Food was great on 2 recent visits...miso glazed salmon was excellent as was our server a young blonde girl. Went back for happy hour a week later and almost all of the extensive draft beer menu is on special for $4 which is great since most places wont offer that...also drafts are a true 16oz. The giant pretzel is the best I have ever had anywhere...2 things kept me from giving 5 starts 1. It is too cold in there, not just my opinion and 2. the happy hour menu has sangria listed as $4 but the bartender said the menu was old and sangria is no longer on special...it is a paper printed menu which should be updated when changed also if it is on the menu for a certain price then honor it even if it has changed....I will be back and do recommend Eli's Orange. We used to love the Milford location before COVID but they have really gone down hill and we gave it 3 chances, but at least we now have Orange.
Christopher B.
Very disappointing. Had to wait 15 mins for my clam chowder and when it came it was only a little more than 1/2 a bowl.When I received my glazed salmon dish the fish was virtually uncooked. The exterior looked great (and the glaze was very tasty) but the first piece on my fork revealed most of the fish to be raw.We were a little annoyed that our table was sticky but we were willing to give them a pass.I think the basic fault lies in the kitchen. The place has a nice ambiance and the wait staff were nice.We may give them another chance another time.
Gary W.
I typically don't feel the need to leave restaurant reviews but todays visit to your location left a mark. The atmosphere, the food, and the friendly, attentive service left me leaving Eli's with anticipation to return with family and friends.
Kaitlynn M.
Eli's is a solid 3 star bar in Orange. There definitely aren't a lot of bar/tavern/pub places in Orange anymore, so if this is the vibe you are looking for and don't want to go into Milford or New Haven, you will like Eli's! There is usually plenty of seating at the bar when I have gone (the bar is quite big compared to the bar at their Milford location) but there is also table seating if you are going with family. I am not sure how full the bar gets on NFL Sundays but I would imagine pretty busy since they have a ton of big screen TVs everywhere!The service is always fine and attentive enough and the food is the same. Typical bar menu (burgers, chicken, flatbreads, apps). The best thing on the menu is probably the Philly cheesesteak egg rolls. They are very greasy and heavy but delicious for sharing and always hit the spot!I would also say that Eli's has a great happy hour! I believe it is from 4-6pm, but you can get incredible drink deals (like Tito's for $5?!) and appetizers! It appeared that they also had a late night menu (discounted eats) but I don't know a ton about that.
Michael A.
Three of us went to Eli's for dinner last night. All of us enjoyed our meals the service was fine. There was a good crowd here & we all enjoyed ourselves.
Jody M.
Went to Eli's in Orange today to grab a bite to eat while watching the football games. There was no hostess so we walked in and sat at the bar. The bartender gave us menus. The menus were sticky and dirty and had white stuff like dressing all over them. I often go to the Eli's in Branford and get the grilled chicken which is so good. This Eli's didn't have it on the menu so I ordered the chicken caprese sandwich. The chicken wasn't a grilled chicken breast, but rather a grilled chicken patty. It was mediocre at best. Our bartender was good. He checked in and made sure we had drinks. Probably won't go back. So odd since I always have a good experience at the Eli's in Branford.
Z8915FHirenec
Don't order the fish tacos if you like fish - you won't find any, just deep fried batter turds covered in some other greasy sauce. Unpleasant.. My chocolate martini was chocolate milk in a martini glass. And $11. I expect more.
Kenneth T.
I've been a loyal customer for years but it seems that it is now another Covid casualty. The service is always good, but the prices have been substantially raised while the portion sizes have been substantially reduced. I was there last night (a slow Monday). The pretzel appetizer was fresh and tasty but overpriced at $12. My fish & chips was also tasty but very skimpy for $19.00. My girlfriend's salad & chicken was much more generous but was $20 (and also gave her gastroenteritis), and the coffee was weak. I hope they improve soon but we won't be going back for awhile.
michelemY9227NU
We arrived at 630pm on a Saturday. Ordered an appetizer & it took 45 mins to receive it & I had to ask for them to check on it. It then took another hour to receive our meals. I don't enjoy eating at 8pm. When we arrived I asked the waitress if the music could be turned down a bit because it was pretty loud & not background music. We like to listen to music but be able to carry on a conversation without yelling. They did not lower it. Our food came & was very bland. I would not recommend this place.
Chris M.
What happened to Eli's? We popped in for a quick drink and app during happy hour. The whole place was not busy a bar tender dropped off menus with out introducing himself and just walked away. Both bartenders stood over at the service area ignoring most of the people at the bar while they practiced making drinks like they were in Cocktail. After 10 mins someone finally took our drink order and another 10 mins for a draft and vodka soda. I had to order wings as the drinks were just thrown at us with out even asking if we wanted something. Sorry for putting you out as you over served the two women who could barely walk as they left.
I have been going to both Eli's locations in Hamden ever since I can remember and I like both of those, so I figured since this one is closer to where I live, I'd finally try this one out. It was so empty when we went which I wasn't that shocked about considering there's never many cars in their lot. I ordered the "jumbo" wings for my dinner, but they were not all that jumbo to me. They were very tiny and it's disappointing to get such small wings when they call them "jumbo" on their menu.. this was supposed to serve as my dinner even though it's usually an appetizer. The same exact thing happened to me the last couple times I ordered them in Hamden. The wings tasted okay, I just felt really ripped off and like I was given a really skimpy serving. On the bright side, my dad loves their Signature Salad with blackened chicken, so at least he enjoyed his meal. I would give them another chance, but I wouldn't order the wings ever again after they keep false advertising them as "jumbo."
Mark R.
This place has some tasty food but the service I received was horrible. This cranky woman named Nesha at the bar was angry at all of the staff and made a huge scene right in the middle of my meal. She spilt a drink all over my clothes and refused to compensate me for my dry cleaning costs. I later learned she was a manager and was going to be fired soon. But this was unacceptable and completely wrecked my evening. I will never go back if she is she is still there.
Christine E.
Stopped for a bite while traveling home. Pleasantly surprised with vegetarian options. Homemade Impossible meatballs with penne in a delicious marinara (just the right balance of garlic, salt, acid and a little spicy). Also very nice wait staff and creative bartender. Loved it.
Marc S.
I was a fan of this place, it has a very nice bar area and the management and staff were very friendly. But The food was not good the last time I was there. Big serving of nachos but they were cold. And both Dinner orders were not good, seems like cheap ingredients to me. It's a nice place but the food definitely needs a big upgrade, there a lot of places for bar/pub food, step it up . Great place for bar dates and meeting for drinks.
Kelsey N.
Have always been a fan of Eli's on the Hill, so I figured this one would be similar. The bar area is nice, the bartender was sweet, but the food was awful. The nachos were cold, like cold wet cheese cold. Unimpressed with the chicken flatbread as well. Fine if you're going for a quick drink but would not recommend for food.
Food was great on 2 recent visits...miso glazed salmon was excellent as was our server a young blonde girl. Went back for happy hour a week later and almost all of the extensive draft beer menu is on special for $4 which is great since most places wont offer that...also drafts are a true 16oz. The giant pretzel is the best I have ever had anywhere...2 things kept me from giving 5 starts 1. It is too cold in there, not just my opinion and 2. the happy hour menu has sangria listed as $4 but the bartender said the menu was old and sangria is no longer on special...it is a paper printed menu which should be updated when changed also if it is on the menu for a certain price then honor it even if it has changed....I will be back and do recommend Eli's Orange. We used to love the Milford location before COVID but they have really gone down hill and we gave it 3 chances, but at least we now have Orange.
Very disappointing. Had to wait 15 mins for my clam chowder and when it came it was only a little more than 1/2 a bowl.When I received my glazed salmon dish the fish was virtually uncooked. The exterior looked great (and the glaze was very tasty) but the first piece on my fork revealed most of the fish to be raw.We were a little annoyed that our table was sticky but we were willing to give them a pass.I think the basic fault lies in the kitchen. The place has a nice ambiance and the wait staff were nice.We may give them another chance another time.
I typically don't feel the need to leave restaurant reviews but todays visit to your location left a mark. The atmosphere, the food, and the friendly, attentive service left me leaving Eli's with anticipation to return with family and friends.
Eli's is a solid 3 star bar in Orange. There definitely aren't a lot of bar/tavern/pub places in Orange anymore, so if this is the vibe you are looking for and don't want to go into Milford or New Haven, you will like Eli's! There is usually plenty of seating at the bar when I have gone (the bar is quite big compared to the bar at their Milford location) but there is also table seating if you are going with family. I am not sure how full the bar gets on NFL Sundays but I would imagine pretty busy since they have a ton of big screen TVs everywhere!The service is always fine and attentive enough and the food is the same. Typical bar menu (burgers, chicken, flatbreads, apps). The best thing on the menu is probably the Philly cheesesteak egg rolls. They are very greasy and heavy but delicious for sharing and always hit the spot!I would also say that Eli's has a great happy hour! I believe it is from 4-6pm, but you can get incredible drink deals (like Tito's for $5?!) and appetizers! It appeared that they also had a late night menu (discounted eats) but I don't know a ton about that.
Three of us went to Eli's for dinner last night. All of us enjoyed our meals the service was fine. There was a good crowd here & we all enjoyed ourselves.
Went to Eli's in Orange today to grab a bite to eat while watching the football games. There was no hostess so we walked in and sat at the bar. The bartender gave us menus. The menus were sticky and dirty and had white stuff like dressing all over them. I often go to the Eli's in Branford and get the grilled chicken which is so good. This Eli's didn't have it on the menu so I ordered the chicken caprese sandwich. The chicken wasn't a grilled chicken breast, but rather a grilled chicken patty. It was mediocre at best. Our bartender was good. He checked in and made sure we had drinks. Probably won't go back. So odd since I always have a good experience at the Eli's in Branford.
Don't order the fish tacos if you like fish - you won't find any, just deep fried batter turds covered in some other greasy sauce. Unpleasant.. My chocolate martini was chocolate milk in a martini glass. And $11. I expect more.
I've been a loyal customer for years but it seems that it is now another Covid casualty. The service is always good, but the prices have been substantially raised while the portion sizes have been substantially reduced. I was there last night (a slow Monday). The pretzel appetizer was fresh and tasty but overpriced at $12. My fish & chips was also tasty but very skimpy for $19.00. My girlfriend's salad & chicken was much more generous but was $20 (and also gave her gastroenteritis), and the coffee was weak. I hope they improve soon but we won't be going back for awhile.
We arrived at 630pm on a Saturday. Ordered an appetizer & it took 45 mins to receive it & I had to ask for them to check on it. It then took another hour to receive our meals. I don't enjoy eating at 8pm. When we arrived I asked the waitress if the music could be turned down a bit because it was pretty loud & not background music. We like to listen to music but be able to carry on a conversation without yelling. They did not lower it. Our food came & was very bland. I would not recommend this place.
What happened to Eli's? We popped in for a quick drink and app during happy hour. The whole place was not busy a bar tender dropped off menus with out introducing himself and just walked away. Both bartenders stood over at the service area ignoring most of the people at the bar while they practiced making drinks like they were in Cocktail. After 10 mins someone finally took our drink order and another 10 mins for a draft and vodka soda. I had to order wings as the drinks were just thrown at us with out even asking if we wanted something. Sorry for putting you out as you over served the two women who could barely walk as they left.
Restaurantji Recommends
I have been going to both Eli's locations in Hamden ever since I can remember and I like both of those, so I figured since this one is closer to where I live, I'd finally try this one out. It was so empty when we went which I wasn't that shocked about considering there's never many cars in their lot. I ordered the "jumbo" wings for my dinner, but they were not all that jumbo to me. They were very tiny and it's disappointing to get such small wings when they call them "jumbo" on their menu.. this was supposed to serve as my dinner even though it's usually an appetizer. The same exact thing happened to me the last couple times I ordered them in Hamden. The wings tasted okay, I just felt really ripped off and like I was given a really skimpy serving. On the bright side, my dad loves their Signature Salad with blackened chicken, so at least he enjoyed his meal. I would give them another chance, but I wouldn't order the wings ever again after they keep false advertising them as "jumbo."
This place has some tasty food but the service I received was horrible. This cranky woman named Nesha at the bar was angry at all of the staff and made a huge scene right in the middle of my meal. She spilt a drink all over my clothes and refused to compensate me for my dry cleaning costs. I later learned she was a manager and was going to be fired soon. But this was unacceptable and completely wrecked my evening. I will never go back if she is she is still there.
Stopped for a bite while traveling home. Pleasantly surprised with vegetarian options. Homemade Impossible meatballs with penne in a delicious marinara (just the right balance of garlic, salt, acid and a little spicy). Also very nice wait staff and creative bartender. Loved it.
I was a fan of this place, it has a very nice bar area and the management and staff were very friendly. But The food was not good the last time I was there. Big serving of nachos but they were cold. And both Dinner orders were not good, seems like cheap ingredients to me. It's a nice place but the food definitely needs a big upgrade, there a lot of places for bar/pub food, step it up . Great place for bar dates and meeting for drinks.
Have always been a fan of Eli's on the Hill, so I figured this one would be similar. The bar area is nice, the bartender was sweet, but the food was awful. The nachos were cold, like cold wet cheese cold. Unimpressed with the chicken flatbread as well. Fine if you're going for a quick drink but would not recommend for food.