the best Point Judith Calamari you'll have in town. the Eli's Original Steak Egg Rolls are so juicy and fresh. everyone is very friendly and the vibes are great! cheap drinks too!! read more

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This is the second year that I've organized a dinner for 50 people in Eli's downstairs room. There is plenty of space for this size group. We had a buffet dinner and everyone told me how great the food was. The chocolate mousse dessert was also a big winner! The staff were especially accommodating and helped us with our specific needs. We will be back next year! read more

I held my sons 4th birthday party at Eli's. The planning with Robin made everything so easy. It eliminated so much stress. They were able to accommodate all my needs without any question. The food was great. The room needs updates but they are actually working on that now and then future photos look amazing. I will most likely be having his birthday here next year as well! Highly recommend! read more

The food and service was spectacular. Kudos to Robin and team for making my event wonderful!

Celebrated my daughter's Sweet Sixteen here and had a great time! The whole process went smoothly from booking, menu selection to the actual event night. The food was delicious and the staff were very attentive. I would highly recommend having an event at Eli's! read more

We booked the venue for my sons 18th birthday the food which was served buffet style was delicious. The service team, host and servers were very professional and made sure our party was well catered to. The overall ambience and exclusiveness of the private banquet room was ideal for our large party. We had a wonderful experience and plan to book Eli's in the future for events. read more

terrible, waitress disappeared for 20 minutes, appetizer was cold, this place is in shambles, close it down, owners should be embarrassed to own this hell hole read more

Recently had a baby shower in their room Downstairs. Working with catering person was excellent very clear about what to expect. Easy to work work. Day of event everything was exactly as requested. Staff that worked event very professional and accommodating. Truly a great experience. Food was excellent, great presentation and taste. read more

Don't bother. Went to give it a second chance and the waitress took our drink order and never came back. We left the flat coke on the table and walked out. Also dirty. read more

The food was excellent, the drinks were good, but let me tell you a story: Christy or Christi or whatever iteration of the name it is, served us. She did a great job: attentive and quick I was not dissatisfied with the service. I ordered artichoke dip & a cheeseburger and fries and a Paloma. While I waited for my food, I went to the bathroom, and on the door, saw a sign for happy hour. 3:30-6:30 Monday-Thursday I believe a series of drinks and apps were reduced price: no fine print, no nothing. I eat my food. The dip was amazing. I go to the bathroom again, I look again and I snap a picture. Artichoke dip is on the list of happy hour priced items. Stay with me now, I didn't come to this place to get a discount or get anything taken off of my bill. I saw something that meant maybe I could get a deal, so I was curious. I asked my waitress: is the artichoke dip happy hour price? No. The response was just a flat no, no explanation, nothing. Now a regular person would brush this off, because hey she said no, no big deal.. but normally anywhere else I've been, Hamden or elsewhere, there was at least an explanation. So I asked someone else. And at that point, I could feel the exasperation. Whomever they spoke to in the back went to say they would cover the difference, but my server didn't change my bill. Having worked in hospitality/customer service nearly all my life, you know it the "oh boy she's about to complain/ask for something off her bill/some other stereotype". I sat in the booth we were in for a moment and thought to myself, "Am I losing it? Did what I think happened just happen?" $3.50 is nothing to make a big deal about. Before I left I asked to speak to a manager. I paid my bill and overtipped the waitress, and said to a manager "why isn't the dip that I ordered happy hour price?" I prefaced that with a profuse please let the waitress now her service was impeccable. The response was that I had to sit in the bar area for it to be happy hour price. The manager, Nancy was kind and gracious, and told me she would address it, because if it was confusing for me it could be confusing for someone else as well. Also, in my choice of sitting in the back in a booth my waitress also didn't mention that I could sit in the bar area and get the happy hour price, and I ordered to Palomas. Now, let's go back: after the waitress I spoke to said no, she could've explained that instead of just leaving it at no. And under normal circumstances, a server would explain. But there was a reason why she said nothing. And that is why I'll never eat at Eli's again, no matter how good the food is. It's 2022, I well aware of what a microaggression is and unconscious bias is. read more

Eli's on Whitney - Paloma - American Near Me - Hamden, Connecticut

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I was invited to an event at Eli Whitney down in their private room. Enter the restaurant guys whoo greeted us from upstairs was super nice and friendly directed us to the lower level. The event was fur cancer research. The staff was well dressed very clean and in place to serves us. The food was delicious nicely laid out. Started with appetizers vegetable platter the dressing was yummy. I think it was ranch or Caesar. I didn't take pictures of the food but I was very pleased the person serving was great did not get his name. The food was delicious we had green salad with black olives and either house or balsamic dressing , string beans with carrots, roasted seasoned baby red potatoes, I think it was chicken Francesca and baked cod. Great tasting and self served then chocolate mouse with raspberry or strawberry purée at the bottom of the glass. Then coffee to end the night. I definitely would recommend having your event there great customer service and food etc. Alexa by the bar was so sweet and helpful (I joked with her about her name she should be getting royalty) Anthony the host for the event that night was very sweet, extremely polite, very friendly I even joke with about his name being of a Saint. He said he's definitely has been finding lost things. Shout out to the crew that hosted that Cancer Event you know who you are great job read more

I've lived near Eli's for a few months over a year, but for no particular reason never ate there until a recent evening. Wife and I were with a couple of Gen-Xers from Manhattan. We ordered a variety of meals of multiple ethnicities, and appetizers--and every item was perfect and prompt. Servers were friendly and attentive. Adjustments to menu items (delete the peppers from my steak sandwich and the sour cream and guac from the nachos) were handled accurately and with no grumbling. The staff definitely wants patrons to be happy. WARNING: The place can be extremely noisy, like a college bar I affectionately remember. Fortunately I was able to tune out the enthusiasm of those watching games on the multiple TVs and concentrate on friends and food. CRITICISM: the beer was not cold enough, but I drank two anyway. BONUS COMMENT: the "ultimate nacho" appetizer and the parking lot are HUGE. read more

We asked for a Vodka parm on garlic bread, all ingredients in house, denied twice, go somewhere when the client gets what they want. We had an outing planned for there never again!!! read more

Roasted Beet Salad. Horrible and cheaply made with what looked like diced canned beets judging from the can marks on the beets and thrown together ingredients. There were more diced red onions than beets. I'll go back to Adriana's for a real Roasted Beet salad next time. read more

Eli's on Whitney - American Near Me - Hamden, Connecticut

Pleasant environment Awesome "Impossible Burger" Tremendous fries Great service Super music and lots of viewing options read more

We celebrated an early college graduation in the smaller room at Eli's this weekend, and everything surpassed my expectations. We had two servers, Brittany and Zach, who did a phenomenal job. There were several dinner options, and all came out hot, fresh, and delicious. Robin was great to work with. She kept in close touch with me throughout the entire process. If you have any catering or room reservation needs, please consider Eli's. read more

Food was mediocre. Waited WAY too long for a server, then waited way too long for food and drinks. Parking is pretty much none existent. It is pretty inside, but everything else is why we will never go back. It was a Thursday night, and it wasn't that busy. read more

What a great experience it was throwing my wife's surprise birthday party at Eli's. Robin, the event coordinator, was great from start to finish. She was very receptive to all of the questions that I had, and went above and beyond to ensure that the event went just as I was expecting. The wait staff was very friendly and professional, they made sure that all of my guests were taken care of all the way up until the end of the event. The food was absolutely delicious! We did a buffet style lunch, and they had so many options to choose from. They also agreed to keep the food out as late as I needed, as I had some late stragglers come in. Overall it was an amazing experience! If you are looking for a great place to host your next private event, look no further than Eli's! read more

I went to Eli's to get a turkey burger for takeout without any sides. I was charged $17.50 plus tax for a total of $18.79. ROBBERY! When I got home and checked the menu online, it said the price was $16.50 with onions. I called back and talked with the manager (Andrew) and was told that I was charged $17.50 because I had a slice of red onions on the sandwich. I won't be going back there again to get robbed for a meal. read more

I haven't been here in many years. It has changed much, and not all good. I was looking for a classy dinner vibe with a full menu. It's pretty much sandwiches. Lots of chicken on the menu, 2 salmon entrees and one pasta. Craft beer list was extensive and decent wine was available. We were there on a Thursday at 8. It was pretty slow. The decor was dated and cleanliness was so-so. Nothing to sing them for but nothing to compliment them for either. Meh. read more

Food is consistently good. Sometimes a brief wait but worth it. Great place to meet with friends. read more

I absolutely loved visiting Eli's on Whitney. I came to try the Elite Chef chicken sandwich special that was absolutely delish and reminded me of Midwest picnic food. My new favorite food I think in the world is also the phill eggrolls that they have. I kind of wish they had other out of the box eggroll options as well because I'd totally just eat all the eggrolls. Literally. You def gotta stop in for some appetizers. read more

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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

The staff was excellent, all the members appreciated there attention, the place was roomy and the food as usual was Good. Thank you for making it easy for me to setup the banquet. read more

Had a craving for hamburgers and they were perfect! Free delivery special via door dash... was first time we used this app. Food arrived HOT, fast and there was plenty of it. We were so full from the burgers and fries that we saved the chicken fingers for the next day, still crispy and delicious ! Without a doubt a great meal while staying safe at home! Thank you! I cannot say enough good things about the food and the delivery. It was perfect! read more

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RUDE RUDE RUDE! Went in on a busy night. Was told it would be 20-25 mins by the manager. No problem! We stood in the small doorway and waited. A moment later we were told 40-45mins by the hostess. I said "we were just told 20-25... That's a big difference can you please check because we have little kids in our party". The manager turned around and RUDELY goes "as you can see we're VERY busy, it's going to be a while before we can seat your party." Then he tells me the least we can do is "get out of the way and if I didn't like the wait I could go eat somewhere else, he really didn't care". I was like WTF.. I wasn't rude or impatient! Simply asked a clarifying question after getting 2 different wait times. I will NEVER eat there again and I will be telling EVERYONE I know to stay away from that RUDE business! read more

We held an event for about 20 people with a speaker at Eli's. The food was good and the room was set up well for our speaker. The wait staff was quite good and our event was a sucess. read more

We have been doing our yearly holiday party at Eli's for years. We always have a wonderful experience. The buffet is delicious and the bar tenders are always so nice! Highly recommend having a celebration in the banquet room! read more

we loved our visit to Eli's!! The food and service was excellent! we will be back! Best brick oven pizza around.

Yikes what happened to this place. They literally served my kid kraft macaroni from a box for 10$. Wow. No joke. What an embarrassment. Chicken tenders were bland too read more

We stopped here during a road trip and were treated to an exceptionally tasty chicken panino and another chicken sandwich along with fresh Cesar side salads. The desserts sounded so scrumptious, we took one for the road! read more

One of my favorite places to go in Hamden! Great drinks, the vibe is great, and the food is even better. The creme brûlée is a must. read more

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Don't get the flatbreads. That's pretty much my only cautionary message here. They taste like overly-processed cheese on a bed of communion wafer. Other than that, I say go for it. My group had a shrimp bowl, a burger, and chicken. It was all pretty good. And a nice beer selection. Everything a college town could want. read more

Eli's on Whitney - Good beer. A real college kid hangout. - American Near Me - Hamden, Connecticut

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Great food - service STUNK. Saying our server, Alexandria, was absent would be putting it nicely. We had to flag down a different server to get our server so we could place an app order, we waited forever to put in our dinner order, had to search for her to get my sister some sauce for her sandwich and literally had to go find her 30 minutes after we had finished eating to get our check. It was busy but not crazy by any means - quite irritating. With that said, the food was delicious. We started with buffalo roasted cauliflower and it was so yummy! I had the avocado salad and added steak, delicious and the presentation was beautiful. My mom had the tuna (which I tried a few bites of and loved) and my sister had the fried chicken sandwich and fries which looked great! I'll go back but I will be certain to avoid that servers section. I cannot believe how atrocious the service was. So disappointing. read more

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We had a small gathering at Elis and initially thought we would have about 40 people. It turned out to be about 60 and some arrived early. The staff was fantastic and adapted quickly to accommodate the early guests. The food was good and the service was excellent. I would strongly recommend reaching out to Robyn who put this together for us in a matter of days and it went off without a hitch. Matt M. read more

Re: Eli's Pizza Catering. I ordered three trays of food from Eli's catering for a party. Robin was excellent in managing the order. The food was hot and ready on time. The staff packaged the order in a very cool bag custom made for carrying catering trays and they threw in a couple of loaves of bread. Most importantly the food (eggplant parm, eggplant rollatini and baked ziti) were delicious! read more

Stopped in for lunch yesterday at Eli's on Whitney, we were 1st timers. Place was larger than it looked from the outside, decor was nice, we were seated in a comfortable booth. My wife had a Bloody Mary to start off with, she liked it, was good. She ordered a Rhode Island clam chowder -- was good also. I ordered six wings, chipotle BBQ flavor. Meaty wings, but they lacked the crispy outer coating I look for in quality made wings. Also, I wasn't really crazy about the chipotle sauce. For our entrees, my wife went with the Sliders, I ordered the Classic Mac & Cheese. Everything was tasty, our meals hit the spot. And, the French fries that came with my wife's Sliders were excellent -- seasoned perfectly. We would certainly come back to Eli's on Whitney in Hamden if we were in the area again. It's a fairly basic menu, but what they serve is done right, so it's worthy of a return trip. Eli's is a solid 4 Star rating, IMO. read more

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I ate at Eli's and ordered pork nachos to bring home to my husband. I did not open up and check the bag. Shame on me. There was no guacamole or sour cream. I called and talked to a disinterested woman. She was silent. Then hung up. Moral of the story, always check your take out. At the time I went there were maximum ten people in the restaurant. Just sayin'. read more

I prefer the one in the Milford/Orange area but I've also been to this location and it's not bad at all. I had their yummy pizza which was thin style with an extremely tasty crust. It was crowded too. They obviously do a good business. I do not live in this area so I couldn't be a regular but I liked it. It is smaller inside then the new location and just tough to get in. They may take reservations now but when I went they did not. It was packed solid and had a more rowdy vibe then the new one seems to. But the food is good at both Eli's. They obviously know how to run things and do it with skill. I hope the new one stays open but as to this one, if I lived closer I'd be here much more. read more

Eli's on Whitney - American Near Me - Hamden, Connecticut

My husband and kids threw me a beautiful surprise 60th birthday party!!! The staff, food and service was incredible. All the guests that attended raved about the food and the service! Thank you Eli's for a very memorable night!!! read more