Merrill & Houston’s Steak Joint

Fried rolls and juicy steak… a welcomer addition when visiting Beloit. The décor is very cool too.

Horrible service, slow slower and slowest. My wife, daughter and I were promptly seated, the back of my seat went into the aisle where the wait staff and customers brushed up against my head and shoulders, We moved the table ourselves. After getting water, 20 minutes went by before my daughter could wave down staff to see if we would get waited on. A waiter came over and apologized, he got «stuck at another table», but the first round of drinks would be complimentary. My wife ordered a white$ 8) and my daughter and I a red ($ 12 each). he suggested we get a bottle for the red instead of glass and it would be comped as well. We asked twice about the bottle and was he sure. Food was fine, Lobster Bisque a little spicy for the girls. After dinner, he said be right back with check. After another 20 minutes and several I will be right backs we finally got it. The bill had a $ 16 credit for drink discounts. We waited another 10 and a manager came over to see if everything was alright. Explained the situation and she said she never credits more than $ 16 for comp drinks (how would anyone know that) but would honor the bottle which was $ 47. The revised bill came with the waiter, and he explained different managers told him different things. The new bill had a new credit of $ 33, not the $ 47 for the bottle and the $ 8 glass of white wine my wife had. We just wanted out and paid and left. slow and dishonest, not a good way to run a restaurant. NOT GOING BACK

Great food, HORRIBLE SERVICE! HORRIBLE HORRIBLE SERVICE! Waited 20 minutes after being seated and watched several waiters and waitresses walk by. Once our waiter stopped by, we were told first round of drinks were free. Ordered a bottle of red wine and asked the waiter prior to opening how the bill would be adjusted. Waiter said the bottle was included in the first round and 4 glasses are better than 2. Soup and steaks were delicious. However, when the bill arrived, we only had $ 16 deducted. Waiter kept saying he would be right back. 20 minutes later, the manager stopped over. Her customer service was EXTREMELY POOR and argued about the bill. We were then told the bill would be adjusted but the bottle was not fully comped as told and the manager never returned to our table. The food is NOT worth the poor service. Will NEVER recommended this restaurant to friends or family.

Two visits now, and I have been impressed with the food and service both times. The steaks (cowboy and rib eye) were absolutely delicious. They were cooked just to the right temperature and their flavor was wonderful. Salad was fresh and actually had a variety of vegetables on it. The french onion soup and wasn’t anything to write home about, but I was there for the meat. Servers were well-​trained and generally very professional.
I do wish they slowed the entrees down a little and allowed a bit more time between soup/​salads and the entrees. The entrees were placed before we were all finished with salads. I know these days most people want everything right away, but I like to take the time to enjoy a good meal. Yes, I personally would rather that they serve hot food too early than have it sitting in the kitchen under a heat lamp, but perhaps the entrée order should go to the kitchen a bit later.
What holds me back from 5 starts is that the servers wear jeans. The menu here doesn’t represent a casual price point, and the servers are clearly trained to speak professionally, so why do they wear jeans? These are near-​Chicago prices in Beloit, Wisconsin. Yes, the food is good, but that’s why I think the servers should dress the part; maybe then more of the clientele would follow suit. You know how a clean car just drives better?
Side note: I was in the first class of servers when the Café Belwah opened here back in 2003, supplementing my first full-​time salary to pay off my student loans. We were poorly trained, poorly managed and the food never really impressed. It was a real treat to come back and see such a nice restaurant in that space. I hope they put some proper pants on and keep up the good work!

Fantastic! We drove here from Rockford after hearing about the great steaks from friends. Manny was our server and he was great. My wife and I ordered the Ironworks and the NY strip steaks. Both were cooked to perfection plus the toppings and seasonings sealed the deal. We had reservations and didn’t wait long. The stuffed mushroom appetizer was great and the fried dinner rolls melted in your mouth. The salad was normal and the atmosphere was nice. The value of the meal with included sides is what was most appealing. $ 36.95 at a Chicago steakhouse does not include 1 side.

Not impressed– had a very poor experience for multiple reasons. First the food was lukewarm (3 out of 4 of us noticed) and the steaks were ok but nothing spectacular and my medium rare was definitely overlooked to have barely any pink.
The fire alarm went off soon after we received drinks and staff did nothing to appease us. 10 minutes of loud buzzing fire alarm and flashing lights and not even a mention of apology or compensation.
Waited 45 minutes to order because Waiter kept saying he would be right back to do so. Then had to ask for refill of water– twice. Had to request bread basket– twice, and finally brought out AFTER salads were already cleared from table.
Poor service, poor experience, so so food, for a fairly high price tag– no thank you. I won’t be returning.

The bruschetta was good. The steak bites were just okay — tasted like mini chicken fried steak bites. My medium steak was sent medium rare — very thick cut steaks, so might be difficult to be accurate. All and all — I’d go to 615 Club over this place.

One of my favorite restaurants in the area. The filet is always well cooked and the drinks are always well made. I love their martinis and they are served in steel glasses. The stuffed mushrooms are also a must for an appetizer. You’ll have a great time and great wait staff no matter if you sit and eat at the bar or in the dining area. We keep going back!

Went on a Wed. and they were very crowded. Hostess said 20m., I checked around and saw several empty tables. Perhaps not enough wait staff? I got seated in 15m., had a great server. I ordered The Ironworks, a $ 36.95 ribeye, «medium rare». It was very, very rare, which was ok for the leftovers, but not so great that night. This comes with «the works»: «shrimp, scallop & lobster meat blended with buttery breadcrumbs». It tasted like seafood, but any meat was chopped too fine to taste individually. I’d pass on «the works» in the future.
I planned on ordering the Oysters, but discovered they are frozen. Instead I got the French Onion soup, which was just above average, with minimal onions and no toast inside. Nicely browned cheese, tho!
The Au Gratin potatoes were so bad I didn’t bother taking them home.
The $ 30 wine I ordered retails for under $ 10 on-​line. About the usual high markup, I guess.
I’ve had better. I might go back, but not soon.
I filled out the Questionnaire in depth, with my email address. Ten days later, no response.

Me and my wife went there and have steak dinners and Man they were good and the service is very very excellent I recommend this restaurant to anyone if they let go by Beloit Wisconsin you have to try this and the ambiance is very very nice you will not be disappointed

I love this place. It really is a nice establishment and it is a classy place. Love the old building although I wish the old floors could be polished a little bit. My husband and I both had the sirloin steak and we both said, it was the best steak we have ever had. We had soup and salad and those were great. Rolls delicious. Bloody Mary’s great.
Staff always friendly. It is nice to eat outside as you are looking out over the Rock River and there is a band playing. I will be coming back this fall when it turns a little bit more crisp outside.

We held a baby shower at Merrill & Houston’s last Sunday and everything was perfect!!! The room was beautiful and the food was delicious, but the best part was the outstanding customer service and attention to detail provided by Tanya & Nicole! From making sure the room was set up perfectly to accommodating a few last minute changes and even helping fix a broken candy whale for the top of the cake, these two ladies provided excellent customer service and made the day extra special and easy!

Wow! Very impressed with this place. I love the décor and the brick walls and the ambience is on point. Tonight we ordered the crab stuffed mushrooms for an appetizer, and the special baked cod and the petite filet. The stuffed mushrooms were good but I couldn’t taste the crab. The baked cod was meh… Not much flavor at all. The petite filet was excellent! I do have to say the best filet I’ve ever eaten, hands-​down! My martini was served in a stainless steel glass, which was nice to keep it ice cold. The menu doesn’t have a whole lot of options. One option that was confusing was the farm raised Atlantic salmon, which I’m not sure why they would put farm raised on their menu and how can it be farm raised and from the ocean. All in all it was decent and we may return for the petite filet sometime. Oh yeah, and Alex was our server and he was great!

Amazing ribeye — friendly Midwest staff and great atmosphere — what else? Bring your appetite portions are enormous and amazing. Eating at the bar is just as good as table service.

Wow what a great place service was great food was great drinks were great. There was seven of us in our group everybody had a great time dollar for dollar a great deal. I highly recommend. I live on Rockford, il and there is nothing that comes close to this steakhouse just love it.

Food was good, but the stuffed mushrooms were raw and stuffing was cold. They took the mushrooms that we had not eaten and re heated them, did not make a new order or add more mushrooms for the ones we almost ate. My wife ordered a medium rare steak and I ordered a rare steak. When the order came my steak was medium and hers was rare. We sat there for 15 mins before anyone came to the table to see how everything was. The manager came and talked to us but did not deduct any thing off our bill. Will never go here again.

I just realized today how I hadn’t written a review for this place and couldn’t believe it. I love this restaurant so much that I actually received a gift certificate to it for Christmas last year.
The food is delicious, the staff is very friendly, and the drinks are great.
I actually had my wedding reception at the Iron Works, but it was catered by the restaurant and I’ve had people tell me how much they loved the food and want to go to the restaurant to try it now.
My personal favorite for the appetizer is the coconut shrimp and I am a fan of prime rib. If they have specialty cocktails, you can’t go wrong with ordering one.
They also have live bands perform on various nights of the week, so I would call ahead in case you wanted a quiet night or a night when a band is there.

Great steak, great atmosphere, great dinner with my dad. One thing blew me away. The floor was nailed down by old school cut nails. Talk about attention to detail. A billion stars.

I have been to Merrill & Houston’s multiple times since they opened but have finally decided to sit down and write a review.
To start with, the décor is very upscale for Beloit, with a large bar area and additional rooms for banquets or large groups. It does overlook the Rock River and is attached to the Iron Works Hotel. They sometimes have bands that play up front on the weekends. The drinks they offer are very good. The most famous is the Old Fasion which is a Wisconsin staple. Other drinks they make very well include martinis, and they also have a very good selection of wine and beer.
The apps are limited for people who are vegetarian, only offering bruschetta. I was not a huge fan, since it is more like a soft roll with tomatoes and onions on top. I have also tried the stuffed mushrooms which are very good. The bread that they give out for free is amazing, almost like butter is baked into the bread.
I have tried a variety of their main entrees. In regards to their steak, they do have a large selection of types. I have tried the filet and it has been hit or miss. I have tried it at least 3 times and have to say it is a little inconsistent. When prepared correctly, it is awesome. They do tend to over cook steaks, so it is best to tell them to prepare one level less than what you prefer.
As far as desserts, the selection and presentation is excellent. Everything from the Crème brûlée to the banana bread pudding are all excellent.
Service is also a little hit or miss, depending on how busy the restaurant is. Given the limited selection in Beloit, it is a good choice for fine dining. If you are vegetarian, they will accommodate you with some entrees. If nothing else, it is a great place for drinks and dessert.

I go to Beloit about once every 3 months for business. It was suggested that I stay in the Ironworks Hotel and Merrill & Houston’s is attached so it seemed logical to stay close.
I met a client there for dinner this past Wednesday. The place is awesomely decorated with the fireplaces and wood, very well done like a good steakhouse ought to be. It seemed busy at the bar and the 2 «hosts» and the restaurant were clearly unprepared for the influx of people. We were seated about 6:45 for a 6:30 reservation and the tables in the dining area were not full at all.
Our server was excellent. He did a great job explaining the specials and was prompt, courteous. I couldn’t ask for anything else. We ordered the coconut shrimp which were unimpressive for the price. They were clearly frozen out of a bag, and best described as «meh». The Brushetta was excellent. I’m used to crusty bread with the tomatoes and spices on top. They chopped in mozzarella which was a nice change, and the bread was «puffy» and softer. It was good.
Both of our steaks were excellent. Nice cuts of Ribeyes that were cooked 100% perfect. They have this down. It was well seasoned, tender and delicious. Highly suggested. The butter sauteed mushrooms were forgettable and the fried onions I could have done without.
I’m wavering between 3 and 4 stars so I’ll give the benefit of the doubt to Merrill & Houstons.