MarShell’s — Restaurant in City of Elmira

My wife and I moved to the area in mid-2022. Prior to this, we lived in NYC (specifically in Harlem) for 14 years. The biggest thing we miss about our last home is the food - there's just not a lot of good restaurants around here (I don't necessarily even mean fancy - just good). We have a short list of a few spots we frequent that are decent enough - we rarely deviate from these because, often enough, when we do, we're disappointed by whatever new place we try.

Last night we wanted to go out to eat, but thought we would try somewhere new. We found MarShell's on Google Maps and it looked great so we decided to roll the dice. Boy, are we glad we did.

Firstly, the restaurant itself is a lovely space. It's relatively modern, well-kept and well-designed, but still comfortable and casual.

Tashell was great - we had a wonderful time speaking with her and she took great care of us. She said that the restaurant opened 2.5 years ago, right around the time we moved to the area - we only wish we came sooner.

The food is spectacular. Soul food is a "humble" style of cuisine, but their take on it is just the right degree of refined. I don't mean it's fussy in any way - I mean they really know how to cook and this shows in every dish through flavor and texture. Things like collard greens or sweet potatoes, which are often overcooked to oblivion, are just the right consistency, and exploding with flavor. Sauces are rich and velvety, not overly thick or gloppy. Even seemingly simple things like chicken wings or fried green tomatoes are perfectly fried so the inside is moist and juicy, with a light, shatteringly crisp exterior - something many other restaurants don't care to pay attention to.

TLDR - this is a great restaurant serving uniquely delicious, rock-solid soul food in a well-kept space that stands out like a diamond...

First time here, I had to check it out cause of all the hype. The place is a little hard to find in the dark and from the outside is very unassuming. A real hole in the wall vibe. Inside is very nice, clean, and has a great atmosphere. I love the decorations and vibe of this spot. We came on a Friday night so it was quite busy so food was a little slow to come out of the kitchen but it was worth the wait. The menu here changes somewhat week to week, which they post on their FB page in advance. I got the oxtail birria tacos, and my dad got the cheeseburger and fries. The birria tacos were different from birria I've had in NYC but the oxtail was incredibly tender and melted in my mouth. The tacos were very flavorful. The burger was cooked medium, very juicy, my dad described it as having a kind of smokey flavor he's never had before. Said it was delicious. The staff were really nice and the restaurant was very clean. I will definitely come back here! I'm interested in trying many other things...

The staff was lovely truly kind people. But the food? Tasted like disappointment and regret.

I paid over $22 for an oxtail plate that came with some greens and a side. I specifically asked for cabbage they gave me greens instead, which aren’t even my thing. Strike one.

The oxtails? Just a few thin slices, barely seasoned. Nothing rich, nothing soulful. Nothing memorable. Definitely not worth the price which was already absurdly high to begin with.

Also ordered fried chicken wings (Flats), drumettes, and some flavored ones (Parmesan and garlic, I think). Basic. No boom, no bam, no standout flavor. Just... there, looking back at you calling you a sucker.

The prices are NYC-level, but this is Elmira. Come on MarShell's come back down to earth.

Great people. But food like this at these prices? That’s not a meal...