Eddie Merlot’s Restaurant offers Happy Hour (HH) from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday at their 3645 E. 96th St. location. The HH menu can be viewed online at this link.
Mrs. K and I had never been to this restaurant, but it had been touted by our daughter as a great place to try. It’s beautiful inside, as one would expect from such a high-end eatery. Our hostess seated us in the bar/lounge area which is richly appointed, with every table having four very comfy easy chairs to sit in. Our table was near the fireplace which provided a friendly warmth to the room. Save for a couple at the bar, we were the only visitors at 4 p.m.
Jolene, our bartender/server, came by right away to answer questions and to take our drink order. The $8 HH wine list is very short – one white and one red. Luckily the white was a Chardonnay for my wife and I took the red, a Pinot Noir. Both were quite good, though both seemed like an economical pour – not the usual six ounces most places offer.
For our food, we decided to try three things – Filet Mignon Sliders ($15), Prime French Dip Sliders ($10), and Filet Mignon Potstickers ($10). Both the Sliders came with Home-Made Potato Chips, but we substituted Fries and Parmesan Fries, not realizing that there was an upcharge of $2 and $3 for them. Our fault for not asking, I guess.
While we waited for our food order, Jolene brought a fat round loaf of Sour Dough bread and a bowl of butter to our table (no upcharge). So we munched the bread and drank our wine and watched as the place slowly started to fill up.
Soon enough, the food came on three long plates, and was beautifully presented. Two sliders filled each of the orders, along with a large portion of fries. The five Potstickers, Wantons really, came arranged on a plate drizzled with an Asian Ginger-Chili Sauce and topped with cilantro. The Sliders were generously stacked high, with a piece of pickle to top each of the four. Everything was delicious, but my personal favorite was the Potsticker Wantons. The chewy fried dough was filled with Filet meat and, with the Asian Sauce, they were a real treat. I liked them so much, Mrs. K generously gave me her share of them.
While we ate, the manager, a man named Hal, came around the room to check on his guests and make sure that there was nothing we needed. I thought it was a genuinely nice touch. As I expected, our bill was higher than any we have encountered on our HH tour: just under $70 plus a tip. But, that included the unexpected upcharge and a second glass of wine. And we felt as if we had enjoyed a full meal.
At around 5 p.m., the place really started to fill up. As we were finishing up, a young guitarist arrived and started setting up in a corner of the lounge. We asked Jolene if this was a regular event and learned that there is entertainment at this location from about 6 or so on Tuesday through Friday evenings. Good to know.
Ken Klingenmeier offers this series of columns, called “A Seat at the Table,” wherein he reviews Indy-area restaurants – specifically their Happy Hour offers. Keep reading The Reporter for future restaurant reviews.