Eli’s Food & Cocktails

I have been to this place several times and every experience is unique either with the staff or the menu. It’s one of my best place in town «home away from home». Very welcoming people! My favorite is the steak and eggs on their weekend menu with a glass of mimosa. Hmm yum!

What a great menu. Our group had a very hard time deciding what to order, unique items as well as standard fare competed. We tried appetizers of crab cakes (delicious but small portion for the price) and quesadillas. Meals we tried included balsamic chicken sandwich (truly amazing), penne and cheese (rich and creamy), homemade veggie burgers and turkey burger. Our favorite picks: balsamic chicken sandwich, quesadillas, and penne. With the exception of the appetizers, prices are good.
Beer selection super; full bar. Our service was friendly and attentive.

I love this place! If you are looking for a hole in the wall bar with great food and customer service this is the spot to be at! From the bartenders to the wait staff, everyone that works here treats you like the important customer you are.
Additionally, this low key spot has 2 small screen tvs where you can ask to watch sports or anything else to your liking if you are sitting at the bar.
Layout:
This place is pretty small so I would not recommend coming here if you have a bigger party than 6 or so people. Though they can probably host a bigger party, it would be tough since they do not take reservations. Another tidbit for the ladies is that there is only one bath room. Usually that is not an issue unless there are festivals or major events going on in downtown Minneapolis.
Food:
The food is so awesome here! I love the fact that they have weekly specials that are based off of ingredients the can get that week. Frankly, I think the weekly specials are what makes this place an awesome choice for a foodie who likes to frequent the same place.
The bar is also really well stocked here so the bartenders can make mostly any drink for you.
Overall:
Just an awesome place to try if you looking for a low key affordable place in down town Minneapolis. It is also good for those who are interested in take out. They are open to taking orders and having them ready when you get there for those that live close by.

Really good drinks! Try the Penne and Cheese. Chill atmosphere. Good alternative music. Really fun staff.

The food is great here and service is excellent. Fun place to hang out as well. Great prices!

Out of towner who stopped in for a quick lunch. Very tasty penne and cheese. Half order was just right. Flat personality of server and mixed-​from-​powder iced tea detract from the place’s charm.

Cool neighborhood gem to stop by for drinks and a meal.
Had the steak sandwich and it was delicious. Also tried the crab cakes. They are the typical, stringy crab with a of filler and fried. If you are really into lump crab cakes, I would avoid it here although the flavor was decent.
Came here for brunch in the summer and the temperature of the place was obscenely hot. I don’t think they use air conditioning.
All in all, reasonably priced and pretty good tasting food.

My boyfriend was weirdly craving Cobb salad for dinner last night and when I researched it (restaurant research being my favorite kind) Eli’s was supposed to be some of the best in town. The place is kind of small, so we had to wait a few minutes for a table. We got a drink while we waited, and they made me the best old fashioned of my life. Of my life! When we ordered, we had a good-​but-​nothing-​to-​write-​home-​about cheese plate. I had truffle dogs, which were really nice-​the kind of thing you want after a couple of whiskeys. Our server was really efficient and fun, and frankly I’d like to be best friends with him. When my boyfriend said that maybe he’d gone overboard with the blue cheese on his salad, the server immediately came over and asked if he wanted it fixed. (He decided to live with his mistakes.) A great casual Friday night place.

Decent little bar with a decent menu of upscale bar food. Great service sitting at the bar.

Came on a Saturday afternoon to grab some food — I’ve gone to the one in the Northeast and was pleasantly surprised by the choice and quality of food. I wasn’t so much at this one. I ordered the beef brisket sandwich ($ 10) and upgraded to the tots (additional $ 2). This lunch menu starts @ 2pm on weekends.
Although the brisket was flavorful and the tots were really well fried, the brisket was shredded and tasted like old meat that they were trying to get rid of. The sourdough it came on didn’t really do much to add to the dish, and the little greenery they added to the plate was sad and limp, void of any dressing or moisture. It was easy parking though since this area doesn’t get that busy on the weekends (daytime) but would probably walk a little further to go to the other Eli’s next time.

I adore Eli’s. It’s unpretentious with old-​world charm. This small, cozy space was part of a hotel back in the day so it has that cool atmosphere perfect for a quiet late night dinner date. If you’re looking for a low key spot to watch a sports match, they have TVs at the bar too.
The food always surprises me — everything is fantastic! All of their burgers and sandwiches are on point delicious. Their brunch is a must too — I have to get their eggs bene every time. Yum!
The bartenders are very attentive, same goes for the servers. The food arrives quickly and you’re always happy you stopped at Eli’s. If you haven’t been yet, go now. Don’t miss out on this gem!

This place is like home but better because you don’t have to cook. Any of the service staff
Ale you feel like you are a family member. Thank you Eli’s for being real.

I love this place. They have these daytime bartenders that are just what anyone needs– not pretentious and not too inquisitive. The music is calming and the atmosphere close in a good way. I will often stop in for an app– the penne and cheese is divine, as is the filet bites with bleu cheese crème.
Never had their dessert, but as Nina Simone sang and I sipped my Malbec, the pistachio cheesecake with rasberry coulée called my name. And I answered. I can’t believe I’ve missed this all this time.

CHECK THIS PLACE OUT!!!
We went here on a recommendation from a waiter at another restaurant. His words were «Great place that doesn’t get written about enough». I have to say he was dead on. We started with a few drinks and an appetizer. The Filet Mignon with a blue cheese, mushroom and fried onion garnish was incredible… so tender and succulent. We decided to have a second appetizer, the scallops with apple purée and pear slices, were again to die for, perfectly cooked and the apple gastrique just paired beautifully. It’s kind of like a finely diced apple purée like thing. Phenomenal.
I had the Crab Cakes for dinner and my girlfriend had the Duck, both were fantastic. The crab cakes were lightly fried and had a bit of heat. The were so tender on the inside with a slight crisp to the outside. The duck was good as well.
For desert we had the Pistachio Cheesecake and again were blown away by just how good it was.
All in all the drinks were great, the food was great, the atmosphere was nice and quiet casual, The servers were great, chatted with us and we had a great night. I just wished we lived in MN so we could visit again. I just hope the next time were in town we will have the privilege of a return visit.

I love this place!
I love the small, neutral storefront. When we walked in, I couldn’t tell who the staff were besides the bartenders (awesome). Someone will come up and seat you, of course. I debated the sandwich of the day and the steak sandwich, and the waiter instantly said steak sandwich, easy decision. As we waited for our food, I’d notice different staff members sitting down and talking with different customers, joking around, hanging out. It’s great to see that barrier of employees just waiting tables broken. Granted, these customers are probably regulars and friends, but it makes the atmosphere a lot more friendly.
My steak sandwich was facking magical. French hoagie stuffed with tender, sliced steak, sautéed mushrooms and onions, blue cheese and topped with sriracha aioli.
The crab cake was solid and I really liked that it came on a bed of sautéed spinach.
My friend’s chicken marsala was fantastic! It was a required 20 minute wait for the roasted chicken breast but it was worth it. The chicken breast was so damn tender. It came with a mountain of sautéed onions, peppers, and mushrooms. The buttermilk mashed potatoes were gooooooddddd!
The food, staff, and ambiance were all perfect. This is one of my favorite spots in the cities. It’s also the perfect walking distance if you’re looking to catch a show at the orpheum that night!

First look of the place says that Eli’s has a lot of character. The interior is cozy and the lighting is intimately dim, which is perfect for that pub-​like environment. The worn wood tables and wooden bar says that Eli’s is casual with a bit of class.
My waitress was very friendly and warm. I ordered their crab cake appetizer and Basic Burger, cooked medium with all the toppings.
The crab cake was spiced perfectly, giving it a wonderful heat with each bite. The burger was very tender, almost butter-​like.
I can say quite confidently that I greatly enjoyed my experience at Eli’s.

We originally tried Butcher and the Boar for dinner at 9:30 but they apparently close super early. The waitress at B&TB told us about Eli’s and we took a quick über ride over. We were greeted by a friendly dude in shorts (it was neg 15 outside) and sat us quickly. Waiter was outstanding, and had an awesome personally. We asked his name, but he wouldn’t give it to us for safety reasons as he was a homosexual male in the city. It’s a sad world we live in.
Anyway, it was a great meal. A lot of us ordered the gourmet hotdog plate which believe it or not was quite delicious. Hot dogs were a little more like sausage, and had a nice snap to them. Good stuff. I recommend the truffle dog. Yum.
Kind of glad Butcher and the Boar was closed.

Walking into Eli’s feels a lot like walking into Cheers would I imagine. It’s dark-​ish, friendly, warm, and just feels right. Following an Elite Event Jonathan T took me here for a late night bite to eat and a quick drink and it was perfect. I ordered grilled bruschetta and honey soy wings with a sriracha aioli both of which were quite enjoyable. And while it seems like a beer and shot kinda place they do a good job with cocktails and wine as well, so don’t judge this book by its cover.
They have chalkboard specials, food until 1 am, good prices, good food, and friendly people. If I lived in the area I could easily see myself becoming a regular at Eli’s.

If you’re looking for a non-​pretentious neighborhood pub staffed with friendly people, look no further than Eli’s. Oh yeah, and it’s also where all the cool kids hang. Like so cool that each time I’ve visited, I’ve had the huge urge to smoke a couple of Marlboro lights (100s) and sip on a nice bourbon. (Too bad indoor smoking is illegal in Minnesota. Not that I smoke or anything, though.)
Looking to eat some grub after hosting a six hour hip-​hop competition, I visited Eli’s hoping to fill my belly with delicious food with local b-​boy crew, Break Cops. Our server was awesome and she was more than happy to answer any questions we had about the menu. I ended up ordering the sausage sandwich, but I admit, I really can’t remember any specifics, because I unwound with a couple of beers. (Which generally affects my memory.) But I promise you, if you get a burger or sandwich from Eli’s, it’ll be delicious.
Also, if you are ambitious to eat even more, get the crispy, perfectly salted tater-​tots. They make them just right.
While eating, some friends that we knew visited and added to the Saturday night buzz. One of them was Cole, who is a tall and friendly brotha. At that time, I had no idea that he worked there as a bartender. I didn’t learn this fact until my second visit with the fabulous Milwaukee CM Rachel F, where we sipped on some tasty mixed drinks. (Again, don’t remember what I had.)
Here’s my convo with the coolest bartender in Minneapolis:
Me: Are you Cara’s boyfriend?
Cole: Yeah.
Me: Were you in here the other night?
Cole: Yeah. I was here, just chillin’.
If employees are willing to hangout at Eli’s during their off time, I think that’s a good indicator that you should visit. This is THEeeee neighborhood joint and a must for all Minneapolites.
*Forgive me for any spelling or grammar mistakes in this review. I wrote it while drinking a beer.

Rad little spot: not pretentious, pretty home-​y, no frills, nice folks… clearly a neighborhood spot.
That said, surprisingly solid cocktails populate their drink list (read: a killer rye manhattan!)
The tater tots are supposed to be business, but I didn’t partake. The food menu looked like good, solid bar fare.
Our bartender was super nice. Were this spot in my ‘hood, it’d be a go to, easily.