Eddie Merlot is a new restaurant downtown near the Gateway station. I work in that building and was lucky to be a guest at their grand opening. My review is for that grand opening and not a typical sit down dinner.
Eddie Merlot put out a wonderful spread of food ranging from seafood, cheeses, desserts, breads, and meats including beef and pork. I'm a big seafood fan, so I decided to stick mainly to the seafood options. The shrimp cocktail was HUGE and fresh and the cocktail sauce had a nice quick to it. The calamari was tender and perfectly fried (not drenched in oil). The ahi tuna wontons were equally delicious. The lobster bisque was creamy and rich and had small chunks of lobster meat.
I definitely left feeling like I would come back for lunch and/or dinner.
The only downside of the experience is that I'm not a fan of the decor. I personally find it to be too busy. But it's a new brand restaurant, large, open and clean.