Ely's Ivy — Restaurant in Grand Forks

My experience while dining here was downward slope that kept declining faster the longer it dragged on. We waited at the front desk for about 6 minutes before a server noticed us and get us seated. And then, upon listing the specials of the day couldn't tell me what all came in the soup and had to go check. Which isn't a big problem at the time as it was one item that she didn't know. She did offer to bring me a sample of the soup, which I can appreciate and was a nice gesture, and the soup was good. We then ordered and I got the BBQ brisket sandwich and the soup, while my girlfriend got the fried oyster and the steak and fries. When my sandwich finally came out I was surprised because it was honestly bland. With how little was on the sandwich, I could've eaten the brisket on its own and the taste would've been the same. What really made me realize how the quality was dropping as the meal went on was actually the fries, which were hashbrowns shaped into sticks that were overcooked on the outside and mushy on the inside while being way too fatty. Upon trying them with the steak sauce I spit it back onto my plate because of said sauce. The sauce was sweet in an off way that made it taste like a barbecue flavored jelly bean to me and my girlfriend said it tasted like black licorice. Upon finishing the parts of dinner we could tolerate, we got desert at my girlfriends insistence. The waitress had a list with the deserts on them, but upon asking the price she had to go check. She had a dessert menu without prices, and thats what gives me an impression of this restaurant being a drunk trap on top of everything else. With the quality of the meal degrading as time went on, the grainy dry cheesecake, and the waitresses lack of knowledge on several food products or their prices was really making it seem like by the end of the meal you were supposed to be inebriated enough to not care. Neither me or my girlfriend...

Over the last year my girlfriend and I stopped in for a drink and an appetizer and service and drinks had always been good. Figured we would try dinner with it being Valentine’s weekend. Drinks were spot on and appetizer was good as well. We both got steaks as they were out of brisket, not a big deal. Salads came out and were flat and just not good. Then came the steaks. I ordered mine medium and it was grey all the way through which I instantly knew it was cooked wrong. It was smothered in gravy and onions and was told it was just a glaze but entire plate was flooded with gravy. The cut was very fatty and lacked any flavor. My girlfriend ordered rare and it was actually undercooked with solid fat throughout. Normally I would not complain or take the time to write this but if you’re going to charge these absurd prices for food it has to be better than this. The overall experience was meh...I believe our server was a bartender which was also weird. We did tip well and thanked our server but I can say after this I won’t eat here again. You can get better steak at Red Lobster or Sky’s. Also asked my girlfriend to message them on FB to only be left on read. Gave two stars because drinks are always good. Food and pricing...

Below this review was a review of the same restaurant I attended 4 years ago. I'm keeping it below so that viewers can see how this place has improved, grown, and truly found its soul. This restaurant has come leaps and bounds since that initial review below! The food is incredible, the atmosphere is sophisticated, and the service is excellent. One of the best places in town! Spot on for price value as well! The Pommes are the luxury potato side of your dreams, everything is made from scratch, and the drinks are fantastic! 5 out of 5 stars! Highly recommend! (This review is of the same place, 4 years ago) I found dishes to be hit and miss. One of the meals (the duck) was great while the other (a cranberry brie stuffed chicken breast) seemed overpriced and didn't flow well with its pairings. The risotto was the consistency of mush and quite over done. The atmosphere was a little plain but not quite clean enough to quantify as minimalist.

Overall, it struck me as a place that doesn't quite know what it's identity is yet. It markets itself as fine dining, yet the atmosphere and ambiance is moreso a casual restaurant. It needs something unique, it...