We were very excited to try this local restaurant after reading their menu online, but were very disappointed to be served two entrees that included pork products that were not listed on the menu. My husband and I are both pescatarians, so it was quite surprising to eat shrimp and grits with bacon (not listed on menu) and salmon with pork sauce (also not listed on the menu). My husband bit in first and mentioned it to the waitress. She offered to get him something else, but he was already deep into his dish and didn't want to be too burdensome, so he said it was fine, but that it should be mentioned in the future on the menu for those that don't eat pork. The manager came over to apologize and said she would give us a free dessert. Then I took a bite and immediately realized there was something meat-like in the sauce. I stopped eating and told the waitress, who disagreed with me and said it was just part of the salmon. I found several more pieces of meat in the sauce, presumably pork, which made my stomach flip over and feel sick. My husband tried to persuade me that it must just be bread, so I handed the dish off to him. I asked the waitress again about the sauce and explained that I was pretty sure that the sauce had meat in it and that it should be listed on the menu. She said she would mention it to the staff and that she agreed that it would be important to list for people with allergies. We did get a free dessert worth $6, but that did not in any way make up for spending over $40 on two entrees that were not just unenjoyable, but compromised our ethical and health decisions not to eat pork, or meat products at all for that matter. I have not eaten pork since I was a child. As a note to staff, please list meat products on your menu. When you make a serious customer-service error as you did with us, please make up for it without putting the pressure on the customer to advocate for themselves. We are easy-going people and are not going to make flamboyant demands, especially after trying to politely tell staff three times about unmarked meat products. Our waitress should have checked on the ingredients of the sauce when I asked, not disagreed with me without full information. I did not enjoy my food at all and still have a bad taste in my mouth. Not worth the price. read more

This was one of the best restaurants I've ever been to. The appetizer (coconut shrimp) was so delicious we ordered two! The ribeye special was one of the best we've ever had at a restaurant. Service was amazing. Everything was quick. We were in and out in less than an hour and we were not rushed at all!! Delicious. Will be back when we're in town. read more

Hubby and I decided to try this resturant here in Front Royal Va. Everything was awesome and omg soooooo delicious. Kearstin was the best! Highly recommend. read more

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I've been here twice with my dad, and I am consistently impressed with the food and service. On both trips, I had the mussels appetizer. If you go to Element, you HAVE to get the mussels appetizer. Period. The portion size is huge (it's like an entree), and the mussels are cooked perfectly. The white wine and garlic sauce is divine, and once you run out of mussels, you can dip bread in it (if you ask for additional bread they'll bring it to you). The first time I dined here, I had the scallops entree, which was excellent. On my most recent trip, I had the ginger miso beef entree, which was delicious. I was impressed with the quality of the beef, which was cooked to a perfect medium rare. My dad had a rockfish entree, which I don't think is always offered, but he said it was delicious. I was way too stuffed to eat dessert (or even to finish my entree), but my dad had the cheesecake. The cheesecake was INSANE. Even though I was very full, I still had some of it, simply because the flavor was so extraordinary. The cheesecake was thick and creamy, and it was clear to me that a lot of care was taken in crafting it. On both visits, I was as impressed with the service as I was with the food. The restaurant is very clean (including the bathrooms), the waitstaff is friendly and attentive, and the food arrives quickly. I'm sure I will make many more visits here in the future. read more

Element - Ginger miso beef entree, cooked to a perfect medium rare. I was very impressed with the quality of the beef. - New American Near Me - Front Royal, Virginia

I've been in several times but I'll be honest I have only ordered 2 things, the deconstructed nachos and the crab soup. I love them both, and alternate between the two each time. I'm sure their other items are just as good. This is a nice, clean, quiet place, great for date night, a business lunch or spending time with a friend. read more

My wife & I each enjoyed a wonderful rib eye steak dinner. The meat was so tender and the taste was top notch served by Katherine on 5 May 2021. Although on a Wednesday evening, the meal and service were like a holiday. read more

Good meat pizza from menu. Don't recommend the white pizza. The hostess was very nice. If you're in a hurry, don't expect a quick in and out. I would recommend though. read more

Looked forward to dining here with our local friends. Presentation was pretty. Calamari appetizer was great. Nice wine list. Looked at website prior to arrival but a new menu was put out 2 weeks prior so I looked new items over and chose to go with my favorite fine dining item "Filet Mingnon." Served with brócoli, & bleu cheese scalloped potatoes were nice. The filet was not good. I did inform waiter that didn't stop back until all guest were done. He asked how meals were. Then we shared the taste of filet was bad, he asked how so I said taste of liver or rancid. I left 2/3 husband tasted some of other 3 rd 1 guest rest of my husbands. He offered dessert but I was full. I ate all of my vegetables and potatoes, shared spouses cod. He came back with bill and said " I took $5.00 off." Not that acceptable as it was a $28.00 entree.i read more

Element - New American Near Me - Front Royal, Virginia

We are moving to the area soon, so after looking at some properties, we stopped in here for lunch. There was one large table seated at the front of the house, but it was virtually empty at the time. For some reason, we were seated directly next to a door that leads to the back room (kitchen? office? not sure). There were people constantly walking in and out, and at one point, someone reached over my wife's head to adjust the thermostat without so much as a "pardon me ma'am." Despite this, we are understanding people, so we laughed it off. The problems continued, though, as the waiter serving us was... so... slow. Not only did he take 10 minutes to get us waters, he dropped them off and ran off in a hurry saying "I'll be back when your guest returns." No, I was ready to order appetizers and drinks then. I observed as he fumbled through receipts and the computer, so I can only suspect and hope that he was new. It took another 20 minutes to get my cocktail, and another 20 minutes after that to receive the appetizer. Then, finally, we receive the entrees about an hour after sitting down. Guess what? Fries were frigid. Maybe we just didn't look like the type of people that dine there or tip well, maybe the server was new, maybe it's just a crappy place. I'm not sure yet. I watched as 3 other tables, seated after us, got their drinks and food in almost no time. The sad thing is that the food would have been great if it wasn't ice cold. All in all, I spent about $100 and still tipped the server a standard 20%, but I would only give this place one more shot and will walk out immediately if that server is working our table. As a future resident, I sincerely hope a second visit changes my mind. read more

Element is, by far, my favorite local restaurant. It's so refreshing to find a local restaurant that's reminiscent of the restaurants I frequented when I lived in DC. Upscale without being pretentious, an intimate feel, yet spacious enough for privacy, and the food is amazing! Try the Element Nachos (topped w/pork carnitas), salmon caesar salad and black bean quesadillas. You won't be disappointed. Enjoy any of those with a glass of wine and great conversation and you'll never want to leave! P.S. Follow along on their Facebook page to get updates on daily specials and special events. read more

Decent service but terrible food I went up to the bar and said "I would like to pay but our food was not good" (we both took two bites and couldn't eat anymore) and her reply was "ahhhh" and of course charged full price for everything which was fine I suppose however my husband and I will definitely not be going back here. Very disappointed. read more

Great place for lunch with friends! Five of us visited for lunch on a recent weekday at the 11:30 opening time and, having placed a reservation for space in the bar area (where the seating is more comfortable), were ushered immediately to where tables had been pushed together for us. We'd heard that the chef here had been at the Inn at Little Washington before opening this place, and we were all impressed with the food. The service was absolutely friendly and accommodating. There are vegetarian options and the fries are absolutely worth the upgrade. We'll be going back! read more

We selected this restaurant because it is located in historic downtown Front Royal, and because of it's 4.5 star ratings. We ordered the smoked pork butt /pork loin , and the shrimp and grits entrees . Both were over cooked, and hard!! When paying a premium for upscale food, one expects the chef to supervise the other cooks in the kitchen closely. read more

I'm not sure where to start. First the staff, they are amazing!! Professional, thrilled you came, and on top of it. You feel like an old friend. Never had a more engaging hostess! Then the food. WOW!!! We ordered the Pigken and the Cornbread Waffles with bbq pork. Both bursting with flavor. And large plates, so come with an appetite. I'm so glad we stopped. Brunch is served last Sunday of each month so make a reservation and plan to be there. read more

Element in this location is trying really hard to achieve a strong following, and they were quite busy Friday night. The service was very attentive and enthusiastic. The food is striving for a sophistication in preparation and presentation and is solidly on the way, but hasn't quite arrived: the beef sauce was very sweet, the tofu very disappointing (especially given the lack of vegetables amid the abundant rice), but the scallops were strong. The wine selection was incomplete as we finally landed on a great Huber Reisling after first choices on the menu were in fact not available. The calamari appetizer was strong, as was the dessert. read more

The people working here were all super friendly, great atmosphere and drinks. Food was phenomenal! read more

Element - New American Near Me - Front Royal, Virginia

We had a good time at this restaurant... cute place with friendly waitresses... the food was great also, but just a little pricey. Fish and chips were good and the macaroni ranch chicken was okay also. Desserts were very good especially the Bread pudding. We would go back anytime... one star down because the room was cold and prices a bit high for the food options... but just my opinion on that. I highly recommend going there. read more

It's probably fine if you don't have various food allergies. But food is not made to order so you have to pick something on the menu that does not contain the allergies you're avoiding. I was hoping for some vegetables but I was told everything is heavily seasoned with garlic. Other options contained other problematic ingredients for me. I was pretty much out of luck here. In all our travels I've been able to put together meals at restaurants. Not here. read more

The atmosphere is relaxed and romantic. The food is superb. We especially enjoyed the salad nicoise, chicken curry salad, tomato dill crab soup, fish and chips. The desserts are beautiful! Our server, Frances, was delightful. read more

Unique menu, pleasant service, quaint atmosphere. Loved the salmon! My companion had the fish and chips which were wonderful. read more

Element - Salmon - New American Near Me - Front Royal, Virginia

Great service at the bar. Decent wine selection. Great Mexican chocolate cake. Chicken pomodoro wasn't bad, nor was the veggie falafel.

I have been here several times and the food and service is excellent. Had the seared salmon over cedar salad today and it was excellent. Have had the avocado BLT in the past and it has always been quite nice! Highly recommend! read more

This place is fantastic! The presentation is excellent and the food quality is superb! Service was also top notch. read more

Element - Gluten free Mexican chocolate cake on the left. Gluten enriched lemon cake on the right! - New American Near Me - Front Royal, Virginia

I tried to make a reservation however the answering machine says they take reservations for parties of 6 or more. We drove 1/2 hr to dine here for a special occasion and arrived at 6 knowing it was a Saturday and it may be busy. The hostess asked if we had a reservation, to which I replied you don't take reservations for less than 6. She was apologetic, stating that she has wanted to change the message for some time but the owner has not done it. AND so sorry but no tables available due to two large parties and not enough help. I called to make a reservation which would have solved the problem but Element's answering machine told me otherwise. Needless to say we will NEVER try to eat here again. read more

Food 4 stars Service 1 stars I think I'm being generous by giving this restaurant 3 stars overall. My boyfriend and I regularly went to the old location but eventually stopped going because we found the female manager (she may actually be the owner) quite rude on multiple occasions. My best friend and her family were in town visiting and wanted to eat somewhere on main street so we decided to try element in their new location. My friend went to the hostess stand as I watched after her kids and when she came back she said "the hostess was really rude but she said they can seat us now but we will have to hurry and leave because they are going to be busy later" i looked up and was not at all surprised to see that it was the same woman who I have also found to be very rude. There was only one other table of people eating. I spoke with her and said we were looking for an enjoyable evening and wouldn't be hurrying through the meal and if that wasnt okay we would be happy to go elsewhere. She rolled her eyes said "it's fine" and sat us. The food, like always, was very good. Great presentation, fresh, well seasoned. We were a table of 6. 4 adults and 2 children. It took 15 minutes for the waiter to take our drink order. Way too slow. The fountain drinks came out quickly but it was a very long wait for the wine. My friend found the very slow service ironic since she had been asked to hurry. We ordered the appetizers at the time we ordered drinks but they came out with the entrees which was kind of frustrating. We never received drink refills. Our bill before tip came to just under $300. When paying $50/per person you expect to have better customer service. Because the food is good I may try them again sometime but with so many choices nearby it isn't likely to be soon. read more

For a small town restaurant, this place is really good. The space is about as small as the menu. Literally, there are four entrees on the menu and about 6 appetizers. While the menu is extremely limited, it all seems to go together very well. I had the oil poached steak with mushroom oyster noodles and the gf had braised beef over penne. Both were mighty fine, and I think the noodles that came with my steak might have been the best noodles I've ever had in my entire life. If I could order a gallon jug of it I would. On the downside, I ordered my steak med-rare and it definitely came out medium, closer to med-well. Oh well. The gf's braised beef was delicious... super tender with a ton of flavor. They have a great wine list and the shiraz-grenache glass they offered was very very nice and highly recommended. Overall this is a cute little place that would make a perfect date spot if you're visiting from out of town to hit Skyline Drive and the Shenanadoahs read more

This is a cool little cozy place that had a great wait staff. The food was tasty, fresh, and satisfying. Until I found hair in it. I had already started on it and wanted to finish because it was good, and when I told the waitress about the hair she didn't offer to get me another one, a discount, a free drink, nothing! She just took the food away and left me alone after that. She only reappeared long enough to bring me the check. Maybe she was embarrassed? But what about me? Now I don't have any food! I'm still hungry! P.S. Parking is hard to find, you have to pull into a little gravel drive that's not marked to the left of the restaurant and park in the rear. read more

Four wine stops and nap later, I'm ready to eat something to keep me quite steady; I'd read about Element and was ready to commit to a hearty meal, perhaps spaghetti. We barely made if before closing time, but our waiter Andrew said it was fine. Pasta with zucchini and shrimps and on the beers they don't skimp, though the mignonettes were simply divine. Element delivers in cozy fashion: small tables and food cooked with passion. Short menu, but enough to not make choosing too tough and a friendly vibe - this is a great spot to crash in. read more

The beauty of going through Front Royal to enter Skyline Drive is that you have options of places for a meal before camping. Element is a sweet little restaurant in Front Royal that promises to fill you up with decent but unpretentious meals. This may sound snooty, but in DC I would rate this as a 3 star experience (especially since things like beer still retain DC prices in spite of being well out of the urban area). However, in terms of competition in Front Royal, Element is going to be the best bet, hands down. We had lunch here a few weeks ago. The mister got a Reuben and I had a half sandwich/half soup meal (Royal Ave sandwich and Tomato Crab Dill soup), and we shared a dessert. Service was from a young lady too young to serve us our beers, and while she was sweet, she was very "green" in terms of taking care of clients. There was a lot of flagging down when we needed things, and at one point we just got up and helped ourselves to a set of silverware that never came. The food was good, though, and it hit the spot. The restaurant advertises that they try to source local foods, which made me extra happy (and compelled me to eat here). It's a small cozy place, perfect for groups of 2-4. They do have a nice variety of beer (bottled and a few draughts). read more

I ended up at Element for a special occasion dinner because of the crazy storm this past Friday wiping out the power at the other restaurant we were planning on going too. Needless to say it was a little disappointing having to drive around searching for an open restaurant but stumbling upon Element was great! The decor was a little lacking; ok so it was alot lacking. There were these weird placemat things that looked like they came from someone great great grandmother's house and had been used for many many years. It was also pretty dark inside and could have been brightened up and modernized a bit. Anyways, the food was ah-maz-ing. I had the pan-roasted chicken with mashed potatoes and I am fairly certain it was some of the best chicken I have ever ordered out. The mashed potatoes were amazing and there was also a side of spinach which was perfectly cooked and amazing with the buttery potatoes and sauce over the chicken. I can't stop thinking about it! We also had the fish tacos as an appetizer which were good but the fish was chopped up a bit to much for me but the flavor was still very good. All the food came out super hot with steam off of it which I really appreciate because think about it, when was the last time you ate out and had hot (not warm) food? I would certainly come back to Element to try out the rest of the menu! read more

First time visiting the new (well, not sonew, it moved several years ago) location. Delicious food, great atmosphere, and excellent service. read more

My wife and I are fans. We love the fact that we have a cozy nook of a getaway within walking distance of our house to go to that is consistent and reliable. Atmosphere is cozy, service is satisfactory, clientelle are friendly, menu is short, meaning that they have a focused menu; it fluctuates, but if you want a gob of choices you will be dissappointed. I have not identified any must haves there yet that I can remember; but the food is always satisfactory. They do early bird specials that are a good deal, otherwise for a couple figure under a hundred for the usual trimmings. If you are anti-social, you may not care for the seating, very intimate. One thing to note, they do not take reservations. Thanks for being there for us Element! read more

I love that the menu changes regularly. The other night we went here for my birthday. I had the Korean Beef Bowl = freaking awesome! So, so good. They had Dark and Stormy's on their cocktail list that night, something you don't often see, I had one and they were right on the money. Delicious. Main course was two quails over a bed of duck and potato hash. Great dish, cooked perfectly, perhaps a little over salted. Dessert was a Mexican Chocolate Cake, it was rich and spicy. Great time, once again at the Element. read more

Element - Korean beef bowl. - New American Near Me - Front Royal, Virginia

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We ordered the salmon salad and it was delicious. The Salmon was cooked perfectly! Element is a superb restaurant and one of the best in town. I can't wait to return!! read more

Our day turned around! After a bad breakfast ('nuff said), we had a beautiful, tasty lunch here. Recommend the crab-dill-tomato soup and the Caesar salad in particular. "Caesar salad" sounds ordinary - this one is not: polenta croutons, olive tapenade, wonderful dressing, and tender, fatty salmon cooked just right. Friendly, helpful service too - thank you! read more

There isn't a fixed menu but we tried the beef and black bean quesadillas, the grouper, and the shrimp. The first was good, but not great. The other two, however, were fantastic! The grouper was the best I had and I liked the squash they served with it. The shrimp with rice and veggies in coconut sauce was really good. I definitely recommend this place. Delicious food and our waiter was friendly and helpful with suggestions as well. read more

Nice food, clean environment, helpful staff. Eat anything on the menu. Get whatever on the menu, but stay away from the Moca Pave! That's all mine read more

Pros: Food is fresh and handmade. The atmosphere is casual and cosy. Good quality selection of beer and wine. Fajita Steak Salad was very tasty. Focaccia bread offered with dinner is a great way to kick off the meal. Cons: Draft beer is $7, which is a bit high for Front Royal even for a quality brew. The chicken on my salad was dry and bland. The fish tacos are VERY simple, bland and without texture. Seating is a bit tight, some places you feel like you are too close to other guests. Summary: I would return. Would like to try the desserts, they looked tasty. I love that the ingredients are whole foods, that is hard to find in a small town. read more

This place was delightful. We had a very nice lunch - the food was good and the service was excellent. I will most certainly go back when in the area. read more

We decided to try Element after reading the reviews on Yelp and the reviews were spot on. We both started with the caesar salad and split an order of mussels w/ white wine butter sauce; excellent call again. The salads both had a respectable salad to dressing ratio to allow for flavor without the dressing being overpowering. The mussels and bread were almost a meal in and of themselves. Mmmm mmmm!!! I had the Horseradish Beef Mignonettes w/ red potatoes and green beans and my date had the roasted quail w/ mushrooms and penne. I had a taste of both and had nothing ill to report, although I think I'd have rathered the quali presentation be less....rustic. Nevertheless, I readily recommend both for the flavor as well as portion. All the way around, the meal was delicious, but keep in mind the dining room is not too large. If there is a wine event the afternoon of your visit, there may be an wait even for an early dinner. read more