chicken tenders.
I am incredibly horrified by this place and will never come back.

It’s all #GuyFerrari fault! I follow Drive Diner Dives he raved about this place. I live NYC so I was excited about eating southern food since I was born in the south… but my entire family was disappointed. (party of 4)
Let’s start with the Pro’s:
Appretizer: Fried Tomatoe ***, Salmon Cakes***, Cornbread***** stole the show —the Best!
Fried Chicken Wings***, not winget were nicely seasoned. Fried Whiting ****,
Collard Greens — Alright **
Con’s, Sides need much improvement:
Steam Cabbage tasted like it was cooked in dirty butter water negative Star* awful (Sorry)
Green Beans — taste sweet, did you put suger in them (no-​no) — negative Star
Seasoned Yellow Rice was just Yellow —-LOL
Blackeyed Pea — just blackeyed peas, nothing special
Side salad, was so small it belonged on top of slider
Blackend Salmon was over cooked, super dry!
Plus I think, the food was cooked with MSG, because I got a food headache… theres a differance.
My waiter was very pleasent!
The place was nice and clean and I enjoyed the atmospher.
But you must pay to park. :(
@GuyFerrari, I’m sending you my Diner Bill!

We’ve had the pleasure of experiencing Mert’s dine in and takeout. I must say, I definitely recommend dine in over takeout. The quality of the entrée is very inconsistent. We tried takeout first, I got the salmon salmon cake entrée while the bf ordered the fried chicken plate. We got the mac and cheese, red bean, and mashed potato side. It took FOREVER TO PICK UP, and we even arrived 15 minutes after they said it was ready. I was waiting at the cashier stand for another 15 – 20 minutes. Upon arriving back home, I was sad to find that my salmon cakes were not as large or fluffy as depicted on the groupon picture or the dine in pictures on Unilocal.They tasted great tho, the remoulade was flavorful and paired well for this meal. The mac and cheese was our favorite side, followed by the creamy mashed potatoes (made out of red potatoes for a twist). The red beans didn’t have that much flavor. However, the sides were not as large as I had hoped. The cornbread was sooo good! I read on the website the moisture comes from some mayo added to the mix. Overall good quality, I just expected more food, it didn’t even cover half of the tin takeout tray that it was served in.
Fast forward to last week, this time we got the dine in groupon. Luckily, not nearly as crowded as it was the first time I walked in. I ordered the exact same thing while the bf got a chicken po boy and some home fries. This time, the salmon patties were a good size but, did not taste as good as the takeout I had earlier. It almost seemed as if it were canned tune, did not have the consistency of a home cooked patty… unless it spent an hour in the food processor. The sides were good as before. The bf’s po boy was huge and stuffed with fresh chicken tenders. I thought it needed some more remoulade, it was a little dry but, tasty and hearty.
I want to come back here again, but it is a hit or a miss. I would stick to dine in if I were you. Cheers!

Mert’s came highly recommended by several people so I made it my first stop on my visit to Charlotte. I was sadly disappointed. The best thing about my meal was the corn bread. I ordered the blackened pork chops with black eyed peas and yams. The pork chops were super thin and dry. The sides were just okay. My colleague ordered the chicken fingers with mac and cheese and collard greens. While her sides were delicious she thought the chicken fingers missed the mark.

I was so glad that they were open on a Sunday night since that was my only night in town. When I arrived it was really busy but they found a table for me right away (table of 1 when it’s busy-​waitresses nightmare!).
The atmosphere was really relaxed and fun. I was seated close to the food window so it had a great diner feel to the place being so close to the chefs.
I ordered the Fried Catfish based on reading the reviews and looking through the pics and I very much anticipated the arrival of the « Unilocal famous» cornbread. It did NOT disappoint!!! It was cooked perfect and was moist and fluffy. The sweet butter went quick and I had to ask for more (which they brought right away). The catfish was superb and tasted surprisingly light and the remoulade sauce… I mean come on! It was so tasty! I had the Mac n cheese and green beans as sides and they were fantastic. My dinner with a drink was $ 17. I wanted to keep eating but alas I couldn’t keep up with the southern portions but made a more than valiant effort!
My waitress was working her tail feathers off and was extremely kind and attentive.

We arrived in Charlotte and I was told I had to eat at Mert’s. The line outside said. you have to eat at Mert’s. Well… okay… I get it. I have to eat at Mert’s. So I did. And well. It was just okay. Maybe it is the best soul food in the area, but I didn’t leave thinking, this was some freaking fantastic food. Decent food, but not great food. Don’t get me wrong. You will get good portions, good soul food and a good location if downtown is where you want to be.
Décor: 3 out of 5
Food: 3 out of 5
Drinks:? out of 5
Service: 4 out of 5
Cleanliness: 4 out of 5

CORN BREAD! CAKE BAR! LEMON CAKE!
Now that I’ve gotten that out of my system…
I love soul food! I don’t eat it often, but when I do I want it to feel like Sunday dinner. Mert’s did that for me. I ordered the beef ribs and was a little disappointed, but that’s what happens when you live in the BBQ capital of the world for about 8 years (TX). Aside from that, the sides were just as good as it gets. I love that they cook their greens with vinegar which is such a southern thing. I threw a couple of drops of Texas Pete on there and my taste buds were in heaven. Their famous salmon cakes were a bit dry for my taste. Maybe I caught a bad batch, but I’d like to believe that they can be waaay more tender and moist.
The wait staff were so funny and friendly. I felt completely at home. I’m hoping they expand soon because seating does get tight! We were seated by the exit door and on a 30 something degree night it literally takes the warmth away from the atmosphere and my food, lol!
I don’t care what any of the nay-​sayers say, Merts is good stuff! If you want to see things get better for next time, just say so. Unilocal is powerful and most businesses take what we say to heart as long as it’s constructive and comes from a place of caring and not cynicism.

This review I would say would be a pretty weak 4 star.
First time here. I was in town for a conference and me and my friends just did Crossfit so I asked the concierge at my hotel to direct me to a place where I can get my grub on…
He asks like chicken and stuff? I said like Mac and cheese and ribs and all that Good stuff lol and this is where it brought me.
It’s a small southern comfort food style place. My expectations ran high as I saw Guy Fieri «was here». Plus who could go wrong with comfort food right?
The restaurant hours didn’t close till about half an hour after we walked in.
And one of the waiters didn’t want to sit us in his area because he didn’t want to serve any more tables on his side. Well thanks Pal. The restaurant really isn’t that big.
Anywhooooo…
We ordered and our waitress was kind of snappy. I guess she was overwhelmed and tired that day that she wanted to close the restaurant already.
I wanted to order the ribs with Mac and cheese and string bean. But the waitress informed us there wasn’t anymore. Okay… How about the corn on the cob? We’re out of that too.
As I grew frustrated and hungry, I just opted out totally off the second side dish. Out of everything, I was looking forward to the Mac and cheese more than anything.
Our cornbread came right away, served nice and warm. delicious! But our entrees took a while.
Then a miracle happened! The kitchen staff was so kind enough to make a batch of fresh Mac and cheese. Praise the Lord!
And purely because of that reason, I gave them one extra star for that really kind gesture.
Our food came and it really was a mouthful. My ribs was DROWNED in sauce and oil. Tasted good like any other ribs to me. Mac and cheese was great. String bean was really soggy. I don’t know if it should look like that on purpose.
Price is around $ 8 and up and they do have combos.
Personally, I didn’t think this place was that special. Just a good Comfort food place that’s all.
Recommend for a grub.

I’m only in Charlotte for a month and plan on frequenting as many eateries as possible. Merts popped up on my radar after looking for a lunch spot open on a Sunday. Given that Unilocal only rated this place as a 3.5 stars, I was hesitant on going, but I really wanted to venture out and fill my stomach with Southern cuisine.
I purposely went early to avoid the lunchtime crowds and there was more than enough seats available. I debated between the fried chicken and shrimp dishes the night prior and settled on the shrimp Creole since there were mixed ratings on the chicken. However, when I told nut waitress that I have never tried grits before, she highly suggested that I try their shrimp and grits. And with that, my order for shrimp and grits went through. My waitress appeared within minutes with their famous cornbread. I am not really a fan of the dry, crumbly texture of cornbread on general, but this cornbread was moist and bursting of flavor. I now knew what was so great about their cornbread.
After several minutes, my order of shrimp and grits arrived. I wasnt expecting much given that grits do not have the greatest reputation – I heard they are bland, mealy, and literally gritty in texture. With a spoonful of brown gravy, shrimp, tomatoes, onions, and grits, I had a taste. This was Southern comfort food at its finest – the type that transports you to another era… back to the kitchen you grew up in. Granted, I’m not from the South but I could tell that this dish was made with soul. The buttery, creamy grits with the flavorful gravy and crunch of the onions. The shrimp were large and plump and well paired with the gravy. The focaccia bread was also great in soaking up the gravy.
For allb those looking for comfort food, try the shrimp and grits. Forget the fried chicken because you will be missing out on good ol’ low country meals.

Leave it to my Unilocal family to send me to the best spots when I’m traveling. I came to Charlotte for a conference and decided to check Mert’s out with a bunch of my colleagues. In short, we loved it!
Cornbread: I’ve never been a huge cornbread fan, but this cornbread had me wanting more and more! It was soooooooo hot and delicious!
Jumbo wings: You get three with the meal. Fried perfectly. Delicious. Delicious. Delicious.
Mac & Cheese: I can’t seem to find decent mac & cheese out west so I wait until I come back East to get my fix. This mac & cheese was all things perfect! Two thumbs up.
Collard greens: This was my least favorite dish. While I appreciated that they weren’t overlooked, they were really vinegary. I wasn’t a fan.
Sweet potato cake: I had never heard of such a delicacy. I figured since I love sweet potatoes and I’m a fan of cake, this would hit the spot! I think it needed more butter though as it was really dry.
Overall, a must visit place when you’re in Charlotte!