Chophouse Calamari at Mercury Chophouse – Arlington is marinated in buttermilk, fried crisp and served with house-made marinara for $17 at dinner and $15 at weekday lunch. It is also one of four items in the $26-per-person Land & Sea Sampler, served on the ninth floor of Brookhollow Two at 2221 E Lamar Blvd.
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Buttermilk first, then the fryer
The menu line for Chophouse Calamari is short: buttermilk marinated, fried crisp, house-made marinara. The buttermilk is the part that matters. A soak in buttermilk tenderizes squid, which turns rubbery the moment it is overcooked, and gives the flour something to cling to, so the crust comes out light rather than heavy. The kitchen at Mercury Chophouse – Arlington fries it to order and sends it with a marinara made in-house rather than a bottled sauce.
That is the whole dish, and its plainness is the point. It is not dressed with peppers, lemon aioli or a second sauce. Guests who want heat can ask for the Sriracha and lime crème that accompanies the filet mignon cigars and the ceviche. The marinara is the same house-made sauce that goes out with the Savory Meatballs at $18 and the lunch Spaghetti & Meatballs at $19. Order the calamari as soon as the bread and garlic butter reach the table and the first course is down before the drinks are.
What it costs, lunch and dinner
| Listing | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Chophouse Calamari, dinner | $17 | Every evening the restaurant is open |
| Chophouse Calamari, lunch | $15 | Weekdays from 11:00 AM |
| Land & Sea Sampler | $26 per person | Calamari with a filet mignon cigar, a crab cake and shrimp cocktail |
Dinner runs until 9:00 PM Monday through Thursday and until 10:00 PM on Friday and Saturday. Saturday is dinner only, from 4:00 PM, and the restaurant does not open on Sunday. Lunch is Monday through Friday, and the lunch price applies from 11:00 AM until the dinner menu takes over; the switch time is not published, so ask when you book if the $2 matters to you.
Calamari as the table's opener
Calamari is the starter that gets ordered when nobody wants to commit. It divides across three or four people without anyone counting pieces, it is on the table within minutes, and it does not fill anyone up before a Hand-Cut Ribeye at $75 or a 6 oz Center-Cut Filet Mignon at $62. There is no charge for sharing a starter; the $25 split-plate fee applies only to composed entrées. For a party of six or more, two orders keep the plate from disappearing before everyone has reached it, and a 20% gratuity is added at that size.
A Wedge at $18 or a Traditional Caesar at $16 after the calamari, and steaks after that, is the shape of a standard evening here. The other options are on the appetizers page; the filet mignon cigars are the other fried starter and the usual second choice for a bigger group.
Something to drink with it
Fried squid and tomato want acid and bubbles. On the cocktail list, the MCA French 75 at $17 and the Ladies First at $16, with Wheatley vodka, lemon, berry coulis and rosé bubbles, both work, and the Flight Delay at $16 brings Citadelle gin, maraschino and violette with lemon. On draft, the Necessary Evil pilsner at $7 is the clean choice. The Margarita on the Rock at $20, made with Wild Common blanco, lime and agave, is the other citrus-forward cocktail, and the Hibiscus Ranchwater at $17 is the Texas one.
Wines are poured by the glass and bottle, and a crisp white by the glass is the standard order with calamari; ask your server what is open that night. The full list is on the wine page.
The seafood starters around it
Calamari is the only fried seafood starter on the list. The rest are chilled or seared: the MCA Shrimp Cocktail at $19, the Gulf Shrimp & Jumbo Lump Crab Ceviche at $23, the Salmon Mousse at $18 with house-made crostini, and the Crab Cakes at $24 with lemon caper beurre blanc. A table that wants hot and cold in one round usually pairs the calamari with the shrimp cocktail. A group that wants the whole hot side of the list adds the Savory Meatballs at $18 and the Signature Wagyu & Black Truffle Ravioli at $34.
At lunch the calamari sits next to the Blackened Fresh Catch Tacos at $17 and the Crab & Shrimp Louie at $24, which makes a light seafood lunch of a starter and a salad possible for well under $50 a person.
Nine floors up on East Lamar
The dining room is on the top floor of the Brookhollow Two office tower, Suite 910, reached by elevator from the lobby. A parking garage and an outdoor lot are at the building, and both are free. From the window tables the view takes in Six Flags Over Texas about 1 mile away, Globe Life Field and AT&T Stadium, and the sunset that lands behind them, around 8:15 PM in May and 5:30 PM in November. The dress code is business casual: unripped jeans are fine, graphic tees and ball caps are not. Groups of 8 to 20 can take The Boardroom, a private room with one long table and the same view. Reservations are through OpenTable or 817-381-1157.
Book a Table
Reserve on the ninth floor at Mercury Chophouse – Arlington. Choose a date and time below, or call 817-381-1157.
Reserve on OpenTable Request a Private Event
Open Monday to Thursday 11 AM to 9 PM, Friday 11 AM to 10 PM, Saturday 4 PM to 10 PM. Closed Sunday. 2221 E Lamar Blvd, Suite 910, Arlington, TX 76006.
Frequently asked questions
Is the calamari served with marinara or aioli?
House-made marinara. The menu lists Chophouse Calamari as buttermilk marinated, fried crisp and served with house-made marinara, with no aioli or second sauce. If you want something with heat, ask for the Sriracha and lime crème that comes with the filet mignon cigars and the ceviche.
How is the calamari at Mercury Chophouse prepared?
The squid is marinated in buttermilk, which keeps it tender and helps the coating stay light, then fried crisp to order. It is plated with house-made marinara and nothing else. The preparation is the same at weekday lunch and at dinner; only the price differs, $15 against $17.
Is calamari on the lunch menu?
Yes, at $15. The weekday lunch menu is served Monday through Friday from 11:00 AM and carries five of the dinner starters: calamari, filet mignon cigars, shrimp cocktail, ceviche and meatballs. Calamari and a lunch salad such as the Cobb in a Mold at $16 make a full midday meal.
Can two people split the calamari without a fee?
Yes. Starters are plated for the table and carry no sharing charge. The $25 split-plate fee at Mercury Chophouse applies only to composed entrées that the kitchen divides onto two plates, such as the Crab Cakes entrée or the Chicken Saltimbocca.
What beer goes with calamari here?
Three draft beers are on the list: Manhattan Project Half Life hazy IPA at $8, Peacekeeper blonde at $7 and Necessary Evil pilsner at $7, all from a Dallas brewery. The pilsner is the cleanest match for fried squid. Bottles run $6 to $14 and include Stella, Modelo and Heineken 0.0.