Came here on Easter Sunday for an early dinner and was surprised by how cozy and well decorated it was inside. Being on the Main Street of downtown it gives it a nice small town feel but the food was top notch. I had the brisket Philly and the brisket itself. The hush puppies and onion rings were great and the Philly was fantastic. Great flavor and brisket was soft and tender. The Mac n cheese is a little on the lighter side in terms of flavor so depending on what you like go for another side if you prefer extra cheesy. Service was quick and very kind, felt welcome on this Easter Sunday! read more

Eli's Tavern is a nice restaurant although on the dark side even in the day time. I wish it had more lighting or natural light. The staff was very friendly. The menu has a variety of items. I went with the burger and ordered it well done but the outside of it seemed to have burned so it wasn't very good. The fries were thin and I didn't care for those so much either. So if I ever return again I will order a different entrée and side. read more

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Saturday late morning in Franklinton, and we are thinking that we need to bridge the gap between breakfast (which we skipped) and lunch. And, since we're out exploring what the little town of Franklinton had to offer, we needed to try Eli's. The menu at first glance is pretty diverse, but smokehouse-forward (that's part of their brand, it seems). What hit me first was the variety of the menu, which seemed put together in a really cohesive way. It's a tavern, so I grabbed a lunch beer- a Raleigh Brewing Belgian Ale, and the Mrs. got a sweet tea. With a dessert-first mindset, we grabbed an order of their beignets, which came dusted in cinnamon and sugar, churro-style. Not a fan of beignets, but a huge fan of churros, this really was a fine way to kick off the meal. The next course consisted of sandwiches for us: a cubano for me, and a fried chicken concoction for mama. Both were spot on-the cubano ("Havana Hoagie") was piled high with NC barbecue: smoky and moist, with a little bark in there, somewhere. The bun was indeed a hoagie bun, but that didn't take away from the stack of mustard and pickle- dressed protein inside. The chicken sandwich was fun- crispy tenders dressed with a "siracha honey" and pimento cheese. It seemed like a lot of trends in one sandwich, but again, it worked. Oh, and the sides: shoestring fries, crispy but not crunchy, and collards, because December. The collards were a great combo of tangy, sweetish, and was that a few pieces of smoky barbecue in the mix? Delicious. Eli's is a cornerstone of the tremendous revival of downtown Franklinton, and makes for a fun tavern meal. It's got a great not-sports-bar vibe, welcoming with just a clean look to the place. If you're in the Granville/Vance/Franklin/North Raleigh area, it's worth taking a quick drive to check it out! read more

Really was looking forward to coming here based on the good reviews. It was as they say "meh". Dry rub Wings had wayyyyyyy too much dry rub. Too much of a good thing becomes inedible. Brisket was good but $28 for a small piece and some lackluster sides is outrageous. That meal should be $20 at the very most. Collard greens were so spicy they were also inedible. Mac and cheese was dry and tasteless. It's a shame because it could be a great place. Do better. read more

Place has nice ambiance. Food was good except for the mac n cheese which was not baked or the beignets which were burned and the blueberry dipping sauce was sour. The real issue is that the kitchen is slow and there is not enough wait staff. No one cleared any plates at our table during the whole meal. We waiting 45 minutes for a salad and chicken tenders. The waitress forgot the mac n cheese altogether until we told her about it. We were comped in the mac n cheese and beignets because they both came after almost an hour. They need to be prepared for the weekend rush on a sunny day. read more

Delicious food, but the portions are small for what you pay for. We got the smokehouse platter to share with a friend. Not enough meats than another platter priced the same as another smokehouse in Raleigh. The brisket had more fat than I liked, but cooked well. Service was great and the restaurant was decorated nicely. Would recommend they drop the price or increase the portions. read more

Eli's Tavern - Smokehouse platter - Wine Bars Near Me - Franklinton, North Carolina

AWESOME!!! The food is great, service was exceptional and the overall experience was fantastic! Our server was very friendly and attentive. I had the fried chicken sandwich and the Brussel sprouts were very good, my wife had the pulled pork sandwich and it was delicious. Highly recommend you check Eli's. read more

Great place. Good looking restaurant. Great staff that is very friendly. VERY accommodating to make sure you are happy with your meal. Great food - love the Brisket philly and they can make me a burger to the temp that I like it - This I feel is very rare. GREAT sprouts too!! big portion which I do for take out - I get 3-4 servings out of it. Not overpriced. They have my wife's Blue Moon and usually at least 3 different ciders for me. We've always sat at the bar but we have talked to some of the other wait staff who are very friendly. I think we've even met one of the owners who was very friendly. read more

This was the first time I visited here and the atmosphere was amazing. It was crowded but not super loud. Was able to sit down with my brother and enjoy our meal. We got onion rings and hush puppies as an appetizer. Both were nice and crispy on the outside, and super delicious. Hush puppies were moist on the inside, and the rings were not dried out at all. I got the hot honey chicken sandwich for my meal and it was DELICIOUS. I ordered 2 of the moonshines while we were there and they were very tasty as well. The bartender know what they're doing! For a dessert we got the beignets and they were very tasty! The chocolate sauce was good, but the mixed berry sauce one was 100x better. Onion rings & Hush puppies - 8/10 Chicken Sandwich - 9/10 Fries - 9/10 Moonshine drinks - 9/10 Beignets - 8.5/10 read more

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Fabulous! Great atmosphere, delicious food and great service! We all loved our meals. We'll be back!

My favorite brisket I have tried in the area! I love having a place that takes an easy reservation, but is local and no too upscale. Service is very kind, but note the food doesn't not come out quickly during peak dinner time. read more

Eli's Tavern - Brisket and collards - Wine Bars Near Me - Franklinton, North Carolina

Found this lunch spot online on our way to Raleigh from Virginia and were pleasantly surprised. Cute town with lots of options. Eli's was well decorated and lots of tables. Service was attentive and friendly. I enjoyed the chicken sandwich with hot honey, pimento cheese and pickles. I rarely order a sandwich out but this was worth it. The chicken was prepared perfectly and the blend of flavors was delicious. It was very messy though and hard to eat. I ended up just ditching the bun and enjoying the remainder with a knife and fork. My husband had the brisket sandwich, which had great flavor but a little dry. Our daughter had the BBQ sandwich and enjoyed every bite, no complaints! Overall, good find and would definitely recommend! read more

Hubby and I went today to try Eli's Tavern for lunch. The atmosphere is really nice and very inviting. We chose the brisket Philly and the sausage sandwich. Both sandwiches were excellent. The side of fries were abundant and cooked and salted perfectly. We will definitely come back to try other options. Service was good too. read more

Shrimp and grits were awesome. Loaded with shrimp and sausage. Great flavor. A home run!!

We recently revisited Eli's. Completely different bar tender and much better drinks. There were still a few plates that could have been warmer. The new menu is not as good as the old menu. The old menu's food was also served hot. I think the new chef has some things to learn. The drinks were phenomenally better. Servers as always were excellent. Good experience, I just hope they bring the old chef back! read more

Such a delightful place! Owners, food, service (our bartender was wonderful) and atmosphere! Perfection. First day open for lunch today which thrilled us because we are lunch people! Hubby and I split Lump Crab Cakes, Sticky Ribs and Shrimp Risotto. Eat local folks! Support small business! You will be rewarded a million times over!! read more

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My husband and I were so excited to try Eli's Tavern this evening. The restaurant is decorated very nicely and is very inviting. We were seated right away as we had made a reservation. It took some time for our server to come over and take our drink order. We ordered the giant pretzel for an appetizer. It took a bit of time for it to come out. It was a complete disappointment. I thought that we would be enjoying a warm pretzel with melted warm cheese dip...this pretzel was actually cold! The cheese was barely warm and more congealed than melted. The cheese had a good flavor...it just needed to be hot and melty. A pretzel should never be served cold. My husband ordered the fish tacos and said that they were good...but for the price, there should have been 3 tacos. I ordered the Nashville Hot Honey Chicken Sandwich. Unfortunately, it was so dry...literally couldn't taste any honey. It needs MORE SAUCE. The chicken itself was very crispy, however, it is lacking in seasoning in the batter. This would enhance the flavor immensely. The sandwich has potential. Service was uninspired. Our drinks were empty and she just kept by walking by us. Never checked on us...didn't ask if we needed anything....nothing. I was going to ask for more sauce for my sandwich, but alas, she didn't come to our table. I really hope that they work out the kinks. This could be a really special place. read more

I have been for lunch a few times and everything I have ordered has been excellent. I have sat at the bar top each time and have also had friendly and attentive service as well. Below are the dishes that I have had and highly recommend all of them depending on your mood: - Cuban Style pulled pork sandwich. Not traditional but excellent and huge portion. The smoked pork and mustard elevates this sandwich to a different level. Ordered the black eye pea salad as well that was very good. - fried chicken sandwich with pimento cheese. Excellent but you will need to take a nap afterwords. Huge portion! Ordered fries as a side and they were hot and crispy. - Backyard burger. Very filling and seasoned well. One of the better burgers I've had in a while. read more

First time at Eli's: The Ribs were very good The Brisket was juicy and flavorful, but a little too fatty for our tastes. The chopped brisket Philly sandwich was less fatty and tasty. Too bad they don't do pastrami or even 1/2 chicken. Overall above average- would return read more

This is our first time here since the new owners took over. The food and service was great! We had a pretzel appetizer, smoked wings (the meatiest wings ---could not even finish), pulled pork, and a perfectly cooked cheeseburger. Fries were hot and crispy! Great drink choices, and yummy beignets for dessert! They also changed the whole ambiance of the restaurant---all great changes!! read more

Been coming here for a solid year now. Staff is always welcoming, food is always great, place is consistently the same. Speaks volumes in the industry. Rarely do I go somewhere good two times and have the same experience. This place never lets me down. The tenders and onion rings are next level. read more

We love to go to Eli's Tavern in Franklinton, NC. The minute we were in town I felt like I was back in Upstate NY. The community is very well kept, the people are friendly, and it is safe and charming to take walks. Our food is always delicious and perfectly cooked and served. The brisket sandwich is the best ever. We like to go for their meatloaf. It doesn't bog down your stomach like an original meatloaf. It's ground brisket and made with applesauce. Nicely light. I'm quite a dessert lover. Eli's maple bourbon pecan pie is fantastic. I always have it. I would also suggest Eli's beingets. They come with a lovely chocolate and a berry sauces. We take two orders home for coffee and tea the next day. Exquisite. We have a favorite server/ bartender. She makes a good Black Russian. My husband likes their Red Oak beer on draft. Our bartender greets everyone when we sit down. She's a doll. If eating she takes orders ASAP and turns them into the kitchen. Our meals are always served nice and hot! Our server always has our napkins ( real napkins) and utensils in front of us, and checks on us. Good worker bee. Hee hee. I truly enjoy the ambience and company. The others who are also dining are always friendly to the other guests. Everyone is in a friendly mood. The tavern has a relaxing atmosphere with great food. We enjoy dining at the bar. We meet some very cool people. We both enjoy the Franklinton residents. We live in Younsville and usually go to Raleigh for dinner. For those of you going north to Franklinton from Wake Forest and Raleigh it is not a bad drive. Franklinton is off US1 or Capitol Blvd. The amount of time we've spent driving in and around to back home, is unrelenting misery. And then to park in a plaza with huge parking lots, is not a problem at Eli's. Eli's Tavern is a must try. read more

We came here for the Paella and we will come back here for the Paella. Brussels Sprouts for our starter (excellent), Shrimp and Grits and Paella for main course, Chocolate Burbon Pecan Pie for dessert. All delicious. Great service, great vibe, great food! read more

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We decided to give Eli's another try today for two reasons. One, because we absolutely love Franko's and go multiple times per week, and we'd heard the menu had changed and we were in the mood for a burger. The service we had today was much better, and the burger itself was very tasty. I saw that there is a new smokehouse menu coming soon and I am excited to see what is added to that. read more

Visited for the first time on a Thursday night and the place was hopping. Great menu with a wide variety. We each had a very different meal and each looked wonderful on the plate with generous portions. Drinks had a good pour of alcohol not the drop you might find in some restaurants. Our waitress was delightful young lady with a good personality and was very attentive to our table without being in your face. ELI'S Tavern will certainly bee ( pun intended- if you've been you'll get it) our go to for a night out! Cute place with old world feel due to the brick wall, plants & tin ceilings. Good Luck keep up the great work! read more

Great food and fast service at lunch. The burger, wings and fries were really good. I could tell the burger was made out of good quality meat. read more

Recently moved to the area and tried this incredible restaurant before waiting for Franklinton's tree lighting. This not disappoint! In fact, the Bavarian pretzel knots made my top 3 in the world! I lived in Germany as a Soldier and the other 2 pretzel knot rankings are in Germany! The roasted brussel sprouts were perfection and the 'better than grandma's' banana pudding was a hit! Anna E was my server and she was amazing. She made the best recommendations, gave exceptional service and was pure joy. Cannot recommend this restaurant's food and service more highly! read more

Our 2nd time here for dinner and again, we left full and happy! Appetizers both times (crab dip, octopus, sticky ribs, crab cakes, etc) have all been delish. Ribeye, fantastic. Shrimp and grits, a winner both times. Short ribs, awesome. Pork cheeks, devine. Lobster roll is not a true lobster roll, more like lobster salad, very good but not what was expected. Beignets and Bourbon Chocolate pecan pie to die for. The bartender is also on point, we've had amazing cocktails on both visits. Attentive and friendly waitstaff. Love the ambiance, exposed brick, tin tile ceilings, warm Edison lights. We'll be back a 3rd time and more. What a great find in Franklinton! Kudos to the owners and chef! read more

The food was AMAZING! Service was 10/10. After new ownership taking over this place , I highly recommend.

So nice to see the revitalization of downtown Franklinton. Eli's has a small menu done right. Food is beautifully presented and prepared and dinner here with friends was top notch. Get the Brussels sprouts appetizer. AMAZING! read more

Food really good, price is OK. Customer service great. Nice environment and usually dont have to wait to get a seat. Great place to go.​

We got takeout burgers tonight and they were awesome! Cooked to perfection, crisp romaine, just over all excellent. I love burgers and get them all the time (i know not healthy), but these were some if the best i have had in a very long time. Thank you Eli's for a yummy burger!!! read more

We were excited to try this restaurant to celebrate my sons birthday. It started great with the brussels sprouts, but went downhill fast. The kitchen was backed up and we were warned, so we did wait awhile for our food. We had to ask for refills on water. Chicken tenders was overcooked and had no flavor. Salmon was over cooked and was spicy which had a bourbon mustard description on menu. Coleslaw was dry and had no flavor. The Philly sandwich was just ok. The brisket was just ok, not as tender as you would expect, the baked meat beans lacked flavor as well, had to put bbq sauce on it. The beignets were not beignets they were fried donut holes. We would not return. read more

We just moved to NC & feel so lucky to have discovered Eli's Tavern. We first came in after our big move in and we were so grateful for the delicious food, great service, warm ambiance & lots of NC beers on tap to choose from. Everything is made in house and you can taste the effort. The Wedge Salad itself is a literal thing of beauty...a whole head of Bibb lettuce with all the trimmings...Delish! The burger is tasty & juicy and the pulled pork is melt in your mouth tender. Don't miss dessert either! The Beignets are fresh & warm and accompanied by chocolate & berry sauces. We loved it so much we came back the next day and plan to eat here again soon. You should too! read more

Great place - was a totally unexpected surprise! Decor creates a neat vibe - tin ceilings, plant wall, old brick and creative lighting. staff/service could not have been nicer. Food is pure comfort and nice wine/beer/cocktail list. Bar area is very welcoming - you can have great conversation/meet new friends in total comfort. This place is a NEW must and we wish the establishment every success!!! read more

The brunch menu really sucks Their kitchen is super backed up all the time while there's very few people in the restaurant I will not go back. read more

I've been here several times and every time I've been it's been delicious. The cocktails are great also. Just tried the new BBQ pulled pork sandwich and it was fabulous. read more

Food good, home made hot sauce = GOOD SH*T!!!! Waitresses AMAZING! bartenders not meant to be table servers, but very friendly & comfortable setting. Will return read more

come from "Garner" to eat at this restaurant. Good menu, good food, Excellent customer service.

We love Eli's . We have been regulars for a while, have the same server most of the time and she is wonderful! Great drinks and the food is equally good . Great spot in downtown franklinton . read more