Decor is nice, but I had a bad experience here with the manager. I am over 21 and have a valid ID, but since I had not changed my license since I turned 21, I was refused bar service because I had an old style license. It was very embarrassing for me and my friends, and we promptly left the restaurant in disgust. The food was ok from a previous visit, which is why i dont give it a 1 star, but the service was terrible because of my experience.
Review Source:As we walked in we were quickly greeted by the hostess, she sat us right away. The decor here is modern and DARK!! My lady had a hard time seeing her menu. Her side of the booth was really dark. Our server took our drink order. Them he came back with our drinks and said he was leaving for the night and Evan would take care of us. Evan came by and explained the specials, he was really nice and attentive!!
We ordered---
Parmesan green bean app
Crab & Shrimp Louie salad
Braised Lamb Shanks
Creamy Creme Brulee
The green bean app came and yummy!!! The aioli dipping sauce was delish. The coating on the beans was crunchy. Very good app!
The crab and shrimp salad was ok, nothing special. They used the little tiny shrimp that have no flavor. The crab was no where to be found, very small pieces hidden throughout the salad. U could tell the dressings were not homemade.
The braised shanks were tender and juicy. The sauce was good but lacked salt and pepper. I know they offer S/P on the table but, the food should come seasoned properly! The mashed potatoes we average at best. The veggies on the plate we not good at all. I could tell the were fresh, but the flavor was just odd.
The creme brulee was ok. I've had much better at other places! Nothing special with that.
Overall this place was just ok. I can say I've been there.........
We went to the Elephant Bar for dinner and while they usually have good service tonight was disappointing. The food is good but I waited an hour before my order was ready. I could understand if it was busy, but it was not. There had some sort of shift meeting, then we were forgotten about. The manager came to apologize, but that made it no better. The food came out 15 min later. Others that ordered after me were done and gone before I got my food. I will never be going back. If you have the time to wait, this might be a good place for you. Good luck handling Mother's Day....
Review Source:Snagged a seat at the bar.
Notes:
-Hawaiian Stone sour is delicious.(can't even taste the booze!)
-Ivory Coast Margarita was good. Citrus dominated, which was refreshing.(can't even taste the booze!)
-Elephant bar? Piña Colada, por favor! (can't even taste the booze!)
-I didn't  care for the spinach dip. Smoky and cloying.
-Sangria Blanco was good. Took me back to past times when I'd use wine to mix.(can't even taste the booze!)
Dinner was good. Had the BBQ platter.
All in all, not a bad experience, but  I didn't feel any alcohol at all after four drinks. Don't get me wrong, my liver is a trooper. It's always been one of my top organs, but I'm no professional drinker with other worldly tolerance. I have stories to back this claim.
I was charged for real drinks, not mock tails, so that's not it.
More booze gets you more stars.
This place isn't a bad choice of restaurant if your in the Fresno "River Park" area. I mean Fresno has alot of other good eats but all in all this place is good. I would probably go for starters with the Fresh Whole Milk Mozzarella with Bruschetta Tomatoes. That thing was gone in 15 seconds between the 3 of us. The one thing I noticed while biting into the tomatoes was that there was still a sticker on one of them. I mean it just shows to me that they do chop it up themselves back there but it does also tell me they are not very careful on handling their food. All in all good choice of appetizer.
I'm a jambalaya eater so every time I go to any Restaurant that's the first thing I look on the menu and sure enough they did have it. I sometimes rate their jambalaya dish on how good their bread is that comes with it. And the bread was on point, but I wouldn't say too much on the jambalaya. It tasted too much of a tomato paste tasting dish. I mean the portions were good enough for me (and I eat alot). Don't get me wrong I'll probably order it again.
The other dishes around me looked good as well. The seared ahi salad was my second choice to pick and that was very good.
I didn't try any of the dessert, I was too full and needed to get in my car and drive down to So Cal before the rain hit.
Service was good, fast and made sure everything was good. Wasn't too busy on a lunch weekday so I probably suggest trying this place out around those times if you want.
I had a really bad experience here. We had a coupon for buy one, get one free for lunch so we decided to try it out. We ordered the artichoke dip appetizer, yuck! It was terrible! For my entree I got the lunch combo of their popular shrimp and noodle soup and deep fried salmon roll. The picture on the menu looked great...too bad the real thing looked nothing like it. Â The soup was basically some overcooked, chopped up, mushy noodles in bland chicken broth with tough, overcooked shrimp and various chopped up veggies thrown it. Not good. The salmon roll might as well have been cat food, it was that bad. I think there were 6 pieces, I ate one and I was done! Then to top it off, the waitress forgot to apply our coupon, so we brought it to her attention. Their computer wasn't recognizing the coupon code, after a 30 minute wait they finally got it to work. I will not be returning, next time I'll opt for Panda Express if I want crappy chain asian food!
Review Source:My family has loved Elephant Bar for many years. Â We've dined at several in different towns and states. Â The food is consistently delicious, the service is fine and often really good, and this location is no exception. Â Yes, it gets really busy at certain times and the wait can be long, but we just try to dine there at other times. Â I think they handle the crowds well. Â Their open kitchen is cool, but it really adds to the noise level in there, which is why I don't give them five stars.
There are so many good things on their menu. Â Love the salmon blackened, the butterflied shrimp with asian dipping sauce (used to be called cajun sauce!), the chicken teriyaki, side salads . . . For dessert, the creme brulee is one of my favorites anywhere.
I don't doubt that some may have had a poor experience, but I can't think of any that stand out to us here or at other locations we've dine. Â And I'm not easy on places I've reviewed.
Thursday-midday pre-movie lunch:
Got an enticing coupon in the inbox for a bogo lunch entree...had a picture of the crispy teriyaki chicken which looked yummy. Â I need to be a better reader...the "lunches staring at $7.99" got me, because when we got there, that crispy teriyaki chicken was on a lunch menu insert for $11.95. Â Seeing as how I don't eat sandwiches or salads...i convinced the hubs to get a chicken teriyaki with me. Â It was delicious...filled with mushrooms and bok choy and our server, Kris, was a true gem. Â Still I feel guilty going out and spending $12 on chicken teriyaki when Pete's, Mika's, and Zeni-ya do it for less. Â Also, a caution about those portions...fine for lunch, but a bit skimpy for dinner (also priced at $11.95). Â So...final verdict, I will return...need to try out those appetizers and that layered strawberry shortcake.
The wait was long that we stalked a table at the bar to be seated quicker. Â It's just another American restaurant that is trying to be diverse by fusing with other ethnic foods. Â Too random of a menu for me to decide what to get, but I guess if you were are carving different genre of food then you should go here. Â I had the artichoke dip and coconut shrimp, so American and Thai? Â I am confused. Â The shrimp was dry, the dipping was not good...I make better at home. Â The one positive, the selection of mixed drinks--the Pina Colada was good and light on alcohol, perfect after work cocktail.
Review Source:I called in around lunch time and ordered the crispy teriyaki chicken plate for take out. They told me it would be about 10 minutes. I lost track of time and it took me about 30 minutes to get there. I called them and said that i lost track of time and will be there asap. The guy who answered was very kind and said it was fine. When i got there, the food was packaged and still warm! I was able to pick up the food, go to the gas station and go home and the food was still delicious!
I was hesitant that the food was going to be gross because I was going to eat it an hour after it was prepared, but boy was I wrong.
It was perfect, will definitely go back!
Well... we were seated within 5 minutes. Â Took a while to get food. Â Or drinks. Â My martini was pretty good. Â We tried to order the garlic bread but it never arrived, and the waitress never put it in. Â Husband got a chicken bacon ham cheese sandwich thing. Â I think. Â Something like that. Â Was supposed to come with a side salad but came with sweet potato fries which he actually doesn't like at all. Â That was the kitchens fault as she put it in correctly. Â She did however bring out a side salad later on, so that was good. Â I got the pad thai. Â It was maybe one of the worst pad thai's I've ever had. Â Very little taste. Â Kinda spicy which is rare for a pad thai so it should've been on the menu. Â The noodles were all cut up so it just look like someone threw some things together and said there you go. Â It was awful. Â Good thing we had a coupon.
Review Source:Had a great meal here with the wife. Â They have a huge drink menu. Â Service was friendly also. Â The place was packed and we got seated in 15 min, that was great. Â The food came out hot and fresh. Â Ill be going back for Happy Hour for sure. Â Also, yes this restaurant is in the most active retail area of Fresno but that does not mean that it's guaranteed to do well, just ask Claim Jumper.
Food 3.75
Sercive 4
This place is pretty decent for a "theres one of these in a good amount of shopping centers" kind of places. Its big, clean, some decor, etc. Theres a decent selection of stuff on the menu, and the prices arent bad. I am more the kind of person that prefers places that arent chains personally. But the one that I went to in Fresno was a place the people I was with for work agreed upon since theres a little something for everyone there. The people working there were very nice and were very accommodating, since we were working in the field that day, and allowed us to store some of our equipment in a locked closet. Granted I know that this was an exception on their part, and it is not customary to provide this service, but it was of great help to us, and we really appreciated that.
I dont remember what it is that I got, but Im pretty good at picking something out that wont be a disappointment, and it wasnt.
That particular shopping center was super packed and parking wasnt easy, so if you can carpool I suggest doing that.
My 1st ever Elephant Bar experience was amazing! The food and service were a cut above. Melissa was my server and she was polite, professional and quite helpful with menu recommendations.
Eric, a manager on duty, visited our table and also brought some of our food out when it was ready. He was warm and welcoming. He wanted to ensure that our dining experience was a good one...and it was!
We started with their iced tea and pear martini. Both were delicious and refreshing. Next, my dining companion enjoyed the ahi tuna salad while I enjoyed the deliciously braised fork-tender lamb. Both were fresh, delicious and well-prepared. The lamb is a huge portion and will definitely satisfy even the biggest appetites! This place is in my Top 5 for Fresno's Best Eats!
3.5 stars- food (for a chain)
5 stars- service
Standard chain Restaurant fare, I've never had anything bad here, but the portion sizes have shrunk and they've removed their club sandwich from their menu.. :( our waiter mentioned a new menu is coming up in march, maybe they'll bring it back?
A group of us came here last night for my friends b-day, and Originally had a good server, but he got pulled for the night shortly after we arrived and we ended up getting William or Will .i. am as i dubbed him last night ;) Â This guy was awesome! super attentive, friendly and just really made the experience fun! 5 stars on service for sure!! also some of the diners in my group were a bit picky and will.i.am went with the flow and made sure everything came out fresh and as ordered
Before the whole party arrived a friend and i tried the sweet potato fries, and their Fresh Whole Milk Mozzarella with Bruschetta Tomatoes (which includes avocado slices and fried pita) both from their appetizer menu.. no complaints on either, both had a nice presentation and had good flavor. when rest of the party arrived they got the spinach and artichoke app which came with my favorite type of tortilla chips. i didn't really care for the spinach dip here, it had all of the right ingredients but seemed a bit bland on some bites and salty on others, also it seemed to need more cheese and less rue on the cooking process.
For the entrees i really wanted the club, but afore mentioned they removed it, and i wasn't in the mood for any of their wok items so i went with their ultimate bacon cheese burger (cooked medium) the burger was great and cooked exactly as i ordered it, nice charbroiled flavor, i was too full after sampling some apps so i have the other half of the meal for lunch today. this includes your choice of fries (regular or sweet) a friend got their classic "Big "E" burger, which she also liked. also cooked as she ordered, some of the others ordered wok inspired items i don't remember, nor did i sample.
for drinks: i just stuck with iced tea (fresh brewed and unsweetened, my fave and no complaints and  William even brought me some in a to-go container @ the end) the rest all went with bar drinks: cyclone (more of a alcoholic smoothie), margaritas and the Olu passion Mai tai (light on syrup-my recommendation, trust me on this)
I've been here for their late night happy hour a few times, every thing's OK, and the drink and app prices are crazy cheap, but they are limited to serving drinks that are in their system , they'll still make whatever you want but William warned a "unnecessary" hefty charge usually applies. Also since we had dinner in the Restaurant area the drinks weren't on happy hour of course, which is how i discovered the happy hour drinks are half sized. considering most of the happy hour menu drinks are about $2 off, I'm just going to start ordering them as their full sized version. paying $2 more for a full sized drink (like 6 bucks) is cheaper than paying $10 for two happy hour half sized drinks!)
This place really isn't that great, it just so happens to be close to the most popular shopping center in town that it stays afloat. Â
The food is pretty much mediocre, and the prices they charge are way more than what the food is worth. Â I got some braised pork dish with noodles, and while it tasted ok, it definitely wasn't worth the $14 dollars they charged. Â Others also commented that their dishes weren't all that great either.
The biggest problem we had was the service. Â Our waitress was friendly but she seemed to forget a lot of stuff. Â My salad was brought out way to close to the entree so I didn't have time to eat the entire thing, and there was no room to keep it on the table along with my meal.
My aunt got a salad and they forgot her salad dressing, after waiting to flag our waitress down and finally receiving it, she found the dressing tasted horrible, so she had to get ranch instead. Â This prompted another wait, at which point we had to remind her again.
When it came time to pay the bill, she asked us two separate times if we wanted anything else, when the first time we told her just the check would be fine. Â Once we paid we at first thought she had charged the wrong things to the wrong cards, but we discovered the receipts had just been mixed up.
When it comes down to it, I don't think that when dining out, I should have to remind our waitress about every little thing, or have to constantly flag her down to remind her AGAIN. Â I seriously doubt I will be coming back, unless someone in the group REALLY wanted to go.
Food does not always come as hot as I like (steamed rice, not steaming, barely warm) but I still give the establishment four stars because of the diverse menu, ambiance and friendly service.
If you are looking for lower calorie options there are dishes that come in under 800 calories for a complete dinner.
We've eaten there a number of times since I began this review. If there is a problem with an entree, or anything the manager Eric takes your complaint seriously and makes it his personal mission to make it right.
Quickly becoming our favorite eating establishment.
I've never liked this place...the only reason it gets 2 stars is because the service has always been good. The food I've gotten was always gross and bland except for the calamari appetizer...that was very good! The salads are...skimpy to say the least. The prices are outrageous for the amount you get.
The feel and atmosphere of the place is really good which -if you're with good people- makes up for the food.
I have a new crush...and his name is Kris.
(You know when you're a teenager and you go out with your friends one night, thinking it is just going to be another night, only you meet the cutest, nicest boy and can't stop thinking about him, and you hope he calls you so you can have babies together and drink milkshakes for the rest of your life?)
Yeah, so like I said, I'm a smitten kitten and his name is Kris.
Kris works at the Elephant Bar, and son, you know how to do your job. You made this married mom feel super giddy..and like a PERSON, instead of a walking milk machine covered in spit-up.
To be fair, he didn't flirt. He just did his job EXTREMELY well. He made suggestions, he checked on us frequently, he was down-to-earth, he smiled a lot. Call me a tramp, but I like to get friendly with the person serving me, because it reduces the chance of getting spit in my food that much more.
If I was rating the actual place, I'd give it 3.5 stars. The music makes it too loud for comfort, but everything was clean.
The food is 4 stars, because some of the things, such as the appetizer platter, are greasy and "let's get some grub before our movie" kind of food..and some of the other items, like the Pear Gorgonzola salad are teetering on the edge of being pretentious. I didn't know if I was closer to a tailgate party or fine dining.
However, I forgive them the loud music and the people who brought their exhausted 3 year old daughter out to eat at 10pm, because the endorphin high I was on from my new boyfriend made me extremely mellow. I don't even care if he was hustling us for a tip; take my purse, baby..keep recommending dipping sauces and you can have my phone, too.
I wonder -If I have his babies, can he can bring me dinner home after his shifts? Either way, babies or not, I'll be back to see him soon, if just so I can feel like something more than a walking diaper bag.
Now, to tell my husband..
Came here today after a long day of helping family at the hospital. Â
It's so refreshing to actually experience true customer service. Every time I come to Fresno I'm blown away by how well people here perform their job and take such pride in it.
Our server was a guy named Steve. Super helpful super high energy. Why can't we clone Steve and mass produce him in san Jose???
QUEUE OPERATION "SAN JOSE STEVEY"
but for real... food is good...service is so great. Fast seating today.
The food is mediocre, and not my first choice -- HOWEVER, I definitely put my hands up for GREAT SERVICE.
I chose Elephant Bar on a whim due to the fact that Cheesecake Factory wouldn't take reservations for my "party of 12" - and honestly have no regrets. It took about 20-30 minutes longer to be seated because I had 4 more guests added to my list upon arrival (all of whom they happily accommodated).
As soon as we took our seats, two servers tag teamed our table, both going down the line of guests taking orders simultaneously. VERY NICE.
Our food came so quick - Â no problems with orders or wrapping up with separating tabs. Not to mention, there were also 3-4 other large parties just as big as mine within the restaurant, so much props to the staff.
Definitely not first choice when it comes down to food; however,
LARGE PARTIES, APPROVED.
Sadly, a place that my wife loves to go to is starting to slip to the dark side.
My wife and I poped in for a early dinner here at the e-bar. Â This place has been a favorite of ours for quite a while and it hasn't been too long since we have been.
I noticed they changed some favorites on the menu and decided to see how they are now. Â I ordered the breaded chicken fingers with mac n cheese. (interesting combination, cause usually the chicken fingers were paired with Fries and coleslaw.
The mac and cheese was very good. Â Nice and hot, cheesey and over all good stuff.
The chicken fingers were less to be desirable. Â They are not the usual ones that were big, and plump, but instead small and only 4 on the plate that used to have anywhere between 5 and 6 pieces.
I am beginning to wonder if this place is doing like all the others are doing...raising prices and cutting down portions. Â If so, they have lost some fans and we really do not want to add them to the naughty list.
Skip this place, if at all possible. Â There are much better places to eat in Fresno. Â My husband ordered the blackened salmon. Â He received some type of WHITE fish crusted in NUTS! Â I don't know how they could have mistaken this for blackened salmon but they did. Â When we notified the server of the mistake, she said "Oh, well do you want the salmon?" Â If we ordered it, of course we wanted it. Â We waited for about 15 minutes, meanwhile my meal getting cold, because I wasn't about to eat in front of my husband while he waited for his food. Â Finally about 15 minutes later, the waitress shows up and says they are out of salmon. Â Seriously?? Â We received 10% off the bill because of the mistake.
I would give the food 1/2 a star and the service 1/2 a star. Â I am usually generous when it comes to places. Â Sure, people have off days, but from what I've heard the Elephant Bar has more off days than on. Â Skip it...you'll thank me for it later!
Dear Fresno,
Evil knows how much you love the latest and greatest, so when the Elephant Bar opened several years ago, it was packed to the gills.
You couldn't eat here without a 30 minute wait.
After all this time, Elephant Bar remains very popular with the locals. Â For the life of me, I cannot understand why.
The food is very mediocre and the service is slow. Â Really? Â What's to like here?
I guess Evil's tastes are far too sophisticated.
Thank you, Chef P.! Consider his review to speak word for word what I think of this place. And honestly, I'd leave Elephant Bar alone if people didn't suggest this as a place to go so often. I dislike this place more than BJ's at Fashion Fair, another crapfest of a restaurant I find myself being dragged along to go with for someone's birthday or whatever.
Why people flock to these shitty, soulless corporate behemoths in droves is beyond me. I guess people in this town are like moths, being drawn to all the bright lights and pizzazz of River Park. Well, be warned... Elephant Bar is like a giant freakin' bug-zapper.
I ordered the Mongolian Beef plate and all I have to say is SALTY. Waay too salty. After a couple bites, I had to tell the server that there was way too much sauce and my brown rice was completely drenched in it. He went and talked to the manager about it and came back to tell me that the dish is usually like that.....which I was shocked to hear.
Been here three times, and this has been, by far, the least pleasant experience.
Oh Fresno, why do I still bother?
I remember looking for a Mojito on a visit to see my family, oh - 5ish years ago. Nothing but blank stares. Not even a book hidden behind the counter of the bar to reference....I'll save that story for another review.
Where do you go to find a bartender that can do more than pull on a tap or pour one mixer into a bucket of vodka and serve?
Someone that can make a delicious cocktail with flair - or at least just someone that can make one.
It's not hard.
rum
plus lemon juice
plus Cointreau
shaken with some ice
pour into a lovely sugar-rimmed glass and voila
a Sidecar!
Not so at the Elephant Bar. Worst Sidecar ever.
Come on Fresno, for the number of "bars" in this town, not a decent bartender to be found. Where's your pride?
Maddie, the hostess of this restaurant, was very sweet. The sole reason for the two stars.
I should also mention that the atrocious drink cost $9.
tsk tsk...
I really like the look and feel of this restaurant. The food is decent and the prices aren't bad at all. Nothing really jumps off the charts here but it sates the taste buds quite adequately. The service here has always been great and that makes the food a lot more enjoyable. Also I have to say I am a HUGE fan of the jungle colada...I know it is not really good for you seeing all the sweetness in it...but it sure is tasty! Their menu is constantly changing so there is always something new to try but the downside to that is that you never can count on your favorite item being on the menu next time.
Overall I like the place, it is not a first choice but it remains on the list of restaurants to go when no one can make up their mind.
NOTE: this place can get pretty packed at night so be prepared to wait if you come late. It is no big deal since you can head to the bar and have a cocktail or two or three while you wait for a table.
Three consultants, out on a spree ... no wait. Â Anyway, the three of us decided on the Elephant Bar for dinner. Â We walked in and I saw lots of folks waiting around, so I figured there'd be a wait - but not so! Â The hostess grabbed three menus and we were sitting in our booth. Â Up in the Bay Area getting a table that quick at the Elephant Bar would rate its own blog entry.
Our server was a bright, bubbly young lady who took our drink orders right away. Â The food arrived promptly and I thought it was very good. Â I ordered the Crispy Spicy Orange Schrimp - and although it was Crispy, and Orange and Schrimp, it wasn't very Spicy. Â But then I like spicy, so maybe is 'Spicy" for the general palate. Â Very tasty nevertheless. Â
For dessert we all ordered the Hot Apple/Blueberry Cobler with Vanilla Ice Cream. Â It was very good - and big. Â I ate the whole thing!
The ambience is very nice. Â The restaurant was clean, so they obviously care about their housekeeping - always a good sign.
Prices were very reasonable, I thought. This was an enjoyable place to eat, and a great dining value. Â I'll be back next week !!
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