The Mermaid Inn
“It sort of reminds me of a smaller, less-loud version of Jane (a fine brunch place in the Village) in the UWS.”
“That said, the East Coast oysters were fabulous – fresh, clean and heartrendingly reminiscent of the ocean.”
“$1 oysters before 7pm at the bar only, tough to get a seat but it's great when you land one.”
The Mermaid Inn
Takes Reservations: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Accepts Apple Pay: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Price range.
$$$ Price range $31-60
8 reviews
Rate and write a review Cancel reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
I mean…this place is such good news and bad at the same time. Perhaps one of the BEST happy hour deals in the city. Lets cut to the chase. It opens at 5 every day. A line starts forming outside around 4:30 every day (especially on the weekends). If you get a table, you're staying for the full two hour duration of HH – you'd be stupid not to. Beer is $5, cocktails are $8, oysters are $1. Some of the apps are happy hour price as well. I highly recommend the calamari and fish tacos. The fish tacos are absolutely phenom. The bar at this location is awesome so if you can't snag a table, the bar is fine too. The bartender once told my friends and I that she has never seen a group inhale so many oysters in her life, so there's that. Also, this location just expanded and there's a lot more table space now. The reason why I say this place is bad news? You can do ample damage on beer for $5 in two hours…beware!
I've only come to the Mermaid Inn for happy hour so that's what this review is for.
The calamari is decent and the chowder is well seasoned. My issue is that it gets a bit pricey without having any real reason to up the numbers. The service is nice and it's especially refreshing to have space to move around with their new expansion.
An okay place to stop by for happy hour!
Terribly disappointing experience at brunch yesterday! The waiter was not interested in being friendly, we never received bread plates, an entree came out well after everyone else, and they forgot an order of french fries. Honestly, i think the waiter was having a bad day – fine. But what put me over the edge was the $25 shrimp panzanella salad. It was terrible – way over dressed and cold winter vegetables. Soggy, cold cornbread croutons is not what a panzanella makes. For $25 they know they can charge a fortune since its the only salad on the menu- it is robbery. The bloody mary's are also disappointing – overpriced and small!
On the brighter side, the mac and cheese and the burger was great.
Happy hour has some great deals. Their dollar oysters are usually microscopic and are often stuck to the muscle and or covered in shell bits for some added crunch. Not so much a bargain as much as you're getting what you pay for. Their dinners are okay, but not necessarily justified in price in terms of quality and execution.
I asked around on social media for my friends' opinions on what is the best lobster roll in New York, and The Mermaid Inn popped up. After perusing online, I found that they did have a good happy hour with $1 oysters as well. It seemed like the perfect combination to minimize the cost of a $30 lobster roll. I took my mom here and here's what we ordered:
1. lobster roll entree
2. seared fish tacos (happy hour)
3. $1 oysters (happy hour)
Fish Tacos
PROS
-came out with the shell still crispy
-I actually prefer a crispy taco skin for fish tacos – it's much easier to eat
-good quantity of fish
-well balanced: greens and that slightly spicy aioli went really well together
-blackened tilapia but not burnt
CONS
-I want to say that it is slightly on the higher end for fried fish tacos but it's pretty tasty.
——–
$1 Oysters
PROS
-these were ridiculously sweet, not for those who like brine. Right up my alley.
-$1 per oyster is a pretty sweet deal. You can't get any better for "one buck shuck".
CONS
-slightly small and sometimes insignificant meat, especially compared to some oyster festivals and $1/shuck happy hours down in Baltimore.
——–
Lobster Roll: this is the southern version tossed in melted butter.
PROS
-fantastic meat quantity: the lobster meat was falling out of the roll. I actually lost a small chunk of lobster meat to the floor and felt a small part of my heart break off inside my chest.
-not overly soaked with butter where the bread was soaked through
-bread was warm and nicely toasted on the outside
CONS
-none
Definitely coming back in the fall to get some patio/street sitting when it gets cooler!
What a great place for brunch! I love the Cape Cod feeling. Sort of urbane New England chic. Our server was really great, older (meaning over 50), and highly efficient. Food came in a timely manner given how crowded they were on an unseasonably warm February day.
My friend's French toast made me drool. Just the sight of it. My Huevos rancheros were very good but they weren't Huevos rancheros and really, they ought to change the name of that dish. Not every time you conjoin a tortilla with an egg with beans is it Huevos. For one thing, the dish came with black beans. For another, the ranchero sauce is almost black. It's nothing like mole but it's very peculiar and there is an odd spice which is extremely strong. Either you will love it or hate it. But if you're not enthralled, the cilantro crema saves the day. I could drink that stuff by the gallon.
My Mermaid Mary was a bit on the small side and nothing to write home about, but it was fine.
And the place is just so goddamn cute, you can't stand it. Great munchkin watching. Upper West Siders take their infants and toddlers to restaurants. Unfortunately, this means lotsa strollers. Park Slope's got nothing on the Upper West Side. But the babies and toddlers are SO well-behaved! This is true also at the ex-Reebok Club, now a Sports Club Equinox on 67th Street, where I went right after brunch, though I live on the East Side and have a non-SCLA on 63rd a block away.
I don't know what they're putting in the water over on the UWS but my God, they're Stepford kids. Just perfect, sweet, and chill. The baby at the next table (6 months maybe) just to die for.
I would like to go for happy hour or dinner some time.
Happy hour oysters are only a buck each. And they were delicious with mignionette and cocktail sauces. Come early and get some. Happy hour cocktails weren't too shabby themselves. Ordered more appetizers (mussels, calimari salad, wedge salad) than entrees (schnitzel ). Good food here.
The decor and ambiance are comfortable. And the service was professional and performed with a smile.
One of the better seafood dinners I've had. No hesitation in giving five stars.
I always go in thinking I will have a light seafood meal and then end up leaving with a full stomach, partially thanks to the amazing (free) everything crackers and panna cotta. Ever since they moved to this new location happy hour is available in the dining room as well. I suggest you make a reservation in advance and go all out on HH oysters. Today we had 7 oysters each and I had the dorade a la plancha for my entree. Interestingly the fish came in a mushroom broth and was perfectly cooked. I didn't quite enjoy the snap peas which were too toothsome because the kitchen didn't cut off the tough ends. But flavorwise the food was quite good. My friend enjoyed her lobster roll but said Luke's a few blocks down was still better. Service is always wonderful and prompt.