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!