Mert's Heart and Soul, Charlotte

This was a very disappointing visit. The service was bad and the food was bland. We were seated right away but waited forever for a waiter. It was our first visit and asked about the items on the board and was brushed off with " I can check but I am sure we are out of those and only have what is listed on the lunch menu". We ordered the fish and it was not season at all and the yams were not sweet, or season or warm. We got tired of waiting for our drinks to be refilled and left. The topper, I took my ticket to the cashier to pay and she asked me if this was my change. Before you pass this off as the area being crowded, I was the only person standing at the register. Overall, I will not try it again and I would not recommend it. It was a total waste of my time and my money. The only positive note - The Mac N Cheese was very good and it was warm. The cakes looked good, but we didn't order because meal was so bad and we were given our ticket when the corn bread was delivered. Yes, that is correct. Here is your bill before you get your food.

This place serves excellent Low County/Country Cooking dishes at reasonable prices - at least the prices are reasonable at lunch, $7 - $9 for a entree which comes with 2 sides and corn bread. The Fried Chicken is excellent, The Ribs are as well, and I love the Salmon Cakes. The Fried Catfish is good, any of the Po' Boys are worth trying. The Fried Green Tomato app is nice, not as tart as some, but still good. The Collards are not to my liking, and I've tried them twice. The Shrimp and Grits are nice, rich and creamy. But, I was disappointed in the Shrimp Creole, was bland and watery. Service here is excellent, even when this place is busy, which it always seems to be. The ambiance is homey, though it can get a little loud.

I heard so much hype about Mert's, my boyfriend and I decided to go on his lunch break. We were greeted very promptly and seated. Drink and order taking speed was above average. However, the food was not exactly what I thought it would be. First let me say, I am a TRUE Southerner; born and raised in South Carolina and my family is from the Charleston area. Needless to say, I know good soul food. With that being said, the barbecue ribs were awesome. I must say, better than anything I've ever cooked. The mac and cheese was definitely something to write home about. I took one bite and had to stop talking until I ate the rest of my portion. And the Arnold Palmer--what they call a "Tiger Woods"--was better than any other one I've had in Charlotte. But the collard greens were a disappointment. There were sooo not good. They were seasoned with God knows what, but it was bad. My boyfriend comes from a Northern family and he said they taste like what his mom cooks---enough said. The cornbread was Jiffy put into a mini loaf pan. No sugar, no syrup, just butter. Tisk, tisk. Will I go back to Mert's? Don't know. Maybe for just the Mac and Cheese, but it won't be something I go out of my way for again.

Normally, I have expreienced great service at Mert's, until today. I visited with several friends from out of town to have them experience Mert's and the good food. It must have been a horrible day for the staff. The staff could not find my reservation (to almost doubt our calling to reserve a space), food was way overcooked, and the owner was not customer friendly. I was not seeking to recieve special treatment; however, just a general apology would have sufficed. Nothing from him. I am extremely saddened by this series of events and will probably not visit this establishment again.

this restaurant is not worth the money......first you will have to wait at the door for about 5 mins before you are greeted.....the food is nothing special so if you want something like your grandmothers cooking then i suggest you eat at your grandmothers.....i was charged for a tea that i sent back to the kitchen bc it was bitter....the food does not have a identity

I went to Merts on 05/29/10. The food smelled lovely, but I was in for a surprise. The food was horrible the greens were overcooked and the okra was soggy. The only thing that was okay was the cornbread. A waste of money.

Honestly, this is one of the only restaurants in town that I would say no to . . . even if someone else was paying. During my last experience there I had a chicken sandwich that was extremely overcooked and was charged $3+ for three pieces of burnt bacon. There are far better options in uptown dining than this.

I recently was there and was Very happy with the food and service. The catfish I had was right on point. Prices seemed fair. I'll be going back.

If I could give NO stars, I would. The worst food I've ever had. The mac and cheese was stale and cold, the fish was undercooked and it had no taste. Not only was the food bad, but the service was awful! We're from GA and heard great things about Mert's, so we decided to stop by on the way back home from visiting in Hickory. We find out that it's only lunch, so we order off of the lunch menu and all of us order a side of the fried catfish. And because we did that, we got a look and an attitude from our waitress like we were animals who hadn't eaten in days. Uhh, hello..we're just trying to get the whole "Mert's experience"...but whatever. After we get our food, which had been sitting under the heat lamp for about 10 minutes, we had to sit with empty cups for about 10 minutes. When I finally get someone's attention, I say, "Excuse me ma'am, but we've been sitting here for a good 10 minutes with empty cups and no one's come by to refill them." And do you KNOW what she said to me????!!! She said, "And?" I was so taken back by what she said that I was speechless. I was in total shock. And then she finally says, "Well, what are you drinking?" And I told her we had sweet tea. And because of her attitude, I continued to tell her that the fish was undercooked. (I had already decided that I was just gonna let that slide, because I didn't want to cause any problems. But after she gave me an attitude after asking for a drink refill, I decided that this place had no class, so I brought up the problem with the fish). So she tells me that she will go get the manager...but does the manager ever come to our table to apologize or express any feelings toward their service/food? NO. We just ended up paying our tab, still left a tip, and walked out of their with the intent to share our experience so that no one else has to go through what we went through as customers.

All I can say is "WOW!" The salmon cakes are the best I've ever had! Joined with okra and tomatoes, it's bound to have you requesting another order to take home. Service is friendly, prompt, and down-to-earth. Plus, the history of the restaurant is apparent by the pictures on the wall and the wallpaper behind them. This great restaurant will never disappoint.