Eli's is full of hype, and not worth it. It's a roller coaster that ends below where it began. When we arrived there was a small line forming (always a good sign). We were seated at 6 pm promptly and ordered the tuna nachos and Korean Buns. Let's talk apps. They were excellent. Fresh bread with sun-dried tomato spread was tasty and warm. Tuna nachos were unique, flavorful and plentiful; tuna qualify was top notch. The buns were delicious. I would give 5 stars based alone on the buns (we have reached the top of the roller coast). Then entrees came. I had the steak. The rice was destroyed and overpowered by the Gorgonzola cheese. As was the steak, which came overcooked, was chewy and not flavorful. The girlfriend had the burger without lobster. She picked at it for a few minutes and then gave up, overcooked and unpalatable. The onion rings were above average, but that's the side. Not the main course. We are descending. We had 2 g&t's. Points for allowing the girlfriend to have one when she forgot her ID (she's well above the age limit but still nice) but they were small and over priced. The roller coaster is now at sea level. So what takes it below? The price. $95 before tip was more than I would pay in Manhattan for a meal of this quality. It wasn't bad but go for the appetizers and avoid the entrees. We skipped dessert. Perhaps our loss. Who knows. read more

The cast iron crusted filet is astounding. It's perfectly cooked. The vegetables are perfectly charred. The menu is very good. It took me a while to get to the steak. So glad I did Don't miss it. read more

Not sure how this restaurant isn't a 5 star average. It is quaint, cozy and the staff is very friendly and you feel at home. On top of that, it's the best dinner on the island in my opinion. Terrific food, staff and ambiance=5 stars IMO read more

Interesting menu, unusual dishes. Intimate but relaxed atmosphere with small bar with dinner seating. Very friendly service. Recommended by a friend, this did not disappoint. Tuna nachos and scallops were excellent!! read more

Eli's - New American Near Me - Block Island, Rhode Island

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Really good interesting food. Decent bottles of wine. There is a loud boisterous clientele with not a lot of extra space, but overall a nice dining experience. Tuna nachos, tomato soup, Rioja. read more

My friends and I picked this place because they had a vegetarian menu, which is always a draw. We went on a Friday night in June, and we walked right in. The service was great. - Bread: I have to mention the bread because it was absolutely delicious and comes with a tomato spread. - Vegetarian nachos: this is a misnomer because they are really wonton chips with seaweed salad with an aioli. We liked them a lot. - Fried mac and cheese croquettes: these were a special and our favorite thing we had. We wish they were on the regular menu! - Sardinian couscous with roasted tofu: The portion was a bit small. My friend liked the couscous flavor profile, but thought the tofu was a bit too buttery-tasting. - Crispy snapper: we loved everything on the plate except the snapper itself. The smoked potatoes and vegetables were amazing, as was the sauce. The fish was a little fishy and not as crispy as we were anticipating. I think I would give the food 3 stars, but because of the vegetarian menu and the great atmosphere and service, I'm giving 4 stars. read more

Amazing food, the Raw Tuna Nachos were to die for...I have dreams about these! The special that day was cold thai watermelon soup with goat cheese and baby basil...amazing, amazing. However our service was AWFUL, we were paying customers who are locals to Narragansett and went to spend a 'day away' on the island. Our waitress treated us like we were the scum of the earth and went out of her way to be rude to us. Get there before they open at 6, or you'll be waiting and watch out for the tall waitress with really pretty eyes...she doesn't like middle class folk apparently. read more

Eli's has very delicious food and excellent service. Some people expressed distaste over the size of the restaurant, but they simply have fantastic food, and the quaintness just ads to the charm. If you can get a seat at the bar, go ahead and eat there - the food will be just as delicious. They also happily split meals for you if you aren't a huge eater. I heartily recommend the ribeye steak and the arugula salad with the delicious goat cheese. It is very cozy and the perfect place for a romantic date. Yummo! read more

Food is okay. Used to be a favorite but every thing is now overthought and heavily sauced. Cleaner fresh food was better. Waitress was a lovely woman and a pro but that bartender is super nasty for no good reason. That will surely drive customers out. read more

Best restaurant on the island I could find! The night before going my wife pulled me in to the fudge store next door. The back door to the kitchen was open and I could hear the chefs trying to out plate one another in a joking manner. I knew I had to go. Truly a great meal from the service to the last piece of food. I will be back. read more

This is a really cozy spot with excellent food and attentive service. I'm glad we stumbled upon it.

I really wanted to try this restaurant while in BI based on the fact that it was featured in a novel I had just finished. I have been to BI many times but have never even heard of this place. We gave our name and number and was told it would be a 30-40 minute wait so we decided to walk around a bit. She would call us. We went back after 40 minutes and the hostess told us it would be another 45 as other people were just getting their entrees. She didn't even seem apologetic. Was it unforgivable? No. Was it annoying? Yes. They should learn how to better estimate times when quoting to hungry customers. How about an apologetic call to tell us there would be a delay? We won't be back. read more

I have never been rushing to write a positive review until this meal. Amazing service, great selection, and delicious food. The special French onion soup was perfect, and the steak was impeccably cooked. Honestly though, my favorite thing all night was the fresh bread and sun-dried tomato/garlic spread that started the night. Had high expectations and they were exceeded. read more

My first time at Eli's with my family over a wonderful meal. The menu is dynamic and changes often. Execution of cuisine was wonderful (we ordered red snapper however the Eli's burger stole the show). Service was wonderful and while the space is relatively small, the ambiance was terrific. As Carolina previously mentioned, the complimentary bread was nothing short of exceptional! read more

Eli's is a small restaurant that lets you live large. The menu changes regularly here, so I hear, so the particular details might not be relevant for too long. I got to sample a couple of appetizers, one was essentially a crudo fish nachos, and the other a variation on a beef soft taco. Both were delicious. Then I tried one of their burgers (without the lobster). It was yummy, juicy, filling, and cooked just as requested (medium rare). I didn't ask if the meat was ground fresh on site, but it tasted like it. And also came with a side of fried seasoned potato wedges, which are far superior to the industrial french fries that are the typical sad-junior-high-school-orchestra accompaniment for burgers. They have a full bar and a nice selection of wines and beers, so you should have little trouble finding an alcoholic counterpart to your meal. Bottles of white wine are served in a chilled marble cylinder, which is a nice touch. Service is friendly and attentive. Prices are a tad pricey. read more

OMG the tuna nachos are amazing! We sat at the bar, had some friendly conversations with the locals and I would be back in a heartbeat. read more

Eli's - Great service and food. - New American Near Me - Block Island, Rhode Island

This is one of the best restaurants for dinner on the island . If you are looking for a great date night and delicious food, I would recommend this spot. I brought my family of 5 to Eli's - we started out with homemade bread that was baked with egg plant and fresh olive oil. Then, our drinks and main course meals came out. We absolutely loved the steak dish , house burger , salmon and duck. 5 out of 4 loved their dishes- the reason I gave it a 4 and not a 5 star is because the grilled calamari steak was bland and lacked taste/seasoning. Looking forward to coming back and seeing new dishes and specials. read more

For us, no trip to Block Island is complete without a dinner at Eli's. A wait is to be expected (try to arrive early), but the menu is full of items that will make it worthwhile. Fresh ingredients, unique pairings, unexpected flavors and bold presentations set it apart. As does the ambiance. Amid the island's sweeping views and bright rays of sun and daily activities and simple pleasures, it's nice to have a small and dark little nook to tuck into for a bit. Eli's is our date night, our indulgence and a bit of a tradition at this point. We still talk about meals we had there years ago! read more

Eli's - No more lobster, please! A much apprecaited pork chop. - New American Near Me - Block Island, Rhode Island

great food, nice locals atmosphere, excellent seafood and friendly waitstaff. What more could you ask for?! read more

Eli's - Rabbit - New American Near Me - Block Island, Rhode Island

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First time visiting Block Island. I looked up some restaurants before arriving and Eli's got great reviews. First night we ate at Winfield's, which also got great reviews, however we found it to be mediocre at best. We come from Manhattan, so maybe you could say we are food snobs. And maybe we are, however Eli's did not disappoint! My fiancé and I shared the Burrata and fresh tomato salad and the tuna nachos for appetizers. Both great, but the nachos are a stand out. He got the Scallops for a main dish, which he loved and I literally had the best hamburger I've ever eaten. Check it out. Delicious! read more

THE PLACE TO EAT ON BLOCK ISLAND. Food is outstanding. An innovative menu- not just your typical lobster roll, shrimp scampi seafood spot like everything else on the island. This place stands out! Fresh seafood with the chef's spin on it. A full vegetarian menu! Insane burgers! It is a small quaint little restaurant with great service. We met Allison (the chef's wife) out and she told us to stop by. SO glad we did! When we come back to BI we will be back here! read more

We came here in the slightly off season right before 4th of July. The menu was very basic and the waitress was honestly very rude. There is tons of amazing food on the island. There is no need to be treated badly. We visit Block Island often but will definitely take Eli's off our list. There is plenty of good food to be found, without an attitude. read more

Great. Best food on Block Island. Small, quiet, great service. Go with a glass of wine instead of a martini. read more

Eli's - Eli's on Block Island 8/10 - New American Near Me - Block Island, Rhode Island

At first it looked promising the entire place was hopping with people. Giving us the facade that even the locals enjoyed this place. This was comforting considering the price range was a bit steep. Being attened to quickly and acquiring drinks by a friendly face was a plus. Being presented with the specials and the menu we desided out order. My boyfriend would have the grilled pork collar and the cannellini bean soup special and I would have the grilled salmon. When the soup arrived I was very sceptical about how it was going to taste. Looked to me like canned soup and for $8.00 that was not acceptable. Sadly it tasted just as it looked blaned and flavorless, the bread that was given was ok but the sundries tomato spread had possibilities but again left you lacking in flavor. After and hour had passed out meal came. My boyfriends meal was fatty but cooked to medium the accompaniments was so small in portion that it left him still hungery. My salmon was over cooked the sauce was gritty and bland, fennel was sadly just boiled, asparagus was such a small amount in top of some pieces being hard and stick like. Once I showed one piece to the waitress how you could bend it and nothing happen I desided to call it quits and sending it back. I would rather eat nothing. Sadly found out later they have a new chef that they are trying out. read more

My husband and I came here and arrived at 8:30. Note, they close at 9 (we were on vacation and didn't realize) and waitstaff seemed a little miffed that we were there. This set the tone for the rest of the evening. Service was mediocre at best and bordering on rude at worst. The waitress seemed annoyed any time that we asked for anything. It's a very small place tucked off on a nice street away from the water which could add to the charm, but also makes for close quarters and a bit of noise. I personally found the menu lacking on choices. I had the grilled salmon and my husband had the Halibut. Both of us found the food to be just ok. The price is on par with other restaurants on the island. We shared an appetizer and a bottle of wine and each had an individual entree. Our bill was $120 before tip. I will say that I enjoyed the tuna nachos, but not enough to come back. We love Block Island and have found that there are much better options with better food and definitely better service. I would recommend looking for a restaurant with a few more food options and a more welcoming environment with staff that appreciate their customers. read more

Absolutely fantastic food and service! One of best restaurants on the island! Impeccable service and food quality!

Disappointing is the best word to describe our meal. We have come here many times over the past years but they appear to be going through a transition with a new chef and some of their charm and execution has been lost along the way. The ceviche tasted fishy and was gooey. The monk fish was lukewarm like it had been sitting for a very long time, the clams cold like they had been iced and were oddly flowery, and the overall dish just way under seasoned. The beet nachos were good, the seaweed salad continues to be a pleaser. The tikka masala was just OK, a piece of chicken with the sauce poured over it, but I am not sure how they considered the cooked chickpeas to be a "risotto". And our other dish, the spinach pappardelle carbonara, was also good with the deep fried kale. Topping things off our wine was overpriced at $50 vs. $20 online. Add it all up, disappointing. read more

One of the best meals we have had in a long time. Tuna Nachos were fantastic, scallops with rock shrimp paella equally as wonderful and the arctic char special was perfect. We would take the ferry over just to come to this restaurant. read more

Just too expensive for the food and service that you receive. Our waitress was unable to explain items on the menu. What is worse is that she started to make stuff up. I left hungry from this pretentious location. read more

Atmosphere is nice. Cute and low key. Calamari was so salty we couldn't eat it. I had gnocci with lobster and sausage and the sausage was so over powering you couldn't taste the lobster. My husbands fish was good. I'm still trying to figure out how you can make calamari so salty?? read more

In my humble opinion, years ago this was the place to go. Excellent food at a fairly reasonable Block Island price. Now, overpriced, limited menu and bland flavoring, and I always feel I've been violated when I'm charged $9.00 for a glass of wine. However, the Manhattan was huge and could knock you for a loop for about $6.00. On to the food. Pork chop, blah, could have been better if stuffed and roasted, no flavor. Pasta dish (home made pasta) little macaroni's, zucchini, some kind of strange odd flavoring that didn't do anything to the meal. However, my brother said he liked the scallops. Well he liked everything they put out because he footed the bill. It used to be the place to eat, still carries the reputation but I'm afraid reviewers would hate to be brutally honest. read more

Food and service were excellent. The place it's a bit on the dark side. I had the halibut was delicious and for desert we had the flan

I love hamburgers and have had them in every restaurant a Block Island that serves them. Eli's takes the meat from a beef sparerib to make their hamburgers. OMG I am in love, so I made my Saturday after work re-ward trip to Eli's all summer. The burger comes with deep fried nuggets of potato with the skins on and very thin crispy Onion rings. Rosemary their bartender makes a stunning Cosmopolitan Martini. I like to sit at the bar to eat and I hear the other customers marveling at how good their food is. read more

We had a nice meal here. I'm giving it 5 stars for great food, portion size, quality of food, great service, and they had a rare beer on the menu which is one of my favorites from Belgium. It's listed as $$$ but the prices were the same as the $$ places. We had scallops and salmon and both were great. Others places had a line and this place had a couple of openings. I think the $$$ scares people but it's not true here. Awesome place!!!! read more

We had a truly memorable dinner. The opener was the humble spread that came with the breads (garlic/parmesan/tomato/parsley). That signaled good things were about to come. My main mail was the cioppino, a seafood stew so packed with flavor, so hearty and satisfying that it trumps any soup I've ever had, anywhere. My husband had a roasted tomato soup with corn and a trout dish for entree. Everything was outstanding. The servers were attentive and professional. The atmosphere is casual and festive. The place is rather small, and depending on where you seat it might feel a bit cramped. No reservations taken, so be prepared to wait. Prices are fair, especially when compared to other Block Island spots that charge the same for fairly average or mediocre food. A little gem. read more

Really not impressed. Tuna nachos and calamari were delicious. The staff however, were uninviting, then pushy and aggressive. Food was well below par. Wouldn't recommend going back. read more

Some hits and misses on food, service seemed solid, although the time between apps and mains was 30+ minutes. We started with tuna nachos (great) and the burrata salad (ok, could have used more seasoning). I had the veal special which was cooked well and had great flavor, while my wife had the scallops which she mentioned were slightly undercooked and the sauce was just too sweet for the dish, although mentioned that the side potatoes dish was amazing. This is one of the only restaurants we have been to where the food bill way exceed the bar bill, which i'm not sure is a symptom of reasonably priced booze or expensive food (our Canadian $$s certainly didn't help things). read more

Really delicious food. Small but mighty. Just get there 15 minutes before they open and you should get a table. Definitely one of the best on BI. read more

Dinner at Eli's is always a special occasion event! The arugula salad is always good and also the new octopus appetizer. Hamburger is something I don't eat often but it is THE BEST burger I have EVER eaten in my life!! The list goes on and on but I will keep this review short and sweet! read more

I was skeptical about sitting indoors. In nice weather I want to be outside. But I went with the crowd and was thrilled I did. I couldn't even tell you what the others in my group had, but I ordered the pork belly and scallops and was just focused on that The best meal I've had in quite some time. And our server was an absolute delight. I wish I remembered her name so I could give her kudos here. I made a lame joke upon ordering about being an "extreme locovare" and only eating food sourced within five miles, and she was ready to indulge that....and cracked up when she found out it was a joke. Love this place and will be back. read more