Elaine's On Franklin

My boyfriend and I found Elaine's by accident when stopping in Chapel Hill for dinner on a recent cross-country road trip (check out our trip blog, ""A Mini & A Map""), and what a happy accident it was! We ate there on a Thursday night during the summer around 5:30, and it was nearly empty when we arrived. Our waiter was very attentive and knowledgeable about the menu. Our appetizer -- an heirloom tomato plate with 3 different salts on the side -- was beautiful on the plate as well as delicious. My boyfriend's buffalo steak was wonderful, and the truffled creamed corn underneath the fish I ordered was mouth-watering. A perfect, romantic meal, topped off by good espresso that powered us through an all-night drive. We both loved Elaine's and, after 6 weeks of eating out on the road, it remains in our top 3 meals for the entire trip (which included some pretty nice restaurants in some major U.S. cities). more

It took 3 hours to finish our dinner, with service that required we had to wave or actually ask for drinks to come, or the bill to arrive or be settled. The end was terrible -- with a major hassle over the bill because we had gift certificates....did you know that the waiters make $2/hour? That is what the manager told us when he wanted to be sure we would pay 20 percent tip for a split check (two gift certificates of $125 each). I told him I felt like we were in McDonalds. Not again for quite awhile. Pros: great food and presentation Cons: service more

We choose Elaine's for just about all of our special occasion dining. This was a dinner before the Bolshoi Ballet and therefore a special 'date night'. Elaine's never disappoints! Service is always friendly but professional and knowledgeable. Our waitress was returning on her night off to enjoy one of the newest dishes on the menu. That attitude shows that this isn't just someone waiting tables and it certainly shows in the service. The wine was excellent as were our dinners and dessert. We love Elaine's. Pros: knowledgeable service, delicious food, valet parking more

I do not understand all the hoopla about this place. The meals were over priced, servings were small, and the worst part was that after waiting forever, the entrees were cold when they reached the table. Won't be going back. Pros: none that I can think of Cons: where do I begin? more

We celebrated our wedding anniversary at Elaine's and left disappointed. First off, the service we received was great. And our appetizer, soft shell crab, was quite delicious. However, the entrees were a disappointment. They definitely were not worth the price you pay. . .very expensive. I had the chicken and it was very tough. The potatoes and marsala sauce surrounding the chicken was very good though. But I got very little of it. My husband enjoyed his tuna but said his vegetables were cold. I don't know if we will dine here again. Pros: Valet parking Cons: Price more

My husband took me to eat here for my birthday last night. The food was prepared beautifully, with really fresh and seasonal ingredients. The dining space was warm and comfortable. Our server, Carol, was a doll and took such good care of us. We are culinary grads, and usually picky, but everything was wonderful. I would definitely go back, because you could tell that they truely cared that you were their guest. Bravo!! Pros: Great space, great food, Carol was awesome! Cons: none really more

We went here based on the great reviews but we weren't very impressed. My salad was very plain and not very flavorful. The feta cheese in the description was almost non-existent. on my salad. My husbands appertizer was much better than my salad. For the entrees - both were ok but not worth the price charged. Pros: Valet parking and good service Cons: Cramped, limited by the glass wine, over priced entrees /small portions more

I'm writing to tell the world how great my first meal at Elaine's was. My girlfriend and I were greeted warmly and taken to a lovely table which was elevated slightly, and in an alcove next to window looking out onto Franklin St. I was thrilled to see that my favorite ingredient, bacon, had found a place on the drink menu, so i just had to order a bacon bloody mary. It was superb. The wine list was amazingly ecclectic and fairly priced to boot, so we settled on a lovely bottle of burgundy and began our meal. My girlfriend is very inquisitive, and had lots of questions for the waitress, who answered each one with confidence, and helped us select some terrific dishes. I started with a foie gras BLT, which blew me away. A tiny little southern treat with a hunk of seared foie gras in the middle. She ordered the truffled cauliflower soup, which was nearly the equal of my BLT. Pros: valet parking, online reservations, great service, fantastic food Cons: ? more

I was finally able to eat at Elaine's on Franklin last night and it surpassed all expectations. My husband and I found the service staff extremely knowledgeable and friendly, and the food was just exquisite. Before any other food arrived, we were greeted with a small cup of chestnut bisque which was to die for. I'd have loved an entire bowl, but our appetizers followed and both were excellent. I had a lovely tuna springroll which was crispy and spicy...absolutely delicious. For entrees, we both had the pork chop, which was seated on top of some the best macaroni and cheese I've ever had. The presentations were elegant without being overly fussy and all the food seemed super fresh. Now I know where I'm going for my birthday!! Pros: Excellent Service, great wine list, fresh seasonal food more

This is my third time at Elaine's since it opened, and by far my most disappointing. First off, the hostess looked simply untidy in baggy pants, faded shirt and large phone hanging out of her back pocket and even worse, she was decidedly dour and looked as if it pained her to speak or smile. Funny, I work among corporate lawyers all day, and the staff at Elaine's seemed far more aloof and condescending--interesting. The couple next to me, obviously regulars, however, were warmly greeted and showered with complimentary samples, the manager came out and chatted with them for ages, unfortunately he couldn't take the time to even turn my way and ask how my meal was, and apparently there is a one piece of bread ration. The food was good enough, flounder on a few shards of lobster, it was okay, nothing to make me want to leave the fine dining of my Charlotte home though. With desert however, things got decidedly worse, pumpkin cheese cake that tasted nothing of pumpkin but a lot like faintly souring cream. Perhaps too large of a purchase into its own hype, Elaine's definitely needs to tighten up. more

Just had to write about a meal I had last night at Elaine's. I've eaten there a number of times, and always enjoyed it, but this meal blew me away. I started with a foie gras 'blt', which sounds a bit strange but was absolutely delicious. They make a tiny little blt sandwich with a piece of seared foie in the middle and also candied bacon. Wow. This is a dish that you want to keep all to yourself. Luckily, my wife was happily occupied with her heirloom tomato sampler (a beautiful and tasty appetizer to say the least), and she didn't even ask for a bite of my blt. As thrilled as we were with the first course, the second course raised the bar to the next level. I had one of the most inventive and delicious surf and turf dishes that I've ever tasted: half of a Maine lobster with braised pork belly, hoppin' john, fried okra and green tomato beurre blanc. It was rich, luscious and buttery in all the right ways. My wife had venison with corn pudding and blackberry sauce which was equally compelling, but I was glad that I chose surf and turf. I've always thought that Elaine's did a great job selecting fresh, local ingredients for their menus, which appear to be different every time I eat there, and my server confirmed this for me, offering stories about the Chef's two weekly trips to the Carrboro Farmer's Market. Knowing the food is local seems to make it taste even better. I give Elaine's my highest recommendation. Pros: valet parking!, excellent service and winelist more

Elaine's is one of the few restaurants in Chapel Hill that seems to care about fresh ingredients. The food is consistently good, with interesting specials offered and a nice wine selection. more

I really like eating at Elaine's - that being said, I don't recall any really memorable dishes, but I DO know that everything I've eaten there has been really fresh and tasty. I'm happy coming here when I want a ""basic"" fine dining experience with good food, but nothing really exciting or different. The wine list is extensive and reasonable. The service is really good! I think it's the best service on Franklin Street - our glasses are never empty, the staff has been attentive, and they've given us good recommendations on wine pairings with entrees. Pros: Service, Fod more

I'm shocked to see any negative reviews of the service at Elaine's. I personally have always found the service to be outstanding in my many visits. The style of service is friendly, but professional. Just last night I had a meal there that was so good, I had to write a review. Pros: Great Food, Service, and Wine List Cons: I can't afford to eat there every night! more

my first experience at Elaine's was wonderful, the service was less than friendly, but the food was delicious. i decided to throw my friend's birthday dinner there. all five of our guests are in the service industry, though overly aware of every detail, we are also sensitive. our server was curt, uninterested and simply rude. i brought a gorgeous bottle of red for our main course as a birthday gift, but we bought a bottle of gruner for our starters. it was warm, five minutes of being on ice did little to cool it and we asked our ungracious server for it to go back on ice until the aps came out. imagine our surprise when the aps came out and we had to flag the nearest employee to bring our wine. not two minutes after our aps were cleared did our entrees appear, not only were we without glasses for the cote du rhone, but the bottle was not even open. luckily, being in ""the industry"" we had a wine key with us and after flagging down another server for glasses, we poured our own wine. had Dana, our server, been new and simply behind due to lack of experience or just extremely ""weeded"" all would have been forgiven and additional gratuity overflowing, but she was obstinately apathetic to our table. we feel perhaps we did not look the part of an attention worthy table or because we brought a bottle of wine (which she charged corkage despite our having bought a bottle and pre-dinner cocktails) that we were given the epicurian coldshoulder. whatever the reason, we were guests, but treated as annoyances. i will never return and the endorsements so often given by myself and the rest of my party, needless to say, are over and instead replaced by this horror story. bret is an amazing chef and dinner was delicious (though tepid after working to get wine in our glass). it's a shame that these are the people he choses to interact with his guests and serve his culinary perfections. Pros: food Cons: service, service, service more

My table of 6 was mainly satisfied with their food, if not blown away, but the service was spotty at best and ended with just a bad attitude when we had an issue with the bill (we were double charged for something). Vegetarians take note, my meal was uninspired (can anyone say ""grilled veggies?"") with nothing of substance (no potatoes, pasta, etc) for $20. I was hungry and disappointed. I had asked if the kitchen would modify a more desirable dish and was told quickly ""no"". Appetizers (a shrimp dish and a cheese plate) were boring and unattractively presented. The desserts were good but nothing anyone was wowed by. I'd try somewhere else next time. more

Chef Jennings is amazing. He understands food on a level I aspire to. They have fois gras nightly which is always a plus for me. I am a regular diner there. The parking is the only negative but it is worth the trouble. Pros: The food is some of the best around. Cons: PARKING! more

Great food, unbeliavable poor service, we did not receive proper attention from server, manager had to make up for gaps Pros: great food, good atmosphere, good manager/ host Cons: poor bar service, really poor waiter, attitude more

There are lots of good restaurants in the Triangle, but Elaine's is my favorite. It's small, with great service, and amazing food. We love how the menu changes constantly, and how they always give us a small taste of some delicious soup before our orders arrive. I also really love the attitude of this place - even though it is an upscale place, it is warm and friendly. David the Manager is wonderful and always looks out for us. more

This small restaurant surprised us. It had a NYC feel to the southern charm. They had a good wine list for the area. The food presentation and quality was very good. The service was also top notch. Pros: atmosphere, food quality more