Elwood Reviews
Submitted by Minista Jazz on 02/28/2021
Minista Jazz 5 stars rating.
From Plate to Plate we were amazed by the flavor and care put into every bite. The owner/chef Adam was super connected to the experience which made it even more pleasurable and special. We had the pork and goose main dish but the sides, jams, and butters took the cake. Definitely visit their restaurant which was small, quaint, and quiet - perfect during a time where intimacy matters and safety is priority.
Nicole Russo 5 stars rating.
Perfect place for a date for the tea brunch! Everything was fantastic and the chef/owner is an absolutely a gem of a guy. We'll definitely be back!
Submitted by Nicole Russo on 09/03/2022
Jeremy Gates 5 stars rating.
Elwood is incredible. An amazing dining experience, and the owner is so knowledgeable about his food, and it’s history. A small menu, but everything we ordered felt unique and special. We had three appetizers, and the rabbit for two entree.
From what I gather, most if not all of the food comes from local farms and providers, and you can really taste the difference.
I can’t gush about this place enough. If you’re in the area, I highly recommend checking it out.
Also, the music felt like it was from my personal playlist, and the ambiance suits the menu perfectly.
Submitted by Jeremy Gates on 05/26/2022
Conor Madison 5 stars rating.
Absolutely incredible. The chef was just nominated for a James Beard and was personally bringing the food out, telling us as much as we wanted to know about every dish, from the beaver jerky to the venison pierogi. Our group ordered just about everything on the menu and it was all great. Thanks again!
Submitted by Conor Madison on 02/24/2022
Laurie Murphy 5 stars rating.
The food is fabulous at Elwood. You can tell the Chef puts heart and talent into his creations, while paying respect to PA cuisine and products. Absolutely wonderful dinner from start to finish. If Michelin ever decides to make its way to Philadelphia, I hope they are a contender!
Submitted by Laurie Murphy on 12/28/2021
Frank Menendez 5 stars rating.
First time visiting Philly and was looking for a place to eat for Thanksgiving. Randomly found this spot and boy was I pleasantly surprised. From the moment I called I was greeted by the owner/chef. Had a pleasant conversation and made my reservation. The restaurant is warm, inviting, and elegant. The food equally good. Great job and thanks for having me!
Submitted by Frank Menendez on 11/25/2021
Joseph Convery 4 stars rating.
Elwood is a wonderful, little BYOB gem that is too easy to miss if you don't know to look for it.
The small quarters end up feeling cozy rather than cramped due to a pleasant atmosphere and smart booking management. The staff works well to help foster that environment. They do a great job with explaining the menu and delving into detail behind each piece.
It is a small menu, but does offer enough variety to give you a choice. The kitchen is "farm to table and "nose to tail," so you are presented with local choices.
The meal started a complimentary amuse-bouche of venison scrapple topped with a pepper jelly. The venison scrapple was good, but not clearly recognizable as venison versus beef and did have that distinctive scrapple texture, which if you don't like to begin with will be unpleasant for you. We tried multiple appetizers from the snapper soup to the charcuterie to the rolls. The snapper soup was good and nice to try. If you like fish soups the turtle soup will also be a winner for you, but like a good fish soup most of the flavours are subtle and not "in your face." The charcuterie offered a rabbit liver mousse, chicken rillette, a smoked sausage, and variety of add-ons. It was all incredibly rich and delicious, but the add-ons definitely helped too.
Entrees are definitely strong points for the meal. The guinea hen was served with a spelt porridge and roasted brussel sprouts. Each component worked on its own or as a complete bite. The guinea hen was cooked perfectly resulting in a delicious and moist meal. The beef cut for the night was flank and served med-rare (although you could presumably change the temperature if you so desired). Just like the poultry dish, the kitchen did the beef justice. It was accompanied with hen-of-the-wood mushrooms and root vegetables, both of which were well executed and added to the dish.
Dessert was a funnel cake and warm cider. The warm cider was very nice, but the funnel cake was unquestionably the low point of the meal. It didn't hurt the meal on a whole, but it didn't properly round it off or enhance it and could have been skipped. The check came with a molasses cookie which was delicious and definitely finished the meal on a higher note than the dessert.
Submitted by Joseph Convery on 11/23/2019
Anthony Lerro 5 stars rating.
We’ve been wanting to go here for a while now and finally made our reservation. The night started with venison scrapple amuse bouche served on deer antlers. Our apps were the snapper soup (needed some salt) and a special skirret salad (so good!). We got the whole rabbit to share which was very tasty. Service was good as well. I have to say it was a nice change of pace from the expected. We’ve been all over the NYC and Philly food scene so it was nice to see the chef looking to do something focused but very different.
Submitted by Anthony Lerro on 11/23/2019
Anna Wu 5 stars rating.
Wonderful experience and atmosphere, delicious food, thoughtful owner & server. This place checked off all the boxes! I love the cozy “grandma’s house” style of the interior decor. Large back windows opened up to a lovely garden in the backyard. I would recommend calling ahead / making reservations as the dining area is a little small, but we were lucky and were able to be seated immediately on a Friday night.
We ordered the snapper soup, frog, bread, striped bass, and finished with dumplings for dessert. Everything came out beautifully plated and tasted incredible. Also it’s BYOB! Will definitely be back soon. Thank you for a great night out!
Submitted by Anna Wu on 07/13/2019
Rebecca Ways Hawkins 5 stars rating.
One of the best meals I’ve ever had. The Chef puts great care and detail into his dishes and the staff are all very welcoming and friendly. Great view of the garden from any seat in the restaurant. Highly recommend!
Submitted by Rebecca Ways Hawkins on 05/18/2019
