Mertens Prime & Rooftop - (Near Grand Rapids, MI)

1 /5 Steve Meadows: The Ghost of Mertens Prime Mertens Prime isnt just different; it’s unrecognizable. This used to be a standout in a sea of local mediocrity—a brasserie that could actually hold its own in a real city. Apparently, those days are dead. What remains is a generic American gastropub wearing the skin of its predecessor. The Bar & Starters: If you’re the type who finds a two-component drink like a Whiskey Coke "adventurous," you’ll be fine. If you enjoy a balanced classic cocktail, prepare for a bitter mess. I had to send my first drink back—a rare feat for me. We transitioned to the marrow bones, usually my favorite, but these were a joke. There was barely enough marrow to coat two pieces of toast, let alone justify the price. The Main Event (Or Lack Thereof): The kitchen seems to view steak temperatures as a "vibe" rather than a metric. Across our table’s steak bowls, the meat was rubbery and the cook was inconsistent, served over potatoes that tasted suspiciously like they were birthed from a bag or an instant-mix box. For $36, that’s an insult. I opted for the $50 Sirloin and Frites. Requested medium-rare; received a rare steak that was stone-cold in the center. It was a flavorless, low-quality cut of beef that even the chimichurri couldnt save—mostly because the sauce tasted like salty lawn clippings steeped in oil. The "French frites" were actually just hot steak fries. They were the only edible thing on the plate, but let’s be real: calling a steak fry a "frite" is just lying to yourself. The Final Indignity: I dont usually critique the plumbing, but Mertens used to pride itself on the details. To find the soap dispensers empty and replaced by a bottle of dollar-store Dial soap like you’d find at mee-maw’s house was the final nail in the coffin. If I wanted a "gastropub" experience with Mee-maw’s toiletries, I’d have stayed home.

1 /5 Noah Crawford: Food was not good, you should go cook yourself a steak at home. Took my family for a nice dinner on NYE and left EXTREMELY disappointed and spent way too much money on below average food. Ordered medium rare and got my food still breathing. They took 1.5 hours to get our order and another 30 to give us our food.

2 /5 Adriane Devries: Not at all the fine dining experience l expected. Much can be improved here: the menu was basic and did little to reflect the French theme; the appetizer l ordered was not in stock; the wait staff looked bored; a reservation party had booked the entire rooftop so we couldnt have our drinks up there; and there was no ambient music at all. I brought my fiance here for a romantic dinner, and we were frustrated at the overall lack of much to set this place apart at this price point. There were however a few redeeming qualities of our visit: the brief roof top view we snuck in while the reservation party was downstairs; the old world decor combined with sleek contemporary design, plus extremely well made cocktails. I would love to see this place succeed as it has been a favorite since it opened as New Hotel Merten years ago, but l fear it might not survive the competitive market as its current iteration.

5 /5 Lexi Price: We had such a great experience with Cee as our waitress. She walked us through the menu and what Mertens was offering. We came during restaurant week so we had an amazing 3 course meal. The drinks were amazing the both Cee and the bartender went out of their way to make our drinks up to our liking. Great experience!

2 /5 Lisa Novakowski: Was a sad experience this evening. I was really looking forward to a great birthday dinner but was sorely disappointed. The onion soup was pretty good as a starter, but the $125 we spent on a chateaubriand should have been better. The cut itself was from a big box packer maybe? It just was not of the caliber we were expecting. Then the cook maybe left it under the broiler and got distracted because it was char broiled on the outside, more that it should be. The “potato puree” tasted like instant potatoes. The seasoning on all of it was off. The it was sliced down the center and two hunks were put on a plate w a dollop of roasted garlic and herb butter. Presentation was horrid. All in all the atmosphere was good and I absolutely love old buildings and history, but the food was really lacking.