Restaurant "accepts no reservations", yet several tabels are "waiting for a few people that had personal issues" and some people walked in right away! Food is okay, nothing we can't wait to go back for. Great location. read more

I've been here a few times with my roommate, so I finally feel like I can give an adequately review. I like Elie's. They have a cool bantering staff (Sasha is great), generally friendly waitstaff/hostess and a very nice atmosphere. The place is small, but has a great vibe. I don't love Elie's. They have a limited selection of beer, all of which is in bottles and cans, leaves something to be desired. The food is also expensive compared to other places around. Everything I've eaten at Elie's is delicious, but next time I may just grab a drink and get some chicken shawarma elsewhere. read more

Upscale Lebanese at its best. I can say that without a doubt this is the best Lebanese in town. I just found out that they also DELIVER!! BRILLIANT! It isn't dirt cheap, but you can tell that the food is healthy, tasty and good quality. You eat well and still look good in your jeans. Plus, the owner is very sweet and goes out of his way to make you feel at home. Not to pass up: vegetarian grape leaves, mjadara, and shish kebab wrapped in homemade brick oven pita. Yum. read more

Can never go wrong with some middle eastern food! I got the veggie kibbie, tabouli, and chicken skewers. It was all great and can't forget how good the dirty martini's are here! read more

Every time I'm in town I'm eating here. They have the best food, the BEST BREAD and the best majadra!!! Actually everything here is amazing. Doug is perf as well. read more

My wife and I wanted to eat outside and there was a table for 4 available. The hostess wouldn't seat us as there were only two of us. There was no one waiting to be seated and plenty of seating available inside the restaurant, which I pointed out too her. She flatly refused to seat us at the outside table, offering us seating for two inside. How short sighted. I will NEVER eat there. That stupid move will cost them as they lost a customer for life - someone who eats out all the time due to my schedule. I ate outside right next door at Streetside Seafood.....outside and delightful! Oh, and they sat us a a table for four. So much for Ellie's...... read more

My friends and I stopped in here for lunch on the way out of Detroit. It was very nice on the outside and inside; clean and comfortable. Modern decor and comfortable booths, which we selected. The menu is Mediterranean. That being said, I made a miscalculation. They have a number of wraps on the menu and one of those appeared to be a hamburger wrap. So, at the suggestion of my friend, who used to live in Detroit, I selected the hamburger. Turns out it was just a regular hamburger. A delicious one - but just a regular hamburger. I usually try to get whatever specialty the restaurant supports. So, yes, this spot is definitely A-OK in my book. You should try it out. read more

It's easy to pass by this quaint little place in downtown Birmingham. I did many times... I recently did finally visit... It was good. At $8 total, it was also probably the cheapest meal I had the entire week. I really wanted the lamb shawarma, but the waitress talked me into the kebab, saying "it's very special" ... It was indeed good... But now I'm craving lamb shawarma ever since! The lamb was nicely flavored... it was accompanied by the fairly standard onions and tomatoes that were grilled with a nice char flavor... And a fairly standard rice. Also it came with lentil soup. Not the best lentil soup I've had, but good (a little lemon would kick it up!) ...while you wait for your food they give you pickled turnips and pita chips, which were tasty. With the food came the best part....freshly baked pita bread, piping hot. That really was what made this meal a good one... The service was just kinda "ehh" .. I didn't order a drink (partly why it was so cheap) because I was really dehydrated and just wanted water... They brought me water without having to ask, but then the glass sat empty after I finished it. Then after my food was brought out, she brought the check to me a few minutes later, without me really asking for it... or offering dessert. read more

Service was excellent.. Food not that great.. Got seated right away ,,lots of vacancy read more

Elie's - Mediterranean Near Me - Birmingham, Michigan

I love the stuffed lemon and jalepeño salmon. Done very nicely. The hummus and bread was mediocre at best. Amarez (unsure of spelling) was an awesome host. Tastefully decorated and very intimate seating. Perfect for a date or lunch with a friend. read more

Its very choosy and hot place in cold wether like that. The staff is great , especially Rami! That always smiled to us and recommended the best dishes! We had a great! Clam cheddar soup and wonderful salad. Mist recommended. read more

Elie's - Clamp cheddar soup - Mediterranean Near Me - Birmingham, Michigan

The food is great and fresh. Chicken pot pie is delicious, the bread and garlic is to die for and vegetarian kibbeh is amazing! Great place if you haven't been here you have to check it out. read more

Elie's - Chicken pot pie and chicken gallaba - Mediterranean Near Me - Birmingham, Michigan

Douglas and the staff at Elie's are amazing! It is a true neighborhood family spot! The food is fresh and delicious. The kitchen is always willing to make accommodations and eager to please. You will not be disappointed!!! read more

Service was terrible. Even hostess looked confused the whole time. Waiter took forever to bring items and wouldn't stop by our table to see if we needed anything. Looked at us with a strange look every time we asked a question. The food for the $131 dollars I spent was not even close to worth it. Don't waste your time or money. read more

The service was great! I expected the food to be as well. I ordered chicken ghallaba. The entree tasted purely of tomato sauce and lacked any Middleastern seasonings. read more

They serve shawarma and they do NOT have a rotisserie. This place is terrible. The chicken "shawarma" was tasteless and dry. Quite literally the worst I've ever had. I still can't get over how bad this food is. If I could give it a negative (-10) rating I would. read more

The service here is generally very good. The food is also of high quality and taste is consistent from visit to visit. They have a decent variety of vegetarian and vegan dishes. read more

This is one f the best places I have been in Michigan and definitely the best Mediterranean food I have ever tasted. 1) Service was perfect 2) Lamb was cooked very well. Many places made mistakes when they cook lamb (they take off all the fat, they over cooked it, etc.). The lamb in Elies was simply great. 3) The fish my friend ordered was amazing. 4) Even the bread was great 5) The menu is on tablets and you can see photos of the food. read more

Calamari was served raw. Not fried or baked. The hamburger was burnt. My kids burger and mine were tasting like black charcoal. Complained about the burger and calamari. They only brought out another burger that was wet and draining blood. To top it off, they brought the bill complete with a gratitude Included even though the waiter smashed my son the plates in his eye. He started to bleed. No sense of caring other than a bandaid and the bill. Never will we go there again, it was our first and last. read more

I love their chicken and hummus, the perfect blend of mediterranean spices make this great anytime. I highly recommend their chicken shawarma as well! read more

Elie's - Their new menus are tablets, very nice! - Mediterranean Near Me - Birmingham, Michigan

I do enjoy trying new places. But here in Michigan I have run out of finer dining spots that I haven't tried. I've been to Ellie's in the past but it's been so long that I forgot how the food was and my bf was complaining about being tired of our usual choices. Ellie's it was. The restaurant was about a 1/4 full, closer to half if you count the patio tables. Usually we can see that Ellie's and Streetside are fully packed from our semi permanent perch at the Townhouse across the street so the staff is well accustomed to busy nights. We were seated in a cozy spot near the patio but still indoors. Then we waited. And waited. And waited. I'm rather impatient but I have a high level of dining etiquette so I waited some time before turning in my seat to get the attention of someone- anyone! A waiter did eventually come by but at this point we felt compelled to place out entire order on the chance that he would again not return for an extended period. Rushed and annoying is how I describe that type of order. I don't like having to explain how to course out my meal and that's what happens when apps salads and entrees are ordered in one shot. Ten minutes- literally- after placing our order, the young man returned to inform me that the grilled sausage and pepper entree couldn't be served because they were out of one of the two styles of sausages served. I asked if a half order of the available type could be offered, a fair question considering the restaurant was the one who had an issue, not me. ANOTHER ten minutes and he returned with a "no we can't". So..... Ok give me a full order of the same type then. And does this mean twenty minutes plus later my food has STILL not begun to be prepared??????!!!!!????!!!!!! The answer was obviously yes, as it took another twenty minutes or more to show up. I'm NOT exaggerating. We could have had a 5 course meal at this point somewhere else. WTF. All of this irritation would dissolve however, if the food served to us was enjoyable. No such luck. Offensive is the only appropriate descriptor for the quality. Grilled chicken was nearly inedible. Dry. Over cooked. Chicken has one correct temperature. One. Any more or less is unacceptable unless requested. The seasoning and sauce were also subpar. I make some mean tikka and if I can do it, surely a chef at a busy restaurant can also. The sausages were the funniest part. I can understand why a kitchen wouldn't want to slice up a half order as I had requested. These weren't sliced. They were little party sized sausages. The flavor was ok, nothing I'd eat again. There was no reason they couldn't serve me a half order and what a bummer - more than half were thrown out. The bread is awful. The salad dressing is awful. The rice is awful. The bill was insanely large for such a bad experience. I am the type who will miss a rent payment in order to splurge on a very good meal and it takes a combo of bad service and bad food to make me feel ripped off. They succeeded in accomplishing that feeling for me. DO NOT waste your time and money here. Try The Phoenicia, Sahara or even Mezza. All are awesome, and will leave you feeling that your money was well spent. Uhg. Never again. Never. read more

Basic. There is no reason for a salad with just cucumbers and tomatoes and parsley to be $12. And to add chicken which is $6, and it was 2 pieces. It wasn't horrible but it wasn't outstanding. I'm middle eastern and there are a million other Mediterranean restaurants that are cheaper and better quality food in my opinion. I just think it's nothing to brag about. Oh & the portions are not for what u pay, and it's not even fine dining so I was confused. Me and my friends still left hungry. read more

Came here last night with my girlfriends. We only had drinks and appetizers. Service was not good. We sat at our table where the vents from above were leaking water due to the moisture outside. The water literally dripped on my head so i had to scoot over a seat to not get dripped on. When we asked the hostess to move she said sorry the other table was reserved for someone else and then ignored the situation instead of trying to find a better seat for us. So I had to sit where a vent was leaking on the chair next to me . That is unsanitary, unprofessional, and down right rude to your customers. It was hard for me to enjoy my meal because of it. The appetizer that did come out was pretty good. They have excellent Baba Ganoush. It had a rich smoky flavor. I also really liked their Grape Leaves. They were done just the way I like them and I am picky. Good Grape leaves are hard to find. I did not like the way we were treated despite the food being pretty good, so i will not be back. read more

Remember 2 stars means I've experienced better- so over priced my mixed shawarma wasn't worth $24- the couscous was dry, bland - the hummus was dry, bland and paste like. The lamb was delicious but the chicken had no flavor - I'm not one for huge portions but the two meats combine maybe equaled 6 oz... The garlic spread was great . Babaganoush , tabouli and lentil soup were good but again price and serving size small (except soup $7 bowl) I understand Birmingham is pricey ... The menu was a headache to navigate- you had to click each dish to get a description - go back then click another page , go back... Took too long to look at menu. I didn't realize a salad came with my meal- so when waitress asked would you like a bowl of soup (1$ ) or a salad to go with your meal - I thought they were extra- oh well - read more

Came here yesterday for a bloody mary with a few friends- Bartender was obnoxious and they were charging $10.60 for a bloody mary. What a waste of our time !! (and money) read more

It was decent at best. The outdoor seating is the best thing going for it. The food was mediocre, but way overpriced. Anita's Kitchen is far better tasting and half the price. read more

Went here with some co-workers for dinner and socializing on a week night. I thought the place has a great atmosphere, especially the outdoor dining on a sunny day. However, everything seemed to be overpriced, given the fact that most Middle Eastern places I have been to in this area (e.g. Anita's Kitchen in Ferndale and LaPita in Dearborn) charge a LOT less and the food is a LOT more authentic. I tried the hummus (not flavorful enough for my liking), the small Greek salad (I've had better at a Coney island!), and the fried calamari, which was actually quite good, and served with green onions, pepperoncinni, capers, and a few other seasonings. I would've had some alcohol if they had a wider range of choices in different price ranges. The service was pretty good, especially since we told them a larger group was coming, and then we had to downsize at the last minute. They didn't seem to sweat it too much. If you're looking for a hip place to see and be seen, try Elie's...but don't expect to get the most authentic food out there. read more

Besides a phenomenal meal, and I'll briefly describe that in a moment, we had the most touching experience. Only able to eat "bland" food, there was some concern over what to order. Our waitress led with a great suggestion - Mediterranean Chicken and Rice without the sauce. It came and it was perfect. Just enough seasoning to be enjoyable and delicious. But, then, from the kitchen came a woman - I'm ashamed i do not know who she is - carrying a small dish of broth. She set it in front of me, gave me a silent and warm hug, motioned to use the broth on the chicken and left. I felt nothing but love from her and for that reason alone, i say 5 stars. But, the rest of the foods we ordered were just as good (except sauteed calamari - order the fried): Incredible Mujadra and bulgar; and the pot pie was just supreme. Great night and thanks to my little lady friend with the broth. read more

$112 for three people, only two people had a glass of wine. Food is good but very pricey and wine pour is very short. I think the only reason they have survived is because they pick up the overflow from Streetside Seafood next door which is a much better restaurant ! read more

This is a great little restaurant...especially with their recent renovation and the fact that I can now have a glass of wine! The staff is super friendly and the food is really good...but the atomosphere of this place is what is really amazing! Little crystals hanging, all sparkly...the draping of fabric on the ceiling and the really cool pictures that hang on the walls. Just sit back, chill out and enjoy! read more

Took advantage of a warm April afternoon to eat at here so we could enjoy the indoor/outdor seating. That part was great. When I sat down I noticed some debris (or something) on the plate in front of me. I pointed it out to our waiter and asked for a clean plate. He picked up my plate, dumped the debris off, got me a plate off another table & put my plate on that table! REALLY! The menu's are tablets which I didn't really care for. I like to peruse the whole menu, but this required clicking from section to section and going back to look at the different options. Gimmicky & not really helpful in my opinion. I ordered the crushed lentil soup & a chicken kafta. The soup was just not good. It was too thick and tasted too chickeny. It had large chunks of something in it that I thought was perhaps barley because that's what it tasted like to me, but our waiter said it wasn't. I couldn't taste any spices. All in all, just yuk, but the waiter took it away and took it off my bill. My kafta was ok, put the pita was crispy which made it dry. For $5 it was a good price point, but don't expect to be wowed. My friend got a veggie sandwhich, she ended up eating it open faced because she wasn't impressed with the bread which was plain white bread with scorched toast marks on it. We both had a Sauvignon Blanc which was the highlight of our meal, crisp, dry & chilled just right. Come for the outdoor dining & stick to the basics & a glass of wine. read more

Pleasantly surprised! I was a bit worried after reading some of the reviews. We walked in on a Friday with no problem! nice ambience...perfect setting for a special occasion or date. Warning...drinks are extremely strong but the sangria is fantastic! I recommend the lamb shawarma over the chicken one! And definitely ask about the Lebanese desserts! We had a Lebanese bread pudding with pistachios that was to die for! Anita's kitchen in ferndale is just as good but the ambience at Eli's is definitely more romantic and nicer. read more

Terrible, terrible service. Went there for lunch. Told the waiter that we are vegan and ordered vegetarian sample plate (Maza). We even asked him not to bring the creamy garlic sauce. After a long wait he gave us a regular sample plate which looks very similar. we took a first bite and realized that there is meat in the food (my wife who did not touch meat in over 16 years was in a complete disbelief). The waiter did not apologize and insisted that we ordered a regular plate. The food may be decent (didn't have a chance to try it), but the service is beyond despicable. I thought that the reviews regarding their bad service were exaggerated. THEY ARE NOT. read more

Amazing! Love love love this place and all of the employees. The service is great! Love seeing the owner there making sure that the work is presentable every time I come in. Even the chicken fingers and fries are to die for! Bruschetta was so great!! The moscato is one of the best I've had. read more

Ordered bottle of wine and our dinners. Server never offered to tell us the specials. Brought two out of three of us the wrong dinner then proceeded to say "oh he is going to kill me, do you want to take them?" We presume he meant the chef. We said ok but we would like the side that came with our original order. He then said "uh I will see if I can get that ". The food was delicious but we were charged the price of the dinner we received not what we ordered. When we questioned it said "well I brought you the side". Had to get the manager to adjust our bill. Great atmosphere and food but terrible customer service. Don't think we will go back. read more

Upscale Mediterranean food. It tasted pretty decent but I've had Mediterranean that tasted better for half the price. But what really bothered me was how quickly the entrees came out. We had ordered our meals and I'd say in 6 minutes tops our meals were out. Now usually quick service is great but this quick lead me to assume that they didn't even make my meal for me and had it premade. It wasn't even hot and I ordered lamb. Cold lamb is a no go. Definitely paying for the location and not the mediocre food. read more

A Birmingham staple for as long as I can remember with solid middle eastern options. Better quality middle eastern can be found elsewhere, but if you're looking for a sidewalk lunch spot in the Birmingham area, Elie's can't be beat read more

Came here for lunch with a friend and there was only one other table there, besides us. Right when we sat down, our waiter (older gentlemen with a heavy accent) stared us down and asked if we were ready. 2 minutes later, he came back and asked if we were ready, again. He literally stood in the corner and stared us down, making us uncomfortable, until we were ready to order. Finally, after his third time coming back, we said we were ready. We proceeded to order various menu items to share. I asked if they were able to do shrimp lettuce wraps, rather than chicken because we were fasting from meat. Right away, he gave me the dirtiest look and said, in a super defensive tone, um what? we don't do that. Although, if you do check out the photos on Yelp, someone on here was able to do the shrimp lettuce wraps, at one point. Also, my friend was able to order them from here, before. I told him this and he said what friend? when? she's lying, she must have had the wrong place and literally got so defensive and rude. My friend nicely asked if he could at least please ask the chef if he would be willing to accommodate, since they sell shrimp anyways and he said no, i'm not gonna ask because I know we don't do that and started laughing in our faces. Usually, restaurants/chefs are accommodating of these types of things and our rude, inconsiderate, and disrespectful waiter could not even have the decency to ask. If it was a no from the chef, we understand, but he could have at least asked, instead of acting like he ran the place and knows about any adjustments possible. He really put a damper on our lunch and we could not believe how unprofessional and disrespectful he was. Anyways, we ended up ordering the cauliflower dish, hummus, and salad with salmon. The hummus was dry, small portioned, and flavorless. The salad was super drenched in lemon and salt that we barely touched it. We asked for the salmon well done and it was cold and not even slightly good. The cauliflower dish, we agreed was the only good dish from there, which we both enjoyed, hence the 2 stars. The service was just so terrible here and the food was not up to par, that I do not see myself coming back. read more

Two trips in three weeks tells the story! One of the best new work trip dining discoveries - well technically I owe the outings to my meat loving set of coworkers who made a generous Mediterranean exception! A hearty appetizer platter is a perfect way to start the culinary adventure - the good old falafel was amazing, the bulgur and majadra were refreshing inclusions. Loved both so much that I doubled up on each as an entree on separate trips - the majadra trumped but the bulgur motivated me to give middle eastern cooking a try at home! Another simple but astonishingly delicious variation of the caziki had me hooked - strained Greek yoghurt with mint, cucumber,olive and a hint of pine nuts- go Greek! All that delicious food with some incredibly good wine and bonding - made for not one but two great dining outings. One can ponder how to classify elie's- Lebanese/ medit/ generic middle eastern- regardless, such a great assortment of ethnic food in the heart of very Midwestern, very suburban Birmingham is the biggest surprise of them all. A few more occupied tables would have been heartening but hopefully these yelps and more provide fodder to those on the fence - Elie's is worth way more than a single try! read more

There is not a bad thing on the menu. Daily specials are always worth trying. Lettuce wraps are a great starter. Well stocked bar. Service is good and attentive. read more