Mercantile Dining & Provision

I stopped by for a pastry — bad decision. I purchased a bacon sticky bun which ultimately turned out to be a cooking show science experiment that cost me $ 4. While it initially looked good — it was nasty. I’m guessing the crust was supposed to be bacon bits but I’m not sure what it was — tasted like burnt crispies from the bottom of a toaster oven. The real surprise were the embedded bits of paper — like muffin tin liners or maybe it was pastry paper? Regardless — it provided an unique and chewy experience. Save your money and go to Dunkin Donuts.

I love Mercantile! We stopped by on my way to work to grab a quick coffee and breakfast sandwich. Needless to say, the almond croissant stole my heart away– so tasty!!! The staff was incredibly helpful, which made the experience even better. Definitely need to come back for lunch!

A «must dine» place for a hipster, an up-​n-​coming executive, and/​or someone attempting to leave a favorable impression on a client, a date, or a group of friends.
Creekstone Beef Tartare — tried it once, now it will be the guilty pleasure I will be coming back for.
Pork Shank — ahhh… mazing
Both seriously exceeded my expectations :)
Only reason it’s not a 5… It’s not cheap

I made reservations for this place thru OpenTable thru Unilocal.I tried to edit my reservation by calling the restaurant but they never replied to my voicemail & it was evident that they didn’t when I arrived @ my table & the # of chairs was for the original party size. Luckily, some people in my group dropped out last minute so we only needed to add 1 more chair.
This restaurant is in great location right off of Union Station. It is connected by a hallway & they share the same restroom. They have a day market inside where you can buy cheese, meats & spices. They serve breakfast as early as 7AM, brunch, lunch & dinner. I tried the dinner.
For appetizers I tried the shishito peppers à la Plancha with sesame caramel, crispy pig’s ears for $ 8. It had a nice kick & crunch. I would order this again for sure. I loved how creative the dish was. I also tried the Marrow Bone Brûlée with port shallot marmalade, poached pears, point reyes blue, herbed parmesan bread for $ 13. I had never seen bone marrow that looked so white before. It is subpar to the bone marrow @ Acorn but was still good.
For my entrée I tried the Spanish octopus à la Plancha with crispy anson mills polenta, spicy tomato broth, and dried fig & pine nut tapenade for $ 26. The octopus was nicely cooked & was not @ all chewy. The portion sizes aren’t too big but you end up being pretty full if you order an appetizer as well. I also tried the lobster spaghetti, a dish I would order again & again! It had poached Maine lobster, pancetta bread crumbs & house made spaghetti. It was delicious and spicy because the waiter scissored some fresh dried pepper onto the dish.
I like how they have a coat check when you enter the restaurant & how all the waiters serve all the guests’ dishes @ once (so you’ll have several waiters come out @ once). The Late for Church cocktail was 1 of the best cocktails I’ve ever had (aylesbury duck vodka, banane du bresil, amaro di angostura, orange, lemon, prosecco $ 11). I ordered it because I saw that it had banana liquer in it & I’m a huge banana fan. The drink however, was so subtle that I couldn’t really detect the banana.
I cannot wait to come back for breakfast/​brunch/​lunch.

I am from Los Angeles and this place reminds me of Mendocino Farms, which is one of my favorite sandwich spots! The food at Mercantile is amazing. If you are dining there for lunch, they have a community style dining room where you will have to place your order with the cashier, provide them with your cell phone number, take a seat, and then pick up your food at the kitchen once you’ve received a text that your food is ready! The only menu available is the on the wall that is found behind the cashier. At night, they have a more formal dining where you check your coat and find a table where a waitress will take your order.
The restaurant is located in the Union Station, so you get a taste of both traditional and modern décor. Once you’ve entered (located down the end of the hallway), you will find a bar, open concept kitchen, and the dining room. Again, the atmosphere here is great! The wait staff are all very friendly.
I ordered the Short Rib Sandwich — $ 11 and it was great. The meat was very juicy and tender. I was torn between this sandwich and the Banh Mi, maybe I will have to try that the next time I am in town. The sandwich comes with a side of pickled vegetables like celery, pepper, carrots, and cauliflower. It didn’t look like anything special, but after your first bite, you’re going to be wanting more! I also had the Kettle Chips which is another winner. It isn’t very thinly sliced so the edges are crispy, but the middle is still a bit soft which gave it a nice texture. It is also salted, so there’s flavor.
Overall, this is a great spot to check out if you’re by the Union Station!

Stopped in here for breakfast after hearing there was nearly a 2 hour wait at snooze.
The space is very nice looking, bright, uniquely furnished.
The barista who we placed our order with was very very friendly and polite, definitely made us feel welcome.
The food was top notch. I had the croque madame and my boyfriend had the pastrami hash. Neither were huge portions, but they were definitely sufficient and both very rich, so they were just right, both were VERY delicious.
I will definitely be back to try out their dinner menu. I’m a big fan. The bread and pastries are all made in house and they have a market that sells some interesting sounding items which I also look forward to trying.
It’s going to be a little more expensive than your average café, but the food was high quality and certainly worth it.

Food looked great. Service was unfortunate. They sat me at a table that rested on my knee. I would have preferred a high chair. Disappointing.

Mercantile is hands down, one of the most delicious, enjoyable, memorable dinners I’ve ever had. It is located inside of the Union Station building. Walking in, you are entering their «market» which has counters and walls, where the Fruition Farms provisions are for sale. In the middle of the market is a large bar serving cocktails and coffee. You can either sit at their bar, or at the high-​top tables surrounding the bar. As you walk further in, you enter the restaurant. Which is very open and calming and rustic. Their dining room was absolutely beautiful, but we asked the hostess if we could sit at the chef’s counter, which looks into their big, open kitchen.
I kept turning around in my chair, looking in every direction because I loved looking around the market and the restaurant, which blend very well together. The entire place was packed on a Sunday night and had such great energy! I felt like we were eating in NYC! It had that kind of «big city» feel.
Dylan was our server and he was very informative and charismatic over their menu. Don’t bother asking «What’s good here?» EVERYTHING is good at Mercantile! From the ambiance of the restaurant, to the presentation of the dishes, you can tell that this place REALLY cares to make a lasting impression and that they pay close attention to every little detail. Grant was our wine sommelier that night, and we had him pick each wine to go with our dishes — he went above and beyond to make sure our drinks paired perfectly with our food! Top notch service!
We started with their iberico which was on special. Oh my gosh. It melts in your mouth and just tasted salty and delicate! Their Pig Face Croquettes were crispy and fatty and came with a 61 degree farmhouse egg for dipping, as well as roasted brussels sprouts, crispy kale, lentil granola, and mustard vinaigrette. The combination of flavors in this dish was insane! The mustard vinaigrette in each bite was the perfect touch. I could eat 3 of those dishes as my dinner and be perfectly happy.
For dinner, I had the Acquerello Mushroom Risotto, with truffle brined egg yolk & parmesan truffle sabayon. If you love truffle and mushrooms, get this dish! It was so hearty, creamy, and rich! Dylan also brought over some toasted bread so that I could dip it in my risotto which just took me to cloud-​freaking-​9!!! My husband had the Bone-​In Smoked Pork Shank which came with vanilla roasted sweet potatoes and coconut emulsion. The pork shank fell off of the bone, and the sweet potatoes was a delicious and unique compliment! The portion size of the dishes were so big but we ate all of it!
To finish, we had the Milk Chocolate Pot de Crème which was salty from the caramel, and sweet from the vanilla chantilly cream. Perfect nightcap.
I can’t wait to come back here. It’s pricey, but worth every penny in my opinion. Definitely one of the top 3 restaurants in Denver!

Very friendly and very polite staff!
Food tastes very clean, lots of taste and flavor
I wish we had this in Chi town would be on my favorite list
I really recommend !!!

Great place! Cute, charming, with great ambiance. Order at the register to be seated in the dining room or pull up a barstool. We enjoyed sitting at the bar — the bartender was awesome, but every time the door opened we froze :(
The pastrami sandwich was delectable. I also enjoyed a twist on a Moscow mule called the skinny Dennis, but I think my absolute favorite thing at lunch was a glass of some of the most delicious dolcetto ‘San Luigi’ Pecchenino, Dogliano — Italy (and so reasonably priced at $ 11/​glass).
I can’t wait to go back and try the pastrami hash Benedict! (Note: only served for breakfast)

Loved this so much! Great for a splurge night. Went and sat at the bar.
Great drinks to start and our waiter was awesome! From Michigan, like me :)
The octopus was amazing! Seeing as this is a protein that I feel it is tough to get right, I was more than a little impressed. The flavors and textures were perfect.
I will definitely be returning

Well worth the wait! We had been wanting to try Mercantile for a few months now, and finally had the chance to stop in. There were 4 of us, and Monica was our server. She was lovely. It was mom’s birthday, and we noted that in the reservation, and they did so many adorable things to celebrate. We got tasters of some wine upon arrival, and a beautiful ‘happy birthday’ in melted chocolate on the plate of a dessert we ordered. AND a card from the staff. So sweet. On to the food… wow wow wow. We all noted how execution was on point. All of the food ooked amazing. We started with the king crab and a pork dish. Both were delicious. For entrees, two of us had the lamb gnocchi (A+), the seabass, and pork shank. We finished with the carrot cake and another chocolate dessert.
I’d recommend to anyone looking for a delicious place to eat. Service was wonderful, the ambiance was great (not too loud, but definitely not stuffy). Another win for the fruition family!

I’m not sure if I was besotted with Mercantile because it was my birthday when dined there, or if it’s because the Mercantile is just that good, but I’m going to go with the latter.
The ambiance is reminiscent of something in the Napa Valley with a bit of an upscale country vibe and farm to table flavor. Loved the muted color palate, all of the windows and the carefully selected fixtures.
The food is the very best part. I could go on and on and on and still not do it justice. The gnocchi with short rib was magically delicious. As I ate each little delicate pillow, I willed the dish not to come to an end. The short rib also melted in my mouth… I’m practically salivating writing about it.
The squash soup is cleverly served with cream an muesli, which adds a unique and flavorful twist to a typically traditional dish. It was so rich and nutty and felt hearty without being overbearing, like a warm hug from a close friend.
I can’t even remember the name of our dessert because it was so good I thought I had died when I ate it. Really. It was some sort of pot de crème, and my husband, who is usually content to let me have ¾ of our dessert (one of the many reasons I married him) practically fought me for the last bite. On my birthday, no less.
I’d tried to make a reservation for Mercantile in June for our anniversary, but found it impossible to get in. A friend tipped me off that if you show up between 4:30−5, you’re likely to be able to walk right in (That proved to be true for us on a Thursday at 4:50).

I had high hopes here based on their sister restaurant Fruition. Mercantile delivered on all aspects.
Great tasting food. Good looking presentation. Awesome waiter Ben. Stiff cocktail with a great sounding name. «Girls Who Smoke.»
We shared their beet salad. My entrée was the Spanish Octopus à la Plancha. It’s crispy anson mills polenta, spicy tomato broth, dried fig and pine nut tapenade. $ 26. This dish was perfectly executed. The octopus was tender but not too soft. It retained its structure. So that when it arrived on the table it was the best looking octopus! Slightly crunchy outer side and seared tentacle ends. The taste? Clean but very much retained the seafood aspect of it. I love it! The fact that it wasn’t stripped of it’s taste made this dish a cut above the rest.
I needed something equally outstanding to accompany my pretty octopi. Scotch for a cold night. I don’t smoke, but the main star in this drink was Monkey Shoulder Scotch. Perfect hint of smoky aroma and oh so silky. A while back I tried this particular scotch and was caught off guard by it’s unique blend of three malts. Add to this Mercantile’s own addition of de maguey Vidal Mezcal, velenost vistol, martini amaro bass and, apricot brandy and black walnut bitters. End result: Stiff drink that is memorable and can go toe to toe with my equally memorable entrée.
So in summary, this is a successful first visit and we know we’re definitely coming back!

After such a great meal, I discovered that I may have dropped my drivers license on the floor near where I was seated. I phoned the restaurant the next evening. They have an answering machine that allows you to leave a message, but there is no option to get a live person on the line. I left my info and reason for calling. The message says that they will return calls by 2pm the next day.
While I know that it is my fault for dropping my id on the floor, I was shocked that no one has phoned me back to at least say they don’t have it! I live in CA and cannot return there to see if it is there. I was hoping to have it sent if it was found.
A phone call to say they didn’t have it would have been the best customer service. Instead, I’m left still wondering? It has been almost 48 hours with no return call.
My original review of their food was stellar.

Mercantile is one of our favorite restaurants in Denver, and we compare most other places to it. Amazing, innovative food, appropriate portions, and just… good. I really dislike the word «yummy» but can totally see the Food Network folks dropping the «Y» word left and right on this place. It’s not a cheap place for dinner (drinks are my downfall) and we have yet to leave there with a sub-​$ 100 tab… but this is one of the few places where I feel comfortable saying «yeah, it’s worth it.»
I met the owner and head chef a few times at various events in the city as well as at Food & Wine, and these guys take their craft seriously. Everything is made in-​house, from curing meats to pastas. Their bartenders are top-​notch as well; order off the menu or tell them what you like, and be ready.
I never order pasta out a restaurant… but here, you should. I’m not going to tell you what to get, because their menu changes with the seasons, so basically… try everything and leave happy. We usually sit at the bar so we can chat with the bartender (s) about what they like the most at the moment; this strategy hasn’t failed yet.
Seriously, get there now.

(Let me preface this by saying I didn’t know Mercantile was open for breakfast, let alone KILLING it at breakfast.)
So we go and check in at Snooze, against my will. I hate Snooze. Their prices are over the top for what appears and tastes to be simple breakfast food. I didn’t think anyone else at Union Station offered breakfast. After hearing that it was a 120 MINUTE WAIT from the somewhat snotty hostess, I turned on my heel and walked out. But wait… Mercantile was open and bright. They serve breakfast?!
So Craig and I sit down and get chocolate milk and coffee and low and behold… they have house made pickles! We ordered a bacon caramel sticky bun ($ 4!) the Mercantile Hash ($ 10), 2 over easy eggs ($ 3), a prosecco, a Bloody Mary, and the pickles ($ 3). Turns out… it’s a whole PLATE of pickles! Bonus.
The bartender/​server was AWESOME. We got to watch the patisserie pull the croissants out of the oven, and the barbacks make espressos and lattes. Furthermore… the bill, with a champagne and a Bloody Mary, was $ 38. YOU SNOOZE YOU LOSE! Who would seriously wait 120 minutes? My breakfast had Fruition farm fresh Brussels sprouts, parsnips, cured ham, a poached egg over house made hash browns and a lemon hollandaise.
I’ll be back for the bone marrow. xo.

Thanks to Unilocal,I was able to find this cute place to dine during a work trip to Denver! I would’ve never known to look in the station for such a great meal!
To start, I had the grilled naan that came with yogurt, jam, and pâté – delicious! Then I ordered the Spanish octopus which was perfect and not tough or chewy. It was also sitting on a bed of patatas bravas. The flavors were beautiful together. I had a couple glasses of labrusco and call it a perfect meal.
I know the menu changes up based on available ingredients and seasonal flavors, so I cannot wait for my next Denver visit because I’ll definitely be back for another meal.

When you find a restaurant with a unique and fresh concept compounded with sincere and knowledgeable staff, there’s no other rating to give it than ‘as good as it gets.’ Writing this review after my third dining experience at Mercantile, I feel I am properly equipped to speak to the quality menu and servers.
The restaurant’s concept, of with I am sure everyone is familiar, is an open style layout with a wrap around bar in the middle serving delicious cocktails and coffee. The kitchen also opens up into the ‘market’ style eatery allowing for everyone to see to action in the kitchen. Along the walls, the Fruition Farms provisions are for sale. Everything from cured meats to cheeses.
Though the aesthetics of the eatery really appeal to me, I’d have to say I love the good even more. The charcuterie (or provision plate) is, without fail, one of the best vid ever had. They load it up with all the essentials, and embellishments, like interesting jellies, jardinière, preserves to make the flanked shine through even more. This most recent visit, I thoroughly enjoyed the cucumber gazpacho (so fresh and crisp — perfect for a summer evening. And topped with puffed grain crumble and a delicious sheep cheese) and the Bucatini pasta. The noodles were perfectly cooked and obviously made in house as they were thick and hearty and robust with flavor as was the sauce.
Our server was enthusiastic in educating us on each dish and made it a mission to make sure we ordered the right thing for us. He even listened to our specific likes and dislikes and carefully suggested various dishes for each of us. He even took the time to walk me through the cocktail list to happily craft a ‘mocktail’ just for me. It was delicious with mint and ginger. I enjoyed just as much as i would have enjoyed an actual cocktail with a little booze in there.
I suspect I will be enjoying Mercantile a lot more in the near future.

Whoa, is this place good! We stopped in on a Sunday for a late lunch and the whole experience was top notch. Not only is the space beautiful, but the service was fantastic (I dug our cashier’s personality!) and the food was worth every penny. Before grabbing ourselves a table on the outdoor patio, I had a chance to see all the plates of food the kitchen was pumping out and it all looked so beautiful.
The two of us shared the short rib sandwich, truffle chips and quinoa salad and were blown away by the flavors and execution of it all. The polenta croutons, lentil granola and goat cheese made the salad, but that short rib sandwich was definitely the star of the show. Not only do you get a beyond decently-​sized sandwich, but they do not skimp on the meat, which was braised to perfection.
This is the perfect lunch destination, if you ask me!