Today marked the long awaited and highly anticipated grand opening of celebrity Chef and TV personality, Emeril Lagasse’s new restaurant at the M-Resort, Meril’s.
The simple but mighty menu offers guests appetizers, small plate dishes, flat breads, soups and salads, along with a host of other items such as; fettuccine, hamburgers, fried chicken, mussels and a seafood boil.
I started with the deviled eggs then transitioned to the barbecue shrimp, cod sliders, brussels sprouts, vegetable flat bread, mussels and the pineapple upside down cornbread.
All of the food was very flavorful and cooked to perfection. My favorite of the dishes was the barbecue shrimp and the brussels sprouts. The shrimp were lathered in a brown deliciousness sauce, which only enhanced the dish’s overall flavor.
The restaurant is beautifully decorated with color coordinated table, chairs and wall decor. The large windows allow guests to enjoy the outside views overlooking the pool, surrounding area and the strip. The actual dining area is a nice size and designed to allow large parties ample space to dine. There is also outdoor seating available.
Overall, my experience today was good. However, as with any new establishment there are still things to work out and adjustments to be made. So, being too critical at this point would be unfair. My hope is the standards being established with respect to food quality and customer service will continue. But only time will tell.
A bit late for the review as we were here on 7/17 Friday lunch, their second day of opening.
Very spacious and contemporary interior design, especially the seatings by the window overlooking M resort pool, which brings relaxation and vacation vibes.
The staff were nice but not familiar with their menu or serving time. And the second we got seated (no wait as we made the reservation), we heard the next table guests complaining to the staff as they waited one hour, not sure for food or the check. We also witnessed the server brought the food back in the kitchen after looking at it, not sure what happened.
We waited roughly 20 minutes for our server to come by, Another 20 minutes to order. After we ordered, the first thing brought to the table was the cocktail. Then another really long wait for our food to come, but we were not able to eat as there was NO utensil provided. Of course another while of wait just to get the utensils.
We literally ate for 10 minutes and waited for more than one hour.
The food was mediocre unfortunately. Nothing like what those influencers bragged about on social media. The only food item we liked is the street corn.
And their lychee rose cocktail (substitute vodka to Rum) is really good, exotic and refreshing with great and rich flavor of lychee with charming floral notes.
We got what the server highly recommended, crabs linguine and ribs plus other items.
The crab linguine is a total disappointment. Really small portion like 3 bites at $28, can’t see any crabs and the only thing we can taste is tomato sauce. The ribs were ok and covered in sweet sauce. We also ordered burgers and pastry basket. Burger patty was not bad, but we ordered well done, and it came out pink meat. The pastry basket never came. At this point, we just wanted to leave.
I would come back after 6 months to try their breakfast and hopefully everything goes on track. But my other friends were totally done with it after this experience.
Felt like a cafe. It's not like the Emeril's restaurant at MGM Grand. The portion sizes are smaller. The food was okay. Didn't hate it or love it. The dessert was the best part. It's more like a step up from the Raider's Tavern. Would stop here as an alternative to The Vig Deli. Wait staff was super nice.
Meril at M Resort — 4/5
Meril gives off cafe vibes right from the door. The reception staff were very sweet. We asked for a table with a view but ended up in a booth overlooking the pool. But honestly, no table really has “the view” beyond the resort itself, and that’s completely fine.
Food-wise, we had the shrimp tacos, cod sliders, and deviled eggs. No complaints at all, everything was really good. I would call it solid rather than outstanding, but nothing to knock. The Indigo French 75 was a standout and really well made.
Our server was lovely throughout the meal. Overall a great experience and we’ll definitely be back to try breakfast.
Five stars for Emeril Lagasse’s Meril! We visited on opening night and were impressed from the moment we walked in. The restaurant is beautiful, the atmosphere is lively and welcoming, and the servers and staff were attentive throughout the evening.
Many of the staff came from other M Resort restaurants, and we were especially happy to see Amy, our favorite hostess, and Chris, one of our favorite people from Raiders Tavern & Grill. Their familiar faces made the evening even more enjoyable.
The menu offers a wonderful variety, with everything from salads, pasta and seafood, to tempting desserts. Even more surprising were the very reasonable prices—especially for a celebrity-chef restaurant!
We started with the Parmesan chicken salad, which was honestly one of the best salads we have ever had. My husband also ordered the delicious street corn and buttermilk fried chicken. I chose the seafood boil, and it was excellent! The seafood was delicious, but the rich, flavorful broth may have been the best part. For dessert, we shared the bread pudding with ice cream, and it was amazing.
My only suggestion for Meril is to serve crusty bread slices with the seafood boil. While I realize that there are potatoes in the dish, a piece of crusty bread would have allowed me to savor every drop of the broth. It is far too good to leave behind in the bowl!
Meril was an impressive experience, particularly for opening night. We cannot wait to return and try more of the menu—including the famous banana cream pie!
