Merk's Tavern & Kitchen

When I read the reviews I was worried. But my experience is people love to complain because this food is amazing. A bartender named Terry waited on me and he was on point. Amazing drinks, kind, and on top of it. A lady who I didnt catch her name greeted me as soon as I came in. I give this place 5 stars!!!

Deserted at 1:30 PM no employee to be found. Walked to the front of the Winfrey and the polite and rather enthusiastic bellhop walked us back to the bar to find an employee. Bartender was friendly but it was clear that the bar is usually empty at noon and we were an oddity. 6 draft beers on tap 2 from Alabama. $6.50 a pint.

This is a great hotel cafe! Very underrated and under used in my opinion. Maybe because it's a bit hidden or maybe people think it's only for hotel guests, but it isn't. Their shrimp & grits is the best I've ever had! The BLT crabcake with house made chips is awesome. Most of the menu is outstanding, just don't get the salad that comes with yogurt dressing, that was yuck! I've eaten here many times and they've catered many meeting I've had in the hotel, their food is good! Not cheap, but worth it.

Not gonna lie, I was a bit nervous after reading the mixed reviews and because hotel bar/restaurants are very hit or miss but I must say Merk's far exceeded my expectations. The staff was very friendly and helpful and surprisingly candid about what to or not to order. They did get a tad overwhelmed when the bar got busy. Food was delivered very quickly and the orders were correct. They are using a new menu now which doesn't seem to have been updated on their website yet. We started with deviled eggs which were served on a bed of greens with drops of a dipping sauce on the side. Deviled eggs are an easy dish to ignore or pass over but Merk's has remedied that by placing a slice of pork belly on top. Great stuff. I had the fried chicken BLT and it was one of the best cooked pieces of chicken I have ever had: fried perfectly and tender on the inside with a perfect golden but not overdone outside. I could have used a second fried green tomato on top but other than that, this was a very well executed sandwich. My buddy had the burger and it was no slouch either: a nice big, perfectly cooked patty with all the trimmings. Their fries are great too, kind of like Rally's seasoned fries but understated in the right way. They have a good selection of local beers on tap also and a full bar. I am looking forward to another trip but so far it seems that Merk's is one of the best kept secrets in Hoover. If they keep this up, it won't stay that way for long.