Merchants Pub & Plate

Merchants Pub and Plate is a delightful place with locally sourced food that tastes delicious. Everything tasted fresh and it was expertly plated. The price wasn't too steep for the excellent quality. We were seated on the upper floor and had a lovely time. The staff was knowledgeable and friendly, and we will definitely be back!

The food was very good and reasonably priced unless you pick steak which is expensive anywhere you go. Nice atmosphere in an older building. Great location in the middle of the town. Nice area to take an after dinner walk. Service was just ok but the host was great and very friendly.

This is such a cool place in Lawrence. Every time we go, it's incredible. All the food is so amazing. The building is just beautiful. If you sit upstairs you can watch the entire restaurant. Just a really great place with great food.

Great recommendation from a Lawrence local while on a work trip. Atmosphere chill, not too loud. Server remembered my GF needs from ordering apps and corrected my burger order (thank you!) Good wine list. All around very nice time! Thnx Merchants.

Loved our date night dinner. The KC Strip was perfectly seared. The duck fat fried potatoes were delicious. My wife enjoyed the goat cheese dip and the macaroni and cheese.

Came here for a work lunch, and I was thrilled with everything! The Brussel sprouts were phenomenal, and the yam fries were both crispy and soft. Solid burger with fantastic fresh toppings!

The building is clean and modern. I love the artwork on the walls. The service was impeccable. Shannon was our server. She didn't miss a beat. I noticed the staff helped each other, ALL of our food came out at the same time, which was nice. Now the food! Amazing! They locally source their ingredients, and it shows. We started with deviled eggs, pork belly, and Manchego cheese bites. I had the burger, it was delicious. Also tried the cornbread BLT, the bun and tomatoes were the stars of that dish. The Bloody Mary was on point! I would highly recommend going here.

Went in on a Saturday night in summer. It was busy and we didn’t have a booking so we waited maybe 15 mins to be seated in the bar area. Drinks were good, specialty cocktails and good local beers. The famous Brussels sprouts are a MUST. So tasty, cooked to perfections and glazed and dressed beautifully. We also ordered the tortellini and the sweet potato quinoa burger. Definitely a favorite on Mass st.

Fries were so small felt like I had to use a spoon to eat then , everything else was good tho

This felt like the perfect restaurant to stumble upon early in 2025 with my New Year's Resolution set. When I went to LFK for a KU game I was picturing eating fried sports bar food I'd surely have to make up for walking up the huge hill to campus. Alas, we decided to check out Merchants. I was thoroughly impressed by the down to earth restaurant. It's super cool that the restaurant is in an old bank and that the bathroom is in the vault! We started with the Butternut Squash Arancini that looked like falafels served over sauce. It was super yummy but not too filling before our mains. The Cauliflower Tikka Masala was amazing. I really liked that it wasn't served over rice. Instead, I got to savor all of the flavors spread over the cauliflower and with the naan. It is also really nice that the restaurant does a fantastic job marking all of the dietary guidelines for every item. That makes ordering so much easier than having to ask a waiter about each dish that you want.

Let me just say this.... The sad part about this review is that I was very happy when I first came in. I was sitting at a high top by myself and had a very kind and attentive server. For context- I am traveling for work in a city I've never been to before and I wanted to try a new place that seemed to be popular around the hotel I'm staying at. I came in for dinner around 5:30 and wanted a bar seat so I'm not taking up a whole table for just myself. Unfortunately, none were available so I sat alone at a high top for a drink until someone got up from the bar. When the couple got up I came to the bar to sit down in the corner and the bartender saw me, smiled and did not even think to clean up the space. I sat with dirty glasses from the people there before me for at least 30 minutes (never even offered to wipe down the space). BTW the plate was mine after I finished eating which was served to be in the mess lol. But, I kept trying to push them towards the end because I find that pretty nasty to eat around. The bartender never asked me if I needed anything or came to clean up. The other bartender that seemed to be serving the bar high tops....awesome. he finally came back to me at the bar and continued to serve me another drink and cleaned up. Disappointed that the other one didn't give me the time of day or even clean up the space for me to eat when my food arrived. Otherwise, the food was good. The other bartender made up for this experience. Will give another try and hope it gets better.

After living in Lawrence for a few years and experiencing the local dining scene. I'd like to share that Merchants remains one of my top picks for brunch (collectively with the Roost) and dinner. On a casual day, it was relatively easy to go down Mass Street and decide somewhere to eat. However, on a busy week, particularly a weekend, based upon where you go, you will usually have to wait a few minutes before they can fit you and your party. Well, because of the longer wait times and my lack of patience, I used to avoid merchants since I knew I'd have to wait for seating. However, on a day when I was not as starved and determined to be more patient, there was actually no wait at all, and my friends and I were seated instantly. Furthermore, even if there was a wait, I would have done it again because the truffle goat cheese dip is well worth it. I have yet to find a restaurant that serves anything like the unique dish so far. Brussels sprouts are another one of my favorites. I was never a fan of Brussels sprouts until I tried them here, and I don't think I'll ever be able to hate them again. I'm looking forward to returning and trying more of their menu items. But, for the time being, if you want something a little more upscale but not overly elegant or pricey, I recommend Merchants.

I love Merchants. Every trip to Lawrence we have to eat there. The steak it's awesome, the ravioli and the hamburger. Highly recommend

My first visit was amazing and I can't wait to return. The "upscale casual" concept is comforting, the staff were friendly, and the food was phenomenal. We ordered the honey chipotle chicken sandwich and the chicken and dumplings. I'm not a fan of goat cheese but oh my, the cilantro goat cheese spread that is on the chicken sandwich was super tasty and makes me second-guess my dislike of this particular cheese. Their take on chicken and dumplings is a stretch but the flavor doesn't disappoint.

This was my second time in Lawrence KS and my sister's first. We came out to visit family in the area. We all decided on Merchants Pub and Plate. Our server was Arthur and he couldn't have been more polite or helpful, considering how many questions we peppered him with about the entrees. I also loved the impressive list of mocktail offerings--my Frenchie (a take on the French 75) was balanced and refreshing. Everyone else at the table had various beers. My sis mentioned having a Kolsch in Cologne, and apparently Americans are serving it all wrong--should be consumed ice cold in a small glass, not a pint. But hey, we are far from Germany and that's nitpicking. We shared deviled eggs on bacon jam and the pork belly burnt ends (interestingly spicy preparations), both delicious, but my award goes to the eggs! Entrees included the pork chop, short rib rigatoni (special), NOLA gnocchi and the least hungry among us had the chicken bahn meatballs app as a meal. Everyone enjoyed their selections. I rounded things out with the coconut lime panna cotta (special) and sis had tutti frutti sorbet. Apparently, tutti frutti should simply be called raspberry according to her taste buds. I loved loved loved my panna cotta, though the presentation appeared to have suffered a mishap during plating. Please settle a bet for me, because I tasted plum & cherry in my raspberry puree garnish (similar to vintage Gerber's strained plum baby food), which I happened to love. This is a cool place, nicely decorated with friendly staff with lots of interesting cocktails. Check them out. If I lived closer, I eat through the entire menu, starting with the Korean fried chicken steamed bun tacos.

This place was SO delicious. I was in town with my friends and sister, so we picked a place close to where we were staying. Every piece of food we had was SO yummy. Would absolutely go out of my way to go here again. The inside was spacious and inviting. All the staff was nice, but our waiter was a bit snarky when ordering. They accidentally spilled some red sauce on my friend, but they went out of their way to help her clean up. They even found a tide stick!

This place is consistently awesome - I've been here multiple times over the last several years.  It's my go-to when I'm in town.  While it's no longer one of the few places with vegan options, it's certainly the best.  Everyone will be able to find something here. There's likely not much left to be said that hasn't already, so to be brief, it simply has all the things: dietary friendly options (dairy-free/vegan/gluten-free/celiac), all the beverages (cocktails/mocktails/beer/wine/kombucha), all the seating (bar/high tops/patio/groups), all the vibes/ambience/atmosphere, excellent service/friendly staff/reasonable wait times, reasonable prices, a solid happy hour, kids menu, lunch specials, delicious and unique food options, locally sourced options, brunch, the bathroom is even cool -- I could go on forever. To summarize: the blueprint for 'how-it's-done' in the restaurant space.

This is the best meal I've had in a very long time. I have to eat gluten free and everything was VERY clearly marked for gluten, nuts, milk and vegetarian restrictions. The bun on my burger wasn't crumbly as so many gluten free buns are. Do yourself a favor and get the brussel sprouts. We both ordered dessert and it was well worth it. The service was excellent. They take reservations which was very convenient. The ambiance is unique and fits the menu well. We will absolutely be back.

My Husband and I stopped in last week for Happy Hour. Our bartender server Whitney was the greatest. It was early so it wasn't too crowded and not to noisy, you could carry on a conversation. We hadn't seen the deviled eggs or hummus on the menu before so we decided on those. Also my husband wanted a burger and to try the potatoes ... we ordered some more. Their food is fresh and tasty it's hard not to try 1 of everything all at once. It was all delicious I recommend this restaurant.

Wonderful. Love the building itself. Such a beautiful set up. Staff was very welcoming. Ordered the Pear Pressure and Winter Sangria; they did not disappoint. I loved the Brussel sprouts!! Enjoyed the salmon bruchetta and I added 2 poached eggs on the side. Our experience was lovely. This place won't disappoint.

I'd give this a solid 3.5 stars. Cute place. They were half empty but sat us right next to a bussing station. After being bumped into repeatedly asked to move and were accommodated but seems weird they would even seat us there. Shared the labneh app which was good, the brussels sprouts which were amazing and the bee stings which were unimpressive. Had the goat cheese ravioli and it was good but shockingly bland for goat cheese, lacked the expected tang. Fun cocktail menu.

Really nice upscale restaurant (without being overly fancy). Remodeled former bank with multi level seating. The food is really good, as is their craft beer selection (around 30 rotating taps). They also have a full bar, if craft beer is not what you're into. This is a very popular spot so it's a good idea to have a reservation. The service is always very good - friendly, knowledgeable and helpful staff. I had dinner with my son there earlier this week and we both enjoyed the Short Rib dish. Great place to go if you're in the heart of Laurence (Mass Street) and want a really good meal or to just grab a great beer at the bar.

Love this restaurant! A friend took me here for lunch and it was awesome! The building architecture is cool. The decor and design is beautiful, even the restroom. The radio station that day was a Doobie Brothers radio station on a Spotify play list. The ambiance was chill and relaxing. Our server was friendly and attentive. I ordered a glass of wine to start and the grilled steak Cobb salad. At first I wasn't thrilled with paying $24 dollars for a salad, but this one was worth every penny. It seemed like a weird combo to have all the different ingredients like egg salad mix, pickled onions, steak with cinnamon balsam syrup, the candied bacon, and rosemary blue cheese dressing but let me tell you, every single flavor stood out and complemented one another. It was like a symphony in my mouth!!!! Beethoven couldn't have conducted this masterpiece better. Because I was so impressed with this salad, their cheesecake caught my eye and I added that to my order to take home but not without tasting it first. Oh man was this like heaven in my mouth! The animal cracker crust was a perfect blend to absorb the flavors of the red wine syrup. The fresh mango passion fruit was a lovely choice to top off the smooth creamy white chocolate cheesecake. What a treat! All of my food was so wonderful, I don't even remember what my friend ordered. This was a great experience and I will be back with family and friends!!

I love Merchants! Typically I get to come first lunch or brunch, I love their Dill Pickle Martini and Potato Leek soup. Although I've loved everything I've ordered from the menu. This time we went for a friend's bday and I had the salmon baguette And it was so good the salmon was cooked perfectly and the bread was nice and crusty outside with a soft inside. Our cheese platers were great starters as well. My friend got the short rib has and it was fire flames!!! We love it here. You should visit if you haven't.

What a fun place for a Saturday brunch. $5 mimosas and bloody Mary's. They have a fun cocktail list and a great brunch menu. Table ordered the poutine, soup of the day, fries. I wasn't a fan of the fries, they were a little flimsy and too skinny for me. Our waitress was also having a difficult day and I think she may have been stretched a bit thin.

Excellent food, very fresh and eclectic (farm-to-table). Excellent dietary menu, can make just about everything every which way - wife is celiac and they made hers perfectly. We'd drive to Lawrence just for this spot. Also..English nitro pub ale!

Very celiac friendly, There are lots of options on the menu that are already gluten free! Often places will have very few items that are gluten free or let alone safe for someone with celiac. It's so wonderful to have delusions food that's gluten free.

Not sure where to start. I gave this place plenty of tries and it failed miserably. Bad food, bad service, highly pretentious. Once came here with a group of friends. Got an order of chips with dip for appetizer. Chips were stale and old. Server took the chips and came back bringing the same chips that they microwaved. Now we got stale old chips but hot. Another time I had a dish served with long black hair. They took the dish away since I refused to eat it but they didn't take it out of the bill until I reminded them. They didn't apologize about the situation, just took off the item from the bill. I still come here with friends if they insist but would never eat here again and would not recommend it to anyone.

Delightful food, in a seriously cool environment. This is an old bank, and they did a great job keeping the charm and cool elements of the bar, while transforming it into a fun, yummy and welcoming experience. We came for brunch, and we were able to be seated without a wait, which is lovely. Short rib poutine was really good, and the smoked salmon baguette was yummy too. We will be back!

Beautiful, sunny afternoon, But we spent a lot of money to be sat in a dark, depressing, isolated corner on the third floor. So odd. The food was fine as it always is. But I could have made a delicious lunch and sat my family in our windowless attic, for the same effect. AND, when we arrived, the first floor was 70% empty. AND, when we left, the first floor was 70% empty. Bleh.

Best gourmet restaurant ever . The food is Top The taste , the ambience and the is over the top You won't regret to make reservations there . I had the most excellent food and service ever . Trust me you won't be disappointed!

LOVE THIS PLACE. Known for their Brussel sprouts and literally this is my entree that I get. It's maple balsamic glazed Brussel sprouts with apricots and nuts on top. These are the best ever and I have gone here many times, all the entrees are amazing. This place is so pretty inside too. Highly recommend. Also is open pretty late!

What an inconsiderate restaurant with poor customer service in a college town. This is not even a bow-tie kind of restaurant, we've been to more upscale restaurants that would have been welcoming too, especially during lunch hours/afternoon.

What a lovely find. Super service and deliciously different food. Perfect for a nice lunch. Tacos, soup and goat cheese dip all wonderful. Thanks

Always a favorite stop for us while in Lawrence. Couldn't ask for a better menu, especially if you have any dietary concerns. Dog friendly patio is a huge perk. Great service and everything has been delicious on every trip. Mocktails and cocktails to die for!

Merchants never fails me. I've been 10+ times at this point and have never had an experience that left a bad taste in my mouth. I don't think there has been a single visit where I didn't order the In a Pickle Martini. It's very simple, a little pricy, but absolutely impossible to refuse in my opinion. Service is typically very good with the servers being kind and knowledgeable about the menu. Pictured is the deviled pickled beet eggs which was recommended by my waitress last time I went. They were amazing! One of my other all-time favorites is the gochujang chicken pasta which is an entree. VERY good and filling. The restaurant is located in an old bank and is super cute. Plenty of seating on all three levels plus some outdoor seating on nice days! Would recommend a reservation if your group is big or you're going at a busy time.

Great job Merchants!!! My son is a freshman at KU go Jayhawks. I'm so glad we've found this restaurant to come back to visit. Last night, I picked him up for a "non-dining hall" dinner. He choice the Ribeye medium- and loved it, was full & will bring his gf here this weekend. We started off with burnt ends app- not KC burnt ends but burnt ends with a tangy sauce with sautéed sunflower seeds & sweet cucumbers. It was delicious. I had the tortellini with chicken- perfection. The restaurant had 2 story ceiling with lots of school house lights- beautiful fan fixture and windows for days. It's a beauty. We will definitely come back!!! Please try this place- it's wonderful!

Came here for a birthday brunch on a Saturday and absolutely loved our experience!! Service is fantastic and super attentive. The interior is super bright with a ton of natural lighting and a modern farmhouse feel. There is a wide variety of fun menu items for everyone to enjoy. We started with the Truffle Goat Cheese Dip, Bee Stings, and Brussel Sprouts (which they are famous for!). All were absolutely delicious! I ordered the chorizo and sweet potato hash and added avocado and it was delicious! We also had two of us get their breakfast burrito and OMG that was delicious!! Definitely a great spot for brunch!! Will be returning!

Great meal and wonderful atmosphere! Very high ceilings and loved the decor. Our server was great and went above and beyond to provide an excellent experience! If I lived in town this would definitely be my go-to spot!

Food and service was great!!! Right in the heart of Downtown Lawrence. I highly recommend trying Merchants.

Excellent consistent food. Good variety. Interesting menu and libations. Service was great.

This is a great local spot. The food is good, they have a great beer list and the cocktails are good. Service is good and it's always a good time. It's beautiful on the inside and a very comfortable place to visit. Give it a try!

Food--unique and really tasty! Spices just right and creative combinations. 8/10; Ambience--old bank lobby with original lighting. High ceilings made hearing difficult 7/10; service not great--little attention and our order was wrong 6/10

This place was great! We were in town for the UK/KU basketball game in late Jan and made reservations ahead of time for a group of 5. We maybe had a 5 minute wait when we arrived. It was an unseasonably nice day so they were utilizing their outdoor seating too but our seats were inside. Large restaurant with lots of seating. Bathrooms were very clean and nice. Wait staff and hostess were all very nice and polite. As starters, our table ordered the deviled eggs and short rib poutine. Both were great but that poutine was excellent... definitely get this starter. Fresh cut/handcut fries are always the best so topped that with the short rib, cheese curds, chimichurri... Mmmm, so good! Everyone had something different at our table... bison burger, honey chipotle chicken sandwich, salmon, and something else (can't remember)... I had the Korean fried chicken dish... can't remember the exact name and it's not currently on the menu. I was just in the mood for some sort of Asian dish so this fit the bill. The base were noodles with the Korean sauce coated chicken on top. Soooo good. I couldn't eat it all and very much wished that I could've taken home the leftovers but being we were headed to the game, I couldn't. :( Our table was highly impressed with everything we ordered. I would definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone in the area.

Went to Merchants Pub and Plate on a Friday afternoon for drinks and dinner. We were there for a couple of hours enjoying food and conversation with our of town family. They were very accommodating with our request for a table for 7. Shannon was our server, was very attentive and did a great job! The lamb pappardelle was very savory. The lobster rigatoni was excellent. Chicken Marsala and Quinoa burger were also very tasty. Highly recommended.

This little gem is neatly nestled in the heart of downtown Lawrence. It's located in a historic building that was originally purposed as a bank. It's a beautiful building with multiple levels to dine on. Our first experience here was a good one! I took my wife for her birthday. We ordered cocktails, and the truffle goat cheese dip. The Sangria was amazing, as was my Old Fashioned. The truffle goat cheese dip was served with fig jam and blue corn tortilla chips. It was delicious. My wife ordered the Korean fried chicken, and I had a sea bass special. Both were very good. The sear on my sea bass was perfection. Our server was average, but she was friendly and attentive. I failed to take pictures of the food, unfortunately. It was so amazing looking when it arrived at the table, we couldn't help ourselves from diving right in!

We stopped by Saturday with out of town guests who wanted a "in-a-pickle" cocktail. The first ones we received tasted awful, like no vodka, just water. Sent back and the next tasted the same. I suspect the bartender was adding way to much vermouth. It was dissapointing, becasue we always have a great experience there. The appetisers were scrumpsious though, thus the three stars, for the apps only.

Came here on a random weeknight with my husband, son, brother and mom. We made a 6:30 reservation but arrived early at 6. We asked if we could be seated early to enjoy some appetizers while we waited on my husband, but they seemed a little hesitant to do so. I thought that was odd since the restaurant wasn't very busy, but they did end up getting us a table, so it ended up being fine. Otherwise, our host was friendly and our server was great. We shared the paprika lemon hummus and the crispy pork belly + kitchen waffle. The hummus was standard, but tasty. The pork belly was good, but I thought the waffle just tasted like a normal waffle. I ordered the Korean fried chicken for dinner. The Korean chicken and the tamarind noodles on their own were really good, but all together I found the plate overpoweringly sweet. It was also covered in sauce. We ordered the kids pizza for my son and he did not like it- it was more like marinara on toast, which was fine to snack on, but seemed too 'fancy' for a kids pizza. Kids are picky enough and it was a struggle to convince him it was anything like the normal cheese pizza he prefers.

Easily one of the best restaurants in Lawrence, if not the best. It is not overpriced like 715. Excellent variety of dishes. You can clearly see the French, Italian and Mediterranean influence in their food. The restaurant itself is also a beautiful place. The restroom door is a vault. Don't miss the brunch specials or the happy hour. An obligated stop if you go to Lawrence

We loved this place! We had the Brussels sprouts and shared a Bison Burger. They were both amazing. The special Old fashioned was good and I loved the wine flight! Our server was great and it was lovely people watching on the patio!

This morning we were sat on the patio and there were only 2 other tables of people outside when we sat. One left within 5 minutes of us sitting down. We got coffees when we first sat down, but our server then took almost 30 minutes to come take our food order. Meanwhile, 3 other tables were sat, all of which we watched get their food order put in and 2 got their food already before we even got to order ours. At that point, we were pressed for time so we asked for the check, which took us another 10 minutes to get. We were there for almost an hour and saw our waiter a total of 4 times - one to take our drink order, one to bring our drink order, one to ask for the check and one to bring the check. I'm a server myself, so I understand being busy, but it shouldn't take an hour of sitting at a place to only receive two cold brews. We're thoroughly disappointed and won't be back.

Looking for a casual get together with the family and Merchants turned out to be the perfect fit. Accommodating setting, great menu selection and helpful/friendly staff. Our food was imminently edible with enough for some of us to have leftovers (that were just as good the second time!). We really couldn't have asked for a more delightful time.

I was reluctant to come here. I'm not quite sure but I didn't really feel the vibe of the place but MAN was I wrong. Everything about this place was awesome. On the tip from our server... check out the restrooms... just do it

Food is good. Service has its misses sometimes, but nothing to expect. Ambiance is great for dinner conversations and meeting friends.

We had a fantastic dinner at Merchants. Set in an old bank building (complete with restrooms in the building's old safe!) this restaurant is a must-visit in the busy Mass Street offerings downtown. The cocktail program is fun, the menu full of original offerings and twists on favorites. The service was truly exceptional--personal and attentive. We had a party of seven and tried a variety of starters: tomatoes & barrata (excellent!), famous brussels sprouts (delicious and a little sweet), pepper and white bean hummus (tasty!). Everyone got different mains ranging from the super generous portioning on the strip steak to the delicious short rib gnocci and the unique Korean fried chicken. We will definitely be back.

Enjoyed our visit here for a late Saturday morning brunch. I went with the Short Rib Poutine while my wife had the Sweet Potato Quinoa Burger. Both were very good. No problem recommending this place, though there are other choices that might be a bit better.

I was looking for a romantic place with a delicious steak in town and came across Merchants. I remember coming here when I lived in the area 18 years ago so I thought let's go there. When we walked in I didn't love the vibe, but I loved the balcony seating which looked cozy. However they said we weren't allowed to sit there. So we ended up at a table on the lower level. I will say the cocktails are amazing the food is amazing but the ambiance is so lacking it really killed the evening. The lighting is off and too bright, the decor is cold and bare and the tables feel like a cafeteria. The unique menu offerings and the higher prices do not fit the venue in my opinion. I would try this place for lunch but for a romantic evening never again.