Eli’s on Whitney

We ordered take out from Eli’s and both my husband and I felt very neutral about the experience.
I ordered the Mediterranean sandwhich– prosciutto, mozz, tomato, arugula. The sandwich as a whole was extremely bland tasting. There may have been some balsamic on the bottom, which made the bread super soggy– still didn’t add much flavor. Overstuffed with arugula.
Overall, it was something I could have easily made at home, for less $.
Husband ordered the Buffalo Chicken Wrap… his comments, «It was OK. Spicy.»
Neither of us enjoyed our food enough to care to come back. (First impressions are important!)

I had the crab cakes and Caesar salad. Crab cakes are mid size and really delicious, salad was fresh ! Service was fast, so no complains will def recommend

Came here again, this time mostly for drinks as we were celebrating my husband’s birthday with several friends. We were a group of 7 and we just wanted to hang out at the bar, hoping that eventually we’d be able to get a couple seats there and order some apps for everyone. What a horrible experience this was, not because of the food or the bartender (both were good), but the really obnoxious waitress who looked like she was mad at the entire world. We were standing next to the bar and every time she passed us, she had to SCREAM at us «excuse me». it wasn’t just once or twice, it was the ENTIRE time we were there, which was about 4 hours and she must have passed us about 20 times. There is no reason for that. We weren’t drunk and we weren’t rowdy, just talking amongst our selves and enjoying a few drinks. She could have said it in a normal tone of voice and ofcourse we would have accommodated her (and we did despite her being so rude). There’s no need to scream at us. It’s a bar, and it’s a saturday night — ofcourse it’s busy and there might be people standing by the bar instead of sitting. My eardrums broke every time she yelled out «excuse me» — it was distracting, rude and disrespectful. I’m glad we didn’t need her as a waitress that night and I feel bad for the people who did.

Good place to watch a game! I had the avocado salad with shrimp, food wasn’t bad, just a little bland. Needed salt and lime juice or something. Beer selection was good :)

I’ve been frequenting Eli’s for a few years now. I’ve visited all their locations but this is my favorite. The food is excellent. Some of my favorites include The bobcat sandwich, and The Cali burger. The nachos are also some of the best I’ve had.
The bar is well staffed and stocked. They recently remodeled making it easier to see the many TVs available.
The only con I can think of is that it can get pretty crowded on weekend nights or during a big game. But I can hardly fault them just for being popular. The staff is usually still very attentive.

Dude, why does this place always seem like I am going to hate it? The menus always need a stiff disinfectant, you never know when you’ll get a chipped pint glass, and it always feels like the lighting is «off»…
BUT! But.
They friggin’ deliver every time.
So if you are jonesin’ for decent wings, or upping your healthy game with a fancier salad choice-​take your pick-​they get it right.

Sometimes basic is good enough. And my lunch at Eli’s in Hamden was good solid basic fare in a friendly environment with an outstanding server.
The four of us decided to go to Eli’s for lunch after temple. It is conveniently located near Route 15 and there is ample parking across the street. We grabbed a table for four in the main dining area and Mike, our server approached. He was fantastic, patient and spot on throughout the lunch.
It was midday and the menu included an entire section on of my favorite meals, hamburgers. I chose the Bacon and Cheddar with regular fries, medium-​rare. When it arrived the first noticeable feature was the size. In addition to a large patty, there was ample bacon jutting out of the sides, plus lettuce and tomato, all enclosed in an enormous bun. The meat was grilled to my requested medium-​rare. My impressions were that the meat was mild in flavor, nothing special and good. The bacon was also grilled properly, crispy without being burnt. The cheddar was too mild to compete with the bacon and I would have preferred a larger amount to deliver more cheddar flavor. The bun was buttery, almost a brioche and it was very good, but a smaller size would have been more in proportion to the other ingredients. The fries were very good, crispy on the exterior, soft on the interior, and properly salted.
Overall Eli’s delivered a very good burger in a relaxed, family environment with a great server.

Delicious, good Service and fare price. I recommend the Eli’s chicken. Its lite for diet.

As I write this review I’m sitting at the bar. Steak and Cheese has been sitting in the window for at least 15 minutes, dry and crispy. Spinach Artichoke Dip is nothing more than spinach and melted mozzarella and cold. The pasta fagiloi is burnt and has no pasta, fries are cold and soggy. Eli’s should be ashamed of themselves as they position their bar as a Sunday Football destination. I won’t be back for food. I’m extremely disappointed.

I’m a huge fan of Eli’s in Hamden. This is by far their best locations from service to atmosphere to food.
I’ve always sat at one of the many bar seats at Eli’s. Every time the bar staff is attentive and friendly. They treat you like your a friend and not just a customer.
Food — I can’t say enough. I’m happy with everything I eat here. From burgers to seafood to pizza. All are well made and cooked perfectly. Recently I had some amazing scallops which I can’t say enough about.
I wish all the other Eli’s could match up to this one!

Great lunch! Started off with the broccoli rabe and then had the avocado salad! The salad was a work of art! The broccoli rabe was soo good, my co worker took an order home for dinner! Great food and service. We will be back!

I’ve been to this location several times. It’s pretty versatile. It’s a good choice if you want to go out with drinks with friends, dinner with your boyfriend, a nice lunch with your mom, and they even have separate rooms downstairs for private parties. My sister in law had her bridal shower there and it was perfect for the event and very private. I hadn’t been there in awhile and just went for lunch on Sunday. They’ve definitely made some subtle changes that are appreciated in the way they operate. The menu offers a wide variety of options. I like that the lunch menu offers smaller portions of some of the dinner favorites a long with your usual salads sandwiches soups etc. We ordered the fig pizza to share and I got the crabcake sandwich. The fig pizza was delicious and a sweet treat for an appetizer. My crabcake sandwich was a generous portion and came on a soft roll with a remoulade sauce. I opted for he sweet potato fries instead of the regular fries and I wasn’t disappointed. Probably the most impressive part of the experience was our server Mike. He was attentive, but wasn’t the kind of server who is in your face and obviously working too hard for a tip (we all know the type). He truly did a great job of taking care of our table. I will definitely stop by this location more frequently.

Stopped in for lunch yesterday at Eli’s on Whitney, we were 1^st timers. Place was larger than it looked from the outside, décor was nice, we were seated in a comfortable booth.
My wife had a Bloody Mary to start off with, she liked it, was good. She ordered a Rhode Island clam chowder — was good also. I ordered six wings, chipotle BBQ flavor. Meaty wings, but they lacked the crispy outer coating I look for in quality made wings. Also, I wasn’t really crazy about the chipotle sauce.
For our entrees, my wife went with the Sliders, I ordered the Classic Mac & Cheese. Everything was tasty, our meals hit the spot. And, the French fries that came with my wife’s Sliders were excellent — seasoned perfectly.
We would certainly come back to Eli’s on Whitney in Hamden if we were in the area again. It’s a fairly basic menu, but what they serve is done right, so it’s worthy of a return trip. Eli’s is a solid 4 Star rating, IMO.

This is a good place with above average bar food. It has a soft spot for me since I always came here in college but now it’s more my speed to come for happy hr/​dinner. It is ALWAYS busy and there’s no atmosphere so if you’re hoping for a good dinner chat, you should prob go somewhere else. The Philly Steak Egg rolls are delicious and the nachos are good too (pulled pork) although sometimes the chips are overcooked. They have interesting sandwiches, I particularly enjoy the Mediterranean one. My biggest grip with this place is the salads are SO overpriced!!! How can you charge 9.50 for a salad that just had carrots, tomatoes and onion??? Yes u can add chicken but that’s another 4 dollars! It’s a rip off.
I’ve never had a problem with the service and despite its faults it’s a nice bar to visit.

Stopped in for a light lunch on our way home south of. Nice modern looking place we thought. We were seated in one of the booths which was nice and spacious. I had the fish tacos and they were good. The kids had the kids meal pizza and they loved it. It was thin crust, crispy and tasty they said! Nothing to complain about the service or the food. Everything was ok.

A lot of improvements at Eli’s over the previous months. More consistent service, new food items, renovated bar and bathrooms and a much better tv viewing situation!

Like other reviewers said, it’s the most popular bar in Hamden, especially with college students. Their parking lot is always crowded, no matter what time of day it is.
I like going here before the bar crowd arrives, because it’s actually enjoyable. Once they arrive, it’s noisy, crowded, and there are fights out in the parking lot every weekend. I know because I used to live across the street.
If you go before 8, the bartenders are friendly, the drinks decent, and food is a step up from a typical bar.
My favorite dishes are the burgers and the buffalo chicken wrap. They are dependable; you’ll always have a good meal with those choices.
I haven’t been there since they remodeled, but I like sitting on the bar area rather than the dining room.
This is a place I used to go to because it was convenient, but I’ll never go out of my way to eat here.

They always hava a decent draught list. Nick the bartender is always super friendly and courteous. Food is good. The mac and jack is fantastic. French onion soup is pretty good too. It’s one of our favorite stops.

The most popular college bar in Hamden… because it is pretty much the only bar in Hamden.
Beers on tap are good and they have a great selection. Stay away from the rail drinks. Usually they are tolerable where ever you go, but not here. I got a whiskey sour and within half an hour got a splitting headache so not sure what basement-​level booze they’re using in their rail drinks.
It’s perfectly fine for a few beers if you don’t want to drive into New Haven (my inner snob must be coming out).

Eli’s is a great neighborhood bar for those times when you feel fancier than hitting a local dive bar. The food is good, the service is exceptional if you get Monica; otherwise prepare for a wait.
Be sure to try the Philly steak egg rolls!