Merritt's Grill

I've been wanting to try this place for a while now and finally got around to trying it. I got the vegetarian without onions and then replaced the balsamic mayo with regular mayo. It was super good and the sourdough was delicious! I ordered, got my food and sat down all within 10 mins, the inside is super chill- they have seating both inside and outside and plenty of it. I'd definitely come back again!

Merritt's Grill is a well-known, local sandwich shop near UNC, and I finally had the chance to visit with some friends.Parking can be a bit tricky, with limited spaces available behind the shop. However, there's a convenient gravel lot just across the street that offers plenty of room. This made our arrival stress-free, despite the large lunch crowd.Service was impressively efficient. The staff, friendly and attentive, made the ordering process smooth and straightforward, answering all our questions with a welcoming attitude. We decided to grab a table indoors, though they offer ample outdoor patio seating as well.I opted for the Baby BLT, a classic choice that lived up to its reputation as a no-fuss, dependable sandwich. While the BLT was solid--fresh, with crispy bacon, fresh lettuce, and ripe tomatoes--it didn't quite blow me away with any distinctive flavors or twists. It's a sandwich that you could easily recreate at home, but sometimes a reliable classic is just what you need.Overall, this sandwich shop embodies the essence of a local favorite--comfortable, consistent, and charming. While my Baby BLT was a straightforward choice, I'm eager to return and explore more of their menu. If you're in the area and looking for a dependable spot for a casual meal, Merritt's Grill is definitely worth a visit!

A must in Chapel Hill. Merrits never disappoints. There's a reason The line is to The door most days. The service is fast and friendly. Even though there will be a long line, the wait time is short. The food is always spot on. I always order the single BLT. It's stacked with fresh ingredients, lots of bacon. They offer a double and triple which would be a feat to take down. You can't go wrong here. There is plenty of seating outside on nice days. Inside is a bit tight on space but there are a couple of table and window seating available.

Great food. Bacon was flavorful. Quick service. Really enjoyed the BLT. Nice outdoor seating.

We came here for brunch and this place was busy. We found parking on their small parking lot and sat outside. We ordered the Double BLT, a small Tomato Soup, and the Carolina Dog. We sat outside since there was room for the dog. The inside was small and cozy. The food was ready after a few minutes.Everything looked good to me. The Double BLT was delicious and all of the ingredients complemented each other. The Tomato Soup was good and definitely was hot temperature for a long time. The Carolina Dog was also delicious and definitely recommended for chili fans. I would recommend any if the food as things were great to me.Great place for brunch and I recommend it!

Merritt's Grill is a Chapel Hill institution known for its BLT and other sandwiches plus burgers and more. The food here is worth the hype and the casual atmosphere, if dining in or outside, is nice too. These were among the best sandwiches and burgers we've had in the state. No Chapel Hill/Carolina experience is truly complete without a visit to Merritt's.Our first experience with Merritt's was at a UNC football game in 2022. Merritt's had at least one concession stand inside Kenan Stadium. They were selling Single BLTs with chips ($13 each) and banana pudding ($5 each). Both were delicious. Merritt's had always been on my list of places to try. After we had the BLT and banana pudding at the Carolina game, I knew we had to go visit the brick-and-mortar store.The restaurant is located south of UNC's campus just off 15-501 and 54. It's open for breakfast and lunch only, Monday-Saturday. Closed Sunday. I'm glad this place is open on Saturday because it's hard for my wife and I to make it out here during the week because of work.Merritt's consists of a small freestanding building with a limited-seating indoor dining room and plenty of seating on one of two outdoor patios: (1) the front patio which you can see from the road and (2) a large patio in the back surrounded by bamboo. All the tables outside have umbrellas. The patios are pet-friendly.There's plenty of free parking, both in the gravel lot around the building and across the street in another dedicated gravel lot.You order and pay at one of two registers inside. Drinks, napkins, plastic eating utensils, condiment packets, etc. are self-serve. They'll take your name and phone number and text you when your order is ready. We placed our order on a Saturday at 1:01pm and I received my order-ready text at 1:08pm. Seven minutes.Referring to the wait time, I read in the News & Observer that the current owners, John and Paula Toogood, had "aimed on cutting the experience down to six or eight minutes." They succeeded. Here's a link to the February 16, 2022 paywalled article: https://bit.ly/3OeTV1X Before the Toogoods assumed ownership in September 2021, I read in various places that Saturday waits at Merritt's were anywhere from 45 to 60 minutes: https://bit.ly/3OgvNMu Yikes. There was no line when we entered, so we only had to wait the seven minutes.While Merritt's has been around since 1929, the business didn't start selling and becoming famous for their signature BLTs until 1992. That was one year after the previous owners, Bob and Robin Britt, bought the place. Merritt's was originally a gas station, garage (for car repairs), and general store. The original owners were Eben and Ruby Merritt. In May 2013, Ruby, who was 102 years old at the time, was interviewed on the local talk radio show Who's Talking with DG Martin: https://bit.ly/3OduEFx It's a good listen if you're interested in hearing firsthand the history of Merritt's from Mrs. Ruby herself. Here's a link to the full audio which originally aired on 1360 AM WCHL / 97.9 FM The Hill: https://bit.ly/3DbH3nbHere's what my wife and I had:* Double BLT ($12.35) - nine slices of bacon, three layers of lettuce and tomato, toasted sourdough, mayo, salt and pepper, plus avocado (+$2.50)* Pimento Cheese ($5.95) - housemade cheddar pimento cheese atop a bed of lettuce, tomato, and mayo* Carolina Burger ($8.25) - two 2.5-oz all-beef patties, chili, housemade slaw, onions, and mustard* Banana Pudding ($3.50)Everything was excellent. The Double BLT was just as delicious as the Single BLT I remembered having at Kenan Stadium. We both love the sourdough bread they use on the sandwiches. It's fresh, high-quality bread. The current owners also own The Bread Shop in Pittsboro. They sell the sourdough by itself here along with other breads from their shop. The BLT had juicy, ripe tomatoes and delectably crispy bacon. We love avocado and adding it was a good call. One of our local friends enjoys her Merritt's BLTs with guac.The Pimento Cheese sandwich was outstanding. It might have been the best pimento cheese sandwich I've had anywhere including The Masters. I'm not saying that to humble brag, but The Masters has some of the best pimento cheese sandwiches and Merritt's trumps Augusta. That said, it's probably unfair to compare the two as The Masters' version is much simpler and produced in mass quantities. Merritt's pimento cheese is made in small batches to ensure high quality. I love how their pimento cheese is chunky and perfectly balanced. Also, I like how they add mayo to the sandwich.Don't sleep on the burgers here. The Carolina Burger was fantastic. Again, great quality all around and well balanced. I love a good chili slaw burger or dog and this was that.The Banana Pudding was as terrific as the version we had at Kenan. It was light, creamy, and the banana tasted really fresh.Service was fast and friendly. I noticed a lot of the staff was young, perhaps UNC Chapel Hill students.

Bacon bacon bacon. Dependably the best BLT in country. Do a good thing for yourself..

Another excellent lunch al fresco. Friendly staff working at 110% speed to push out the orders. Terrific BLT, gone too soon!

Can I franchise this place? Another great spot recommended by Guess Where Trips. We stopped in for some lunch after a morning of sightseeing. They have a huge property for a tiny sandwich shop and they were absolutely packed for lunch. Parking was a bit limited but they also have a lot across the street. With that said, their staff were all super friendly and everything came out quicker than I expected. They have a small indoor seating area where you order and pick up to-go orders. And two large outdoors eating areas; one in the front and one in the back by their bamboo garden. I absolutely loved my chicken salad sandwich and apparently they're known for their BLT's. My fiancé got one and said it was delicious! Sitting outside in the bamboo garden eating sandwiches was a delight even in the middle of June. If you're in the area, or not, this is a 10/10 recommend from me. Definitely worth coming out of your way for!

This place is so popular and highly rated that I had to check it out as a new graduate student at UNC. Unfortunately, it was a big disappointment. I make better BLTs at home. The significant amount of bacon was undercooked, and the sandwich was extremely bland. It's hard to make somebody not want to eat bacon, but I couldn't even finish it. The chicken salad was okay but nothing special. It was the most enjoyable item, which doesn't say much. And I don't know what was wrong with the coconut cake but something was very off with the taste. And while soft, it lacked the moistness and richness that I expected from a coconut cake. I took two bites and threw it away. This place is extremely overrated. 1 star but I gave an extra one for the reasonably priced items and quick service.