When walking into The Elgin you are immediately exposed to a vintage vibe with a modern and lively feel. Funny enough, there is tons of history you can check out as to the origins of The Elgin (click here) – long story short, the restaurant sits on land formerly part of the Elgin Botanical Gardens founded by Dr David Hosack, a leading physician during his time, who tended to Alexander Hamilton after his dual with Aaron Burr. So when you see references to these names in your cocktails, etc, there is the connection. But I digress.
With a great location just steps away from Rockefeller Center, The Elgin has a massive bar, beautiful high ceilings and a very casual and approachable ambiance, but by no means a dive bar. It is the perfect middle ground spot that welcomes all types of customers.
Food Rundown
custom blend, white American cheese, pickles, burger sauce
I thought that the cheeseburger egg rolls were a delicious and unique appetizer to start with. The egg roll crust had the perfect crispiness to it, the ground beef and cheese mixture was really tasty and I love the pop of flavor that the burger sauce added. It had almost a horseradish-like tanginess and some acidity from the tomato or ketchup component that added a nice brightness to cut through.
rigatoni, 3 cheese, black truffle $24
This was such an exceptional mac and cheese. I love how the rigatoni was perfectly al dente and added a nice heartiness to the dish. It was everything you could want out of a mac and cheese and more as there was a nice surprise element from the black truffle. I also love the texture the breadcrumbs provide. It was definitely a stand out dish to me.
truffle cheese fries, chimichurri $42
For entrees I would definitely recommend the steak. The portion was very generous and it was overall a really great dish. The steak was cooked well and I love the fresh chimichurri and the flavor combination of all the herbs together.
I am a die-hard French onion soup lover and this burger did not disappoint. It has all the components of the soup come together in a really nicely done and juicy burger. I like the layer of flavor the bone marrow provides and think it adds a little richness to the glazed onion. I also appreciate how the bun stayed crisp and nicely toasted even with the almost saucy onions piled high. Again, the portion is very generous and will leave you feeling satisfied.
While my dinner was excellent, these desserts were an absolute home run, knocked out of the park. I would literally stop by the Elgin just for these. The warm cookie skillet was a warm gooey cookie loaded with whipped cream and a cute little addition of fruity pebbles which adds a little crunch and, yes, a little pop of that fruity flavor. The chocolate lava cake was also perfect with a rich chocolate flavor and plenty of that delicious runny lava that everyone looks for in this kind of dessert. A nice scoop of ice cream and a little surprise with the fruity pebbles, it was a winner. Both were delicious and perfectly executed.
vanilla ice cream
$14
Bushmills Whiskey, Blackberry, Basil Syrup, Lemon Juice
$15
The cocktail list was fantastic and if you’re easygoing and like everything, like me, narrowing it down might be a little hard. I asked my waitress for a surprise. (Which by the way, I want to make a note about the sweet and helpful wait staff. She was very enthusiastic and attentive and really contributed to the experience.)
Each cocktail was very impressive with unique complexities but always perfectly balanced and of course delicious.
Overall I loved my experience at The Elgin and think that it was a well rounded spot with a great location and I would love to come back and try more off the menu and also their brunch! At the very least The Elgin will see me again for drinks and dessert. I highly recommend checking it out. Let me know what you think when you do. 😉
The Elgin Indo
Location
64 West 48th Street,
New York, NY 10036(opens in a new tab)
(212) 221-2100
Hours
Monday: 11AM – 11PM
Tuesday – Friday: 11AM – 12AM
Saturday: 11AM – 11PM
Sunday: 2PM – 10PM
