I chose The Elm for dinner with my CA guests during their first Berkshires visit because it's conveniently located in the midst of Berkshire Busk on Railroad St and I thought it would be festive. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Upon arriving, our table was ready up near the front window which allowed for fun people-watching.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Our waiter did a good job - drinks were fine, menu was a bit limited if one is looking for a nice entree offering, but we selected hangar steak, fish & chips, homemade pasta bowl, etc and they were fine. The one problem which turned a perfectly good experience into one which all of my guests commented on was that after dropping $500 moments earlier, we waited by the host's stand to use the restroom, and each time the waiter/owner? passed by, he said excuse me in an irritated manner, even though a couple times he wasn't even bringing any food out. We were not blocking the passageway nor creating any noise - just waiting for the restroom after dining at their establishment. A little attitude adjustment for his guests' patronage (or an additional restroom) would've made all the difference in whether guests would choose to return to his establishment. Ah well.. thank goodness we in the Berkshires have lots of wonderful options! read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]Well situated, nice welcome greetings, very friendly staff.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] However, the food is another story... The vegetarian pasta was dry and bland (a congealed clump in a bowl). Seasonal vegetable plate was just ok, and expensive for what it was (grilled vegetables). Beverages were good though : had glass of Barbara wine and a NA beer. read more

The food was pretty good, although the menu is somewhat limited and different (more casual - mostly sandwiches and burgers) from what is shown on their website. We were seated right away - great - and then were ignored for quite a while. We eventually flagged someone down who informed us that it was not her job to serve us but sure, she could take our order if we wanted. They forgot to bring one of the items we ordered and never came by to check on us. We eventually managed to get someone's attention to bring us our check. Nothing was really bad, just unsatisfying. read more

Bartender was an enormous a$$hole for no reason. Food was mediocre. Would avoid, it's overpriced and dark inside.

If I could give it no stars I would. [[HIGHLIGHT]]We order two drinks. There's not a soul in the place.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We tried to cheer up the staff. "oh it's a bad time of year but glad your here", bar tender no personality. my wife ordered a rye drink called the railroad. the bar tender served a ginger ale drink that was sweet and horrible and the ingredient list did not call for soda in it. I did mention it was too sweet and said why did you add ginger ale how can you fix this with out waiste? He said I can add club soda. my wife said "no I don't want club soda I would have ordered a club soda drink and it causes head aches and why would you add ginger ale to a drink that doesn't call for gingerale ?""?! He slammed the check on the bar and took the drink and tossed it. Don't trust the staff , the bar tender was rude and then argued with us over wether club soda causes headaches then told me we were not welcome back after my wife pushed back about the drink and then pushed the check back to him when he abruptly closed the tab for two drinks we were never served. They had the two of us and two other bar attending patrons. It was empty !!! Your bar tender sets the tone for the experience. We won't go back and we are local, and the bar tender is why. We love local and if the locals won't go back you better look at the bartender for being an obstruction !!! What I can say in my experience and my wife's is this guy obviously HATEs women. His disrespect was quite evident toward a my wife and will make your event miserable. If miserable at dinner is your thing, this is your place. He was revoltingly insulting and rude to my wife who only was worried her drink was altered and refused the check. [[HIGHLIGHT]]there's good reason this place was empty. There's so many better restaurants around with kind service![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

"And to life itself, rushing over me Life itself, the wind in the black elms Life itself, in your heart and in your eyes I can't make it without you" (Bruce Springsteen) The Elm is a very cool place with exposed brick walls, old school dark wood chairs, and an ancient bar. They have four menus - lunch, brunch, bar and dinner. We dipped into the brunch menu for our two meals - a $16 Elm Omelette with spinach, feta, bacon and a $20 Jonah Crab Avocado Toast with crab salad and sliced avocado and radishes over wheat toast. Both were served with hashed potatoes and a choice of bacon, sausage, or fruit. My Crab Avocado Toast was great, I mean really great. It has a big scoop of shredded crab salad, a lot of avocado slices, thin sliced radishes to add some crunch, very good hash browns, and 2 slices of thick crisp bacon. It was worth every penny of that $20 bill. Our server Madeline was a delight, and we had a lot of fun joking around with her as we all speculated on why a neighboring table looked at the menu and then walked out. I highly recommend Elm for you to try in your next visit to Great Barrington. read more

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Food was very good. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Atmosphere was very nice.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Entree portions were the size of appetizers and expensive for what they give you. We ordered pasta that was made in house. We asked for bread for the sauce and they said they do not serve bread. We offered to pay extra for it and they said they don't have it in house. For a pizza restaurant they could easily have bread on hand if they are baking dough in house. For two people with a glass (not a bottle) of wine, the bill was not worthy of the meal. We left hungry and went over to Juju's and had a better experience. Disappointing to say the least. [[HIGHLIGHT]]I felt like they were trying for a Boston or NYC vibe but didn't quite get there.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

We visited The Elm around 4pm. They were not serving dinner yet but we were able to sit at the bar and order pizza from Uva. We had oysters, the smoked mozzarella and delicata squash pizza and the sausage and mushroom pizza. Everything was delicious! The bartender was great as well! If we didn't have a long drive home we would have had one of the beautiful cocktails he was making! read more

The Elm - Smoked mozzarella and delicata squash pizza - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Great Barrington, Massachusetts

We were visiting Great Barrington and walked by the elm. They had a nice menu so we decided to stay. The French onion soup that was a special was excellent. We all the hanger steak and although it was good our food was cold- everything , the meat, potato's , and veg. It did take a while for the food to come and I think it was just sitting there, read more

We had high hopes for The Elm and j a recent visit to GB. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Walking in we were impressed with the surroundings - very stylish and metropolitan, good drink/beer selections.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We split a salad ($17) which could have benefitted from some more flavor (even salt and pepper which we had to ask for). For the entree we both ordered the fresh pasta with bolognese which was absolutely delicious! Our only problem with it was that the portion was quite small, at a $28 price point. So small in fact that we had to stop at a nearby restaurant after leaving The Elm for some more food because we were both still hungry. When I inquired about bread as an accompaniment (I was even willing to pay for it) they said they don't offer it at all (come on guys, you're a pizza restaurant and you have all the dough you want) All in all, it's a very nice restaurant, but think there's work to be done on portion sizes. read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]We loved the location and ambiance[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]], but the food was lackluster and the service was surly. Fortunately, there are many great restaurants in the area. Why settle for overpriced mediocrity? read more

Went to The Elm to celebrate my brother's birthday. We've walked by many times admiring the menu. So, we chose this occasion to try it out. It did not disappoint. We shared the Ricotta appetizer. Home made ricotta with blueberries, honey and olive oil. It was truly delicious. We also shared the homemade chicken sausage. It was juicy and flavorful. I ordered the pork chop and it was done perfectly. Also juicy and tender. My brother ordered scallops which was perfectly prepared. Service was friendly and prompt. We got a blueberry pie with cream and a candle on top to celebrate my brother's birthday. It was a lovely evening. Tables were well spaced and charming atmosphere. . Oh, I forgot. I ordered a cocktail and it was delicious. The viruses one- had pineapple as well as lemon lime. Very yummy. read more

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Beware! We had a confirmed reservation for 6:30. The restaurant never opened. We stood with a group of others wondering what was happening. Went by a couple of hours later - still closed. No sign, text, email. read more

I went expecting a nice quiet meal. [[HIGHLIGHT]]While the place is lovely and the decor quite nice.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]It is a bar and it was a bit load - the patrons and the staff btw.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I ordered the branzino. The fish was very good -- cooked to perfection -- but the lentils that came with were severely undercooked. The server forgot I ordered a beer and had to be reminded. And [[HIGHLIGHT]]there were no towels in the bathroom.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] All in all very disappointing. The place needs a manager who pays attention. read more

What a delightful experience: food, cocktails, service and atmosphere! Try the gambas al ajillo appetizer and the magnificent pork chop. Loved the creme brûlée and the blueberry lemon chiffon cake. read more

The Elm - Cocktails at The Elm! - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Great Barrington, Massachusetts

We dined here last night for the first time, and though we enjoyed the quality of the food (for the most part), we were very disappointed in the service. When our entrees came out, the servers brought the wrong entree for one person in our party of six. It took approx. 15 minutes for her entree to come from the kitchen, and when it arrived (after everyone else had finished theirs, of course), part of it was undercooked and inedible. This was surprising given that there was only one other table in the entire restaurant occupied, along with a few people at the bar, so it couldn't have been that the kitchen was slammed. While the server immediately told us that the entree would be comped, we felt that the restaurant could have done better. They could have told us how long it would be, and perhaps offered another entree that could have been cooked more quickly (giving the diner the choice of what she wanted to do). They could have also offered to bring out an appetizer that could have been prepared more quickly, such as a salad, so she would have at least had something to eat with the others' entrees while waiting for hers. The other problem we had was that one of the bar patrons was so loud - loud enough that it was almost impossible to hear each other talking at our table on the other side of the room without shouting - that one of the members of our party had to ask our server to ask someone to speak with that patron. It quieted down for a bit, but the noise from that person started up again a little later. And again, this was at a time that the restaurant was almost empty. While I generally am willing to give a restaurant a second chance if I have a bad experience on my first visit (especially if it has generally positive reviews), there were some serious issues here that would make me reconsider returning. read more

This was the worst dining experience I have ever had. I took my wife out for Valentine's Day dinner and this place had good reviews so I figured it would be a great option. However, it was absolutely terrible. We sat down at 5:45 for our reservation. We ordered 4 oysters, mussels, and two drinks to start. The oysters were legitimately the size of a dime for $4 a piece and the mussels were so drenches in red sauce, they didn't have much flavor of their own. We saw other people's drinks just sit at the bar for 20 minutes to the point where the beer had no head left. Additionally, whoever wrote their beer menu up just made up names for beer (Big Elm Dexter's Pils does not exist). However, appetizers were not the issue. We ordered the filet mignon and the duck and waited an hour and a half. When they came both were cold. When they dropped the duck, the runner absolutely drenched the duck with sauce, which I assume he was hoping would warm the food. My wife ordered a second drink and by the time it came, about 25 minutes later, we just wanted our check to get out of there. Our bill with tip was $215. When we were sat there were two tables in front of us who got their entrees in under an hour (clearly they got lucky) and when we left there were about 15 tables all without entrees. On our way out, I said to the table next to us, "Good luck!" She responded, "Hopefully we'll be out by midnight." We left and went straight to McDonalds because that was the only place that was open. I also understand that everyone that it is incredibly hard to get good staff right now and it is not one person's fault. However, I would have appreciated someone to recognize that it is unacceptable to wait an hour and a half for cold food that cost $215. When I jokingly told the server, "I'm sorry. this must be stressful" she responded as if it was normal and no big deal. We will certainly not be returning. We would much rather go to Number 10, the Well, Prairie Whale, or Xicohtenctal. All great spots. read more

The food was just average - almost nothing for a vegetarian but limited salads or pizza. Pizzas were good but took a very long time in an empty restaurant. The waiter was rude when asked about when they may come out. read more

I'm very surprised that this restaurant is still in business. The prices are way too high for the quality and portion size. I had Branzino that was cold and dry. The rest was barely edible. When we mentioned the incredibly small pasta serving, the waiter responded by saying "well that's Trumps America". read more

Good food but terrible service from a stuck up, know it all waiter who picked an argument with us, served us 3 ounce glasses of wine for $16 a glass, coerced one of us into ordering more and then left one of us waiting 10 minutes for the steak he neglected to fire. The bill was over $500 including tip for a party of 6. For that price you really ought to receive good service. read more

An absolute must if you are in Great Barrington! First of all, I loved the creative entry way. The inside is a perfect combination of class and refinement yet comfortable and welcoming. Vibes are fun and cozy at the bar but also very elegant in the dining area. Works for either for a big celebration or just a good time out. The food was a showstopper. Everything we had was beautifully presented and delicious. It is obvious that there is time and care taken into the execution of each dish. Oysters were some of the best I've ever had. Jonah crab was delicious and creative! Duck was amazing and had interesting additions (pickled strawberries! So good!). Beautifully presented octopus. Fresh asparagus salad. The decadent chocolate cake for dessert really sealed the deal. The price point is also very reasonable for the level of dining and quality of food that this place has to offer! Can't forget to mention how lovely the staff was. They were so kind and went above and beyond for us. Looking forward to returning soon. read more

The waiter was atrocious. From the first interaction he was slow, rude, unhelpful, and scolding. For a nearly empty restaurant the wait for food was over 30 minutes. The pizza was pretty good. A 10% tip was considerably more than he deserved. read more

This was my third visit to The Elm in the past 12 months, and while the first two visits were excellent, this last meal was very disappointing. The food came out tepid - never a good sign. The duck was plain and dry, surrounded by boiled potatoes. The salad greens were wilted and soft. The scallops were overcooked and served on a bed of mushed green peas. Really amateurish cooking. They used to have a talented chef that I just assume is no longer in the kitchen. The desert menu consisted of two pies. I guess they don't have a pastry chef since the menu proudly named the bakery that supplied the pie. Service has also worsened - there isn't a vibe to recommend. read more

Rando occurence. On a frigid day in the Berkshires, was lulled in by 1/2 price oysters. They were Duxburys, some of the best. Nice 100 year old bar, and considerably younger bartender. The burgers are 22 and 25 bux, a fiscal deterrent. But those oysters, man.... read more

This restaurant was such a treat! The service( Andrew was exceptional) to the food and atmosphere, our experience was outstanding! We ordered the oysters, mussels, and shrimp as appetizers and the NY Strip steak as entrees. Everything was delicious. The wines and cocktails were superb! We had the crème brûlée for dessert to celebrate a birthday and engagement. Andrew arrived at the table with a candle on the crème brûlée to celebrate these special occasions! Overall, our evening was flawless and wonderful. Highly recommend and look forward to eating at this restaurant again! read more

Beautiful interior space on the hopping Railroad Street. We met friends here for an early dinner before a show, and experienced a truly lovely meal. We shared perfectly-prepared foie gras and mussels in a rich broth, with a round of cocktails from the seasonal menu, all of which were delicious. We enjoyed the duck ragu pasta and the seared scallops for our main courses - the duck ragu was delicious, though it may have been more successful if a different noodle were used (e.g., flat fettucine or tagliatelle vs. the thick bucatini noodle that was served, which did not hold the sauce very well). Scallops were tasty, but just a bit overcooked. Service was friendly, and the overall experience was perfect for a chilly night meeting up with old friends. Prices are high, but we know this is the norm in the restaurant industry these days. We will definitely return. read more

This is a ridiculous restaurant. In a region hyper conscious about dietary restrictions, this restaurant thought it was a good idea to put meat in the mussels without actually putting it on the menu. The waitress didn't even know there was meat in the mussels. When we ordered the cheese plate, the waitress couldn't identify what did and did not have cow's milk in it. and it took forever to make a simple cocktail drink. There weren't that many people in the restaurant. I'm not quite sure why this restaurant is having such a difficult time doing the most basic things, like identifying what they serve and getting drinks done before food arrives. read more

We tried The Elm once and had a bad experience. Entrees came before cocktails, bread came after entrees, mediocre service and sub par food. We thought, maybe just an off night? We live right up the street within walking distance so we wanted to like this place. So a month goes by and we give it another shot. Walk in, same vibe as last time, no one welcomes us, we sit at the bar for 5 minutes before anyone says a word to us, the manager comes over to take a drink order, he knows almost nothing about the wines, beers or cocktails they serve and essentially yells at us to make a rushed decision. We ordered under pressure but felt so unwelcome that we cancelled our order before it was made and walked out. A piece of advice from decent and reasonable humans, be proud of your work, be knowledgeable in your industry and treat your neighbors like family. Failure on all fronts. read more

Really enjoyed my dining experience here. The staff went out of their way to make me feel at home. Attentive service with a relaxed feel, while still remaining poised in a way that is uncommon if not unique in the Berkshires. They nail it at every turn. Extensive options of wines by the glass. I'm not sure I can really compare it to anything else in the vicinity. Just one surprise after another! read more

The Elm - 45 day Dry aged ribeye, grilled carrots, roasted Brussel sprouts, sauce bernaise. - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Great Barrington, Massachusetts

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OMG what happened to this place???? When it opened, the service was slow, the prices were off-the-charts high, but the food was great. So they were excused - we tried again - Sept. 24. I can't say enough about it to warn unwary diners. We were 4 at our table, with experience in fine dining all over the world, as well as being non "full-of-ourselves" enough to admit that we enjoy an occasional fast food or ethnic place. We arrived at 6:30, noting that we got the coveted table near the bar (also near the restrooms, but ok), which in the past enabled us to order from the bar or the restaurant menu. Alas, this time that was not an option, we were told by our server that they were "trying to separate" the two. Nothing on the menu was too exciting but we ordered - fish, pasta, and the "aged" duck. Plus sides. 20 minutes in, the waiter came over to tell us that our entrees were under way, about 20 minutes later they arrived --not all at the same time, the fish and the pasta preceded by enough time to get cold. In the meantime we got the "bread service" for $12 - 4 slices of ordinary peasant-type white bread with a smear of butter. Sides of "fingerling potatoes in duck fat" were undercooked with no perceptible duck fat, the broccoli rabe was (ok). Small portion of fish (the fish on the menu was unavailable, the substitute came with a lackluster side of some sort of slivered squash), and then the duck. OMG the duck. It was described by our waiter as duck breast, so we expected slices of duck breast as we have been served in many places -- oh no - to our horror it was two giant hunks of duck breast, chewy, tough, hard to cut through. I actually brought it home to inspect and feed to the dog. (we ate a bit, but the rest was inedible) . Not kidding when I say that each piece was a 5 oz, Fred Flintstone worthy "hunk". I am sorry for the poor duck who gave this up. And all of this for prices that are even beyond NYC - we often dine in Manhattan, and will continue to do so. The Elm charges about $10 per dish more than a fine dining NYC restaurant - for a much less satisfying experience, read more

I selected this restaurant based on the positive reviews for my friend 50th birthday celebration. I wanted something elegant for her to make her night special. Two out of the five woman's meals were good. I have NEVER sent food back at a restaurant. I've worked in the restaurant industry for over 10 years. The butternut raviolis I ordered were served in a soup base. They was no flavor. I took a couple bites and told the waiter it was horrible. I ended up ordering the butternut salad. I took a couple bites and had my friends try it. It was terrible. The server never came back to our table to see how our food was. I ended up having to go to the bar to pay the bill. I will never go back. read more

Overpriced and portions are mediocre. Had a reservation for Christmas Eve and ordered 5 different menu items with each being mediocre at best. read more

Food is mediocre and over priced and service is horrible. Why pay high prices for average food?

A wonderful dining experience for our group of 6. The staff were knowledgeable and friendly. Our resident foodies were really impressed with the dishes - they were sophisticated, tasty, and beautiful! read more

A very welcome and needed addition to the dining scene in GB, and in particular to Railroad Street (which in the last couple of years lost 20 Public House and Alium). Located in the old 20 Public House/20 Railroad Street space with its beautiful bar, it offers great cocktails. The food is excellent, too. While it started out a bit pricey, adjustments were made and prices are now right in line for the Berkshires, particularly for a white tablecloth restaurant. But don't let that throw you off. The owners (Jeff and Adrian) are about as welcoming as it gets, and the service is also very good. All in all, it is great to see this wonderful space filled by a great new restaurant. read more

The Elm has amazing food that bursts w flavor! Loved the bar menu and the truffle Parmesan popcorn! The fish was the best I have ever had! Love the Elm! read more

Dined at The Elm for Valentine's Day and had terrible service. The food was good but our entrees arrived 1:55 min after we were seated. The table next to us (literally seated 45 min to an hour after us) got their food- similar order to ours-and when he finished delivering it, I asked the waiter when our food was coming and he snipped that they kitchen was busy. The manager was nice and comped us drinks but our waiter never came back. 15-20 min later someone else dropped our food and we only saw waiter again when we flagged him down for the check. No apologies or manners. Do not recommend. read more

A busy night. Crowded and noisy. Service indifferent. Attractive tableware with linen's. Ordered scallops and bouillabaisse. Started with oysters. Had a glass of wine. Bouillabaisse was $42; scallops were a bit less. Both dishes arrived hot and prompt. Scallops were experienced as tasty; bouillabaisse was " good enough" but nothing special given the price and amount. In summary: too expensive for what was served via C+ (at best) service. A dining experience that will be memorable for the wrong reasons read more

We waited a while to try out The Elm after opening to "let things settle in." Well-appointed and comfortable atmosphere. The offerings were somewhat limited but well prepared although I considered portions to be quite small for $48.00 entrees. Mussel Appetizer was good and at least bordering reasonable at $18.00 and a large enough portion to share. My issues were what I considered short pours of wine for $15.00 or $16.00 per glass. Offered bread and then charged $8.00 for maybe 6 pieces. It was a Sunday night with maybe 3 or 4 tables seated by 7:00 and empty by roughly 9:00 when we left and still had to remind the server that we had asked for a second round of wine 10 minutes prior. All in all, 1 appetizer, 4 entrees, 8 short-pour glasses of wine, 6 pieces of bread, 2 coffees, a cappuccino and 1 creme brule..... $400.00 for 4 people and not worth a return visit when there are so many other quality restaurants in the area. My personal opinion is the owners believe they are catering to the "New York" crowd, ignoring the local population completely and in GB, that is a recipe for failure. To add insult to injury we gave them 2 credit cards to split the bill 50/50 between 2 couples and they charged both the split charge AND the full bill charge to our friends credit card in addition to our 50% on our card. Totally ridiculous! read more

This place just opened and was delicious. My husband and I popped in for a drink and ended up staying for two hours at the bar. The cocktails were creative and well made, the food was delicious, and the service was impeccable. We are vegetarians and although they did not have a vegetarian entree, they created one especially for us! We got the beet appetizer (delicious and beautiful) and a mushroom dish paired with potato gratin and carrots as an entree. We also got both desserts and Chef even sourced us Oat Milk to have with our chocolate chip cookie. Wonderful experience. Don't wait! Just come here. This experience was great and we hope to return again soon! read more