Elephant Head Opens in Downtown Harrisonburg on Wednesday, July 8
Chef Colin Auckerman's long-awaited new American restaurant with Mediterranean and Middle Eastern accents opens on North Liberty Street this Wednesday, serving dinner nightly from 4–10 p.m.
Downtown Harrisonburg gets a major new dining room this week. Elephant Head Restaurant & Bar opens at 105 N. Liberty Street on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, with dinner service running 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. nightly.
The restaurant is the debut solo project of Harrisonburg native Chef Colin Auckerman, who has spent the last decade building the kitchens at Bella Luna Wood-Fired Pizza and The Local Chop & Grill House. His menu at Elephant Head is built around new American shareable plates with a Mediterranean and Middle Eastern backbone — Virginia ingredients treated with global technique.
What to expect on the plate
The opening dinner menu is organized as small, medium, and large plates meant to travel around the table:
- Chicken Kofta with hummus, harissa, cucumber salad, and cilantro
- Pork Milanese with baby arugula, pickled raisins, and a sorghum-mustard cream
- Sesame Crusted Catfish — Virginia wild blue catfish, jalapeño tartar, baked field peas, braised greens
- Beef Ragú with Gnocchi, red wine, caramelized onions, and grana padano
- Crispy Chicken Wings with zhoug and za'atar dressing
- Roasted Beets with shaved fennel, roasted pistachio, yogurt, and a citrus-ginger vinaigrette
- Stracciatella Toast on house focaccia, with baby lettuce pesto, walnuts, and pan-roasted tomatoes
- VA Beef Burger with cheddar, special sauce, and fries — a house classic sitting quietly on the "large" list
Save room for the cheesecake with fresh berries, which is already showing up on regulars' preview tables.
The bar program
Elephant Head is pouring an equally ambitious drinks list: creative cocktails and mocktails, a curated wine-by-the-glass program, and Virginia craft beers and ciders. Expect the same Mediterranean thread — citrus, herbs, and a little smoke — pulled through the cocktail list.
The room
The space seats guests three ways: a warm dining room, a live-edge-topped bar for walk-ins, and a covered outdoor patio for warmer evenings. Chef Auckerman has been vocal about hospitality being the front-of-house north star, and the small opening team reflects that — this is meant to feel neighborly, not fussy.
If you're going opening week
- Address: 105 N. Liberty Street, Harrisonburg, VA
- Opening night: Wednesday, July 8, 2026
- Hours: 4:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m., nightly
- Reservations: Available on the Elephant Head website
- Style: Shareable plates; go with a group and order across the menu
Between the Mediterranean-forward menu, the covered patio, and Auckerman's decade of Harrisonburg cooking pedigree, Elephant Head is the most anticipated Valley restaurant opening of the summer. Wednesday can't come soon enough.
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