Eli's Food & Cocktails

Went here on a Friday night for after dinner cocktails and something sweet as in the area
Fun friendly staff and drinks were good.
Parking on street ,only negative was they close around 10pm on a Friday in downtown was crazy

We found ourselves belly-up at the bar on a night when our original dinner plans worked against us. The 'blackboard specials' were especially enticing and we pored over the choices while our Beer Hero poured us a few pints (War Pigs Foggy Geezer for me, Castle Danger Cream Ale for the Hubster).

The Hubster selected the 1/2 order of penne and cheese and a crab cake. As you can see in my photos, the crab cake is no small affair, easily shareable (as if I was going to get a bite in edgewise). The crab itself is well-prepared and very yummy. The penne portion is still huge at half, also easily shareable and has the creaminess to die for.

Remember those 'blackboard special' that I mentioned? Once the Hubster revealed that he was mixing and matching, my choice became easy! I was torn between the salad and the pasta, deciding to order halfsies of each. The salad: Tri-colored quinoa (I love me some quinoa!), red beets, walnuts, red onions, blue cheese crumbles, cucumber, arugula, sunflower seeds, croutons and orange tarragon vinaigrette. I know, right?! It's definitely a meal in itself, but... The pasta: Grilled chicken breast, onions, capers (aka My Little Briny Kryptonite), shallots, garlic, parsley, lemon cream sauce and aged Parmesan. It's like healthy met homey and both lived happily ever after. Those half orders were huge and I ended up taking home a big lunch for the next day.

The service is top-notch where ever you sit. Both the bartender and the table-side server hustled the whole time we were there. We chatted with both of them over the duration of dinner. They were friendly and funny, sharing laughs with us. Getting to Eli's is an easy decision. The menu involves some higher reasoning, given all of the terrific choices. Order a drink and know that you really cannot go wrong from there.

Dirty martini and a cheeseburger? Sign me up! I am so full and so satisfied. Be prepared because this is a dive but it's worth it. My tummy and heart are warm at Eli's.

Good and service are good. Got the special sandwich which was a hot Turkey with fries. Beer is cold.

Eli's is a classic pub with surprisingly great food! The serve classic bar fare better than your average pub. The place looks a little old school. Great for a casual dinner that would please anyone, or some drinks before or after a show or game!

Table was sticky, service was ok, bruschetta was great, steak was dry and hard (almost broke a tooth on it - not sure what happened there...). I asked for medium and it was well done. Drinks were okay. Overall average place.

This place isn't what you'd expect. Walking in I was expecting pub food and beer. I was impressed at the variety in their menu. The atmosphere reminds me of a Cheers episode with the bar as the main attraction, dim lighting and antique decor.

The food was impressive and surprisingly exceeded my expectations. The smoked salmon bruschetta, first of all not what I would expect to find on this menu, was interestingly good. Presentation could use some work but it all turns into mush once it's in your mouth right? And once it's in your mouth the flavors take over. I don't know what the spread was on the bread but keep making that please!! And that egg sandwich...bomb.com! The ingredients are perfectly chosen and I can honestly say I've never appreciated a tomato on a sandwich until now! And that aioli makes my mouth water as I type!

Sort of pricey for the general feel of the place, but I'd say it's close to you getting what you pay for. I went in the middle of the day so I couldn't try any of their whiskey or hard liquors but it might be something to try next time!

Ahh, fantastic. Puts on no airs: it's a joint, oozing continuity and authenticity, not for foodies. Great drinks. Pub grub to a very high standard. Fairly priced for downtown. Will return, many a time, inshallah.

Stopped by Eli's towards the end of the lunch hour. The great reviews brought me here, but can't say I was entirely impressed.

The food
- crab cake - although I can't say this was an authentic Maryland style crab cake, the dish as a whole absolutely works with the warm spinach and spicy mayo(great extra kick).
- sweet corn soup - not a fan to be honest. The soup had more of a thick chowder consistency. Too much sweet. Although the avocado crema was a pleasant addition, it didn't do enough to make this a winner
- truffle dog - probably what I was most looking forward to. I wanted to love this so bad but the truffle flavor didn't really come out. If I didn't know, I would have thought it was a normal dog. Also, some sort of sauce/aioli was desperately needed to bring this together.

My experience can be best described as hit or miss. On the bright side, the quick service and friendly staff should be commended

TLDR; good food, awful service.

A group of 5 went to Elis on a Friday before the lunch rush. The sign said "seat yourself" but a blonde waitress shooed us rudely to a table. The food was great! We collectively ordered a Chipotle chicken sandwich, the cheesy penne pasta ("best Mac ever"), steak salad, and a sloppy joe. It was obvious that we were inconveniencing the waitress because we were there -- it took forever and I'm not sure if she ever made eye contact or had a hint of kindness in her voice. I've been back once or twice since then just because it's close. I don't recommend this place only because they've always been so rude to me and the groups I've gone with -- 2 stars instead of 1 because of the food.

Go to Eli's if you have time to spare and can put up with an attitude!