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For a Christmas gift last year, my buddy Dan gave my wife Sharlene and I a gift certificate to the Elephant Bar Restaurant. I'd heard about the restaurant, but we'd never gotten around to eating at the place. Needless to say, I jumped for joy at the opportunity to not only enjoy a fantastic meal at a wonderful restaurant, but by eating the meal on Dan's dime made the food taste even better. But due to vacations, busy family and work schedules, we didn't get around to visiting Elephant Bar until March 3, 2006.
Left: The facade of the Elephant Bar Restaurant will give you an idea of what's inside. Right: The friendly cashier's station, with the hard-working kitchen to the left. The faux-elephant mascot is to the rear, complete with plastic ivy growing on top of it. I asked Dan what items from their interesting menu he recommended, and he simply replied, "Everything." He did mention that Elephant Bar features outstanding coffee, and since Dan is a coffee connoisseur, there was not doubt in my mind what would be my beverage of choice. I asked Dan if there were any pointers, and he suggested that if we chose to dine there on a weekend, it might be wise to dine early, as the place fills up quickly. Dining early isn't a problem for Sharlene and I, since we tend to get sleepy early, and we really don't like to jostle with crowds. Elephant Bar Restaurant's menu selection is unlike any restaurant menu that I've seen before, as it features a very interesting emphasis on "Regional Favorites," and "Pacific Rim" specialties. You'll find such entrées as Blacken Catfish with shrimp jambalaya, Kung Pao chicken, Chicken and Mushroom Fettuccine, Miso Yaki fired grilled salmon, plus all the classics, including several interesting variations and new twists on the cheeseburger. The menu is interesting, well-rounded, attractive, and presents a printed synopsis of this most intriguing and innovative restaurant. Their complete menu is posted on their web site, which appears at the end of this article. Now I can already hear residents of Citrus Heights saying that this article is in the wrong place, as Citrus Heights is not Sacramento, since it obtained its cityhood a couple of years ago. I completely agree, but its easier to lump Citrus Heights with Sacramento, as essentially, this article is about Sacramento area restaurants. Enough said on that subject!
Left: Hard-working servers are picking up orders from the kitchen. Right: A peak into the spotless kitchen shows cooks hard at work. As you enter the restaurant, you'll immediately be greeted by a friendly greeter, located at the cashier's station. You'll notice to your left the open kitchen, with many folks hard at work, and Elephant Bar's kitchen is one of the busiest kitchens that I've ever had the chance to observe. To your right, you'll notice the glass-enclosed, circular bar, which in a word, could be described as "awesome." Directly behind the cashier, is a large faux-elephant mascot, complete with realistic artificial ivy growing on top of it. The restaurant is quite large inside, and features a mixture of booths and tables. Just like the menu, the emphasis in the decor is sort of a combination of a tropical forest, or a south Pacific island. I almost expected to hear the strains of "Bali Hai" being played from somewhere, but that didn't happen. Like everything about the restaurant, the atmosphere and decor is very innovative and exciting. Our server, Kayla, took our drink orders and brought our menus to us. Kayla is attractive, friendly, efficient, and very helpful, but not at all intrusive. Although we arrived at a relative "lull," which was shortly after four on a Saturday afternoon, the place was busy, with probably two-thirds of the tables and booths full of happy diners. The return is a very busy, busy place, as the ratio of servers to diners seems to be much higher than other restaurants; hence the fantastic service. Sharlene pointed out that most of the servers were just starting their shifts, in preparation for a Saturday night that is probably very busy. From our table, we could look into the kitchen, and I counted at least a dozen cooks hard at work. Even at this early hour, the restaurant was very busy. My advice is to arrive early on weekends, if you want to avoid a wait. As long as I didn't have to drive, I wouldn't object to waiting at their well-stocked bar, and admiring the many good-looking servers...
Left: Our appetizer of Coconut Shrimp Skewers, which was both attractively presented and delicious. Right: Our dinner entrees arrive with a smile. Sharlene and I ordered a delicious appetizer of Coconut Shrimp Skewers, which is essentially six large shrimp on a stick, fried in a tangy mixture of coconut and bread crumbs, nestled on a plate of exotic greens. The appetizer came with a red dipping sauce that was sweet, yet a bit sour, and had just enough heat to add to the flavor, but yet was so "cool" that a young child wouldn't object. This made for a totally delicious appetizer that we would recommend to anybody. For her main entree, Sharlene chose a platter that featured three fish tacos, fresh salsa, boiled white rice, and a small helping of delicious beans. I chose the menu item labeled "Fire Grilled Beef Tri-Tip," with a green salad on the side. My plate consisted of sliced tri-tip, cooked perfectly to my medium specifications, placed over a bed of grilled onions. My entree also included mixed vegetables, cooked in olive oil, and a mound of delicious garlic-laced mashed potatoes. A word? Delicious. The portions are generous, and are enough to fill and satisfy your hunger, yet not leave you bloated. I finished my delicious meal, and Sharlene brought home a portion of her's in a styrafoam box.
Left: Sharlene's dinner of fish tacos, salsa, rice and beans. Right: My dinner entree of sliced trip-top, garlic mashed potatoes, and one of the most delicious mixture of cooked veggies that I've ever had the pleasure to enjoy. Truly a memorable meal! Elephant Bar Restaurant morphs atmosphere, creative and innovative ideas, a seducing menu, fast, friendly and enthusiastic service, with delicious food and very, reasonable prices into a superb dining experience, that you'll treasure. Why else would I take the time to take photos and do a write-up if the dining experience wasn't worth it? We're fortunate as Elephant Bar is only a 20-minute drive from our home, yet it's worth driving many miles to dine in their fine restaurant. We'll be back soon. Highly recommended! Elephant
Bar Restaurant
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