Restaurants in Erie

In order to consistently impress guests, the chefs at Hana Matsuri work closely with fish markets to procure the freshest seafood for their sashimi, nigiri, and maki creations. Once their grocery baskets are filled, they head to the kitchen to start rolling rice around interesting ingredient combinations such as the Hamachi Orange roll’s mix of spicy shredded yellowtail, orange wedges, masago, jalapeño, and mango sauce. Beyond the sushi bar, the chefs create an array of hotter Japanese dishes—including steaming udon soups and teriyaki meats—for lunch and dinner.

According to lore that has been passed down through the Lucio clan, one of the family progenitors was kidnapped from her native Chihuahua after Pancho Villa tasted her food and decided he needed her as his chef. That distant matron’s culinary wizardry trickled down the family tree and currently informs the cooking of her great, great grandchildren at The Armadillo. Chefs at the restaurants use those generations-old recipes while gently patting cornhusks into place around meal and shredded pork or simmering red-chili sauce for enchiladas. Since the Lucios converted The Armadillo from a tough-guy bar into a restaurant in 1972, they’ve opened six additional locations in the Front Range and one water park run by leprechauns in a dream.

Pupusas Sabor Hispano blends the cuisines of Mexico and El Salvador, resulting in a bill of fare with plump burritos swimming in chile verde and a vast array of pupusas—the delicious stuffed cornmeal patties celebrated throughout Central America. Like a Kabuki version of Hansel and Gretel, the menu presents both the familiar and exotic, with tamales and tortas of carne asada or shredded chicken, as well as pupusas filled with fiddlehead ferns or roasted Anaheim chiles. The dining room evokes the feel of a cantina with vibrant yellow and green walls and a faux home entryway complete with windowsills and a shingled awning. An outdoor patio unveils its tables in the warmer seasons, where guests dine alfresco or bribe clouds to hold off raining in exchange for half a burrito.

The menu at LuLu's BBQ abounds with tender, slow-smoked morsels of beef, chicken, and tofu slathered in zesty barbecue sauce. Wood framework and Texas stars decorate the steakhouse's interior, where dinner rolls buckle under the tasty weight of sliced beef brisket and meat tumbles off the bone of half or full racks of ribs. Paired with the protein-filled main menu are 11 sides, including sweet-potato tots, green-bean casserole, and fried okra, along with desserts such as LuLu's special Sweet Cow ice cream, which comes directly from Hawaii's sugar-cow farms.

The Hungry Toad's bare-brick walls and tin signs for long-extinct products lend the pub a touch of nostalgia that pairs well with Anderson-beef burgers, steaks, fish 'n' chips, and bangers and mash. Served in the same kind of 20-ounce, dimpled mug used in English taverns, an imported British beer helps wash down a Kermit burger—which, like the real-life Kermit, is filled with cheddar and guacamole—or a plate of shepherd's pie with Guinness sauce and whipped potatoes. The Hungry Toad's back wall is bedecked with colorful murals of toads playing card games, arm wrestling, and painting murals of toads with humanlike qualities.

At Morning Glory Farm Fresh Cafe, Chef Jules and her kitchen staff reach for local and organic ingredients as they assemble farm-to-table fare that changes with the seasons. When the windowed dining room is flooded with sunlight, the staff whips together gluten-free blueberry pancakes, cracks organic eggs for hearty omelets, and makes soysage from scratch. Later in the day, amid occasional live-music acts on the outdoor patio, they serve a mix of American favorites including meatloaf with mashed potatoes, as well as new takes on classic dishes such as the Sloppy Jules, a mix of tofu, tempeh, and cheese toast. Natural sweeteners pour into a rotating selection of desserts, and Solar Roast coffee fills cups, as do wine, beer, and bottomless mimosas at brunch.