The Friendly Society
The Friendly Society things to do, attractions, restaurants, events info and trip planning
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Got take out last week for dinner. It was our first time. They are one of the few restaurants in the area open a bit later and does not require reservations. They have indoor seating as well as an outdoor patio. Ordering was done via telephone call and we were given a pick up time about 45min later. Not bad considering they were very busy at the time. Staff are friendly and pleasant on the phone and in person. We ordered: SPRING PEA SOUP (GLUTEN-FREE, VEGETARIAN) $8 Leek, basil, sour cream, mint, parsley. It is chunkier than I like but tasty. SHRIMP COCKTAIL (GLUTEN-FREE) Dijonaise, lemon, fresh horseradish, cocktail sauce. $16 Large plump delicious shrimp with two dips. So good. 😋😋Would recommend as an appetizer if you like shrimp. BARBECUE PLATTER Whiskey-glazed side ribs, fried chicken, sweet roasted yam, coleslaw, pickles, choice of frites or house salad (we added Caesar salad for an extra $3) $28 Both the ribs and chicken is fall off the bone tender. We upgraded the side dish to Caesar salad which is also good. SPICY TUNA POKE BOWL (VEGETARIAN AVAILABLE, GLUTEN-FREE)$21 Seared sesame-crusted yellowfin tuna, mayo, pickled cucumber, scallion, cabbage, edamame, carrot, sriracha, sesame seed, quinoa. Unfortunately when we got home and opened the container, we discovered the restaurant forgot to include the yellowfin tuna slices so it was really just a salad. It is an absolutely delicious salad though! 😄 We called the restaurant and spoke to Avery and explained the seared tuna was missing from the poke bowl. She apologized for the error and and after speaking with the manager, went ABOVE AND BEYOND to make things right and ensure we had a great experience. Would definitely return and recommend this restaurant to all our friends. If I could give more than 5 stars I would! If you are in Elora, or even in the general vicinity you should absolutely give them a try! Thank you @The Friendly Society! You made a lasting impression and lived up to your name!!
bbt JCbbt JC
20
That was a 5/5 experience. Service could not have been better from start to finish. Hostess staff were very friendly and made me feel welcome. My server was Emilee and she was polite and willing to answer any questions I had and offer suggestions. She provided the perfect amount of privacy during my experience while still being readily availabile and anticipated my needs. This is a skill and should be recognized. Menu was informative and diverse enough for different tastes including vegetarian. Drink menu features local traditions and historical facts which is quite interesting. There is a separate menu for lunch and dinner so the 'friendly fried chicken' is available at dinner time. It would be helpful to feature both menus on Google for this purpose. Food came in good timing, with an appealing presentation and taste. Spices and flavours are well thought out. Small additions to each dish make for an above average palate experience. Bathrooms are funky and clean, three stalls for the women's. Decor throughout had a quaint, excentric/ Canadian feel and ambience was spot on for me. Overall I will likely recommend this establishment in the future for trips to Elora. It is very evident that the operators of this establishment are striving for the best experience possible for guests. Thank you!
Ashley SmithAshley Smith
00
We were here for Sunday brunch and it's a very different experience from most places we've been. There is no buffet, only items you can order. It's all very small plates which means you can try many different things. It also means the pace of the meal is very different, much slower than a buffet-style brunch. I quite liked it as it gave me time to rest in between, but be prepared to sit there for about 2 hours if you want to really enjoy it fully. Mostly everything we tried was delicious and we really enjoyed trying many different small dishes. The highlight for me was the chicken and waffles, which was a suprise as it's not something I would usually order or like. We also ordered Fruit Loops which ended being just a small box of actual Froot Loops with milk. It was actually quite fun as I haven't eaten those since I was a kid. The service was very friendly albeit a tad slow at times. It was ok as it went with the general atmosphere of calm dining. We did notice that food arrived faster in our first order, and then started arriving slower and slower with subsequent orders, which was ok as we were getting quite full as it is. All this for $35 per person or $40 if you want the two drinks, we felt it was well worth the price. All in all a wonderful experience, just don't be in a rush!
Yaara LYaara L
00
We had lunch today at The Friendly Society in Elora. Amazing experience. The restaurant itself is gorgeous. Very nicely decorated, comfortable, not too big or small, not too loud and is very clean. The staff is incredibly nice and work hard. We had a beautiful waitress named Haleigh that looked after us really well and was very sweet and helpful. She took our orders correctly and made sure we had everything we needed throughout our meal. We were there with my kids and Richard, who looks after the kitchen, gave them a quick tour of it, which was a great experience for them. Best staff I've seen in a restaurant in a very long time. Now the food - absolutely delicious. Everything was fresh, nothing was greasy or overcooked, we had good sized portions and it was plated nicely. On the photos you'll see the Mediterranean bowl with added shrimp, the fish with a Caesar salad, mac and cheese with a poutine, fried calamari, the strawberry shortcake and some drinks. We loved everything! It was all so good and done to perfection. I've never been to this restaurant before but am already looking forward to going back. Thank you to Haleigh, Richard and the amazing staff for the best lunch we've had in a long time. A+
Maggie CMaggie C
80
Overall a good experience. I’ll start with the positives. Atmosphere is fantastic and the vibes are immaculate. The staff are incredibly friendly and make you feel welcome. Our food was definitely good. The Buddha bowl was fresh, wings were tasty, and the fries were delicious. Thin cut crispy fries are done perfectly here if that is your preferred style. Although we had to wait about 45 minutes for our food, we were kindly offered a free drink on the house. There are a couple things that could be improved. The wait time was quite long but… I understand they were understaffed so that is very forgivable and I wouldn’t expect this on most visits. Don’t let it deter you from coming here. The Buddha bowl was good, but not as flavourful as I would’ve liked to experience. Additionally the menu on google needs to be updated, the prices have increased quite a bit (see picture of updated menu). It is understandable for prices to increase but they should remove older pricing from google so customers aren’t mislead. Overall a fantastic place to visit, but this is not a lower-priced restaurant. The food is good, but slightly overpriced for the quality and flavour. I’ll be back though!
Adam PronkAdam Pronk
00
The Friendly Social offers a unique and cozy atmosphere with a great patio and plenty of seating. Parking is free but limited and monitored closely, so plan accordingly. The service was a bit of a mixed experience. While our server was polite and friendly, frequent interruptions while we were trying to converse were a bit off-putting. After declining further assistance, we were promptly informed of our 90-minute seating limit, which made us feel rushed and as if the focus was more on turning tables than on our dining experience. However, the food made all the difference. It was exceptional and definitely worth the drive from Toronto for our early reservation. We highly recommend making a reservation, as the limited parking and seating time can be challenging. Overall, we would recommend The Friendly Social, but suggest that servers focus more on the dining experience of present customers rather than rushing to seat the next group. We would have understood if we had overstayed our allotted time, but this was not the case.
D LawrenceD Lawrence
10
Nearby Attractions Of The Friendly Society
Elora Gorge Lookout
Elora Gorge Hole in the Rock
Grand River Raceway
Elora Gorge Falls
Scoop Ice Cream
Elora Rapids Inc.
ELORA MEWS
Sugar Skulls Ice Cream Elora
Sweet Distractions: Elora's Candy Boutique
Elora Centre For The Arts
Elora Gorge Lookout
4.7
(856)Click for details
Elora Gorge Hole in the Rock
4.5
(669)Click for details
Grand River Raceway
4.1
(570)Click for details
Elora Gorge Falls
4.6
(149)Click for details
Nearby Restaurants Of The Friendly Society
Elora Brewing Company
Gorge Country Kitchen
Shepherd's Pub
Handsome Devil Bistro
The Cellar Pub And Grill
Elora Mill Restaurant
Lost + Found Café
The Evelyn
Cafe Crêperie
The Wild Tart
Elora Brewing Company
4.4
(793)$$
Click for details
Gorge Country Kitchen
4.3
(681)Click for details
Shepherd's Pub
4.4
(523)Click for details
Handsome Devil Bistro
4.4
(473)Click for details
Learn more insights from Wanderboat AIBasic Info
Address
8 Mill St W, Elora, ON N0B 1S0
Map
Phone
(226) 384-8452
Call
Website
friendlysociety.ca
Visit
Reviews
Overview
4.6
(542 reviews)
Ratings & Description
Description
Snug destination serving classic & creative international standards in rustic-chic surrounds.
attractions: Elora Gorge Lookout, Elora Gorge Hole in the Rock, Grand River Raceway, Elora Gorge Falls, Scoop Ice Cream, Elora Rapids Inc., ELORA MEWS, Sugar Skulls Ice Cream Elora, Sweet Distractions: Elora's Candy Boutique, Elora Centre For The Arts, restaurants: Elora Brewing Company, Gorge Country Kitchen, Shepherd's Pub, Handsome Devil Bistro, The Cellar Pub And Grill, Elora Mill Restaurant, Lost + Found Café, The Evelyn, Cafe Crêperie, The Wild Tart
