THIS PLACE NEEDS HELP IMMEDIATELY. I didn't plan on saying a thing till I heard how management let a customer speak to what is there best bartender in the place. Devon busts her hump. At one point I know she was working 55+ hours for weeks for them open to close when 2 people quit on the spot because management is that bad there. She knows everyone's name, what they drink, about there families, and while I watched her stock the bar, a bar guest spent the next 10 minutes being so insanely disrespectful to her. Belittling her, cursing her out, and I'm not kidding over a pen and not one of the 7 managers that are always on even stepped in to stand up for her. Mind you, where is the other bartender? There is only maybe 10 people at the bar, the place is next to empty, and per usual the other bartender is no where. She is literally standing in a corner complaining about something while this guy is lighting into Devon for no reason. This place is a mess. Eli's use to be the place to go. Packed to the teeth. Great food, great service, people working as a team. I'm not sure how the owners and higher ups are this absolutely clueless to how much this bar has fallen apart. You let your employees get treated like crap and in turn, make all management just as bad at the bad customers because it's so clear you don't care about the employees that have gone above and beyond to keep the few regulars you have left. I feel so bad for Devon. Even single day I have come in in the last 4 months since Cisco just bailed on that bar, she has had to work with a bartender that literally doesn't work. I watch her run around her in circles while the other one complained the entire time. I literally mean the entire time till I think, who I would assume is her boyfriend sat down at the end of the bar and she decided that talking to him for the remainder of the night was the way to go. GET YOUR SH*T together Eli's! The name will not be able to save you for much longer. PLACE IS A TRAIN WRECK AND MANAGEMENT IS 1000% TO BLAME FOR LETTING IT GET THIS OUT IF CONTROL! read more

I can't say enough wonderful things about Eli's on Whitney and the incredible experience we had celebrating my daughter Gabriell's bridal shower there on May 22, 2025. From the moment we began planning Kelly Zampano, the manager, went above and beyond to make every detail perfect. Her professionalism, warmth and attention to detail made the entire process seamless and enjoyable. Kelly truly made us feel like family, and her coordination ensured the evening was nothing short of magical. The appetizers were absolutely amazing - beautifully presented, fresh and delicious. Guests are still talking about the champagne punch which was such a fun and elegant touch.! The ambiance was perfect, the service top notch, and every staff member treated our guests with care and attentiveness. Thank you, Eli's on Whitney, and especially Kelly, for helping us create such a special and memorable evening for Gabriella. We will treasure it forever - and we will absolutely be back! read more

We decided to host Hamden High's 30th Reunion at Eli's on Whitney. Pleasant experience from start to finish. Everyone had a really good time. Many were unaware the event space existed in the lower level. The food was delicious and the drinks were flowing. We had decorations delivered as well as bringing in our own DJ ~ Herman Ham. The waitstaff was very attentive and helpful. Our bartender Sara was awesome. I'd also like to thank Robin P. my planner for this event. She was professional and an absolute pleasure to work with. I had a few issues arise during my planning as well as unexpected changes. She provided excellent Customer Service and a solution each time and handled it with ease. She's absolutely an asset to the Eli's on Whitney establishment. I'd highly recommend requesting to work with her Thanks again, Hamden High Alumni ~ c/o 1992 read more

5 stars for EVERYTHING! Customer service was Amazing. We worked with Kelly and she did an excellent job. Very kind and helpful. She was easy to contact and answered all of our questions in a timely manner. Everything was just as discussed. The ambiance was perfect just what we were aiming for an intimate setting and very beautiful and clean. The food was well prepared and seasoned well very tasty. ( Our guest loved it) It came out on time nice and hot John and Bill were absolutely Amazing They stayed on top of everything. Pitchers didn't go empty nor the food on the buffet We appreciate you going above and beyond to accommodate our handicap guest. They moved about easy . Our overall experience was A-1. Thank you so much!! read more

We recently hosted our son's baptism celebration in the private room at Eli's on Whitney, and it was absolutely perfect! From start to finish, the staff was attentive, professional, and genuinely kind, making the entire experience stress-free and enjoyable. The private room was beautifully set up--clean, cozy, and ideal for our family to gather and celebrate such a special day. The food was incredible--every guest raved about it--and the service was top-notch throughout the event. We're so grateful to the staff for helping make this day so memorable. We wouldn't hesitate to book here again for future family events! read more

Hello, On Saturday May 31st we held a Retirement Party for my wife and I at Eli's on Whitney. The food was delicious appetizers and the main course. We provided a cake for dessert. The service was outstanding. I believe the names of the two servers were Britney and Destiny. They were both very polite and courteous to all the guests. The bartender Dante also did a great job in servicing all of the guests. The room size was wonderful and provided my wife and I plenty of room to socialize with everyone who attended. I would like to thank you for a great venue. Thank you, Mike and Lucille read more

We held an event there in the Quinnipiac Room and had a lovely night. The waiters we're very attentive and the support staff for the AV was very helpful. We used their TV's rather than our own AV as we found they were bigger than the pictures and quite suitable for presentation, even for an older crowd. Only note would be the serving was a little behind the schedule we set, though that may have been due to a misunderstanding of the time at which the order needed to be put in to put us on time. All in all, a delicious evening at a venue we've enjoyed both pre and post pandemic. read more

We had our post funeral reception at Eli's in Hamden. Working with Robin at Eli's made such a difference in what was a very emotional and daunting task. Robin was professional and helpful and very through in all correspondence. The day of the funeral reception went off like a charm. Everything was all set up for us just like we ordered. Food was delicious and the service was outstanding. We thank our head server Sarah for her attentiveness and kindness during a difficult day. Thank you Eli's, you will continue to have our rave reviews. Sincerely, The Earley family read more

If you come here before 10 at night, it's not bad. Pretty decent food, reasonably priced, busy but not claustrophobic. Even the beer selection, which used to be atrocious, has improved to the point where there may be two or three beers that I can drink. If you come here late night, however, forget it. It's pointless. You can't move, the crowd sucks. It's a nightmare. You can recreate the same environment at home by inviting all the people you hated from high school over to your house to play shitty music, get sloppy drunk and throw up on your furniture. read more

Went back here for dinner with my kids and all of us were underwhelmed by everything about the place. Although the burger was good (if you're a sports bar and can't make a good burger you should hang it up) everything else we had was, at best, average. Why does it take 10 minutes to deliver ketchup? As a server if you pull cutlery off the table after the appetizer round wouldn't you think you needed to replace it for the entree? If the answer is "well we're very busy" then hire more or better people. read more

Visited Monday night for restaurant week. Atmosphere was pretty good and they were busy for a Monday I thought. I ordered crab cakes for my appetizer. It was OK not not great. Next was the beef short ribs. This dish was fantastic! It was tender the gravy was delicious and the risotto was cooked perfectly. Then I had strawberry cheesecake and it was pretty basic nothing special. Our server Grace was on point with everything and super nice. Overall I had a good time and would visit again. read more

We have been to Eli's on Whitney multiple times. There is a reason we keep coming back. It's not too busy on their busy nights. You should absolutely tried their fish tacos. My daughter got a burger and it was cooked exactly how she wanted it medium, even though that's not how I would probably order it. The place is always clean and the service is great. I'd recommend coming here before you check out those chain places with the 2 hour waits on a Friday or Saturday. read more

I grew up in Hamden and now live in Arizona. As a child my family always ate at Reilly's which used to be where Eli's is now. Good food then. Whenever I am in Hamden now we always go to Eli's, and take my elderly parents; at least we did last time I was in town.My father is now deceased, but we still go to Eli's when in town..great food still! Great atmosphere and great service. Will continue to go there on my trips back home! read more

Recently had a communion party for my son. Kelly, the Director of Sales, was super easy to work with to set up the event and the staff was so accommodating. Serma was top notch waitstaff so sweet and great to my family. She went over and beyond to make sure everything was to our liking. The food was fantastic. Five stars and the room was just perfect. Thank you all for a perfect day for my son's special day!! read more

The food and service was amazing. Robin was very nice and professional from the beginning to end she walked me through everything and the communication was superb. The servers and Management on duty was very nice and handled business in a professional manner it was smooth and no issues at all. I would highly recommend this place for any event that you have you cannot go wrong. Great Job Eli's! read more

We had an amazing experience at Eli's on Whitney. The space was clean, beautifully decorated, and the customer service was exceptional. The food was amazing! The staff went above and beyond, making our birthday surprise a complete success. We truly appreciate doing business with them and highly recommend this venue for any special occasion! read more

Eli's on Whitney, as always, did a fantastic job working with Yale Comparative Medicine's annual holiday party. The staff was on point, the manager, the bartender, and Kelly, the sales manager, kept me calm throughout all the changes I threw at them. They made it work perfectly, despite the growth in numbers this year in our department. read more

They were okay I guess. Nice looking place, but I had very very slow service on a slow night as well. Me and my boyfriend were there for an appetizer and carne asado taco on the special, it took a forever to get the tacos and when we did receive them, they were cold and the steak was chewy. First time here and probably won't return. read more

Overall its a nice place. There are TVs if you want to watch sports while you eat. Food is nice. They make great pizzas and salads. At the same time, not too expensive. I've only been to this Eli's so I cant really base it off of any other Eli's establishments, but its a good resturant. They also have a take out area. read more