If I could rate this 100/10 I would. The Oakwood is one of my all time favorite restaurants and has been since I was a little kid. If I only have 24hr in Erie, I'm making this my one stop for the best thing on the menu- The Oakwood Deluxe Sandwich with crispy fries and a side of chicken gravy. This is one of the best sandwiches I've ever eaten and have been searching for something similar in Pittsburgh for 10 years and nothing even comes close. The owners are very sweet and welcoming to everyone. The staff treats everyone like family and gives you that small town dinners vibe in the best way. You can choose to sit on the restaurant side (left) or the bar side (right)- both are great, but I prefer the bar side! If you've never been, make sure you plan to make this a stop! read more

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Seat yourself, but it is busy in here. We grabbed the only empty table, 5:30pm on a Monday. Not much space between tables. The food came out fresh and fast, which we love. Daughter says "great chicken finger sub," (she's kind of an expert,) and everyone else really enjoyed their dinner. We'll try to stop when we're in town again. read more

McGarrey's Oakwood Cafe - Braised Pork Shank - New American Near Me - Erie, Pennsylvania

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Excellent service. Delicious food. Our order arrived quickly after our waitress took our order. The sandwiches were huge and delicious. read more

I was in Erie a week ago and I always make it a requirement that I have at least one meal at the Oakwood - primarily for the lake perch. I invited my sister and all of her kids and grandkids and we had a delightful meal - and an awesome visit. My sis and I both had perch, and each plate had four large filets. She had to take half of hers home. I didn't pay particular attention to what everybody else ordered, but we all had big smiles for the requisite group photo. I'll definitely be back!! read more

The interior isn't very cute but the reuben sandwich makes up for it tenfold. Despite its somewhat soggy bread, the reuben is incredibly tasty and pack fulled of meat and sauerkraut. Additionally, the fried zucchini is exactly what you want -- crispy, and perfectly battered for ranch. The cherry on top is this establishment's tendency to provide HUGE portion sizes. I definitely recommend this place as a takeout experience. read more

McGarrey's Oakwood Cafe - Fried Zucchini - New American Near Me - Erie, Pennsylvania

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4.5 stars. Bartender was great, got us in and out well fed and happy. Killer reuben and tons of fish with perch dinner

Overall, it was a great experience. . Pros- Service was friendly, knowledgeable, helpful, and pleasant. 100% happy with our server. Awesome menu variety. Very nice food portions. Loved the raspberry vinegrette on the salad. Chicken Parmesan was very moist and generous. Parmesan Haddock was also tender, moist, abundant, and flavorful. Never rushed, and the restaurant appeared clean. . Cons- bread was good quality, but felt cold, so naturally, the butter wouldn't melt. Dinner salad was just iceburgh lettuce and a few microscopic red cabbage, a carrot sliver with 2 cherry tomatoes. No cucumbers, onions, or croutons. Food was under seasoned but corrected with much salt, black pepper & parmesan cheese. Side pasta was overcooked as expected, so no surprise for me, but you should know that it's pre-cooked. No fresh brewed iced tea, just the kind from the bar gun. NO DESSERTS! They never have any, FYI. read more

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Went for lunch and had wedding soup and Reuben sandwich. The sandwich was huge and the soup simply delicious. Recommend Oakwood hands down!

Nice family run joint. Good selection of sandwiches, salads and pizza. I had the salad and it was a good deal. Very attentive and lovely servers. read more

Definitely a locals joint. As you enter the dining room on the left the ambiance is rather plain - no decor at all. But there are plenty of patrons and the menu has any or all comfort food you could want. Service was pleasant and prompt. Food portions were large and quite tasty. Prices very reasonable. Overall highly recommended. read more

McGarrey's Oakwood Cafe - American goulash - very tasty and large portion - New American Near Me - Erie, Pennsylvania

Excellent home cooked food and great service. Would def go back if I lived in Erie. Baked haddock was outstanding.

Service was great! Best fried perch ever eaten! Reuben sandwich was huge and fantastic, way too big for one person so I suggest sharing one. Atmosphere was very nice and will always go back there when in Erie. read more

Best Rueben in all the land! The host/owner made us feel welcome and my annual visit home to the area delicious. Everyone in my family was totally happy with their meals. read more

Best Reuben sandwich ever, mass quantities of meat. Parking is adequate. Service is outstanding.

The food here is great. I typically order the Rueben because it's really good and the portion size is generous. I recommend getting a side of thousand island to add to the sandwich, especially if you take any of the sandwich home to eat at a later time. For an appetizer I recommend the tots with Greek sauce/meat. It's very good if you're a fan of tater tots and the portion size ranges from good to generous. The place tends to be busy and the servers are often hurrying around doing their best to wait on the tables. As others have mentioned (and the reason this is a 4-star review and not a 5-star review) the one owner (he looks to be around 70) is always in a bad mood and is typically rude. This is how he's always been since I've come here. He speaks with disdain in his voice and acts like the customer is more than an annoyance. I don't know what the guy's problem is; I don't take it too personally as from the other reviews it's obvious he's an unhappy person but it's a downer to have to interact with him. Thankfully for him, the food is very good and so most customers accept that the guy isn't at all friendly. read more

McGarrey's Oakwood Cafe - The Reuben is Delicious! - New American Near Me - Erie, Pennsylvania

Ordered the meatloaf, verified it was 'homemade'. It was not good. Not consistent in color. Took a bite and pushed it to the end of the table. The waitress never asked about it and clearly saw I did not eat it. It sat there during the entire visit, although the other plates were cleared. Service was good, meatloaf was not. read more

McGarrey's Oakwood Cafe - New American Near Me - Erie, Pennsylvania

Definitely declining food This used to be so good but every time we go something else gives way. The French fries are horrible , they are like dry cardboard now. They used to be wonderful. it's sad to see so many local places losing ground. The Oakwood melt used to be good as well but it's hard to even find the burger now in the big piece of bread. I think it's time to let go and realize this is never going to be what it once was. read more

Was overall pretty good. If you're looking for some classic American food this is the place. The menu is very extensive with a TON of options. With that, again don't expect a bunch of elevated flavors. The food is cheap and filling. A classic diner vibe. You would think it would have an irish vibe, from the outside but at least in the restaurant area that was not the case. Food wise, I got the chicken tender basket, and was exactly what I expected, I mean it's chicken tenders. My brother got the reuben platter. It is HUGE. All he said about it was that it was pretty good. Also, the blt was nothing extraordinary but still good. The only thing I have to negatively comment about is the service. We seated ourselves. The restaurant still has up all the covid related barriers and is literally just a brick room. No decorations. The older lady that served us seemed like she did not want to be there. She was short, I couldn't seem to get a refill. As well as she made me and my family feel rushed by reaching over us and asking for the check before we were even finished. Overall, a decent restaurant in the area if you're looking for some cheap food and not looking for anything out of the ordinary. read more

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There is a reason they are voted best Reuben in Erie. They never disappoint. Tried fried fish and a steak salad this time- fish batter was still soggy, ew, and one of the salad tomatoes was clearly rotten. And someone had to have picked up that rotten tomato to put it on the salad. Stick to the Reuben and you'll be fine! read more

For the longest time I would always order a reuben here because they are so well known for it and it's amazing. Recently, I decided to try something new. And oh my gosh, I have been missing out on the rest of their menu for so long. I have yet to have a meal that I dislike! read more

Service cleanliness food were all excellent. I recommendation would be to try the Rubens.

Ttwenty years ago..... Great place. Supposed to be the best Reuben in town. Last time i checked Reubens had swiss cheese. Not these sad imposters. White american cheese. The rest is just as bad if not worse. read more

Great chicken soup. Love the Reuben. Love the Chicken and Biscuits. The service was very quick and friendly. Great hometown cooking.

I heard this place had a pretty good reuben and that is why I went. The parking lot was packed but I sat at the bar. The staff was fantastic and their system works. They have several people working the ba. It is like a bunch of friends are just hanging out behind the bar and when you need something they are quick to accommodate. I was very surprised by the size and diversity of the menu. I was expecting an Irish pub for some reason, stereotype I guess, but this is a well rounded establishment. The staff made you feel like one of the requlars. I got a bowl of chili, which was huge, and the reuben platter. I picked fries as a side. The thing was huge. I was very pleased. It is obvious why the are known for the reuben. This is now a must visit when I travel to Erie. I look forward to working my way through the menu. read more

This was my first time at McGarrey's. My husband and I went for a late dinner and our server was very nice and quick. The food was good, the dining room was nice and quiet until it sounded like a delivery driver just returned from an interaction with a rude customer. He was yelling in the kitchen and my husband and I were seated the closest to the exit on the other side of the restaurant. He said someone slammed the door in his face so "fuck her" and "fuck you bitch". He said she was the "young, dumb type. She was like 28 years old". He said she "only tipped him 3.25$ so fuck her". My husband and I are both 27 years old. We drove to the restaurant to enjoy a nice meal together. I left extremely annoyed that this man didn't seem to care who heard his complaints given his volume and language. I would not recommend taking your children here unless you plan on asking the staff to act appropriately and professionally so you can enjoy your meal with your family. I did not slam the door in his face nor did i mistreat him in anyway so I don't feel my husband and I should have been subjected to his behavior while trying to eat dinner. read more

Clean place, fast service, and a huge menu to choose from....mostly sandwiches and bar grub. I ordered the Reuben as they boast 'voted best in Erie'. It was a big sandwich, I will give them that. Watching other orders come out of the kitchen it appears most of the portions were also substantial. So what I thought was mayo was actually processed (kraft single) Swiss cheese which completely disgraced the sandwich. I would expect something like that from an Arby's reuben but not from a place like this. Somethings you just shouldn't cut corners on...and that is one of them. I'd revisit but would not recommend the reuben sandwich. It was a disappointment. read more

A very friendly local bar with an extensive menu. The staff all wore masks, and they had constructed temporary barriers with wood and plexiglass to separate tables for COVID-19 restrictions. Our server was a young woman who was such a sweetie and literally running from table to table to provide exceptional and quick service. Our food was fabulous. My partner had the Reuben sandwich while I had the pierogis and kielbasa. My meal came with salad. The salad was out of a bag and slightly wilted but Ice cold with housemade ranch dressing. The pierogis and kielbasa were outstanding! Buttery and oniony. The Rueben was so thick with meat and kraut that the bakery supplied pumpernickel kind of broke apart. It was all so good! We also ordered pizza balls to go. They are a round of dough with a bit of pizza sauce, pepperoni, and mozzarella wrapped inside and baked. Our server was amazed that we had never eaten a pierogi or a pizza ball before. Delicious food and a welcoming atmosphere! This would be my local bar if I was an Erie local. read more

McGarrey's Oakwood Cafe - Pierogis and kielbasa at the top and the Reuben Sandwich - New American Near Me - Erie, Pennsylvania

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It's been 16+ years since I was here last but it's as good as I remember it. Got the chicken and biscuits. More than I could eat and delicious. Father in law got the goulash. He is very picky and love it. Great pricing. Good family atmosphere Definitely recommend you try this place read more

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I lived a couple blocks from this place for 18 years and have never come to eat their "famous" Reuben. Considering I wasn't allowed to drive for 16 of those years I'll just blame my parents for that (love you mom and dad!). So I told my Dad it was finally time to try this Reuben. Okay, this may be controversial but....I didn't think it was all that great....not enough to be famous. I mean, I liked that they put a good amount of sauerkraut on it (some people scrimp on that) and I loved the bread. Funny enough, I'm not a big rye bread fan, but I love Reubens. This bread was a rye/wheat mix the server told me. That made sense, considering I thought it was so good! I also thought it was weird the thousand island dressing came on the side. Usually they just slap it on the sammie, but I guess they want you to do it yourself...maybe to add what you want (which for me would be the whole container, plus more!). I'd say the sammie was average, at best. We also ordered a side of fried cauliflower. I actually really liked these. But I mean, you fry anything it's probably gonna taste good! I felt like that scene in the movie Elf, where Will Ferrell goes into the coffee shop to congratulate them on having the best coffee in the city. They didn't really, they just had a regular cup of joe. I felt the same about the Reuben. read more

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Went in here for a reuben... Could not believe it wasn't that good considering all the positive reviews... It wasn't tender at all, maybe I'm spoiled from the good reubens in the Buffalo area... We had a few other gripes.. The blue cheese was Ken's (yuck).... Gravy was fake.... And the fries were maybe the worst I've ever gotten out somewhere... Hate giving bad ratings but I got to say it like it is... I would want others to do the same... No reason for us to return here. read more

Service a little slow sitting is. After being sat service was excellent. Food was great. Hope to try again.

They make an excellent Reuben sandwich. Very tasty and satisfying Yummy. Give it a try, you won't be disappointed, and you will help our local business and friends. read more

Love this place. Great atmosphere, great quick service and reasonable pricing. The Rueben is a must for me! read more

McGarrey's Oakwood Cafe - The Rueben. Yum. - New American Near Me - Erie, Pennsylvania

Nice local restaurant. Known for their reuben. Personally I don't like reubens. Menu has lots of choices to choose from. Some of the food I've ordered during my visits has been bland. Could've used some seasonings. Just my thoughts. Overall, it's an enjoyable place to a meal!!! read more

Food was average at best. Limited tap selection. Bar is a bit rough and filled with intoxicated people.

Got takeout for my family... Chicken and biscuits 3 orders .... 2 adults and 2 children and we had PLENTY of leftover's! The gentleman who took my order over the phone was kind and patient and said it would be ready in 10 minutes!! Awesome as always keep up the good work! Erie Classic!! read more

Had McGarrys for delivery. Delivery driver was very nice,courteous, and timely. However, we didn't receive a meal that I know I ordered. The owner, who took my order, argued that I never ordered the meal and would have to pay not only for the meal but also another delivery fee! I know I ordered the food because it was what I wanted to eat for dinner as everyone else ordered pizza and I cannot eat pizza! Apparently, not only does the owner need to be more responsible when taking an order, he should not argue with a customer! Because of the owners rudeness, I will not go back and I will NEVER recommend this place to anyone! read more

We were shocked today that when we presented the gift card we received as a gift that it's "no longer valid here"- it's a $25 gift card! The server said "we don't even have a machine to process those." Ridiculous! She told us to go to giant eagle and get the money back. As a business that once sold the cards they should accept them and then go take it up with giant eagle. UPDATE: we went to giant eagle and they said there are no refunds on gift cards. Called the owner of the oak wood, Kevin, and he said he's no longer accepting the cards. Apparently the loss of business from a family of patrons isn't as important as redeeming a $25 gift card that was paid for earlier. read more

Used to be a good restaurant. Placed an order to go was told 15 mins. I got there at the correct time and the owner seemed annoyed he had to cut his golf story short to another customer. After setting my two bags of food down on the counter rather roughly he told me my total. My wife's side salad was a handful of old soggy salad mix and 1 cherry tomato. Very sad. The fries resembled great values crinkle cut fries were ice cold (live 5 mins away). The price of the shrimp dinner was way too high for the 5 or 6 medium sized pieces of shrimp you get and a handful of fries. Be a long time before I go back. read more

I have just visited today for the 2nd time. My husband thought his reuben was awful. I got the smothered chicken, it was less than thrilling. The place was packed and the service was good, it's unfortunate that the quality of food did not match. The best part about the lunch was the italian dressing on my side salad. I left wishing we had gone to a chain. I was sad on the ride home. read more