The food was so delicious, our server was waited on us right away. Everyone was so kind and friendly.

Last minute reservation with my family celebrating my birthday food was great atmosphere was great

+6

This is an old school Fresno haunt. A Fig Garden institution you might say. Good food and excellent wine program. Punctuate your meal with the bourbon banana bread pudding, you won't be disappointed.

There is a reason why the Elbow Room is busy, the food is delicious and drinks (my favorite Bloody Mary) is the best in town. I am 100 💯 % fan of the Outdoor Patio bar and dining. The make it comfortable with shade and coolers in the summer, and heaters during the winter. This is one of my favorite spots for dining in Fresno!

It’s finally time for a review, after 25+ years of coming to this Fresno gem. We used to come here in the early 2000s during summers home from college when it was, at times, truly elbow room only. I sit here now completely satiated after one of the best afternoon meals I’ve had in a long time. The ancient grains bowl and ponzu salmon are two of the best dishes I’ve ever had. If you haven’t been here yet, you need to. It’s one of the best, long-standing restaurants Fresno has to offer. The menu here would standout in any big city in the US. And the staff! So wonderful.

Amazing experience for my first time taking my wife for her 25th. Mike made sure everything went smoothly and well. Will definitely come back again. This place is a must try.

This is one of the best places I have been. Greg is the best waiter I have met. Everything it is just delicious!

Hands down one of the best steakhouses in the valley. From start to finish, the experience was flawless—the service was attentive and friendly, the drinks were expertly crafted, and the food was absolutely outstanding. The steaks are perfectly dry-aged, bringing out incredible flavor, and each one is cooked to perfection, just as ordered. Every bite was tender, juicy, and full of richness.

It's been several years since we'd been in and decided as we were driving by to stop for lunch one Saturday. There have been a ton of upgrades! From a great market selling aged beef and whiskey to wines and fun gifts, to the redesigned dining room and back patio. The food tho. That was the highlight! The bowl of clam chowder rivaled any I had growing up in the Pacific Northwest with fresh, tender clams. It was delicious. The wedge salad was wonderful as well. Husband's lunch was very good, off the brunch menu he picked the cordon Bleu croissant with Swiss cheese scrambled eggs, ham, and hollandaise sauce. We'll definitely be back again!

Super friendly staff, clean restaurant and bar, Beautiful patio, delicious food! Met with my friend on the patio. Made a lunch reservation first, and a smart thing too. Had the sauteed mushrooms, grilled asparagus, mashed potatoes, and sourdough round. Raspberry Sorbet for dessert. My friend had the calamari and rice. Delicious! And big portions! Wait staff was attentive, patient and very friendly. I loved the experience.

+1

Today I had the opportunity to dine at The Elbow Room with a couple colleagues whom I met for lunch. I had not visited The Elbow Room in a while so it was refreshing to come back in for some good food. The dish I had---salmon salad, was very tasty and looked appetizing. The food came out on time and our server was very attentive. Kudos to The Elbow Room Team. I strongly recommend The Elbow Room for anyone looking for good good, great ambiance and great service. I'll be back again soon.

For a first time being there.. It was wonderful. Everyone liked their food. We had a nice dinner and time. Looking forward to going back again.

The elbow room is a very special place. What makes it special. Two valued individuals. Ari and Q. They were exceptional in thier attention to detail. Ari was our server and Q is the manager. Both were on point. Two thumbs up!

I’ve been to the elbow room a couple times the past two years and I’ve always had a good experience. The food is delicious, the drinks are great and the customer service is always so welcoming. Last week I went for the first time in awhile with a newborn baby and the customer service I had with my server and the manager was the best I’ve ever experienced. Due to them not having a changing table just yet in their restroom the manager and server were fast to offer to help me in anyway they can. I appreciate them helping me, you can never find such kind people in the restaurant industry to help out. Other than that the food was delicious as always. I 100% recommend The Elbow Room.

Very fortunate to have happened upon this fantastic establishment. This is by far one of the most inviting establishments I've ever dined at. The service was outstanding! And the food was absolutely delicious! Hope to have the opportunity to visit again at some point.

Excellent customer service and friend atmosphere. The waitress was always make sure are glasses were full and check to see if we needed anything while we were there. The bartender made great drink and did not skimp on the alcohol. The Crab BLT was great sandwich the crab patty was delicious you could taste crab in every bit and paired well with the BLT. It all melded together wonderfully. The Ultimate Prime Rib sandwich was packed full of meat on a butter crispy roll. The roll was butter just enough not overly butter to were you could not take the meat. It was crispy but Stull soft in the middle so when you bit down it wasn't hard as brick. The Prim Rib was cooked to perfection and just melt in your mouth when you ate it. The au jus also came in a bowl big enough so you could dip your whole sandwich not just a tip of it or corner. Desert was excellent as well. The cheesecake was drizzled with light carmel and pair with strawberries and blueberries on the side along with gram cracker crumbles. The waitress also recommend a glass of iced Bailey's to pair with desert which was excellent choice. It was like having your morning coffee with a very flavorful piece of cheesecake. The cheesecake was think but still creamy and the taste was very well balanced. Not cheeses or overcooked. Now the to the drinks I had a Bulleit 10 year Old Fashion. An excellent drink that well made and very strong. I really like how it was made and your got your money worth. The dehydrated orange and fruit garnish was wonder pairing to the drink. The Watermelon Cooler was a refresh change of pace to regular drink and offer a smooth but not sweet drink. The large slice of watermelon and mint was also nice garnish to the drink. I highly recommend this place if you like great atmosphere and terrific food and service.

Saturday Morning Brunch With My Sister... Shared The Grilled Asparagus and Heirloom Tomato Benedict and Avocado Toast and Washed It Down with The Detox Mimosa. Beautiful Day for Patio Dining... Ended the Brunch with a Great Conversation with Mike Shirinian 🍽🍳🥑🥂

1st time here and definitely did not disappoint!!! Brussel sprouts were great, even the people who are not a fan of them, liked these. This was the best crab too!!! Will be back!

Always the best! Jessica is hands down the BEST server. So attentive. The detox mimosa is AMAZING, the Prosecco, pineapple, orange juice and HONEY it’s just 🤌🏻🤌🏻🤌🏻🤌🏻🤌🏻. I come here 2-3 times a month and they never disappoint. I also got the avocado toast, sourdough round and the sautéed portobello mushrooms (of course their famous Bloody Mary as always). Keep being the best elbow!!!! 🥰🥰🥰🥰

We can't speak highly enough about this establishment on all levels: staff, atmosphere, and food. Clint, the manager, was super welcoming on the phone and accommodated us pleasantly once we arrived. Our waiter, David, was incredibly knowledgeable and perfectly suggested things. The food was Michelin-style.

Such a great evening out with girlfriends. It feels so nice to be able to dine together once again. Elbow Room has taken every precaution to insure a safe experience while still maintaining wonderful hospitality. Small steps to normalcy so we will take what we can get. Yet again, the mushroom appetizer with garlic bread was a hit. I for the first time ever ordered a pork chop at a restaurant and was not disappointed about my decision at all. It was new to the end and was drizzled with a Hoisin sauce which makes everything so tasty. The cabbage was warm to my surprise but worked well with the mashed potatoes.

Very filling and delicious! Service was really good. They probably could have used one or two more servers though. I would definitely come back again when I’m back in town.

+6

Elbow Room was fantastic, The freeze dried New York Steak was fantastic. Most of all, I want to give a shout out to our waitress who made are experience excellent. Best waitress I have had in long time and if they could clone her they would have it made. Definitely the best place to dine in Fresno

I hosted a 50th Reunion Party for 24 locals from the Class of 1975 Patriots. We attended Hoover High School in Fresno, CA. We held the event at the Elbow Room. We were given in the Wine Room for the evening. It was a wonderful evening of discussing life, catching up, sharing “fun facts”, and eating great food. And yes, the Bar was open. The Elbow Room Bar and Grill was very accommodating.

Came for lunch on a Thursday and Elbow room did not disappoint! Carol was our server and she did an amazing job serving and hosting us. The food is all A+ for a lunch menu. Quality and portions are all very good. We had the New York steak bites, asparagus fries, chicken pozole’, and Caesar salads.

According to its website, the Elbow Room is an iconic Central California restaurant that first opened in 1955. I’ve been to the Elbow Room several times since the 1980s and love this Fresno institution. I love the sophisticated but friendly ambience of the restaurant. We were there to celebrate a birthday. My dining companion ordered the 8 oz center cut filet mignonette served with garlic mashed potatoes and haricots verts. Since we were celebrating, she started with a dirty martini on the rocks. I ordered the chicken club panini on toasted sourdough with smoked bacon, pesto aioli, Harvarti cheese, and tomatoes. Both were delicious. I highly recommend the Elbow Room for a very pleasant dining experience.

+2

5 Stars – A Fresno Favorite! Elbow Room Bar & Grill is hands-down one of Fresno’s best spots for a great meal and a relaxing atmosphere. Whether you’re stopping by for lunch, dinner, or weekend cocktails, this place never disappoints. The food is consistently delicious – from their juicy steaks and fresh seafood to the signature Elbow Room burger, everything is cooked to perfection. The service is always warm and attentive without being overbearing. The staff makes you feel welcome from the moment you walk in. The ambiance strikes the perfect balance between upscale and comfortable, making it ideal for everything from date night to casual meetups with friends. And let’s talk about the patio — it’s not just beautiful, it’s also temperature-controlled! Whether it’s a warm summer evening or a chilly fall night, the patio offers a cozy and comfortable dining experience all year round. The Elbow Room has that rare mix of great food, great service, and great vibes. A true local gem!

So this was my first experience at the Elbow room and my, my, my!!!!! Good Lawd it was amazing!! Pretty upscale( with an older crowd which I don't mind especially even with my young age😂), so expect to pay a few pretty pennies,but it is DEFINITELY worth it🤤🤤 I got salmon stuffed crab with a certain kind of sauce that the owner personally recommended which was*top tier*, a Caesar salad, clam chowder etc etc. But this is the perfect place to take the ole lady or ole man out for dinner and more than a few drinks because the drank selection is HUGE! Any type of wine, Spirit or tequila will probably be on that menu😂😂 I'm fasho going for drinks next time🍷🍷

+6

Delicious food, stellar service, and a comfortable atmosphere draws loyal patrons back — again and again. The burgers are in a class of their own, and the onion rings will surely satisfy even the most discerning diners. Don’t miss the Caesar or House Salad with Salmon, Chicken, or Shrimp. Elbow Room is a local staple and the reason is clear…. It’s fabulous!

Great ambiance with a very professional and friendly service. The steak sandwich is their trademark menu item, and it is recommended. Impressive drinks menu.

Delicious aged steak. It was tender and cooked to perfection. The staff was welcoming and attentive. The atmosphere is casual. If you are looking for good consistency in a dining experience. I recommend Elbow Room.

We went to Elbow Room Bar & Grill for Valentine’s Day and had such a wonderful experience! Our food was good and everything was cooked perfectly. Our waiter was very nice, attentive, and provided great service the entire night. At the end of dinner, they gave me a rose, which was such a sweet and thoughtful touch. It made the night feel even more special. We’ll definitely be back! 🌹✨

First time visit - great evening out for dinner post Valentine's Day celebration. Started with appetizers of Portobello Mushrooms and server recommended Sourdough Round to soak up the juices - both were an excellent combination I had Filet Mignon Meatloaf and my wife had Elbow Room Famous steak sandwich. Meatloaf was flavorful, mash was nice and green beans were well prepared. Tried part of wife's steak sandwich - steak had deep beef flavor and was tender If I could make a recommendation - mash could use some texture and garlic or additional seasoning. Perhaps this was as the chef intended but for my taste flavor was a little restrained Server Mathew was attentive but not overly attentive. Polite and helpful. Service was quick, perhaps a little too quick. We visited after lunch and before dinner so food and drinks arrived promptly. Overall experience was exceptional. Can definitely see why this place is a local favorite. We will be back and recommend to others to try

Elizabeth Hernandez

I’m so glad I decided to give this place another chance—what a turnaround. Today we enjoyed lots of drinks, including their sangria, which was absolutely phenomenal. The Brussels sprouts were hands-down the best I’ve ever had (and that’s saying a lot because we don’t even like Brussels sprouts), and the house salad is truly to die for. The shrimp scampi was the real star: savory, lemony, perfectly cooked, and honestly one of the most delightful dishes I’ve ever had. Even the sourdough bread somehow managed to be better than before. The manager really made things right after my last visit, and it shows—this has officially become a place we’ll definitely be coming back to. Thanks Elbow Room for a great experience.

lucy ollivier

Fantastic restaurant/bar!! Staff is amazing and the steak sandwich, portobello mushrooms with sour dough bread round is a must!!! Mike, the owner, is so personable and welcoming when he's on the floor and his "gift" of magnetism leaves you in awe. Definitely will keep coming back for the next 30 years! Cheers to present and future success of the Elbow Room!

Rita Cartagena

Went here for our 25th wedding anniversary and it did not disappoint. The food was so good, I had the Lomo Saltado (a Peruvian dish) and my husband had the prime rib. Both were so flavorful. The restaurant was decorated for Christmas, so the atmosphere was lovely. Connor was our server, he was wonderful. It was our first time, but we will definitely be back.

Josh Johnson

Had our company Christmas Party here last night (12/5/25) and The Elbow Room could not have been a better place to have this. The service was 12 out of 10 and the food was outstanding. The staff here are amazing people. On behalf of our company thank you so much for making our Holiday party one we will never forget

Jeremy Jones

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Best Thanksgiving Dinner in Fresno — Elbow Room Bar & Grill Is a MUST for Holiday Meals! If you’re searching for the best Thanksgiving meal in Fresno, look no further than Elbow Room Bar & Grill. This was, without question, one of the most impressive holiday meals we’ve ever ordered in the Fresno/Clovis area. 🦃 Perfectly Cooked Turkey — Juicy, Tender, and Full of Flavor The boneless turkey breast was the highlight of the entire feast. It was incredibly moist, perfectly seasoned, and reheated beautifully. We used our Pit Boss at 300° with a little broth and butter on top, and the turkey came out tasting fresh and homemade. Easily one of the best turkey dinners we’ve ever had in Fresno. 🍽️ Feast Fed More Than Expected The Thanksgiving package says it feeds 8–9 people, and it absolutely delivered. We had 8 people, everyone had full plates, several got seconds, and we even sent leftovers home. If you’re in Fresno looking for a holiday meal that truly feeds the whole family, this is it. The packaging was perfect — everything came neatly organized in a large banker’s box with 32oz containers. Super easy to reheat and great for sending guests home with containers of leftovers. 🥔 Sides That Taste Truly Homemade Every side dish tasted like something you would make from scratch at home. This is rare for a takeout holiday meal in Fresno: • Mashed potatoes • Stuffing • Green beans • Sweet potatoes • Rolls • Gravy • Cranberry sauce The flavor, seasoning, and freshness were outstanding. Nothing tasted mass-produced — everything felt like real homemade comfort food. 🙌 Excellent Fresno Customer Service Huge shout-out to James at Elbow Room for being so helpful and organized during pickup. Friendly service like this really stands out and makes the whole experience even better. 🏖️ Perfect for Anyone Traveling for the Holidays We had just returned from a beach vacation days before Thanksgiving and didn’t have the time to cook a large holiday meal. This Thanksgiving feast from Elbow Room made our lives easy and still gave us the full, traditional holiday experience. ⭐️ FINAL THOUGHTS: The #1 Thanksgiving Meal in Fresno If you’re searching on Google for: #Thanksgiving dinnerFresno #ThanksgivingcateringFresno #HolidaymealsFresno #Pre-cooked #ThanksgivingturkeyFresno #BestholidaytakeoutFresno —Elbow Room Bar & Grill should be your first choice. Everything was delicious, stress-free, beautifully prepared, and worth every penny. We will absolutely be ordering again next year. 💯 Highly recommend. 10/10.

+3

Sara Hudson

The Thanksgiving family feast was amazing, we will be ordering again in years to come! I would 10/10 recommend to anyone wanting to do a precooked meal. This traditional Thanksgiving meal exceeded our expectations, from the order and take out process, to the packaging, presentation, thorough instructions, and lastly the delicious flavor! The whole family was raving about the tenderness and flavor of the turkey. Everything was seasoned and cooked to perfection, and couldn’t have been better. I’m so happy to know that we can enjoy our time at the coast in the days before the holiday, and can have a delicious Thanksgiving meal prepared (without the labor intensive preparations on our behalf). We have tried meals from other restaurants, but never found one we would reorder, as they never came close to being as good as a home cooked meal. This was as good (okay, honestly much better) than our own Thanksgiving meals without all the work. Please continue the Thanksgiving meals and don’t change a thing. We loved it and plan to order for many years to come!!

Haoran Sun

Good food, great service. Would get the prime rib medium rare. Sauteed portabello mushrooms were amazing, not too salty, just the right amount of savory.

Brian Richburg

This is among the best places Fresno has to offer. Friendly, casual/ dressy no judgement here, top notch food with a changing menu, great service. The owner is here every day. The staff have all been here for years and it shows. The Elbow Room does everything right. Business meetings are here. Dates are here. Take your wife and family to a special occasion, here. This is a great restaurant by every measure.

Andrew Garcia

Absolutely amazing food and great service. I had the filet mignon meatloaf and my wife had the sole. Our server, Jessica R. was so nice and took great care of us. We will definitely be back!

+4

Pavol Werner

We've gone here twice while in Fresno. Delighted about the food and service. Especially our small daughter wanted to come for a second time. If a child does then then thats something

+1

Louis Dorescenzi

Always great service, great food, and a great atmosphere at The Elbow Room. One of my favorite places in California. If you're in Fresno, this is a place to try. And if you enjoy a cocktail now and then, their selection of Bourbon is top-notch. And the beef is aged, you can see the process all over the restaurant.

+1

559 Car Stereo & Alarm

The food here is simply amazing! The customer service is excellent, the food is delicious, and the atmosphere is warm and inviting. The bar is also fantastic. I highly recommend this place!

+1

errol morgan

This place is awesome. I always stop here when in Fresno. Good is awesome , service is good and the place just has a good vibe. Great indoor AND outdoor bar. Every now and again the owner will walk up to your table and greet you. It will continue to be one of my go to spots when in Fresno

+1

Chris Dellis

Unbeatable Ribeye! Good hunk of Lobster Tale! All the deserts were super yummy! Tried banana bread pudding w/vanilla bean ice cream on top. Tastiest dessert I’ve had in a long while, straight delectable. Party of five on a busy Saturday night with exceptional service by Joanne. Bravo! Well done!

+10

I went to the elbow room with my aunt and sister for a little date and we absolutely loved everything. The service went by fast and the waiter was extremely nice and gave us a free ice cream for …

Our favorite restaurant in central CA! We can't wait to go back! Hannah is our favorite server and Mike is an amazing owner!

ELBOW ROOM LEFT NO CRUMBS, literally!!!! I'm from the Bay Area, so I had my reservations about the Fresno food scene, but boy did Elbow Room come correct. I WISH I lived closer because this would b…

Staff, ambience, and food was perfect!! The Elbow room never disappoints. We are looking forward to our next visit!

A lot of places just get lazy and decline over the years not the elbow room. Their menu has gotten better, service has always been amazing ambiance is the best in Fresno. \nAnd best of all it's loc…

Maybe a little on the pricey side but once your meal comes you will see where the money goes. Not only quality and delicious but great care in presentation as well. Very enjoyable and pricey but wo…

Maybe a little on the pricey side but once your meal comes you will see where the money goes. Not only quality and delicious but great care in presentation as well. Very enjoyable and pricey but …

Food was very good as it always is. waitress was efficient and professional. Warm extended bar like environment but not crazy noisy.

Food was very good as it always is. Waitress was efficient and professional. Warm extended bar like environment but not crazy noisy.

A great atmosphere with indoor/outdoor seating. Staff was very friendly. It is an expensive place and I wouldn't say they have a whole lot to choose from but I would go again to try out some of their popular main dishes. We had appetizers and drinks.

Jeep, our server, was excellent. Order came out hot, correct & so did our bill. For a large party, that's tough. Enclosed Patio was great with heaters but a bit loud. We'll definitely be back. Thank you, Elbow Room, for making my birthday dinner so special.

This was a nice restaurant. The salad was $15 and I personally don't think it was worth it. There was barely any avocado on it and it felt drenched in dressing. The avocado bacon burger ($16) and the steak ($21) was pretty tasty! Love the outdoor venue too!

went in for a quick pint (had been to get cigars at cigars limited next door. barman very friendly _chatty but not overly so. was very busy for 2pm on a Sunday. pint of draft modelo was 10 dollars something which is a bit steep.

🌞Atmosphere is the winner at this Fresno staple. Up north we hear about it on the Ray Appleton show on KMJ, well known radio persona in the Valley and Cali at large, (thank God for KMJ). After dropping kids off at FAT my other son and I went to dinner there on a Friday early evening. We sat outside, which is a great option. I can't stand sitting inside when there is an option to be outside 🌴 There is a bar out there, so expect plenty of noise and festive people, but that's part of the feel. 🍤We mainly got one meal plus several appetizers. The food by and large was good and prices as expected. Nothing too surprising on either end of the scale but definitely some interesting things on the menu. I love trying new foods. 🌻Inside a more mellow feel. Everywhere, everything was clean. We were well taken care of by our server, and that's with it being a Friday night and them getting ready for a huge party or two... Go check it out! It's a Fresno favorite. Definitely worth your time🍺

Nice restaurant with good food. Good atmosphere. Food is a bit pricey for the quality, but it seems everything is expensive nowadays. I would recommend at least giving it a try. Personally, if I am in the mood for a good steak, I would probably go elsewhere, not to say the steak was not good, but I have had better. But that is just my opinion. I would recommend you at least give it a try.

Youre definitely paying for the vibe. The menu is kinda small, but its good food. We made reservations prior to going to ensure we had a table ready for us.

A Fresno landmark set in the beautiful outdoor Fig Garden shopping center. Enjoyed the Charred Sweet Corn Risotto. A bit pricey but you're paying for the outside patio and live music. Will visit again

+4

Steaks 🥩 were killer, No A1 sauce necessary ! Food was excellent. Trucker was are waiter and he crushed it ! Thank you for taking care of us. We really appreciate good customer service.

A good dinner option is the meatloaf entree it's very tasty. For lunch, one of my favorites is the ultimate prime french dip sandwich, or the shrimp tacos.the deviled eggs are good as well.

Came here with my family for my birthday. The service was great our waitress was very attentive. The food came out in a timely manner also. This is my first time coming to this restaurant I was a little nervous because I have children and one of them is almost 2 years old. I wasn’t sure how family friendly this restaurant was. Everyone was very nice. I feel like I was let down by the food. I ordered the sea bass which was recommended to me by the waitress. I was debating between the Sea bass and the salmon she made it seem like I couldn’t go wrong with the Sea bass but I was disappointed I would say. The whole bottom of the plate was covered with a teriyaki sauce. My vegetables were drenched in the sauce. It wasn’t amazing. I was definitely let down.

The elbow room is a old classic in Fresno. I enjoyed their evening entertainment which consisted of a live band on the patio. On this evening, we were celebrating the birthday of a friend. I enjoyed the calamari appetizer along with Thai chicken salad. The calamari appetizer is huge! There is enough that this could be considered a meal. I then ordered the Thai chicken salad which I was unable to finish. The spicy sweet peanut sauce was very delightful but not overwhelming. The chicken came grilled on top of the salad which was as expected. Overall, I must say the food here is very good and I will definitely need to come back to try more items on their menu.

Aged ribeye for me and scallops for my wife. Heavy salt but a quality steak cooked to order. Wife was hungry but we might have been too far from the scallop harvest. She said they were a little stringy. Great waitress and quiet and relaxed Friday evening. We ate everything.

This place is very pricey. Customer service is really good. Only thing is my friend asked for a well done cheeseburger and it came very pink, not even close to well done. When it came back it was cook perfect. But now she's eating alone. But the food is really delicious. The environment is really nice. Everyone loved their food.

+6

Atmosphere was great, love the outdoor seating and live music. Massive drink selection. Service was attentive and appreciated. Food was good, filet mignon meatloaf was surprisingly good, the prime steak was alittle grainy but had good flavor and well cooked. Would come back. Especially for the deserts!

Nice place to get a very good steak, clam chowder is top notch. Drink 🍸 and wine menu is also nice. Atmosphere is always cool and relaxed for the most part. Also has good Bae. Make sure your $$$ is right before indulging😁

The food was fabulous, I had the filet Mignon meatloaf for lunch & an old fashion with the house whiskey. It was exquisite. Sally the bartender was handling the lunch rush as a true professional, she could use a bar back or helping hand between 12-2pm but she never stopped, had a great attitude, and makes a solid cocktail even under the pressure. Food was in front of me within 15 minutes, and was piping hot. The atmosphere is ambient with conversations, cutlery on dishes, sports on tvs, as well as delicious food and beverages. Definitely a fan. There is an outdoor bar and patio to dine, but there was no room at the high tops. Very comfortable to say I’d dine here again.

Randy McAtee

Can't believe we live only a few blocks from this place and I just went there for my first time a few weeks ago. (Been living just blocks away for over 35 years) It certainly lives up to its name. We were a party of 5 and they sat in us a booth for 4 -- so wall to wall elbows on one side of the table. There was another family across from us and they were basically squeezed in similar to us. Food was good. Atmosphere is -- well lets just say it's a popular place so -- there will be plenty of background noise. We had great server. I'll be back for another go soon enuf. ---------------------------------------------------------- [edit 9/20/23] We've added 2 additional visits since my first review. One night with a couple a friends and last Friday evening for my wife's birthday. My son made reservations for 7 (4 adults - 2 minors - 1 child) All I can say is that is the LAST place you want to be sitting on a Friday evening at the Elbow Room. It was packed with quinquagenarians through octogenarians (or maybe some of those ladies just looked older than they were and I should put the age ceiling at septuagenarians). Their bodies were literally bumping up against my kids, who were sitting with their backs to the bar. ...and the noise, was off the charts. Pretty confident five of our party of seven were the youngest folks in the place. That aside, the food was great! It's a 5 star as far as the food goes - on the FRESNO scale --- which probably makes it a 3.5 star in cities where they have NICE restaurants. [edit] I’ve returned so often and like the place enough that I bumped it up to five stars. Anyway, I'm adding a few more pictures and as always - I'm stuckinfresno dot com. [EDIT] I thought it was joking this morning when I asked an employee if I needed to go over to CVS to get a toothpick. When she smiled and said yes, I was stupefied. I just paid $97 for a breakfast for two and couldn’t pick the meat out of my teeth because the owner decided to remove the toothpicks because of the littering. So if you’re reading this, and you think I’m being petty to knock off a star for them not having toothpicks -well - touché. I think an establishment that sells $60-70 steaks that doesn't have toothpicks is being petty.

+17

Bentendo

Everything went well. Typically I would opt for an inside table, but the lady convinced me that the covered patio is quite warm. It was roughly 40 degrees outside but they had gas heaters constantly heating the place up. I was even able to remove my coat since it was hot. The aged steaks tasted phenomenal. The star off was because one of the waiters misplaced the order for my wife which was completely different. I would go there again since the food and atmosphere is great. I also booked in advanced so I did not have to wait for a table.

I hesitated to write this because I've always had positive experiences here in the past. The food has consistently been great, the staff has been warm and attentive, and I've never run into any probl…

I hesitated to write this because I've always had positive experiences here in the past. The food has consistently been great, the staff has been warm and attentive, and I've never run into any pro…

I hesitated to write this because I've always had positive experiences here in the past. The food has consistently been great, the staff has been warm and attentive, and I've never run into any pro…

Not at all what we expected. As we were being led to our table, it looked like we had made the right choice......wrong food could have been much better and the place was a little pricey. Would gladly…

Not at all what we expected. As we were being led to our table, it looked like we had made the right choice......wrong food could have been much better and the place was a little pricey. Would glad…

I went to El Bow Room for my birthday dinner. Have been a few times before but last night it seems the food has gone down hill. My steak was good but not plated well. Clam chowder was good but luke…

I went to El Bow Room for my birthday dinner. Have been a few times before but last night it seems the food has gone down hill. My steak was good but not plated well. Clam chowder was good but luke…

I've visited twice now to try different menu items, and most of what we ordered was good. The Mexican shrimp wasn't very fresh, but being in Fresno, fresh seafood can be hard to come by. However,…

great steak House and old time bar. Definitely recommend, service was excellent.........................

Wife made reservations for my 41st on a Wednesday evening at 6pm. We waited half hour past our wait time after we were told if we were late they would give our table away. I was approached by t…

We had the Elbow Room Famous Steak Sandwich, and Clam Chowder bowl. The food was delicious and the service was excellent.

We had the Elbow Room Famous steak sandwich, and Clam chowder bowl. The food was delicious and the service was excellent.

We had the Elbow Room Famous Steak Sandwich, and Clam Chowder bowl. The food was delicious and the service was excellent.

We had the Elbow Room Famous Steak Sandwich, and Clam chowder bowl. The food was delicious and the service was excellent.

Wait staff was nice, food ok but nothing great. Big issue was the noise. There was music being playing very loudly and not "good" music either. A request that it be turned down fell on deaf ears. I…

wait staff was nice, food ok but nothing great. Big issue was the noise. There was music being playing very loudly and not "good" music either. A request that it be turned down fell on deaf ears.…

Wait staff was nice, food ok but nothing great. Big issue was the noise. There was music being playing very loudly and not "good" music either. A request that it be turned down fell on deaf ears.…

Daughter made a reservation for dinner at 6:30. We were seated right away upon arriving. We were seated in the outside covered patio (indoor seating was limited). There were heat lamps over the t…

We had dinner at Elbow room and had a wonderful meal, although a bit on the pricey side of things for a bar atmosphere. Everyone enjoyed their meal so it was a successful visit. Thumbs up for me.

Food was ok but not great. Have had better at other places. Did not meet my expectations.

I'm a little torn. I got the meatloaf a few weeks ago and it was delicious. Just bought 4 orders of the meatloaf today and it seemed overdue. The meat was sour and was not scrumptious like before. The mashed potato had chunks of uncooked potatoes. It was quite expensive so we ate it anyways but I will update if I get sick. Kind of disappointed. I was thinking about the meatloaf for the past few weeks wanting to have it again. Ordering it today and eating it just really put me off to meatloaf now. Last time they also gave us 2 nice slices of meatloaf, this time we only got 1 slice. For $31 each, I'd think I would get more than this.... Ordered through door dash both times. Both meals looked great presentation wise but the 2nd time I ordered... Taste was off.

Two years later (edit to add): the food is meh sometimes. This morning I ordered avocado toast and they put mounds of greens on it. There were more greens on it than you see in the photo. They were tasty, but it seemed like they were piled on to hide the embarrassing amount of avocado they put on it. For the price ($14 for two full pieces of toast cut in half, topped with a little avocado, some tomatoes and greens), I expected to actually have enough avocado to cover more than half of the slice of toast. On top of that, my partners toast had mold on it and my son's egg and fruit plate came with a mountain of potatoes instead of fruit. 2021: We moved here two months ago and live in a neighborhood nearby. We have visited at least 6 or 7 times and have always very much enjoyed the food. It's a bit pricey, but the quality matches the cost for sure. The servers have always been very kind and accommodating, and the live music on the VP side is always great.

I want to give it 5 stars so badly because I like this place and every other time I've been, food has been amazing. Service was great, drinks were great, I ordered the dry aged 14oz New York steak and it isn't cheap... so I asked for it well done because that's how I eat my food, thoroughly cooked throughout. Needless to say that I ate about 3 bites because it was raw, red inside and bleeding still. I lost my appetite and I am not one to complain because we all know what happens if you complain about your food. However, my wife's food and my daughters food was on point. It was a bummer mine was not cooked to what I consider, perfection. I will go back but I won't order a steak from here as it'll come rare. The one star on the food is based off my dish 3 star because I was hungry and lost my appetite because the steak wasn't cooked to my liking. I'm sorry Elbow Room, you guys are great otherwise.

Reads delicious on the menu, arrives basic at the table. Ordered the barbecue prawns. I ate one (ew disgusting 🤢) it was undercooked, close to raw. I sent them back to be fully cooked, the waitress said they would make a new plate and apologized. The second round was barely cooked more than the first time. Because it was a company Christmas dinner, I decided to take it to go and cook them when I got home. I didn't sleep well thinking I was going to be sick. When I woke up I thought I'd give them a second chance and turn them into an omelette, they looked the same, slimy and undercooked (it's hard to come back from that) I fed them to the Raven's, they loved it!.

With 1.7k reviews and a 4.5-star rating at a $$$ price point, our expectations were high. We ordered several steak variations and were disappointed, flavor and quality were below average. At $50 per plate and a $300 bill, we left wondering what others found exceptional. Service was excellent, though the food did not match the hype.

If you love steaks, this is the place to go for prime rib. The prime rib was thick, soft, and cooked just the way I liked it. Cutting it was like cutting into butter and was very flavorful and with very little salt(not like other places that oversalt their food). The mashed potatoes were creamy and melted in my mouth. The asparagus was the right crispness and had good flavor. The only downside was the waitress. She was eager to get us out of there and handed the menu while I was still eating and didn't offer us dessert. She even tried to rush the other Mexicans at the other table. I hope this is not what this restaurant stands for because I would really hate for them to be closed down or be boycotted. I did let the hostess know of the situation, at least. I hope this doesn't happen again to me or others. UPDATE: upon my review of this place from the reviews of others and my experience, this is not a friendly place for service dogs or other races that are not their own. Food can be the greatest it can be, but service is key. I will not be coming back again and hope others don't as well.

While spending a night in Fresno, went to dinner at Elbow Room. Waitress was ok, disappointed that she couldn't figure out timing of our meal. The Asparagus fries were very good and the dipping sauce was great. I had the Thai shrimp wrapped with a caesar salad, while my husband had the prime rib with mash and green beans and a cup of soup. There was quite a large span of time we were just sitting. Our soup and salad came out followed almost immediately by our entrees. My salad was served in a small cup with a glob of dressing on top. The cup was too small to successfully mix the dressing in. The wrap was mushy and shrimp overcooked. The prime rib was cooked well but served with a cup of sour cream. He asked for horseradish and was given raw horseradish that he mixed in with the sour cream. We had the biegnets which were excellent and served with chocolate and caramel sauce. The experience was definitely lacking and we will choose another place to dine.

+4

I've been to the elbow room several times and I'm usually not disappointed at all with their food or service. However, I ordered for pickup and the ultimate prime rib dip and the au jus. Even the french fries and onion rings were almost all flavorless. I ended up having to doctor up the meat and au jus in order to enjoy it. ** On a side note, there was no place online (I used toast) to ask for any customizations or any additions. And I really would have liked to have been able to add cheese and onions.

Brandy Caetano

I tried the Elbow Room for the first time and while the service and the atmosphere is great the food not so much. I had their famous steak sandwich and im not sure why it's famous I asked for a medium steak and what I got was very over done and tough I make steak wayy better than that and could have spent less money. My husband had the filet mignon meatloaf with mashed potatoes and green beans the flavor of the meatloaf left a lot to desire for flavor and was more like a patte than a meatloaf. He did although enjoy the potatoes and green beans. We will probably only go here in future for the bar services as the bar did look inviting and was fully stocked.

Jose

I got the Filet Mignon with mashed potatoes and Mac&cheese. The food had little to no flavor profile. I was expecting a mild, subtly sweet and buttery flavor but it did not have that usual flavor profile. The mashed potatoes were lacking salt. The Mac&cheese was the best but still lacking. Service was amazing and the wait staff was great. Always had water and service the whole time while seated. Atmosphere was welcoming and warm.

Alysa Hernandez

first off, i normally don’t play the “race” card. for today i am. i came all the way to fresno from UCSB to see my mom before her birthday. i bought flowers, a nice cake, and took her here for dinner along with her husband and my little sister last night. the place was nice, the food was amazing. but what left us all unsatisfied was how we truly felt discriminated against. my moms husband is a tall black man with tattoos, my mom is mexican with tattoos as well as me too. my little sister is mexican and black. we went, dressed up and excited to eat and celebrate my moms birthday. our waitress, having only a few tables in her section and the place not being very busy, she never came to refill our waters, take our plates, ask us if we needed anything or even check on us in general. but we all noticed she did for every other table in her section. we were polite, i paid a lot of money, and i even left a small tip despite the clear favoritism to white costumers over us. i don’t know if id go back with my family. but i truly did enjoy the food. sucks that i cant even enjoy an expensive dinner with my family without stuff like this happening.

A vintage steakhouse with a large menu that includes steaks, seafood, and poultry among many other dishes. When one comes to a place like this, one should try very hard to color within the lines. W…

A vintage steakhouse with a large menu that includes steaks, seafood, and poultry among many other dishes. When one comes to a place like this, one should try very hard to color within the lines. W…

First time there.\nWas taken to the patio, I guess there was no option to choose main dining room, bar or patio...but I wasn't expecting the patio. Almost defeats the purpose of dressing nice becau…

Our reservation was at 3:45. We arrived on time and checked in. The person at the desk said. I'm going to prepare your table. We sat down just right around corner from desk. She had to walk right p…

Overall experience was good. Prices are on the higher end, but the food and overall service was good. We had reservations and our table was ready when we arrived. One member of our party's meal was…

My husband and I had date night at this place, but we were greeted with rudeness! Our reservation was at 7:30, but the hostess told us to wait because our table wasn't ready. Ten minutes later my husband went to ask about our table, the hostess says it should be another 30 min.!.Then, another hostess came to intervene and said, give us a few minutes. I asked, a few or 30 since she said 30. She got all smart mouth and said, "It'll happen. Don't worry." We were seated 4 min. later, but not without eye rolls and red faces. I suddenly felt disregarded. What was the point of the reservation? Then, once we were finally seated, our waitress greets us, takes our drinks and appetizer order, minutes later, my husband flags her down to order an entree, and her response, "When I have a sec!" She literally disregarded him and said, I'll come back when I have a second. Wth? At that point, we were really upset. Then, the food arrived. My 13 year old daughter puts more love into her food. The shrimp tacos are entitled "street" tacos. Why do you dare to say they are street tacos? Sad to say, the food was bland and overly expensive. It didn't help that everyone there was indifferent and seemed rude, like we were bothering them and as if they did not choose to work customer service! Pathetically expensive, watered down drinks, and a poor unfriendly attitude. I hope that they were just having a bad day and not that they are rude to other people who are not of their same ethnicity because I'm not usually sensitive, but it did feel purposefully condescending. The only reason I gave them two stars is because their busboys were nice and helpful.

Atmosphere was great! Drinks were ok. My husband said the beer tasted old. Our food is usually good there which is why we chose to spend money and eat there. My biggest disappointment was that the chicken dishes on the menu should specify that it is made with chicken thigh. The chicken thighs were rubbery and looked extremely unappetizing. It didn’t look like anyone had even cleaned them up and cut off skin or extra fat. They just piled it on a plate and slapped some sauce on it. Even though the menu price is not super pricey I would expect that I wouldn’t have to ask if it was a chicken breast being served. Chicken Marsala is not usually made with a thigh and if a dish does use thigh it is normally specified on menus. I mean even fast food menus tell you when a thigh is being used. Unfortunately our waitress disappeared on us and although we did not complain another waiter took pity on us and took it upon himself to bring us our ticket and makeup for it with one of our drinks. It was a very disappointing Friday night out dinner to say the least. We won’t be going back anytime soon.

Service was really good, we really liked our server. That being said, let's talk about the food. For starters, we had the sourdough bread, which (very unfortunately) was the highlight of our entire meal. My wife loves my dad's crab cakes. Crispy, flavorful, Delicious. These crab cakes were mushy and lemony, to say the least. My daughter had the French fries and chicken strips, which she said were good. I ordered the pistachio chicken Milanese, and boy can I say that it is absolutely full of pistachio. I cannot taste anything other than pistachio. The chicken came with an arugula salad on top with the pistachio pesto underneath. My entire plate was extremely one-note. There was no kind of rice or risotto to cut the flavor of pistachio. They had risotto on their menu, but we were already paying enough for the rest of our food. For that price, my plate should have come with a side of risotto. Most plates have a little bit of everything to make it a complete meal: meat, grains, and veggies. I got chicken with salad, essentially. My wife got crab with salad. No grains whatsoever except for the bread. Overall, I would recommend eating at two separate places or buy a cart full of groceries for the price we paid to be disappointed.

For the first time in years, the Elbow room disappointed me.I, My wife and son went there today to celebrate our birthdays. But they only got one order correct. I ordered a medium prime rib which was brought closer to rare, my wife was given a filet mignon instead of the 7 oz new York strip steak. ( The cuts are completely different) Which was cooked medium, but shouldn't be for a filet mignon, which made it very tough. The green beans looked a least 4 days old and my mashed potatoes looked rough. I couldn't eat my plate, so I brought it home to finish cooking it in my smoker. For over 200 dollars including drinks I could have made way better. I've come here for years to celebrate anniversaries and birthdays, but now I'm going to rethink this, the only saving grace was having an excellent waitress.

I rarely go out to any restaurants anymore and my husband and I really contemplated if we should celebrate our anniversary at home and cook our own food or spend the money to go out since we hardly do so. I chose Elbow Room because I’ve driven past it many times and the reviews were mostly positive.The atmosphere was nice and the service was good. The food however was not worth the $75 bill. The best thing we ate was the jalapeno cheese bread. I ordered the steak sandwich because the way it was described truly sounded amazing. Unfortunately it was not and I guess I should have read through the reviews more thoroughly. For $30, I was expecting an actual sandwich and I imagined something completely different than what it actually was. It’s literally a small piece of jalapeno cheese bread ( the same one we had as an appetizer ) with a small piece of steak on it. One piece of bread. One small piece of very tough to chew and flavorless steak. Absolutely nothing else. Again, I should have read the description more carefully but I would not call this a sandwich. The steak was cooked how I asked ( medium) but I could barely chew it. My husband ordered a French dip sandwich which was just ok. Thin sliced steak which was easy to chew between two pieces of bread and a bowl of au jus. Also $30. We had fries and onion rings on the side. I did not complain because I just wanted to get out of there fast with no drama. I had a higher expectation from this place but choosing to spend over $75 here on food we did not enjoy was a reminder why we choose not to eat out anymore.

I went here for my birthday and service was great! But food was not! Food was cold and not what I wanted they were. They were out of what I wanted. Yes I specifically pick this restaurant because of …

I went here for my birthday and service was great! But food was not! food was cold and not what I wanted they were. They were out of what I wanted. Yes I specifically pick this restaurant becau…

I went here for my birthday and service was great! But food was not! Food was cold and not what I wanted they were. They were out of what I wanted. Yes I specifically pick this restaurant because o…

My wife and I were seat outside. We waited 15-20 minutes and not one server came to check on us. We had menus but no service. \n10-18-25 at lunch\nWent to Chick Fil A for great service and food. \n…

Poorly managed. Understaffed. Apathetic employees. We've been coming here for years. We had a reservation but waited 35 minutes to sit down. Then another 15 minutes before we got a cup of water (whic…

Poorly managed. Understaffed. Apathetic employees. We've been coming here for years. We had a reservation but waited 35 minutes to sit down. Then another 15 minutes before we got a cup of water (wh…

Poorly managed. Understaffed. Apathetic employees. We've been coming here for years. We had a reservation but waited 35 minutes to sit down. Then another 15 minutes before we got a cup of water (wh…

Used to be one of favorites restaurant, after las visit never again I order as usual new york steak, steak was bad taste was a fault can eat it, my daughter order a salad which it's swimming …

Had a party of less than 10. Brandy, our server, was great. The person serving our food wasn’t so great because of her attitude. 7/8 of our dry age meat came out. The dry age meat wasn’t the best as it lacked flavor. Even the french dip is better. Calamari isn’t the greatest.

The food quality is not very good considering the price. Service is decent, but the atmosphere is loud and not a high-quality dining experience.

If you want a really good steak don't go here they overcook the steaks but other than that it's fun to go to atmosphere but I would go there to get a steak and a steak they ever cook it it's not that great

Lump crab cake is not. Mac & Cheese bland. Grilled aparagus soggy, overcooked! Total dissapointment! Hidden costs admittedly by the waiter. Never again! Don't bother if you're thinking about it.

I wouldn’t classify this restaurant as a steakhouse at all! I do have a mushroom allergy but one would think that a steakhouse would have options for sauces. My birthday was on Wednesday. The dinner was ruined due to the fact that they didn’t have alternatives to their mushroom bordelaise sauce. I wanted to try the filet meatloaf but couldn’t because of the sauce. I wouldn’t have minded a BBQ sauce, or, chef whipping up something simple to replace it due to my allergy. Most steakhouses have at least 3 or more sauces to choose from (Example, Prime 13, I took a glance while we were waiting and I immediately spotted 4 different sauces. I’m sure they have more). Moreover, their Center Cut Filet Mignon mentions bordelaise as well. When my boyfriend asked if that bordelaise is standard, without mushrooms, our waitress said it was the same sauce (it just doesn’t say it on the menu). Nonetheless, I moved past the meatloaf and eyed the Prime Rib French Dip Sandwich with the au jus. Out of curiosity, I asked if that was “safe”. Our waitress checked with the chef who said he wouldn’t chance it with a mushroom allergy. What does one have to do with the other? Why would the au jus … drippings … be a worry? I’ve never had a problem with worrying about mushrooms in an au jus at any other restaurant. Thank goodness I asked! At this point I had a glass of Justin wine 🍷 and my boyfriend had a beer. He asked if I wanted to leave, but it was after 8pm already and most restaurants close at 9pm. Otherwise, I would’ve said YES!! When our waitress circled back, I opted to share my boyfriend’s meal since I was pretty frustrated that a restaurant of this caliber could not make a sauce or provide options. Again, BBQ sauce … steak sauce … something could’ve been recommended. 😵‍💫 Nonetheless, I just ordered a side Caesar salad as my boyfriend was trying to make my birthday special taking me to a more upscale restaurant. He was pretty upset that I ordered a measly side salad. The waitress offered a dessert, on her, which was a nice gesture. But being my birthday, I’m sure they would’ve had some kind of birthday treat. Unfortunately, we didn’t get that far. I chose the beignets. Presentation was beautiful, but they were not beignets. They were heavy powered donuts. Not airy and light; instead extremely dense and doughy. Before leaving I went to the ladies room. I guess my boyfriend explained that it was my birthday after our waitress inquired as to why he didn’t eat much of his food and the beignets were pretty much untouched. I have come to the conclusion that they don’t have a seasoned chef and/or must use the same base for items on their menu. Not being able to sub a sauce for the meatloaf or confirm their au jus does not contain mushrooms is strange for a higher end restaurant. I wouldn’t trust ordering an aged steak at $60+ based on these basic facts. Ah well! UPDATE 3/14/24: Update: Daniel reached out to discuss my review to help him understand what happened. I went over my birthday dinner play by play. I'm glad to know that the meatloaf has mushrooms IN the actual meatloaf as well as the sauce. Luckily we avoided a disaster had I tried it plain, as offered. Daniel also confirmed that the French Dip has nothing to do with mushrooms, so I could've tried it if the chef and waitress knew the menu better. I guess? He offered to refund the cheeseburger which was nice, I suppose. However, the experience is what should have been the focal point. I didn't get to experience their food (not even the cheeseburger). My takeaway remains unchanged. I am glad that I was able to provide insight to Daniel for training opportunities; especially surrounding allergies and food content. However, the response to this review was ... bizarre ... to say the least. No invitation to come back for a better "first time" special experience or try the Prime Rib French Dip. I am left feeling unwelcome. I have been dying to try their famous Bloody Mary for brunch ... c'est la vie! Daniel was polite enough to wish me a Happy Birthday!

I took my staff of 15 to this restaurant, because I love the ambience, the service, and mostly the food. The food, didn't disappoint, however the service was horribly bad. Too much to write, but our server left us wanting for more water, cocktails, silverware, plates, etc. After she'd had enough of us (we were the only party on the patio outside), she lost interest and left our dirty dishes on the table and waited for us to ask for our tab. So so very disappointed and wish someone from Management would do something. Many of the folks in my party had not been there before and commented that they will not return.

April Moreno

We went to dinner here with friends, and since it had been a long time, we were really looking forward to a good night out. Unfortunately, the food missed the mark in several ways. My husband ordered the prime rib with mushrooms and green beans. The prime rib was surprisingly tough, the mushrooms were just as difficult to chew, and the au jus barely had any flavor at all. I ordered the filet mignon with shrimp scampi and asparagus. The filet was tender, but like the mashed potatoes I ordered, it had almost no flavor. The shrimp “scampi” was the biggest disappointment — instead of buttery, garlicky flavor, they tasted more like cold shrimp cocktail with a couple capers tossed on top to dress them up. Our friends insisted on paying, so I didn’t speak up at the table because I didn’t want to make a scene. But for $56 just for my meal, this was extremely disappointing. We genuinely expected more quality and flavor for the price, and unfortunately, we won’t be returning.. Side note there was water dripping from the vent in the waiting area above my head.