Mercy Grill

[thereuare]

Mercy Grill has recently opened next to McDonalds (just south of Third Street on Washington) in what used to be Rodeo (pronounced 'row-day-o')

This location has had so many restaurants in the last few years that i can't remember what preceded Rodeo. The space has always looked nice, but none of the restaurants in the location over the last few years ever seem to do well. Entrees are about $22-$35 so we'll see if it's worth it and how they do.

If anyone tries it please be sure to post a review.

[jon777]

Haven't been yet, but here is their web site, which has menus:

http://mercygrill.com/

BTW, for anyone interested, the old Jefferson spot has re-opened as the Uptown Sushi Lounge -- same owners as the one down by the PATH.

[Curlz]

I recently had drinks and a couple of apps at the bar at Mercy...it's a beautiful space, great bar (with hooks for my purse--a telling (good) sign, imo) with comfortable service and experienced bartenders who not only made good drinks, but were also prepared for customers to eat at the bar. Great music playing, and if you want a slightly quieter space than the 'main' room, there is another one behind the wall of the bar as well as one downstairs. Oh, and the chef has an impressive background that includes Bouley. The night we were there, the place was full of a mix of folks from the 20-something crowd right up through 50ish, so I didn't feel like I was surrounded by kids, which often happens in the mile square city. This definitely has the potential to be my new place to hang in Hoboken!

I loved the mini-veggie burgers (NOT a Boca/Gardenburger-type burger), and also had some yummy shrimp/spring rolls. I'm looking forward to getting in for dinner soon. I know they're participating in Hudson Restaurant Week...

[Curlz]

If someone would post the pictures, we could discuss our recent dinner at Mercy Grill.

[ejebud]

If someone would post the pictures, we could discuss our recent dinner at Mercy Grill. 

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someone was waiting for the text via email to put together a post, but if you want to put the cart before the horse, pics coming right up

[Curlz]

Someone has the menu so the text accompanying the pictures will be correct. Then OTHER someones can comment.

[ejebud]

THE PICTURES:

The View from the street:

THE APPETIZERS:

MINI VEGGIE BURGERS:

SHRIMP SPRING ROLL:

COCONUT ALMOND SHRIMP:

JUMBO TANGY CITRUS WINGS:

GRILLED FLATBREAD PIZZA-tomato,basil,parmesan,mozzarella, and Soranno Ham:

THE ENTREES:

GRILLED SKIRT STEAK-vinegar an herb tomato, Crispy Basil Spaetzle:

GRILLED PORK CHOP-roasted potato, mixed mushroom, tomato confit, apple cider Jus

ALASKAN BLACK COD "CHOWDER"-Fingerling potato, clam, pea, curry and lime broth

CHICKEN POT PIE-black truffle,roasted cauliflower cream, yukon potato, carrot, pea:

CRISPY SCOTTISH SALMON-basmati rice, baby spinach,red wine and mustard glaze:

DESSERTS:

BANANA TART with GINGER CARAMEL and DARK RUM SABAYON:

N.Y. CHEESCAKE with RED GRAPE and PEAR COMPOTE:

THE SUPER DUPER CHOCOLATE ERUPTION-chocolate espresso cake, chocolate hazelnut layer cake, chocolate-ginger milkshake:

STAY TUNED FOR THE COMMENTARY BY OUR VERY OWN CURLZ!!!

[Curlz]

Thanks for posting those, Eric! And so quickly...

STAY TUNED FOR THE COMMENTARY BY OUR VERY OWN CURLZ!!!

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I certainly hope someone else's fingers aren't broken...

Five of us had dinner at Mercy Grill recently, and at the end of the night, the consensus was that this is a restaurant with some interesting menu items and good potential--if they can work out some (mostly service) kinks. Keep in mind that they've been open all of 5-6 weeks at this point, so I think we're willing to give them some slack. But the descriptions of the dishes should tell you that this isn't a typical bar/grill menu. The chef's experience shows in the flavors, ingredients, and very definitely in his sauces.

I hope the others will chime in here, but I think our favorites from each course were the veggie burgers (I officially love them) and the tangy citrus wings, the "chowder," and the chocolate hazelnut layer cake. Other dishes were good as well, but those were the standouts. The only true disappointment was my pork chop, which was over-brined, leaving a chop that was not only too salty, but a strange, spongy texture.

Service was spotty, but again, I'd like to think that with some time/staff seasoning, they'll fix those issues (i.e. taking a dessert order w/o asking about coffee, not clearing all of the plates at the same time).

Once again, the place was full--and this was a weeknight, so that's a good sign. Martini specials ($5--part of Hudson Restaurant Week, I'm assuming) were a pleasant surprise, as the one I had (The French--iirc, Stoli vanilla, chambourd, champagne, and pineapple juice) was NOT too sweet. I repeat, it's not too sweet... hehe

My only real objection in terms of atmosphere was the volume of the music; it's just way too loud if we have to shout across a round table! We were seated right under a speaker, though, and when asked, the speaker was turned off (THANK YOU), which made a tremendous difference.

I'm looking forward to seeing Mercy Grill's staff settle in...this could be a nice addition to Hoboken's myriad of places with a good bar, a mix of clientele, and a comfortable place to hang. I'm also hoping they get the downstairs room open, as it looks like a cozy spot for drinks/dessert!

Discuss.

[tommy]

what goes on in the basement? it used to be somewhat of a performance space/lounge.

i applaud the kitchen for actually brining the pork! it's a shame it was over-brined.

are those tomatoes on that steak? if so i'm thinking they should be removed and replaced with something else until they are in season. hopefully they taste better than they look.

sounds like it's worth a trip.

[MJP]

I wish I could have made it, but I couldn't rotate my neck that night. ;-;

I'm not big on the Hoboken restaurant scene but it looks like it's worth a trip at some point. I'm a sucker for really good chicken wings, but the stuff about Korean fried chicken is my current yen. Maybe next up in line?

[jon777]

Am in agreement with much of Curlz review. While there were some mis-steps (which I credit to being new + busy with a full house for restaurant week) there were also a lot of things to like here. I think part of the challenge is that Mercy has yet to really find it's indentity. It's part hip, trendy bar (great space, lots of exposed brick, cool modern design), part pub (HDTVs not only in the bar area but in the dining area), part trendy dining, part comfort food.

There is nothing to prevent Mercy from evolving from a good place, with some hit and miss items to a place that is worth frequenting. The space is very nice and the chef has obvious talent. And on a Wednesday night (albeit during restaurant week), they had pretty much a full house. BTW, Tommy, the downstairs space currently was empty, but they have plenty of tables down there. I would assume they will use it for additional dining space as they grow. Music was blaring down there (no one seated downstairs), but unclear how they will manage it going forward -- it certainly could be a very nice place to eat (more private, away from the bar, lots of exposed bricks, and beautifully refinished floors).

As for the food, the shining stars were definitely several of the appetizers and the fish entrees. The tangy citrus wings were a great combination of textures -- wonderfully crunchy on the outside and meaty and juicy on the inside. The sauce could have had more zing for my taste, but very good. They also do a traditional buffalo wing.

As a raging carnivore, veggie burgers are something I would never consider ordering, but were very tasty, and were nothing like a garden-burger -- they weren't really burger like at all, but they were good.

Shrimp rolls had big chunks of shrimp, crispy on top. the bottom of the won-ton wrapper was a little gummy for me, but overall tasty.

Flatbread pizza was crunchy with lots of smokey bacon goodness.

For the entrees, it was all about the fish. Curlz summed up the pork chop -- overbrined and gummy. The skirt steak was average at best -- a little tough and the bacon spaetzle side (which I was VERY excited for) was dry and not flavorful. Chicken pot pie was tasty, although not special enough (even with the truffle essence) that I would order again.

The fishes were another story altogether. The cod "chowder" was a lovely piece of roasted cod in a bed of fresh clams and a chowder like sauce with a touch of coconut milk -- yummy. The scottish salmon was crispy outside, and medium rare (as requested) inside. A very nice piece of fish, well prepared.

The molten chocolate thingy in the middle of the chocolate plate was my dessert highlight.

Overall, Mercy has a lot of potential, talent in the kitchen, some very good dishes, and a great space.

As they figure out who they want to be, clear up some service/atmosphere issues, and fix some of the meat entrees, it has the potential to be a nice place. As a local, I will return and am curious to see how they evolve.

[EmilyG]

We went to Mercy Grill for drinks last night, following the positive reviews on this board as well as the sign advertising $7 martinis that they had placed outside. We got a cozy booth and the music wasn't too loud, so it was definitely much more comfortable than other Hoboken bars would be on a Saturday night. Everyone in my party enjoyed their drinks, but I had one significant problem, which admittedly would have been remedied by further assertiveness on my part.

On recommendation from our waitress, I ordered a drink with Stoli Vanil, Pineapple Juice, and Midori. I know you're probably thinking already that this sounds awful. I wanted a desert-y type drink, though, and I trusted the waitress. Then the drink came. It looked and tasted like it was 99% Midori. Horrible.

I didn't want to send it back, because I assumed responsibility for making a bad choice. However, when the waitress noticed I wasn't drinking it, my friend told her how bad it tasted. The waitress removed my drink, and then came back and reported that she had tasted it, and it was indeed awful. She offered me another drink instead, and I took the safe route with a gin and tonic.

But, guess what happened when the check came? They charged us for the neon green nightmare that I had sent back!

It was probably a mistake, but between that and the shoddy cocktail making, I will not be returning to Mercy. I expect more from a Bouley vet, and I am pretty disappointed.

[tommy]

unfortunately the chef probably has little influence on the front of house.

i would think that the drink being left on the bill was an oversight on the server's part. i would have mentioned it and i'd think it would have been taken off and an apology offered. if not, i would have deducted the cost of the drink from the tip, letting her know of course. she, in turn, would probably tip out the bartender a bit less than usual, and that's about that.

[EmilyG]

unfortunately the chef probably has little influence on the front of house. 

i would think that the drink being left on the bill was an oversight on the server's part.  i would have mentioned it and i'd think it would have been taken off and an apology offered.  if not, i would have deducted the cost of the drink from the tip, letting her know of course.  she, in turn, would probably tip out the bartender a bit less than usual, and that's about that.

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I totally agree with you on both points, however I just didn't feel like haggling over a $7 drink. The point I meant to convey with my post was that Mercy Grill is not as polished as it makes itself out to be.

Maybe in the future I'll give it another chance, but there are just so many places to have overly sugary drinks in Hoboken that there's really no need for one more.

[tommy]

I totally agree with you on both points, however I just didn't feel like haggling over a $7 drink.  The point I meant to convey with my post was that Mercy Grill is not as polished as it makes itself out to be.

Maybe in the future I'll give it another chance, but there are just so many places to have overly sugary drinks in Hoboken that there's really no need for one more.

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gotcha. agreed.

[jim07044]

On recommendation from our waitress, I ordered a drink with Stoli Vanil, Pineapple Juice, and Midori.  I know you're probably thinking already that this sounds awful.  I wanted a desert-y type drink, though, and I trusted the waitress.  Then the drink came.  It looked and tasted like it was 99% Midori.  Horrible.

I would have asked the waitress "I'm sorry, but this just doesn't taste very good to me. Can I order something else instead?" I think it's reasonable to expect a replacement drink — and you made a good call to order a familiar drink the second time around — but a restaurant might refuse a third request due to the economics of waste.

But, guess what happened when the check came?  They charged us for the neon green nightmare that I had sent back! It was probably a mistake, but between that and the shoddy cocktail making, I will not be returning to Mercy.  I expect more from a Bouley vet, and I am pretty disappointed.

I would have asked the waitress to remove the charge for the first drink before providing payment. Mistakes can happen, but it is the diner's responsibility to check the bill and point out incorrect charges when they occur. To be fair, you should give the restaurant another try in a few months when the staff is more experienced.

Edited February 13, 2007 by jim07044 (log)

[jon777]

FYI -- Closed.

[Curlz]

Not surprising--but thanks for letting us know!