The Elbow Room

This place is hit or miss. It’ll depends on who is in the kitchen, I think, and whether or not management feels like taking the job seriously. I’ve had good meals here, and I’ve had really bad ones. I’ve had enough bad ones that I try not to go here unless there’s no other choice. I got a piece of fish once that you could drive a nail with. The Rubens are always stringy and it’s impossible to take a bite out of the sandwich without dragging all the meat out in one big glob. And I don’t think I’ve seen the same waitstaff here more than once. Big turnover. There’s no pride in the service or the food at all. This place is never been truly «good», things just seem to keep getting worse.

I ordered the prosciutto with asparagus as my appetizer. I really enjoyed its flavor alone, but the damn balsamic vinegar ruined it. Just keep things simple!
I had the turkey Granny Smith Apple (George Washington) sandwich. They had unfortunately ran out of Brie cheese so I didn’t have the sandwich as how it was meant to be. Nevertheless, it was really delicious. Very unique!

Oops. posted a negative review to the wrong Elbow Room… never eaten here, and I can’t find a way to delete this… please disregard.

I’ve never eaten dinner there but have had soup, sandwiches, and appetizers. Their Cherry Wonder martinis are to die for, though. And the bar staff is professional, friendly, and fast. Go for the Happy Hour — 9 – 11 p.m. when the martinis are half off.

When we came to dine here, it was about 8:00 pm on Labor Day. The dining room was busy, but not totally full. The greeter told us there was no room in the dining room, but there were empty tables (?) We were told we would have to wait 15 – 20 minutes. We were quite confused, and then within 5 minutes we were seated. After this, I was kind of worried about how the food would be, since it was a strange moment indeed. But… the food was delicious!
I had the salmon with gnocci and asparagus. I’ve been to Italy, and I’ve had the some world’s best gnocci there, but I have to say, this gnocci was top notch! It was tasty, and also crispy on the outside. I’m not used to crispy gnocci, but I really did enjoy it. It was a great take on a classic! If you’re here, get the gnocci.
We also got the cheesy fries, we loved those! Not your typical cheesy fries.
Our waitress was nice but she seemed a bit flustered, they seemed understaffed, but it was Labor Day so that’s understandable.

The Elbow Room exceeded my expectations. The Novemburger was creative and flavor full. Lunch time on a Saturday seemed quiet though, and the ambiance seemed to be lacking a certain something.

My friends and I found ourselves here because of the crowds for the Jam of Walnut Street. We went there on a recommendation from friends for their happy hour martinis. From 9−11PM, their martinis are half off. My friends and I enjoy the Purple Rain. The drinks are strong and affordable. I will be coming back for their martinis and will have to try their food next time!

So… I would have posted pictures, but devoured everything before I could remember, lol.
The food is AMAZING! The service is great also. Salmon burger, french fries, apple crisps, regular burgers, and the list goes on! I haven’t even told you the best part… THEY DELIVER!!! Unfortunately, this will be an overweight summer… but a happy one!

Always enjoy coming to The Elbow Room. Atmosphere is great. Food is great. Jason was our server. He did an excellent job! Highly recommend asking for Jason.

I have been to the elbow room a few times. The food and the service meet good standards. Do not expect a gourmet, extraordinary menu but it is serves normal American bar/​restaurant food. The Sunday brunch menu is also nice (the Greek omelet is highly recommended if you are into omelets). The biggest advantage of the place is its location and the atmosphere. The new venue on walnut has a nice feel; something between a classy, upscale restaurant but at the same time casual, family-​oriented. I always enjoy having a grub here and I will definitely go back many times.

I do NOT understand all these people giving the Elbow Room 2s and 3s? I have been going to place since it was originally on Ellsworth and have always loved it for your good ol’ American fare and casual atmosphere.
They have everything you would imagine an American (new) joint to have. Salads, burgers, sandwiches, pasta… And I have a favorite in every category!
My fave salad is the Avocado. Some people don’t understand this, but if you understood my love of avocados, you would. It’s just a dam good salad with lots of avocados. My favorite sandwich (and possibly the best of ALL time) is the GW, which stands for George Washington. It has sliced turkey with very thinly sliced Granny Smith apples and melted Brie on this wonderful grainy bread. I know reading it to some people might not seem delicious even gross those who don’t mix fruit and sandwiches, but try it. OMG is it goodgoodgood! And they have a ravioli with a prosciutto cream sauce, MMMMMM.
Now, as far as service goes, I have never had a problem. Although having said that, I’m not one of those needy patrons who require a server to check in every five minutes. I have heard that sometimes the wait staff can be a little… aloof…maybe? But, like I said, always good to me.

Sunday brunch was great. I had quiche and it was delicious. The meal came with homefries and a biscuit which I enjoyed. The service and menu was on point they offered more than just mimosas. I would certainly go back. The new location is very nice

This place is definitely great. Any entrée I have had has been excellent. The service is great too. Bartender is very friendly and the atmosphere is very nice ! I’m going to be a regular for sure!

Salads are pretty terrible here but pasta, burgers and finger foods are good. Great price too. I had their red velvet cake (which was very dry) but the moist parts of the cake was scrumptious (which apparently they make in their own kitchen).

I don’t know how this place has stayed in business for so long. It has never appealed to me, yet some family member drags me there every five years or so. It never changes. It seems like an independently owned Chili’s. The menu is boring. The food nothing special.
Most recently, I ordered a salad and asked for some rolls or bread and they didn’t have anything except for some super spongy Italian sliced bread that tasted like a step up from wonder bread. My beet salad had such crunch beets they were barely cooked. Grapefruit segments were all membrane. Lettuce was ice cold, nearly frozen.
See you in another five years.

I like elbow room for how quiet it usually is. For being on walnut (if you prefer the loudness of steel cactus and marios then you won’t like this place too much), it’s a bit classier and quieter. I like how I don’t have to shout for someone else to hear me, so on days where I just want to unwind without being pushed around or waiting 20 mins for a bud light in a plastic cup I go here. Their 9 – 11 reverse happy hour is good too, for half price you can get martinis, sangrias and all the likes.
I have had the food here before but it has been too long so I won’t comment on it. So, if you like walnut but want to avoid the collegey crowd and maybe even want to put that tie on and go out then this could serve you well.

Place was interesting. The décor reminds you of «cheers» because of the wood. I had a salmon wrap and it was very good. It had a mustard sauce and came with fries. Prices were decent. Our waitress lacked personality and her breath smelled bad, but she got everything. food wise right. It took awhile to bring our drinks. I split the check with my friend, and she didn’t divide the items correctly. I probably wouldn’t come here again because it wasn’t «special». If I’m coming all the way from Monroeville, then I want more bang for my buck.

It’s a nice enough place with a decent selection of drinks (and a not-​bad post-​9pm happy hour), but I’d steer clear of the food. If the portions were large and delicious, the prices would be more than reasonable, but sadly that’s not the case. I’ve never really enjoyed anything I’ve eaten here, and the downright terrible burger is what prompted me to write the review warning folks away («medium rare» came out «well done» and no one noticed or even asked how it was).
So come here if you want to grab a drink with your friends on Walnut Street. But I, for one, will be going someplace else first if I want dinner too.

As we strolled up Walnut Street this morning we were greeted by a large sandwich board sign advertising brunch. Spirits lifted we raced inside for the sidewalk advertised breakfast glories… sat down… and were told brunch was only on Sundays. My lil heart fell.
Regroup. I ordered the half sandwich and chili and my partner in this mess ordered a chop salad.
The chili should be renamed Alpo & Cheddar. The salads are better at Get Go.
And direct quote upon our server checking on us. drumroll…“From what I see I presume you are okay” and a quick exit stage left.
We shall not be returning. Even as tempting as the $ 10 sangria made of pure canned fruit juice appears.

«Bland» is probably the key word in describing this place. A local Applebees-​type feel.
I was here for dinner one night, and the sandwich I got was unbelievably bland, so was the side of cole slaw. The artichoke dip was ok, but very greasy. The pasta a bit dry and bland as well.
The reverse happy hour concept from 9PM-​11PM is cool. There is an OK number of beers on tap. The service is friendly and efficient.
However, the food is sub-​par, so I won’t be returning even if I were in the area.

Three stars, really? Bland? Applebee’s like? I disagree sir… circle gets a square.
Yes, this is a new (old Max & Erma’s) location, never been to the old location. Yes there are still remnants of the old there, no remodel was done, but that does not mean the place does not have character. Something intimate about walking up that staircase, or even taking the small elevator up to the restaurant area. It feels bright once you get upstairs.
My recent visit was during lunch in the middle of the week. I met my friend and didn’t even have a chance to greet him and we were being seated. An instant later we were greeted by our waitress with water for the table. We were told the soups of the day and off she went to give us some time to look over the menu. Even though we were delaying her a bit by conversating, she was patient with us.
I ordered the GW, my friend ordered a burger. The GW is a a nice mixture of roast turkey, melted brie, and granny smith apple slices (yes, I know it’s odd, but it worked (now what’s bland about that?)). All that between two slices of multi-​grain bread with honey mustard and then toasted. The combination worked so well together that if you didn’t actually see the turkey and granny smith apples, you’d think you were eating a high end grilled cheese sandwich. Your choice of side was either hand cut fries or Cole slaw, or you could upcharge and get sweet potato fries or onion rings.
My friend ordered the Average Joe burger where you can basically build your own burger. He ordered it medium rare and it came out cooked perfectly good.
Towards the end, and this is the reason I could not give this place five stars, we felt a little rushed to leave. I could understand if the place was packed and people were waiting outside, but that was not the case. There was brisk business going on, but that was no need to rush us out. The check was delivered and we didn’t even have time to check it before the waitress came back. She actually had to be told that we didn’t even look at it yet.
I guarantee that I will come back here. The food was delicious.