Racks Bar and Grill

Great place for weary travelers to stop for cold drinks and a bite to eat. It was our first visit to Racks Bar and grill. The staff was friendly and prompt to greet us as well as take our orders. Very reasonably priced and the food was surprisingly tasty. This place was exactly what we were looking for. Although just know that it looks closed from the front. As you enter you'll find a cool, clean and lively environment.

We went for dinner, I wasn’t even hungry. Yet I polished off most of my flatbread pizza, and my wife enjoyed her garlic chicken sandwich. Good atmosphere, good menu, and our servers were engaging and upbeat. Lots of big HD TV’s, game 1 of the Colo Avalanche featured. I suspect Rack’s is awesome for any broadcast sports.

There's a reason why this place was named "the most charming small town restaurant in Nevada" by the Food Network and it's because it really is. From the moment you walk through the front door, you really do get a warm welcoming feel that screams "locals joint" but still totally inviting to visitors passing through town. Even an hour before closing on a weeknight, the bar counter can be filled with guys sitting elbow to elbow having a cold one and talking big about their last hunt. Of course, there are tables around back and it's just a cozy. As far as food goes, I have to say that it really is a surprise at just how good it really is here and they do have a wide variety of options that can satisfy just about anyone. While Basque chorizo is always a signature of theirs, on our last visit, my wife got the Nevada Cheese Steak and I the Ruben and both were super tasty! As far as service goes, we always find it to be super fast, attentive and friendly. Parking can be a bit tough to find out front but there's plenty to be found around the corner. This is definitely a place I would highly recommend to fill your belly and relax with your favorite drink. Oh, and did I mention this place is smoke free? Yeah, kind of hard to find in a Nevada bar so there's that too. Enjoy!

Tried the fried shrimp, Awful Awful burger, and Blue burger. The Shrimp was delicious, super crunchy fry on the outside and moist shrimp on the inside. We were surprised by the seasoning being like an orange chicken sauce, but it was a delectable sauce flavor. The fries are crisp, fluffy, and served unsalted. Both burgers were pretty good as well! I had the blue on the pretzel bun, it was an 8/10 as is but once I sauced up the burger it was a 10/10. Awful Awful burger was reported to me as a 9/10 as is . If we're ever going through Ely again we would definitely stop here once more . P.S. with the construction parking is encouraged on the backstreet of the Bar, and you currently have to enter through the back entrance at the time of this post.

Great food and drinks! Best restaurants in town. The specials menu with flatbreads and steaks has a bunch of others great choices. Service was excellent.

Juicy Fresh Tasting Burgers with pleasant servers and quick service...great amber beer and tasty fried corn appetizers

Great local eatery and what appears to be family run and operated. The place is popular and had a good mix of locals at the bar to give it that whole in the wall charm you would expect from such an establishment. The food was spot on with a lot of flavor and good size portions. The spicy chicken sandwich was great, and the kids love the grilled cheese and flat bread pizza. The gyro was flavorful and was a hit. If you want an appetizer, go with the Mac and Cheese bites. Service was friendly and in our visit very busy. It felt almost like watching a NASCAR race as the servers zoomed pass carrying all the food orders. Only marks we would note were the frys needed to be cooked a little longer. They were a little under done and not crispy. Also, while the staff was friendly, it felt like we were a pit stop as they raced around. While it is appreciated on the speed of service, at times, it felt like we were a pit stop, and it took a while to get things that were asked for. But these are minor complaints and we hope to come back one day as the menu has too many great choices and we only had to pick one.

Omg… 5 stars is not enough for the food here. Really cute little local sports bar. The waitress/bartender was so friendly. Service was fast even though it was rather busy for dinner time….And the food was incredible. So glad we stopped here on the way through Ely. We had the pork chop dinner and the t bone steak dinner. Everything was perfectly cooked, came with insanely fresh vegetables and probably the best baked beans I’ve ever eaten.

Some might disagree but there are only really a couple of good places to eat in Ely that aren't chains, ethnic or in casinos. This is one. Right on Main Street downtown you've got to look for it but it's right there between two taverns with plenty of signage. The room is nicely appointed with the bar/kitchen along the wall and several high and low top tables. They call it a sports bar, and it has several TV's around, but when we visited this time they were all showing hunting shows. If you're not a hunter and object to trophy heads of the various wildlife animals hanging everywhere (Racks - get it?) it probably isn't the place for you. They're also not shy about sharing their political views on various signs and stickers behind the bar, but that's pretty standard in this part of the world. In the summer the patio is open, which is really the place to sit on a nice day. Every time we've been there it's been packed. Mostly with locals which is a good sign. They have just about every kind of bar food here including huge sandwiches, some entrees, and pizza. They also have some specials but it doesn't appear they change too often. Food is what you come here for and everything we've tried is good and plentiful. Service was about what you'd expect here; kind of harried, but it's always pretty busy so expected. Prices were standard these days; about $50-$60 for two including a cocktail. If you're new to Ely or just passing through and want a casual lunch or dinner this is the place to go.

Great little bar and grill in Ely. Clean, friendly staff, great prices and great food! We are heading back to Ely soon and we plan on stopping by again.

I heard about this place through the Basque Adventure Challenge with Travel Nevada and am glad we visited. This is a bustling cozy place with energetic loyal, local customers, and vibrant staff. The food is delicious. Sports and news on the tvs, drinks flowing in the afternoon. It's a fun spot! If you're not familiar with rural decor, don't be alarmed there's taxidermy on the walls. (Look but don't touch lol). There's an outdoor area too for seating. Visit if you're in the area.

We were taking a walk after a long drive and passed by Racks. It was too early for dinner, but we needed a drink, so we decided to check it out. The decor was cosy and authentic, and the waitstaff very friendly and attentive. Best of all, the beer was reasonably priced and served in frosty mugs. We went ahead and had a side of fries that was generous for the money. The menu was varied and there were a lot of specials listed on the wall. It has a nice, lively atmosphere that made us wish we had time to stay for another round. Definitely will go back next time we're in town.

Came on a Sunday night for dinner and there was good crowd watching football inside. We elected to sit outside on the back patio since it was such a nice evening - the patio is spacious and very nice. No craft beers and the only IPA was Lagunita's. My bride ordered the pull pork sandwich ($14) and it was tasty, but there was some not so great pieces of pork in the sandwich. I went with the Blackened Chicken Breast entree ($22) and it was solid. Service was very friendly and prompt.

Very happy we stopped here for a burger & beer. Wasn't sure if open by looks of front, really can't tell what kind of place it is. Parked in back and found rear entrance to cute outdoor dining area. Went inside and was pleasantly surprised. Nice bar and tables. Very clean. Was fairly busy but bartender served us quickly. Good beer on tap and their hamburger & fries were just what we wanted. Would definitely stop here again.

We stopped in one evening with our kids (11, 11, 10, 6) and had awesome meals!!! We were seated fairly quickly on a mid-week late evening, and our server was kind and attentive. My husband had the pork nachos (delish - he shared!), and I had the Cobb salad (HUGE and delish also!). Our kids were all happy with their meals also. [And, because always good to know with kids, the bathrooms were clean and great! ;)]

Food was great. My husband had the cheese steak and raved about it. Western cheese burger was great too

Food was fine (silverware was cheap & sharp edged-why can't restaurants have a little step up?!?). From previous Yelp reviews, we thought it was a step up from burger joint with beers. NOT! If you want a quick, noisy, hot cooked burger & beer, this is the place. If you want a nice steak, baked potato dinner, you're not going to find it here. Very nice servers.

Rack's is sort of more of a bar than a restaurant, but they do have some very good food. We just needed dinner during an overnight as part of an extended road trip, and the reviews here looked good so we decided to give it a try. We were not disappointed! The service was prompt and friendly, they have both indoor and outdoor seating, and there's a pretty good amount of variety on the menu. I had the Rack's Smoked Pulled Pork Sandwich, which was very good. The meat was tender and smokey, the sauce was a little sweet and tasty (they use Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ Sauce), and the pretzel bun was a nice twist. The fries were basic but good. My wife had the Chef Salad, which was a little on the small side so I would say it is more of an appetizer than a main dish. Still, the ingredients were fresh and good. We arrived pretty early for dinner because we were tired from the road, so the place was pretty quiet. But I am sure it gets busy and perhaps a little rowdy during prime time. Definitely a great option in town for good food and good service. And they have some great beers on tap too!

This is a local bar and grill found on the main street through Ely, NV. It had decent reviews and was recommended by the hotel staff as a good place within close walking distance. Their menu had a nice variety of dishes to choose from. We started with a basket of onion rings. Crunchy and yummy! When I expressed doubt about them being served with tartar sauce, our server included some ranch and fries sauce as well. I ordered the pastrami on sourdough instead of their bun. They were happy to oblige and it was delicious. Lots of meat and cheese, with the bread crusted nicely with butter. My husband got the Reuben and it was loaded with meat and sauerkraut. We both opted for the side salad for an upcharge. That was fresh, but nothing special, with a tomato wedge, a cucumber slice, and a slice of buttered bread. I'm wishing we'd ordered the Piccadilly fries, but the salad was healthier. Everyone was friendly and our server, Ally, was great the entire time.

Consistently great food and service! We always stop here if we are near/in ely. The wings, apps and smoked meats are my favorites!

Great food and service and some yummy drinks are to be had here. We got a pulled pork sandwich, garlic chicken sandwich and a few drinks on this super snowy day and was happy to find a place open with a nice place to get outta the snow. They do have happy hour as well so one round was after 2pm so that was nice to get one round discounted. I found them on Yelp but also asked a local where to go and they said here as well. Turned out to be a good recommendation.

My husband and I were traveling and found this place on the internet. For a weeknight, they seemed pretty busy. There were eight men seated along the bar. They all seemed to know each other-I'm guessing they were regulars. Families filled most of the tables. We ordered our favorites: a burger for my husband and a pulled pork sandwich for me. The food was good. The servers were very friendly and attentive. The thing I will most remember, however, is how clean the entire place was, from the mounts on the walls to the women's restroom. I have ever been in a bar that was so cheery and spotless! It made me feel very confident about eating what was coming out of the kitchen. We will definitely stop in again the next time life takes us to Ely.

Surprisingly good food here! Not mindblowing by any means, but given its location, I was pleasantly surprised with the quality of the food. The wings were a little bland and undercooked, and the service was a bit mixed overall (they seemed a little busy). The reuben was very good, as was the beer. Overall good spot to stop if you're on the road!

My dad and I were in town to ride the Nevada Northern Railway and landed here for a bite to eat one evening. I had the "big racks burger" and enjoyed it, but took 1 star off because it was advertised to have some 1000 island secret sauce on it, and while I could see it I couldn't taste that it added anything to the burger. All in all, it was a solid dinner and I have no doubt you could, too, have your own good food experience here.

In Ely for the train! Looking for a place to grab dinner so here we go! So my take on Racks as a guy who's family has owned restaurants, run pizza ovens myself and have eaten all over the world. Food coulda been better, service was on the miss side of hit and miss. We became invisible to our server immediately after ordering, while ordering she might have informed us that the pizza oven was backed up as they could only do three at a time and everyone was ordering pizza, food came out in four different waves leaving our party of seven watching each other eat, pizzas came out last and done wrong, virtually no cheese on them, semi burnt crust and pepperoni, crust seemed like a prepackaged type, pizza maker needs to learn oven management! fish and chips were greasy, one person out of seven, me, liked their meal, our drink orders never came out, drink refills for the kids never happened, place wasn't that crowded, Nice looking place! Really great patio. Inside decorated well. I dunno give it a shot, maybe you'll get lucky. We didn't....

Not a lot of options in Elko, but this place rocks!! Service was great, pizzas were really good, crust was on the thin side (which I prefer) and crunchy, bread pudding for desert was so yummy, and some delicious and Interesting drink options.... They had an alcahol lemonade on tap, really delicious. Do t come through here often, but when we do we will definitely stop by here again!

My second time here in a time span of about six years. Wanted to come back here, so walked the mile or so from the Bristlecone motel right down Campton street. The owner was cooking up a BBQ special which was a chicken and rib combo, but opted not to eat that much food. Several people around me were raving about it. I ordered the Stinging Honey Garlic Chicken sandwich with a side salad. An excellent choice for sure. The sauce on the sandwich was amazing. Just be sure to ask for some moist towelettes as it is a tasty sticky meal. Perfect sized portion, and the side salad was a great compliment. This is a full bar, so plenty of adult and non alcohol choices. If it's nice, they do have a back patio for outside seating, which is pet friendly as long as the pet is well behaved.

Well, I want to be able to recommend this place..... It was so nice to eat in a smoke free restaurant, they had good drinks, the kids were happy with their grilled cheese, the fried zucchini was great, the pizza was tasty, and the staffs was friendly. Unfortunately the ambiance made me uncomfortable. Honestly, I can even ignore the taxidermy on the walls, I mean we are in Ely, NV, but the "We won't show NBA basketball so don't ask" signs under every single TV made me uncomfortable. I didn't really notice them until after we had ordered, so we didn't just walk out, but I won't go back next time we pass through this town.

This is a world class Bar. Real people... having fun...drinking together... and fantastic food served excellently... with a smile

Had great Reuben there. Also very hood pepper Jack broccoli soup. Soup could been hotter but very good. Friendly staff. Thinking we go back for another margarita which were also very good.

My son and I were on our road trip and stayed in Ely. We stopped at Rack's on the way out be of town. We ordered the Rack's burger...OMG! It is huge and so very delicious. You must try it the next time you visi!

After a very long drive across Nevada, this was the perfect relaxing stop! Don't let the outside deceive you! There is lots of room and nice outside seating:) Hands down the best pulled pork sandwich I've ever had. The kids enjoyed fresh grilled chicken Ceaser salad and cheeseburgers with a pretzel bun. My little one said "best French fries I've ever had" Not sure when we can return but if you are passing through you should definitely drop in and enjoy some delicious food!

A great small town country bar atmosphere with amazing food and service !!!! Definitely recommend !!!

Great food with some fun sauces, service was also good with a clean and inviting atmosphere.

Great food, drinks and staff Patio/outside seating is cool! Right downtown close to everything

Stopped by for a drink. The smells from the kitchen are very good. Sorry, we just ate as the plates coming out look amazing. Our drinks are very good, friendly staff.

Very busy on a Friday nite, group of 4 and we sat at the bar. The ladies working the bar and tables were polite, extremely efficient and very knowledgeable and friendly. Food came out quick and although people were waiting to be seated we never felt rushed. Lots of pictures of hunters with their game and fish and racks of deer and elk. They don't show NBA games so don't ask, of course I asked why and was told it's political. They also had an "86 List" with Henry Reid and another democrat. Never felt unwelcome, but I gotta say, everyone's money is green. I wouldn't wear a Biden shirt in their, other than that, would recommend.

Like another post said. " Don't judge a book by its cover" Ely is our stop driving through to Idaho. Every time we come here have yet to find decent food. We found this place not expecting much and to our surprise " it was awesome" I had the beef dip and my Husband had the pork chops. The salads were so crisp and new. Merlot wine was actually decent and the staff was great. Our food server Sierra was so nice and caring. We loved her and our food and night. Try it when passing through, you won't regret it.

What a great find. The reviews hit it spot on. We stopped here for dinner while traveling through. Great atmosphere. The service was dynamite! The food was strong. I got a southwest burger with a side salad and love it. Rueben was good. Pulled pork was good. Winner!

What a hidden gem! The staff was great. The food was excellent. I had the garlic chicken sandwich and my husband had a blue burger. We sat in the back patio. This was great, especially with the umbrella shades.

Awesome food! HUGE portions, very friendly environment. We had a huge plate of pork nachos, 2 amazing burgers and the Greek gyro. Delicious food!

Not that this place needs another 5 star review but here it is. This was our first time here. Food is awesome. I had the pastrami sandwich, my wife had the roast beef. Both were exceptional probably the best we'd ever had. I was hoping for the pulled port but they were sold out. Next the staff. Extremely attentive and friendly. And I've never seen a place so clean. Was it closed for the prior week for a deep clean. I don't think so. I usually would give four stars for a great review, but this place surpasses. Too bad we seldom stay in Ely but looking forward to the pulled pork next time.

Food was pretty, service was great, though admittedly there were few customers this afternoon We shared a giant chef salad that was fresh and delightful. We also shared the chicken club sandwich which was also great.. sorry no pics, we dug in and didn't get any

I've been traveling for a month and every restaurant that claims to be dog friendly online has been happy to give my dog water. This place would not, even though we were on their supposedly 'dog friendly patio' in 80 degree weather. They said it is against health code--if that were true then their patio could not possibly be dog friendly per health code. I even asked for a styrofoam to go container not any of their dishes... If you havea dog, they are NOT dog friendly even though they claim to be!

Sorry to say, Their food is all frozen and tastes like cardboard. For the amount they charge, it is not worth it. I will say the service staff is great. And it is smoke free!!

Pretty sure my $12 dollar Classic Burger (no cheese at that price) was all of a quarter pound before it was charred to a crisp by the Cook (Manager?) who was sitting at the end of the bar playing on his iPhone, bossing the Servers and PICKING HIS NOSE prior to making my lunch. The dehydrated, unseasoned fries were partially edible before the Server grabbed my plate assuming I was finished, I guess? Upside is that nice juicy tomatoes and lettuce leafs are served with the "Hurt Your Eyes" burger to enable the customer to build their own vegetarian sandwich on the nice (but burned) specialty bun. Are you thinking I won't repeat? Me Too!

The food was good, the beer was cold, and the ambiance was that of a welcoming, small town bar.

Stopped here about 4:30pm on a Friday in the middle of April. It was not very busy, no more than 10 other people in the place. About 15 seats at the bar and about 8 other tables. Everyone else was seated at the bar. You could tell this was a locals bar, it seemed like everyone knew each other. The name is based off the horns of a deer or elk, there are many trophy pics on the wall as you walk in. We were told to sit where we liked, so we picked a table. Menus were brought to us and we ordered drinks, one of which was a Racks IPA, locally brewed. It was very good. We ordered our meals which were brought out in a timely fashion. Both of our meals hit the spot, very good. The overall prices seemed a bit high but we understand that is probably very typical due to the fact that Ely is a remote location. The food and service were very good. The place seemed clean, it is a good stop for food in Ely.

Just went in for some dinner and ordered the Nevada Cheese Steak sandwich, witch had a lot of stuff on it, but no sauce. Very bland tasting without seasoning. Sandwich was 18.00 and a pint of 801 was 7.50, with tax and tip I spent 30 bucks and fries were lame. Also signs everywhere "We will not show NBA games so don't ask". Well I won't as I will never come back again. I do live in Ely and I will tell others how I fell, what a rip off.

Dropped in while passing through. I had the patty melt with onion rings. Fantastic. Beer was cold. Definitely worth stopping by again.

Passing through on my Harley staying at Hotel Nevada the gals sent me to RACKS... I was thinking more like a Twin Peaks place... walked in pleasantly surprised! Great mounts on the wall and had an amazing dinner at the bar with great hospitality by the owner himself... when passing through Ely I recommend stopping by and trying it out!

Wonderful food and service! I had the quinoa shrimp and fries. They were delicious - the shrimp were crispy and flavorful, and there were plenty of them. The server was attentive and so nice. If you're passing thru and looking for some good food, Rack's is the place to go!

Absolutely delish! Our server was beyond friendly, welcoming, and didn't even bat an eye when my party of 12 showed up without warning. She kept all the littles entertained, recommended super tasty apps and main courses. This place and ambiance is great. Definitely stop in you won't be disappointed!!

Stopped on our way to Utah based on Yelp reviews. I had the beef dip and it was great. The meat had a perfect flavor as did the au jus. Pretty busy on a Saturday night but our food was served pretty fast.

We stopped here for lunch on our way through town and loved it! The onion rings were the best I've had in a long time... nice and crispy and not too greasy! Yummm! Burgers were delicious as well!

We had a great time here. They were busy and short-staffed but our beers were cold, the food was really good, and the restaurant/bar has a nice feel and vibe. I had the beef dip which had delicious roast beef and my husband had the wings which were surprisingly spicy and unique tasting. Ely is not a place we come to often, but I would gladly eat at Racks anytime we are back in town. Small town charm + yummy food = awesome. My family is full and happy! Thanks guys!!

My diet Pepsi tasted like it had some kind of cleaning fluid in it. The unfriendly waitress informed us there were only 2 items available on the dinner menu. At this point we walked out. Ely, Nevada the armpit of Nevada. Will not be coming back to this restaurant or the town.

This was one of my favorite meals on our road trip! Pulled Pork Sandwich was exceptional. The Bleu Moon Burger, Ah-mazing! My husband had the Chile and liked it. My brother-in-law had the cheeseburger and was satisfied. We all ordered the Onion Rings...BEST we ever had! We all are looking forward to driving through Ely and stopping by on our next road trip!