Elaine's On Franklin

Carrot Cake

Having moved from the Bay Area, finding food in NC that isn't fried to death has been a challenge! Elaine's menu changes, so my biggest sadness about the place is that I can't always get the same dish I've fallen in love with. Otherwise, I really like this place. The staff is absolutely superb. The food is better than 99.8% of the places in the Raleigh area. The meat is flavorful, and tender. I have some dietary restrictions and they went out of their way to try their best to accommodate me, and did a great job whipping up something off menu and I really appreciated the effort. The atmosphere is casual, but neat. Most people are wearing casual wear; slacks and blazers. The wall art misses the mark, but it's not a museum and I don't go there for the art! It's a small place, but one of my new favorites.

Kent Milholland

Every single food item was extraordinary. They started with a free "espresso cup" of their chestnut soup. It was only about 3 swallows but it was rich and flavorful. The first appetizer was Oyster Rockefeller. A few months ago I had Oyster Rockefeller at Antoine's in New Orleans ... Elaine's was better. We almost ordered a second order. The second appetizer was the ceviche. It had coconut milk in it and was super fresh and flavorful. Only complaint of the night was that the tiny triangle shaped corn chips for scooping the ceviche and eating were cute but not functional. We ended up eating it with forks instead. The tuna entree came out medium rare with an exquisite broth and sauteed vegetables. It also came with yucin gold mashed potatoes. Yummy! The local trout entree had no potatoes but did have excellent sauteed vegetables as well including summer peas. The broth was sopped up with the bread ... no need to clean the plate. For drinks we had several of their Pimm Cups. I enjoy Pimms Cups but had never had one made with ginger beer. The ginger beer added an interesting twist. We just stuck with that drink all night. WARNING: The ginger beer was a strong ginger. I love ginger so I thought the drink was excellent but if you are not a big ginger fan avoid this drink. We will definitely return !!!

Jeff Chapman

I’ve been coming to this place since it opened whenever I come back through the area. It’s a must try for anyone considering themself a foodie. Great chef, amazing wine list, and they’ve been sourcing locally sourced before it was cool. I’ve never had a bad meal and it impresses everyone I’ve take here. Seriously take advantage of this local gem whenever you can

Kurt Kirkham

Food was great. We tried many of the starters and it all tasted great!