I left the office for lunch, not sure where I'd end up. I was kinda craving a tuna melt, but I'd already had the one from Grand Central Bakery back in September, and wanted to try somewhere else. Down Washington to 1st, north a block to Yesler. Maybe I'll just grab another slice from Pizza Professionals.
Construction and signage indicated that the sidewalk was closed. I felt bad that Merchants Café, "Seattle's Oldest Restaurant", was being blockaded by construction, so I decided that's where I'd have lunch. I briefly walked out into Yesler, around the construction equipment, but a cop gently reminded me that I should use the crosswalks instead. Three crosswalks later and I'm walking through the swinging saloon doors.
Three regulars are at the bar. One couple is at the table. Michael Bennett is on TV. None of the ghosts are hanging out. The barkeep brings me a menu and a Diet Coke, and I'm pleased to see they serve tuna melts, "on Grand Central Bakery Como bread" (ha!) with Tillamook cheddar. I order it with fries.
It's firmer and less sloppy than Grand Central's was. Flecked with red onion, the mix-ins don't overpower the tuna. The bread is grilled perfectly, not burned, but seared lightly to hold its shape down to the last bite. Perhaps one of the best tuna melts I've had in town.
The menu calls out the "thin cut fries", but instead, they're fairly large chunks of spud. They're not a jo-jo wedge, not even quite steak fries, but the size of a chubby, floppy, rectangular pencil. They're hot, and taste OK, but not great. The surprise 3.2% credit card surcharge left me with a bit of a bad taste.
This place has a long, colorful history, but I had to research it to find out about it. Some sites mention the restaurant's fliers, but I never saw one. I won't rehash what you can already find at Huffington Post, The Stranger, the Merchants' Haunting page, and this YouTube video from Bucket List Bars:
Merchants Café
109 Yesler Way
Tuna melt, fries, Diet Coke, $19.97
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