For a graduation dinner in Arlington, Mercury Chophouse – Arlington seats families on the ninth floor of Brookhollow Two at 2221 E Lamar Blvd, about 2.5 to 3 miles from UT Arlington. Family parties sit in the main dining room; groups of 8 to 20 can take the Boardroom. In May, sunset over the district arrives around 8:15 PM.
Book a table · Private dining · See the menu
Whose graduation this is for
This one is for the family. The graduate is finishing at UT Arlington, at an Arlington-area high school, or somewhere farther away that the family drove in from. The grandparents are in town. Somebody wants a photograph with the district behind them. The dinner has to work for a 22-year-old and an 80-year-old at the same table.
If instead you are organizing a graduation party for a whole class, a fraternity or a department, the graduation dinner venue page covers the private room, the AV and group menus. This one stays with the family table.
Getting from the ceremony to the table
If the ceremony is at College Park Center on the UT Arlington campus, the drive to Mercury is about 2.5 to 3 miles and 8 to 10 minutes north. If it is at one of the Entertainment District venues, it is shorter still. Either way, head up Ballpark Way or Nolan Ryan Expressway toward E Lamar Blvd. Mercury is in the Brookhollow Two office tower at 2221 E Lamar, Suite 910; the family parks in the tower’s garage or its outdoor lot and rides the elevator to the top floor.
Ceremony times drive the reservation. An afternoon ceremony leads to an early dinner; an evening ceremony means booking near closing. Monday through Thursday the kitchen serves until 9 PM, Friday until 10 PM, and Saturday from 4 PM until 10 PM. Sunday the restaurant is closed, so a Sunday ceremony means celebrating on the Saturday before or the Monday after.
Table sizes and how the check works
| Party size | Where you sit | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| 4 to 5 | Main dining room; window or booth on request | Standard check |
| 6 to 11 | Main dining room | 20% gratuity added |
| 12 or more | Main dining room | One check, 20% gratuity |
| 8 to 20 | The Boardroom, one long table | One check, food and beverage minimum, private |
| Up to 28 | Semi-private | One check, minimum applies |
Graduation dinners are usually paid by one person, and the one-check rule for 12 or more makes that simple. If aunts and uncles want to chip in, settle it among yourselves rather than at the table. The $25 split-plate fee applies if two people share a composed entrée.
Ordering for three generations
The graduate, more often than not, orders the steak they have been promised for four years. The Center-Cut Filet Mignon is $62 at 6 oz and $74 at 8 oz; the Hand-Cut Ribeye is $75. Grandparents tend to go for the Chicken Saltimbocca at $42, prosciutto-wrapped with a mushroom Marsala sauce, or the Cedar Plank Grilled Salmon at $48. Parents split the difference with the Bone-In Ribeye at $90 or the Seared Sea Bass at $57.
For the middle of the table, order the shareable sides: Whipped Potatoes at $14, Mac-n-Cheese at $15, Broccolini at $17. A Land & Sea Sampler at $26 per person is an easy opener for a table that cannot agree. For dessert, the Strawberry Cake is $17 and the New York Cheesecake with berry coulis is $15. Mention the occasion when you book so the staff knows which seat the graduate is in.
What the graduate should wear, and what grandpa can
Business casual. A graduate coming straight from the ceremony in a dress, or in slacks and a collared shirt, is dressed right. Jeans without rips are welcome for anyone. What will not get through the door: baseball caps, hoodies, athletic wear, graphic T-shirts and flip-flops. A cowboy hat is welcome but comes off at the table. Jacket and tie are not required, so a grandfather in a sport coat and an uncle in a pressed shirt will both be comfortable. Every item of the policy is spelled out on the dress code page.
Booking in graduation season
May in Arlington is graduation season and also baseball season. The Rangers play most weeknights at Globe Life Field with first pitch around 7 PM, and the district fills on those evenings. Mercury sits north of the stadium lots on E Lamar, so getting in and out is easier than at restaurants inside the district core, but tables on a May Friday or Saturday go early. Reserve on OpenTable or by phone at 817-381-1157 as soon as the ceremony date is fixed.
Sunset in May is about 8:15 PM, so a 7 PM table gets the daylight view and then the lights. Free garage and outdoor parking is at the tower. For other ways to mark the year, see the celebrations guide and the birthday dinner page.
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
Do you do anything special for the graduate at the table?
Tell the host what you are celebrating when you reserve, and the staff will know who the guest of honor is. Guest reviews mention small touches on celebration nights, but those are at management's discretion and not something to promise the graduate. The view, the linen and the steak are the reliable part.
Can we bring a cake or decorations for a graduation dinner?
The restaurant has not published a policy on outside cakes, balloons or table decorations, so call 817-381-1157 before you buy anything. The dessert list already includes a Strawberry Cake at $17 and an Italian Cream Cake at $17 if you would rather not carry one up nine floors.
How far is Mercury Chophouse from UT Arlington?
About 2.5 to 3 miles, or 8 to 10 minutes by car, from the UT Arlington campus and College Park Center to 2221 E Lamar Blvd. Head north from campus toward E Lamar Blvd; Ballpark Way through the Entertainment District is the most direct route. The restaurant is on the ninth floor of Brookhollow Two.
Can the graduate's younger siblings come along?
Yes, a family table is a family table. There is no separate children's section on the menu, but Whipped Potatoes at $14, Mac-n-Cheese at $15 and the Grilled Chicken Pasta at $29 work for younger guests, and the lunch menu on weekdays has a Chophouse Burger at $17. Ask your server.
What if our graduation party is 14 people?
Fourteen fits in the main dining room, where groups of 12 or more receive one check and a 20% gratuity is added, or in the Boardroom, which seats 8 to 20 at a single long table with its own windows. The Boardroom carries a food and beverage minimum quoted with the proposal; request it through the event inquiry form.
Where is the best photo spot for a graduation picture?
The curved window wall in the main dining room, with the Six Flags tower and the stadiums behind the graduate. Ask for a window table when you book; requests are noted but not guaranteed. In May the sun sets about 8:15 PM, so a 7 PM reservation gives daylight for the photo and lights for dessert.