Restaurants in Erie

As pedestrians bustle past the eclectic restaurants and theater of the lively Chippewa District, the aroma of sizzling ground beef and freshly baked brioche rolls draws them toward Soho Burger Bar. Executive chef Ray Flor's kitchen is the source of these smells, where chefs whip up a variety of specialty burgers using specialty ground beef from the local Johnny's Meats and custom-made buns from Romeo's Bakery Cafe. They adorn patties of grilled ahi tuna, bison, and turkey with gourmet cheeses, sauces and garnishes, pairing burgers with appetizers of fish tacos or sides of truffle tater tots. Meanwhile, bartenders blend premium liquors into cocktails and decadent spiked milkshakes.

Reporters who lauded the restaurant's burgers in publications such as Buffalo Rising or Buffalo News were equally charmed by the interior decor, citing sultry lighting, an inventive chandelier made of liquor bottles, and walls covered in illuminated retro album covers. Cozy conversation nooks, bistro tables, couches, and translucent tortoiseshell patio chairs scatter the vibrant dining room, upstairs lounge, and outdoor patios of the versatile restaurant, which transforms into a quirky eatery during the day, a lively hot spot at night, and an enchanted yo-yo factory by early dawn.

Sunlight floods through rustic stained-glass windows onto the hardwood bar and tabletops of The Oakk Room's historic dining room, which was originally an automobile shop before it was converted to a pub in the late 1980s. Surrounded by walls laden with taxidermy pieces and an antique wooden horse trained to stand completely still, servers bring forth plates of jerk chicken and freshly baked cornbread, and bartenders shake up a menu of 17 different specialty cocktails. The restaurant slakes thirst on Wednesday with $4 martini specials and throws weekly Friday fish-frying events.

Occuping the building at Lackawanna's central intersection Nelson's ridge perfectly captures the neighborhood’s charm. The eatery takes its name from nearby Our Lady of Victory Basilica's well-loved leader, Father Nelson Baker, and furthers the connection with menu names derived from religious icons. Chefs churn out classic diner fare such as burgers, hot sandwiches, and fried chicken for lunch and dinner, but the biggest crowd pleasers are their served-all-day hotcakes, stuffed with bananas and chocolate chips, blueberries, or diced apples and bacon. In true diner fashion, Nelson’s feeds hungry diners at a long counter dotted with bar stools, and floor-to-ceiling windows offer gorgeous views of its namesake basilica.

The brainchild of owner Dale Ali and chef Sergio Aquino, Epic Restaurant and Lounge captures diners’ interest with dishes that showcase fresh, seasonal ingredients as well as the chef’s mastery of culinary techniques ranging from classic French to peasant, according to Buffalo Spree. The menu—which the Buffalo News called “ambitious” and “totally different from any other in the area”—comprises upscale dinner fare with unexpected twists: the grilled rib eye arrives with pomegranate jam, and the duck breast is flanked by a cilantro-nutmeg emulsion and rubber-ducky bodyguards.

The eatery also strives to be epic in its drink selection with a varnished wooden bar offering more than 25 imported or microbrewery beers as well as an extensive wine list. Diners can kick off the weekend with dinner, drinks, and jams every Friday night, with entertainment alternating between salsa and live bands.

On certain days, Papa Jake's Saloon dishes out prime rib or seafood specials, but owner Scott Leary doesn't want that to distract from the rest of the menu. As he told Buffalo Rising contributor Chao Li, “Everything's special at Papa Jakes.” Leary buys the freshest seafood available for dishes such as steamed snow crab legs served with drawn butter or clams Casino that Li says arrive in a still-bubbling sauce that seems to cook the morsels before your very eyes. For each Friday’s fish fry, chefs bread fillets of fish by hand and simmer pots of seafood bisque and New England clam chowder, whose rich scents attract both humans and sharks disguised as humans. Diners can also opt for the mainland taste of charbroiled burgers with fresh-cut french fries, washing it all down with frosty glasses of draft beers or mixed drinks from a full bar.

Homemade, cooked-to-order meals pair with a roster of 14 on-tap beers to bring a taste of the Emerald Isle to the East Coast. This cozy eatery is designed to replicate an authentic Irish pub, down to the front doors that creak in a thick brogue. Locals may relax with a pint at tables near the front of the pub, or move through dark French doors to sit in the dining room. Between bites and laughs, patrons shift their attention to six flat-screen TVs or the tunes scrolling across an Internet jukebox. Upstairs, a spacious banquet room plays host to parties, and outside, a covered patio accents summertime meals with warm breezes and the rustling of trees wrestling to get a better view of the pub's signature potato leek soup.