The ambiance was beautiful! I arrived a bit early and decided to wait for my girlfriend at the bar. I ordered a Passionfruit Sour, but unfortunately they were out of passionfruit. I think the bartender could see my disappointment and he said "how about I make you a strawberry sour, I promise it will be good." When I tell you the drink was SO yummy! Once my gf arrived she tried mine and ordered the same. Our server was great, attentive, but not overly so. The food was delicious! If I had to say one negative, it would just be the portion size. I did leave feeling a bit hungry. I will definitely be back and will try some other dishes, but I'll probably order the same drink lol read more

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Elena James was a wonderful dining experience. The garage parking offers plenty of available spots for retail customers. Elena James happens to validate parking, so do not forget to get your ticket validated when you pay your bill. The menu is unique here. The dishes include homemade Parker house rolls, arancini, and what I believe is homemade pasta based on how good my entree was. Service is spectacular. I really think this is an unknown place that deserves lots of praise. read more

Came here for dinner recently on a Wednesday night--the restaurant is fairly new so it wasn't crowded, but we had reservations. Cute decor inside! Service was GREAT--food came out fairly quick and our server was friendly and attentive. For starters, the Fried Honey Old Bay Duck Wings was delicious. Loved the Chicken Caesar Lettuce Bouquets, which was uniquely presented. For pasta, the Bucatini Cacio e Pepe was AMAZING--well flavored and probably the best cacio e pepe pasta dish I've ever had (and I've been to Italy!!!) The Pork Schnitzel was good--it was well-fried and tender inside, but was not a huge fan of the sauce, had a bitter aftertaste. The Forest Mushroom & Truffle Pizza was huge portion with lots of topping, but the overall taste lacked flavor. For desserts, we enjoyed the Black & White Brownie (with ice cream) and Lemon Meringue Pie. Cocktails were super tasty--I enjoyed the Fairwind (gin based) and Cucumber Martini. Overall, food and service was good (with some minor improvements)--I will be back to try other dishes! read more

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Decided to try out Elena James for the first time last night, as it was one of the restaurants that I had been looking forward to ever since I saw the sign posted! I loved that my friend and I were seated quickly, even though we did not have a reservation. We came in a little after 8 pm. Loved the ambiance of the restaurant, and think it would be perfect for a date night or friends night out. I loved the margarita, but wish I would have gotten another entree other than the chicken. I think that the restaurant has a lot of potential. read more

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Lovely place to stop in the morning or for lunch. I visited the cafe early on a Friday morning and read at a table for about an hour while my car was serviced across the street. I liked that my coffee for here was served in a glass instead of plastic. They also have their own hot sauce which was delicious on the egg sandwich. Service was quick and efficient. They kept the cafe area spotless. I look forward to trying their lunch items! read more

Elena James - Sausage egg and cheese Sammy - American Near Me - Chevy Chase, Maryland

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They lost my business after I visited the now closed separate "All Day" cafe. I tried them again for Tuesday Pasta & Pour. I invited a friend for my next meal while seated after tasting my food. Delicious. And the marg . I'll be back for this promotion. Portions, prices, and quality . If you want a cocktail the cucumber fizz. Soooo yum. read more

Elena James - Short rib lasagna and Aztec margarita - American Near Me - Chevy Chase, Maryland

Friend & I dined here for lunch. First of all,'plenty of underground parking, 2 hours free. You go up to the counter, choose your selection, and it's brought to your table. I ordered a caprese bowl instead of a sandwich. It came with white rice and the usual caprese ingredients. Brown rice would be healthier. Our lunches came right away, leading me to believe they were assembled rather than prepared. Caprese was fine, nothing special. I did order chicken with it, and the portion was substantial but over salted. Pastries looked tasty but this gluten sensitive diner couldn't try any. Might try this place for dinner. read more

I don't write reviews very often, but I've been to Elena James a few times and have never had a bad experience. I enjoy a restaurant that has an evolving menu, and Elena James often has new offerings that satisfy that appeal. I have had a variety of dishes from here and each one has been amazing. Every time my parents visit, they request to go here because of how good the food is. The service is also astounding. Regulars here are treated very well and newcomers are sure to experience how welcoming the staff are upon their first visit. We always try to go in the evenings because the ambiance of Elena James is upscale and modern. A great place to go to have a drink and some amazing food with friends or family. read more

Elena James is an all day counter-service breakfast and lunch cafe that had just opened, coming from the owners of Opal and Nina May. Their menu uses local ingredients and state that it can be subject to change based on the season and availability. We came here as a group for lunch, and we started off with: +the OG Breadsticks - with garlic butter +Dinner Rolls - with honey butter +Fried Honey Old Bay Duck Wings - with peanut crunch, chives, and lemon +the Fresh Pulled Mozzarella Sticks - prepared with house mozzarella, covered in seasoned bread crumbs, and served with red sauce +the Caramelized Vidalia Onion White pizza - with fresh thyme, garlic confit, and housemade mozzarella curd +Forest Mushroom + Truffle pizza - with rosemary, arugula, and pecorino +and A Lovely Cheese Pizza - with red sauce, mozzarella, and basil For our mains, we tried: +the Ricotta Gnocchi with Basil Pesto - with garlic bread crumbs, pecorino, and lemon butter +Braised Short Rib Bolognese Lasagna - with whipped ricotta, preserved tomatoes, and basil pesto +the Butternut Squash & Ricotta Agnolotti - with brown butter, crispy sage, and toasted pumpkin seeds +and, The American with Fries - with Texas toast, gruyere, onion mayo, and pickles We didn't have much room for dessert, but I'd love to try their seasonal pies and the banana split next time! Staff were friendly, and the space is bright and welcoming with comfortable seating options; I liked the open kitchen. +all day counter service +friendly service read more

Staff is very friendly, knowledgeable, and attentive. The food is amazing. Ate here twice and every dish we have had has been amazing. The pasta is cooked to perfection. The proteins have all been juicy and cooked just right. Trout was seasoned so well and the crispy skin was delicious. The food has depth of flavor and everything has just the right amount of seasoning. I highly recommend. read more

I'm so glad we finally have a high-quality dining option in this area! I had brunch with friends and everything was perfect. We ordered several different dishes and each one was terrific - very well-executed, to the standards of fine dining, but with all the comfort of a casual neighborhood spot. The service was excellent, too. We sat on the patio and the staff was very accommodating as we enjoyed great spring weather - it was really nice to have this option as not every place provides an outdoor option, either. I raved about the place to other people later in the day, and will definitely be back. Honestly, there are very few places anywhere near here that are worth going out to eat at - it's a bit of a restaurant desert, and this place is a welcome new oasis. read more

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Dining doesn't get any better than this... Service was impeccable. Waitstaff is helpful and kind and our drinks were never empty. My daughter dropped her napkin multiple times and they brought a new one each time. The food came out beautifully and timely. The ambiance was ideal, with the lively noise level low enough for intimate conversations. Every single bite was delightful. Skip the vino verde rose and indulge in the spicy Copycat cocktail. We can't wait to head back right away! read more

Elena James - Butternut Squash & Ricotta Agnolotti - American Near Me - Chevy Chase, Maryland

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We were excited to try this place, seemed nice. But the experience was anything but. Our server was completely uninterested is anything and seemed rushed. Food was simply ok, most of the dishes we ate were pretty bland, and i felt like they were just mass cooking stuff in the back. The cocktails were decent, although they forgot to smoke the Smoky Negroni (!!). Ambiance could actually be better in the sense that the place feels a bit upscale and nice, but the people working there and the food make it feel like a wannabe swanky place. Never returning there. read more

I went to check out Elena James last weekend with some friends for brunch to celebrate one of us moving cross-country. Juliana was our server and was so sweet and attentive. The food came in large portions, tasted good, and was fairly priced. The espresso martinis and passion fruit mimosas were delicious! The atmosphere and decor is so cute. Will definitely be coming back for their bottomless drinks again! S/o to Ivan as well for keeping the good vibes going! read more

I was surprised to see that this gem of a restaurant has such few reviews! In all honesty, I wasn't expecting much from Elena James - but I was pleasantly surprised. We had made a reservation and didn't have to wait for our table. Our server, Cristobal, was absolutely amazing and spot on with his recommendations! He was pleasant and made our dinner experience very enjoyable. We got the chicken Caesar lettuce bouquets as well as the duck wings. We were left licking our fingers! The lettuce bouquets were light and delicious with tender chicken. The duck wings were crispy and covered in a delicious sweet and peanut sauce - lovely balance of flavor. For our mains - we got the lasagna and the bucatini. The lasagna had a fresh tomato sauce and was hearty and well balanced. The bucatini was the surprise ninja dish - absolutely blew us away! Perfectly seasoned - simply yummmm! For desert we got the bread pudding. Cristobal suggested we let the icecream melt for a few mins into the pudding - and boy was he right!!! I will be leaving today with a very full and happy belly! This is a comfort cafe - a casual dining experience that catches you off guard with how relaxed the ambiance is. Table and chairs are comfortable and lighting is good. The windows give it a very open feel. All in all - Elena James is a quaint little cafe with delicious food - you won't be disappointed! It's definitely going to be one of our regular spots ! read more

Elena James - Bread pudding - American Near Me - Chevy Chase, Maryland

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Music is just at the perfect volume and selection was low fi-ish. Sandwiches were so good. The steak egg n red chimichurri.

Amazing restaurant from the warm bread to the dessert amazing food every meal restaurant should take note these guys can make it happen younger chefs are moving forward and Ella James is right on front of the spear try it any dish is great reservations recommended but not required read more

This is just an Applebees with a slightly more upscale vibe. Living in the neighborhood, I gave feedback immediately that they offer NOTHING for alternate faiths and diets like vegans, folks with allergies and their menus are tired and lacks creativity. They have changed nothing. Could care less how exclusive their mediocre menu is for half the people who live in the DC Metro area. The place is small, the people are not very helpful and don't allow for substitutions often. It is insulting to have this boomer wings/pizza place here across the street from a real Italian restaurant that isn't a chain (this place is a chain) and has been here for a long time with decent prices. I can't wait for them to go out of business so a better place that keeps up with the times and the neighborhood can take its place. I've eaten there and we found all of the food and wine wanting. For the price, you can eat anywhere else so don't bother eating here. read more

Amazing food. Very attentive staff. Calming ambiance. No notes. Came here while on vacation from New York. Compared to NYC places this is a bargain for this kind of quality. read more

The food was very bland and i honestly just felt awful after eating it. The service was nice and the ambience was cozy but the food was extremely overpriced for mid quality. I do not see myself going back or recommending it. read more

I was there for lunch and ordered some kind of burrito with chorizo and eggs. It was terrible. Chorizo tasted like grass. Burrito was full of beans. Would not eat again. Don't know how the other dishes taste. The place is clean. Ambience is decent. Service is acceptable. read more

Great food, amazing service and the ambiance is nice and relaxing.... I highly recommend this place!!

Tried this place on a whim and we were so glad we did! First of all, everyone was very welcoming and accamodating. The restaurant is pretty- with lots of light & modern decor. The menu is not extensive but offers very unique, eclectic variety of dishes. I don't think I have ever seen pizza, snail popover & pork schnitzel on the same menu ever before! We ordered the pizza with aged Gouda cheese, roasted chicken with thyme & lemon, and the pasta with carbonara sauce. The pizza was about the best I have ever had- the crust was perfection and toppings just really went well together. The pasta was also very well done- perfectly al dente & the sauce was delicious. The portion was small because it was in the "smalls" section. The chicken was well prepared & very flavorful- my only comment is that I thought it had too much going on. It had a red chimichurri sauce, gravy type of sauce, and a creamed spinach under the chicken. Not much of the lemon flavor came through. All in all, a very pleasant experience. Prices were what you would expect for this caliber of restaurant. I would run back for that pizza alone! read more

Went to Elena James DC a couple of nights ago to try their new autumn menu, and wow, it's fantastic. We're regulars at their sister spots Opal and Nina May, and this one keeps the bar high! The Black Garlic Marinated Pork Chop was a standout..tender, flavorful, and perfectly paired with the apple-fennel slaw, creamy polenta, and marsala jus. The whole team was so warm and attentive, as always. Can't wait to come back soon! read more

Their restaurant week menu was super well-done. Everything from the chef's selection of snacks to the Dubai Chocolate Cheesecake at the end was great! read more

Easily one of the worst culinary experiences I've had in a long while. Let's talk about the entrees. I ordered the Maryland soft shell crab. What's the best part of a crab...the MEAT. What did they remove from the crab? The meat! It was basically a deep fried empty crab. They completely emptied the crab of its meat content, which makes me feel sad for the crab that gave up its life for this experience. The arugula salad and dressing that accompanied the crab are something I could've gotten as a side item at an Applebees and nothing notable or tasty. The deep fried, meatless crab was $31! At that price point, I could've gone to Whole Foods, bought a pound of meat-filled crabs, and had myself multiple meals worth of seafood. The desert further solidified my disappointment in the experience as I order the Neopolitan cake and it was nasty. The texture was hard, and the center of the desert was oversaturated with birthday-cake sprinkles that interrupted the flavor and overall experience of the desert. It reminded me of the type of desert you would get at a Chinese all you can eat buffet (only I had to pay for it instead of consume it as an added bonus at the end of my meal). This whole meal was like eating at a chain restaurant, only with double the price and half the quality. I will not be returning. read more

Elena James - Maryland soft shell crab - American Near Me - Chevy Chase, Maryland

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Had a perfect breakfast at the new Elena James Cafe. The cappuccino was just the way I love it. Had the avocado toast and amazing hash browns. Highly recommend. Take your friends. read more

I have been here for lunch with my mother many times and it was always good. Recently, though, the food got very salty. The clam chowder, which used to be quite good, is so salty that it is almost not edible. The salads are not as fresh as they used to be. read more

I came here for dinner on a Friday evening with three friends. The food was a 4/5 and our waiter was very nice but I knocked one star off. They did open about a month ago but service was veryy slow, to the point where we waited over 45 minutes to get our first round of drinks. Also, they were out of the ingredients to make three of their cocktails, which is fine but would have been nice to know when we ordered because it took our waiter ~15 minutes to even make it back to our table to let us know we had to choose something else. We tried the passion sour, coffee delight, house margarita and the cucumber mocktail which were all yummy and well-balanced. For food we ordered dinner rolls, hand-pulled mozzarella sticks, duck wings, lumache alla vodka, and butternut squash pasta. We also ordered the banana split and brownie sundae for dessert. The best things we tried were the rolls which came with a fantastic honey butter, and the vodka sauce pasta, which was packed with flavor. The rest of the food was fine but the mozzarella sticks lacked flavor (although very cheesy!) and the butternut squash pasta came with MAYBE 8 pieces of pasta, which for $23 (and not including a protein!) is annoying. The desserts were great though! It is not metro accessible but they do validate parking in a nearby garage, and their website has easy to follow parking instructions which is always a plus. read more

This morning there were seven of us for brunch. It was my first time here. Love this place. The food far exceeded my expectations and there was something for all of us. That included two grandkids, and a couple of vegetarians. Each dish was well thought out. On top of that, the prices are crazy low. I actually don't understand how it works with the pricing. For the seven of us, it was $170 and we ordered too much food. My hope is that the community will support this place. It's a gem and my only concern is there weren't a lot of people there. It may have been the holiday. At any rate, this is worth going to. We will be back and are anxious to check it out at dinner. read more

The ambiance is great, the food is good, not great. It's a bit pricey for the portions but overall a nice dining experience. A side of charred asparagus costed $18.00. The ice cream, which is a featured dessert, was not good. The ice cream tasted like a non-dairy product and the cake was nothing more than a sliver. If it was intended to be a dairy alternative, I was not told that! read more

Went to Elena James All Day for lunch today having previously been several times for dinner Meal was spot on-great BEC sandwich on homemade English muffin with a hash brown between the muffins-will def be back. Is there a meal plan I can sign up for? Three squares and a snack maybe? Biff read more

When it first opened I loved the menu and vibe. Drinks were great the pizza was delicious and the moz sticks were to die for. Now they've changed the menu and after trying a couple of things the price point is most definitely not worth it. 4 "buffalo shrimp" on a salty cracker for near $15 is outrageous... I hope they go back to the menu they originally had for dinner. Otherwise I will not be visiting this place again read more

Fell in love with Chef Colin McClimans' cooking at Nina May so it is no surprise how incredible Elena James is! (And Opal!) The entire experience, from the cocktails, friendly/knowledgeable staff and delicious dishes, is top notch. read more

Elena James is just what Chevy Chase needed! Great for all occasions- date night, nice meal with the kids or girls night out! Food and atmosphere is wonderful! read more

Private event success! I have been a fan of Elena James since it opened; however, after reviewing numerous options to host my father-in-law's birthday, we settled on Elena James. Since they have this awesome breakfast nook that's not used during dinner, we were able to host a reception and seated dinner for 50. The food, drinks, and staff were incredible. Responsive to last-minute changes and flexible with all the guest requests. This was a party for 80-year-olds who have a ton of opinions, and we didn't hear any complaints, so that's a win in my book! read more

I came to this establishment with my fiancé with the hope of exploring a new place. When we arrived we were promptly seated, but then had to wait for 25 minutes to be serviced, simply for water. We then waited another 15 minutes for a waiter to approach and ask if we'd been helped yet. He apologized and offered a complimentary croissant for the wait which was very delicious. We were finally able to order 2 minutes later, and when the matcha that I ordered came out, it was very bad (tasted like grass and seaweed), I wasn't able to drink it, we just left it there. In regard to the food, it was decent, but combined with the service it made the food worse. I will say, there was a large party with very rude guests standing and not being mindful of the space which honestly ruined the experience further. Had it not been for that party the waitstaff would have had more time to service the other guests. I won't be recommending nor returning to this restaurant. I implore you to choose another place to eat. read more

Great atmosphere and vibe for weekend brunch; a vaguely Gilded Age aesthetic... like where Gatsby might head for a coffee and omelette to work out a hangover. The classic egg sammy is epic. The service was friendly and quick. read more

Went for brunch. No a/c, on 90 degree day...using fans and non window temporary ac but room remained very warm. We should have left when we were starting to sweat at the check-in in desk but we were with a friend and didn't want to have to find another place. We asked to be seated in a cooler spot. Unfortunately that didn't happen as there probably wasn't a cooler spot anywhere and along with the Plastic seat cover, I left with sopping wet dress on my bottom. Food ordering very slow- 30 min. Another 30 min or more for food to start to arrive and that then came out in slow waves after that, as per the usual small plate approach. Yes- they comped us 1 muffin and champagne for the 3 of us for the wait. When the food arrived some food seemed like it had been sitting around ( chicken -was unable to cut it, it was so dried out.) Of the edible, fresher food, it was ok but none was particularly good. ended up leaving a bunch of food uneaten at the end. No interest in bringing anything home. Would I recommend or go back??? No. read more

Chevy Chase diners beware as history appears to repeat itself. Elena James and Opal share the same ownership. When Opal first opened a number of years ago it was an excellent neighborhood restaurant. The food was fresh, cooked to perfection, and the Serbian manager made sure that every diner was treated as his home guest. Alas, six months after opening, the manager was gone, the cooking went downhill and the prices crept upwards. Recent experience suggests that it is no longer a neighborhood restaurant. The dishes we tried were dull but expensive. Elena James which opened a few months ago was quite good. Unfortunately, things have changed for the worse. At a recent dinner the trout was over cooked, dry and tasteless. The hamburger was ok but the cheese was not Swiss Gruyère which has a unique taste and flavor. Certain pasta dishes are no longer available and the one we tried, lumache alla vodka was overcooked, the vodka clearly evaporated but left no discernible taste, and the cheese may have been Parmesan but did not taste like parmigiano reggiano. The service was fine. read more