Merry Arts is great. People complaining about the slow service are not taking advantage of both bars. On weekends, it is often overcrowded on one side for no good reason. The people there have always been good to me. And they may serve bar food, but it's reasonably priced and much better than most bar food. The tacos are great.
Decent place for beginner musicians looking for gigs. The pay is decent for a solo player, but don't expect a lot of attention to be paid to you by the patrons or for the other room to turn down the jukebox.
New patio is very nice as well.