Hi!!! I hope everyone’s had a great week! Only 12 more days until Thanksgiving!!!

But… before the holiday onslaught, I have one last restaurant review! Even better, a review with a friend!

We’ve been planning to go out together for the past three weeks, but midterms, assignments and papers got into the way. Well, she finally said enough was enough to the workload and chose to hang out with me on her day off. Talk about something to be thankful for!

Where to go? Lawrenceville of course!

Merchant Oyster Co.

I LOVE seafood; she loves seafood- what could be more perfect! Merchant Oyster Co. is corner shop in the heart of Butler street (only a block from Dogtoberfest!) It offers classic American seafood fare with a homey twist. Alongside chowder and lobster rolls, they have , homemade sourdough and house smoked ham that they put into their Lobster Cubano! Unfortunately, with only the two of us, we were limited. However, we still had an AMAZING meal. Let’s eat!

Food

Clam Boil- When trying to maximize variety, what’s more perfect than a clam boil! Clams, mussels and shrimp stewed together with sausage, corn and potatoes in an incredible spiced broth. The shellfish weren’t the biggest, but they were SOOOO fresh and tender. Even better, the combination of seafood, spice and sausage created an incredible umami that the potatoes just drank up. The menu says “to share” but honestly, it was more of a 1 person dish 🙂

Baked Oysters- It’s called Merchang OYSTER Co.; we were going to get oysters one way or another. I let her take the reigns and she chose baked oysters! Basically, the juiciest oysters in the stash bathed in delicious garlicky- spiced butter. Sure, they weren’t the biggest,  but my taste buds certainly couldn’t tell. Each bite came with a burst of that rich juice- AMAZING!

Note: Merchant Oyster Co. offers “happy hour” deals featuring 1/2 priced oysters. The deal’s on all day Sundays! Unfortunately, my friend doesn’t like raw seafood, so we didn’t get any 😦

I’m not a carb person, but their sourdough seriously blew my mind!

Service and Atmosphere

Merchant Oyster Co. has a rustic atmosphere with a trendy twist. The open brick and bare bones- slightly mismatched- furniture created an incredible comforting, homey feel. It’s absolutely perfect for relaxed family outings, fun with friends, happy hour (of course!) and even casual dates 😉

The service definitely enhanced the atmosphere. The staff literally treated everyone like family! The food also came surprisingly quickly. With that said, the place was a bit understaffed- one poor waitress for an almost full house!

Overall Impression

Overall, the food and service Merchant Oyster Co was 110% worth the splurge. Even better, I got to share the experience with a good friend. I’ll definitely be back!

I hope everyone has a great week! Until next time, Bye!

 

• Dining
• Pittsburgh