Went here for the first time today for lunch...

The atmosphere and cleanliness of the place were top notch, as well as the overall design.

Waitstaff was very competent and courteous, quick to bring our drinks.

I ordered the steak and my buddy ordered the ribs, but the menu seems to have everything from appetizers to large salads to sandwiches to burgers to Asian to American, including a very decent drink page.

The food came within 30 minutes of ordering and the portions were appropriately sized and the presentation was on par. My steak was cooked to perfection and had just the right softness and toughness that makes meat, meat.

Now, here's where I had a problem. The food was bland. The rice, grilled vegetables and even the side of BBQ shrimp I had were lacking in DEPTH of flavor; they all had an initial taste, somewhat, but eventually you were just chewing on something with a texture. Sure, I could have added salt and steak sauce, but any foodie will tell you that extra seasoning shouldn't be necessary.

The on-duty manager was courteous enough to stop by and see how we were doing, which was a nice touch.

Prices were about average for this category of eatery (Applebees, Chilis, etc).


Final thoughts: Unless my experience was just a horrible mistake and the food is normally great, I'm staying away. I can make bland food at home that will fill me up-- I go out to eat because I enjoy it when food is cooked with lots of flavors and is an experience for the senses. Sure the restaurant is nice, the staff is efficient, and the bar looks killer, but when the one thing that a dining establishment capitalizes on isn't so great, there's something wrong.

Sounds about like my experience the one time I ate there.

I remember the food being very edible, and everything else being better than average (other than my company).

I have no idea what the prices were like. I dumped my date right about the second bite of dessert, dropped $60 on the table, and walked out. Yes, she really deserved it. Actually...She should have paid. But I'm too cool to stiff somebody with the bill, even a *insert colorful name* like her.

Come to think of it, I should go back...As my date was most likely the cause of that bitter taste in my mouth...Not the appetizer.

I've always enjoyed the Bankok Pad Thai dish.



Perhaps you could give that a try if you dine the Elephant Bar again.

__________________
...this shortest straw has been pulled for you

The "bland food" problem that you experienced is really a common problem among most chain restaurants. They usually hit all of the service points; however, the ability to reach that depth of flavor you are referring to is what seperates the great chains from the rest.

The Elephant Bar people are direct descendents of The Cheesecake Factory...menus are fairly similiar with "global" offerings and $15 price point.

My suggestion: Stick with the independents!!!

Here's the other review thread on Elephant Bar if you want to read others comments: http://www.okctalk.com/food-court/67...t=elephant+bar

Yes, chains by definition are trying to reach a very wide audience and therefore have mass-produced (and conceived) food and will always flavor to the bland side so the fewest possible people complain.

I like happy hour at EB, as they have good drink specials and some 1/2 price appetizers. It's a nice-looking place which is more than most chains.

When I say bland, I mean the food had absolutely no flavor. I'm usually pretty satisfied when I eat at places like Chilis, Spaghetti Warehouse, etc..

It's not necessarily a bad thing for Elephant Bar, since everything else was done right.

Maybe I just went on a bad day?

I've only been there once; I thought the food was pretty decent and the service was above average.

I have been there several times now. You can see my reviews in the original Elephant Bar thread. The link is above. I always thought the food was pretty decent. I ate their again last night with my wife and other family. I had the Sweet and Sour Chicken. I thought it was just okay. The portion was a little small for the price and wayyyyy to sweet. My wife had the soup and salad and it was just average. I do however LOVE their NY Strip Steak sandwich and have always enjoyed that. The Pan Asian choices however, I haven't been too thrilled about. That's just my two cents.

I've eaten at the Elephant Bar about 6 or 7 times and everything that I have had has been great. I've had appetizers, meals, desserts and drinks and it's all priced well. I would highly recommend the Elephant Bar !