When someone recommends a place because the menu is "like Cheesecake Factory", I am hesitant. Elephant Bar does in fact have a large and diverse menu, but I found the food to be far beyond the quality of the previously mentioned. The restaurant itself is *very nice* inside, and is upscale without being too upscale.
I was their with the wife and 3 kids (we had a +1 friend for the weekend). We all tried something different and very much enjoyed ourselves.
My oldest (9yo) now thinks it is cool to order off the adult menu, and had herself the "Half Turkey And Ham Focaccia Sandwich And Soup Combo" - in her words the sandwich was awesome! She also raved about the soup (Mexican Tortilla), of which I had a bite and also loved. I had the "Pacific Cove Tropical Crab And Shrimp Louie" - and while not exceptional, it was very good. Another kid had the kids BBQ ribs, while the other had the chicken fingers and mac... I will note that the one kid said these were the best chicken fingers ever. I took her word for it... as they looked the like chicken fingers to me.
What really set this place apart  for me was the service and waiter...Shawn. He was very attentive, drinks were always full, and gave my oldest a child's desert even though is was not included in her "big girl" order. We all commented to each other on what a good server he was. My hats off the Shawn and all the staff.
Once upon a time there was a privately owned local restaurant called the Elephant Bar at Christown Mall. It was a 6 star, superb restaurant and closed maybe in the 90's. This is not that same one. Very Corporate Disneyfied jungle themed restaurant now. I am guessing since it is a chain it is not related to the original. When they sprung up a few years ago I wondered what happened to the old one and if there is any connection to these newer ones. The woman in the restaurant today could not tell me.
With that said, Wow, the reviews on here really surprised me. I ate lunch here today and have eaten at the Chandler location twice before. Today's lunch was great. Our server was a Gem (Brian maybe?) and the food was fine. I never pretend that eating out is all that healthy anyway so I assume it is not when I go out. I am not sure why a lot of Yelpers noted how bad it was for you since it did not seem any worse then any other Chain fusion chain restaurant I have ever eaten at.
I ate the Macadamia Nut chicken lunch special. It was good. Not great, but not terrible either. Instead of my three stars for good, I am giving it four stars because the service was spectacular, the company divine, and the restaurant is beautiful. Okay, maybe a tad cheesy, but I like the entire safari themed furniture and decor.
A group of seven of us came here last Saturday night for dinner. Very middle of the road. Nothing to rave about, nothing to complain about. Food was decent, service was decent, and overall everything was okay. Can't say I'm DYING to go back, but if someone else suggested it, I wouldn't protest; probably more of an afternoon lunch restaurant instead of dinner. There are better places for dinner for the same prices.
Review Source:Meh. My boyfriend and I came here during spring training since it was so close to our hotel. However, I'm sure everyone else thought this as well as the restaurant was super busy (also I guess happy hour just ended). Anyway, our server was awful. She was the most unenthused lady I meant on the entire trip.
My boyfriend ordered a coke and I order a raspberry lemon drop martini, my martini was delicious but I waited about 20 minutes for it (no exaggeration) and my boyfriend drank the coke within a few minutes since AZ is so hot! And didn't get a refill until after we got our appetizer. Our appetizer plate NEVER left the table and was there to crowd our main dishes when they arrived. I got the mahi mahi sandwich which was quite tasty, my boyfriend got a burger and said it was horribly bland- not to mention he only got his soda refilled one time. Come on.
The nicest thing our server said to us was "take your time" when we got the check. I understand the busyness of a restaurant but you need to be SEMI interested in the customers.
Would I go back? Only because the elephant on the wall was cool to take pictures with.
My friend and I decided to try this place for lunch. I was very surprised because just by the name alone I didn't know what to expect. I had the honey shrimp which was amazing! Well, I enjoy Panda Express's orange chicken and this is a few steps above that. The shrimps breading was tangy, sweet and crispy and you can have either brown or white rice on the side with veggies. I liked the place so much I took the family the next day. I was even more pleased with kids menu! My son had the mac n cheese with bacon and ham and chicken tenders which all come with dessert and a drink for around $5. They have a kids program for teacher's, coaches or volunteers to reward children with Honerary kids meal's certificates. The manager was extremely friendly and came out to discuss this with me. Then gave me a very generous stack for the kids! And just because our food came out a little late we received a free dessert. Wow, what a way to end my weekend.
Review Source:Traumatizing experience - BEWARE:
We went here for dinner and ordered the dinner Wok-fired specialty entree: Crispy Honey Shrimp and Mongolian Beef. Â Appetizer: warm and spicy artichoke dips.
Food is overly expensive, too salty, too fried, and felt very unhealthy, making us ill afterwards with intense stomach pain. Â I feet like I swallowed a large lump of coal. Â I'm thankful for Advil. Â
On a happier note, our server is very nice and accommodating; food came rather quickly. Â Regardless, there are definitely better restaurants on Bell Blvd.
What a surprise!  Two of us came in for an early lunch  This chain restaurant was good.  Upon entering, I noticed that the place was immaculate including the restrooms.  The quality of the furniture and fixtures was very good.  The decor with a safari/elephant theme is not classy, but acceptable. Â
The service was excellent with a very well trained server. Â A manager stopped by to check on our meals. Â The food was almost four stars. Â Hint: Â check on the website for discounts.
Get the Asian food.
Every time we go, my wife gets the seared ahi or some other Asian dish. I try it and it is wonderful. But every other type of food that I have had there is mediocre at best. Usually it is flavorless and made with low quality ingredients.
On the upside, the service has always been great. The atmosphere is wonderful. Just remember, get the Asian food.
Blah! Â Have you ever had something so bad that it makes you want to throw up in your mouth? Â Well, if not, the Elephant Bar can help you with that!
Don't settle for the seats by the kitchen because it is like being in the kitchen unless you have hearing difficulties! Â If you close your eyes, it's almost like someone is constantly playing the drums (with pans) right behind your ears.
The food is mediocre at best. Â I had the seafood salad (or whatever they call it) which tasted like a dried up crab. Â For the record, I've never had a dried up crab, but I think it tasted like that, especially since I got a crab ligament stuck in my throat. Â The half sandwich, soup, and fries is a much safer play. Â
I do like the decor though. Â It is like being on an African Safari. Â However, it was not enough to mask the shortfalls...
The service was great. Our server was good at taking our orders and our drinks were refilled often.
Elephant Bar really deserves 2 stars. The food is not that good. The problem is that the restaurant offers too many choices. You can identify this problem by looking through their menu. Because it offers too many choices, there's a good chance that your meal isn't going to meet your expectations.
My friend and I ordered sweet potato fries, the grande burrito, and sweet and sour chicken. The burrito was fine. However, the sweet and sour chicken was worse than the stuff served at Chinese buffets. The meat was dry and there wasn't enough sauce. My friend didn't touch most of her chicken and I can understand why. It was a quick and unpleasant way to lose $12+tip+tax.
I really liked the ambiance of the restaurant and the service; however, the food was a waste of money.
I hate to leave a low rating without reviewing the food, but our experience was so terrible that I just had to.
My husband asked about the Macadamia Encrusted Chicken, and verified that there were no peanuts in the dish because he's deathly allergic to peanuts. Â The waiter confirmed that they only used macadamia nuts. Â After a few bites, my husband started going into anaphylactic shock, and we inspected the dish and found peanuts. Â While he was trying to vomit, I notified the manager and got his contact info. Â After the whole ordeal, and our trip to the ER, the manager said that the 'new guy' in the kitchen told him that they were out of macadamia nuts that night, so he just used peanuts instead. Â :|
To be fair, the place seemed pretty nice, the menu was diverse, and the management was friendly and helpful. Â However, the threat of accidental death due to negligence ensures that we will not be returning.
I wanted to like you. But you gave me too many choices. And when you do that, like a kid in a candy store, I'm distracted big time. When that happens, I order a burger on a menu filled with at least 5 different cuisines. At a place called the Elephant Bar Restaurant. Huh? I had the Santa Barbara burger for one reason only: avocado. What a disappointment. Not ripe. So, tasteless. The burger itself was fine, but nothing extra. Came with some salty, semi-soggy fries. Again, maybe that's what I get for ordering a burger @ the Elephant. Maybe I should have ordered elephant.
Review Source:Eh, okay but not great. Â Humongous menu and food seemed pretty hit and miss. Â My lamb was not very good (I lost my appetite about half way through) but the chicken teriyaki someone else ordered was okay (don't worry, that someone else was at my table, I didn't pick off the next table's leftovers, though I was tempted).
It just seemed like a cheesecake factory ripoff, huge menu catering to everyone but not as good food.
Great place to go if a group can't all decide on what they'd like to eat. I feel there is something for everyone and my 3 year old likes it there too. He gets excited by the animals he sees.
I enjoyed both meals I received there and the service was fast, friendly. The desert I had was just okay. I had a Red Velvet cupcake (maybe I should know better than to get a complicated cake like that at a restuarant) it was very dry and not edible really. I will always go back though because I love the food, the multiple pages of variety and the atmosphere. Lastly, I love the price and find they are very inexpensive for a meal to get you full with leftovers. This is the only location I've visted but would expect that everything would remain unchanged at any location especially since this is a chain.
Forgetful Elephant
On an unusually busy, non-holiday Monday, I entered the Elephant Bar Restaurant in Peoria AZ and was greeted by...no one. For a good five minutes. Sure, employees passed by, even ones that looked like managers. Not a single person acknowledged me. I'm not prissy by any means, but this does not fare well with me. At all.
Two of my family members, Mother and her sister, arrived right on time after the five minutes were up, and believe it, they were attended to. (Granted, I'm 37 and they're a little older and women, but customer service dictates: Even if you're prejudiced, biased, sexist, old-fashioned, homophobic or all of the above - YOU DON'T SHOW IT to the people who are paying your bills.)
Nevertheless, we were sat, and the waitress was a tad bit nice up front - when she arrived 10 minutes following us being sat, that is. Then, she was thoroughly confrontational with my mother when she produced a coupon for "buy-one-get-one-free" and wanted to combine that with a senior discount card. It was almost a game for the waitress to state multiple ways of telling her "No" on using two offers. Then, when my mother offered to separate me and her check and my Aunt's bill, the waitress's sly remark was: "Oh, well, you didn't tell me that." Never did she apologize for policy and try to make amends in other ways. Heck, even "I'm so sorry, but I can only accept one discount. Let's see which one would be best for you" would've been the most appropriate response for a policy that "cannot" be altered.
I will say, jumping ahead, the waitress did soften as the meal went along. So, I'm not 100% bashing her, I'm just saying in order to get the tip she's there for, she needs to put herself in our shoes, or at least, take some customer service classes.
We ordered. I had a major 2-day craving for real-no-box Mac'N'Cheese and lo...they had it all over their menu! 'Course, you have to pay more to substitute fries for it, but still I had a pregnancy-like yearning for it! So, I got that and the so-called Ultimate Bacon Burger. Let me tell you, a real, well-made hamburger is my #2 all-time favorite food, so I'm usually picky. This was average at best. It wasn't terrible, it was just okay. It was very messy - and this is coming from a clean freak that disavowed those Carl's Jr. "If it doesn't get all over the place, it doesn't belong in your face" campaigns.
Oh, and the Mac'N'Cheese wasn't bad, but it wasn't exciting despite the bread crumbs they added and all the multiple advertisements they gave it. Better than the 33 cent box kind, oh, hell yeah, but not something I would pay too much for.
Like the other chained "Elephant Bars," the ambiance is nice. If they're going for the Rainforest Café or Claim Jumper crowds, they're in 5-6th place. My biggest concern was the lack of friendly, attentive and concerned staff members. Even as we were leaving, a younger male, probably early 20's, was applying for a job. I almost told him: "Hey, buddy, despite the economy, you should still aim higher."
I usually love Happy hour at EB, but one bartender making drinks and serving a packed bar is a recipe for disaster.
It was 10 min before we saw the waitress and another 10 before we had menus and water. It was a good 15 min after that before we ordered.
Eventually I got a good sized garden salad (thank you for having fat free dressings), but it was just lettuce and a few croutons. I then had a delicious cup of mushroom soup (the best part of the meal) and the Ahi Tuna appetizer. I had wasabi, ginger and ponzu and an empty small dish that I can only assume was meant for soy sauce (which no one ever offered) along 5-6 various sized slices of tuna. It was good, but I wish I had some soy sauce.
The drinks were filled regularly and the bartender made it over once to check om us during the soup course, but I didn't see her again until she was offering dessert.
I've had better experiences and better food there (my husband loves the lamb shanks and I live the Cashew Chicken), but things seemed on the verge of collapsing today.
Next time I won't sit in the bar if I am im a hurry, but there are some really good happy hour food and drink options that I really like (sweet potato fries!).
Overall - a smidge above Meh.
Elephant Bar, in particular this location (I've been to others) was once one of my favorite places to go. I've been a customer since we moved to Phoenix a number of years ago.
Their food has always been "good" although never quite, 'great', but that was my expectation. I've taken my friends, family and even coworkers to multiple locations (others are closer to work, for example) and while nobody has ever been blown away, the food has never been a huge issue.
That changed recently. My wife and I visited the Peoria location and I got the rock sugar beef, one of the most expensive items on the menu. I've had this before, numerous times and at two separate locations and I'm well aware of how it should taste when properly made. My wife has also sampled it and knows how it should taste.
So, imagine my amazement when I take a bite on my last visit and it is not only flavorless but somewhat gamey in after taste. I offer my wife a taste, without prompting her as to why, and the first words out of her mouth were, "That's disgusting!"
Having confirmed there was a problem and it wasn't just me, I sent the dish back and told them why. I informed the server that I'd had this dish numerous times before and so had my wife and we both told her it tasted like "bad/old meat" and was not right. She relayed this message to the kitchen manager, "Bryan" and he sent her back to tell us that not only had he tasted it, but he found nothing wrong with it. Further, they are cooked in batch and if I don't like it, the next one will probably turn out the same so it's best that I order something else rather than have them cook a new one.
Yes, that's right, Bryan was such a tough guy that he sent a woman in his place to call my wife and I liars with no pallet and to order something else if I don't like it, because it's clearly not his fault or his kitchen producing bad food. I opted to save room for dessert and that was the last we heard from management.
Incensed, I spoke with two other managers by phone (never did get to speak with Bryan, still hiding in the kitchen I guess) and eventually talked with corporate. They put me in touch with the general manager, Richard, and we had an email exchange where I gave a detailed account of the situation.
Mind you, I stated to all three managers in person and to corporate on the phone that I did not want a gift card out of this, I wanted someone to fix the problem. Richard, naturally, offers me a gift card. I turned it down and reminded him that wasn't my goal and I wanted an explanation for why the food was bad and why we were treated like liars or bad customers and didn't even get a table-side apology from a manager when we sent the food back, only an insult from a manager hiding in the kitchen who wouldn't talk to us face-to-face.
Richard never answered me. My last email to him I said I would gladly return to this restaurant if he could explain to my why I should expect the experience to be different the next time. I told him, bluntly, to give me a reason other than the gift card and I would gladly return to the restaurant. Richard never responded.
No response from management means no more business from me, my family or my colleagues. These people should be ashamed of themselves.
Never really understood the concept 100% - Elephant and American cuisine....with a touch of Asia and some?? Â Regardless, happy hour is pretty chill and affordable. Â Cheap drinks always catch my attention! Â Yes, I'm part of an AA group - Affordable Alcohols! Â Got some cheeseburger with our drinks, which I guess, was part of a combo -- Wow! Â If McDonald's would only do such a thing (I'll have a CK McNugget Combo with Johnny Walker Black and Coke please!) Â Service was great at the bar, which I recommend of course. Â The ambience was real chill, but then again we're out on the Westside of town where everything is starting to become quite sedentary (retirement). - Enjoy!
Review Source:Looking for some good food, we went to the Elephant Bar hoping it had less of a chain feel than, say, PF Changs. Disappointed.
The waitress (who was really nice) suggested the calamari as an app because it's her favorite. We went for it.. and were deeply disappointed. If we were back in New York, I would have sent that crap back.
Entrees were decent, I guess, but still tasted like chain fare.
Nice to look at. Drinks were ok. Food, eh. We won't be back.
This was the first time I had been to an Elephant Bar location outside of Arizona and the saying is true, "Everything IS better in California". The veggies were less fresh, the lamb was less robust and the seafood was just a bit too seafood-y for my taste. They need to call their counterparts in California and switch food suppliers STAT.
Review Source:I always feel a little underdressed no matter what I'm wearing when I go into an Elephant Bar... doesn't matter what location and this location isn't any different.
The sharp decor of the Elephant Bar franchise is definitely appealing to the inner girl. Â What girl doesn't want to eat in a place who has painted gold trim, old style wallpaper, old trunks as a decor quirk, with wrought iron blown glass lighting?
I have to say I like the layout of this location the best though. Â I like that I can see through the restaurant and I don't feel like I'm going to get lost.
Sat down with my family in a nice window lit booth and the noise was up but down. Â I didn't have to yell or anything... I perfectly heard the people across the table.
Service was great. Â The server was right there, serving drinks and was right up to get our orders when everybody got there.
I ordered the new Pacific Cove Tropical Crab and Shrimp Louie. Â The picture in the menu just looked scrumptious and so when that plate showed up looking just like the picture, I was totally drooling.
It was excellent. Â The mix of mangos and tomatos and crab and shrimp and avocado and cucumber with the Louie dressing... mmmmmuah! Â Yum. Â And I didn't leave feeling a heavy full or anything like that, but I wasn't aching for dessert either.
I would say ya'll should try it. Â Even though it is a chain. :)
Retirees' nite out? Â wow I have never seen such a huge concentration of over 65 group in 1 place! Â This place was packed & IT WAS REALLY LOUD IN THERE!
Luckily got a booth in the bar and we did actually get pretty "ok" service. Â Food was pretty good. Â I was a bit miffed my wine came in a glass as opposed to the regular way of them pouring it in a crafe and gving you that along with you glass, so I got a bit gypped there. Â
Was a good option to go to before heading over to the Skye Theatre.
It was 6:30pm and we had not eaten dinner yet. There was a discussion on just where we were going to eat. No decision was made so I just started to drive. I headed to restaurant row near 83 ave. and Bell road. Saw The Elephant Bar and decided to give it a try. I had eaten there but more than a year ago for lunch. We had to wait about  ten minutes for a table not bad since we came in at what would of been a busy time. We were seated and had to wait for several minutes before our waitress arrived. Longer than I had expected. Our drink order was taken and our food order was taken when they returned with our drinks. I ordered the Quick Seared Ahi Tuna salad, my wife ordered a side salad and the Mac and Cheese. She is on a low protein diet.
Silverware was delivered to our table. My knife was very dirty. They took the knife and brought me a clean one. Really looked like they just wiped it off and returned it.
I had asked the Ahi to be as rare they could do it. Raw was preferable. My wife's food came but not my food. Five to ten minuets later the waitress noticed I had no food and came over apologizing saying it was on it's way and would be ready in five minuets. Â When my salad came the ahi was very done. So done the meat was starting to flake not quite white yet but getting there. I talked to the waitress when it was delivered about the condition of the ahi. She did apologize and volunteered to take it back. My wife was almost done with her meal by this time so I just asked her to leave it.
The manager came over and apologized for the over cooked ahi and offered to bring me another piece. I really did not want to wait and said I was OK. He left and came back in a few minutes and said he was going to send me a new piece of ahi. It was delivered in about ten minutes and was prepared the way it was supposed to be.
Somewhere above our drinks went dry. We was never offered a refill.
I would of given them 1 star except the manager really did try to make things better. The salad was very tasty. The ahi was just over cooked after I had asked for it to just be seared.
They got a low score because the food was not delivered to both people at the same time, the silverware was dirty, no refill on the drinks, food over cooked. Will I go back?? Probably but maybe just for lunch to get a sandwich.
The waiter was not attentive at all. We had to ask for refills during our visit over and over. One person would ask for a refill and he wouldn't even bother asking anyone else if they wanted refill before he walks away. We had to wait for him to come around again and basically give him our whole drink order again.
When he finally brought a drink back, instead of putting the drink on the table by going around the person, He forces the drink cup between two people budging their arms. Come on, walk around to the other side or say excuse me or something.
There was no you're welcomes involved. We would say thank you for taking our order or bring our food out and he doesn't even nod nor do anything. You wonder if anything is in his head at the moment.
Food was mediocre.
Then the bill came, for a party of 6, he added a 20 percent gratuity charge; which would have been fine if that was their policy. I looked at the menu again as I was walking out and realized that the waiter was a scumbag. The menu clearly states 15 percent for a party of 8 or more. I bought that to his attention. He said "oh, let me take care of that."
He came back with 5 dollars and some change and said; here I charged 15 percent this time.
No no no...big mistake to keep on messing up at this point. I pointed it out AGAIN, that it clearly states a party of 8 OR MORE.
Fine, he said. I'll give you the whole thing back; which was the right thing to do in the first place and let us figure out how much he deserves since we literally had to ask for refills for each person otherwise he wouldn't refill the drinks.
Here is the real kicker, he apologizes for this and said, "I asked the person who paid and she said she was ok with this gratuity charge." WHO IN THE WORLD, ASKES THE GUEST IF IT IS OK TO ADD A 20 PERCENT GRATUITY CHARGE AHEAD OF TIME...especially if the gratuity charge is meant for a party of 8 or more. There were 6 of us, and NONE of us remember him asking this kind of nonsense about the gratuity especially since he didn't even say thank you or acknowledge that he understood your request. And even if he did ask we and all 6 of us happen to not hear it, why would we agree that.
The manager was a joke. He did absolutely nothing; nothing what so ever. He was there when the waiter gave us 5 percent back of the 20 percent and he seemed fine with it.
Someone is in need of some training; the manager and the waiter. The whole experience was just horrible. I would not ever ever recommend anyone to be served by him John Maz
Stopped in yesterday for a late lunch and a drink - had not been here before. Was glad to see that they had happy hour specials going on, so ordered the chicken lettuce wraps off the HH menu. Bartender was friendly and accommodating and order came out quickly. However, it had NO TASTE WHATSOEVER. Tried to spice it up a little with the bland peanut sauce and hoped the mango salad would enliven it, as well, but it was not to be. Glad I had a magazine with me, b/c there was no one to chat with at the bar...and tables seemed to be filled with the geriatric crowd. If I had any grandparents left, this is where I would take them.
Review Source:I stopped in today at lunch with my boss. It was 11:30 and we were seated right away. It was not crowded at all. I have to say off the bat that the waiter that we had was exceptional. He was very attentive, anticipated our needs (like more sugar packets, refills, extra napkins), and was friendly.
We both started out with soup. Leighton had the cream of asparagus and I had the french onion soup. I had a taste of the cream of asparagus soup which was delicious. I'm usually creeped out by cream of anything soup but, like I said, it was pretty good. It reminded me of a broccoli cheese soup I had once - same kind of tang - but with asparagus. The french onion soup was excellent. I definitely recommend it. I used to stop in Mimi's cafe for their french onion soup but think this has just made my list as far as the best in town.
For our meals we both did the "meal" salads. Leighton had the Thai - high chicken salad. Of course I had to try some of that too. The chicken was a bit over cooked for my taste. Whatever it was cooked with was burnt and had a rubbery texture to it. I'm not a fan.
I got the seared ahi salad. As you can tell from my reviews, I'm a raw sushi kind of guy. With that said, I could have dealt with having it a little less cooked, however, it was great. It had green sesame seeds on it...I asked what that was about to see if he could tell me what it was sauteed with. He mentioned that they are seasoned and sauteed but he didn't know what with. If it was some type of wasabi, it was not strong. There wasn't anything "spicy" hot about the salad. It had a very light dressing on the greens which also had sun dried tomatoes and edemame.
All in all, it was a great lunch and I would go back again. It was a bit pricey for what it was, but we had a coupon for buy one entree get one free which made it worth while. I wish I had room to try the creme brule. It looked great. Maybe I'll stop in some evening after work for a dessert fix ;-)
This place was suggested by my two old friends who I hadn't seen since 1955. Â They were the "kids next door" (brother and sister) when I lived in Lima Ohio from birth to 7 years old and I found out they were living in the Phoenix area. Â I got their phone numbers from another "kid" from our block in Ohio, got in contact and arranged this get together while I was in the area. Â We met in the bar/lounge area and talked non-stop for about three hours! Â
I had a Sam Adams. Â It wasn't as dark as I was hoping but had good flavor. Â We got three appetizers but I was too busy visiting to eat much. Â The chicken tenders were good quality with a nice dipping sauce. Â The chicken quesadilla was pretty good. Â The Bruschetta wasn't as fresh as that I've had in the past. Â The prices were very good. Â The place was lively, but not too noisy so we could easily hear each other and the waiter was attentive and polite. Â All in all it was a very good choice for our visit. Â If I lived in the area I would like to try the food here sometime.
(5/1/09)
Ended up here with the in-law's after an unsuccessful attempt to procure a vacuum from the JC Penney home store. Â The last time I was here I ordred a macadamia crusted tilapia that was adequate but the portion was severly lacking. Â This time I decided to play it safe and ordered a teriyaki chicken and rice dish. Â I'm really not sure what this has to do with elephants or africa but it seems that most places with oversized menu's tend to offer something of this variety. Â the menu said crispy teriyaki chicken, the chicken wasn't crispy but it was well cooked and the sauce wasn't bad. Â all in all the meal wasn't bad. but nothing memorable.
Review Source:This is a great place. Â I never knew it was a chain when I went here! Â I came in, and was kinda of reminded a little bit of Rainforest Cafe, but it has a litte more mature feeling then Rainforest (even though I really love Rainforest). Â
The food here was good, service was even better. Â Everyone was very friendly and not too pushy.
If I am every in the Glendale area again, I will come in again!
Elephant Bar?
Our 10 year old chose it for her reward dinner. She loved the decor , it was reminiscent of a blend between Rainforest Cafe and Cheesecake Factory. I bet the decor alone made the place expensive to start up, but the only thing that is going to keep it and it's other locations open is the indifference in the palate's of it's dining customers.
It was our first visit, she had been once before and any 10 year old can be enchanted by a huge elephant and a brass giraffe and fans. The menu for most kids is the same everywhere, hot dog, corn dog, mac and cheese, burger, chicken tenders. So why not eat it in a funky enviroment, right?
We ordered the Ahi Tuna Appetizer and three fountain drinks. Fortunately we put that in right away, because the preparing of food here was very slow. The Ahi was actually the best part, I wish there had been more of it. The salad they rested it on however was so-so, something tasted off about it and the strange ginger-like dressing was, well.. strange. We ignored it after a taste.
I ordered Macadamia encrusted fish, my partner a Shrimp special from Chef Reinhold and we let the daughter pick a grown up dinner, half rack of St. Louis ribs. My fish was actually fish sticks and they didn't sub in the sweet potato fries as requested. Since the fish sticks were burnt, I immediately had them returned to the kitchen for a new set. My daughters ribs were quite dry, but she seemed to like them. Not so much the cole slaw or the apples or the fries that came with. It was a good thing she had a late lunch and wasn't very hungry. My partners food was ok, but uninspiring. The bowl of rice and veggies is kind of hard to screw up. Â I was given two of their coconut shrimp while I waited for a return entree. Â Then the restaurant decided they should give me something to eat while I waited. Â They asked if I would accept a house salad and I said, sure, with blue cheese. I received such a watered down version I almost swore it was a poor ranch, but it was something to eat and it helped pass the time. Â Everyone had finsihed by the time I got my entree. When the second entree came, some sticks were still darker than I'd like, but it wasn't worth sending it back. The dipping sauces provided for them were disgusting. There was a green pesto like sauce that didn't match fish at all and there was a sweet and tangy sauce overdone with citrus, cloyingly sweet. I ended up using the soy from my partners platter, it was the most palatable. Maybe a tartar or peanut sauce or even a hot sauce would have been better. The coleslaw was mediocre and not worth the calories, the fries ok, but I was dissatisfied.
We also ordered a dessert, daughters choice and she pretty near ate the whole thing herself as dinner was light for all of us.
I almost gave this place three stars, because they took the fish stick disaster off the bill, they tried to make things nice with a salad, the server was doing his best with a kitchen that wasn't making it easy, but the truth is I won't return. My review score should reflect that I don't  think you should visit either, hoping for a better time. I think you'd be sorry about it.
I hope my two star review will help convey the warning that It's just not good enough food and even with the removed entree, no alcohol, we still paid over $50. Â There is a lot of selection nearby at this price range, don't get sucked into the decor or unique name. Rename this place "Elephant Barred."
My dear Yelp Friend Thomas S. will kill me for giving this place 4 stars, especially after I teased him for coming here a while ago however, once he (and you) read this review, you might forgive me.
I am here visiting my Mom, her husband and my Grandma. For those of you who follow my or Toni M.'s reviews, Toni is my step-mom, but she and my Dad have been together since I was 7 (almost 30 years now) and though I have never called her "mom" she and I are as close as I am to my real mom. Â ANYWAY....
I was just in Disneyland where everything is close together and you get to choose which line you stand in. Same could be said for this area of Peoria. It is the land of chain restaurants. You name it, it is here. Applebee's (yep), Red Lobster (yep), Olive Garden (yep), PF, Cheesecake,the list goes on and on. Why Elephant Bar. well here are the reasons:
1. Mom, Husband and Grandma all have 20% off cards for being Sr. Citizens at the Elephant Bar (we are close to Sun City).
2. Grandma had a coupon (this is a running joke in our family btw).
3. Their food doesn't make Grandma sick (though she does complain half way through the meal that her food is cold and then gets a new meal to take home.
4. Big menu
5. Did I say Grandma had a coupon?
Anyway, we drove to town to surprise my mom and grandma. My mom just turned 60 and as a gesture for this milestone, she is having a Bat Mitvah at her synagogue. You see, back when she was turning 13, girls didn't go through this rite of passage. We showed up with out either she or Grandma knowing we were coming. We first came to mom's house (her husband knew) and then they picked up Grandma to meet us at the restaurant. My grandmother came through the door, looked right at me and said "You look just like my granddaughter". It took her a minute and when I stood up, she started to cry she was so happy (she is going to be 85 this year).
We had a great waitress who put up with my Grandma. That alone gets a lot of stars in my book. I had a delicious salad (Thai Salad), and everyone else was pleased with their meal (even if half way though Grandma's was cold).
I had been to this location before and it was ASS. This time, the service was great, I ordered well and was happy.
Now, tonight, we shall see what happens...it will be dinner at a local chain not a national one, so we shall see!!
Run. Not to, but away from this Elephant. Pretend it's a real elephant and it's scary and chasing you. That's how fast you should run. While I've had friendly, if not efficient service. It's the lame food. I've seriously had better things from Stouffer's. Sauces are thick and sugary. Drinks are overly sweet and not nearly enough booze to shmooze. After the Jordin Sparks party at SKYE we met some friends who said they would be here. I sighed. Or did I cry. I forget. But we gave it a shot. It was 10:00 pm and the place was an elephant morgue. Seriously the only guests were our friends. We were immediately told we could have no food and only one drink. Ahhh! Really? How hospitable! A quick shot of Patron and a visit to the elephant pottie and we split.
Review Source:This is a chain that definitely deserves to be shunned and avoided like the plague.
I went there for the first time for a birthday dinner for my Mom which was decided on because it supposedly had a fun atmosphere and had a diverse menu. I had high hopes when I walked in because I did dig the interior design and our comfy booth. But the bizzare pacific rim/sandwiches/seafood/steakhouse menu doesn't match its East African/Elephant theme at all.
I tried a shrimp adventure platter which boasted some coconut, Teriyaki, and fried shrimp. The coconut and fried shrimp were far worse then even what you get at Red Lobster or Trader Joe's. The coconut were completely flavorless and a huge disappointment. My Teriyaki shrimp came out cold and I had to get them re-done. The dipping sauces where pretty much Kroger-brand quality.
Worse, is that the food made me and most of the other people in my party queezy afterward. Had to take some acidophilus to calm our stomachs down.
We also had pretty much every bad service experience one could have. We ordered an appetizer which they brought out two minutes before our food was ready, they forgot to make one of our entrees, part of my entree was cold, waitress left us without beverages for long stretches, waitress asked us if we wanted desert multiple times, waitress rang our bill up wrong.
In short, terrible Grocery store food packaged well and served to you for 15 dollars a plate.
This place is right across the street from the Peoria Sports complex....We were there to watch some Mariners Spring Training games. The YELP map puts this place in the wrong place on the map....
GREAT food and they have very reasonable prices as well, HOW weird! When does that happen? I loved the bar, but they really need to get some flat screens in there that are better (easier to see and watch)...We were trying to watch the Final Four first and second round but we finally left to get a better view at another sports bar nearby....
The 5 best restaurants in the 2015 Denver Restaurant Week
3,611 Views | Category: Denver
The complete list of 2015 Denver Restaurant Week businesses
1,972 Views | Category: Denver
The tourists' guide to Portillos: 5 must have dishes
3,318 Views | Category: Chicago
Pho = Pronounced "fuh" not "foe" for pho-king sake
2,915 Views | Category: Denver
Indulgery selected to exhibit at Collision Conference
2,987 Views | Category: Press Releases
Not Logged In
BUSINESSES
Local Businesses
Near Me
My Favorites
SOCIAL
Blog & News
MY ACCOUNT
Login
Register
Contact Us
Add Your Business
