Merchant Oyster Company – Open Space with
Casual Feel
My spouse and I visited Merchant Oyster Company for lunch on
a Saturday afternoon in late August 2019. The restaurant/bar is open
continuously from lunch through dinner on Tuesdays to Sundays and late night on
Tuesdays through Saturdays (no dinner Sundays and closed Mondays). Diners can
reserve a place using the online Open Table reservation system, although
walk-ins are accepted (which is how we arrived).
Merchant Oyster Company opened in fall 2017 in a
Lawrenceville storefront. The restaurant occupies a corner location, allowing
windows on two sides of the narrow but long high-ceilinged space. Most seating is
located on the ground floor (at the L-shaped bar/raw bar [with its interesting
attached stools] at the food prep bar, or at stand-alone tables and chairs;
some additional seating is available on the upper-level mezzanine. Huge (sometimes
open) windows adjoin the indoor and outdoor spaces, where guests can dine at
picnic tables. Décor is nautically themed, with exposed brick walls and lots of
reclaimed wood (from boats and oars). Merchant Oyster shares ownership with Or,
The Whale at Downtown’s Distrikt hotel (we ate there in fall of 2018 and 2017;
see our separate review).
As its name suggests, Merchant Oyster Company serves coastal
seafood cuisine, including oysters and clams at its raw bar. The menu also features
chowders, salads, sandwiches (including crab cakes and lobster rolls), and
peel-and-eat shrimp. We shared the stuffed clam and crab cake as starters,
followed by the linguini with clam sauce (also available in a half-portion) and
the grilled Cuban sandwich (with a side of potato salad).
We had a nice lunch at Merchant Oyster Company, seated next
to the open windows where we could enjoy the lovely breeze.
